Louie Alford, chairman of the Bradley County Commission, brought up a question for the other commissioners to consider. Currently, the Bradley County EMS Department and Fire Department are separated, one led by a committee and the other a board. Shawn Fairbanks is director of both and spends a lot of time going back and forth to many meetings, said Chairman Alford. His suggestion is to eliminate two committees and create one committee to guide both.
One obstacle, said Commissioner Milan Blake, is that they now have two separate budgets.
And, the departments are set up differently, with a board and a committee, said Vice Chairman Jeff Yarber. This matter will be discussed further in future meetings.
At the commission meeting next Monday, a resolution to rezone property at 250 Old Powerline Road from Forestry/Agricultural/Residential (FAR) to General Commercial district (C-2) will be voted on. The change has unanimously been recommended by the Bradley County Planning Commission.
In April 2015, John Clifton purchased property at 5180 Bates Pike, SE to locate his business AAA Heating & Air. The previous owner had put up a barrier of concrete blocks to prevent parking in front of the house. Mr. Clifton had a permanent wall built in the same position, but before the work started, contacted his commission representative, Howard Thompson, to verify the right-of-way was 30 feet wide. Unbeknownst to Commissioner Thompson, the county’s road committee had changed the ROW to 40 feet in that location, without notifying the county commissioners.
After the wall was built, the Road Committee Superintendent, Sandra Knight Collins, required Mr. Clifton to tear the wall down. He left the concrete blocks, not a permanent wall, as a deterrent, just as the previous owner had done without a problem for the 15 years prior. Mr. Clifton came to the commission meeting Monday because he said Ms. Collins continues to "harass and threaten" him to the point that he has considered taking his business outside of Bradley County.
He has surveyed other nearby properties along Bates Pike and told the commission there are many church signs, street signs and brick mailboxes within the old 30 foot ROW. "If I have to obey the law, everybody should be required to do the same," said Mr. Clifton.
Commissioner Robert Rominger is in charge of arranging a meeting with all parties next Monday at 9:30 a.m. in the commission room at the courthouse to find a resolution.