This is the first time in Hamilton County's history that there was a tie in the election for a city commission seat. Collegedale's City Manager Wayon Hinds said he had been notified that the recent election result was a tie between current Commissioner Debbie Baker and Billy Burnette. Now the city has two options, to have a special election or for the five current board of commissioners to vote and make the decision. City Attorney Sam Elliott noted that Commissioner Baker can vote for herself without any consequences. The choice will be made at a workshop next Monday if Mayor Morty Lloyd will be present.
Both Commissioner Baker and Mr. Burnette wound up with 2,282 votes and were tied for the third open seat. Laura Howse and Vice Mayor Tim Johnson were the top two votegetters.
The second and final vote to allow a new development of townhomes that are proposed for three separate parcels along La Collina Way off Apison Pike was deferred to the Dec. 2 commission meeting. The new neighborhoods would border the Summit Softball complex that is in the city limits of Chattanooga. Vice Mayor Johnson said that people buying those houses may not be aware that the area will be very noisy and will have a lot of traffic during baseball season. He said Collegedale has no authority to regulate it. Games are sometimes played until 2 a.m. if they are delayed due to rain, said Vice Mayor Johnson. The homebuilder told the commissioners that the high traffic and noise were not a concern for a townhouse development and the location with a lot of activity is what they are going for.
Collegedale's zoning ordinance was updated with a unanimous vote without discussion. This ordinance regulates location, height, bulk, number of stories and size of buildings, the percentage of lot that can be occupied and density of population among other purposes. The regulations are meant to divide the city into districts that are compatible.
The acceptance of several grants was approved by the commission. The city will enter into a contract with the state for the TAE grant for community tree planting in 2024-2025. This year the $8,509 grant will be used to pay for 69 trees to offset those having to be removed for a new parking lot. These trees will be in addition to the basic landscaping requirements. The city will be responsible for $4,254 off the total amount.
A bid was approved for the sewer pump station modernization project. A bid of $240,000 was accepted which is less than the original amount that was budgeted.
City Manager Hines was reappointed to represent the city on the Hamilton County Water Quality Management Committee.
Collegedale will also sign an amended license agreement for installation and operation of FLOCK license plate reader cameras that the are located on the state rights-of-ways within the city limits. An amendment to terms and the language in the current Tennessee Recruitment and Retention grant for police officers, also passed.
The commission approved supporting a certificate that Southern Adventist University needed from the city to get financing from the Department of Agriculture to build housing. The vote confirms that building more student housing will have no negative impact on the city said the city manager. It will not obligate the city in any way.
Michell Toro, Collegedale's financial director, reported that at one third of the way through the year, the city has received 17 percent of the amount of revenue that was budgeted. It has spent 34 percent of the budgeted expenditures. She said this is where the city needs to be. In October, $2 million was transferred from the bank balances into the city's checking account, which she said is typical for this time of year before January when property taxes are paid.