Council Public Safety Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Public Safety Committee met on March 5, 2013, at 1:00 p.m., with Peggy Henson presiding. The committee addressed four agenda items during the meeting, taking five votes and hearing four public comments.

The committee approved the Summary and voted to approve the 24 Hour Nuisance Abatement Form Update. An informational presentation on the FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Update was provided to the committee. The committee also considered Items Referred to Committee, which were deferred for future action.

Attendance

Present: Peggy Henson, Kevin Stinnett, Shevawn Akers, Diane Lawless, Bill Farmer, George Myers, Jennifer Mossotti, Harry Clarke, and Ed Lane

Absent: Chuck Ellinger

Late: None

Votes and Decisions

Approval of February 5, 2013 Meeting Summary 4:00

Motion by Bill Farmer, seconded by Shevawn Akers. The summary from the February 5, 2013 meeting was approved unanimously. All nine members voted in favor: Peggy Henson, Kevin Stinnett, Shevawn Akers, Diane Lawless, Bill Farmer, George Myers, Jennifer Mossotti, Harry Clarke, and Ed Lane.

Updated 24 Hour Nuisance Abatement Form 6:37

Motion by George Myers, seconded by Peggy Henson. The updated 24 Hour Nuisance Abatement Form was approved unanimously by all nine members. The form will be revised with updated language and bright color (such as Tennessee orange) before printing.

Hazardous Materials Ordinance 21:39

Motion by Diane Lawless, seconded by Ed Lane. The Hazardous Materials Ordinance was moved to the full Council for a vote. The motion passed unanimously with all nine members in favor.

Draft Public Nuisance Ordinance 22:12

Motion by Shevawn Akers, seconded by Diane Lawless. The draft Public Nuisance Ordinance was moved to the full Council for a vote. The motion passed unanimously with all nine members in favor.

Adjournment 22:43

Motion by Bill Farmer, seconded by Shevawn Akers. The meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote of all nine members.

Public Comment

Several council members and members of the public addressed the council on March 4, 2013, raising concerns about emergency preparedness and a proposed ordinance.

Emergency Preparedness and Safety

Council Member Myers expressed interest in a new FEMA policy that allows residential wind retrofit projects 9:47. Myers requested that information about this program be shared with the public through council email blasts and newsletters.

Council Member Akers raised concerns about tornado preparedness in mobile home parks 14:08. Akers noted that the county is working with park management to develop individual and park-wide emergency plans rather than building centralized shelters.

Council Member Farmer suggested keeping the discussion on safe places for emergencies in committee 17:53. Farmer proposed exploring potential community-level mitigation funding opportunities that could extend beyond individual emergency plans.

Public Nuisance Ordinance

Stephen Marshall and Craig Hardin, members of the public, spoke in opposition to a draft Public Nuisance Ordinance 3:30. Both expressed concerns about the ordinance's implications on property rights and its enforcement mechanisms.

Contested Items

The meeting included two areas of significant disagreement:

Public Nuisance Ordinance Draft

Community members Stephen Marshall and Craig Hardin expressed opposition to the draft Public Nuisance Ordinance. Both members of the public raised concerns about the ordinance's provisions, indicating broader community resistance to the proposed measure.

24 Hour Nuisance Abatement Form Wording

Council Members Clarke and Akers identified problems with the language and clarity of the 24 Hour Nuisance Abatement Form. Their specific concern focused on the use of the word "or" in the form's wording, which they argued created an incorrect implication that filing an appeal could serve as an alternative to abatement rather than as a separate process. This distinction was important to the council members, as it could affect how property owners understood their obligations and options. The concerns raised by Clarke and Akers prompted discussion of revisions to clarify the form's language and ensure it accurately reflected the intended procedures.

Approval of Summary

The committee approved the summary from the February 5, 2013 meeting. 4:00

Bill Farmer made the motion to approve the summary, and Shevawn Akers seconded the motion. The motion passed without dissent.

24 Hour Nuisance Abatement Form Update

5:04

David Jarvis from Code Enforcement presented an updated 24-hour emergency notice to abate form to the committee.

Key Changes to the Form

The revised form included several modifications:

• Clarification of the abatement deadline
• Addition of a bright color (such as Tennessee orange) to the form
• Revised language emphasizing that failure to abate results in billing to the property owner

Outcome

The committee approved the form with conditions for further revisions to be made before implementation.

FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program Update

7:39

Pat Dugger presented an update on FEMA's hazard mitigation grant program to the committee.

Key Updates

The presentation covered approval of an updated mitigation plan and new guidance from FEMA. A significant development was the introduction of new guidance that allows wind retrofit grants for residential properties, expanding the types of projects eligible for funding under the program.

Discussion Points

The committee discussed potential community applications for these grants, indicating interest in identifying local projects that could benefit from the hazard mitigation funding. The discussion also highlighted the need for outreach efforts to ensure that community members and local organizations are aware of the new grant opportunities and guidance.

Outcome

This agenda item was informational in nature, with no formal action required. The update provided the committee with current information about FEMA's hazard mitigation grant program and positioned the group to consider future applications and community engagement strategies related to these funding opportunities.

Items Referred to Committee

16:49

The committee reviewed multiple items that had been referred for consideration, including fleet management, safe places for emergencies, abandoned housing, vehicle replacement policy, noise disturbance ordinance, infill and redevelopment recommendations, hazardous materials ordinance, public nuisance ordinance, and tenant transition.

Key speakers during this discussion included George Myers, Bill Farmer, Jennifer Mossotti, and Ed Lane.

Several of the referred items were removed or deferred during the review process. The specific details regarding which items were removed versus deferred, and the rationale for each decision, are available in the meeting transcript.

Outcome: The items referred to committee were deferred.