Soddy Daisy has been dealing with a speeding problem with no success. At meetings in April, the issue was brought to the attention of the commissioners and police department, both of which were already aware of it. At the time, resident Todd Patten who lives at the top of a blind hill said that cars routinely travel 60 m.p.h. on the road that has a posted speed limit of 15 m.p.h. Since that time there has been a “lack of improvement,” Amber Patten told commissioners.
She said that the post office will not deliver to her home because they consider it to be too dangerous. Ms. Patten works at a 911 call center and is aware that the danger is real. If it is too dangerous for the post office, she said, it is too dangerous for my family.
She kept track of speeding vehicles based on the speed trailer that police put there and calculated that 200 cars per day speed down the road. She asked again for help, suggesting speed humps or signs. One sign could say “Please don’t murder my daughter,” she told the board of commissioners.
The city’s insurer advised against using speed humps because of liability issues, City Attorney Sam Elliott told her, but other methods could be tried.
Police Chief Jeff Gann is also very aware of the problem and said he will not allow officers to get out of their cars at that location when it is raining. He said the problem is that the road is used as a cut through to a back entrance of Sequoyah High School and Daisy Elementary. He said that police write tickets there “day in and day out,” with no results. He said in his opinion the road is not able to handle the amount of traffic that is dumped onto it.
Suggestions from the commissioners included closing the back entrance to the school, which all agreed would help, however that would involve permission from the Hamilton County Schools. Other ideas are to make Hyatte Road a “No Through Traffic” street or to use rumble strips, which is what was settled on. They will be in place before school starts.
Another citizen informed the city that one of the decorative street lights around the lake was out of order. Director of Public Works Steve Grant said he was aware of it. The light had been knocked down by a horse, he said, and it will be fixed.
The city has been in the process of paving. City Manager Janice Cagle was authorized to make payments of $15,900 for paving Johnson Road and to pay $79,105 for paving several other roads. She updated the commissioners about the celebration that is being planned for the 50th anniversary of Soddy Daisy’s founding. It is planned for Saturday, Sept. 28. She said the planning committee meets monthly, posters are being made and publicity is being planned. There will be food and all will be giveaways except hats and caps.
Meagan Creecy representing the Northside Neighborhood brought the commissioners up to date with activities of the organization since moving next to Food City several months ago. A coffee shop has opened there and spaces for four additional non-profits offering a variety of services are there. Services include mental health support, help in writing resumes, rental assistance, assistance with paying for utilities and child care. She said so far, 13 households have been helped since the grand opening in March. The Child Advocacy Center will hold a seminar on June 25 that is open and free to the public about how to recognize and handle child abuse.
The city took down it’s Facebook page in preparation for upgrading it. That created concern among citizens who did not know why. At the commission meeting Mayor Gene Shipley said there will be a new, improved version that will be an asset to the city.
A year and a half ago Soddy Daisy recruited coaches to establish a lacrosse team in the city. They came and started a team, and have built a great one, said the mayor. The 2019 Soddy Daisy Trojans Lacrosse Team, placed first in the Tennessee Scholastic Lacrosse Association. (TSLA). Next year the team will become associated with TSSAA.
In closing the meeting, Mayor Shipley said that the board of commissioners was elected to represent all people and that they do. He said they do not go one day without hearing a complaint and that they are always here for the citizens and employees. “Together we can build a better city and we want to keep it that way,” he said.
The next regularly scheduled commission meeting falls on July 4 and has been cancelled. The next time the commission will meet is July 18 at 6 p.m.