For some time, Collegedale did not receive all of the local option sales tax it was due. When administrators discovered that errors had been made in the distribution of the money, Finance Manager Michelle Toro and Planning and Economic Development Director Kelly Martin investigated and made an appeal. Thanks to their hard work, said City Manager Ted Rogers, this has resulted in recapturing the funds totaling tens of thousands of dollars that will be given back to Collegedale.
Mr. Rogers also reported that the city’s revenues and expenditures are both exactly as anticipated, at 42 percent through the year. He noted that CDs held by the city are being converted into Collegedale’s savings accounts. He said it is unusual, but the savings accounts now have a higher interest rate.
At the commission meeting on Nov. 4, Andrew Morkert, the city’s buildings and codes director, recommended a change to Collegedale’s energy conservation code. He said the move would encourage builders and developers to stay in the city limits in the fast-growing area of Hamilton County, rather than build outside of Collegedale where the code is less restrictive. The city has been working under the 2012 version since last January. The state of Tennessee reverted back to the code from 2009 for residential structures. After some opposition from residents who feared shoddy construction by lowering the standards, the board discussed the change further, at their next workshop and commission meeting.
A second and final vote took place at the meeting Monday night that adopted the 2009 building codes for single-family residential housing and will use the 2018 International Building Conservation Codes when they are developed, for multi-family dwellings such as townhouse developments. There is no change to the building codes for commercial development, which now conforms to the 2012 codes.
The section of Apison Pike that is in the Collegedale city limits has a new title. Commissioner Phil Garver, who has worked to make it happen, announced that the section of the road from I-75 to Ooltewah-Ringgold Road will now be known as Veterans Memorial Drive.
Eric Sines, director of public works, told the commissioners that the price of fireworks has gone up since last year. There would be a 20 percent decrease of shells during the Fourth of July celebration, he said, at the price that was paid in 2019. The council voted to spend $27,000 for fireworks for the 2020 display where there will 1,139 shells - the same as the city has seen for the past five years.
Parking at the Shadow Creek subdivision was supposed to be behind the buildings when the planning commission approved the development, said Commissioner Garver, who had been on the planning commission at the time. But now the structures have been built and parking is insufficient causing cars to park on private property in the grass across a ditch or in the turn lanes in front of the buildings. Both Mayor Katie Lamb and the commissioner want residents there to obey the city’s laws regarding parking throughout the town. Parking on private property is a code issue and parking in the turn lanes is a traffic issue. The mayor will ask the police department to enforce the laws for illegal parking. Commissioner Garver also suggested adding barriers and signs in the problem areas.
Vice Mayor Tim Johnson announced that the December workshop has been cancelled because of the Christmas holidays. The next workshop will be at the end of January.