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Soddy-Daisy authorizes City Hall plans, votes to use planned property sale to pay Fire Station #3 debt
Summary
The Board approved plans for a new 8,000-square-foot City Hall and agreed to list a recently purchased dentist office for sale, with proceeds earmarked to pay off Fire Station #3 debt; the payoff motion passed 4–1 after debate over loan strategy.
The Soddy-Daisy Board of Commissioners on April 20 authorized architectural prints for a proposed new City Hall and voted to apply proceeds from the planned sale of a city-owned dentist office toward paying off the debt on Fire Station #3.
Vice-Mayor Coleman moved to have prints drawn for an 80-by-100-foot City Hall that City Manager Johnson said would be roughly 8,000 square feet and add about 14 offices. The motion passed unanimously.
The board also authorized contacting an agent to sell the dentist office “as is,” which City Manager Johnson said appraised at $800,000.00. Coleman then proposed using the sale proceeds to pay off the outstanding Fire Station #3 loan. That motion passed 4–1: Vice-Mayor Coleman, Commissioner Keith, Commissioner Shipley and Mayor Everett voted yes; Commissioner Penney voted no.
Commissioner Penney explained his opposition by cautioning against paying off a low-interest loan only to take on new debt at potentially higher rates.
City Manager Johnson said the city has about $2.2 million in funds for the project and does not expect to exceed the planned budget; he noted interest-rate uncertainty and that the city earned almost $11,000 in interest on a current loan this fiscal year. He also said $150,000 of AARP funds are earmarked for concession-stand work unrelated to the new hall.
The board approved two related administrative items: a Cyber74 security and risk assessment at a cost of $12,600 to review building and network vulnerabilities, and renewal of audit services with Johnson, Murphy and Wright for $31,025, with a total estimated cost of $41,175 including a required federal audit. Both were described by City Manager Johnson as budgeted items and were approved unanimously.
Fire Chief Dusty Morgan briefed commissioners on apparatus needs, noting a current vendor quote of $900,000 for a new truck compared with $700,000 quoted the prior July.
The board did not set a final construction contract or schedule at the meeting; commissioners said additional planning, geotechnical results and cost estimates will inform next steps. The commission adjourned at 7:53 p.m.
