Wednesday, September 16th

Chattanooga Unite Schedule 2 p.m. Armed Forces Parade along Broad Street from M.L. King Boulevard to the riverfront at Ross’s Landing 3 p.m. * Memorial Service and Remembrance * National anthem and Pledge of Allegiance * Presentation of military colors * Tributes from community and military leaders * Eternal Father” (Navy and Marine funeral song) * Flags presented to families * 21-gun salute * Playing of Taps * Chattanooga Combined Church Choir 4:30 p.m. Blue Angel Missing-Man Formation flyover 5-6:30 p.m. Harry Connick Jr. 7-8:30 p.m. Brantley Gilbert with Trace Adkins, Colt Ford and Aaron Lewis 8:30 p.m. Fireworks More information * Parking: There will be free parking at all CARTA lots and Finley Stadium and free shuttle service originating at Finley from noon to 10 p.m. CARTA shuttles and buses will run regular routes except during the parade when the shuttle will pick up on Market instead of Broad. * Road closures: The ramp from Veterans Bridge to Riverfront Parkway will be closed until 6 a.m. Thursday. Riverfront Parkway will be closed from Molly Lane to Aquarium Way from 9 a.m. today to 6 a.m. Thursday. * Security: Gate security will be in place at entry points near the Tennessee Aquarium and will be similar to that used during Riverbend. The Cleveland Daily Banner- The Cleveland City Council has expanded the scope of a previously approved compensation plan review to include a comparison of the city’s benefits package.”We have lost employees to some cities that had better benefits,” Mayor Tom Rowland said. Steve Thompson of Burris, Thompson & Associates presented information Monday about the study to the Council. As a part of the study, Thompson will compare the salaries of city employees with the market average for those jobs. Thompson said there might be a few positions where changes need to be made to keep the pay scale competitive. Thompson said accounting and engineering jobs have more growth in the market, so adjustments may need to be made in those areas. City job descriptions will be used to ensure the current pay rates are being compared to the current positions elsewhere. A compensation plan needs to be reviewed every two to three years, Thompson said. He recommended an in-depth look every seven to 10 years. Also during Mondays’ meeting, Development and Engineering director Jonathan Jobe gave an update on the LIC North project. He said the city is still in conversations with the Tennessee Department of Transportation concerning a property needed for the Local Interstate Connector North. The road design would run through the property’s septic system. Compensation to the property owner for the land is still in the discussion phase. “As far as TDOT procedures, if there is still sewer they can hook up to they wouldn’t be considered a relocation,” Jobe said. Jobe said the property owner wanted to be relocated. LIC North project will provide access to the proposed Spring Branch Industrial Park. The Banner reports- Cecil Lawrence Inc., the owner of Sunset Memorial Gardens and Hilcrest Memorial Gardens in Cleveland, has only two weeks to address a petition filed by the office of 10th Judicial District Attorney Stephen Crump, and a similar consent order filed by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance. Assistant District Attorney Drew Robinson said Monday the petition filed by his office is headed to Chancery Court, and a hearing before Chancellor Jerri Bryant. “We have a number of folks who have filed complaints against the cemetery, both from Cleveland and from out of state,” said Robinson. “We have the complaints and we have documentation.” The attorney general’s petition is for contempt to enforce a consent decree from January. “We’re claiming they did not do what they said they would do,” Robinson continued. Cecil Lawrence Inc. had agreed to maintain certain standards and procedures based on residents’ complaints related to maintenance and upkeep of the cemetery grounds and mausoleum at Sunset Memorial Gardens on North Lee Highway. The petition says the company has failed to maintain a complaint system, has not followed up in addressing the complaints, and has not corrected the problems in a reasonable period of time. The petition also claims plates on crypts in the mausoleum have fallen off, noxious odors are emanating from the crypts, and fluids are leaking from the crypts at various times. Cecil Lawrence Inc. has also received a follow-up consent order from the state, and was fined $5,000. It was also given 30 days by the state to find a mausoleum expert and make arrangements to fix the assorted problems. That deadline also ends in a couple of weeks. CLEVELAND, TN (WRCB) – A Cleveland family is starting over after a fire ripped through their home over the weekend. A man was asleep inside when the fire broke out on Forest Drive. He managed to escape, but the family has nothing left. Around four o’clock Saturday morning fire spread through Christina and Eric Pearce’s home. Christina was out of town. But the two family dogs, Cocoa and Latte, made sure to wake Eric up and alert him to the fire. While the family is thankful for the dogs’ actions, they are now focused on helping their loved ones start over. The couple lived in the home for more than 20 years, raising their three daughters there. The couple’s niece, Brooklyn, has spearheaded fundraising efforts with a donation site to help her aunt and uncle. They have setup a gofundme account: http://www.gofundme.com/Pearcetragedy The Cleveland Daily Banner reports- The Bradley County Commission Ad Hoc Animal Control committee has sent two proposals to the full Commission for inspection. The common points of both show a hike of at least $110,000 in the animal control budget, maintain the current SPCA shelter, limit pickup to weekday hours and have no financial connection with the city of Cleveland. A new option was placed on the table by Chairman Thomas Crye which represents a merging of several ideas. To read this full report and review the options view our web site mymix1041.com The points of the option are: – No budgetary funds required for this fiscal year with pickup beginning July 1, 2016. n SPCA contract remains in effect through Feb. 29, 2016, at the current $80,000 yearly budget. – The new SPCA contract would begin March 1, 2016, and run through June 30, 2017, with $120,000 annual funding (which was originally budgeted for this year but not released). – The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office would begin animal pickup with two officers and a vehicle beginning July 1, 2016, with estimated personnel costs of $110,000 per year and $10,000 overtime costs for 24/7 calls. – The difference between the $80,000 the SPCA received and the $120,000 budgeted would be used toward the purchase of vehicles and equipment for the BCSO pickup service — approximately $26,664. n Once the overtime budget of $10,000 is exhausted, the 24/7 pickup would cease until the need for the service can be analyzed. – The SPCA?contract would automatically roll over to fiscal year 2017-18 and transform into a 12-month contract, unless a 90-day notice is given. A renegotiation of the contract would be required for fiscal year 2018-19. – SPCA would maintain its contractual service to answer calls for wounded and dangerous animals. The BCSO would be the upfront agency concerning animals that are endangering humans and will be responsible for and encouraged to write citations against those pet owners who are not properly keeping their animals in accordance with laws, statutes and resolutions. – SPCA?will accept animals from within the city limits, if space permits. That proposal would bring the cost to around $240,000. The idea of overtime may not be necessary as the committee agreed to keep pickup down to a weekday-only service outside of emergency calls. Sheriff Eric Watson presented his second proposal for animal pickup. The total startup cost would be $81,647 with a recurring yearly cost of $119,787 for two officers working Monday through Saturday. Watson said most calls concerning animals come between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. “We have no equipment to start this service, but I think this is a real good proposal,” he said. He added these would be POST-certified officers. “It would be a one-stop shop,” Watson said. “Anything animal related, we’ll know what to do.” He added it was not a service his department was looking to acquire. “We really don’t have time to respond to animals calls,” Watson said. “We have thieves and burglaries to worry about. I’m just being honest with you. But, we’ll do anything the Commission asks of us.” SPCA President Ed Elkins presented a new proposal from the organization. He noted the proposal would be for canine pickup only since they are covered under Tennessee state law. “We have about all the cats we can handle,” Elkins said. SPCA would provide pickup service and sheltering for residents outside of the city of Cleveland’s boundaries, and continue the emergency pickup as already addressed in the current contract with the county. The hours for pickup would be between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., Monday through Friday. According to the proposal, a new contract would begin Oct. 1 and the quarterly payment to the SPCA would then be increased to $120,000 for the remainder of the fiscal year. That amount is already budgeted, but has been withheld pending the resolution of the animal pickup scenario. SPCA officials also said it could begin animal service as early as Dec. 1, but would request two-thirds of the quarterly amount charged for animal pickup be paid on Oct. 1, “to allow the SPCA one month to hire and train employees.” “If the Commission wished to delay implementation of the pickup service beyond Dec. 1, the quarterly payment would be reduced by one-third for each month of the delay,” the proposal reads. Elkins said there was no estimated cost for the pickup service because it was anticipated the county would be required to advertise for bids to provide specific services. “The SPCA?Board intends to submit a sealed bid that would include animal pickup services, but does not wish to make public their bid prior to the Commission providing a package that would provide details as to required pickup services,” the proposal stated. However, Elkins admitted the $110,000 figure would probably be close to what the organization’s cost would be to provide the service, making SPCA’s proposal between $230,000 and $240,000. “I think we can offer this service probably in the neighborhood of $100,000 to $110,000,” he said. “That’s a ballpark number.” He added the SPCA?already has liability insurance and two vehicles. The committee voted to send both proposals to the Commission for discussion and possible action. Cleveland Daily Banner- Reminder The Bradley County Trustee’s Office will be closed Wednesday, Sept. 16, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for office training, according to an announcement by Mike Smith, trustee. The office, located in the Bradley County Courthouse, will maintain regular hours during the other days of the week. Questions may be directed to 423-728-7248.