East Ridge City Manager Andrew Hyatt said Wednesday that the architectural designs for the new Bass Pro Shop at Exit 1 are scheduled to be completed on June 26.
He said construction is due to start in late July.
Vice Mayor Marc Gravitt said he and other council members had been in a meeting with TDOT and several other public officials where they had been shown pictures of what the new Bass Pro Shop being built in East Ridge is going to look like.
Several late complications have had to be cleared up on the project that is set to be a major boom to the city's economy and budget.
Also at the meeting, officials noted that the Tennessee Department of Transportation has awarded the municipality a grant for $949,833 to make improvements along Ringgold Road, the city’s transportation backbone.
The grant was just $167 short of the maximum grant total possible and requires a five percent match by the city to begin designing a multi-modal sidewalk enhancement project that will include new bike lanes, new greenspace, and a more aesthetically appealing as well as functional thoroughfare overall.
Mayor Brent Lambert said, “It will make a real difference in curb appeal.”
He also said, “TDOT has been a great partner with us and we’re grateful for the interest they’re taking in East Ridge.”
Though no designs have been finalized, the improvements are expected to span from Black Hawk Trail to East Ridge Avenue, about 1.5 miles in the heart of East Ridge.
Next, the council unanimously passed two resolutions, one of which was to accept the Edward Byrn Memorial Justice Assistance Grant from the Department of Justice to give $10,511 to the police department for the purchase of additional equipment. The second resolution approved an application for a $1,000 grant from the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency to assist in cleaning South Chickamauga Creek and Spring Creek.
Vice Mayor Gravitt also brought the council’s attention to an issue of funding for the Parks and Recreation department in East Ridge that he asked to rectify by splitting the department from the municipality’s general fund so that it would be a standalone entity.
No funding for the department, which handles important parts of the community like maintenance and management of Camp Jordan, would actually change, but since it consistently loses money for the city, the split could facilitate better financial transparency. As it stands now, the city could feasibly use revenue raised from the department for unrelated purposes, such as the purchase of sanitation vehicles, since it is lumped into the general fund.
Vice Mayor Gravitt also highlighted the fact that, despite never breaking even, the department provides valuable intangibles essential to the community through its efforts and that his proposal was not an attempt to put a target on anyone, specifically Parks and Recreation.
The proposal was ultimately rejected after a lengthy discussion so the East Ridge Parks and Recreation Department will remain within the general fund.
Councilman Larry Sewell proposed that the role as deputy city manager be removed from the city treasurer, Thad Jablonski, and assigned to Police Chief Mike Williams with a $1,000 pay raise while performing those duties.
Mr. Sewell pointed out that in the event that the deputy city manager would be called on to lead, it would be more appropriate to allow Mr. Jablonski to focus on his role as city treasurer. This resolution was passed unanimously.
Finally, with regard to the council’s previously proposed two-percent pay raise to part-time and full-time employees, Vice Mayor Gravitt suggested that a hard look be taken at the municipality’s leave-buyback program. Under this policy, city employees can avoid taking time off and then be compensated accordingly.
However, when applying with leave not taken, employees are compensated at the pay rate they are currently making rather than what they had when actually working that time. Vice Mayor Gravitt mentioned that he knows of at least two employees that made over $10,000 through the policy, so the issue was more complicated than simply giving a blanket raise every year.
Several council members requested more research on the topic so discussion was tabled until their meeting on Tuesday night.