With a unanimous vote, the East Ridge City Council gave final approval for the 2024-2025 budget. The property tax rate will stay the same as in 2024, at $1.25 for every $100 of assessed property value. City Manager Scott Miller said the same level of service will be provided for residents of the city without raising taxes because businesses in East Ridge are doing well and new construction is taking place throughout the city, which both mean additional taxes coming in.
The budget forecasts $27,265,597 in income and expenditures to match. The projection is that $1.2 million-$1.3 million will be added to the fund balance in the coming year leaving the city in good financial shape, said Mr. Miller.
In December 2023, East Ridge approved a sports facility feasibility study to be done by Victus Advisors related to the expansion and enhancement of indoor and outdoor facilities at Camp Jordan Park. The council heard a presentation of the final study. The first phase was to determine the sports market demand and opportunity for Camp Jordan. The second phase was an operational, financial and economic analysis.
The group determined that the strengths of Camp Jordan park are a strong hotel with a restaurant and entertainment inventory nearby. The park has a successful track record of hosting sports tourism events. The location is convenient and has easy access, and the staff running the park is viewed as involved and helpful.
Weaknesses were determined to be outdated facilities, including the restrooms, and flooding that is common at the park, which causes delays and the cancellation of events. There is a lack of indoor sports courts. And there is currently a lack of marketing from the city.
The park presents opportunities by attracting visitors from drivable markets that are five to six hours away. There is the opportunity to expand existing outdoor events. The study confirmed that there is a demand for indoor courts for basketball, volleyball and other sports at Camp Jordan and there is a lack of indoor sports tourism facilities throughout the Chattanooga area.
Some items mentioned in the study include that Camp Jordan was rated as over-average with outdoor fields, and currently does not have indoor courts and recommends building multi-use indoor courts. Victus has found that artificial turf is becoming a bigger issue than in the past and that this park would especially benefit converting to artificial turf because of the flooding problems. Additionally, improving drainage and lighting the fields is recommended. And since Hamilton County contributed to the cost of the study, management of the sports facility could be done jointly with the county and city.
Another large project that the city has been considering is whether to renovate and reuse the old McBrien School or demolish it. The council heard an assessment of the old school building located at 1501 Tombras Ave. that the city had commissioned. Asbestos was found in tiles and insulation but lead paint was below the level of required removal. City Manager Miller said the asbestos removal will have to be done whether or not the city renovates or tears down the school. But the structural integrity of the building is in good enough shape to refurbish and reuse it. The systems inside the building need to be completely re-done including electrical, mechanical, plumbing and HVAC, but they can be done incrementally as they are needed. The roof is what has to be replaced immediately.
The cost to do all the renovations would depend on how the building would be used, said the city manager, and grants could be utilized for the refurbishing. Council member Jacky Cagle is in favor of demolishing it and spending $20 million to build a new structure from the ground up. Council member Aundie Witt would like to keep the old building and refurbish it. The estimated cost of rebuilding would be $450-$500 per square foot, plus the cost of demolition. That price is in line with the new East Ridge Animal Shelter that is currently under construction, said Mr. Miller.
In regular business the city manager was authorized to purchase a used pick-up truck for the fire department. And a bid for masonry sand to top dress athletic fields was approved for the amount of $44.50 per ton. Other expenditures that were approved include $36,050 for fall/winter athletic uniforms.
The council also agreed to have an appraisal done on 5.89 acres that is adjacent to a house on Jordan Run Road. The current owner would like to buy the property to separate his house from apartments behind it. The owner of the house will pay for the appraisal to be done. The property, which is in both a flood plain and a flood zone, is of no use to the city, said the city manager. If it is sold, the city will put a restriction on the property that it can never be built on. The council voted to have an appraisal done.
A vote also approved a change order request for the new East Ridge Animal Shelter. It is only for time, not money. The request is for an additional five days to complete the building. It should be substantially complete by the end of July, said Mr. Miller.
City Manager Miller also informed the council that work on the Moore and McBrien bridges was halted because of five beams that did not meet performance standards. New ones have been ordered by the construction company and are due in mid-July at which time work can continue. He said completion should be January 2025, after which the roads will be open for traffic.
He also said that remodeling of the community center will be done with a $600,000 LPRF matching grant from the state. The gym will be enlarged to tournament size, the kitchen, bathrooms and storage will be redone. It should be completed by the end of 2025 or early 2026.