Candidates will have to participate in a lottery to get prime property in front of City Hall on Election Day in order to pitch their tents.

On Thursday, during its regular meeting,  the City Council adopted rules for a new tent lottery, which is a major part of a recently amended political sign ordinance.

In years past, candidates pitched campaign tents on the lawn of City Hall. The prime spots were points of contention and in the last election cycle the City Manager and  codes enforcement officials were called in the early morning hours to arbitrate a dispute when several candidates staked out ground prior to an agreed on time frame.

During the “Communication from Citizens” portion of the meeting, Frances Pope, who ran for Mayor in 2012, brought a letter to the attention of the Council. That letter, she said, was hand delivered to her by a police officer. She said that all candidates were hand delivered the same letter. The letter, written by the former City Manager, told candidates they could begin putting up tents no sooner than 8 a.m. the day before Election Day. She brought photos of tent frames placed on City Hall, and the photos were time stamped just after midnight on the day before Election Day in violation of the letter’s terms.

“How sad is that?” Pope said. “We have people that want to make decisions for the city and they can’t follow the rules. Let’s don’t embarrass our city.”

Councilman Jacky Cagle, who along with Councilman Denny Manning voted against having a lottery at the last council meeting, led the charge against a lottery. Cagle offered question after hypothetical question as to how the lottery would be difficult to administrate.

During Cagle’s effort to put the breaks on a tent lottery, he asked what would happen if no city offices were involved in the election; should the city hold one? Do people running for city offices have priority? Can anyone sign up for the lottery and would one have to prove they are representing the campaign? If no one signs up, what happens then? Could a campaign put up more than one tent?

All these questions prompted Vice Mayor Marc Gravitt to ask Cagle why he opposed a tent lottery?

“I’m not opposing it,” Cagle said, “I just have questions.”

Gravitt reminded Cagle that he voted against it both times it was considered by the Council. Gravitt said the measure was pretty simple; “Do we want tents, and if we do let’s have rules.”

At one point in the discussion, Councilman Larry Sewell made a motion to prohibit candidates from putting up tents on city property on election day.

“We’ve spent a lot of time on this and I apologize,” Mayor Brent Lambert told those in attendance. “I’ll stay until midnight if I have to.”

Mayor Lambert then called for a 10-minute recess. 

When the board returned, Vice Mayor Gravitt made a motion to amend the proposed lottery rules by restricting a campaign to one tent site in the lottery and if anyone violated the rules  the Chief of Police would have the authority to remove the tent from city property.

The measure passed, 3-0, with Councilman Cagle abstaining. Councilman Manning was absent from the meeting due to ill health.

The adopted lottery rules call for 12 tent sites on the front lawn of City Hall. The lottery will be conducted by the City Recorder seven days prior to election day. The first name drawn will have the opportunity to select a site; the second name drawn will then select a site; and so on.

Candidates can put up one tent 24 hours prior to the opening of the polls on election day and the tents must be removed within 24 hours following the election. The rules also allow the Chief of Police to remove tents that are in violation.

In other business, the board passed resolutions authorizing the city to enter into agreements for engineering jobs for a transportation alternatives program for Highway 41 corridor enhancement; the Safe Routes to Schools grant for East Ridge Elementary; and landscaping design for the Exit 1 interchange.

The board gave permission for the city to accept donated fitness equipment from Planet Fitness. It also approved the city’s participation in a TVA program to install energy efficient lighting at Camp Jordan Arena.

Finally, the Council approved a measure that would provide a five percent penalty for businesses delinquent in paying its liquor privilege tax.