The Collinwood City Commission met in regular session on Monday, December 14th, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. in the conference/courtroom of Collinwood City Hall.
The meeting was called to order by Mayor Glenn Brown. All commissioners were in attendance, including Vice Mayor Danny Sandusky, Commissioner Jeremiah Stults, Commissioner Debie Pigg, and Commissioner Butch Kephart. City Manager Gary Victory and City Recorder Cindy Kephart were in attendance as well.
The invocation was offered by Vice Mayor Sandusky, and the Pledge of Allegiance was recited by all.
First was approval of the agenda. A motion was made by Commissioner Pigg and seconded by Commissioner Kephart to approve the agenda as presented, and the motion carried.
The next item on the agenda was the approval of the minutes from the special meeting held on November 9th, 2020. Commissioner Stults made a motion and Vice Mayor Sandusky seconded to approve the minutes, and they were unanimously approved. Commissioner Kephart then made a motion to approve the minutes from the regular meeting also held on November 9th. Commissioner Stults seconded the motion, and those minutes were approved as well.
Department reports were distributed to the commissioners for their review. Police Chief David Martin told the commission that new radios had been installed in the police vehicles on the previous Friday, and the bugs were still being worked out in them.
Next on the agenda was the approval of the 2021 commission meeting dates. Vice Mayor Sandusky made a motion to approve the dates as listed. Commissioner Pigg seconded the motion, and the meeting dates were approved.
Next was a resolution stating the city’s support for the acquisition of Martin Methodist College into the University of Tennessee system. Commissioner Kephart made a motion to approve the resolution, and Vice Mayor Sandusky seconded the motion. The resolution was unanimously approved.
The first reading of a new property ordinance was next on the agenda. The new ordinance states in part that no trash, litter, brush, etc. will be allowed on residential property in the city that could endanger the health of citizens or cause an extremely negative appearance. Violators of the ordinance may be cited by the city, and if the property is not brought into compliance, the city will have the right to place a lien on the property. Vice Mayor Sandusky made a motion to approve the first reading of the ordinance. Commissioner Pigg seconded the motion, and the first reading of the property ordinance was approved unanimously.
Next was a discussion of the city’s Industrial Development Board. City Manager Victory pointed out that some previous members of the IDB are no longer eligible to be on it, and some have chosen to no longer participate. He said that Wayne County JECDB Director Rena Purdy has advised that the city still maintain an Industrial Development Board in order to be eligible for certain grants. The commission agreed to reach out to anyone eligible who may be interested in becoming an active member of the IDB.
City Manager Victory then addressed the next item on the agenda, stating that he had received notification from the Tennessee Water and Wastewater Financing Board that the city would soon have to undergo a rate study. Victory said that the board seems to mainly be concerned with why the city does not want to take over the county water lines. The rate study must be completed by April 2021.
The Wayne County Welcome Center report for the month of November 2020 was next. Mayor Brown reported that the center saw a total of 928 visitors during the month of November from 31 U.S. states and the country of Germany. Volunteers of the Month were Steve and Sharon Wright.
Under “other” on the agenda, City Manager Victory said that there had been an increasing problem of garbage and debris, including lots of beer cans, in the parking lot of the horse ring. Police Chief Martin said that they had been and would continue to closely monitor the activity there.
Mayor Brown then commented that he and the other commissioners are well aware of the stray dog problem in the city, but he would like for citizens to be aware that there is no immediate way to take care of the problem.
The mayor then concluded the meeting by expressing his thanks to all the city employees for their hard work, and to the Beautification Board for all their efforts on the Christmas Parade and decorations. He also asked that everyone remember all those sick with COVID-19 in their prayers.
With no further business to come before the commission, Vice Mayor Sandusky made a motion to adjourn. Commissioner Pigg seconded the motion, and the meeting was adjourned.
