The East Ridge City Council passed a $12.9 million General Fund budget in its regular meeting Thursday night.
On second reading, the council adopted the budget, which keeps the tax rate at $1.42, with no discussion. In addition the council passed a new organizational chart for administration of the city.
The majority of the meeting was spent discussing the city’s wrecker and political sign ordinances, and an ordinance regulating when construction crews can work.
City Manager Scott Miller told the council that there were two versions of the wrecker ordinance. In one version, the ordinance exempts any business that was on the wrecker ordinance prior to Sept. 1, 1989 from sharing a building with another wrecker service. He called this the “official” version. Another version lacked that provision.
He noted that Ordinance 787, the city’s wrecker ordinance, was adopted on second reading on Dec., 13, 2007, 31 months after first reading. Miller said the council needs to determine which ordinance was in effect.
Vice Mayor Marc Gravitt stated that there was no record of how the council voted when it adopted Ordinance 787. Councilman Larry Sewell added that the audio tape of the meeting could not be found either.
Councilman Denny Manning said that he remembered the “September 1989” provision being adopted “across the board.”
City Attorney Hal North suggested that the council should not amend the existing wrecker ordinance but should enact an entirely new ordinance which would supersede any existing wrecker ordinances.
Councilman Manning suggested that City Manager Miller get with the wrecker services in the city and “draw up a chart.”
MIller reiterated that he needed “direction” on which version of the ordinance prevailed.
Councilman Jacky Cagle said the council should work from the “official” ordinance which contained the September 1989 exemption.
Mayor Brent Lambert said that it was “obvious” that several items in the wrecker ordinance needed “adjusting and updated.” Lambert told the City Manager that the text of Ordinance 787 could be incorporated into a new, superseding ordinance with new suggestions regarding state specifications of wreckers and the amounts charged for towing.
“And no more wreckers allowed,” Manning said.
The council then turned to the issue of when construction crews may work in the city. In a previous meeting Mayor Lambert told the council that he had received complaints from citizens that their weekend and holiday activities had been disrupted by heavy equipment being used right next to their homes.
Kenny Custer, the city’s new Chief Building Official, told the council that most complaints are generated from residents who are disturbed by site work involving heavy equipment.
Lambert reviewed the policy of nearby municipalities. Signal Mountain prohibits work on Sundays and limits it on Saturdays. Lambert said that he would personally like to see hours of construction limited on Sunday.
Councilman Sewell suggested that East Ridge could adopt Red Bank’s policy of letting the City Manager determine construction times. City Attorney North quickly pointed out that kind of policy would put the city in a bad position giving one man the authority to make such decisions.
Lambert brought up the fact that construction crews working inside a commercial building during odd hours should not disturb residents. He said that the city should think about prohibiting construction work on major holidays such as Christmas and Thanksgiving.
“I don’t think anyone would dispute that this council is pro business,” Mayor Lambert said. “At the same time we need to do that responsibly.”
Vice Mayor Gravitt suggested that Custer and City Manager Miller develop several plans regulating construction times and bring itback before the council for review and a possible decision.
The council turned its attention to discussion of the political sign ordinance. Mayor Lambert noted that in the 2014 election cycle his father almost came to blows with a candidate who was putting up a tent on the front lawn of City Hall in the late hours of election eve.
“I had to step between them,” he said. “That’s the type of garbage that has gone on and it must end.”
It has been a long-held practice of allowing candidates to erect tents on the lawn of City Hall after business hours the day before an election. Candidates have vied for what they think is the premium spot over the years. The time in which the tents were going up had been getting earlier and earlier, officials said.
Vice Mayor Gravitt had suggested in a council meeting last month that the city hold a “lottery” for campaign tent spots on the City Hall lawn. Lambert said he favored that proposal.
In addition, the council came to the consensus that campaign signs could go up 60 days in advance of the date when voting begins. This would encompass early voting.
