Board of Mayor & Aldermen - Regular Meeting

Stand for the pledge of remain standing for a moment of silence. I pledge algiance 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. Our father, we're thankful for this day of life that you blessed us with. We thank you for this opportunity to gather here. We pray that you be with us as we conduct the business of this city. We thank you for our residents and for all that work to make Springfield a better place. Thank you for being our Lord and Savior. In your name we pray. Amen. Amen. Thank everybody for their attendance. We'll move right on to our agenda. Item 1.3, approval of minutes from the regular meeting of the board of mayor and als June 17th, 2025. We have a motion by Vice Mayor Harris and a second by Alderman Hollow. You ready to vote? [Music] All right. Everybody care to change their vote. Would you please tell your please? [Music] Motion passes seven to zero. Very good. Item 1.4 public comment period. Do we have anyone here for public comment? Thank you very much. Moving on to item 1.5 public hearing. Our first item is ordinance 25-10, an ordinance amending title of the Springfield Municipal Code entitled alcoholic beverages by amending section 8-105 relative to publication requirements. Is there anyone here that cares to speak to

that? Seeing none, we'll move on to item two. Ordinance 25-11, an ordinance amending the fiscal year of 2025 annual budget for the city of Springfield by amending certain general fund and utility fund operating budgets. Anyone here to care to speak to that item? Seeing none, moving on to item three of our public hearing. Ordinance 25-12, an ordinance amending section 8-11-808 of the Springfield zoning ordinance relative to sign height requirements. Anyone here care to speak to that item? Seeing none, we will move on to our legislative six section. Item 2.1, discuss and properly take action on ordinance 25-10. On second and final reading, an ordinance amending title 8 of the Springfield Municipal Code entitled alcoholic beverages by amending section 8-105 relative to publication requirements. We have a motion by Alderman Huard and a second by Alderman Troder. Any questions or comments? Seeing none, are we ready to vote? [Music] Let's cast our votes. [Music] Anyone care to change their vote? [Music] Would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes seven to zero. Item 2.2, Two, discuss and possibly take action on ordinance 25-11 on second and final reading an ordinance amending the fiscal year 2025 annual budget for the city of

Springfield by amending certain general fund and utility fund operating budgets. We have a motion by Alman Huard and a second by Alderman Hollowman. Anyone have any questions or comments? Seeing none, let's cast our votes. [Music] Anyone care to change their votes? Would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes 7 to Z. Item 2.3, discuss and possibly take action on ordinance 25-12 on second and final reading, an ordinance amending section 11-808 of the Springfield zoning ordinance relative to sign height requirements. We have a motion by Alman Greg, a second by Alman Hubard. Anyone have any questions or comments? Seeing none, are we prepared to vote? Let's cast our votes. [Music] Anyone care to change their votes? [Music] Would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes seven to zero. Item 2.4, Four, discuss and possibly take action on ordinance 25-13 on first reading an ordinance amending the fiscal year 2025 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 Hollowman. Any questions, comments? Seeing none, are we ready to vote? Let's cast our votes. Anyone

care to change their vote? Seeing none, this would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes seven to zero. Item 2.5, discuss and possibly take action on ordinance 25-14 on first reading. and ordinance reszoning property at 967 North Brown Street from R10 medium density residential district to MRO Multi- Residential and Office District. We have a motion by Alderman Hubard, a second by Alderman Greg. Any questions or comments? What exactly are they wanting to do here? So, this is property I believe and I can let Miss Durham speak to the specifics, but the property is currently being used as commercial and they're everything else along that line is zoned MRO and they've requested a reszone to be in alignment with everything else. [Music] Any other questions or comments? If not, let's cast our votes. Anyone care to change their vote? You can none. Would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes seven to zero. Moving into our administrative section of our agenda, item 3.1, discuss and possibly take action on the adjustment of the retail electric rates of Springfield Electric Department due to wholesale fuel cost adjustment by the Tennessee Valley Authority. We have a motion by Alderman Huard, a second by Vice Mayor Harris. We recognize Mr. Terry Reisha, sir. [Music] Very good. [Music] Any questions or comments? He's being very generous.

We ready to vote? Let's cast our votes. Anyone care to change their vote? Would you please tally the votes? Motion passes 7 to zero. Item 3.2, discuss and possibly take action on the adjustment of the monthly gas rates of the Springfield Gas Department. We have a motion. I'm waiting. We have a motion by Alderman Bradley, a second by alderman Hollowman. Mr. Vincy Davis. Uh, purchase gas adjustment saw an increase of 1.4 cents resulting in an across the board increase of 2.0%. Any questions or comments? Mr. Davis report. If not, we're ready to vote. Let's cast our vote. Anyone care to change their vote? Would you please tally the votes? Motion passes seven to zero. Item 3.3, discuss and possibly take action on an audit services contract renewal with Maldin and Jenkins LLC of Chattanooga, Tennessee. We have a motion by Alderman Hubard, second by Alderman Troder. Any questions? Any comments? Are 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 3.4, discuss and possibly take action on an amendment to the task order agreement with Gisham Smith for electric engineering services. Have a motion by Alderman Hubard, a second by Alman Bradley. Any questions or comments? Hearing none, are 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 3.5, discuss and possibly take action on the construction administration and inspection agreement with CSR Engineering Engineering Incorporated for the War Trace Creek Interceptor project. Have a motion by Vice Mayor Harris, a second by Ottoman Hubard. Any questions or comments? [Music] If not, let's cast our votes. Anyone care to change their vote? [Music] Would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes seven to zero. Item 3.6, discuss and possibly take action on a contract for mowing right of ways and litter removal with 3C's lawn care LLC of Madison, Tennessee. We have a motion by Alderman Hollowman. Have a second by Alderman Hubard. Any questions? Any comments? Do we ever have anybody locally bid on this? No sir. This was the only company that bid on it this time. Do we ever have anybody locally in the past? I think in the past we've had some local companies bid, but not in the last two years. So these are vacant lots.

There's so it's rightway vacant lots. Um so like they mow the grass on Batson Boulevard, right? So, if you look on uh the second page or actually it' be page three there of the uh of the documents, you can see the areas that were quoted which total the whole bid. So, area one is we may batson Parkway. Area two of areas on Tom Austin Highway. Then you've got the Medicare Drive. We've got some detention ponds that they have that they maintain as part of that contract and various areas like that. Can I ask what this is at Indian Hills on Honey Drive? What is that? I'm trying to think what that what y'all would be mowing them in the It's most likely a detention area, but I can I can check. Just curious. Any other questions or comments? Comment. Who's responsible for mowing the big field uh at the intersection of Gold Crest Drive and Kings Kings Drive right by my house. It's a big field. I'm not sure, Mr. Hubard. I I'll have to look and see. See, we do have the gas department has a has a pump right there. Then the sewage come down there. See those two lines come down my uh my fence. Okay. It mean it mean boy. All right, sir. I'll look at that. I appreciate it. Any other questions or comments? If not, we ready to vote? Let's vote. [Music] Anyone care to change their votes? If not, could you count tall the votes, please? Motion passes seven to zero. Item 3.6, discuss and possibly take action. That's the one we just did.

Item 3.7 discussing policy cake action on sidewalk obstruction regulations in the city of Springfield municipal code. We have a motion by Alman Hubard, a second by Alman Bradley. Any questions or comments? [Music] Yes. I was just going to let you let you explain this to me. Sure. Mayor, if you don't mind, I'll I'll go ahead and share with it. Last month, you all asked for us to do some research around the region to see what other cities do with regard to the sidewalk reservation or sidewalk regulations. And um so you can see on page two in your packet, the information was put together quite a few cities that are similarly situated. Franklin, Murreey'sboro, and Nashville are the only ones in the Middle Tennessee region that surveyed that allow for some sort of obstruction. It's limited to cafe overlay type or cafe seating. A-frame, sandwich signs, and merchandise display and different of those three cities, they take different approaches to the permit requirements and and what they um what they allow. None of the other cities that were surveyed, Clarksville, Columbia, Dixon, Gallatin, uh Lebanon, allow any type of sidewalk encroachment, and their ordinance mirrors what ours does. Does the city have a position as to any harm that would occur if we explored? Is there a reason why it would not be a good idea? Um, when I was reading through this, I mean, it seemed to me like it would be a lovely addition and encouragement for our downtown merchants to be able to display and hopefully attract people to come and shop and things like that. Um, have are there any real downsides we need to be aware of that the city's considered? From the staff conversations that we've had, the only concerns that we have would be ambiguity. So we would ask if a change that is going to be made to the ordinance that we stay away from ambiguous terms like decorative or something like that that would because different definitions of what would be

decorative and what wouldn't be decorative. Um there are the ADA concerns. So we we would also recommend that any change to the ordinance would include and make sure to specifically articulate that the ADA encroachment could not be uh or the ADA clearance could not be encroached upon. Absolutely. Aside from that, there's the typical things enforcement. Uh we would we would have to work out in the change who's going to enforce the uh whatever the new or any change would be. So we'd have to work out some of the details with that. But u on the whole, I mean, I think it's a a good idea. Um I liked the limitations that I saw in the report you all provided where it's cafe seating, sandwich signs, uh maybe limited merchandise display. Again, just things that might draw people in. I know that it's we we have a struggling downtown a vibrant but struggling constant you know difficulty with downtown merchants and just you know having small businesses it can be hard and so I like the idea of providing them that opportunity to help draw people in but obviously we I agree with what you've said so I would love to see the city come back with a proposed modification to the ordinance um with that in mind if if that's up to everyone else I'd like to also add to that list not only the um the A-frame sandwich signs, the cafe sitting, that kind of thing that we also be able if they want to do flowers and planters. I think that should be on that list of okay things and particularly if it does not interfere with the ADA. Absolutely. You you talk about doesn't the cafe right at the corner of Seventh Street in Maine, they have a little outside city area? They do. Yeah. And I think it's nice and appropriate, you know. So, what you talk would have something like that.

Yeah. That's working pretty good. But is that on their property or is that probably see the statement that you made last month? And I mean, I have no problem with making things look better. Let them do. I have a fear that we may be opening up a can of worms because you says it's not a straight line through there as to what property in front of each place what they own and what they don't own. We have to maintain what 36 36 in for 88. So what if you have not that it's going to happen but if you what if you got two or three 88 people in the same spot at one time and then you've got other things sitting out there. Wow. I mean, I guess my main concern would be who's going to enforce it. Is it going to be a codes issue? Is it going to be a police department issue? And then I think you mentioned maybe last month allowing some of the businesses to put out a table or a rack or whatever selling some of their stuff maybe that's marked down or that they want to, you know, accentuate to sell. But what do you do if people start walking by and picking up this merchandise? Then we're getting called for shoplifting. And they're already doing that now. There's already racks outside now in front of some of these stores. Although I don't know if it's on city property. Well, it's actually not because the way that one business does it be in they've got their own space before it actually hits the city sidewalk. Yeah. Would we need to put something together that would be more specific about what would be allowed and not allowed? Sure. I think that's what we'd look for is is if if there's a movement towards a proposed change, we'd want as much guidance as possible to know what you all want us to bring back. But out of all the cities you've checked into, only three allow something above what's being allowed now. Correct. In the Middle Tennessee region,

those are all the cities that were surveyed. I mean, I think this is this is very efficient sufficient right here that what what for example what Murphy'sboro does and what Franklin does there. I mean, they're the same thing. And then I think we should just add planters and flowers to to satisfy the need that that I brought it for to begin with. [Music] I think uh Metro allows the big concrete planter and all a lot for security reasons to keep people from driving into their buildings and all. I'm not sure. I think this I think that's what it is. The metal benches that are out there now, they belong to the city. They do. And then it look like maybe some of the areas of the sidewalk is not completed with concrete. They got planters or flowers planted. Does that belong to the city? That does too. Maintains those. We do. So the city waters those flowers or trees or whatever. City city maintains them, trims them and and that sort of thing. I'm pretty sure there's a couple of hotels or maybe restaurants in in in Nashville downtown that put out the big concrete planters and all just to keep people from actually driving it to their businesses and all and they, you know, they put flowers in them and stuff. Do we need to have a motion to ask the um staff to come back with the proposal? I I don't think you need a motion to do that. I think if that's the general consensus of the board then then we'll bring something back and you all can amend it is we just like so what I'm hearing just to confirm and mayor I don't know if you want to kind of sample um the board but I'm hearing that the the items specifically mentioned in the Murphreey'sboro Nashville and Franklin ordinances or municipal codes plus uh one board member mentioned adding planters and flowers so we just need to know if that's kind of a general consensus and Maybe maybe a motion would be helpful to

to know if that's what the board wants us to do um for um for next month that to bring something back. You know, I I actually walk in front of that little restaurant I was talking about. There's plenty of room for uh electric wheelchairs and stuff. There's plenty of space. So, I really feel they can kind of get it a tight fit. A tight fit, but I think it could work though. So, I'm pleased with that that example. Are all the sidewalks the same width that were? No, sir. I've seen some areas that I thought if you had a rack of clothes out there and you had people standing shopping that you wouldn't have room to get by in a wheelchair. And and that's true. So, some some businesses and it'll benefit some locations, it wouldn't benefit others. You know, you talk about an area like West Court Square, um you know, the boutique right there on West Court Square is not going to be able to put anything out because there's probably not 36 in of clearance there. So, uh, down the on South Main Street, the west side of South Main between Fifth and Seventh, that area probably isn't wide enough to put an A-frame sign or a rack of merchandise or something like that. Now, the west side, I mean, the east side certainly, uh, areas on Fifth, there are areas where that would work, but there are areas where it where it would not because of the clearance. depending on what you put out, there probably isn't clearance. So, some some businesses won't benefit as much as others, but others would be able to benefit because they would have plenty of clearance. Do we need to come back with a more specific? [Music] I don't mind making a motion if if

that's okay with the board. I would like to ask if we consider that we put a say if we approve something approve it for a year and see how it works see what it does if it you know that way we if it doesn't work after a year we can say well let's try something else so you add it to your motion I'm sorry would you add that to your motion I can. Is that something that we normally do with the city to have something that is time limited in an ordinance? Well, what if it doesn't work? Can we change the code back? We got to change the code either way. But this code's been in effect for how long? A long long time. Uh about 20 years. Yeah. Maybe as as early as the the mid 90s I think when the MTAS. So you you see a lot of the municipal codes around the cities. MTAS produces updates to those or used to produce updates to those and that's what um that's why the other city's ordinances mirror ours with we're we're all kind of the same because we all adopted the same rewrite a municipal code at the same time. Do we know if there's been any update to theirs since they last? There has not not to that particular uh provision. You want to make a motion? I mean I I would motion that we ask the staff to come back with a proposal that uh encompasses what we see in Murreey'sboro, Nashville, and Franklin with the addition of uh planters and and flowers. Obviously with the caveat that we have to be ADA compliant. Absolutely. And uh I can't remember the other item that Ryan mentioned, but just making sure that we're um protecting those that

need protecting and ensuring that we're providing uh a space that we need to provide, but allowing them to have these outdoor elements. That would be my motion. I'll second that. So, do we need to vote on that or just table it till next? Well, you you have a motion and you have a motion and you will have a second. It sounds like if if Alderman Hollowman would hit amend and allow Miss Brown to put the motion in for everybody to see and then we will then you'll have a second and then on Bradley will I think we'll second that and then you'll take call a vote on the amendment. We have motion to amend by Alderman Halman, a second by Alderman Bradley. Are we ready to vote? Let's cast our votes. Anyone care to change their vote? If not, would you tally the votes, please? Motion passes six to one. It's on an amendment. It is. There was no original uh item of business. So that'll be so that'll be the item for the that'll be mine needs to change then. It's probably too late for that. I thought there would be I mean how are we amending something that there's not that's not out there to begin with. There was a motion to Well, and I'll defer to Miss Barti. So, [Music] so there was a motion to discuss and then I I think that we said an amendment to the mo to the motion, but there really we made the motion to discuss which started the discussion,

but there wasn't anything to vote on at that time. So, there was a separate motion that was made. not necessarily an amendment to the motion, if you will, um, with Alderman Hollowman. So, I think that I think that there's nothing to go back to vote on on the original motion because that was only to discuss. [Music] Take that. Swing and a miss. I got a thumb to strike. [Music] Okay. [Music] So, as it stands right now, staff's got to come back with something. Yes. For us to vote on or not. That's that's the way I understand it. That's how I've the motion is just that we are going to have a proposal come to us. Yes. More formally. Everyone clear with that? Right. It's not going to let me. So I guess Alderman Greg, it may have been a swinging a miss, but it's only strike one. It won't let you because it's not. [Music] So you were supposed to [Music] I'll just clear it. Yeah. Here you go. [Music] [Music] Not not that it really matters either way, but I it look like to me we would have to go back and vote on the original

motion to discuss and take action on this, but I may be wrong. because you're amending a motion that you put out there to include this, which is fine, but we have an original motion out there, do we to take action or possibly discuss? It was discussed that and part of the confusion, Vice Mayor Harris, is probably the software in order for us to have another motion. And so I'll take responsibility for that because I told Miss Miss Hollowman to hit amend. It really wasn't amending. It was a way to It was a way the only mechanism on the software for her to make another motion. Okay. So, we good? Good. We're good. We'll move on. Move on. 3.8. 3.8. Discuss and possibly take action on a construction administration and inspection agreement with Griggs and Maloney Incorporated of Mersboro, Tennessee for the new wastewater treatment plant. We have a motion by Alderman Bradley, a second by Alderman Hubard. Any questions or comments? Let's get started. Are we ready to vote? Let's cast our votes. Anyone care to change their votes? [Music] Would you please tally the votes? Motion passes seven to zero. Item 3.9, discuss and prompt to take action on land for the future fire station number three. [Music] We have a motion by Alderman Bradley, a second by Alderman Troder. Any questions or comments? What exactly are we being asked? I didn't get this. I didn't see it till we came in tonight. What was on here? So, this mayor, if you don't mind, I'll I'll give a little explanation.

In June, the board terminated the agreement on the existing agreement we had on land for the fire station. And what we put before you tonight is a proposed offer on um another parcel of land that uh we've been in contact with the owners of the parcel. They have uh in those discussions they've agreed to convey the parcel to us at no cost any as long as that us building and developing a fire station on that land will satisfy the commercial requirements for their MRO zoning for the Harvest Park development. So what we have before you tonight is a a draft of an offer that has not been worked through by both sides attorneys yet. So, what we would ask you to consider tonight is that if you approve making this offer to the owners of this property that the attorneys work out, you approve it in principle and the attorneys work out the remaining terms of the agreement. Can I ask where is Harvest Park? It is right at the the corner or the the bend of South Main and RA Bent Lane. So, we're not by approving this tonight. We're not necessarily proving anything other than to look at it. What do we know what it's going to cost us to develop this piece of property or we as far as the fire station cost? We don't know yet. We don't we won't know until we design the fire station. So the IDB has engaged an engineering firm, a design firm, an architectural firm, and a construction management firm. But we won't know what the fire station will cost. So talking about the station, I'm talking about developing the piece of to bring it up to where it needs to be with that's got to you got to know what the fire station's going to be to when you say are you talking about the grading cost of the land that's going to cost us to bring this up to where we can use it. Sure. Okay. And Mr. Brewer I think has put together an estimate for that if if mayor if you wanted him to answer that. David would you please

Mr. Harris, we had gotten with uh Josh Clo with I mean Josh Lines with Clober Engineering and uh we're looking about 380,000 for just the grading cost and cutting the entrance in. So is that complete to get it up to where it needs to be? That would be just the grading cost. Yes, sir. That that doesn't include any roadway work or anything like that. What about all those low hanging electrical lines and stuff like that? Extra cost. Well, after you, you know, you're going to cut the property there. Um, and so you're going to lower it if the if the utilities have to be raised or moved. We, you know, that's just what we'll have to do. But, you know, the geotechnicals on that property come back very favorably. We We've not seen that. Correct. The geotech report on the on that piece on this piece of property. Um I think I sent that to you all last month before we terminated the agreement for the other land. We did compared to the previous property. Well, I mean the previous properties jotanicals were not favorable at all. 7 ft of mush, right? Quite a bit of squish. So you want this amended this sir. Do we have to amend this to do what you proposed here? No sir. All you saying recommend approving the offering principle and authorizing attorneys to negotiate inary terms. That's correct. So that would be that would be the vote.

If you all voted this yes, then it would be similar to what we did with with the other agreement is the principal terms of the agreement being them convey the land to us for free at no cost and us in exchange for that. It would satisfy their commercial requirement for the MRO zoning on their development when that development moved forward. As far as when you get into some of the ancillary terms about inspection periods and and you know warranties and representations, we would instead of coming back each time and approving those, we would allow the attorneys to work out any language or uh terms that they wanted to work out on those. Any other questions, comments? You ready to vote? Get the ball rolling. Let's cast our votes. Thank you, David. Yes, sir. Anyone [Music] care to change their vote? Would you please tally the votes? Motion passes 7 to zero. Item 3.10, discuss and possibly take action on a settlement offer regarding the wastewater rehabilitation project. Let's move to the end. Moving on to the consent agenda. Without objection, I move take his one. Second. We have a motion. [Music] Still fire station. Have a motion by Alman Hubard, second by Alderman Bradley. Any questions or comments? I made the motion. Yeah, Mr. Hubbert. The motion was made by Vice Mayor Harris and second by Alman Hover. Okay. So, motion by Vice Mayor Harris and second by Alman Huffman. Very good. Any

questions, comments? 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. Very good. Item 5.0, city managers report. Thank you, mayor. Just a couple quick things. Uh, Freedom Fest, thanks to everyone that participated. Thanks to all of our staff that worked that event. It was a big success. We had around 7,000 people there this year. And uh, so we're extremely pleased with the turnout. The weather was great and um, all of that uh, was was good and everyone had a good time by all accounts. First Friday is coming back on August the 1st. The band and Ty will be back playing uh on the square that night and that is again Friday, August the 1st. We're hopeful to finally get one in this season. And then a quick congratulations to our 6U baseball all-star team. They won the state championship this past weekend. That tournament was hosted in Greenbryer and that team will be headed to the World Series. And that's all I have. Very good. Go ahead, Mr. I'm 39 miles souththeast of uh Kurville, Texas, born and raised there. So, I solicit your prayers for everybody in that area and uh really not only Kurville, but starting from Johnson City all the way across to Bernie, Texas, they have been flooded again. So, pray for those families. It's real devastating. Yes, sir. So my home folk at this time we're going to have a brief recess and may be allowed to leave the boardroom.

in session and we're moving to item 3.10. We have no action to take on that. So, we will adjourn. Excellent. Time was head.