The East Ridge City Council approved a resolution on Tuesday to appoint Fire Chief Mike Williams the additional position of assistant city manager after current city manager Andrew Hyatt officially announced his resignation and the acceptance of a position in Neptune Beach, Fla.
Mayor Brent Lambert said that Mr. Hyatt will continue in his current position until the end of his contract in two weeks at which point Chief Williams will assume the duties of the city manager.
Upon assumption of these duties, Mr. Williams will receive a $1,000 pay raise as long as he is serving in that capacity. Mr. Williams has been a resident of East Ridge for decades and Mayor Lambert said that he has served well in the fire department for years as well.
A public hearing for the upcoming fiscal year budget as well as an ordinance to approve that budget was tabled until a special meeting on June 29 where council members can further discuss certain unresolved issues related to potential pay raises, insurance adjustments, and bonuses for city employees.
The scheduled meeting on June 30 will be the last day the council has to approve that budget without needing a continuation budget.
The city council also passed an ordinance to amend the zoning regulations and map of East Ridge for a property at 322 Scruggs Road, allowing for the construction of a compressed natural gas installation.
A spokesperson for the planned facility said to the council that the new fuel option is both more environmentally sound and cheaper than standard gas at an expected cost of $2 a gallon. Upon completion, the station will be able to fuel six cars at once, though it is not an option to pay in cash.
A number of commercial services like UPS and Fedex have begun transitioning to CNG fuel and the station will provide service to individuals who have purchased appropriate fuel conversion kits for their cars.
After hearing a statement from a Speedway representative, the council also voted three to two to approve a beer variance for the Speedway gas station at 4222 Ringgold Road. Previously the gas station had been prohibited from selling beer since an East Ridge city ordinance prohibits the sale of alcohol within 250 feet of a school, church, or public park. The store in question is within 200 feet of a nearby park, thus the application for a variance.
The approval came with a stipulation that Speedway construct a five-foot privacy wall in between the station and the park in order to further limit foot traffic there.
The council also gave a reminder that J-Fest at Camp Jordan is scheduled for Saturday with nine acts and fireworks to conclude the event.