Chattanooga: Transport board remains intact

The Chattanooga City Council’s Legal and Legislative Committee recommended Tuesday keeping the composition of the transportation board intact.

The action came after officials discussed the issue of potential conflicts of interest for industry members serving on the panel.

Councilman Dan Page made a motion to accept all recommendations for changes to the vehicles-for-hire ordinance except that which would have phased out those serving on the transportation board who previously served on the old taxi and horse carriage board.

The committee passed the motion.

Mr. Page said officials should “give (the board) a chance to be successful” with its current membership.

Last week, officials talked about the possibility of the board’s three industry members — George Fletcher of Mercury Cab, Tim Duckett of Millennium Taxi Service and Bruce Rollins of Chattanooga Carriage —being replaced by nonindustry citizens once their terms end.

Those three men and City Councilman Manny Rico all served on the old taxi board, and all now are members of the transportation board, which replaced the taxi panel.

Critics such as Mr. Rico have said the industry members have conflicts of interest by voting on issues that affect their competitors or potential competitors in the marketplace.

Before the council recommended to keep the nine-member board’s makeup the same, Councilman Leamon Pierce said the council was “discriminating” against the taxi industry, which he called an important business for the black community.

The full council is expected soon to consider a number of other changes to the recently updated transportation ordinance, including ending a mandate for seat belts on pedicabs and letting pedicabs operate on any “designated bicycle route.”

In other business during the Legal and Legislative Committee, City Chief Financial Officer Daisy Madison briefed the council on a proposed solicitations policy for city department representatives wanting to seek donations.

The proposed policy states that “no solicitation shall state or imply that a donation will influence or affect how the party is treated by City officers and employees.”

Ms. Madison said the policy was drawn up after City Council members recently expressed concerns over the Chattanooga Police Department seeking to solicit donations for a ball.

The council on Tuesday recommended that the policy be tweaked to include a prohibition against cash contributions except in the case of buying tickets for events.

The Legal and Legislative Committee approved a motion to recommend the policy for consideration by the full council next week. The full council also is expected to consider the Chattanooga Police Department’s specific solicitation request next week.

Later, on Tuesday night, the City Council deferred a request by Girls Preparatory School to have a portion of Frazier Avenue that runs behind the school closed and abandoned by the city for GPS to maintain.

Bob Franklin, an architect representing the school, said GPS wants to own the portion of road so that the school can fix up a thoroughfare that he said has potholes and needs serious rehabilitation. He said the school now is willing to keep the road open to the public around the clock and year round.

But Rich Bailey, of 519 Sterling Ave., said neighbors have a “dubious history” with the school and asked the council to deny the proposed road closure and abandonment.

Public Works Administrator Steve Leach said the city can’t afford to make needed repairs to this part of Frazier Avenue.

Council Chairwoman Linda Bennett asked the school representatives and neighbors to sit down and iron out the issue. The ordinance was deferred until July 29.