East Ridge Vice Mayor Marc Gravitt delivers the oath of office to three new firefighters during Thursday’s City Council meeting. The firefighters are from left, Tyler Ezell, Brandon Clark and Chris Cope.
East Ridge welcomed three new firefighters to the city’s family Thursday night during the regular City Council meeting.
Vice Mayor Marc Gravitt did the honors of administering the oath of office to Brandon Clark, Chris Cope and Tyler Ezell.
“We look forward to you serving the citizens of East Ridge,” Gravitt said following the swearing in ceremony.
Welcoming new firefighters was something the council could all agree on. Holding a lottery to determine where political candidates could set up their tents on the lawn at City Hall during election day was something the Council could not.
In a 10-minute rancorous exchange, the board deadlocked 2-2 (Mayor Brent Lambert was absent) on whether the city should even hold a lottery _ one element of a larger ordinance recently adopted dealing with campaign signs.
The proposed rules for the lottery would establish 12 tent sites that are 12-feet by 12-feet on the front lawn of City Hall and the Recreation Center on Tombras Avenue. The lottery would be held seven days prior to election day at noon. The drawing would be conducted by the City Recorder.
The first name drawn would allow the candidate to select where he or she would like to put up their tent. The second name drawn would then have their opportunity; and so on until the last name is drawn.
Candidates would be allowed to set up their tents at their designated locations no more than 24 hours prior to the opening of the polls on election day. Candidates would be required to remove their tents within 24 hours after the election date.
“I voted against it last time and I still feel the same way,” said Councilman Jacky Cagle. “I’d like to remove it from the ordinance.”
“I haven’t seen a problem,” he continued. “I was at home (two years ago when Cagle was a candidate for City Council) when I was told to get up here and put my tent up. I got the spot I wanted.”
Cagle said that he didn’t think having a lottery was fair to other candidates running in county-wide elections. He also said that he believed a lottery would put a greater workload on the City Recorder and the City Manager.
Vice Mayor Gravitt disagreed. He said that he was on the ballot in the Nov. 8 election running for re-election as a State Representative. He said he would have a tent in front of City Hall.
“In the past couple election cycles there’s been a race (to pitch a tent) to see who can claim the first spot,” Gravitt said. “I don’t see an any more fair way to do it.”
Councilman Denny Manning voted with Cagle to remove the lottery from the ordinance. Gravitt and Councilman Larry Sewell voted to keep it. As a result of the deadlocked vote, the item can be placed on future agendas for consideration.
The council voted on second reading to adopt an ordinance that sets rules for wreckers and towing companies to be on the police department’s district wrecker rotation. The new rules allow wrecker companies an opportunity to get on the coveted list once they are in business in the city for three years and are in good standing. The vote was unanimous.
Councilman Manning muddied the waters by asking if the wrecker business would have to own the building in which they operate. He was sure that past ordinances contained that provision.
City Attorney Hal North reiterated that in order for any municipal towing and wrecker ordinance to pass legal muster any issues it addresses must be from a “public safety” standpoint.
The council passed on second reading an ordinance that restricts heavy construction to certain hours of the day, and prohibits those actions on major holidays.
The council conducted a public hearing on the rezoning of a small apartment complex on Greenslake Road. The owner, Richard Boyd, said he wanted it rezoned from commercial to R-3 (apartments) for insurance purposes. No one spoke in opposition during the public hearing.
Councilman Sewell said he had questions about calls to police concerning the address. He made a motion to table any vote on rezoning until those questions could be answered. The council voted unanimously to table.
The council voted to spend $125,000 on a new knuckleboom truck for the sanitation department. The board also approved a bid of $63,147 to purchase new turf for the Camp Jordan Arena indoor soccer facility.
The council approved the purchase of eight new air tanks and six Motorola radios for the fire department at a total cost of about $75,000.
The board voted to put up a new fence on the northeast side of the entrance to Camp Jordan. The cost of fencing and installation was $9,400.
The Optimist Club was granted permission to use the parking lot of the Community Center for a “trunk or treat” party on Oct. 29.
And, the council voted to move it’s Oct. 13 council meeting to Oct. 6, as two members of the board will not be able to attend on that date.
Christy Torok of the Daughters of the American Revolution, right, presents Vice Mayor Marc Gravitt with a proclamation in honor of Constitution Week at Thursday’s City Council meeting.
