A couple of updates were made Monday night at the Collegedale Commission meeting. One city code was amended as well as the zoning map.
The city’s municipal code allows for stormwater regulation and control. One way this is done is to regulate land disturbance for which permits are required. It takes time and attention from city staff to generate a permit which is recovered with the permit fee.
The current land disturbance fee is not sufficient to cover actual costs so the ordinance pertaining to stormwater permits was amended. The cost now ranges from no fee if less than 10,000 square feet is disturbed, up to $10,000 if 150 + acres are disturbed. Before giving a permit, the city must first obtain approval of the construction plans. A public hearing and final vote on the amendment will take place at the first commission meeting in August.
Municipal zoning maps are required to be updated annually. Approval of the updated Collegedale map was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic but was approved by the commission meeting on Monday after being passed by the planning commission. Any zoning changes that have occurred during the past year are reflected on this map.
The commissioners also approved what was referred to as a standard insurance policy, due to the move to a new carrier. The new policy will be retroactive to Jan. 1, 2020.
Mayor Katie Lamb learned on Monday that the governor of Tennessee is adding $115 million for local governments to support their needs due to COVID-19. There is a list of acceptable and unacceptable uses for the money. It is too early to know how the money will be divided among the cities and towns. Earlier in the pandemic, the first relief money was distributed according to population.
City Manager Ted Rogers said the roof on the library that was damaged during Easter night by tornadoes that moved through Collegedale, will be finished when the library reopens Aug. 1. Logistics and legal concerns of how it will be opened and operated will be discussed Tuesday.
Over half of Monday night’s meeting was taken up with a complaint from a citizen regarding the difficulties he said he has had in talking to department heads in the city. He said he was unable to get a copy of the zoning map and had difficulty in getting a business license to operate various non-profit businesses from property at 10318 Lee Highway that he bought during a tax sale. He told the commissioners that he believes it is a systemic problem that they may not be aware of.
City Manager Rogers disputed the claims and responded that the man has every right to say what he did, however it is not true. He told the commissioners that staff has spent over 100 hours with the man who he said leaves vicious voice mails. Mr. Rogers said that he had tied up a lot of time and no one can make him happy. Police Chief Brian Hickman who has also dealt with the man, said he had talked to every department head and none have understood exactly what the complaint is in order to help him.