Robert Cothran is new Soddy Daisy vice mayor
photo by Gail Perry
The Soddy Daisy Commission meeting began with the announcement that Vice Mayor Patti Skates resigned her position and seat on the commission immediately, as of Thursday. She sent an email to Recorder Burt Johnson Thursday afternoon saying only that she was leaving due to personal and medical reasons.
Commissioner Gene Shipley then nominated Commissioner Robert Cothran to fill the position.
Mr. Cothran was unanimously approved.
A resident of Soddy Daisy who lives on East Bowman Road came to the meeting requesting that her street be de-annexed from the city. East Bowman is a county road and homes on one side of the street are in Soddy Daisy and on the other side are in the unincorporated county. There are several other areas in the city with roads like that, said Commissioner Shipley. “I don’t like to pay taxes either,” he said, but to open it up to de-annex houses piece meal, the practice will snowball. I’m not willing to take the chance and open a can of worms that other houses in similar positions would also ask to be de-annexed. Both the Vice Mayor and Commissioner Jim Adams expressed the same concerns.
Soddy Daisy has expected that the county would maintain the street since it is designated a county road, but the residents told the commissioners Thursday night, that during the snow, plowing or salting the road was done, but after a delay. The commissioners said that roads which are divided cause other problems as well, such as in an emergency situation, first responders do not know whose jurisdiction it is, the city, the county or the state.
The residents on East Bowman who live on the Soddy Daisy side of the road pay city taxes and should receive all the services that other citizens receive, agreed the commissioners, even though it is a county road. City Manager Janice Cagle said the city already does provide garbage pick-up and fire and police services, and that Soddy Daisy would now also keep the road cleared of snow.
Vice Mayor Cothran gave a report of his trip to deliver aid to residents of Baton Rouge, La. on behalf of the Soddy Daisy chapter of Vietnam Veterans and the city of Soddy Daisy, which joined forces several weeks ago to collect money and supplies. He said that in 14 days, $21,000 was collected from residents and businesses in the city.
On the trip, he witnessed the almost total devastation of many subdivisions that were flooded. Citing one example of the help that was provided with the money was to an 80-year-old lady who lost everything. She was given a stove, an air conditioner, money and cleaning supplies. Letters of thanks have started to come to the two men who delivered the gifts. Mr. Cothran said, "They are thanking us because we were there, but they were really thanking the community for allowing us to do it." Mayor Rick Nunley gave credit to Mr. Cothran, saying that he was the hands and feet that got it together.
Commissioner Shipley said that the city was doing everything in its power to have the Christmas parade where it has always been along Dayton Pike. A lot of construction is now being done on the road and city representatives will be talking to the people in charge of the road building to see what the safety impact will be to both participants and viewers of the parade.