The city of Soddy Daisy and surrounding area continues to grow. Commissioner Gene Shipley said that in August the city issued building permits of almost $11 million. This included $8 million for the new Parkridge Emergency Room that is being built to service the area. The commissioner said that there are concerns from some about the pace of growth in the county around Soddy Daisy and a planning meeting is scheduled for Thursday at Soddy Daisy High School at 6 p.m. where the public can weigh in on the discussions. For those who cannot attend the meeting, their concerns about growth in the north end of Hamilton County can share their opinions online. Mayor Steve Everette encourages residents to attend commission meetings to know what is going on in their city and to let the commissioners know what they want.
Another meeting scheduled for public comment is related to changing the flood maps around Soddy Daisy. It will be held at the Chattanooga Regional Planning Agency, 1250 Market St., on Thursday from 5-8 p.m. Government officials will be there to hear concerns from owners of properties that might be affected. Maps showing the changes in floodplain designations will be available at the Soddy Daisy city hall. Anyone can make an appointment and an official with the town will be available to explain the maps.
When a developer opens a new subdivision, the city has to accept the dedication of streets through an ordinance. When these streets are built they must meet the city’s requirements. At the commission meeting Thursday night, roads in two new developments were accepted as publicly dedicated city streets; Bent Creek Drive and Sugar Leaf Lane in one subdivision and Stonegate Way, Avery Place and Jaiden Court in another.
Planning is taking place for upcoming events that are held annually in Soddy Daisy. Bill Shadwick with the Soddy Daisy Montlake Historical Association and Good Old Days Museum, told the commissioners that Pioneer Days this year will be on Saturday, Nov. 4, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. There will be reenactments of Civil War and Revolutionary War battles. There will be live music and demonstrations of quilters, blacksmiths and pressing apples for cider, as well as old-fashioned games for kids, he said.
Mr. Shadwick also thanked the commissioners for all the improvements that they have been making in the city’s parks. The parks are drawing visitors from out of town “to enjoy the beauty in Soddy Daisy, that we take for granted,” he said. The parking lots are filled on the weekends, with out of area cars at the Big Soddy Gulf and Holly Park. City Manager Burt Johnson said the city will be building more picnic tables at the Gulf and at North Park. Volunteer Curtis Cecil with the Kelcurt Foundation and Soddy Daisy Community Library suggested using an information board at the Big Soddy Gulf for posting flyers and maps to direct visitors to the other places of interest in Soddy Daisy.
The Soddy Daisy Community Library is getting busier every year and in 2023 the needs grew by 62 percent, said Mr. Cecil. In 49 days this summer, he told the commissioners that 4,445 people came to the library for a variety of activities, including free lunches for children. He said that the library has partnered with the J.A. Henry YMCA in Chattanooga and the Chattanooga Food Bank to provide over 2,100 meals this summer alone.
The 4th Annual Summer Celebration put on by the Soddy Daisy Community Library was held in mid-August and Mr. Cecil said attendance was lower than expected, at 850, because it was so hot. Next year he is hoping to rename the event the Summer Kick-Off and hold it in mid-May versus late summer. It will have to be coordinated with the Kids Club activities since they are both held at the same park at the same times.
Voting on two issues was postponed until later dates and more review. One is the revision of a personnel policy relating to hiring police and first responder personnel if the applicant is over 60 years old. That will be revisited at the first meeting in November.
Changes to another regulation that will be postponed is to allow for more changes in the city’s code about acceptable locations for double-wide mobile homes and conditions relating to the age and requirements of the structure, the site and zoning.
A vote was in favor of accepting a grant of $35,000 for the police department that will be used to buy police radios.
And the commissioners unanimously amended the city’s air pollution control ordinance. The new version presented to the commissioners includes a lot of federal regulations. The commissioners were told that the new amendments have already been accepted by Hamilton County and the city of Chattanooga. They can be no less stringent than those adopted by the state of Tennessee. All municipalities in the county are expected to adopt the new Hamilton County standards.