Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Welcome everybody to the Thursday, January 8th, 2026 city commission meeting in Johnson City, Tennessee held at the Municipal and Safety Building. Welcome everybody to the new year and I will call this meeting to order. First, um I'd like everybody to stand for the invocation and Pastor Pete Tacket with Antioch Baptist Church will be up and afterwards if we can stay standing. Um and I'll bring up another guest. Let's pray. Father, we are grateful to be in 2026 and looking forward. Lord, we know that all authority flows from you and that apart from you there is no authority. You you rule in the affair of men and nations and municipalities. So, Father, we thank you for these men and women who've agreed to serve and who take of their time and their energy and their resources to do the very best they can for our city. So, Father, we pray you would bless them. Give them wisdom beyond their own understanding. Give them leadership from heaven. Help them to lead us in such a way that we can live in a place that is marked by peace and that it is indeed a good place to live and work and play. So, help this meeting tonight uh to contribute to that goal. I pray in Jesus name. Amen. Amen.

All right. As you stand, I'd like to bring up the Kings Mountain Chapter of the American Legion to lead us in our pledge. If you guys don't mind coming forward. Which way are we going to face?

We're going to face the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Mayor, may I approach the bench, please?

Uh, you you may. I think we do have um a proclamation for you as well. Okay, great. Thank you. You'll get one too. And I'm going to ask you guys to stay up too as Kathy reads the next item. Also after this

something the first item for consideration for a vote for the commission is to consider the approval of the minutes for the regularly scheduled city commission meeting held on Thursday December 18th 2025. Move for approval. Second. Miss Lassley. Call the role. Commissioner Fowler. Yes. Commissioner gets. Yes. Commissioner Weise. Yes. Vice Mayor Brock. Yes. Mayor Cox. Yes.

And Mayor, if you want to, uh, given that, um, we have, um, the, uh, these folks here, we could go ahead with the proclamation recognizing, um, the one commission to end veteran suicide. All right, commander. Let me read this mayor proclamation for you. Whereas on August 16th, 2025, the American Legion Department of Tennessee established the Be the One Commission to End Veteran Suicide, guided by the motto veterans offering life-saving service with a focus on increasing awareness of and encouraging support for the study and treatment of post-traumatic stress. and many veterans die by suicide as a direct result of PTS. Underscoring the need for informed communitywide intervention and public education on recognizing the signs of PTS and responding effectively is critical in reducing suicide among veterans. And the American Legion's Be the One mission represents a unified effort to save the lives of veterans and service members at risk of suicide by providing free suicide prevention training and promoting open and compassionate conversation about mental health. And data from the US Department of Veteran Affairs shows that after adjusting for age, the veteran suicide rate in Tennessee remains significantly higher than both the national veteran rate and the general population rate with veterans accounting for approximately 15% of all suicide statewide. An American Legion Post 24 supports the Be the One mission locally by distributing

walletsized cards to inform Johnson City residents of the elevated suicide risk among veterans and to discreetly connect individuals in need with available resources. And whereas the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline provides 247 free and confidential support for veterans experiencing distress. Now therefore, I, Greg Cox, mayor of Johnson City, Tennessee, in partnership with American Legion Post 24, encourage residents to educate themselves so that if needed, they are prepared to be the one who can help save the life of a veteran experiencing distress. Thank you guys for being here. And do you have anything you would like to add? And I know and a couple of our commissioners might as well. to be the one program. Your police officers, your firefighters, your EMS all have it in their heart as well. They will be the one to step up if somebody is in need. And I want to thank all of them. They take an oath to protect your community. We took an oath to protect our nation. And we will always honor that oath. Be the one if you want one. I got two left.

I got two left. And we have more at the lodge. All right. Thank you, M. Commissioner B.

I do. Thank you. Um and to the American Legion. Uh first of all, thank you for bringing um this program over so that we could publicize it even more and get behind with our commitment to uh to support what what all the these efforts are about. I want to the the next thing I'm going to say is really to the public that um and I I know my fellow commissioners already know this, but this is the finest group of people that we have in Johnson City, the American Legion. Sometimes I hang out with them. Uh the most recent time commissioner um commissioner gets and I walked in the parade uh the Veterans Day parade

and I know uh Commander um uh I call her commander Mary uh wants a bigger parade next year and next year and so we want to see that happen. But what I really want to say is how you can count on on um on on the American Legion. When the idea about this big beautiful flag that's up on top of Tanner and I came about, um we we kind of had the idea here at the city, but probably not the capability, Mr. Willis, at that time to really make it happen. And so, um I went to the American Legion and said, "Here's an idea." and it just seems so aligned with what you do. Uh how would you like to be in charge of raising the money and managing the project, Ed, um to get this flag up there. And everybody was so um enamored with the thoughts and ideas of it. And it has been magnificent this week with the beautiful sunshine and and and and light enough wind that it it flaps appropriately, not with the 50 mph wind that sometimes tangles it up. But I just want to personally thank y'all publicly for what you've done and you manage it. You take care of it. Uh you raise the flag and lower the flag and sometimes we have to fly a smaller flag because the wind is just too much. But I just love the partnership that we have with the American Legion here at the city and you're our neighbors of course over there. But um I just want to personally say thank you for everything that you've done. Thank you.

Thank you guys. Thank you. [applause] Mayor, the next pro uh presentation of a proclamation is recognizing Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

All right, this is one that I really en enjoy reading. Whereas Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday occurring on the 3rd Monday of January each year and observed as a national day of c service to celebrate the civil rights leaders life and legacy. And whereas Dr. King envisioned an America where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. And whereas Dr. King envisioned communities where everybody can be great because everybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and your verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace and a soul generated by love. And whereas Dr. King believed that life's most persistent and urgent question is what are you doing for others? And whereas the local MLK planning committee chose the theme beloved community, it starts with me to compel the next generation of leaders to manifest Dr. King's dream by engaging in acts of kindness and empathy. And whereas local MLK planning committee has planned a variety of activities to recognize the MLK Day of Service and commemorate Dr. King's commitment to racial and human camaraderie. Now therefore, I, Greg Cox, mayor of the city of Johnson City, do hereby proclaim January 19th, 2026 as Martin Luther King Jr. today in Johnson City, Tennessee, and encourage fellow citizens and businesses of Northeast Tennessee to join in honoring the beautiful legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. through the National MLK Day of Service and local MALK related events. And so, while you're here, I would love for you to mention some of those events and tell the community where they are and what we can do to help celebrate.

Mayor, thank you so very much. Commissioners, manager Ball, thank you so very much. genuinely do uh sincerely appreciate uh the proclamation and the gesture and as we recognize uh the man uh the movement but also the concept of beloved community and so very grateful for leadership uh that is manifesting the notion of community in real time. So thank you all so very much. A number of activities are going on this year uh to recognize the King holiday. This is the 25th uh anniversary of the MLK planning committee. And so um so we're very excited about that. Saturday, January the 17th, 9:00 a.m. we will have the MLK prayer breakfast. It will be at Wesley United Methodist Church, Wesley Memorial United Methodist Church. Breakfast will be served at 9 9:30. We'll start the program. We're very excited because we will have noted historian and Pulitzer Prizewinning um author Taylor Branch. uh there he will be in a conversation with Dr. Daryl Carter. Uh Dr. Branch wrote a trilogy as widely recognized trilogy of uh the civil rights movement and he will be in town on that Saturday. Sunday the uh 18th at 5:00 p.m. St. Paul amine church will have a worship service and then a whole array of activities on Monday the 19th that will include a peace walk at 1:00 p.m. Uh we'll have a health information session at 300 p.m. And then 6 p.m. we'll have a community dinner. Um all those activities are free at the Carver Center. And then Tuesday the 20th uh we'll have Professor Greg Ivers uh from American University. He'll be at East Tennessee State University, DP Culp Center, 700 p.m. on Tuesday the 20th. And he will uh talk about um Dr. King's influence on the Constitution and the Constitution's influence on Dr. King

that will recognize the 250th anniversary of our great country. So, a variety of activities going on. Thank you very much. All right. Thank you. And hope everybody gets out and joins those. And thank you, sir. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you so much. [applause] The next the next uh presentation of proclamation is recognizing human traffic prevention month. Please come forward.

Hi there. How are you? I'd love to read this proclamation to you. Um whereas human trafficking occurs when a person is recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, purchased or obtained through force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of performing labor or providing services. And whereas it is estimated that approximately 27.6 million people are trafficked around the world and as many as 2100 in East Tennessee alone. And whereas human trafficking does not discriminate based on age, sex, race, color, or national origin, but does disproportionately affect vulnerable individuals and marginalized communities. And whereas a unified response is needed to provide justice and healing to survivors, hold offenders accountable, and promote the welfare of the community. And whereas the Tennessee Counter Trafficking Alliance through the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking in East Tennessee exists to educate Tennessans about the realities and pervasiveness of human trafficking, foster collaborative intervention, provide comprehensive traumainformed afterare, and advocate for proactive legislation. And whereas during human trafficking prevention month and throughout the year, we honor the resiliency and courage of survivors and urge everyone to recognize that we all have an active part to play in protecting one another from trafficking. Now therefore, I, Greg Cox, mayor of the city of Johnson City, Tennessee, do hereby proclaim 2026 human trafficking prevention month, and encourage our residents to remember victims and survivors of human trafficking by reaffirming our commitment to end exploitation in our community. Thank you for being here. Do you have anything you'd like to say?

Sure. Thank you. Thank you so much, mayor, and the commission for um supporting human trafficking prevention efforts through proclaiming January's human trafficking prevention month. For those that don't know who we are, we are the Community Coalition Against Human Trafficking, also known as Grow Free Tennessee, which is our direct services program, and we offer free community-based afterare services to survivors of sex and labor trafficking, no matter when or where they were trafficked. Um for January, we are hosting a comfort care kit donation drive. Um, comfort care kits are something that our emergency shelter staff give to survivors that are seeking shelter at our shelter in Knoxville. And these items typically include brand new clothing, um, basic hygiene essentials, hair care items, tech items like phone chargers, and maybe a journal and some pens just to kind of remind these survivors that they are supported, they are seen, and they're cared for and not alone in their journey. We have a dropoff location at the Johnson City, Washington County Family Justice Center just down the street at 196 Montgomery Street as well as in Bluntville at the Branch House Family Justice Center at 313 Foothills Drive. So, if you want to support survivors of sex and labor trafficking in East Tennessee, that's a great way to do it. We also offer free trainings on how to recognize and respond to trafficking as well, and we have those specialized to healthcare professionals, law enforcement, educators, just basic community members and things like that. and you can go to our website and request a training there. Um, thank you guys so much.

Thanks for everything you do. [applause]

Commission, there is no one there was no one who signed up for public comment on the um voting items on the agenda. The next item for consideration is item 6.1 which is to consider approval of appointments to volunteer boards.

So again it's that time of year twice a year now we make appointment to various boards and commissions. Um that's a change from a historic P practice where we considered appointments pretty much at virtually every meeting because they were kind of happening throughout the year as a part of a broader effort to be more intentional and aware of who all the applicants and all the potential appointees are. Um we are really blessed as a community that anytime we are looking at these appointments we have many um really solid applications and expressions of interest. And so very often we have names that we would like to appoint far in excess of the positions that we have available. I say all that as prelude to an encouragement that if you didn't get appointed this time, reapply or continue to keep your application current because sometimes it's just a matter of there maybe only being one seat and somebody subject to being reappointment uh being reappointed in that seat. The commission has met in two workshops, publicly noticed meetings to kind of flesh out what the list would look like. And I was tasked with reading it. And so if there's not objection, I'll read through the full list and just make it as a motion um as as the list. So the first is a single appointment to the board of dwelling standards and review, and this is a three-year term ending in 2029. Uh the appointment would be Thomas Kendall. Then we have four appointments to the Board of Zoning Appeals and it warrants some distinction because these four appointments are going to stagger. And so I'm going to read them out. The first is a reappoint of Cody Refe and that would be to a three-year term. And then the next three appointments

follow Riley Collins to a three-year term, Steven McKe to a two-year term, and Leah Tilson to a one-year term, and that's filling a vacancy created by a recent resignation. The next is the Convention and Visitors Bureau. There's one vacancy, and we're making an appointment to fulfill an remaining time on a term of Rebecca Huleston. Then we have the historic zoning commission and there are uh there's one appointment and we're going to defer the second appointment until July. And so we're reappointing Katherine Astony to a five-year term which think about this that ends in 2031. Uh the next appointment is the Johnson City Development Authority. We're deferring that until July. Um, we have the Johnson City Housing Authority. This is two appointments. They will both be reappoints to three-year terms. Colin Johnson and Wesley Fletcher. Then we have the Johnson City Regional Planning Commission, and there are two vacancies. Um, one an atlarge seat and the other a resident of the regional planning area. So the first appointment is to Bo West Morland to the atlarge seat and then David me to the uh regional planning area seat. Then we have three I'm sorry no four appointments to the Johnson City Senior Services Advisory Council. Um again this is um several different terms. So, the first is a reappointment of Kristen Love Day and then three-year appointments of Katherine Whitaker and Faith Amu and then a one-year vacancy filling out the balance of a term appointing George Cross. And then the last appointment for this

evening's list is the Washington County Board of Equalization and it is a reappoint of Terisha Kurad to a two-year term and we are deferring to March the second seat. Um I think we might be on a recruitment mission there. So if anyone has a particular interest in the board of equalization um uh please do that. And then I think I I'm I I missed one here because it's a very thin little line and I'm sorry and I'm like everybody's apparently very concerned about my it's the John Industrial Development Board and there's one vacancy there that was created by a resignation when somebody moved out of the area and so it's a five and a halfyear term. It's normally a six-year term and that would be to appoint John Hunter. So with that list in total um I make that as a as a motion. I will second.

Is there any discussion? Seeing none, I'll call the role. Commissioner Fowler, yes. Commissioner Gats, yes. Commissioner Weise, yes. Vice Mayor Brock, yes. Mayor Cox, yes. The next item, commissioners, up for consideration is the consent agenda. Start to my right. Is there anything you'd like to pull, Commissioner Fowler? I have Nothing tonight. Thank you, Vice Mayor Brock. 7.2.4. All right, man. Commissioner Weise, I was going to pull. I'm just kidding. I didn't have anything.

All right, Commissioner G. Nothing. Thank you. All right. Um, Miss Ball, will you? Yes. Um, item. 2.4 4 is um is a bid for core and main manhole frame riser contract and uh Vice Mayor Brock if you have questions of our water sewer director. I do. Thank you, Mr. Lane, for coming up. When I saw that, I was got it really excited, believe it [laughter] or not. Yes, ma'am. Um, so these these are um items that are made that allow you to raise or lower a manhole. Is that correct? That is correct.

Are these purchased just for new projects or will y'all be switching out some that It's combination of both. Yes, ma'am. It's a combination of both. So, we we work in coordination with Jason Miles and his staff on the public work side. So whenever there's a new resurfacing, whenever the road's going to be paved, our guys go through and actually go through the ride do the riser process and actually have them all. So they'll be good a flush driving experience for everybody when it's done. Well, if you need any help, I can tell you [laughter] some of them.

Thank you very much. Uh yeah, I'm I'm really pleased to see I know y'all keep them going a a lot, but I I I do believe if we could focus on some that really um you know are are having issues that you're going to have to go get your car aligned when you hit them. We're always trying to uh find any ones we can do and address those for sure. And I understand once paving is done and then it kind of sinks or or whatever, it takes some time uh for that to happen. But um anyway, I'm glad to see we're doing it. Thank you.

Yeah. And I'll just kind of mirror that too just because you brought it up. There is a lot of more more coordination than I kind of realized about water and sewer and paving because I've had some comments and um my own concerns and city citizens concerns about when roads are going to get repaved and I've learned that there's a little more of a science to it of they're getting ready to rip it up to do water lines in different areas. So, just while you're up here and we're talking about manhole covers to remind us, I think that the city is aware of certain roads that might need it, but water lines may be coming that you'll be installing.

Correct. And we try our best to it's a team effort with definitely with Jason's with staff. As soon as we know if there's going to be any kind of paving project, we try to stay ahead of it and be prepared for it. That does help. Do we do we still have uh the way we planned that we um have a certain number from the paving budget that we're going to that we're going to uh resurface that um you know we all we have to do is just resurface it and then a certain number that we have to go down and mill it because it's it's totally deteriorated and we try to catch some of those we try to catch some of those before that part really happens

and I think that depends on the timeline for when Jason's staff are going through the repaving, but whenever they know that, that's obviously a different level of effort for us when we have to go through and and have those manholes raised or valves raised as well. Right. Right. And I realize that that was a question for him, but this was a good format for it. Yep. Thank you very much. Thank you, John. Thank you, Jason. Move approval. Second, Miss Lastly, call the role. Commissioner Fowler, yes. Commissioner Gats, yes. Commissioner Weise. Yes. Vice Mayor Brock, yes. Mayor Cox, yes.

Next item for consideration is the is 8.1, which is a concept plan amendment and a public hearing. This is a a request to amend the previously approved concept plan 28 42875 East Oakland Avenue to increase the number of dwelling units and change the interior site site layout. Commissioners,

I will be presenting this concept plan amendment just to kind of give you an idea of our timeline where we like to start. This is the final decision. It has gone to the planning commission for a recommended 61 vote. We've held neighborhood meetings. I'll kind of describe those a little bit later as well as um the proper advertisements where this site is. We we looked at this last September, but just to kind of reorient you, it's on Oakland and Springbrook. So, it's the large parcel that is I need this one. Oh, we went on. Okay. Um, but the what they're requesting to do is they are approved for 260 multif family units. And what they would like to do is to add 16 units. In doing so, they're going to change around some things on the property. So, this um they're removing a town home. I'll show you that a little bit later. um removing one apartment building and then kind of switching some of the styles so that it's a three four um in height and you doing some splits. So that does increase by 16 units. What they're allowed um is up to 22 units. They are still well with under that at 12.8 units. So, this is their current concept plan that we approved in 17 or in September of 2025 that shows where the town homes were, where um the apartments are, and how that was um designed. What they're looking to do, you'll notice, is to take out those town homes. One of the reasons for this is that as you go through and into that construction part, you start to notice that maybe there's a little more rock. Um they also noticed that there was a deed restriction that of how the the town homes were laid out did not ma match that deed restriction. So they wanted to kind of recoup that but still they have all the same buffer yards. They're um going to be um adequate with their storm water. Uh so all of that is still there. And this is just kind of a comparison of a sidebyside so you can

see both of those. The current one is on the left and the proposed one is on the right. This does fall in line with the Horizon 2045 plan and stays within uh what they have there. One thing to note is there was a traffic stud traffic study modification done and that showed that they might need um a extra turn lane on Springbrook and they provided that. Did I Yes, Spring Brook. Um and they've provided that on their site plan. So staff recommends approval of the concept plan amendment and for the reasons on the screen and if you have any questions I'm available for those. There be access to

there'll be access to this um development for both Springbrook and Oakland. Correct. Okay. So there's plenty of ways of getting in and out. Move approval. Second. Oh, we do have with that. I'd like to open a public hearing. If anybody's here to speak for or against the amendment, please come forward.

Sorry about that. Hey, Warren Sugg with Civil Design Concepts. I'm the civil engineer on the project. Um staff did a great job of u describing it. I just want to be available for any questions you all have and um certainly recognize we're coming before you a second time. That was um really in part because of the geotechnical information that was found after that approval and there's some rock that we're trying to miss in a lot of locations. What's your timeline? Uh when would you get started this? Pretty immediately per the client. Uh we just had a meeting just yesterday and if if tonight goes as well, we would we would keep moving. Good. Any other questions? Thank you.

Uh you Miss Whitney, you said there was a neighborhood meeting. You were going to mention that. Sorry. There was a neighborhood meeting and where did that I may have I may have deleted that slide accidentally. Um there was a neighborhood meeting. the same um con the same concerns were raised from the previous one about where storm water runoff was going um where and you know if that was going to be engineered um and the consilar traffic concerns and I believe there were three people in attendance. I may have that wrong.

Thanks. And I I think the public hearing is still um open so we'll make sure no one else is here to speak for or against this change. Seeing none, I will close the public hearing. Now, I will make a motion to approve and I will second again. Any comments for discussion? Seeing none, Miss House, you call the role. Commissioner Fowler, yes. Commissioner Gats, yes. Commissioner Weise, yes. Vice Mayor Brock, yes. Mayor Cox, yes.

Commissioners, the next two it two items um need to be voted on separately, but will be presented together. So, I'm going to read both of them and then um Miss Hodgeges is going to present both of them, but they will need separate um separate uh votes. So, item 9.1 is ordinance 4936-26. This is the first reading of an ordinance to amend the horizon 2045 future land use plan on land identification by tax map 09038G a parcel a parcel 032.02 located at the corner of Princeton Road and NAV and item 9.2 2 is ordinance 4935-26 which is an ordinance for the resoning of zero Princeton Road. Good evening because this is a both of these will be ordinances they're going to track at the same time. So we're at the first reading we'll have public hearing at the next meeting. Um there was a neighborhood meeting for the reasonzoning and the signs were placed on the property. Uh will as well as um they were all advertised the way they need to be. What this is is we're taking three different zoning districts and we're and the request is to move them all into one in an R3, which is medium density residential. And the site is shown here um just to kind of give you an idea. It's for 16 town homes. In case just kind of orient, Evergreen Nursery, I'm hoping this shows. There we go. Evergreen Nursery is right here. The auto auction and Crazy Tomato is here. and it's kind of in between that on on Princeton. The site plan itself is different from the one that's in your packet. Um they have met all of staff's conditions and

so this is an updated one and at the public hearing we will provide that in the packet. There's not a lot of change. It's really just some notation changes. So it is um R3 would allow for up to seven units an acre um which would be 18 units. They are uh proposing 16. So that's just under about six or just over six. They are providing more parking spaces than they need because that was one of the concerns that was raised in the original resoning. As you recall, this did come before you as a different zoning district with a different plan. Um they still are proposing a new sidewalk along Nave. Um there's no buffer that is required, but they're showing some additional landscaping both along the side and on the street at Nave Drive, and they're maintaining what is there at Princeton. So that will provide an another buffer. Um they're screening their dumpster and um keeping in line with open space. That was actually the thing that was the last condition that was left. So they'll be meeting that at the time of site plan. Water and utilities are provided to the site as well as the tra there was not a traffic impact analysis needed for this. It didn't warrant that per T do DOT standards. So the 16 that they feel as though that the traffic that is generated will be able to be accommodated. To give you just some site photos of this, this is looking into that buffer is a the site the picture on the left and the picture on the right um is the flat area where they'll be developing. And I just kind of like to put those two side by side so you can see some of the topography because that is part of decisions that we're going to talk about a little bit in the horizon 2045 plan because nave where nave drive is is really important as we look at the land use plan. So there are two instances in the land use plan where you can make an amendment and one is right on the front page of the map that says if you're on

an edge condition that you can make an amendment. Now, why we're asking for the amendment in this ordinance process is because we adopted the horizon 2045 as an ordinance rather than a different means. This is how we chose to do it. So, anytime that staff feels or if somebody or if somebody else wants to petition to change a place type, this would be the process that they would go through. So, the first place where we see okay, let's take a second look at an edge condition is in the map itself. The second actually is in employment flex. There are some times and places where if we need to look at certain conditions, we might want to look at those again. And so in this particular case, we looked at it again. And with the drive coming in off of Nave Drive versus Princeton, it makes a lot more sense that the I'm going to go back to this map. that this place type be compact residential instead of employment flex so that it prevents kind of commercial activity kind of coming into nave drive. So this this proposal really mean for from a staff perspective is in line with what we think that this area should in this particular piece of property should look like is it kind of more of residential in nature. And so for the first vote, that is why we would support changing the place type from employment flex to compact residential. Okay. So then we're going to get So that's that part. And then the neighborhood meeting there were four in attendance and on the screen are some of the concerns or considerations that u were raised. So, the angle of the basically lights coming into front yards, traffic, um the quality of construction, um parking on the site. The applicants really tried to work with the neighbors

to try to figure out a lot of these things and work through most of them. staff re so staff recommends approval of the place type from comp from employment flex to compact residential as well as approval of the resoning planning commission their motion is was a little bit different because they had some conditions the applicant has met those conditions so um but they also voted to approve both of those and so tonight before you there are two actions and you do need to start with the land use plan and the map because it's really both because it's in it's a map and it's a plan. Um, so we need to start with that as well as the reasoning and I'm here for any questions.

You made the comment on the site plan that they were showing a buffer. Does that mean that the buffer is in no way binding in that site plan? It's a It's They would be rec That is a really good question. Let me let me make sure I answer. I was working on I was noodling around for a couple minutes. Yeah. Yeah. Um if they're showing it on the plan, then they would need to provide it as above as the 8t that they're showing and it's in their setback. And I only ask because the neighborhood comments at least speak to landscaping as a part of it. And I would hate for them to see one picture and then live with a built reality different than that.

That's also a very quick question to ask the applicant at the public hearing of like the type of landscaping that they would be that they would want to put in. Thank you. When we had this, it's been in I guess 2024 when we saw this before. There was one parking for each of the the units and now there's two for each unit and there's a circle drive so it's not just to come in and go out and there's extra parking in the middle of the circle. Mhm. So before my concern was how many people were going to park on the street because there wasn't adequate parking in the in the proposal before,

right? But there are two parking spots in front of each unit. Okay, that was very they were required 32 and they're providing 38. Okay, thank you. So that would be more. That would be more. I I would make a motion to approve and unless I'm jumping the gun. I'd make a motion to approve the ordinance to amend Horizon 2045. Can I get a second? I'll second. Any discussion? Miss Lowski, call the role on that item. Commissioner Fowler, yes. Commissioner Gets, yes. Commissioner Weise, yes. Vice Mayor Brock, yes. Mayor Cox, yes.

Is Can I entertain a motion on item 9.2? I'd like to make the motion on 9.2. I'll second discussion. This last we call the role. Commissioner Fowler, yes. Commissioner Gets, yes. Commissioner Weise, yes. Vice Mayor Brock, yes. Mayor Cox, yes.

Commissioners, the uh the next order of business is ordinances under third reading. Uh item 10.1 is ordinance 4932-25, an ordinance for the reszoning of 4.81 81 acres located at 2121 Simol Drive from R2 to R2C. Good evening, mayor, vice mayor, commissioners. I will be presenting on this resoning for third reading. There have been no changes and staff recommends approval. I'd make a motion to approve with just appreciation for the vision that the applicant has for the property and what they're trying to do there. So, motion to approve.

A second. Any discussion? Miss House, you call the role. Commissioner Fowler, yes. Commissioner Gets, yes. Commissioner Weise, yes. Vice Mayor Brock, yes. Mayor Cox, yes. Next item is 10.2. 2. This is ordinance 4933-25. It's an ordinance for the reszoning of 2.06 acres located at 2600 People Street from R3 to MS1. I will also be presenting this and there have also been no changes to this and staff recommends approval. Move approval. Second. Miss Lousy, call the role. Commissioner Fowler, yes. Commissioner Gats, yes. Commissioner Weise, yes. Vice Mayor Brock, yes. Mayor Cox.

Yes. And the last last uh item on the formal agenda is or ordinance number 4934-25. This is an ordinance to abandon 27 acres of public rideway at 2832 West Walnut Street. Whitney Hodes again, planning manager. There have been no changes. Move approval. Second. Miss Lowkey, call the role. Commissioner Fowler. Yes. Commissioner Gates. Yes. Commissioner Wise. Yes. Vice Mayor Brock. Yes. Mayor Cox. Yes. That are the other items.

Well, does anyone have anything they want to discuss? Any news of the week or anything besides celebrating a new year? And Well, we have a new person sitting up here with us. Um, Miss Bald, do you want to introduce our I would love to assistant city manager. I would love to. We're very excited to welcome Nick Gats. Um he is our assistant city manager. He comes to us from Lexington, North Carolina and previously from Winston Salem, North Carolina. We're glad to have him on board. Welcome. Well, seeing no other comments, I uh hope everybody

again our meeting will be the fourth Thursday. Because of that, I won't be here because I'm pre pretty precommitted. So, I just want to acknowledge my absence. Well, we'll have an excuse. We'll miss you. And

I would like to say one thing, Mr. Miles. I want to thank public works. Um we just had an amazing uh holiday season and one of the things that um make it particularly so special in Johnson City are the Christmas trees. And um it was beautifully done. Um, I know it takes a lot of manh hours to not only put the trees up, get the water set, put the lights on, uh, and I'm I'm I'm imagining our our um our folks are pretty big experts at getting lights on trees and they did amazing job and u the people who sponsored the trees, the businesses and nonprofits, uh, really just went all out this year. I mean, it was it was beautiful. Kesha, thank you to your team. uh who you know uh what how long did it take for people to sign up for the trees?

Under four minutes to raise your prices.

Yeah. So, um we had 185 trees and so do we have a target for next year? [laughter] More. More. But anyway, thanks to all the staff because that's a lot of extra work. That's probably not in their job description to decorate a lot of Christmas trees. But it was beautiful. And I'll tell you the people, the visitors who come in um the seniors who come uh we had one night where um a number were in wheelchairs going through the parks that would just made it just you know really touch your heart. So uh we've done something that's been kind of cool here. But thank y'all so much and please tell your guys they did a great job.

Yeah. Yeah. And there there was a great turnout. I was downtown on a regular basis and I was shocked at how busy it stayed the whole time. So, and next year I may make public works wear Grinch costumes when they take the trees down. So, we'll see what happens. All right, with that I will close the meeting.journ. Turn.