Monday night was Ethan White’s last meeting as a Collegedale commissioner after serving in the position for eight years. He said this was a self-imposed term limit that he decided on early this year. During his two terms, he said sometimes the best outcomes came when everyone was not in agreement. Now he said he will be looking to see Collegedale continuing to grow in the right direction. Mayor Katie Lamb and each of the commissioners thanked Commissioner White for the eight years he gave to the city and expressed how much his service was appreciated.
The meeting was also the last for Commissioner Larry Hanson who was thanked for stepping up to fill the seat vacated when past Commissioner Phil Garver moved out of the city. Commissioner White noted the irony that he had taken Commissioner Hanson’s place when he decided not to run again eight years ago.
Debbie Alden, a resident of Greenbriar Cove in Collegedale, spoke at the meeting to thank Commissioner White for his service and for his interaction with residents. She said he “went above and beyond” by listening and explaining issues to citizens about their concerns. Ms. Alden also said she is concerned about the direction the city is headed after a discussion at a recent commission workshop regarding citizens participation in commission meetings. She said when a citizen is affected by an issue they should be allowed to talk directly to the commissioners and that allotting just 15 minutes for public comments is not enough time. Mayor Lamb responded that there is no way the commission will eliminate the citizen comments during meetings because they are too important in making decisions.
In new business, the commission approved the 2023 employee insurance plan. The new plan will have a reduction in premiums of just under seven percent this year. The city will put the savings toward supplementing employee dental insurance for those who have it at the same rate medical insurance is supplemented. Most employees will see a $5-$7 reduction in the medical plan on each check. The new insurance plan with cost savings is still about $30,000 under the amount that was budgeted for it.
The Collegedale City Hall will be repainted after the commissioners voted to approve the work that had been included in this year’s budget. The interior will be painted and the areas on the exterior that look in disrepair will be touched up. The cost of $57,640.84 was from a single bid, however it is from a state contract and the company had already been vetted to be a competitive business, the commissioners were told, after there was hesitation to the price.
Mayor Lamb announced that the city’s annual Veteran’s Day service is scheduled for this coming Friday at 3 p.m. in Veteran’s Park. In the event of rain the event will be held in Founder’s Hall.