Soddy Daisy will be getting License Plate Reader cameras that are in addition to the cameras already in the school zones. The new LPRs will be positioned throughout the city. The existing ones have already solved some crimes, said City Manager Burt Johnson. City Attorney Sam Elliott said these cameras are not an invasion of privacy because the information on a license plate is already fully visible to the public. He said this is not like "big brother," and that these cameras just "match a license plate to the bad guys," then alert the police when the tag associated with a problem is detected. And these cameras will link to cameras in other municipalities to increase the probability of finding a car associated with a crime.
Commissioner Steve Everett told the citizens at the meeting and the other commissioners that at UTC he saw the value of cameras around the campus for solving so many crimes. "There is a cost to being safe," he said.
The first year, the $42,877 for the new cameras will be paid by the Department of Homeland Security. The commissioners approved a contract for the LPR equipment with Vigilant Solutions for years 2-5, which the city will be responsible for at $27,000 each year.
Repairs have been ongoing for lights at the South Park softball fields as they occur. The city has decided, rather than continuing to fix problems piecemeal, that all the lights will be replaced. The new bulbs that will cost $74,000 will all be energy efficient LEDs.
The rezoning of property at 9345 Dayton Pike behind Zaxby's and Taco Bell has been given final approval. It will change from C-2 to R-3, which will allow the construction of apartments there. For years, the property owner told the commissioners that he has been unable to find tenants for the location because businesses want to have road frontage. There was concern from the commissioners and the public about traffic problems that might result from additional cars. But Commissioner Everett said that under the existing C-2 Local Business District zoning that other fast-food restaurants and retail business would already be allowed, and those businesses would create a lot more traffic and activity than would apartments.
Commissioner Mark Penney reported that building permits reached $2 million in November. This shows both that people want to move to Soddy Daisy and that people are reinvesting in what they already have, said Commissioner Everett. The city is thankful for that, but it also wants to ensure that the growth will be controlled, he said.
Signs were discussed on Thursday night. Commissioner Travis Beene said that since the election is over, he wants the political signs to be removed. Steve Grant, director of the public works department, said they have been removing signs that are in the city's right-of-way but are unable to go onto private property to take them down so the city requests that property owners remove them. Commissioner Penney is also concerned with profanity on some signs that are in the city. The city attorney said he would look at the problem and see if the content can be controlled.
Soddy Daisy received a clean audit report as expected, said CPA Paul Johnson with Johnson, Wright and Murphey. The city ended the year with more net assets, and he said, $874,000 was made. Currently the city has $16 million in assets and has total liabilities of $10 million. Soddy Daisy is in really good shape, said Mr. Johnson. This year $2,168,000 was received in federal and state grants, which is a large number for a small city, and he said there were no weaknesses or deficiencies found. "You should be really proud of the report," while crediting City Manager and Financial Director Johnson and staff for staying within the budget. The accountant said that his firm does a lot of audits for towns in the Chattanooga area and congratulated Soddy Daisy for its excellent reputation.