City Council

MINUTES OF THE CITY OF BRISTOL, TENNESSEE CITY COUNCIL MEETING September 6, 2022 CALL TO ORDER: The City of Bristol, Tennessee City Council meeting was called to order by Mayor Mahl on Luttrell on Tuesday, September 6, 2022 at 7:00 P.M. in the Slater Center Auditorium. ROLL CALL: Present: Mayor Mahlon Luttrell, Vice Mayor Vince T urner, Counci lwoman Margaret Feierabend, Councilman Hutton, and Councilwoman Lea Powers. Others Present: City Manager William Sorah, City Attorney Danielle Smith, City Recorder Mary Lee Williams, Director of Planning C herith Young, Director of Parks and Recreation Terry Napier, Fire Chief Mike Carrier, Police Chief Matt Austin, Director of Economic Development Tom Anderson, Director of Community Relations Jon Luttrell, Director of Finance Hollie Verran, Director of IT Greg Cross, Senior Director of IT Shane Varney, Director of Operations Dave Wilson, Director of Public Services Wes Ritchie, Director of Utility Services Will Witcher, and other members of City staff. INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Pastor Mark Overton of Central Christian Church gave the invocation and Vice Mayor Vince Turner led the pledge of allegiance. AGENDA ADDITIONS AND/ OR CHANGES: None PROCLAMATIONS AND RECOGNITIONS: Child Passenger Safety Week - Councilwoman Margaret Feierabend read a proclamation designating September 18-24, 2022 as Child Passenger Safety Week and September 20 1h as Buckle Up for Life Day. Samuel Jones, M.A. CPST, Child Passenger Safety Program Coordinator, Bristol's Promise, Assistant Fire Chief David McG!amery, Bristol Virginia Fire Department Office Manager Anna Lester, and Bristol, Tennessee Police Chief Matt Austin were in attendance to accept the proclamation. Mr. Jones thanked all the partners as wel l as the City Council their support. Viking Pride Day - Councilwoman Lea Powers read a proclamation designating September 16, 2022 as Viking Pride Day. Tennessee High School Principal Kim Kirk and student members of the "THS Biggest Fans" were in attendance to accept the proclamation . Students Macy Galloway and Skye Meyers thanked Council and stated the goal of their group is to bring out the school spirit as well as make everyone feel welcome. Suicide Prevention Awareness Month - Councilman Mark Hutton read a proclamation designating September 2022 as Suicide Prevention Awareness Month. Melony Myers Ison, MPH, CPS, Prevention Coordinator for the Sullivan County Anti-Drug Coalition, was in attendance to accept the proclamation. Ms. Ison thanked Council for helping bring awareness to this important issue. She encouraged everyone to be aware that they may be the one to make a difference to someone during a time of crisis, helping to di vert a preventable death.  City Council Meeting September 6, 2022 Page 2 of 9 Commission on Fire Accreditation International - Fire Chief Mike Carrier thanked Council, the Ci ty Manager, and the men and women of the Bristol, Tennessee Fire Department (BTFD) for their support and hard work. The process of being accredited through the Commi ssion on Fire Accreditation International is an arduous and lengthy endeavor. All departmental procedures, files, equipment and policies are reviewed by a peer assessment team over a four to five-day period and includes conversations wi th the Finance Department and the City Manager. The fi nal step is to sit before an accreditation board of eleven members. The hearing this year took place in Denver, Colorado and the BTFD received accreditation by unanimous vote. This is an international accreditation with only 301 departments accredited nationally and the BTFD being 1 of only 8 departments accredited for the entire state of Tennessee. All of the BTFD is proud to have worked with other City departments in a team effort to be part of thi s elite group. Fire Chief Mike Carrier, Assistant Chief / Accreditation Manager David McGlamery, Battalion Chief Alan Howard, and Lieutenants Matt Chase and Justin Mullins along with Mayor Luttrell and City Manager Bill Sorah traveled to Denver in August for the accreditation hearing. Councilwoman Feierabend mentioned she was mayor in 20 17 and went to the accreditation hearing in Charlotte, North Carolina. It was a very intense and thorough process. She was proud she was involved the last time and she is proud of all of the Public Safety Officers in the City. Mayor Luttrell said it was an honor to be at the accreditation hearing with all the professionals representing the BTFD. The group fo llowing Bristol at the hearing was the United States Marine Corp which also spoke highly of the entire accreditation process. Tennessee Highway Traffic Safety Awards - This award is in recognition of the Bristol Tennessee Police Department (BTPD) for their participation in the 34th Annual Law Enforcement Challenge (LEC) of the Tennessee Highway Safety Office. This program provides an opportunity for local law enforcement agencies to demonstrate the traffic safety initiatives they promote in the communities they serve. The BTPD was awarded Second Place in the 71- 100 Officers Division for their contribution to traffic safety. Sergeant Jody Camper was present to accept the award on behalf of the Police Department thanked Council for recognizing the BTPD and for their support. He explained the LEC program and the BTPD participation. PRESENTATIONS: None BOARD OF EDUCATION LIAISON REPORT: Dr. Annette Tudor, Director of Schoo ls, thanked Council for recognizing Viking Pride Day. The Viking Pride project was the idea of the students. They recognize the value of the community to the school district and the Counci l proclamation shows recognition of the value of the school district to the community. There are two award schools this year, Holston View Elementary and Tennessee Online Public School. There have been some learning/growth issues when compared to others across the state wh ich they are tryi ng to address. Dr. T udor gave a brief update on the TISA Funding Model. Music in The Castle is October 151• Councilman Hutton asked if there are any plans to renovate the visitors' side of the Stone Castle. Dr. Tudor repli ed yes, preliminary design plans are in the works in response to an Office of Civi l Rights Complaint for ADA Compliance. They wi ll inc lude additional ADA seating on both the home and visitors' sides, additional ADA parking, and ADA entryway into the Castle. Counci lwoman Powers stated someone has contacted her with concern about removal of the concrete to be replaced with  City Council Meeting September 6, 2022 Page 3 of 9 aluminum seating. Will there be opportunity for community input? Dr. T udor explained the next step is to take it to the school board. T he structural engineer visited the site last week to see if concrete is a possibility. The board will have to decide whether to install concrete or aluminum seating, although concrete is esti mated to be double the cost of aluminum. She gave further information on possible options. Co uncil woman Powers asked if any work performed would be in compliance wi th the requirements of the historical registry and Dr. Tudor confirmed it would be. Vice Mayor Turner asked if the growth and challenges Dr. Tudor referred to earlier was related to the TV AAS Composite scores to which she replied yes. The Vice Mayor asked if there was anything the City could do to help improve those scores. Dr. Tudor gave a little more information about the scores and offered to present additional detail s to Council at a later time. She said Council can assist through their continued support of the school system. Counci lwoman Powers would like the school system to present the additional information to Council at a work session as they are better able to be an advocate if they understand the situation and what the process entails. In addition, she would like for the school system to share the information on renovating the Stone Castle once it is received . Additional di scussion took place concerning the low TV AAS scores. Concern for the health of middle school Principal Seymour Ray was expressed. PUBLIC HEARINGS: Ordinance 22-13-An Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Map of Bristol, Tennessee by Designating Certain Property as 8-3 (General Business) (400 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard) The City Manager summarized Ordinance 22- 13 proposes to amend the City ' s Zoning Map for property located at 400 Martin Luther King, Jr. Bou levard which is the current location of the Bristol Family YMCA. The YMCA is seeking rezoning of the property from the existing zoning of R-3 (Multi-Family Residential) to B-3 (Genera l Business Distri ct) . The basis for this request is to allow more flexibility in the future development of the site as the organization seeks to provide additional services to the community. In addition, the YMCA desires to install an electronic message board which is currently prohibited in the R-3 district. The Bristol Regional Planning Commi ssion reviewed this matter during their July 18th meeting and voted unanimously to forward a favorable recommendation for the rezoning of the property to B-3 (General Business District). Cheri th Young, Director of Planning, showed sl ides that detailed the zoning of the surrounding parcels and photographs of the subj ect parcel. She presented more specific information about the property and the uses of the B-3 and R-3 districts. The Future Land Use Map supports the rezoning request. Given the property location, adjacent B-3 zoning, and agreement with the Future Land Use Map, staff recommended approval of the request to the Planning Commi ssion. The public was notified of the rezoning req uest with a public notification sign on the property. As of today, one comment sheet was received from an adjacent property owner and one call from the Chief Executive Officer of Bristol Housing, both of which were in support of the rezoning request. At their Jul y meeting, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to forward a favorable recommendation for this request to Counci l based on the fact the property is located on a commercial corridor, in an urban area, has frontage on arterial roadway, adjacent B-3 zoning, and agreement with the Future Land Use Map. Mr. Rick Matthews, Chief Executi ve Officer of the YMCA, was present to answer questions.  City Council Meeting September 6, 2022 Page 4 of 9 There were no public comments and the hearing was closed. APPEARANCE OF CITIZENS: Mr. George Linke, 307 Rutledge Street, gave an update from the local group, Skate Bristo l. The temporary skate park is a positive development for the City and is getting used almost every day, weather providing. As an organization working with ' Heads Don't Bounce,' they have given away twenty-three helmets in the last several months to youth thirteen years old and under to wear while at the park. They are in the process of trying to get gear for underprivileged youth. The group is working with the Cameo to do a benefit concert in November and there are a number of local businesses that want to work with Skate Bristol on fundraising. They are working on obtaining a 50 l ( c)(3) status as a non-profit and currently have an online membership of 438 with over 50 people attending the last official gro up meeting a couple of weeks ago which was basically a mixture of parents and children. Mr. Linke wanted to inform Council a young adult advocate will begin leading the charge with his assistance. Ms. Suzanne White, 214 Edgewood Road, accompanied by her father, Gayle White of 212 Edgewood Road, wanted to address issues that concern both properties. The properties join East Cedar Street where the East Cedar Street Improvement Project started. Their property abutting East Cedar Street went from a manageable ten-foot bank to an approximately thirty-foot unmanageable bank. It is awkward, ugly and difficult to manage and necessitated the purchase of a four-wheel dri ve lawn mower to attempt to care for thi s bank on their property, which was created against their will through eminent domain. Several years ago, they approached the City about installing a guardrail in this location to protect their property and their grandchildren playing in their yard and was told this improvement project would resolve that concern. They feel that not only did the project fail to address the problem, but exacerbated it. In addition, the storm water runoff and debris have increased. Mr. Craig Charles is the owner of Crown Cutz Academy at 805 Commonwealth A venue, Bristol, Virginia, and in Johnson City. It is a cosmetology, barber, esthetics, and nail program and he wanted to introduce himse lf to the Council and community. Over twenty years, he has dedicated himself to perfecting his craft and is now a master barber and is also a Barber Ambassador for the Confess Project. The Confess Project is a mental heal th initiative that uses barbering as a form of bridging the gap between barber shops and the clients by teaching barbers how to address the mental health of the clients. This program is available throughout the state of Tennessee. Mental health issues are a serious problem and one of the biggest problems for African American men and boys of color who are less likely to go to hospitals or seek the help of a physician. Thi s is the first mental health movement through barbering. Crown Cutz Academy is an accredited program which offers financial aid. He is a proponent of normalizing trade schools and helping people to not feel ' less than ' because they do not go to a four- year school. He wants to help kids realize there are numerous trade and CTE training opportunities that can help them learn to make a good living. The first graduates from his academy in Johnson City had earnings that topped out at $60,000 per year and graduates from last year topped out at $85,000- as barbers. He wants to normalize CTE, cosmetology, barber, esthetics, and nail training as reputable trades in our community as not every student is suited for a four-year school. He personally obtained a four- year degree in communications, but he real izes that is not for everyone. Mr. Charles also wanted to bring awareness to Minority Enterprise Development (MED) Week which was started in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan. The Chambers of Commerce for Bristol, Johnson C ity, and Kingsport chose Crown Cuts Academy in Bristol at 805 Commonwealth Avenue to host the MED Week event this year. It will be September 23rd from 6-8 P.M. and is an opportunity to meet the minority businesses in the area and show them your support. Community growth needs the growth of the minority businesses as well.  City Council Meeting September 6, 2022 Page 5 of9 APPOINTMENTS: Community Development Advisory Committee - City Counci l addressed the vacancy of one seat on the Community Development Advisory Committee. Councilwoman Feierabend spoke on behalf of the candidate. Ms . Katherine Stigers was unanimously appointed to the Community Development Advisory Committee to serve an unexpired term of office ending April 30, 2025. Industrial Development Board - City Council addressed the vacancy of two seats on the Industrial Development Board. Vice Mayor T urner and Counci lwoman Feierabend spoke on behalf of the candidates. The vote was as fo llows: Councilwoman Feierabend Jason Booher and Raj Venkataraman Council man Hutton Jason Booher and Dirk Crande ll Councilwoman Powers Jason Booher and Raj Venkataraman Mayor Luttrell Jason Booher and Raj Venkataraman Vice Mayor Turner Jason Booher and Raj Venkataraman Mr. Jason Booher received five votes and Raj Venkataraman received four votes so both were appointed to the Industrial Development Board to serve a term of office ending August 3 1, 2028. Parks and Recreation Commission - C ity Counc il addressed the vacancy of one seat on the Parks and Recreation Commission. Counci lwoman Powers spoke on behalf of the cand idate. Ms. April Norris was unanimously appo inted to the Parks and Recreation Commission to serve a term of office ending June 30, 2025 . ORDINANCES AND RESOLUTIONS: A. First Reading of New Ordinances: None B. Adoption of New Ordinances (Second Reading): Ordinance 22- 13 - An Ordinance to Amend the Zoning Map of Bristol, Tennessee by Designating Certain Property as B-3 (General Business) (400 Martin Luther King Jr Boulevard) This item was summarized during the public hearing earlier this evening. Councilwoman Feierabend motioned to approve and Vice Mayor Turner seconded. There was no discussion and Ordinance 22 -13 passed unanimously by roll call vote. C. Resolutions: Resolution 22-102 - A Resolution Adopting Amended Program Policies for the Economic Development Incentive Program The City Manager explained the C ity ' s Economic Development Incentive Policy guides decisions of staff and discussions with various businesses in recruiting and encouraging expansion, and also guides the Industrial Development Board in the incentivizing of various forms of development projects. T his document was lasted amended approximately two years ago. Staff has drafted proposed revisions to the policy to address current property valuations and income metrics used to determine the level of incentives offered for business recruitment or expansion. Tom Anderson, Director of Economic Development was asked to give additional information.  City Council Meeting September 6, 2022 Page 6 of 9 Mr. Anderson thanked Council for supporting the Economic Development Department and the proposed amendment will assist them as they continue to negotiate with businesses looking for potential new locations or options. He reviewed the proposed changes and explained the importance of each. Vice Mayor T urner motioned to approve and Counci lwoman Powers seconded. Councilwoman Feierabend said it is important to review our policies to ensure they remain up to date. Counci lwoman Powers agreed and said it is important to make sure we are incentivizing appropriately. There was no further discussion and the resolution passed unanimously by roll call vote. Resolution 22-103 - A Resolution Awarding a Bid and Authorizing Entry into an Agreement for Construction of New Fire Station #2 City Manager Sorah reviewed that in 202 1, General Obligation Bonds were so ld by the City to fund the purchase of three fire apparatus, as well as address a long standing need for improving Fire Station #2 and its relocation to be consistent with our resource allocation study that was completed some time ago. In February 2022, bids for construction of the new Fire Station #2 were submitted but were rejected due to the significantly higher than anticipated project cost. Staff and the design architect have modified the construction bid specifications to allow for the City's Public Works Department to provide certain elements of the project by utilizing in-house forces . [n addition, there are elements of the project that can be added at a later date that have been removed from the bid specifications to further reduce the cost of construction. The bids were opened on Tuesday, August 23rd and the results were presented to Council at the August work session. The low bid was submitted by GoinsRashCain, [nc. (GRC), of Kingsport, Tennessee and the attached resolution proposes a contract sum in the total amount of $3,992,400.00 to construct a new faci lity. The project is adequately funded with $ 1.9 m illi on remaining from General Obligation Bond proceeds and a drawdown from General Fund Reserve for the balance. If approved, our Public Works crews will begin site preparation and we would anticipate the project to be substantia lly complete by mid -summer of 2023. Dave Wilson, Director of Operations, and Fire Chief Mike Carrier were in attendance to share concepts of the new structure and to answer any questions. Mr. Wilson presented slides and information on the facility, the entrance of which is to be located east of the current entrance to Holston View Elementary School. Chief Carrier stated relocation of Fire Station #2 was identified in our resource allocation study that began in 2012, was updated in 2017 and then updated once more. One of the reasons for the need to relocate that station is the age of the current faci lity and that it is past its lifespan as an emergency response fire station. Due to the annexations and growth that have occurred since its construction in 1972 and resulting travel time and distance from the current station to some of the areas it serves, it is no longer centrally located in the zone that station covers. The new station will provide all the amenities necessary to bring it into compliance with current fire service needs which Chief Carrier further described. Councilman Hutton commented he is very excited to see thi s progress, the location next to the elementary school, and what it means for the City and the community. Counci lwoman Powers mentioned the current Fire Station #2 was of concern when she first came on the Counci l in 2013- 2014. She thanked Ch ief Carrier and City Manager Sorah for sticking with this project to ensure it would be built and thanked all the others involved with bringing this project to fruition.  City Council Meeting September 6, 2022 Page 7 of9 Mayor Luttrell added that when attendi ng the accreditation hearing in Denver, he learned more about the importance of keeping the Fire Department- stations, equipment, personnel-up to date and modernized to be able to continue to receive the accreditations all of which are very important to the community. Chief Carrier added the design of the building and the aesthetics will be a positive addition and something the community can be proud of. Vice Mayor Turner motioned to approve and Councilman Hutton seconded. Councilwoman Feierabend is glad we have finally made it to this point. Another project she would like to see for the City in the near future is a new Public Works faci li ty. It is important for City employees to have the facilities and tools they need to perform their work. She expressed appreciation to the City Manager and Fire Chief for the difficult decision earlier this year to delay this project, but it was the right decision. Resolution 22- 103 passed unanimously by roll call vote. CONSENT AGENDA: City Manager Sarah presented the Consent Agenda to Council. Vice Mayor Turner motioned to approve and Councilman Hutton seconded. The following items were approved by unanimous Council roll call vote: • Mi nutes August 2, 2022 City Counci l Meeting • Minutes August 23 , 2022 City Council Called Meeting • Minutes August 23, 2022 C ity Counci l Work Session • Resolution 22-104 A Resolution Establishing a Corridor Management Advisory Committee and Requesting Sullivan County to Appoint Members to Same • Resolution 22-105 A Resolution Awarding Bid for the Purchase of a Rescue Truck for the Fire Department • Resolution 22-106 A Resolution Awarding a Bid for the Purchase of Rescue Tools for the Fire Department • Resolution 22-107 A Resolution Authorizing Submittal of Joint Application for 2022 FHWA Safe Streets and Roads for All Discretionary Grant Program • Resolution 22- 108 A Resolution Awarding a Bid fo r the Purchase of Bulk Highway Salt • Resolution 22-109 A Resolution Awarding a Bid for the Purchase of Ballistic Vests for the Pol ice Department • Resolution 22-1 10 A Resolution Authorizing Entry into an Agreement with Save On SP, LLC and RX Benefits, Inc. Related to Specialty Drug Co-Pay Assistance  City Counci l Meeting September 6, 2022 Page 8 of 9 • Resolution 22-111 A Resolution Authorizing Entry into a Prescription Assistance Program Services Agreement with Amwins Rx • Resolution 22- 11 2 A Resolution Authorizing Payment to Troutman Pepper Hamilton Sanders LLP for Legal Fees • Resolution 22- 11 3 A Resolution Authorizing the Temporary Use of Public Property and the Public Right-of-Way for the Sale, Distribution and Consumption of Beer CITY MANAGER'S REPORT: City Manager Sorah reminded Counci l of several events taking place this month: • The 21st Annual Rhythm and Roots Festival September 9th - 11 th • September 16th - 17th is the Annual Night Race event at Bristol Motor Speedway • September 27th work session at 5:00 P.M. in the Annex Conference Room The City Manager commended the Fire Department for their much deserved re-accreditation. He attended the accreditation in 2017 and it was not a unanimous vote. This year was a much different experience and he expressed appreciation for the efforts this team put together to get across the finish line. He also congratulated Chief Austin and the Police Department for the second place finish for the state-wide highway safety office competition. He pointed out the department won first place last year and Chief Austin's position is they could not award it to the City two years in a row. He thanked Chief Austin and his staff for putting that together. City Manager Sorah stated he will celebrate hi s 68 1h birthday this month and it is time for him and his wife to think about the next chapter and what that means for them together. As such, it is time for the Council to begin their search for a new City Manager. He has given much thought to the timing for thi s transition and as the election for Council members will be in November, a new Council will be seated in January. If the current Counci l begins the search process now, a slate of candidates should be available for consideration by late fall / early winter and then will be in a position to make some decisions. This timing would enab le a new Ci ty Manager to be on staff in 2023 in order to be a part of the budget process. It is important fo r a manager to be part of the process for the budget they are going to administer. The City has an excellent staff and the C ity is well positioned to move strong into the future. He expressed appreciation for this City Council and he will be with Council as they find a replacement. CITY COUNCIL COMMENTS: Vice Mayor Turner thanked the City Manager for all he has done for the City. He acknowledged attendees Sullivan County Commissioner Matt Slagle and Or. Mike Browder, CEO of BTES. The Vice Mayor asked if Dr. Browder would like to say anything in light of his retirement announced at the beginning of the year. Dr. Browder thanked Counci l for their work and support. He expressed appreciation for the years he has been able to work wi th Bi ll Sorah and it is great what the organizations have been able to accompl ish. Councilman Hutton expressed his appreciation for City Manager Sorah. They first met when he became a County Comm issioner. He feels they wo rked well together and appreciates all the insight the City  City Counci l Meeting September 6, 2022 Page 9 of 9 Manager provided. It has been an honor to work together and he is excited for the next chapter for the Sorah Family. Councilman Hutton acknowledged Commi ssioner Slagle. Councilwoman Powers thanked Dr. Browder for all of his years of service. When she first came on the Counci l, she received instruction from Dr. Browder which she feels has served her well for over nine years now and it provided great in-sight as to just how advantaged we are because of the services BTES and TV A can provide to our community. She congratulated Commi ssioner Slagle and thanked him for attending the meeting. Bill Sorah became City Manager approximately the same time she came on the Co uncil and she expressed her appreciation for his counsel throughout the years. Councilwoman Feierabend spoke about the leadership Mr. Sorah has provided throughout his entire career, especially as City Manager, as well as hi s professionalism, integrity, and public service. As a public servant, he is exemplary for servant leadership and she appreciates that along with hi s pragmatics. Council wi ll also appreciate hi s leadership with the search for a new City Manager. She welcomed Commissioner Slagle and thanked Jason Booher for his work with the Election Commission. She mentioned the Skate Bristol group is a great example of community, citizen, youth, and fami ly engagement and public / private partnership. Mr. George Linke provides positive leadershi p. Each year in September, Bristol' s Promise hosts the State of the Schools which thi s year is on Thursday, September 22nd at 12 Noon at the Bristol Virginia School Board. Information will be shared by both school systems. If anyone would like to attend, they may contact her for an RSVP. Counci lwoman Feierabend thanked everyone involved with the child car seat check. Certification for chi ld car seat safety is an invo lved process requi ring 32 hours of training. Thanks to all the C ity staff for the work involved in the big events in September. Councilwoman Powers said people of all ages are coming from all over the City and they are really excited about having the Skate Park. She thanked Council fo r ensuring the City still has a park for skating and Parks and Recreation fo r providing a place to have a temporary park. Mayor Luttrell thanked Dr. Tudor and said the Council is here to support the school system in any way they can. He also thanked Commi ssioner Slagle for attending and Jason Booher for stepping forward to serve on the Industrial Development Board. As for Dr. Browder and Mr. Sorah, the leadership provided by both gentlemen is unsurpassed. The teams built by both men are phenomenal. There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 8:38 P.M. Mahlon Luttrell , Mayor