The city of Collegedale is growing, and so is the infrastructure to support the development. At the commission meeting Monday night, Mayor Katie Lamb said that trees are being taken down to make way for the widening of Apison Pike. This will contribute to changing the face of the city, she said.
City Manager Ted Rogers has brought a business recruitment plan to the commissioners that will help to increase commercial interest in Collegedale. The city will partner with a business recruitment firm to attract companies to locate in the city. He is now in the process of preparing a request for quotes and expects to put it out to bid by mid-March.
Expansion of recreation facilities for citizens of the city, are also being made. The commissioners unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding for Collegedale Commons. This is a framework for cooperation with the visionary arm of the city, the Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation, headed by David Barto.
In the 2015 budget, $100,000 was planned for this project which will be built on eight acres adjacent to city hall on Swinyar Drive. There will be an outdoor stage fronted by a large green space and surrounded by two covered open air structures to house a farmers market and craft vendors. The area will be modeled after the Chattanooga Market. A 10,000-square-foot “party barn” and a 6,000-square-foot meeting hall will be added later, in stages.
The facility will be owned by the city and operated by Collegedale Tomorrow, which will also be responsible for overseeing the design, planning and construction.
Another amenity that citizens will soon have is single-stream recycling which does not require materials to be separated. Republic Services will provide curb-side pick up every two weeks at no cost to the city or the residents. To participate in the service homeowners must sign up by contacting city hall. The drop off center that is now in operation will continue to accept recyclables, as well.
City employees and their spouses will be given memberships to the Hulsey Wellness Center on the campus of Southern Adventist University. Commissioners voted to allow a six-month trial for the memberships as a fitness incentive for the city workers.
Commissioner Phil Garver said that the Pensacola Naval Museum has given the OK for Collegedale’s plans for displaying a plane in a city park. It will be mounted in an elevated position at Veteran’s Memorial Park. Arrival of the plane from Pensacola is expected to be in April.
Police Chief Brian Hickman told the commission he is still working to get prices on new body cameras for police officers. An additional expense will also be required to make the city’s servers compatible with the cameras. Grants or financing are being considered for funding the purchase.
Emily McDonald was approved Monday night, to serve as a new board member for the Collegedale library.