Jane Groff

The Beer Board reviewed and approved several beer permit applications for common area, subordinate retailer, and retailer uses. The City Council addressed multiple zoning and land use ordinances, including amendments for industrial campus lodging, alley abandonments, and future land use map designations. Additionally, the Council authorized budget amendments for infrastructure investment, reviewed tree ordinance revisions to align with Tree City USA requirements, and approved various special event permits and surplus property disposals.

The agenda includes several applications for development and land use. Key topics include a request for preliminary plat approval for property on Old Glory Rd., multiple requests from Big Springs Investment Company, Inc. regarding the annexation, plan of services, future land use map designation, and zoning designation for property on Big Springs Rd., and a request for site plan approval for commercial development off of E. Lamar Alexander Parkway and Woodland Acres Rd.

The council conducted several public hearings regarding the abandonment of an alley, the annexation of specific property, a future land use map amendment, and zoning map amendments. During the business meeting, the council adopted ordinances pertaining to signs, soil erosion and sedimentation control, and stormwater quality management. Additionally, the council approved resolutions concerning property annexation, crediting accumulated sick leave as creditable service, updating personnel rules and procedures, and amending the position classification plan. The meeting also addressed the declaration of surplus items for disposal.

The combined meeting included a Beer Board session to consider granting a Retailer's On and Off-Premises Beer Permit to Amy Louise Fuentes d/b/a Rustic Kitchen. The Public Hearing addressed an ordinance to abandon Alley #200, a resolution to annex property (Blount County Tax Map 058D Group B Parcel 031.00), the corresponding Plan of Services, and two first-reading ordinances related to designating that annexed property as Commercial on the Future Land Use Map and zoning it as Business & Transportation within the Parkway Overlay District. The City Council session included consideration of second readings for ordinances pertaining to sign regulations, repealing and replacing Chapter 2 (Grading, Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control), and repealing and replacing Chapter 5 (Vegetated Buffer Zone and Stormwater Quality Management). The Council also addressed first readings for the alley abandonment and the annexation/zoning changes previously heard in the public hearing. Additional council business involved resolutions concerning crediting accumulated sick leave as creditable service with TCRS, updating personnel rules, amending the position classification/compensation plan for Utility Construction Inspector, and a motion to declare certain items as surplus for disposal.

The meeting involved numerous considerations for ordinances on second reading, primarily concerning land use and zoning amendments for recently annexed properties (Tax Map 058D C 015.00 and 001.00, and 068B F 001.00), including updating the Future Land Use Map and Zoning Map, and adding the Parkway Overlay District to specific parcels. Other second-reading ordinance considerations involved amending the Official Zoning Map to remove properties from the Parkway Overlay District and adding anti-noise regulations for carwash facilities near residential areas. First readings were taken on ordinances related to amending sign regulations and replacing grading/stormwater control ordinances. The council also considered a motion to declare certain items as surplus and authorize their disposal, and adopted a resolution calling for primary and general elections in August and November 2026. A retirement presentation was made for Tim Phillips.