The 911 center that serves the cities of Cleveland, Charleston and all of Bradley County is funded in a 49/49/1 percent split between the entities. Some on the Cleveland City Council believe residents of the city are shouldering a disproportionate amount by paying for the service with both their city and county taxes while those in the unincorporated areas pay only county taxes. At the Cleveland City Council meeting Monday afternoon, both Councilman Richard Banks and Vice Mayor George Poe said there was no problem with the care that is being provided, the problem is that the funding bodies do not agree.
A new 911 agreement is asking for increased funding from both the city and county. City Manager Janice Casteel, who is on the 911 Board of Directors along with Mayor Tom Rowland, told the council that despite the county’s population being greater than that of Cleveland, 71 percent of the calls for service come from the city.
Vice Mayor Poe said the county is not interested in working with the Cleveland City Council about anything and he believes the city should have its own 911 center. Danny Lawson, Bradley County EMS director and chairman of the 911 Board, said the state of Tennessee would only recognize one call center for the district. If the city established a separate 911 center, calls would be taken at the original center and then be transferred to the city’s dispatcher, losing valuable time.
The Cleveland City Council members would prefer for the county to approve an increase before they vote on the issue. But the last council meeting before the end of the year is Dec. 14 and the next voting session of the Bradley County Commission will be on Dec. 21. City Manager Janice Casteel told the council that the current agreement between the cities and county will expire at the end of the year and will automatically renew for a four-year term if the new one is not approved. Mayor Rowland told the council that there will be no agreement if the city increases funding, but the county does not. In that case, there would be no contract, he said.
The auditor of the 911 center told the council that it would cost Cleveland more to start its own 911 service, which is estimated at $1.3 -$2 million in operating costs. The new agreement asks for incremental increases of $550,000 this year, $650,000 next year and up to $660,000 after that, he said. A lot of this money would go to pay for IT and computer updates that are both on-going expenses.
On the third year of the new plan, an additional dispatcher would be added which is needed because of growth in the area. The number of dispatchers has not increased since 2002 but call volume has. To fill the need, the dispatchers are working overtime. Councilman Banks suggested a way to fulfill that need in the coming year would be for both the city and county to pay an additional $25,000. That $50,000 would fund adding a dispatcher.
Because two councilmen were absent at the meeting, a vote on the 911 agreement was delayed until the next meeting when all council members will be present.
In a vote of three for and two against, the council agreed to purchase a building at the corner of Inman and Edwards Streets in the Five Points district from the Ben Moore family. Council members Charlie McKenzie and Avery Johnson opposed, saying it was bad timing to spend the money on a building to tear it down for parking, when money is needed for schools and a new fire hall. The price the city agreed to is $100,000 divided over two years, but there will be additional costs for the demolition. The old bricks and timber will be salvaged to recover some of the costs. Despite the city wanting to save old buildings, Mayor Rowland said this is the biggest eyesore people see when entering the city.
A salvage yard has operated on S. Lee Highway for 15 years. It has recently come to the attention of the city that the location is not in compliance with the city’s zoning ordinance. Two properties and two different businesses are involved. One business has been in operation for 15 years at various locations within one and a half miles on S. Lee Highway. Two years ago the owners bought property at 1511 S. Lee Hwy. for their business. Another salvage yard moved into the vacated junk yard location at 1700 S. Lee Hwy. Both are in a Commercial Highway Zone. Salvage yards are only allowed in an Industrial Zone.
In order to be equitable to the company that has operated for so long and still protect the city, Travis Henry, the attorney representing Cleveland, has recommended two options. The zoning ordinance can be amended to allow conditional use with restrictions such a screening and establishing a time frame so that other similar business cannot spring up. Another condition could be giving a time limit for operating the business before ceasing operation. The other option would be to require the company to cease operations immediately. An attorney representing the owners of the business said they are willing to take the necessary steps to tidy up the area to satisfy the council.
A housing coalition put together through the United Way recently took place in Cleveland where 18 agencies came together to bridge the gaps for the homeless in Bradley County. It has been found that, in addition to the problem of homelessness, there is a lack of affordable housing in the county. A phone call to 211 will lead the caller to coordinated help for social services.
Mayor Rowland announced that the Cleveland Middle School dance team will be performing at the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The team is scheduled to be seen on NBC at 10:15 a.m. behind the Sesame Street float and in front of the Hello Kitty balloon. They should be easy to find in purple outfits, said the mayor.