“My job is done,” East Ridge City Manager J. Scott Miller said at the end of the Feb. 26 city council meeting, the last that he will attend as the city manager before he retires. It was also the ending of his 45- year career as a city manager in various towns. But he added that he will still be a resident of East Ridge with an interest in who is chosen as his replacement and so will attend the interviews for the candidates that will be held on Wednesday, when the public will be welcome.
At that meeting Mayor Brian Williams and each of the council members praised the accomplishments Mr. Miller achieved during his two terms. He first served in that position from 2016- 2018 and again from 2022 until February, 2026. He was presented with a proclamation to honor him for providing steady guidance to the city, and Feb. 26 was named J. Scott Mller Day. As his tenure ends, several large projects he helped to develop also will be finished. Mr. Miller said that the North and South Terrace paving project is finally done and the problem now has changed to cars speeding. The expansion of the Community Center should be completed by May 1, and Venue 1921 is complete and has held its first major event with hundreds of other requests to look at the venue to potentially schedule other reservations.
Fire Chief Mike Williams will assume the position of assistant city manager prior to the council choosing a permanent replacement, a role he has performed before. The council approved the addition of $1,000 per month for the Chief to take on the additional work. This job will be disabled once the new city manager is in place.
At a special called meeting today (Thursday), interviews for a new city manager will be held for four candidates. The top candidate is expected to be chosen by the March 26 council meeting , and it is hoped that person will start work at the end of April or beginning of May when the new budget talks will begin.
The compensation package offered to the city court clerk and the city council members was discussed at length. “Compensation” includes not only the salary but also any benefits such as health care benefits, including medical, vision, dental and life insurance. The decision was made to include those benefits, worth an estimated $14,000, to the court clerk compensation. It was noted that the job would make the person eligible for the benefits, but it would be optional.
The council members are eligible to participate in the same benefits that are offered to the city’s employees, but currently none of them have opted to take advantage of that. City Attorney Mark Litchford said if the council, who are not considered to be city employees, wants to alter the option of joining the city’s plans, it can be done only by referendum. Mayor Williams recommended and the council agreed to continue offering the benefits to council members , but at no cost to the city what so ever. The council member would have the option but pay the full cost that the city pays for its employees, $14,000. It might be advantageous for somebody who is not covered by an employee, since this is a group plan.
The city’s ordinance pertaining to mobile food trucks was discussed and conditions were added. Some that are required include that they will not be allowed in residential or industrial zones, the number of trucks allowed can be evaluated at the time of an application rather than establishing a set number. The trucks need to get a special events permit from the city and the number will be limited to two, during a 12- month period. Site constraints are up to the fire marshal’s discretion. Hours of operation will be regulated and no amplified music will be allowed. A written warning will be issued by the city if there is a violation.
Property at 1408 San His Drive was rezoned from C-2 General Commercial to R-2 Residential Duplex District. The council had stopped that process at a previous meeting because they feared that the soil had been contaminated by chemicals leaking from cars parked there by the shop next door over many years. Chief Building Inspector Michael Howell told the commissioners that it has been decided that a soil sample will not be tested to check on the contamination issue because the Environmental Protection Agency does not require it. Instead, the builder will remove soil enough to level the slab for the building and the building site will have a vapor barrier, and he said that would make the lot safe for building a duplex. And Mr. Howell said that lenders will ask for the site to be tested and remediated if it is contaminated. A condition cannot be put on the property as a condition of rezoning it., he said, however, the building codes might require testing. Plus Mr. Howell said that a concrete driveway and slab would “cap” any dangerous contaminates despite the neighbors being worried about stormwater runoff bringing polluted materials onto their property.
In regular business, approval was given for a change order to replace the lower roof on the Community Center where officials recently noticed holes. The money will be taken from the capital improvements fund. Another change order for that project, to add a moisture barrier under the wood floor, will cost an additional $17,168. A bid for street improvements in 2026 was approved for Talley Construction in the amount of $1,349,000. The council accepted a donation from a local businessman, of a good quality used industrial-grade washer and dryer for the city’s new animal shelter The city will pay $4,2000 to modify the laundry space for installation of this large equipment.
The council approved an amendment to the Tennessee Highway Safety Office high visibility enforcement grant. The amendment to the grant had to be accepted by the city or the grant would be forfeited. The amendment has resulted in cutting programs planned by the police department to promote safety by 20 percent. And the council gave the East Ridge Middle School permission to use the softball fields at Camp Jordan at no cost. They cannot be used when East Ridge has a scheduled tournament. The Needy Child Fund will also be allowed to use the Arena at Camp Jordan for no fee for a fundraiser “Corvettes for Kids,” on Aug. 8.