New burn pit at Veterans Park at Soddy Daisy
photo by Gail Perry
The city of Soddy Daisy was presented with a check for $24,000 from the Red Bank and Soddy Daisy Charitable Foundation, represented by Charles Ingle and John Roberts. At the commission meeting Thursday night, Mr. Ingle recounted that when the Red Bank Community Hospital was sold, Sam Swope and Arnold Stulce Sr. formed the foundation and put the money from the sale there. The interest from the money is distributed equally between the two cities each year for projects that will benefit most residents. This year the gift to Soddy Daisy will be used to repair the fishing pier on Soddy Lake estimated to cost around $16,000. Batting cages will be built at the Kids Club with the amount that remains, as far as it will go.
Veterans Park has a new feature. Soddy Daisy Boy Scout Troop 220 with support from the city has built a burn pit for a way to respectfully retire worn out American flags. Troop Member Seth Green initiated the project, and designed, built and followed it though until it was completed. The burn pit is centered in a pentagon-shaped stone walkway with a low stone wall.
Keep Soddy Daisy volunteers are getting ready for another clean-up day. Cindi Sanden told the commissioners that on Saturday people who are helping should meet at Soddy Elementary School at 11 a.m. The goal for this event will be to clean up Little Soddy Creek.
On the second and final reading, the ordinance passed to extend the moratorium on the acceptance of short term vacation rental applications. The moratorium applies to non-owner occupied rental properties that are not the primary residence of the applicant. The suspension began on March 15 and goes through May 1.
The city is having difficulty finding vehicles and equipment to buy. Included in this year’s budget is $80,000 for a new bucket truck to replace the old one being used that is from 1998. Director of Public Works Steve Grant told the commissioners that there is not one available to buy now. He received approval to use $17,041 planned for the truck to instead buy a new mower.
The commissioners authorized moving forward with a large paving project. Dayton Pike will be repaved from the south end at Highway 153 going north to where it meets Highway 27. The city received a grant for $3.5 million for the project and agreed to pay a $700,000 match. Now there have been increases and the city will make up the difference. Soddy Daisy will now be responsible for paying $1.2 million of the cost. The project includes all new signs, guardrails and road striping.
City Manager Burt Johnson was authorized to have an engineered study of roads within school zones done that will be used to determine speed limits in those areas. Police Chief Mike Sneed told the commissioners that the speed limits around the schools would all have to be lowered to 15 m.p.h. if a professional engineered study is not done to recommend the safest speed.