City Council

MINUTES OF THE CITY OF BRISTOL, TENNESSEE CITY COUNCIL MEETING May 4, 2021 CALL TO ORDER: The City of Bristol, Tennessee City Council meeting was called to order by Mayor Mahlon Luttrell on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 7:00 P.M. ROLL CALL: Present: Mayor Mahlon Luttrell, Vice Mayor Vince Turner, Counci lwoman Margaret Feierabend, Counci lman Chad Keen, and Counci lwoman Lea Powers. Others Present: City Manager William Sorah, City Attorney Danielle Smith, City Recorder Tara Musick, Director of Development Services Tim Beavers, Director of Parks and Recreation Terry Napier, Fire Chief Mike Carrier, Police Chief Blaine Wade, Director of Community Relations Jon Luttrell, and other members of City staff. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mike Carrier, Fire Chief, gave the invocation. Mayor Luttrell led the pledge of allegiance. AGENDA ADDITIONS AND/ OR CHANGES: None. PROCLAMATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS: Emergency Medical Services Week - Mayor Luttrell read a proclamation designating May 16-22, 2021 as Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Week. Lieutenant Jason Johnson of the Bristol Tennessee Fire Department was in attendance to accept the proclamation. He thanked Council and the City for recognizing their efforts to help keep the community safe. National Public Works Week- Vice Mayor Vince Turner read a proclamation designating May 16- 22, 202 1 as National Public Works Week. Mr. Wes Ritchie, Public Services Manager, and Mr. Will Witcher, Utility Services Manager, were in attendance to accept the proclamation. Mr. Ritchie said he and Mr. Witcher were honored to be able to accept the proclamation on behalf of the 95 employees in the Public Works division and thanked Council and the C ity Manager for recognition of their efforts. Economic Development Week - Councilman Chad Keen read a proclamation designating May 9- 15, 2021 as Economic Development Week. Mr. Matt Garland, Economic Development Specialist, was present to receive the proclamation. He thanked Council for their support and encouragement through the difficulties presented by the pandemic. National Travel and Tourism Week - Counci lwoman Lea Powers read a proclamation designating May 2-8, 202 1 as National Travel and Tourism Week . Ms. Alicia Phelps, Executive Director of the Northeast Tennessee Tourism Association, was in attendance to accept the proclamation. She thanked Council and the City for the recognition . National Police Week - Counci lwoman Margaret Feierabend read a proclamation designating May 9- 15, 202 1 as National Police Week. Lieutenant Jimmy Dillard of the Community Policing Division was  City Counci l Meeting May 4, 2021 Page 2 of 10 in attendance to accept the proclamation. He than ked Counc il for their encouragement and support. They are blessed to serve this community and appreciate the positive comments they receive from the citizens. He spoke briefly about the National Peace Officer Memorial Day givi ng some history and listed local o ffi cers who died in the line of duty. Bristol First Award - Jon Luttrell, Director of Community Relations, gave a brief overview of the Bristol First Award program . The recipients this evenin g are utility services employees and were nominated by Mr. Will Witcher, Util ity Services Manager. These employees were readi ng meters when they noticed a member of the community appeared to be in distress . They approached the gentleman who indicated he might be having a heart attack. T he employees called 911 and then waited with the gentleman until paramedics arrived and took him to the hospital. The man lived alone so the employees put his two small dogs in the house and locked the door then informed a neighbor of the situation. T he gentleman had no fam il y, but the neighbor informed a close friend of the situation. Unfortunately, the gentleman did not survive, but these employees cared enough to assist him during thi s time of great distress and urgent need. Mr. Jeff Mi ller and Mr. Brandon Rutherford were in attendance to accept their awards. Mr. Rutherford expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to help someone in need . PRESENTATIONS: Believe In Bristol - Ms. Maggie Bishop, Executive Director of Believe in Bristol, gave an overview of the grant program that the City of Bristol helped fund to provide assistance to Bristol restaurants that were negatively affected by the CO V 10-1 9 pandemic. The results of the first phase of the program were presented at a previous Council meeting. Ms. Bishop gave an update on the second phase of the grant program and awards. A total of ten businesses were assisted through $3 0,000 grant funding from the City with grants ranging from $1 ,000 to $5,000. Specific criteria had to be met to receive an award and only two applicants were rejected for non-compliance. A copy of invoices and expenses are due by June 1, 202 1 and business owners must provide a summary of the results of the grant six months after receiving the award. Vice Mayor Turner asked if there were monies remaining after all the receipts are turned in June I5\ wi ll additional awards be made. Ms. Bishop replied that may occur depending on if there are any funds available once there is a fin al accounting. Bristol Public Library - Ms. Tonia Kestner, Executive Director of the Bristol Public Library, presented a library update. She became the director January 6, 2020 and the building was closed March 18, 2020. Her desire has been to provide a regular update to Counci l and now that things are beginning to open up, she wants to begin that process. Once everything sh ut down, they wanted to find a way to continue to provide services to the community safely. In May 2020, they were the first library in the region to offer curbside service. They were able to open for five months of 2020 while utilizing PPE and social distancing. They closed again in December of 2020 due to the increasing case numbers and were able to reopen in March 202 1. T hey plan to return to pre-pandemic hours June 151 when they commence the summer reading program while still fo llowing all the recommended safety guidelines. The curbside service was so popular it has become a permanent service. They were fine-free from open ing in March this year through Library Week which allowed patrons to return overdue items without penalty. This resulted in $2,500 of resources being returned to the library. Through this process, looking at the pandemic, and realizing fines may present a barrier for low income families, they are goi ng fine-free beginning July JS1• It is a way of being better stewards of library funds and more welcoming to the community. Fine-free does not equate to responsibility-free as patrons will have to pay for any materials not returned in good condition. Other  City Council Meeting May 4, 2021 Page 3 of 10 libraries in the region either are or will be going fine-free in the near future. She thanked Director of Parks and Recreation Terry Napier for attending their facility meetings and offering assistance . Circulation dropped by only 17% whil e being closed for COV ID-19. Library staff cares about the community and wants to serve the public. They continued to provide virtual services and job search opportunities and received feedback from 53 participants who found jobs through those opportunities. There will be a vaccination pool in May and June on Thursdays. She thanked the City for always supporting the library which also shows support for literacy, education, digital access, expanding minds, and the community. Councilwoman Powers asked Ms. Kestner to explain how the curbsi.de service works. She also thanked the library for being well stocked and serving the community. Councilwoman Feierabend acknowledge Jonathan Hardin, Library Board Vice President, who was in attendance. She discussed different library services and the Bristol Public Library Foundation. She congratulated Ms. Kestner for the success during COVID and thanked her for updating Counci l and the community through this presentation. PUBLIC HEARINGS: Ordinance 21-6 - An Ordinance to Amend the Bristol Tennessee Zoning Map by Designating Certain Property as R-tA (Low Density Single Family)- 2467 Weaver Pike City Manager Bill Sorah stated the annexation request received from Mr. and Ms. Joshua Roberts, owners of residential property located at 2467 Weaver Pike, was approved by Council last month. The Council also approved the zoning designation for this property on first reading last month. The property has a current Sullivan County zoning of R-1 (Low Density Single-Family Residential) District. The proposed zoning is R-1 A (Low Density Single-Family) District which is similar. The properties adjacent to the subject property also have a Sul livan County zoning classification of R-1. For these reasons, staff recommends an R-1 A (Low Density Single Family) zoning for the property. The Plan of Services for this annexation, which included the recommendation for designating the property as R-1 A, was reviewed by the Bristol Regional Planning Commission during their February 15th meeting. Mr. T im Beavers, Director of Development Services, presented a map showing the subject parcel and the surrounding properties and detailed the current city limits and zoning. During their February 15th meeting, the Bristol Regional Planning Commission voted unanimously to forward a favorab le recommendation to Council. Mr. James Graham, President and Head Commissioner of the South fork Utility District which serves all of that area, wanted to know what it is going to be used for. He wanted to know if the City was trying to take over the water service in that area. C ity Manager Sorah responded this ordinance addresses the zoning designation of the property which is low density residential. It is served by the rural utility district and there is no plan to try to move forward with anything e lse for that residential zoned district. There was no additional public comment and the public hearing was closed.  C ity Council Meeting May 4, 202 1 Page 4 of 10 Resolution 21-43 - A Resolution Adopting a Community Development Block Grant Action Plan and Approving the Submission of the Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to Request CDBG Grant Funding and HOME Funding in 2021-2022 Ms. Christina Blevins, Community Development Specialist, gave a brief overview of the Community Development Bl ock Grant Program (COBO). The 202 1-2022 Action Plan identifies the use of $2 11 ,301 .00 in C OBO and $ 1,107,741 .00 in HOME funds during the coming fiscal year. T he funds will be utilized to address the goal s establ ished in the Five-Year Plan in conform ity with federal program obj ectives in the areas of housing rehabilitation, neighborhood redeve lopment, acquisition, relocation, public facilities, and public serv ice in low to moderate income areas of the community. She presented specific activities and the proposed budget fo r those activities, in addition to general administration. Ms. Blevins gave a bri ef overv iew of the Northeast Tennessee / Vi rginia HOME Consortium and the program intent. The City of Bristol, Tennessee is the lead entity for the HOME Consortium and the First Tennessee Development Distri ct assists w ith the administration of the grant funding. She explained the breakdown and the basic requirements of the program . The City has successfully benefi ted from acti vities undertaken with COBO and HOME funding in the past and continuation of this program will positively address community development needs in the future. Submission of thi s plan is required to maintain eligibility for Community Development Block Grant funding this year. Ms. Blevins provided information as to how the public can obtain a copy of the draft plan and submit any comments they may have. There was no public comment and the public hearing was closed. APPEARANCE OF CITIZENS: Lindsey Holman, is campaign manager for Vote Yes for Bristo l. While she was coming to the podium, Councilman Keen introduced Ms. Hol man and explained he had requested her to come and speak to Council. Ms. Holman said she is now working for Hard Rock as the Community Development Liaison. She is trying to find creative ways to be involved in the community and thanked Council for the opportunity to speak. APPOINTMENTS: Community Development Advisory Committee- City Council addressed the vacancy of two seats on the Community Deve lopment Advisory Committee for a term of o ffice ending April 30, 2024. Councilwoman Feierabend spoke on behalf of Mr. Vernon Perry. Mr. Vernon Perry and Mr. Matthew Slagle were unanimously appointed by roll call vote to the Commun ity Development Advisory Committee to serve a term of offi ce ending April 30, 2024. ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS: A. First Reading of New Ordinances: Ordinance 21-8 - An Ordinance to Adopt a Budget, and Appropriate Funds for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2022 Bill Sorah, City Manager, summari zed Ordinance 2 1-8 addresses fo rma l adoption of the Fiscal 2022 Budget and Appropriations for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 202 1. The Fiscal 2022 Budget totals  City Counci l Meeting May 4, 202 1 Page 5 of JO $ 133,336,586. The municipal portion of the budget remains unchanged from the discussion with Council last week, however it does include the school system ' s budget as the final figures for their budget were not available at that time. The municipal government portion of the budget stands at $70,315,487, a decrease of $3,324,880 or 4.5% from the Fiscal 202 1 Budget. This reflects a decrease of $2, 175,245 or 1.6% from the Fiscal 202 1 Budget. The proposed budget maintains the current solid waste fees, stormwater fees, and water and sanitary sewer rates. As Council is aware, 2021 is a reappraisal year for all real property in Sullivan County. Once the Certified Tax Rate is known, Counci l will consider formal adoption of a tax rate for Fiscal 2022. The proposed budget focuses on the key themes of economic development, education, infrastructure, and public safety. The budget continues all City programs and services as in the past while making strategic capital investments to meet the future needs of the community. Major projects include the reconstruction of East Cedar Street, new construction of a fire station serving east Bristol, construction of sidewalks along Bluff C ity Hi ghway from Edgemont Avenue to Lavinder Lane, improvements to the bio-sol ids handling process at the wastewater treatment plant, and the resurfacing of approximately fourteen lane miles of roadway. Lastly, the initial phase of the replacement of the City' s automated meter reading system will commence in Fiscal 2022. Key partnerships include the continued development of Tri-Cities Airport's Aerospace Park, site development at Bristol Business Park, and improvements at Partnership Park II. In FY 2022, in addition to a 2.4 percent market adjustment, the pay scale will be increased by 1.7 percent and for employees who are not at their market wage within their respective ranges, 1/2 of the amount needed to place them at the appropriate wage is budgeted. The schoo l system portion of the budget totals $63,021 ,099, an increase of$ 1, 149,635 or 1.9%. This increase is primarily attributable to the $11 ,525,473 increase of funds in the School Federal Projects Fund. This fund accounts for programs and expenditures of the Bristol, Tennessee Board of Education which are funded by grants from various federal agencies. The largest source of this increase is fund ing from the Elementary & Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER). If Ordinance 21-8 is approved on first reading, a public hearing and second reading will be schedu led for the June l51 meeting of C ity Council. Councilman Keen requested c larification of the market rate adj ustment and the City Manager provided additional in formation . Counc ilwoman Powers requested the Ci ty Manager explain the pedestrian trai ls that are in the budget and the associated public meeting. He gave information on that project and noted the public meeting is scheduled for the evening of May 25 1h. She then asked what is in the budget for a community center / aquatic facility . He replied there is a $35,000 allocation for a facility study including community needs and potential locations among other issues. Vice Mayor Turner asked if voting for the budget was a vote for to move forward on the pedestrian trails since there is money allocated. City Manager Sorah responded the money is a llocated in the budget for that purpose, however, this ordinance is simply to approve the budget appropriations for Fiscal Year 2022. It is only the first step and does not approve a project to move forward. Vice Mayor Turner motioned to approve and Council woman Powers seconded. She said it is great the City is in such a good financ ial position and balanced. Councilwoman Feierabend was glad the pay plan is included which shows appreciation to the employees beyond saying the words ' thank you ' . She thanked the school for the tour of the new midd le school today. They all value education and are looking forward to the next step for new schools. We are in a position of strength with a lot of opportunity and she is proud we can move things forward. She thanked Tara Musick, Finance Director, and the finance staff fo r all the hard work on the budget as well as that of the department heads. Councilwoman Powers  C ity Counci l Meeting May 4, 202 1 Page 6 of I 0 followed up by saying the budget process takes several months and they do not recognize staff eno ugh and expressed her appreciation for all of their efforts. There was no further di scussion and the ordinance passed unan imously on first reading by roll call vote . Ordinance 21-9 - An Ordinance to Amend the Appropriation of Funds and Budget for the Fiscal Year July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021 City Manager Sorah explained this is a housekeeping measure to ensure compliance with legal requirements established for the adopti on o f muni cipal budgets. The budget is reviewed for revenues and expenditures and adjustments are made to particular funds fo r activity that was not anticipated during the budget development phase. The City and the school system have received substantial grants beyond what was anticipated, most of which addressed COV ID-1 9 during the past twelve months. The majority of the adjustments were to revenues exceeding anticipated amounts last year. There are a couple of funds where expenditures exceeded the anticipated amount. Ordinance 21-9 amends the Fiscal 202 1 Budget and Appropriation Ordinance for the General Purpose School Fund, School Federal Projects Fund, Chapter 420 Fund, Grant Fund, Solid Waste Fund, State Street Aid Fund, Debt Service Fund, Capi tal Equipment Fund, School Capital Facilities Fund, Waterworks Fund, and Storm water Fund. He read the list of all the revisions which were as follows: Fund Revised Appropriation General Purpose School Fund $ 42,400,5 79 School Federal Projects Fund $ 7,445,49 1 Chapter 420 Fund $ 7,900,000 Grant Fund $ 853,544 Solid Waste Fund $ 2,025,000 State Street Aid Fund $ 975,000 Debt Service Fund $ 33, 165,924 Capital Equipment Fund $ 900,000 School Capital Equipment Fund $ 19,150,000 Waterworks Fund $ 8,950,000 Storrnwater Fund $ 673 ,833 In addition to the revised appropriation amendments, several transfers are proj ected to exceed the original appropriations. These include the fo llowing: To Drug Fund from General Fund $ 22,000 To Grant Fund from General Fund $ 299,752 To Capital Equipment Fund from General Fund $ 69,733 To Capital Facilities Fund from General Fund $ 750,000 To Capital Faciliti es Fund from Storrnwater Fund $ 167,000 To Storrnwater Fund from General Fund $ 50.000 Counci lwoman Feierabend motioned to approve and Councilman Keen seconded . There was some discussion about the amendments and the process of accounting for the bond refundings as wel l. There was no additional discussion and Ordi nance 2 1-9 passed unanimously on first reading by roll call vote.  Ci ty Council Meeting May 4, 202 1 Page 7 of 10 B. Adoption of New Ordinances (Second Reading): Ordinance 21-6 - An Ordinance to Amend the Bristol Tennessee Zoning Map by Designating Certain Property as R-lA (Low Density Single Family)-2467 Weaver Pike This item was summarized during the Public Hearing portion earlier on this Agenda. Vice Mayor Turner motioned to approve the ordinance and Councilman Keen seconded. There was no discussion and the ordinance passed unanimously by roll call vote. Ordinance 21-7 - An Ordinance to Amend Chapter 50 (Offenses and Miscellaneous Provisions) of the Code of Ordinances to Prohibit Smoking in Municipal Playgrounds The City Manager stated the Tennessee General Assembly adopted Public Chapter 529 in 2020 which provided local governments with the statutory authority to prohibit smoking in publi c playgrounds provided the prohibition is approved by a two-thirds majority of the governing body. Legislation defines " playground'" as an indoor or outdoor facili ty that is intended for recreational use by children and owned by the local government. The Act further defines "smoking" as the burning of a tobacco product, hemp product, or any other drug or substance. The de finition of "smoking" does not include vapor products. As drafted, the City ordinance prohibiting smoking wou ld apply to facilities such as playgrounds, basketball co urts, tennis courts, splash pad, swimming pool , youth league facilit ies, etc. In addition, the prohibition would extend to similar facilit ies located within our school system. This ordinance was approved by Council on first reading at the April 6th meeting. If approved on second reading, the ordinance takes place seventeen days from tonight or May 2 151• Councilwoman Powers asked why vaping was excluded. The City Manager said that question was best sent to the Tennessee General Assembly as it is their legislation. Counci lwoman Feierabend motioned to approve and Vice Mayor Turner seconded. Councilwoman Feierabend expressed her appreciation for the presentation to Council on this matter at the work session. It is important to realize the effects of smoke and secondhand smoke especially for children. There were no additional comments and the ord inance passed unanimously by roll call vote. C. Resolutions: Resolution 21-43 - A Resolution Adopting a Community Development Block Grant Action Plan and Approving the Submission of the Action Plan to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to Request CDBG Grant Funding and HOM E Funding in 2021 -2022 This item was summarized during the Public Heari ng portion earlier on this Agenda. Councilman Keen motioned to approve the reso lution and Councilwoman Powers seconded. Councilwoman Powers thanked all invol ved in putting it together. There was no additional discussion and Resolution 21-43 passed unanimously by roll call vote. Resolution 21-44 - An Initial Resolution Authorizing The Issuance Of Not to Exceed N ine Million Eight Hundred Thousand Dollars ($9,800,000) General Obligation Bonds Of The City Of Bristol, Tennessee City Manager Sorah commented Resolution 2 1-44 forma lizes the intent of City Council to issue up to $9,800,000 in new General Obli gation Bonds and provides public notice of the planned borrowing according to statute. The reso lution provides detai ls of the Series 2021 C bond issue which calls for a fixed rate borrowing not to exceed $9,800,000. T he bonds wi ll be sold by competitive sale. Capital  City Council Meeting May 4, 202 1 Page 8 of 10 projects planned for funding with the proceeds from the sale include the funding of a new middle school facility, a future fire station serving east Bristol, and fire suppression equipment including a new ladder truck and engine. The term of the borrowing is for a period of thirty years for the City's portion of the new middle school, twenty- fi ve years for the fire suppression equipment, and ten years for the school system supported debt for the new middle school. Resolution 2 1-44 satisfies the twenty-one day public notification requirement for the issuance of debt. [n June, staff anticipates presenting a bond resolution which formally authorizes the issuance of debt in support of the proj ects identified above. This resol ution formally notifies of the intent to issue. Vice Mayor Turner motioned to approve and Councilwoman Feierabend seconded. Councilwoman Powers thanked all involved in putting it together. There was no additional discussion and Resolution 2 1-44 passed unanimously by roll caJI vote. Counci lwoman Feierabend thanked Scott Gibson, Tara Musick, and the City Manager for ensuring that we follow all the rules and are able to do this as many other entities do not have that option. Resolution 21-45 - A Resolution To Create And Fund A 50l(c)6 Non-Profit Bristol Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation Beginning July 1, 2021, By Appointing An Initial Board Of Directors And Providing Funding To The Newly Created 50l(C)6 Non-Profit Convention & Visitors Bureau The City Manager mentioned this issue was discussed in depth at the April 27th work session when draft by-laws were presented to Counci l for the creation of the Bristol Regional Tourism Marketing Corporation which wou ld be a 501 (c)6 non-profit organi zation. The by-laws set forth the purpose of the corporation, establishes the relationship of the funding entities for the organization (referred to as members) and detail s the appointment and role of the board directors and executive director. Staff amended the draft document to reflect the changes desired by Counci l at the Apri l 27th work session. C ity Attorney Danielle Smith then reviewed the document to ensure the by-laws are consistent with the vision o f Council. Amendments included a total of eleven directors, seven from several industries, a long with the addition of two at-large directors selected by the board. The Believe In Bristol Director was added as an ex-officio member. Counci lwoman Powers asked is there a minimum amount of eq uity to be contributed to secure a seat. The City Attorney said not tat this point, but if there is another member joining the corporation there will have to be a fu nding agreement with an amount determined by the board. If there is expectation that someone can join without mak ing a contribution that is something to be determined by the board as well. At this point it is not necessary to address these issues to give flexibility to the organization and she suggested this be addressed in the fund ing agreement instead of the by-laws. Counci lman Keen requested clarification as to who would be appointed by City Council. The City Attorney stated the seven members from the industries will be appo inted by the C ity Council. T he two at-large members will be nominated by the nominating committee and put on by the board of directors. The at-large members can come from any background and hopefully, will contribute additional skillsets. Additi onal discussion ensued as to how new members would be added and what fundin g level is required to have voting representation. Councilwoman Feierabend motioned to approve and Councilwoman Powers seconded. There was no discussion and Resolution 21-45 passed unanimously by roll call vote.  City Council Meeti ng May 4, 202 1 Page 9 of 10 CONSENT AGENDA: City Manager Sorah presented the Consent Agenda to Council. Vice Mayor Turner motioned to approve and Council Keen seconded. The following items were approved by unanimous Counci l roll call vote: • Minutes Apri l 6, 202 1 City Counci l Meeting • Minutes April 8, 2021 City Council Called Work Session • Minutes April 27, 202 1 City Council Work Session • Resolution 21-46 A Resolution Awarding a Bid for the Purchase of One (1) ADA Compl iant Yan BOARD OF EDUCATION LIAISON REPORT: Dr. Annette Tudor, Director of Schools, commented this is Teacher Appreciation Week and the school year ends in three weeks. The schools are deep in testing. TN Ready testing is taking place for grades 3 through hi gh school along with exams. While the State Board of Education determined the results of those assessments will not count negatively against the teachers or students in terms of grades or evaluations, the data will help determine the depth of learning loss due to the pandemic. Class night is coming up at Tennessee High school with li mited attendance and social distancing. There will be a senior walk and will be the last walk to occur in Vance Middle School. Graduation is May 2 151 in the Stone Castle with a rain date of the morning of May 22nd_ The evening of May 22nd is on-line graduation. A staff and community appreciation initiative started a few weeks ago and is on-going. Over 25 donors have contributed well over 300 gifts for thi s initiative and she thanked everyone for the tremendo us support. She expressed her appreciation to Police Chief Blaine Wade and Major Tim Eads for their support and service to the community, but especially to students, staff, and the school district. She was excited to partner with Council on the new middle school and what comes next. Vice Mayor Turner stated he has learned Sulli van County has rescinded all of their CO YID restrictions in the Sull ivan County School System including mask requirements and asked what BTCS will be doing. Dr. Tudor replied they will continue to observe all of their current COY ID restrictions through the end of the school year including awards day. Mayor Luttrell requested all of Council to stand and applaud in appreciation of all the teachers and staff. CITY MANAGER'S REPORT: City Manager Sorah reminded Council of the in-person work session on May 25th at 11 :00 a.m. and requested it be held at the Nature Center classroom to give more opportunity fo r social distancing as the Slater wi ll be open to the seniors and the gymnasium and cafeteria will be in use at that time. Also on May 25 1\ there will be a public meeting at 6:00 p.m. at the Slater Center for presentation of the pedestrian trail study. The consulting engineers will be here to detail Phase I of the study. He talked about the Series 2021 A Government Obiigation Refunding Bonds which refunded the outstanding Series 20 12 and 20 15. At the Counci l work session a month ago it was estimated there would be approx imately $496,000 in savings from just those two bonds. In reali ty, Bristol had a very good day today as the refundi ng actually realized $852,924.03. This shows the City is a good credit risk.  City Council Meeting May 4, 2021 Page 10 of 10 This is the last meeting with Tara Musick as she has taken a position with the school system as their chief fi nancial officer / finance director. The City Manager expressed she will be greatly missed in her leadership amongst the staff and Council. He recognized her expertise and thanked her for all she has done. CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS: Councilwoman Powers commented when she was first elected to Counci l, Tara was so kind and patient to exp lain the C ity finances, funds, and processes to her. She is a tremendous asset to the City and si nce she is j ust going across the street to the schools, she will sti ll be a part of us although she will sti ll be missed. She told Chief Wade and Major Eads they will be missed as well. It is always hard to say good- bye to people who have contributed so much, but they are leaving us in a good position. The middle school tour was amazing. Vice Mayor Turner dittoed the remarks made by Councilwoman Powers and he will miss everyone and wished them the best. Councilman Keen mentioned the middle school tour and how he looks forward to working with the schools to learn more about their programs in the future. He thanked Jeff Miller and Brandon Rutherford for being so courteous to the gentleman who passed away, wh ich reflects the culture of caring of our City em ployees. There were several good racing events in April. Counci lwoman Feierabend thanked teachers and appreciated information on the school programs and projects that are on-going and not widely known about. She mentioned the proclamations and today being World Health Day and expressed appreciation for the health care workers and all the work they have done over the last year plus. There were no new positive COV ID tests today in Sullivan County. Mayor Luttrell said he cannot thank everyone enough for all the things they do for the community. T here being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 9: 17 P.M. \./YI l.utJ~ ~ ity Recorder 7n~~ Mahlon Luttrell, Mayor