The city of Collegedale is planning ahead for its Freedom Festival that will be held this year on Monday, July 3. At the commission meeting Monday night the city commission approved the bid for the fireworks display at the event this year and for the next two years. City Manager Wayon Hines said traditionally, the city bids out several years in advance at the same time. Last year, the display cost $33,000. This year and next, the price for the fireworks has increased to $35,000 and the third year, it will cost $37,500 for the same display.
The commissioners also approved a request from the East Tennessee Symphony Orchestra to build a storage area inside the Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation’s barn. Executive Director of Collegedale Tomorrow David Barto said that the group is comfortable enough with the foundation and the city that they are willing to build the area without a contract with Collegedale. The ETSO will pay just shy of $30,000 for the construction of about a 300-square-foot space in the back corner of the building. It will be air conditioned and will be used to store files and instruments.
Earlier this year, the commission passed a motion that will allow the city manager to spend up to $25,000 without using the bid process. This increased the purchasing limit from the previous $10,000. An amendment passed Monday night that clarifies the process, which still requires purchases between $10,000 and $25,000 to get at least three written quotes when possible.
The vote on an amendment to another recently passed ordinance regarding the municipal fire codes was postponed until the next commission meeting after Commissioner Tonya Sadler caught an error in the advertisement for the public hearing. Although the body of the advertisement in the newspaper was correct, the caption was not. City Attorney Sam Elliott suggested to have the public hearing and second vote on the revision at the next commission meeting. The amendment to the municipal fire code policies will add some wording that had inadvertently been left out of the ordinance when originally passed.
A spokesperson for pickle ball players in Collegedale came to the commission meeting to ask that some changes that have been made to the four pickleball courts be reversed. Lighting on the courts has been changed to a timer versus on-demand. And the gates are locked from 10 p.m. until 6 a.m. She said the changes have limited access to the amenity.
The change to timed lighting was in response to noise complaints from residents of the Garden Plaza, said City Manager Hines. He said that the city has saved thousands of dollars after switching to a timing system for the lights. And Mr. Hines said that all the gates will be unlocked during the operating hours.