Audio clip
Oct. 13, 2009 City Council Meeting part 1
Audio clip
Oct. 13, 2009 City Council Meeting part 2
The City Council voted Tuesday night to annex two more areas off Old Lee Highway as the city continues to take in commercial property.
"We've taken out most of the residential area," Mayor Ron Littlefield said Tuesday night.
The two areas taken in Tuesday front the southern end of Old Lee Highway near the Summit landfill and the Summit of Softball complex. Mayor Ron Littlefield said last week he would continue annexations of commercial areas but would suspend taking in residential areas if county officials would come to the table and talk about consolidation of government.
The areas voted on Tuesday were greatly reduced alternative plans, said City Attorney Mike McMahan.
"It's frontage areas only," Mr. McMahan said.
The council also talked during the education, arts and culture meeting Tuesday about possibly allowing the sale of alcohol at Memorial Auditorium and the Tivoli Theatre. Council members decided during the meeting they wanted to pursue trying to find a way to sell beer and wine at the venues.
Councilman Andraé McGary, chairman of the committee, said he had three options: Find a nonprofit partner to sell alcohol in the venues, form their own nonprofit organizations or sell the two venues so different management could sell alcohol.
HOW THEY VOTED
The Chattanooga City Council voted 8-1 Tuesday night to annex two areas off Old Lee Highway. Councilman Russell Gilbert cast the only "no" vote.
WHAT'S NEXT
The City Council will continue to hold public hearings on areas to be annexed. Mayor Ron Littlefield has said he would continue to annex areas within the first phase and commercial areas in the second phase. He said he will suspend other annexation in the second phase.
Councilwoman Sally Robinson said the city easily could find a way to sell alcohol itself.
"We have our own nonprofit association," she said.
City officials told the council that the Tivoli Auditorium Promotion Association perhaps could fill the role as the nonprofit entity.
Mr. McGary said the committee would meet again next week to talk about alcohol sales.
"This is a conversation that has been going on for 25-plus years," he said.
In other news, Mayor Ron Littlefield announced Tuesday night at the council meeting that Capt. David Brooks has been named the city's fire marshal. Capt. Brooks is a 13-year veteran of the fire department and has been serving as interim fire marshal for the last 80 days.
He replaces former Fire Marshal Craig Haney.
Cliff has worked for the Times Free Press for five years and covers Chattanooga city government. He previously covered Rhea County, as well as transportation and growth and development in Southeast Tennessee. A native of Maryville, Tenn., Cliff graduated in 2003 from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism. Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a crime reporter with Hernando Today, a supplement of The Tampa (Fla.) ...
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