Much of the Soddy Daisy Commission meeting Thursday night dealt with water. The new FEMA flood maps were approved with the second and final reading. Accepting the new maps is needed for residents to be able to purchase flood insurance. Soddy Daisy had no changes on the new maps.
A first reading and vote was also taken to approve a stormwater ordinance which deals with how the city will handle stormwater run-off.
The small cities in Hamilton County have joined in an interlocal agreement to reduce the cost of dealing with this issue. With the vote of approval, Soddy Daisy will continue participating in the alliance with the purpose of cleaning up water that flows into rivers. City Attorney Sam Elliott told the commissioners that very recently there have been some changes in the federal laws which will result in changes to the regulations that the cities were first given. It is hoped that the new laws will be in place by March 1. When the new rules are known, the commissioners will revise the stormwater ordinance. “The ball is in their court,” said attorney Elliott. Until then, the city will continue to operate under their old permit.
Commissioner Gene Shipley noted that none of the money that cities pay in stormwater fees is used to improve infrastructure. He said all the money is used for salaries and payroll.
City residents came to the meeting asking for help with problems caused or made worse by the excessive amount of rain that has recently fallen in the area. A resident of Clayton Street told the commissioners that there is no drainage in her yard and that it floods every time there is rain, coming just six inches from the house on Christmas day. City Manager Janice Cagle responded that the public works department will determine if the city or individuals own the drainage ditch and will clean it out if it is city property.
Another citizen said that if you live on Church Street, you have “lake front property.” He said the area stays full of water year-round and it is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Mayor Rick Nunley acknowledged the problem and said it had gotten worse after Highway 27 was built. Ms. Cagle said the flooding is partially due to beaver dams. The mayor said both the city and state have been working to resolve the problem in this location.
Another request came from a resident of Wynn Lane, who asked for another culvert to be cleaned or replaced. He said when it rains; water runs over the culvert, not through it. The city will also repave the part of the intersection of Wynn Lane and Daisy Dallas Road that is on the city’s right-of-way.
Pam Glaser, a member of the Soddy Daisy parks and recreation board, gave the commissioners an update to the work that has been done on behalf of the Soddy Daisy Lake Park. She said that a selection committee chose Creative Design Group to provide an overall plan for the park. This will include keeping budgets and seeking grants. She asked the commissioners to review the proposal from that company in order to discuss it at the next commission meeting.
Lt. Jeff Gann presented a year–end report from the police department. He said the numbers of cases and calls handled by the department has almost doubled from 2012 to 2015. He also said he was proud that no arrests were made by the Soddy Daisy police during the Christmas and New Year’s holidays when “saturations” and check-points were conducted. He said he was amazed at the number of people that had planned on getting home after drinking by having designated drivers or using Uber or taxis. In addition to no DUIs, there were no motor crashes, he said. Another program that is scheduled will take place before the prom. The police department in conjunction with the health department plans on doing a mock-crash at the high school, he told the board.
Steve Smith, president of the Soddy Daisy Historical Committee, announced that the organization will be holding a history fair to educate local people about local history. It will be held on Saturday. Jan. 16, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. If participation is good, this may become an annual event, he said. An invitation was extended to all the commissioners. That Saturday will also serve as a membership drive.
One way that the city officials are cleaning up Soddy Daisy is by condemning buildings that have been neglected. The owners are notified and given the opportunity to make needed repairs before the city demolishes the structures. One house that is in the process of being worked on is located on Rainbow Hollow Road. Public Works Director Steve Grant said the time allowed for repairs to this house had expired. The owner was given an extension to do the work until the first commission meeting in March.
A new round of condemnations will take place when this current round has been completed.