Board of Mayor & Aldermen - Regular Meeting

Would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes seven to zero.

Item 2.2, discuss and possibly take action on ordinance 25-38 on second and final reading. an ordinance reszoning approximately 2.78 acres located on Black Patch Drive from RS20 to R10 PUD and to amend the previously approved preliminary master development plan for the Summit View Planned Unit development to incorporate said acreage and plant 13 additional residential lots. We have a motion by Alderman Hubard, a second by Alderman Hollowman. Any questions or comments? Are we ready to vote? [clears throat] Let's cast our votes. Anyone care to change their vote? Item 2.3, discuss and possibly take action on ordinance 26-01 on first reading an ordinance amending. Motion passes six

to one. Very good. No, six to zero to one. Yes. 6 to 0 to one. Sorry. Moving on to item 2.3. Discuss and properly take action on ordinance 26-01 on first reading. An ordinance amending the fiscal year 2026 annual budget for the city of Springfield by amending certain general fund and utility fund operating budgets. We have a motion by Alderman Bradley, a second by Alderman Hubard. I believe city manager Ryan Martin has something to speak to on this item.

Thank you, mayor. So, this is a first reading for a budget amendment. This is primarily uh grant and insurance grant proceeds where we amend the budget. So, for those of you that just as a refresher, we don't budget for grants or the expense. So when we receive the grant, we uh have to amend the budget to up both the expense and the revenue portions of the budget to make that balance and also some insurance recoveries that we received from damaged property. Any questions or comments? Hearing none, we ready to vote? Let's cast our votes. Anyone care to change their vote? Would you tally the votes, please?

Motion passes seven to zero. Item 2.4, discuss and possibly take action on ordinance 26-02 on first reading, an ordinance amending ordinance 24-17 relative to water service outside the urban growth boundary. We have a motion by Alderman Huard, a second by Vice Mayor Harris, city manager Ryan Martin, I believe, has something to add for this.

Thank you, Mayor. This is the follow-up from last month. Last month, you all voted to bring back some legislation this month to stay the enforcement of the deadline for providing water service, new water service outside the urban growth boundary. This ordinance does that and amends uh the ordinance that was originally passed which affected here we go which affected section 18-203 of the Springfield Municipal Code. And so what this proposal does is stays the enforcement of that for a year. It also eliminates the previous uh cap. 350,000 gallons per day was the previous cap or the deadline whichever occurred sooner. Uh the cap is not close to to being met. We're proposing to eliminate that and stay the enforcement for a year. By way of an update, had another meeting with uh our staff had another meeting with the group interested in purchasing the Coopertown territory last week. Those discussions were very fruitful. They did uh provide uh some information that that we're going to be discussing soon. I expect to see something more formal and written uh maybe in the next few weeks, but that was a very fruitful discussion. I believe we are well on our way to a resolution to that issue.

Thank you, Ryan. Any questions or comments? This extension is not a year from now, a year from May. A year from May, correct? May the original deadline was May 1st, 2026. We're just pushing that out a year since we're in the middle discussion. Any other questions or comments? We ready to vote? [clears throat] Let's cast our votes. Anyone care to change their vote? Would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes 7 to zero.

Item 2.5, discuss and possibly take action on ordinance 26-03 on first reading. an ordinance amending title 16, chapter six of the Springfield Municipal Code relative to parades and special events. We have a motion by Alman Hubard, a second by Alman Greg, city manager Ryan Martin. I believe you have something just add on that.

Yes, sir. Thank you. So, quite a few changes to our parades and special events ordinance uh in title 16 of the municipal code. Uh this is mostly an update. There's some modifications. I'll walk you through those. uh they're in your packet under exhibit A. The first thing is the notice requirement. We changed some notice requirements here from 30 days to 60 days. We also did add a caveat in there for some of those time-sensitive events that can't quite make it within 60 days um such as a local sports team or youth sports team or something if they're going to have a a parade or a sendoff or something of that nature. We uh also address safety. So, and this is one of the unfortunate things that we um we have to do, but Chief Head and I have spent a lot of time over the last few months talking about this about where we need to go with safety uh making sure that downtown events are conducted safely and securely. And unfortunately, there are bad actors uh in society that uh that wish to uh prey from a terrorist or violent crime perspective on these events. As you know, we all acquired or we acquired the uh the barricades, the barriers that have been very um effective at securing these events. We are going to require those bar barriers [clears throat] be used for downtown events. Okay. the plan to do so. And that's part of this uh in if you look in the ordinance section 16-606 subsection uh 7 says any permit involving a road closure with pedestrian activity inside the closure shall require crowd safety measures and post-certified law enforcement officers at each perimeter intersection. We've already as a matter of practice required post-certified law enforcement officers at closed intersections. Uh the crowd safety measures incorporates the barriers. We do not want to charge for the barriers. Okay. What we will have to charge for is the cost of the labor uh to put the barriers up and take them down. That is

something that we feel is not fair to the taxpayer for the taxpayers to shoulder the burden of a private event. And so for private events, we would ask the event uh host to pay for the labor involved uh which would be the because the barriers are already paid for. So the the barriers are paid for. we have those and we're using those when needed, but the labor involved in placing and and dismantling those barriers at the end of the event is something that we would ask the event host to pay for. So, those are the primary changes that we uh that we incorporated. Again, part of the notice requirement was also making sure that downtown businesses and downtown property owners had adequate notice of of an event that was going to take place. We will also be bringing to you in the next few months some changes with regard to our permitting structure because we don't have things like a filming permit or a sidewalk or parking space closure. What we're seeing is a lot of downtown renovation where someone needs to close a parking space and this is the only ordinance we have that governs that that that allows us to to do that. And this doesn't really apply. So, we need to bring you all something for you all to authorize us to authorize someone to block off a parking space for longer than 2 hours because right now the ordinance that's in effect, the law of the land downtown is 2-hour parking. So, we need to come to you all and see what you're willing to do, but that'll be months down the road. This is the one we need to deal with first. So, I'll be glad to answer any questions if you have. I'm glad you said something because if you keep up with what's happening statewide, a lot of unsaavory people are trying to create situations and it hadn't made it here yet, but it could come this way. And I've always been one to kind of keep up with the Southern Poverty Law Center. And Tennessee has has a tremendous amount of hate groups

and other uh what I what I want to say is other unsavory I guess is the best word to use. Understand me? And so I I go along with this. I commend you on this because that will definitely you know give us some form of protections in [snorts] case they decide to invade Springfield. Any other question? Are you all following me in what I'm saying? Mhm. Sure. A barrier is basically just be used for downtown area. Is that correct? No sir. We've used them at Freedom Fest and we've used them we've deployed them in other circumstances and situations. Okay. Do we have enough of them?

I have a question. No sir, we we do not. Um but thanks to the VCIF grant that the uh that the police department did receive from the state of Tennessee, we will be purchasing more with grant funding. Okay.

You made the comment that um the barriers were going to be required at private events and they'll have to pay the expense of having those set up and removed when there is a private event such as that. Do we have staff there or security or police there or what about the cleanup afterwards or anything? Do they have to the cleanup afterwards is part of that? So they we coordinate between the public works department, the police department. they coordinate what part of that permitting process. So if you go to um the early part of that which is the application for the permit, it talks about the public works director and the police chief being involved in the review of that and they coordinate with the event organizers to determine what sanitation needs are present, whether they use our decorative trash cans that we bring and then we do collect those. That's part of that cost that needs to be passed along to the event host that's in here. They also coordinate with the police chief. They do not have to hire our officers, but they need to hire post-certified law enforcement officers at the intersections.

But as far as when it's a private event, the cleanup of trash and all that, they're having to pay for that. That's correct. Well, they will after after the event. We have no staff present at the event unless it's our event like a first Friday, but the cost of cleanup is not at the city's expense. That's correct. It's at the event holders expense. Charlie, another question. Uh, will the barriers on be used if requested at a private event?

No, sir. They'll be required for that. That's that's part of this ordinance is we would like for you all. We don't feel Mr. Trotder that it is and but things I was talking about as far as the the bad actors the New Orleans where someone drove through a crowd and and that sort of thing is what we've got to prevent here and so we're not comfortable having those barriers approving a permit for a downtown event and taking a chance on something like that happening. Okay. That's why we don't want to charge for the barriers. I mean I was asking you know on war or two have have it come together date. Mhm. Will they be required to have the barriers in?

I think for on Bransford field I don't on private property. I think this is primarily for intersections. So if they're having come together day which they usually have at the Bransford grounds I don't see I don't think that that would be something that would be required because that's not a permitted event because that's on private property. We're talking about street closures. I just trying to get some clarification on. Sure. Do you have a schedule of fees yet? What that will look like? Uh, it will be hourly. So, the the law enforcement officers are hourly. Um, we don't have I don't have a schedule of fees right now. We haven't implemented it yet. It'll be we'll we can have one next. If you all approve this on first reading, we'll have a schedule of fees ready because we'll need to be ready the day after second reading.

Okay.

One other thing to to kind of clarify where I was going on the in 603. The first thing said the city of Springfield recognized the constitutional rights of every citizen to harbor and express beliefs on any subject matter whatsoever to associate with others who share the same similar beliefs. And that is beginning, you know, to really get kind of heated up, okay? because we got all these different beliefs that that's floating around, you know, and I just that's why I said what I said. Chief, I know you got an eye on what's what's really going on, but uh I'm hoping something like that never come here, but uh we can't say it won't see. Now, I know we're talking about good, disciplined people having marches and parades and stuff like that, but we have those crazy folk, understand me, who really want to disturb the peace and claim it that I can do it because it's my constitutional right. That's what I'm very concerned about and I don't want that to hit us.

Any other questions or comments? We ready to vote? Let's cast our votes. Anyone care to change their vote? Would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes 7 to zero. Item 2.6, discuss and possibly take action on resolution 26-01, resolution accepting a performance bond from GS Mo and Sun to guarantee the completion of the infrastructure improvement of Highland Reserve phase one. We have a motion by Vice Mayor Harris, a second by Alman Hubard. Any questions or comments?

C May, how is that going as this particular project? U this is a uh performance bond for the infrastructure improvements. Behind the college. Yes, sir. Yes. So, I think the development's moving forward. Okay. Any other questions or comments? You ready to vote? Let's cast our votes. Anyone care to change their vote? Would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes seven to zero.

Now we enter administrative portion of our agenda. Item 3.1, discuss and possibly take action on the adjustment of retail electric rates of the city electric department due to wholesale fuel cost. Adjustment by the Tennessee Valley Authority. We have a motion by Alderman Bradley, a second by Alman Hubard. Electrical department director, Mr. Terry Reisha, what can you share with us? 2.04 higher. 2.0. All

righty. Any questions or comments? We ready to vote? Let's vote. Anyone care to change their votes? Would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes seven to zero. Item 3.2, Two, discuss and possibly take action on the adjustment of monthly gas rates of the city Springfield City Gas Department. We have a motion by Alman Hubbert, a second by Alman Bradley, gas department director, Mr. Benji Davis. What do you have to share with us? Purchase gas [clears throat] adjustment increase 8.9 which resulted in across the board increase of 12.14%.

Any questions or comments? Mayor, I'd like to, if you don't mind, I'd like to point out that that sounds like a large number that [laughter] uh the actual effect to the to the bills for the purchase gas adjustments between 60 cents to $1.7 depending on usage. I feel better. Any other questions or comments? [clears throat] We ready to vote? Let's cast our votes. Anyone care to change their votes? Would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes seven to zero.

Item 3.3, discuss and possibly take action on a recommendation from the traffic committee regarding the intersection of 8th Avenue and Willow Street. We have a motion by Alman Huard, a second by Alman Greg. I think city manager Ryan Martin has something to add to this.

Thank you, mayor. This is a u this is something we want to bring to you. Normally, it's like the mayor and I were talking earlier uh before we do something as a staff that's really going to change something that's been there for a while, like when we change the uh speed limit on South Main based on the data that was uh that was, you know, shown at the time. We want to come to you all and get your input on this and make sure that that this is discussed at a public meeting before folks just show up and the traffic signal is removed at 8 and Willow. This is something that Mr. Moore uh in the public works department has been looking at for quite some time. We have, as you know, we've discussed before when we re-engineered the intersection at Bats and South Maine that traffic patterns over time change and some some areas that are highly trafficked today in 20 or 40 years may not be highly trafficked. And that's kind of where we are with Eth and Willow. That light has been there my entire life and before me. Um, and it was needed when I was a kid. I was uh I was there at that um at that intersection a lot growing up. My mother had a store there on the corner and and that was a heavily trafficked intersection. The reality is it's just not anymore. And uh Mr. Moore has been looking at the traffic counts and that's in your packet. Uh traffic would need to increase if we were thinking about putting a light there today. Traffic would need to increase by a lot uh to warrant a lot there and it warrant [clears throat] a light there and it does not. So um Mayor, we kind of wanted to bring this to you. Mr. Moore can also speak to the technical data if that's what really you're into. I don't even know what half of this stuff on this page means. Uh I just know that he said that it would have to increase by a lot uh to to need a light. So, but Mr. Moore can answer any questions. The traffic committee did investigate this as well and they've made a recommendation along with Mr. Moore and I concur with that recommendation that that traffic signal at 8 and Willow needs to be removed. And I believe the resulting um the the resulting would be a four-way stop there. Is that right?

Yes, sir. Yeah. So, that's what that would result. Mayor, we we'd love the input of the board as well. Any questions, comments? Piggy back on what you were saying. Put remember the jail was right the activity at the jail right down the street on Willow and several other businesses are there. So, but it's not there anymore. So, I concur with taking it down. Yeah. Any else? Anyone else? Vice Mayor Harris, you're something you want to say. He's got that. I'm neutral on it. Okay. Very good. Are we ready to vote? There's no vote.

We're not going to vote. Okay. Item 3.4. Pursuant to TCA-9-21-134, a memorandum relative to the report on debt obligation for the $6,190,000 of general obligation public improvement bonds series 20,225 issued on December 30th, 2025 for fire station number three. [clears throat] No action is required. Okay. So, we just move on. Correct. Yes, sir.

Item 3.5, discuss and possibly take action on appointments to various boards and commissions. We have a sorry, need a motion. Have a motion by Vice Mayor Harris, a second by Alderman Bradley. Any questions, comments, discussion on on the feeling of that? Would it not be wise for people who are not in an election year to maybe be appointed because it's four of us? This is our election year. Am I correct? Yeah.

To fill out the term. The term when you was on the vice mayor was still next year. Correct. I'm not again till 28th. It was 28th. Yeah, I think it's just you and J, Mr. Troder this time. Just three of you. I believe three of us. There's three of them. Okay, that's pretty. We have an appointment of Gina Hull to the planning commission. Correct. Yeah, she for my ward she's taking Mike Bagot's place. Okay. Is Is there anyone on the board that wants to serve on the library board? T typically the board has there is a county appointee and a city appointee

and uh Lisa at the time she was appointed was the city appointee and um and I think we had decided at that time even knowing that she wasn't going to run again that if she wished to fill out the seat she could they meet the second Tuesday second Friday of every other month 8:30 in the morning so starting Jan January, March, um May, July, September, November. Any any volunteers or anyone want to nominate anyone? I mean, if there is no Do you I'm there twice a week. So, with the kids, I knew y'all were going to say that I'm nominated.

We have to do an 8:30 meeting. Can we discuss that? [laughter] I'm I'm the reason that it changed 8:30. [laughter] The six years that I was on there. Yeah. The 6 years I served was why it changed 8:30 cuz it was it was at 11:30 then and it was just not a convenient. I'd be honored. Can we do one? Okay. Do we need to vote on this to solidify this? If Mayor if if Alderman Bradley has been nominated and she accepts that nomination, it will become part of the uh of the packet with the other nominee that you're voting on. So, we're good to vote.

Just cast our votes. Anyone care to change their vote? I have a big support. If not, would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes seven to zero. and and thank you Alman Bradley for your willingness to to fill that spot. Our library is very important to this community. I think it's important that we have absolutely item 3.6 disc to sus and possibly take action on a memorandum of understanding with the Charlotte Reeves chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution regarding the hometown heroes program. We have a motion by Alman Hubard, a second by Alman Hollowman. Any questions?

Yes, sir. comments. As I like to comment as a combat veteran who still honors that oath that I took, I feel this this is fair to to honor those who have served. As I go through other towns, even Goodville, Gunth, Kentucky, they they have pictures of of people who have served. So, uh,

and I'm not trying to conjure up any pat on the back situation, but people who served, understand me, went through a lot and uh, they deserve some kind of recognition because freedom ain't free. And we laid it down. Am I right, Chief? We laid it down for them. So therefore they need to be recognized and I'm suffering from land. Any other questions or comments? Maybe we have to honor Terry. No no hometown you [laughter]

both police chief honor. Anybody else? Any other questions comments? We ready to vote? Let's vote. Anyone care to change their votes? Could you tally the votes, please? Motion passes seven to zero. We have no consent agenda tonight. We move on to city manager Ryan Martin's report.

Thank you, Mayor. Very briefly, I want to start out with the most important thing that that everyone's going to hear about this week, and that's the weather, the impending storm coming this weekend. We began our initial preparations this afternoon uh with our initial prep call. As we get all of our departments in order uh and ready to uh respond to the event, we're waiting as we get closer to time, we'll know more about what the it looks like. We've heard, you know, you hear amounts from uh from 3 in to 19 in of of snow. And uh we don't know whether there's rain on the leading edge or or ice or snow. Uh what we know today is we're expecting snow uh primarily and quite a bit of it. And so we if that's the case then then we feel of course a lot better about that than we do any ice. But we do know is whatever we do receive will be hanging around for quite some time because the temperatures are not going to raise. So what we're going to be asking the public to do when when if if this actually comes to comes to pass as we expect that it will is to stay off the roads. um the police department and the fire department and and those responding do not have any magic powers. They're great and they're they're heroic, but they don't have any magic powers. If you can't drive on it, they can't either, right? So, uh so we ask people to stay off the road and u and when it's unnecessary, we'll get we'll mobilize uh we talked about today we'll be mobilizing as many resources and assets as we have to get roads safe to drive on as quickly as possible. But it does look like this is going to be a significant impact to travel. It'll be a significant impact to services uh next week. We're we were talking about uh our ability to uh to respond and react, but we're going to do the best we can under the circumstances, but we are preparing. We began uh today doing so. So, we'll work on that and hopefully it's uh hopefully it's just a a small pretty amount of snow and uh and and not much impact. Don't forget about strategic planning on February the 3rd. that's

coming up. That's going to get here before we know it. And fire station 3, update you on that. The design is moving along. We've had three design meetings. The schematic design is almost finished. We've made a lot of progress over the last couple of meetings uh from a schematic design perspective. And so we're hopeful that that can maybe begin turning ground in Julyish, June, July, something like that is is where we hope to uh to be landing and then finish construction of that in in mid to late 2027. So maybe that's all I have. City manager. What about heating for the homeless? Have Have anyone contact you? Do we have adequate heating places? Well, we do know we do know that my father's house is open and operating.

Okay. Because it seemed to be increasing, you know, it just it's one little fella, and I'm going have to say this, that just steady walks around like a zombie with no coat on, you know. So, we have to take care of him. Any other questions, comments, anything? Motion to adjurnn. So move