The first two sessions of East Ridge's "Meet the Mayor" gatherings, held Jan. 12 and Feb. 16, brought discussions about local schools and developments to the forefront.
Held at Local Coffee of East Ridge once each month, the listening sessions were designed to create an open dialogue with citizens to aid local leaders as they work to improve the city.
"We have to be more responsive, and I'm hoping this will help us as a whole," East Ridge Mayor Brian Williams said of the series during a recent city council meeting.
One of the recurring topics of concern during the sessions were the city's schools, which residents said are in need of support.
In response to the feedback, Williams said he is working to form a committee that would be tasked with evaluating the shortcomings of East Ridge schools, then working to meet the identified needs through fundraising, guidance and communication with city and county leaders who can help bring change.
"We believe this would be a great opportunity to form a body that could bridge the gap between the Alumni Association, HCDE, teachers and city government," Williams wrote in an official briefing detailing the sessions.
Williams said he has already reached out to District 8 school board member Tucker McClendon as he works to get the project rolling.
Some of the issues brought up during the meetings - such as the need for a new city manager - are already on their way to being addressed.
City officials received 48 applications for the position and recently began the process of interviewing the top candidates with assistance from the Municipal Technical Advisory Service out of Knoxville.
The eight top candidates selected by city councilmembers are Christopher Dorsey, Glenn Irby, Caryn Miller, David Milliron, Kevin Owens, Alan Geans, William Vance and Lyndon Bonner. The role has been held in interim by Kenny Custer, director of city services, since Scott Miller retired in November.
Another issue already being addressed is selecting a location for a new animal shelter to replace East Ridge Animal Shelter's aging headquarters on Yale Street and bring greater capacity so more animals can be helped.
Late last month, city officials voted to look into the purchase of property located at 1520 and 1524 Rebecca Drive to construct the new facility. The 31,000-square-foot plot is owned by the neighboring church, East Ridge Christian Church-Disciples. If the purchase is approved by the city, money from the $50,000 sale would be used to rehabilitate the church, members said.
Unlike the previous plot of land that was being considered, located on the corner of East End and Oakdale avenues, this location is surrounded by commercial property and does not lie in a floodplain.
Other concerns brought up by residents include drainage ditches being clogged and retaining water; speeding on McBrien Road, which Custer said local police are working to address; and pushback against new homes being constructed in East Ridge, which is already the most densely populated city in Tennessee, according to 2015 census data.
In addition to desire for a community pool, attendees also commented on traffic lights on side streets remaining red for too long, a delay caused by a recent effort to ease rush hour traffic on Ringgold Road. City officials advised residents to note the side streets in question and contact city hall if the wait seems overly excessive.
The next monthly session will be held in March. Connect with the city of East Ridge through Facebook to find out dates and locations for the meetings as they are announced.
Email Myron Madden at mmadden@timesfreepress.com.