Board of Mayor and Aldermen - Regular Meeting

close to the inter Okay, it's 6:30. Uh, we'll go ahead and get started with the May 5th, 26 Bulma meeting. Move that back. Start a roll call. Look like everybody is present. The invocation tonight is Pastor Alex Robertson. Thank you for standing. Let us pray. Father God,

we first thank you for your great mercy and your kindness because your word says without your mercy and kindness, we would not be. And oh, how true that is. So this evening we call unto you naming you over this meeting our beloved city and we just name every cause purpose and matter that will be dealt with tonight asking for your wisdom and guidance as we fear you. We name you over Manchester City as our God. As it says in Deuteronomy 6:4, "And you alone are our God." And because you are are our God, we are blessed because your word says in Psalm, "Blessed is the nation, the city, the people that belong to you." And Lord, I pray a protection around every person that represents us in our city. every alderman, our honorable mayor, our first responders, and may I even say a special prayer for my favorite nephew, Dale Robertson, and protection over our beloved first responders and their families. And I specifically pray for their families as the men and women serve us. So they will be kissed with peace when their beloved are not with them. We thank you that you allow us to steward the earth because your word says the heavens and the highest heavens belong to the Lord God, but the earth

has been given to the sons and daughters of men to steward. We ask for your favor, wisdom, and blessing in the stewarding of this city tonight in Jesus name. Amen.

To the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisibley and justice for all. Okay, under the agenda, um I need to add an item under new uh business. It's the draft budget. It's just for you to have, but we need to make sure it's in the packet for tonight. With that, if uh get a motion in a second. motion and a second. Any discussion here? None. Motion carries six to zero. Next item is the minutes from the 47 26 Bulma meeting and also the beer board. We got a motion. Do we have a second? We got a motion in second. Any discussion about those minutes? Hear none. Let's vote, please. Motion carries six to zero. Item seven, comments from the mayor. Of course, we'd like to welcome everybody here tonight. We have beer board to follow. Um, also for the month,

I need to let you know that we had emergency repair come up at the waste water treatment plant. Uh, we had a drive clarifier go out and that Cost of the drive and installation was $94,967. It was in the repair maintenance budget. So we signed off on that and back up. Okay. Comments from uh missions and reports safety. Oh, wait a minute. Sorry. Hold on a second. One second. I skipped Skip number six. Is there any comments from the citizens? Okay, Chief Chambers, come on up. Sorry about that. I skipped comments from the citizens. I sure did. Excited.

Good evening. During the month of April, we had a total of 109 responses. We had three structure fires. One was at uh 101 Woodland Court, one was at 200 Rose Street, and we had a brush fire at a bush fire, excuse me, at Bojangles. We had four illegal burns in the city during the month. We assisted EMS 12 times. We had six motor vehicle accidents in the city. We had five in the county and we had five extrication incidents in the county during the month of April. We installed 16 smoke alarms in in four homes and one CO alarm. We installed five car seats for uh citizens. We had 40 public service calls, 30 burn permits for total of 109 incidents during the month. Uh the structure fire at 10 101 Woodland Court was just a like a paper towel rack caught on fire about a candle and didn't do a lot of damage. The one on Rose Street was a little bigger. Uh but the guys made a good stop. They they burned up a porch and two rooms in the house and they also did have two dogs pass away during the incident. We assisted a rescue squad with the recovery of a person at Old Stone Fort. Assisted EMS with the recovery of a deceased individual at Southern End. Attended a community event at Presbyterian Church. We had a lot of folks that attended training. We had two guys, Mr. Puit, Mr. Jacobson to the aerial class. Mr. Carter, Mr. Thompson went to PDIO, Mr. Puit, and Jacobson went to the instructor one class and Mr. Bradshaw, Mr. Bombstein completed their fire officer 2 training. Firefighter Hobbs graduated on the 1 of May and that was really it for the month of May or from the month of April, excuse me.

Thanks, sir. Thank you, sir.

Good evening. MPD uh responded in April to 1,85 calls for service. That was actually down 57 calls from the same period last year. Our budget, we're currently at 90% expenditures. Some highlights. Uh we swore in new officers, Swearington and Napier. Uh we met with administrative staff to handle uh preparations for an employee who's going to be out for probably extended period of time for a surgery. We're building a succession plan to cover that position. Officer Hamby accepted the role as SRO at Westwood Elementary. We had a patrol officer who was injured uh while trying to take a subject into custody and uh the result of that injury is probably going to result in surgery. Had our current FTO officer spend half a shift at the communication center learning how their operations uh learning their operation and functions. We hired sorry AJ Kaylee Smart from the rec center. She was sworn in today. And myself and Assistant Chief Robertson attended a tabletop exercise at ADC that we're going to prepare to help them with security for their 75th anniversary in June. We had two employees with anniversaries. Captain Danny Ferrell and Officer Drew Le. Some training. Captain Vince attended Kadis training. Assistant Chief Robertson and Eldridge attended MTAS Drug Fund class. Investigator Norris attended a SWAT commander class. Court clerk Adams attended a court clerk conference. And Assistant Chief Robinson just got back from FBIT leads a leadership executive leadership school. That was uh really good. Our next safety committee meeting

scheduled for next week, May 11th. And at this time, I'll be quick. I'd like to recognize Officer Frost and SRO Fowler. If y'all would come forward, Sergeant Frost. Sorry. Both of these officers were recognized by the Manchester Times for Manchester's finest officer, which is Sergeant Frost, and Manchester's finest SRO, which is Jason Fowler. They do a great job for the Manchester Police Department and we're super super proud to have them and and I'm happy to bring them forward and recognize both of them tonight. So, thank you men both. That's all I have. Thank you.

Thank you. Congratulations, gentlemen. Uh, Director Fisk can't be here tonight, so I'll give her safety report. She had quarterly Employee safety committee meetings took place. All departments were present. Departments were requested to submit internal uh departmental safety training conduct on regular basis so I can have a better understanding of safety within the department finance. Good evening. Finance committee was held on April 21st. Um few funding requests came through. One from public works for that lighting upgrade um on hospitality drive over by the event center and a couple of items um from water sewer that the mayor already mentioned earlier this evening. They were both emergent items. One was the the bar screen and the other was for the clarifier. Um, and I believe the the bar screen is in your in your packet tonight as a resolution. You'll see that in there. Um, couple other items that were discussed in that meeting uh regarding the status of the the current preliminary budget and also the finance committee requested additional visibility and reporting on the rec center renovations um which will be given them at the next meeting. Uh in finance, we've started a marketing push. We've sent out letters to vendors across the city to convert them over to a payments. This uh saves everybody time, money, and cost. And uh just in the first 30 days, we picked up about 40 40 new accounts. So, we're going to continue that. So, if you talk to any of the people who do business

with the city, we're continuing to to move that to be um our payments more automated through electronic funds transfers. Um the 2027 budget uh is in its final phase. I believe you have a preliminary copy in front of you. Correct? Yes. The draft um that budget is in its final final um iterations that will go to the finance committee on May 19th. It will go the ordinance will go for its first reading in front of you on June 2nd and the second reading and hopefully approval on June 16th at a special call. Um and like I say that draft I know is sitting in front of you and again the next finance committee meeting is May 19th. Thank you.

Street.

Good evening. Uh I handed out a monthly report from the public works the month of April. I'm just going to highlight some of them. U we hauled 80 and a half loads of brush which that's a savings. We've saved almost $5,000 month of April of us trying to discard of it oursel like burning it. So, um the animal control is uh they've had 56 complaints, seven strays picked up, 11 adopted, which that's real good, but they're still pretty packed. and the public works had uh 337 complaints and that could be anywhere from a pothole to a trash can. Um our next street committee meeting will be May the 14th here in the boardroom at 4:30 and we have also stopped our leaf vacuum service for the for this year. Uh we're still working on the sidewalks. We still like some crosswalks being painted and uh putting up signs on Hills Chapel and Oakdale. And we still like to extend the box covert on Oakdale. So we're going to try to catch it while the school's out. So other than that's all I got.

Thank you, George. All right. Thanks. Sewer.

Good evening. For the month of April, we repaired several water sewer mans across the city. We still have our projects going on, the sewer main replacement behind the speedway, 5 hydro PM maintenance across the city. Uh we had three employees who passed their wastewater collection exam this month and we have several more that will be testing. Um, and I believe our water meter readers, they read all the meters. There about 500 or so that were inactive and replaced about 20 bad meters. One incident last month with the dump truck from streets. Uh, next our next committee meeting is Thursday, uh, May the 7th.

Recreation Good evening. For the month of April, we had 7,365 guests attend the rec center. We hosted an AU basketball tournament. Uh we had an internal safety meeting going over our emergency action plan getting ready for the summer season. For programs and our year-round swim lessons, we have 159 active enrollments. Um our home school PE program is going strong with about 60 participants each uh other Wednesday. Our summer day camp program uh has started enrollment. Uh there's only two weeks left that only have one to two spots remaining for the full capacity of the summer. Uh we've also accepted registration for our summer swim lesson program and then we held a underwater a hunk at the beginning of April with 100 participants in maintenance. Our basketball court has been repaired um for the big items that we are working on. Uh you'll see on the agenda tonight, we have some uh resolutions for replacement of pool pumps, strainers, valves, and flanges. Uh that's for in our pool pit room. And we also have repairing and painting of the exterior of the rec center. Current projects uh in process are pool lounge chairs have come in. They've all been set up. Uh we've only had two that were damaged in transit. We've contacted the company and they're going to replace those two that were damaged. Um, volunteer paint is currently repainting the outdoor pool slide structures for the stairs. Uh, we've replaced the 20 foot umbrellas. And then we have on contract for installing parking lot lighting between the rec center and the amphitheater. That should be done at sometime this month. And then we're currently accepting bids for the pool pump room HVAC and the wellness room HVAC. And then the next meeting for the recreation committee will be on May the 13th at 4:30 here in the boardroom.

Thank you. Thank you.

Tourism. Um tourism met last week. Uh we approved a budget that you'll see in your packet. Um they do or or they did pass bringing back the skating rink for this year without the the ARP funds. They wanted to budget that in. So, so that was the tourism meeting. Planning and zoning. I'll read what Britney left me here. Planning and zoning board appeals will meet Monday, May 18th at 5:30 here in the boardroom. That agenda will be posted by the end of the week. Code department has a new employee filling in position of city engineer. His name is Caleb Lane. This position will help the department with building plans reviews and once certified act as a commercial building inspector. This position will also absorb the storm water uh program coordinator duties. Also starting this month is the new property maintenance inspector uh Reagan Bates. We are excited to fill this position. Reagan brings experience to the department and she can also aid in residential building inspecting. Okay. Uh, next is historical zoning and I have that one as well. Uh, the historical zoning commission will meet this week, Thursday, May 7th, here in the boardroom at 5. There is one certification uh, to review an addition to discussion on the amendment to the verbiage regarding lighted exterior signs for better clarification in the future. Second reading uh present annex of R1. Oh, that's for later on. I'm sorry. She left me some notes for some resolutions on down there.

Hey, I think I got everybody. Um nine, resolution A. Resolution A, a resolution to approve a contract in the amount of $58,788 with Volunteer Paint LLC for the recreation center exterior repairs and repainting sponsored by Alderman Anderson. So, we have a motion and a second. Um, real quick, we approved on March the 8th, uh, resolution 17-2026 authorizing the transfer of $688,591.84 to the capital projects for the renovations and this is the first resolution of that project. Any discussion? Smoke, please. Motion carries six to zero. Resolution B, a resolution to approve a contract in the amount of $348,728.73 with Cass Tennessee, Inc. Recreation Center pool replacement of pumps, strainers, valves, and flanges. Sponsored by Alderman Anderson. motion. We have motion and a second. This is also part of the resolution to spend the money. It was bid out, I think, right? Uh we did it through the paper. Did we have any other bids or were they the only ones or

soul bidder? So, any discussion? Vote, please. Motion carries 6 to zero.

Resolution C, a resolution of the board of mayor and alderman of the city of Manchester, adopting the fee schedules for the Manchester Recreation Complex, sponsored by Alderman Anderson. Motion a second. These are in your packets tonight. Motion second. Any discussion? Hearing none. Let's vote, please. Motion carries six to zero. Resolution D. A resolution that amends resolution 122026 to make an emergency purchase of two mechanical rake bar screeners and wash presses to make the total cost not to exceed $590,571 for use by the water and sewer department sponsored by Alderman Crossland. Basically, this is the addition of the installation to that

think it was extra 54,000 to let them install it and carry entertain a motion. So, we have a motion and a second. Any discussion? None. Let's vote, please. Motion carries six to zero. Resolution E, a resolution to authorize an application for a tee grant sponsored by Mayor Hobs. So, if everybody remember, we did pass one uh for Esther Lane. This one is for Skinner Flat. Uh it's for 2 right at $8 million and the city's part would be less than 350. It is through federal government. Motion in a second. Any discussion, please.

Motion carry six to zero. Ordinances. Ordinance A. A second reading of an ordinance zoning that property owned by Carolyn Playbo located at 92 1116 and 138 Toiver Lake Road to R1 and recently annexed into the city sponsored by Vice Mayor Messi. This is a public hearing.

Got a motion and a second. Second. Anybody want to speak from the audience? Hear none. Let's vote, please. Motion carries six to zero. Ordinance B, second reading of an ordinance amending the budget ordinance for fiscal year 2526, ordinance 1743, sponsored by Alderman Crossland. This is a public hearing. Get a motion and a second, please. A motion and a second. Anybody from the public like to speak? Hear none. Let's vote, please. Motion carries six to zero.

Ordinance C. This is the second reading of an ordinance amending provisions to the Manchester Municipal Code 4-204 regarding job description approvals sponsored by Alderman Crosslin. I have a motion and a second motion and a second. Any discussion? None. Let's vote, please. Motion carry 6 to zero. Ordinance D, a second reading of an ordinance amending provisions to the Manchester Municipal Code 17-102 regarding clean premises sponsored by Alderman Crosley. This is a public hearing. A motion. Let's get a second.

Go ahead. change in this. Yes, it's in your packet under proposed says all persons within the corporate limits of city are hereby required to keep their premises in a clean and sanitary condition free fromulations of brief refuge except when stored as provided in this chapter. So there's been some I think concerns about people storing items out of the garages and in the yards. So we're asking to keep that stuff inside. Not talking little things, right? I mean, we're talking lots. So, I think it's just a clarification for us.

More comments.

I'm trying to remember all exactly what it did. Miss Fisk had put this up for review. committee and they felt because of the situation over First Baptist Church in that neighborhood other things this better clarified what would be considered debris what's not considered debris so it it does change it or clarifies what it what it does adds to the definition and if you want in the in the packet you can look up 17-102 premises to be kept clean it tells you what was current and then what was proposed Will the city sort that out? I'm sure.

More discussion. Vote, please. Motion carry six to zero. Ordinance E. Second reading of an ordinance amending provisions to the Manchester Municipal Code 4-218 regarding vacation leave sponsored by Alderman Crosley. Entertain a motion and a second, please. We have a motion and a second. Any discussion? Vote, please. Motion carries six to zero. Uh, item number 10, old business, a letter honoring Alante Taylor. That's in your packet. Thank you, Alder, for writing that for us. Uh we'd like to pass that and get everybody to sign it tonight before they leave and we'll get that mailed off. Um but we'll enter

Yeah, we've already passed to doing the letter. So everybody's good with all that. Please sign it after the beer board. Okay. Uh item 11 is new business. So tonight when you came in, we left you a uh proposed budget um as as director Burrow said um and I'm going to read you uh the message that's attached with it. So the mayor's 2027 budget message to Bulma and the citizens of Manchester, Tennessee regarding the city budget for fiscal year 2027 FY27. The FY27 budget was developed under the mayor and Bulma with consideration given to community-based priorities. These priorities are uh responsible budgeting and financial management, maintaining a high level of public safety, expanding the city's infrastructure, building a positive city identity. The 2027 budget takes into account various economic challenges and that the community growth will further demand for the city services. Rising costs due to inflation continue to put pressure on capital projects, labor and non- labor items across all city funds. The city's leadership remains dedicated to cost effective to cost effective delivering these services. The city's largest revenue source are sales and property tax. Revenues are conservatively projected over the next 12 months to increase 3 to 5%. On the expense side, the city's most significant expenditure category is employee related cost. The city's compensation plan is market-based to attract and retain knowledgeable, highly productive employees in a cost-effective way.

Due to a decrease and high employee turnover rate from around 35% to less than 10%, the city has benefited from payroll savings associated with employee retention. During FY26, the city reviewed and updated its classifications, compensations plans to strengthen employee recruitment and retention. As a result, the city achieved a turnover rate of under 10% across all departments. The focus in the FY26 general fund budget was to invest in city-owned equipment, technology, employee retention. FY26 budget included over $5.2 million in reinvesting in the city from the general fund. Examples, we spent $1.4 4 million in the Manchester Fire Department, $750,000 in the Manchester Police Department, $750,000 in public works department, $1.3 million in the Manchester parks and recck department, $500,000 in newly created city positions, $750,000 increase to the school funds that we pay every year totaling $2.6 6 million annually from the city to the schools. The focus in the 2026 water and sewer budget was to spend the money received from the American Rescue Plan Act, ARPA, on sewer infrastructure projects that have to be completed by September of 2026 and invest in the department staff and equipment. FY26 water and sewer budget. We spent $14 million in infrastructure spends. Examples: $11 million in sewer projects, ARP state funded grant funds with city

matches, $1 million on water and sewer treatment plant, $500,000 on new equipment for staff, and $2.5 million budgeted for repairs and maintenance of the water and sewer system. Over the past three years, the city has increased employee pay by 17%. With the proposed FY27 budget, total pay increases will reach 25% over the last four years from FY24 through FY27. The city implemented a longevity pay benefit of $1,040 or 50 per year for employees after five years of service. beginning in FY26 budget. This same increase will apply for every additional five years of service. Last year, employees with 20 years of service received an increase of $4,160 or $2 an hour. FY27 budget. The proposed FY27 budget that's before you tonight, the operating is balanced and no tax increase is recommended. Last year, several initiatives were funded with the expectations that those expenditures would carry over into the FY26 but 27 budget. Those are amounts are now reflected in this year's assigned fund balance. The FY27 budget incorporates pay increases to full-time employees of between six and 8%. In addition, health care expenses this year increased 11.2%. The city will increase its contribution to employee health care by $270,000 to cover the rising cost. As a result, employees will not see any increase in their healthcare premier

premiums for FY27. The FY27 budget also incorporated a 10% increase in our general liability, a 1.7% increase in workman's comp, and a 10% increase in property insurance premiums. Credited credit is owed to many for their diligent work on this budget. the city finance department, especially director Burroughs, the directors of each department who spent time with director Burroughs and as we did, we cut out quite a few things that uh we bought from the previous year so that we could take care of employees this year. Upon adoption of this budget, all staff will continue their dedication to maintaining the city's strong financial standing. That dedication ensures that Manchester remains an excellent place to live, work, and visit. Thanks, Mayor Hobbs. Okay. Item number 12, items from the board of mayor and alderman. Alderman Anderson,

Alderman Crosslin, no sir. Alderman three, no sir. Alderman French. Vice Mayor Messik, Alderman Parsley. At this time, uh, we'll take a motion to adjourn. Make a motion.

Can you Can you just help us on the thing? I'm sorry. Next one will be voice votes, right? Yeah. So, we had a motion. Alderman Anderson, can Ryan, whoever made a motion. There we go. All right. Now, let's vote. if you six to zero. Thank you. Okay, so now we will go into the beer board agenda. Here we go. So we'll call the meeting to order. Uh approval of the Hold on a second. I'll get there. My bad. Call me to order. Uh, we'll have approval of the agenda. You don't have that in there. You doing voice be

Anderson. Hi. We're approving it. Yeah,

any citizen comments? Look, if we're messing it up, I apologize, right? I think everybody's ready to go. back in here. So, okay. So, uh we're going to turn it over to this time to to Chief Lloyd. Looks like we have two on here tonight. You have two permits. The first one is a management change at Food Line. The applicant and the location meets the criteria for a favorable vote. Hi,

the second one I'm super excited about, Miss Vasquez. Raphael's Italian Restaurant reopening back in Manchester. The applicant and the location on Interstate Drive both meet the criteria for favorable vote. Make a motion.

We have a motion and a second. Roll call, please. Alderman. I I do need all of your signatures, please. Welcome. Make a motion to adjourn. No move. All in favor say I. I. Ajourned. Meeting over. Thank you guys for coming out.