The East Ridge City Council passed on first reading the proposed budget for fiscal year 2016-17, Thursday night during its regular session.

The $12.8 million general fund budget would include six additional employees, two police officers, three firefighters and an accounting position. 

However, Councilman Jacky Cagle pressed City Manager Scott Miller on the number of employees working in administration in City Hall. “There were six in administration prior (the first draft of the proposed budget). Now there are seven.”

Miller explained the duties of individual staff members who work inside City Hall for the benefit of the Councilman. Miller explained that the confusion might have resulted in he having moved Amanda Miller _ whose office was moved from City Hall to the police department under the previous administration _ back under the roof of City Hall.

“That was one of the first things I did,” Miller told Cagle.

A second reading of the budget is scheduled for the first council meeting in August. Mayor Brent Lambert tentatively scheduled a requisite public hearing on the budget for 15 minutes prior to the agenda session on Aug. 11.

The Council voted on first reading to adopt an ordinance to amend the organizational chart.

Miller explained that he reviewed numerous organizational charts from the past several years and had a difficult time understanding the duties and responsibilities of some staff members as it related to what department’s budget there salary was being paid from. He urged the Council to consider a comprehensive review of job descriptions.

“It was interesting putting this (organizational) chart together this year, believe me,” Miller said. 

One significant change in the organizational chart was noted by Miller. He moved Kenny Custer, the city’s Fire Marshal, from under the Fire Department and gave him the additional duties of Chief Building Official. Miller said Custer is familiar with the job and had been acting as the city’s ad hoc “City Planner.” Miller also noted that Custer is now serving as the city’s representative to the Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority.

Mayor Lambert explained to the council that a resolution they adopted last month putting specific language into an agreement the City had with the Bass Pro Shops developers, amended the wrong resolution.

“I will take the blame for the ‘pothole’ we ran through that evening,” Lambert said. 

In last month’s meeting, the council amended Resolution 2416, by putting in the language “and heirs or estates” of the developers, as it pertains to Border Region Act revenues generated from the first $10 million in sales tax revenues. The action should have amended Resolution 2389. 

The vote was 4-1, with Councilman Cagle voting no.

The Council unanimously adopted a resolution to enter into an agreement with the Southeast Development District to formulate a comprehensive recreation plan for the City’s parks and recreation department. 

Vice Mayor Marc Gravitt asked why the plan was needed.

“Three or four months ago the city spent $5,000 on a study that told us how great Camp Jordan Park is,” Gravitt noted. 

Amanda Miller explained that this plan would go beyond Camp Jordan and look at the city’s recreation needs in total. It would establish a “benchmark” for the city and assist in procuring future grants from the state.

The Council tabled a resolution on bids from several area companies to provide road paving materials to the city. The sticking point was delivery of asphalt from a company located in Charleston, Tenn. Hiwassee Paving’s proposal would have required the city to pick up the asphalt at its plant. City officials said that in the past our employees had always had to pick up the asphalt; it had never been delivered.

In the “Communication from Citizens” portion of the meeting, Jim Bethune asked the Mayor and Council who authorized the name change on the road leading to Camp Jordan Park from Fred Pruett Parkway to Camp Jordan Parkway.

“Truthfully, I don’t know,” Lambert said.

Bethune noted that Pruett, a former mayor of East Ridge, was responsible for having the road built some time ago. He wanted to know if the name could be changed back.

Councilman Denny Manning was adamant that the Council voted to officially change the name to Fred Pruett Parkway in years past. “I think it ought to be put back,” he said.

Mayor Lambert directed staff to find city records of Council voting to legally change the name of the road to Fred Pruett Parkway. If that was the case, Lambert would have no problem officially adopting the name “Fred Pruett Parkway” for the main road leading into the park and going past Bass Pro Shops and the proposed Jordan Crossing retail development.