The city of Chattanooga almost has a handle on the membership needs of its nearly 40 appointed boards, city officials say. That's after expired terms and vacancies have hobbled its two bond-granting boards in recent months.
But City Attorney Wade Hinton says that soon a new system will be in place to keep the board rosters from going stale.
In other business
In other business, council members: * Heard an update on the city's Chattanooga Area Regional Transportation Authority. * Discussed waiving city waste fees associated with the removal of the Casey barge on the Tennessee River. City Public Works Administrator Lee Norris estimates the fees would be under $1,000. * Discussed a change to city code that would allow the Land Development Office to collect fire inspection fees. The plan also would restructure fire fees such that they would be 20 percent of the value of the building, instead of $50. The city officials said the fees would decrease fee costs for smaller projects but increase costs for very large projects.
The city has 37 boards -- appointed by the City Council, the mayor or both -- overseeing items of public interest ranging from public transportation, to recreation, to trees.
For years, the lists have gone largely unmonitored. Vacancies have been getting filled as needed.
In September 2014, the City Council had to fill four posts on the city's Industrial Development Board, which reviews tax breaks for commercial development.
And this month, council members restocked four spots on its Health, Education and Housing Facilities Board, which oversees similar tax deals for housing projects.
Vacancies on the housing board -- and the process for replacing members -- have pushed discussion of a 16-year tax break for a 97-unit apartment conversion at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Hotel back by up to eight weeks, Choo Choo partner Jon Kinsey said Tuesday.
Hinton said Tuesday his staff has nearly completed a months-long assessment of membership for all the boards, which will determine what bodies have vacancies, or members with expired terms.
"We are at the tail end of what has been a long process. ... This has been a good assessment, or inventory of the boards. And soon we will be getting in a format, electronically, that will help [keep track of members]," Hinton said.
That system likely will be government tracking software called Granicus, Hinton said.
Chattanooga Chief Operations Officer Brent Goldberg said Tuesday the city will likely use the safe software for many aspects of city government.
In addition to the software, Councilwoman Carol Berz asked Hinton on Tuesday to produce a notebook for the council. She also said she wanted to make a blanket rule for all boards that members must live inside the city limits.
"This is delegated authority, and it's about decisions made in the city," Berz said. "Why would anyone outside of the city be participating in that?"
Hinton said the next step for his office will be to establish up-to-date bylaws for each board.
Contact staff writer Louie Brogdon at lbrogdon@timesfreepress.com, @glbrogdoniv on Twitter or at 423-757-6481.