Collegedale commission approves airport fuel-truck lease and sewer rate increase, tables community framework plan

The Collegedale City Commission met Aug. 4 and approved a three-year lease for an airport Jet A fuel truck, adopted an ordinance raising sewer service rates to help pay for a pump-station rebuild, and tabled formal adoption of the Collegedale Community Framework Area Plan after multiple commissioners and business owners raised questions about property impacts and public outreach.

Commissioners voted unanimously to lease a used 2,200-gallon jet-fuel truck on terms the city attorney must clear; the motion required removal of an indemnity clause and a provision that the city will not take possession of the truck until required operator training is completed. Mayor Lloyd and city staff said the truck will be paid from the airport enterprise fund and that early donations from local aircraft owners will cover initial operating shortfalls.

Public works staff and the mayor argued the fuel truck will increase airport fuel sales by bringing transient and based jets back to Collegedale for fuel. Mayor Lloyd presented calculations from conversations with local aircraft owners and prospective tenants at the SkyBoss facility that he said would yield several thousand dollars a month in additional sales once new jets and tenants begin fueling here; he called the lease “a no brainer.” City staff said the lease payment listed in the contract is $1,400 per month, with insurance estimated at about $2,200 per year and a cancellation fee in the neighborhood of $2,700.

The commission also completed a second reading and public hearing for Ordinance 1164, revising sewer rates. No members of the public spoke during the hearing. City public-works staff said the bulk of the requested rate increase will pay for rebuilding a pump station the city considers beyond its useful life; staff gave an engineer estimate under $4 million and said roughly $1.3 million of the project is anticipated to come from grant funds, with the rest to be financed through a mix of cash and bonds. Commissioners approved the ordinance by roll call.

A separate agenda item, the Collegedale Community Framework Area Plan (Resolution 552), drew extended discussion from residents and commissioners about potential effects at the city’s Four Corners commercial core and on individual property owners. Speakers said the study was privately funded and intended as a 40,000-foot overview; some business owners told commissioners they had not been consulted about possible conceptual drawings that surfaced in the plan. The commission decided to table formal adoption so staff can fold useful elements into a forthcoming strategic plan and assure stakeholders that the plan would not force property sales or immediate changes.

Other business approved during the meeting included a surplus-public-works-vehicle sale and a purchase offer on a commercial parcel adjacent to the municipal parking lot; the commission deferred action on a library construction grant contract to clarify drug-free workplace language. The body also authorized installing two signs aimed at discouraging unmuffled compression/engine braking on parts of Appison Pike to address neighborhood noise concerns.

Commissioners and staff emphasized several conditions and follow-ups: the fuel-truck lease would be finalized only after the city attorney removes the indemnity provision; the truck would remain on airport property and could not be used on public roads without separate arrangements; operators must complete the vendor’s hazmat/operator training (a regional three-day course staff said is required for safe fueling operations), and the city will determine how many employees need certification to ensure staffing on weekends and holidays. Staff said a used truck of the size discussed did not require a commercial driver’s license but that Tennessee requires fuel-truck operators be at least 21 years old and that the vendor-specific hazmat/operator certification is required.

The meeting closed after brief reports from city administration and commissioners.

Votes at a glance

- Ordinance 1164 (revising sewer service rates): Motion to approve carried by roll call vote (recorded votes: Commissioner Baker, Commissioner House, Commissioner Johnson, Vice Mayor Sadler, Mayor Lloyd — all recorded as yes). Outcome: approved. Key detail: rate increase is directed chiefly to fund a pump-station rebuild estimated under $4 million; roughly $1.3 million expected in grants; combination of cash and bond financing expected.

- Resolution 552 (Collegedale Community Framework Area Plan): First and final reading presented; after discussion the commission tabled formal adoption pending further work to integrate select elements into the city’s strategic plan and additional stakeholder outreach. Outcome: tabled.

- Airport fuel-truck lease (new business): Motion approved with conditions (three-year lease term, attorney edits to remove indemnity, city not to take possession until operator training completed; funding from airport enterprise fund). Vote: unanimous by roll call. Key details: listed lease payment $1,400/month; insurance estimate ~$2,200/year; truck capacity ~2,200 gallons; vendor hazmat/operator course required; TDOT minimum operator age noted as 21; staff estimated initial shortfall covered by $6,000 in donor funds offered by local aircraft owners and by anticipated increased Jet A sales once SkyBoss tenants arrive.

- Library construction grant: Deferred to next meeting for contract-language and drug-free workplace verification. Outcome: deferred.

- Sale of surplus public-works vehicle (2001 F350): Approved by roll call to send to auction. Outcome: approved.

- Acquisition of 4921 Ultra Ringgold Road, Lot 2 (commercial parcel adjacent to parking lot): Motion to proceed with offer approved by roll call (recorded: four yes, one recorded no). Outcome: approved; staff to finalize purchase agreement and then amend budget as required.

- Compression/engine-braking signage on Appison Pike: Commission approved purchase and installation of two specialty signs to discourage unmuffled compression braking; staff to confirm MUTCD spacing and install appropriate locations. Outcome: approved.

What happened and why it matters

The sewer increase moves forward to address an identified capital need in the wastewater system (pump-station replacement) and to keep the city’s utility rates aligned with the cost of treatment and pass-through charges. The fuel-truck decision is an economic-development move that staff and some commissioners say will help the municipal airport become more self-sustaining by capturing Jet A sales that currently go to nearby airports. Tabling the framework plan keeps a privately funded study in an advisory role while giving staff and the commission time to integrate community feedback into the city’s formal strategic planning process.

Quotes

- “The bulk of this rate increase is to pay for the pump station rebuild because we are past the useful life of the pump station,” said Chris, public works director.

- “I feel very strongly that this is a no brainer,” Mayor Lloyd said of the fuel truck lease, citing projected additional jet-fuel sales and prospective SkyBoss tenants.

- “It was done by the College of Tomorrow Foundation,” Mayor Lloyd said, describing how the area framework plan was privately funded and shared with the city.

Ending

Commissioners directed staff to finalize the fuel-truck contract language with the city attorney, to secure vendor training dates before taking delivery, and to bring follow-ups on the framework plan, library contract clarifications and property acquisition to the next scheduled meeting.