Dealing with the repairs and cleaning up after the tornado that did damage in Collegedale on Easter night is still a focus of city officials. At the commission meeting Monday night, an ordinance was passed on final reading that will waive all fees related to emergency repairs and construction from the destructive storms on April 12.
The commission approved spending $24,500 to contract with Scenic City Property Services for grinding brush that continues to accumulate from the storms.
Residents will not be penalized with fines for debris being left in their yards longer than it is normally allowed since it was caused by storm damage that was beyond their control. There is a difference, however, said City Manager Ted Roders, in trees and construction debris and trash such as old furniture and toilets.
Repairs due to the storm are still needed for town-owned properties. Emergency funding was approved for $3,438, the low bid, to restore the tower, the ceiling and to replace insulation at the library. The city is still waiting on bids for making repairs to The Commons and the sewer pump station.
A change order was approved for paving that is being done on Little Debbie Parkway, Edgmon and Tallant Roads. It was discovered that temporary striping was missing from the contract. The change order consists of the additional cost for striping the road before the final paving is done. The change order includes an additional cost of $.20 per foot for striping 6,800 linear feet on Little Debbie Parkway, totaling $1,300, plus $1,250 for Tallant Road.
Roadwork is also being done to realign Apison Pike. Norfolk Southern Railway Company will be doing the work for the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT). The city has little to do with the agreement other than committing to cooperate with both TDOT and the railroad company since work on the highway project is inside Collegedale’s city limits, said City Attorney Sam Elliott. Commissioners approved the agreement.
The Collegedale parks and recreation department is expanding its offerings to make e-sports available to its citizens. The virtual game program that will initially be offered includes six games to play. The city will pay a set fee of $600 for the first two months, to determine if the program is used and wanted. Beginning in August, the charge of $600 will be for up to 40 players, then the city will pay another $600 for every additional 40 players that use the system. In the fall, a few more games will become available.
Discussion took place regarding the police department receiving health information on individuals relating to Covid-19. Police Chief Brian Hickman signed the agreement to obtain the information provided by the state of Tennessee Department of Health. Commissioner Ethan White questioned why the commissioners were not asked to ratify the decision to get that data. The city attorney said Collegedale had adopted the MTAS policy. That organization provides policies and guidance for cities and towns in Tennessee. Attorney Elliott said that information was provided for the safety of the officers and to alert responders for what they need to do when going into a particular situation. It was agreed that in the future decisions such as this should come before the commission for a vote.
The April financial report from City Manager Rogers showed that at 83 percent of the way through the year, 90 percent of anticipated revenue has been collected. Expenditures look normal, he said, at 79 percent. He said it is unusual, but at the moment, interest rates for CDs are lower than on a savings account, and so he has let all the city’s CDs expire. He said with the potential of interest rates going negative, he will look for something better to do with the city’s money. He said that he is glad Collegedale has contingency funds because it puts the city in a good financial position to weather the storm in the event this becomes the worst economy that has been seen in a long time.
The formal presentation of the 2020-2021 budget will made at a meeting next Tuesday.