Lt. Lynn Ford, right, was honored after retiring from the East Ridge Police Department with 23 years of service. He is shown with Chief J.R. Reed and Mayor Brent Lambert.
photo by Gail Perry
The East Ridge City Council is still trying to find a way to prevent people from making hotels and motels in the city limits into their homes. How to accomplish this is addressed in a newly proposed ordinance. However, the council members are not satisfied with the way that stays are limited. Councilman Jacky Cagle said that the way the ordinance is now written, if he worked the system right, he could live in one hotel for about a year.
The goal is to allow extended stays for legitimate reasons such as working on a long-term construction project or if a home is destroyed and the owners are displaced and need a place to stay.
One big issue under discussion is how to monitor the amount of time someone stays in a hotel.
Suggestions of the way to monitor the length of stays includes asking the hotels to send the city a list of who has reached the maximum limit of days that are allowed in the ordinance. That would reduce the need for a city representative to be at the hotels so often. Another suggestion was for the city to tie into the hotels’ computer systems so the work could be done from city hall. A business doing extended work projects in Chattanooga, could also contact hotels on behalf of their employees who might need to stay for extended periods. Vice Mayor Marc Gravitt suggested that special exemptions be added to the ordinance for situations such as out-of town-workers. No matter how it is accomplished, the person staying would need to provide proof of a permanent residence elsewhere to the hotel.
City Attorney Hal North told the council that it will be a low priority for the hotels to comply and send information to the city. They are in the business of trying to get people to stay there, he said. However the city keeps tabs, more manpower will be needed, said City Manager Scott Miller, and will probably involve hiring a new employee in codes enforcement.
A second workshop to iron out the issues will be arranged by the city manager and an attempt to notify and invite all hotel/motel owners will be made. Mayor Brent Lambert said he would like for this issue to be decided by the end of January, 2017.
Making the entrance into Jordan Crossing attractive was suggested by the city manager and approved by the council. Mr. Miller proposed that the city build a 10-foot-wide sidewalk from the north ramp off I-75 directly into Camp Jordan Parkway. That width sidewalk can also be considered a multi-modal path and can be used for bicycles. Elements that would be needed include lighting and planting of trees and other landscaping and irrigation. The project would be bid as a construction project including maintenance for 25 years. The cost, not to exceed $14,000, could be reimbursed by Border Region dollars, said the city manager.
Upon the recommendation of Mr. Miller, the council also approved restructuring the East Ridge Needy Child Fund, by removing it as an account within the city’s general fund and incorporating it as a 501C-3 non-profit organization governed by a board of directors. The fund will continue to be managed by members of the police and fire departments and the mission will still be to provide financial assistance in the form of food, clothing and toys to underprivileged children living in the city of East Ridge.
Each year the fire and police employees are required to have in-service training to keep their certifications, with a cost of around $600 per employee each year. The council voted to authorize the advance payment of $600 to each eligible employee to pay for the training for a total of $31,800. The city will be reimbursed for this amount by the state of Tennessee.
Approval was also given for the purchase of 10 additional licenses for the Tritech Mobil Cad software that is used in police vehicles. The city had previously purchased 25 licenses. The cost will be $14,640.
The city is required to update its occupational safety and health program (OSHA) every seven years, so the ordinance was amended to include fatality and accident reporting.
The council approved the city joining the National Joint Powers Alliance, which is a purchasing alliance, in order to obtain needed equipment for the city at a reduced price.
On second reading, an ordinance was passed that establishes a five percent monthly penalty for non-payment or late payment of liquor by the drink privilege taxes.
The East Ridge Christmas parade will take place on Saturday, Nov. 19. It has been announced that Ringgold Road will close at 6 p.m. that night and the parade begins at 6:30 p.m. Participants will start lining up on Germantown Road at 4 p.m.
The inauguration date for newly elected East Ridge commissioners will be on Dec. 12.
Chief J.R. Reed and Mayor Lambert presented Lt. Lynn Ford a plaque to honor his distinguished service with the city of East Ridge police department. He is retiring after working as a police officer for 23 years.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the East Ridge City Council has been cancelled because it falls on Thanksgiving Day. The next meeting will take place on Dec. 8.