The East Ridge City Council on Thursday night authorized entering into an architectural services agreement with Hefferlin + Kronenberg Architects that will include the design and development of plans for a multi-purpose pavilion. The structure will be 10,000 square feet with seating for 500. Garage doors all around it will open up when it is warm and can be closed in cold weather.
The agreement for architectural costs is $371,124 and construction of the structure is planned for $6 million for a total cost of $6.4 million to build the pavilion. City Manager Scott Miller recommended and the council agreed to bundle the pavilion costs with a $1.5 million expense for repairs at Camp Jordan Park to cover the costs of both with a $7.9 million bond issue.
That structure will complete the town-center concept that the city council is aiming for with a new playground, splash pad, dog park, community center and pavilion around city hall.
The new pavilion will have 2,000 square feet for restrooms, storage, catering kitchen, mechanical room, and two changing rooms (conference rooms) with garage doors around the perimeter of the facility. The pavilion will have heat and air conditioning and a fireplace.
Planned uses are for city events, open air markets and public rentals for parties or events.
Mayor Brian Williams said, "This is one of our next steps towards our Town Center concept we are building."
He added, "Our Community Center is about to be expanded and upgraded and we will be discussing the future opportunities of the old McBrien School soon."
A master plan for East Ridge Parks and Recreation was presented to the council during the meeting. A master plan is needed in order to receive grants. The surveys and plans have been done by Kimley-Horn, an engineering, planning and design consulting firm. Five facility priorities relating to parks were previously identified by the city, and four of those have been completed. In the last several years, the Pioneer Frontier playground has been replaced, the baseball fields have been updated and a splash pad and dog park have been built. The only facility goal not completed, is the open-air multi-use pavilion.
Mayor Williams said that the city is in line with the recommendations from the consultants, citing the plan that is underway for expanding the community center and because the open-air pavilion has already been approved by the council. The council voted to enter into a professional services agreement with Kimley-Horn and Associates for the design and implementation of a 10-year parks and recreation plan at a cost of $26,800.
The third phase of infrastructure improvements and upgrades are also being made at Camp Jordan Park, which includes soccer field lighting, repairs to the roof and replacing signage and compressors, and restrooms at the arena as well as other interior updates in the building. Funding for these repairs was initially planned from a bond issue of $1.5 million.
In other business, a public hearing was held regarding an appeal relating to a condemnation of a house at 3607 Fountain Ave. Codes Enforcement Officer Torrey Holder presented evidence showing that the city has been very lenient, giving the owner many chances and much time to bring the house into compliance with the city codes. She told the council that the owner has failed to show up for multiple meetings, and no progress has been made and that the house is unhabitable and dangerous. The flooring is rotten, there are openings in the roof, the walls have been taken down to the studs and there is trash and debris throughout the house. Additionally, back taxes are due going back to 2020. After hearing the evidence and seeing photos, the council reaffirmed the decision of the East Ridge Housing Commission to demolish the building and put a lien on the property.
The East Ridge Police Department will be getting a 2022 Mercedes Sprinter van costing $48,548 to be used as a command vehicle at emergencies and at events. There will be additional costs for equipment that is needed.
The council also approved an agreement for software that will allow historical data from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Department to be integrated into the system currently being used by East Ridge Police. It will cost a one-time fee of $17,342 and East Ridge will no longer have to pay Hamilton County for the data. A drone package will also be bought for the police department for $18,000. The cost is reimbursable from the Violent Crimes grant. The city will be responsible for training that is needed. Police plan to use the drone for rescue operations and for apprehending and tracking violent criminals.
The city will also be purchasing cyber security insurance to protect against cyber-attacks and data breaches. The annual cost will be $19,247.
The next East Ridge Council meeting scheduled for Nov. 23, Thanksgiving night, has been cancelled. The next council meeting will be on Dec. 14.