At the Jan. 28 meeting of the East Ridge City Council an ordinance passed on the final reading which established the rules and regulations for selling alcohol and wine in retail package stores or grocery stores. It was determined that two large package stores would be allowed, one on the east end of the city and one on the west end. Both would be required to be in newly constructed buildings large enough to have a section of wine.
Discussion at that meeting included allowing a third package store in Jordan Crossing at the new exit one development where most of the city’s growth is taking place. It was decided, however, to place them in older parts of the town hoping the stores will bring shoppers to the areas with a lot of empty buildings and to attract people and spur growth in both of those areas.
The old East Ridge zoning ordinance stated that liquor stores are prohibited in all zones in the city. In order for the liquor stores to operate, on Thursday the council amended the zoning ordinance to allow liquor stores in the C-1 Commercial District, C-2 General Commercial District, C-4 Planned Commerce Center District, C-5 neighborhood Commercial District and C-6 Low Traffic District.
A lottery is the method that will be used to select who will own and operate the two new stores. City Manager Chris Dorsey said that every effort has been made to ensure that the lottery will be equitable and fair. The way the lottery will work was explained to the council. Mr. Dorsey said the application process for getting a certificate of compliance has just been opened and they will be due on March 15 at noon.
The first step taken will be for the city to make sure that the applications are complete and in compliance with the East Ridge ordinance. Background checks will be done on all people on the applications. The eligible applications will be put into the lottery for either the east side or west side of town. Independent auditors will be hired to conduct the actual lottery so there will be no question that it is being done fairly. A second lottery will take place if the application that is chosen from the first lottery fails to be approved.
Updates for where the city stands on different projects of interest to the citizens were given by the City Manager Dorsey and Assistant City Manager Kenny Custer. Work on the new soccer fields being built at Camp Jordan has been delayed until the soil dries out. The soggy conditions have been caused not only by the large amount of rain, but because drainage pipes coming from the Jordan Run subdivision were installed incorrectly, dumping water into the park instead of a nearby stream. Repairs have to be done to correct that drainage problem. Paving parking lots in the park is also being delayed while waiting for the ground to dry out.
McDonald Road was always intended to be a residential road, but it has become a thoroughfare with increased traffic and semi-trucks using it frequently, despite signs saying no trucks. Officials in East Ridge have discussed with the Catoosa County attorney their intention to close the road at the state line. If the planning commission approves the closure, the City Council will make the final decision.
The multi-modal project along Ringgold Road is taking a long time to get started because several parcels have had to be condemned to acquire right-of-way, said Mr. Custer.
The design of the splash pad being planned for Frontier Park is required by the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to be stamped by an engineer to certify it, said Mr. Dorsey. TDEC also requires that the construction has to be bid out. Since the design firm and construction company will be different, the city will have to make sure that the splash pad will be fully warranted.
The city has a residential assistance program for people who are unable to take garbage cans to the street. Recently the public works employees have been complaining that many of the cans which are picked up at the back door, are too heavy to move. The city plans to replace those 90-gallon cans with 45-gallon cans. Cans for recycling that is done bi-weekly, must be taken to the street by the resident, so recycling containers will be taken away from those homes who participate in the assistance program.
Mr. Custer said the city is currently in the process of doing an inventory to determine which streets are in the greatest need of resurfacing. When that has been finished, the city will contact all the utilities for their five-year plans so new roads will not be built where street cuts will be needed.
The council voted to approve a resolution that allows the city to piggyback off a contract between the city of Cleveland and Big Woody’s Tree Service to provide brush chipping services for East Ridge. That company has the ability to chip up to 30 tons per hour. The cost is $350 per hour and hours will be based on the work that is performed on site and does not include travel time to and from the location. The contract is until June 30, 2022.
Police Chief Stan Allen told the Council that his department is facing a manpower shortage because of he COVID pandemic. He requested the addition of two new police officers so he could continue to provide the same service that East Ridge residents are used to receiving. A vote to approve or disapprove will take place at the next meeting. City Manager Dorsey said there are not funds to do it in the current budget, and a source of funding would have to be found from April through June in this budget year. Plus he said that the Council needs to be aware that it is a commitment because the positions and equipment to support them would have to be provided in future budgets.
Mr. Dorsey also said the committee planning the centennial celebration that was scheduled for April this year has decided to postpone it until Sept. 25. Because of the threat from the virus, other large events that had been scheduled at Camp Jordan have also been either postponed or cancelled, he said, including the annual Cruise-In and the Bug-a-Palooza.