1985

Administration | Development | Environmental Services | Finance | Fire | Parks and Recreation | Personnel | Police

ADMINISTRATION

1. Mayor Boyd Arthur, Jr., Aldermen Wayne Addison, Wanda Goodman, Sam Massey, Bill McGaughey, and Jay Kahn (Vice-Mayor).
2. Attorneys were: R. Lee Winchester (City Attorney), Boyd Rhodes, Jr. (Assistant City Attorney-Advisor to Board of Mayor and Aldermen), C. Thomas Cates (Asst. City Attorney-Advisor to the Design Review Commission), Louis J. Miller (Asst. City Attorney-Advisor to Planning Commission), Alan Strain (Asst. City Attorney-Advisor to Board of Zoning Appeals).
3. The Prosecuting Attorneys were Glenn Millar, Jr. (Asst. City Attorney- Senior Prosecuting Attorney), Joe Lee Wyatt  (Asst. City Attorney- Asst. Prosecuting Attorney), Alan Strain (Asst. City Attorney- Asst. Prosecuting Attorney).
4. City Judges were Olen Batchelor and Raymond S. Clift.
5. Commissions and Committees included City Beautification Commission, Germantown Advisory Commission, Planning Commission, Design Review Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, Financial Advisory Committee, Cultural Arts Committee, Historic Committee, Personnel Advisory Committee and Retirement Plan Administrator Committee.
6. The Charter Committee completed the revisions to the City’s Charter and the Board reviewed the Charter in its final form.  The Board sent the amended Charter to the State Legislature for approval.  The Legislature approved the Charter and the Board ratified it as Private Chapter No. 87, House Bill No. 1125, Private Acts of 1985. 
7. Reorganization of the Public Safety Departments, Fire and Police, was proposed to provide for improved managerial effectiveness in the delivery of public safety services.  To place this reorganization into effect required the establishment of two assistant chiefs in both fire and police; one being the Operations Chief and the other being the Assistant Chief for Administration.  The position of Lieutenant in the Police Department was eliminated. The changes were as follows:

• Fire Department: Jim Smith, Fire Chief
• John O’Bryan, Assistant Chief for Operations
• Dennis Wolf, Assistant Chief for Administration
• Police Department: Bob Cochran, Police Chief
• Paul Hamblen, Assistant Chief for Administration
• Eddie Boatwright, Assistant Chief for Operations 

8. A “Jail-A-Thon” was held on August 30 to benefit the American Cancer Society. The event was held on the Kmart Plaza parking lot.
9. The Board approved Ordinance No. 1985-26 which fixed the time and place for regular meetings of the Board as the second and fourth Mondays of each month at the Municipal Center.
10. A Homecoming ’86 Committee was formed to coincide with Lamar Alexander’s Homecoming 86 program.  Germantown’s homecoming event took place in conjunction with the 1986 Fourth of July Celebration.  Bess Barry was appointed Chairman of the Committee.
11. The Germantown Community Foundation was established. This foundation was instituted to help fund the civic center project.  It was realized that many private corporations would not donate funds to any agent other than a foundation.  The foundation was set up to be broad enough to expand beyond the civic center. 
12. The City started using thermoplastic delineation material for painting street lines. The material provides a greater degree of visibility and reflectivity in inclement weather.  The first batch of material cost $26,100 and covered these streets:

• Poplar Pike between West Street and the west City limits
• West Street between the railroad tracks and McVay Extended 
• Germantown Road between McVay Extended and the railroad tracks
• Southern Avenue between Old Poplar Pike and Johnny Lane.

13. The Board denied the request of Heritage Cablevision to increase rates.  Heritage Cable had purchased the assets of Germantown Cablevision earlier in the year.
14. The BMA authorized the 1985 Christmas Parade for Saturday, December 14, between noon and 1:15 p.m.  The parade assembled at Cameron-Brown Park, proceeded west down Farmington and terminated at Exeter.
15. The City entered into a contract with the Shelby County Clerk for services of his department in the registration of automobiles by Germantown citizens.  This contract, Ordinance No. 1985-30, would require individuals with Germantown addresses to register vehicles with the Shelby County Clerk. 
16. The Board approved the staff recommendation of reorganizing the Engineering Department and the addition of a foreman’s position in the Public Works Department. 

DEVELOPMENT

16. The Humana Hospital had been given approval as Project Development Contract No. 80, however, the Hospital would now be Baptist Memorial Specialty Hospital.  The hospital is located on the east side of Exeter Road north of Poplar Avenue.
17. The Tennessee Department of Transportation agreed to improve Poplar Avenue between Massey and Kirby Roads.  The Board approved a contract for $692,000. There would be no cost to Germantown, with the State’s share being 25% and the Federal Highway Administration’s being 75%.
18. The firm of Barta, Mulvaney & Associates was chosen as consultant for constructing Depot Square Park for $6,750.00.  Total cost of the project was estimated between $75,000 and $80,000.
19. The Board accepted a contract between the Tennessee Department of Transportation, the City of Memphis, Shelby County and the City of Germantown for the development of Germantown Road from Farmington to U.S. 64.  The cost of the improvement was to be funded 85% by the Federal Highway Administration and 15% by TDOT, with no cost to other government bodies.
20. Project Development Contract No. 83, Exeter Village Shopping Centre, received approval from the Board.  The Centre is located on the west side of Exeter Road between Kmart Plaza (now Hobby Lobby) and Poplar Avenue.
21. The City entered into a contract with Memphis and Shelby County to have responsibility for construction, supervision and maintenance of sidewalks, which are built in the Germantown Reserve Area (under new subdivision development contracts), transferred to the City of Germantown.
22. The Board approved Project Development Contract No. 84, the Corporate Centre Office Park.  The Park is located on 8.20 acres in the C.B.D. West Shopping Center.
23. A study was started to determine the impact of the development of undeveloped property, lying along and within 1500 feet of the proposed Wolf River Boulevard, upon the street system and traffic of the City of Germantown.
24. The BMA authorized Project Development Contract No. 86, the new sanctuary for Germantown Presbyterian Church.  The new sanctuary would seat 550 people and have 235 off-street parking spaces.  The project was approved even though several residents in the area complained about future traffic and light problems.
25. McGehee/Nicholson/Burke was awarded the contract for engineering and architectural services on the Civic Center Project for a cost of up to $330,000.
26. The Bank of Bartlett was approved to open a branch at the intersection of Germantown Road and Kirby. 
27. A traffic light was approved for the intersection of Poplar Avenue and Exeter Road.  Studies were also underway for traffic signals at Poplar and Kimbrough and Poplar and Riverdale. 
28. The Minor Medical Clinic, located at 2183 Germantown Road, was authorized as Project Development Contract No. 88, despite some concerns over increased traffic on Germantown Road.

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

29. The Board voted for a contract with MLG&W for the provision of water during emergency situations.  The City would be able to purchase up to 1.5 million gallons of water per day for supplemental fire protection or other emergency situation, such as the malfunction of the City’s water system. 
30. Ordinance No. 1985-17 was established to amend the existing Miscellaneous Offense Ordinance.  This amendment states that the height of weeds, grass and noxious growths shall be lowered from 12” to 9”, on a portion of land, located within 130 feet of any lot containing a habitable dwelling of commercial/office building.
31. Allen & Hoshall was awarded the contract for constructing Shallow Water Well No 4, located near C.O. Franklin Park.  This well would provide an additional 600 gmp capacity. No. 4, another deep well and an additional shallow well (both planned for the future), would bring the pumping capacity to its maximum for the existing plant and complete the total development of that facility.   

FINANCE

32. The City received an award for the third year in a row for Financial Reporting, which reads, “Certificate of Conformance in Financial Reporting presented to the City of Germantown, Tennessee, for its Comprehensive Annual Financial Report for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1984”.
33. The 1985 Property Tax Rate was set at $2.16 per $100 assessed valuation.  The Telephone and Telegraph Pole Tax was set at $.25 per pole.  A comment was made that the Pole Tax should either be raised or dropped entirely.
34. The Board adopted Ordinance No. 1985-19, the City’s operating budget for FY86. The City also passed a resolution to adopt the Capital Improvements Program for FY86 through FY91.  The total budget for 1986 was $21,377,000. This figure was reached after the $200,000 appropriated for the estimated cost of construction of the eastern portion of Stout Road was deferred to FY87.
35. The City approved a 2.0% salary range movement for 1986.  The plan was based on merit, and depending on where an employee was in the range and his performance, he might not  receive an increase.  One Alderman felt that moving ranges twice a near was not normal and he recommended making range movements only once a year.
36. The Board issued a resolution for issuing, selling and delivering $9,000,000 in General Obligation Bonds.  A provision was made to raise property tax annually to pay for the bonds.    

FIRE

37. Germantown’s first three civil defense sirens were installed for alerting the citizens of Germantown of an impending emergency situation.
38. The Fire Code was amended with Ordinance 1985-16.  This Ordinance would require that all buildings with an occupancy capacity of three hundred or more persons, all buildings exceeding five thousand square feet; all hotels and motels; all multi-family buildings consisting of five or more attached units are to be protected with residential sprinkler systems in accordance with NFPA 13d.
39. After a recommendation from the Fire Department, the Board made the eight part-time positions in the Fire Department to three full-time positions.  It was the consensus that the system would be more efficient. 
40. Mayor Arthur introduced Fire Chief James Smith and welcomed him to the city staff. Chief Smith was also appointed as Civil Defense Director for the city.

PARKS AND RECREATION

41. Bobby Carter was recognized as employee of the year for 1984 for the Parks and Recreation Department.
42. The Mayor presented a plaque to Don Hazelwood, former chairman of the City Beautification Commission, expressing appreciation for his service to the community, both as a member and as chairman of the Commission.  Mr. Hazelwood resigned his position on the Commission since he would be moving out of the city.
43. The City’s Parks and Recreation Department had previously received a “Concern for Kids” award from the Tennessee Federation of Women’s Club.  The Department then entered into a State contest for which it won “Number One”.  The Department was hopeful that they would also win on the national level.
44. The City hired Dr. Gerald Smith to provide archeological services for the Fort Germantown historic site. Dr. Smith would provide for excavation in two areas of the site, complete the application for placing the site on the National Register of Historic Places, and submit all the paperwork for the Department of Conservation grant.

PERSONNEL

45.   A study by the City staff of pension plans of area cities and private companies revealed that the city’s pension plan needed to be improved.  The recommendation was to change the plan from a 45% plan with a 60% social security offset to a 60%/50% plan.  The City’s contribution would increase from $80,000 to $180,000 annually.
46.       The Board resolved that:

The City of Germantown shall participate in the agreement between the cities of Athens and Hendersonville and such other municipalities as participate therein, said agreement being to cooperate in creating, establishing and contracting with the TML Insurance Pool, a not-for-profit Tennessee corporation organized to provide a method for political subdivisions of the State of Tennessee to obtain risk management, insurance, self-insurance or any combinations thereof for any and all areas of liability or insurability.

POLICE

47.       The Police upgraded its car shields from wire to bullet resistant protection.