The Soddy Daisy Commission finalized the city’s 2015-2016 budget when it was unanimously approved on second reading Thursday night. The largest project the city is planning for the upcoming year is the widening of Dayton Pike from around Daisy Methodist Church to the fire hall on the south end of town.
This road work will be done using an 80/20 percent grant from the state of Tennessee.
Until the bids go out, the city does not know what the cost will be. The 20 percent portion that Soddy Daisy is responsible for could be anywhere from $1 million to $2 million, said City Manager Janice Cagle. Because the amount is unknown at this time, the new budget is conservative.
Commenting about the budget, Commissioner Gene Shipley said he regretted that it does not include a pay raise for city employees. It is the first time in a while that increases have not been given. In spending a high amount for the road construction, he said that officials already know that there will be some shortfalls. "We all wish we could give raises and we want the employees to know we appreciate what they do for the city," he said.
Commissioner Jim Adams said that when the cost of the road work is established and the city knows the amount of revenue it will have, the commissioners would like to revisit the issue of pay raises. Both Commissioner Robert Cothran and Vice Mayor Patti Skates expressed regret over the situation, and both spoke of the excellent employees and the hope that later in the year money for raises will be available.
A resident living on Bowman Road brought a concern to the commissioners. She said that one side of the road is in the city limits of Soddy Daisy and the other is under the jurisdiction of Hamilton County. She said that she has made calls to both the city’s police department for problems that were not emergencies, and to 911 for an emergency. She told the commissioners that dispatchers from both the police department and from Hamilton County 911 did not know which addresses were in Soddy Daisy, causing a delay while they were attempting to decide if response should be made by the city or county.
Discussion ensued about the use of cell phones to make 911 calls. When a cell phone is used instead of a land line, she was told, the signal could bounce off of a cell phone tower that may not be the closest to Soddy Daisy. The emergency calls made from a cell phone often go to the Hamilton County 911 call center which must patch the call through to the Soddy Daisy first responders who then can act quickly. Sometimes ambulances are dispatched from the county 911 center that is not the closest to the emergency. It was emphasized that the delays in response times have nothing to do with Soddy Daisy’s first responders.
On second reading, the commission voted to approve a zoning change for property located at 107 Johnson Road. For the past 20 years, Thomas Edward Tucker operated a business there. Recently when he applied for a new business license he discovered the zoning was wrong. Upon recommendation of the planning commission, the city commissioners voted to approve the zoning change from A-1 Agricultural to C-3 Business District.
The city manager asked for and received approval to pay for paving one and a half miles along Rock Quarry Road for $90,820.
Councilman Shipley reported that PriorityWaste, the company that was recently chosen to provide garbage pickup, is learning the routes and is “ready to go.”
Commissioner Cothran announced the annual fishing rodeo will take place at the Soddy Municipal Park this Saturday beginning at 7 a.m. He said every child that participates, even if they catch a minnow, will receive a prize. There will also be hot dogs and free drinks for youngsters.