By Katie Ward
Community News Writer
Soddy-Daisy Commission hopes to install lights, a walking track, new benches and sheds around Soddy Lake in the near future.
“I would like to see the lake area mowed not just for the 4th of July, but all the time,” Commissioner Geno Shipley said. “They are getting us some lights started at the lake.”
However, Tennessee Valley Authority is not accepting land use applications at this time, according to City Manager Janice Cagle. Unfortunately for the city, TVA does own the lake and the property surrounding it, even though it is up to the city of Soddy-Daisy to maintain the property.
“It will take a year to get a permit to put lights around the lake,” Mrs. Cagle said. “We had to pay them $5,000 to renew our ballfields contract.”
Mayor Les Jewell explained that commissioners should look into putting the lights in city right of ways to bypass TVA.
“We only need a permit from TVA to put in a walking path,” Commissioner Shipley said. “I don’t guess we need to make anymore plans until we get right of way measurements. If that is our right of way, then we should not have to pay TVA $5,000. If we have to apply for a walking track then apply for it. It should not get stopped due to TVA.”
Mrs. Cagle said that she will go ahead and send in an application, so when they decide to start receiving more land use applications it will be there.
“We could put up the walkway around the right of way,” Commissioner Bob Privett said. “We should go ahead and proceed on our property and check with the state.”
Commissioner Shipley planned to measure the right of ways directly after the meeting.
“For public safety reasons, we should get lights,” Commissioner Shipley said. “We will go measure it tomorrow.”
Soddy-Daisy Commissioners have been proposing the project now for three months.
“We are going to clean the debris out of the lake and put a walking path in from the fish pier to the state park,” Commissioner Shipley said. “We are going to build six small sheds. We want to put up 16 decorative lights around the water front.”
He explained that it will make the lake more attractive to people and a showpiece for the community.
“We don’t know the total cost,” he said. “I think we will be able to do it.”
Commissioner Shipley hopes to start a Friends of the Lake group to work on the project.
In other business at the meeting:
* Commissioners voted to keep the tax rate the same as last year. The tax rate remains at 78 cents.
* Commissioners discussed starting fees for plat reviews in subdivisions. “We have never charged for plat reviews but other municipalities in Hamilton County do charge for plat reviews,” City Manager Cagle said. “Figures would generate $7,000 per year for plat reviews.” Officials hope to establish permit fees in general by July 1.
* Mayor Jewell reminded commissioners that they needed to put up No Smoking signs at the ballfields.
* Commissioners discussed putting an ordinance in place saying that sporting events have to be so many feet away from a church during services in order to eliminate distractions in the service.
* No changes were made to the sign ordinance after commissioners learned that other local municipalities have in fact not changed their sign ordinances. They will ask the planning commission for their input.
The next regular scheduled meeting for Soddy-Daisy Commission is July 6 at 7 p.m. at the Municipal Building. Meetings are open to the public.
E-mail Katie Ward at kward@tfpcommunitynews.com
