The city of East Ridge has been given an award for excellence of economic development from the Tennessee Municipal League, stemming from the city’s performance as a Border Region retail tourist district. The city has met the goals that the state targeted.
In 2011, 950 acres in the city limits were given this designation for the purpose of preventing the loss of sales tax from Tennessee. The arrangement gives East Ridge a share of the state sales tax collected from inside the district. That money has been used to provide incentives to developers to bring business in and to beautify existing commercial areas. Since the designation went into effect, there have been sales of $800 million in the Border Region District. Sales increased from $91 million in 2012 to $281 million in 2013. Since the Border Region District began in East Ridge, sales tax revenues of $123 million have been generated, with $93 million for the state of Tennessee and $30 million going to the city.
Mayor Brian Williams credited past Mayor Brent Lambert and the council from 2011, when the plan was implemented, for their foresight about economic development. He said the torch was passed to the 2018 council that continued the progress of bringing in new businesses. He sees where the city is now as not only a success story but also as a promise of what’s to come.
Many new businesses have moved into East Ridge including restaurants, hotels and retail stores, and income from the Border Region District has made many city projects possible. One that is currently in the process of being finished is a new animal shelter. City Manager Scott Miller said that the interior work is winding down and the exterior, including landscaping and parking, is finished. In about a week and a half the building should be substantially complete after which furniture, fixtures and then the animals will be moved into the new facility.
The installation of a Safe Haven Baby Box that was announced at the last meeting got an enthusiastic vote of approval from the commissioners. It began with Fire Chief Mike Williams’ daughter first seeing one on TV, and the suggestion to her father that East Ridge needed one. The baby box is a safety device where a mother can surrender her newborn with no questions asked. It will be put at the Fire Department that is manned 24 hours a day. Laverne Craig, who has spearheaded the program in Tennessee, has taken the lead in East Ridge as well. The installation and all other expenses will be paid for by the Tennessee Grant Foundation for the first three years. After that, funding will become part of the fire department’s budget. This will be the first baby box in Hamilton County, however there are 10 others now in the state of Tennessee and 11 more are in the works. Chief Williams has had calls of interest from other chiefs in the area who have heard what East Ridge is doing.
Another project that is in progress is widening Mack Smith Road from two lanes to four from Ringgold Road to improve access to the Red Wolves stadium. Utilities are being installed now before construction that will be started in September. The road should be finished around September 2025.
The city manager also reported that, while repairs were being made to Belvoir and South Terrace for a water main break, it was discovered that the stormwater system was broken. It had to be repaired before the road could be completed and opened back up.
And both bridges that are being rebuilt by TDOT over I-24 are not expected to be finished until about Jan. 25, 2025.
On the recommendation of Mayor Williams and City Manager Miller, the council voted to make a $10,000 donation to the Family Justice Center. The organization provides services such as help with domestic violence, elderly abuse, sexual assault and human trafficking. In 2023 the center assisted about 800 individuals in the area and 74, or nine percent of them, were East Ridge residents, said Mr. Miller. And because the center provides services to East Ridge, he said the donation was included in this year’s budget. The city council gave approval at the council meeting.
Purchases that have been authorized include six 2025 Ford Interceptor Sport Utility Vehicles for the police department at a cost of $55,042 each including the needed equipment. The price for all of the cars will be $330,252 and was included in the budget. Money for the vehicles will come from the general fund and money for the equipment will come from the drug fund. Also approved was the purchase of four Chevrolet Colorado trucks for the police department.
A used pickup truck was requested by the Fire Department and the amount of $30,000 was approved before the budget was finalized. The only truck with a V6 engine that could be found is a Chevrolet Colorado at a higher cost of $31,206. The increase of $1,206 was approved by the council. Chief Williams said the 2024 models were all sold out and 2025 models will not be available until January, 2025.
The low bid for athletic field suppliers of materials to be used at the soccer fields at Camp Jordan Park was $19,421. And a new John Deere Gator utility vehicle will also be bought for the parks department at the price of $10,639. This will start a rotation replacement program for Gators, the same way other vehicles are systematically replaced in the city. And a resolution passed for awarding the annual bids for various materials used by the street department for 2024-2025.
At the Aug. 8 council meeting several items of interest to the community will be decided. The first of two readings and votes will take place for making amendments to the city’s sign ordinance regarding lighting display and storefront display regulations. The original discussions of this amendment brought a roomful of concerned business owners who said there would be unintended consequences with the changes that were proposed at that time.
Another item to be discussed and voted on will be how to proceed with the old McBrien School building. It has been determined that it contains asbestos, which the city will be responsible for removing whether the decision is to demolish it or to renovate and reuse the building.
There will also be a discussion about how to proceed with CARTA’s need to significantly increase the costs of its Care-A-Van service in East Ridge.