1995

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

ADMINISTRATION

1. Mayor Sharon Goldsworthy, Vice-Mayor Robert Parrish, Aldermen John Drinnon, Lisa Parker, and Gary Pruitt.
2. Frank Uhlhorn was appointed as Alderman for the city to fill the vacancy in Position 4 of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen for the unexpired term of Sharon Goldsworthy.
3. In 1984, the Board passed an ordinance pertaining to satellite dishes. The original ordinance dealt with dishes that could be erected to ten feet in height. However, new technology allowed for the smaller size of dishes, so that they could be placed on the roof. The new ordinance limited the size of dishes on roofs to 30” in diameter.
4. A Policy Agenda was created for 1995 to serve as one of the parameters upon which the FY96 Budget would be built and based. The staff took items in the Policy Agenda and developed a series of action plans to begin to implement next years budget. The following items were in the Policy Agenda for 1995 (in no particular order):

1. 1. Sense of personal safety and security;
   2. Well maintained infrastructure and facilities;
   3. Preservation of residential character;
   4. Amenities and opportunities: cultural, leisure, recreational;
   5. Financially stable and sound city;
   6. City Services- high quality, customer oriented, responsive;
   7. Quality schools and educational opportunities;
   8. Clean and attractive community;
   9. Community partners- citizens informed and involved; and
   10. Convenient and full service opportunities for citizens.

11. The city hired GRW Aerial Surveys, Inc. to provide aerial photography and digital mapping services for $143,955. The first aerial mapping took place in 1984 and did not include the reserve area.
12. The Board made an amendment to the Subdivision Ordinance. This ordinance required subdivision plat information to be submitted in computer format. Information had been submitted on reproducible mylar. 
13. The Germantown Red Devils Baseball Team was recognized by the Board. The Team claimed the Tennessee Class AAA title and ended their season with a 38-0 record. They were ranked the No. 1 high school baseball team in the nation. The Germantown High School Freshman squad was also ranked No. 1 in the nation when they placed first in the National Cheerleading Competition.
14. Miss Romy Milius, a student from Germantown’s Sister City Konigs Wusterhausen, Germany, presented the Board with a resolution from her home city. The two cities had exchanged resolutions and Miss Milius was delivering the German city’s resolution in person. The Board also established a Sister City Foundation to help support the international relationship. The Foundation consists of a seventeen member Board of Directors. The group met on a monthly basis and established the foundation’s by-laws.
15. The Heritage Women’s Club donated $12,640 for the furnishings for the Quiet Room of the new library. The club paid $4,213 up front with the rest to be paid next year.
16. The Germantown High School Fine Arts Department began an exchange and collaboration with the Moscow International Film School. The Board issued a proclamation extending thanks for the hospitality to the citizens of Moscow for their generous hospitality toward Germantown’s students. Students from Russia later visited Germantown and the Board issued a proclamation welcoming them. The exchange was very productive and fun for all invloved. 
17. An ordinance was passed which made changes to the Germantown Centre Theatre Board of Directors. The name was changed to the Germantown Performing Arts Centre Board of Directors and membership was increased by two for a total of nine members.
18. A Senior Citizen Advisory Commission was established. The commission would have nine members, all residents of Germantown and 55 years of age or older. The commission was charged with the following:

1. 1. To serve in an advisory capacity to the Board concerning the needs of the senior population within the community and other related issues. Recommendations for policies affecting the senior population shall be presented to the Board during the annual budget process;
   2. To assist in the identification of the needs of the seniors within the community and develop an annual Senior Citizen Policy Agenda; and
   3. To prepare an annual report for consideration by the Board.

19. Three hotels were being developed in Germantown. The State Statute identifies and allows municipalities to collect an occupancy tax up to 5% on hotels/motels within its corporate limits. Approval of the tax required a change of the city’s Private Act Charter. The amendment was ratified as Private Chapter No. 120, Senate Bill No. 1912, Private Acts of 1995. The rate was set at 3%.
20. A new Mutual Aid Agreement for fire services between the Germantown and Collierville was established. The new agreement included an automatic aid provision whereby Germantown would provide a first response pumper to a predetermined area of Collierville. 
21. The Board amended the Zoning Ordinance as it pertains to accessory buildings. The change required that all accessory structures be located behind the front line of the building.
22. A Germantown Library Commission was established. This twelve member commission would serve in an advisory capacity to the Board on issues dealing with the new library.
23. Assistant City Administrator James Lewellen was given a plaque in recognition for his six years to the city. He took the job of City Administrator for the Town of Collierville.
24. In 1994, the City contracted with Tischler and Associates to conduct a “Fiscal Impact Analysis” to evaluate the fiscal consequences of developing the remaining vacant land within the corporate limits. The study began with current vacant areas and projected development for the next 15 years. 

Three land use development scenarios were analyzed. Although all three scenarios generated net revenue, it was determined that growth alone would not sustain the city during the 15 year period. 

It was determined that what was needed was a comprehensive approach and financial strategy which would provide the “blueprint” for addressing the needs and priorities of the community based upon maintaining operations and service levels, addressing future capital improvement needs and the city’s aging infrastructure. The following recommendations were made:

1. 1. Curtail the growth in personnel spending, where possible;
   2. Develop and implement strategies for shifting the funding of current services, where applicable, from local tax revenues to other sources;
   3. Encourage active communication and cooperation;
   4. Target significant expenditure areas for control;
   5. Continue to work aggressively to increase tax and fee compliance;
   6. Continue to make smart investments in new technology;
   7. Continue to promote competition;
   8. Emphasize capital investment and preventative maintenance for city facilities;
   9. Focus on functional missions through departmental strategic plans; and
   10. Set specific goals and measure rates.

Several city departments had already initiated many of the above recommendations. It was stated that the task for the future was to continue to embrace this philosophy and to keep in place a government that works smarter and delivers more.    

DEVELOPMENT

25. Developments included two hotels: Courtyard by Marriott proposed for three stories and 93 rooms on the north side of Wolf River Boulevard, west of Germantown Road; and Homewood Suites proposed for three stories and 80 rooms on the south side of Wolf River Boulevard, east of Germantown Road.
26. Other developments included the Southtrust Bank, Chick-Fil-A, an addition to Germantown Presbyterian Church, the Vineyards Phase II, Kinkos, and Trustone Bank. Methodist Hospital was allowed to expand by 96,000 square feet. 
27. Webb Building Corporation was awarded the contract to construct the new 31,000 square foot Germantown Community Library on the corner of Farmington and Exeter. The cost of the contract was $4,525,372. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on August 15, 1995. The engineering contract for Phase II of the library was awarded for $26,180.
28. Mayer Construction was awarded the contract to construct the Athletic Complex for $801,000. The contract included the construction of a second baseball field in the complex. This project was the third in what was called the “Big Three”, which were very important projects to the community. The three were the Performing Arts Centre, the new Library, and the expansion of playing fields for the community’s young people.
29. The Department of Development was reorganized for more efficiency. The reorganization entailed dividing the department into two distinct divisions, Planning and Development and Engineering and Capital Improvement activities. The positions of Project Administrator and Plans Review Engineer were created. The primary reason for the change was to allow the city to give additional emphasis on the development and implementation of the City’s Capital Improvement budget on an annual basis.   

ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES

30. The Board passed a resolution in opposition to a proposed landfill in Fayette County, Tennessee. If it were allowed, it would have been the largest landfill in the State. The landfill would have served over a dozen states other than Tennessee and the traffic from the trash trucks would have gone through Germantown on their way to the fill. Another problem was that the proposed fill sat directly on top of the Memphis Sand Aquifer and could have contaminated the sole drinking water source for all of Shelby County.
31. The Board passed a resolution in support of a Wellhead Protection Plan. The program was in conjunction with the requirements established by the Tennessee Wellhead Protection Regulations. The purpose of the program was to control development within the influence of the city’s wellfields so that potential contaminants would not infiltrate the water system.
32. The City accepted a Recycling Rebate Grant in the amount of $11,799 for the State of Tennessee. The funds were used to promote recycling and waste reduction programs such as The Environmental Reporter, a city publication, and information regarding recycling and composting.
33. The Board executed an agreement with Herff College of Engineering Ground Water Institute. It had developed the first phase of the Wellhead Protection for the City of Memphis with a savings of approximately $30,000 to Germantown. The Institute had been a source of data for both the city’s customer base and water use.     

FINANCE

34. The Board approved the FY96 Budget, which totaled $28.2 million dollars. Germantown’s revenues were generated by 43% from property taxes, 20% from local sales tax, 18% from state shared allocations, 10% from licenses and fees and 3% from interest income. The adoption of the budget is considered the single most important action taken by the Board each year.
35. The Board approved the 1996 to 2001 Capital Improvements Program. Projects included water tower repairs, Miller Farms drainage, median landscaping, and park improvements. The CIP for the next year is the only one for which the Board appropriates money. 

FIRE

36. Fire Chief Jim Smith retired after 45 years of fire service and eleven years as Fire Chief for Germantown. A proclamation was issued in his honor. Assistant Chief Dennis Wolf was promoted to Chief.

PARKS AND RECREATION

37. The Board approved a professional services contract with The Centre Group to conduct a total quality management program within the Parks and Recreation Department. Over the past several years, the city had begun the process of introducing the principals, practices and concepts of a Total Quality Management Program in the Finance and Environmental Services Departments. It was decided to introduce this program on a department by department basis, rather than citywide. In addition, the Parks and Recreation Department benefited by having their department certified by the National Parks and Recreation Association.   

PERSONNEL

38. An Employee Assistance Program was established as a Confidential Referral and Counseling Program to allow employees and dependents to seek help and assistance before their problems became too large. The cost of the program was $20 per employee for a total of $7,000. The Personnel Advisory Committee unanimously supported the program.
39. The following changes were made to the city’s retirement plan:

1. 1. No longer require non-emergency service personnel to contribute 1.25% of their salary to the plan;
   2. Add a death benefit equal to 50% of a joint survivor benefit to a beneficiary for non-married participants that would be equal to what the married participants currently received; and
   3. An additional benefit of ½% of average earnings per year of service up to 30 years payable to emergency services personnel beginnings at early retirement eligibility and ending at age 65.   

POLICE

40. Two German Shepherd police dogs were purchased for $3,600 each. The two dogs on the force were expected to retire within the year.
41. 26 Ford Crown Victorias were purchased, along with 6 Luminas for the police as part of a lease/purchase agreement.
42. The Police Department had been using common stock badges. It was decided to purchase badges with a design unique to Germantown and copyright it. 
43. 20 hand-held radar units were purchased from Progressive Electronics for $10,399.
44. The Mayor entered into an agreement with the University of Memphis Office of Continuing Education for the implementation of the Alive-at-25 Course for Houston and Germantown High Schools in the amount of $14,400.