Four months after some East Ridge residents scolded Mayor Mike Steele for overlooking a six-figure budget deficit, he convinced his fellow councilmen to spend more than $340,000.
On Monday evening, a 4-0 vote approved the purchase of 19 acres of foreclosed property off Ringgold Road. Vice Mayor Tom Card did not attend the meeting.
The 13-minute meeting took place 72 hours after officials announced it in a corner of the city's website, which attracts about 300 visitors a day, according to www.compete.com, a website that documents Internet traffic.
About a dozen political diehards came to Monday's 6:30 p.m. meeting, while about 50 usually attend the council's bimonthly gatherings. There was no legal notice of the meeting in the newspaper.
Steele didn't regret announcing the meeting with only a weekend's notice, fearing that "information could circulate" if he waited until Thursday's scheduled council meeting.
"It's no different than what [Hamilton] county has gone through with Amazon and what Catoosa County went through with Costco," Steele said. "There is a desire and need for the public to know and, at the same time, by potentially letting the public know, you lose out on an opportunity."
The mayor said innumerable tourists and residents will make positive use of the land, which sits near a lake bordering the East Ridge Flea Market.
"Do we really want another 19 acres devoted to the flea market?" he said.
Money for the property comes from a $2 million loan the city received in 2009 that can only be spent for "economic development-type things," according to Interim City Manager Eddie Phillips.
Most of the money is now gone, with about $1 million spent on lights at Camp Jordan and $300,000 on other projects.
Officials didn't say how much the city will have to pay for renovations and various environmental tests to the property, which holds a building that once housed the Hungry Fisherman restaurant and most recently a landscaping business.
The property is owned by the Community Trust and Banking Co.
After the meeting, City Attorney John Anderson refused to answer questions about how long he's negotiated with the bank, saying "I don't make those comments -- that's not my job."
As the attorney hovered nearby, Steele answered for him, estimating "about six weeks, something like that."
At this point, the city doesn't appear to have a clear mission for the property. Councilmen at Monday's meeting threw out various ideas, including weddings, business meetings and outdoor Boy Scout functions.
"When a city gets to the point that they don't have a vision, next thing you know, it's dead," said Councilman Denny Manning. "Anytime we can get some property for the city, we need to do it."
After the meeting, frustrated Councilman-elect Jim Bethune asked Manning a question stemming from the city's six-figure deficit and several incomplete land deals: "What are you trying to do, Denny, buy up all of East Ridge?"
Manning refused to engage and wandered away.