The East Ridge City Council took the recommendation of City Manager Scott Miller in regards to building a new animal shelter. The council, the city manager and Friends of East Ridge Animal Services are all in favor of building a new facility. Funds of $1.5 million coming from the Border Region sales tax were originally meant for building a park pavilion. At the council meeting on June 28, the money was diverted to instead build an animal control facility.
However, the only way to be assured that an animal control facility will be an eligible cost that can be funded by Border Region sales tax dollars will be to ask the Tennessee Department of Revenue, Mr. Miller told the council. Taxes received from the Border Regions in Tennessee are intended to be used for promoting redevelopment and tourism.
Two available properties for the new shelter are large enough to accommodate a dog park, which the city wants to build along with the shelter. Parks are permitted uses under the Border Region rules, so the East Ridge Industrial Development attorney feels that the project would be eligible, said the city manager. However, before any commitments are made, he advised the council to make sure. A retail space for selling pet-related items could also be included and would be a source for generating money. Even if the animal control complex is turned down as an eligible cost, said Mr. Miller, the city can find other ways to fund it.
The council has requested conditions on the development of property at 3623 Fountain Ave. before rezoning it from R-1 Residential to R-3 Residential Apartment District. General Contractor Mike Croxall, representing Lexington Asset Management, owners of the property, petitioned for the rezoning in order to begin renovation of the Sweetbay Apartments.
Residents with homes in the vicinity of the apartments have asked the council for help in reducing crime and upgrading the area. It was brought to the attention of the council that a "crime-free addendum" has been used in leases in other locations managed by Lexington. City Manager Miller said that is a good program that could perhaps be applied to other apartment complexes in the city.
Before the next council meeting, Mr. Croxall will arrange a meeting with the citizens who are concerned with crime and with the lack of school bus stops to service the apartment complex. A representative from the city will be present to hear and record the discussions.
A number of city homeowners came to the meeting Thursday night to request help from the council to control flooding in their neighborhood around Rees Avenue during periods of extreme rain. The problem increased when a church was built nearby, they told the council. City Manager Miller assured them that city engineers will look at the problem in order to find a solution.
The International Brotherhood of Police Officers Union gave a check for $5,528 to the city in support of the police department. The money came from a barbeque and bake sale fundraiser put on by citizens and local businesses. Another $7,500 was added to the cause from the Hamilton County Commission, which was presented by Commissioner Tim Boyd.
The council approved the purchase of three new "flashback HD video systems for a total of $13,485. They will be installed in three new police patrol cars. A Ford F250 4x4 truck for the sanitation department at the cost of $26,565 and a Ford F-150 4.2 truck for the parks and recreation department were also authorized for purchase.
Fees were waived for the use of Camp Jordan Amphitheater for the first annual Family Fun Festival fundraiser for the East Ridge Needy Child Fund used to provide a Merry Christmas to children in East Ridge. The fees to use Springvale Park were also waived for the residents surrounding the park to hold a neighborhood yard sale.