Billy Burnette for Collegedale

04/05/2025

Well here is the agenda for the Commission meeting on Monday.

•Second reading and public hearing to amend the official zoning ordinances. -mostly clean up items and clarify a few things.

• First reading to amend the official zoning map. It was recommended by the planning commission to define certain zoning boundaries in the city.

• Approval request for Airport Ceilometer install. - Last month the commission approved to purchase the ceilometer equipment and didn’t realize they would need a new UHF radio to operate the new equipment. Now they’re coming back to ask for $2960 more dollars, bringing the total to install this equipment to $63,391. I’m not a pilot but I’m assuming it’s for safety reasons. I’m not sure what they have been doing up until now to see the height of the clouds. Someone told me there was an app or local info to figure it out. Safety first I guess.

• Approval Request of Bid for SkyBoss Hangar Site - I think we all know what this is. This is the bids to do the site prep so that Jay Jolley can build his SkyBoss HQ. Part of the funding came from a State grant. Apparently there’s not enough left over to complete the site prep. The proposed budget has $700,000 of taxpayer dollars going to the airport to cover this overage. One thing that confuses me is, how can you accept a bid without the funding. The budget has not been approved before they accept this bid. The funding is being proposed in the budget. I don’t care what the commissioners say, they have to know how each other is going to vote in order to be this confident. That’s just my opinion, not accusing (for legality reason haha).

• Approval Request of Bid for Katie Lamb Public Library Remodel. - The funding for this was approved for this budget $500,000.

• Approval Request of Bid for 2025 Freedom Festival- this is a bid for from The Friends of the Festival to put on our Freedom Festival on July 3rd. This is for $28,500. From my understanding this does not include the actual fireworks. That’s separate. This includes ice, marketing/photography, production crew, artists compensation, children’s entertainment, other expenses.

• Approval Request for American Legion Shed at the Commons - The American Legion is requesting to add on to the current barn at The Commons, at their own expense, to store some of their equipment they use during their regular meetings. They currently store them in the barn and they are getting dusty and dirty.

That pretty much sums up the upcoming meeting. Everything on this agenda will pass with possibly one no vote on one item. We will see.
I want to say this, I love this city. I plan on living here for the rest of my life. I’m very proud to call this city my home. When I post things I’m not trying to be negative, I just want the best for our city and our citizens. Others in this city have a different agenda and I can’t just sit back and watch, and when I say this I’m not just referring to the Airport.
Please get involved in your city and use your voice, no matter which side of any topic. Just get involved.
Thanks

🚨📣📢ATTENTION PLEASE📢📣🚨

A Special Called # Collegedale Commission Workshop will be held on, April 7, 2025, at 4:00 pm, prior to the regularly scheduled commission meeting to discuss the city’s FY 2026 BUDGET PROPOSAL. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. Those that can’t attend, can watch us live on our LIVESTREAM feature on our website by clicking here: https://www.collegedaletn.gov/government/agendas___minutes/livestream/index.php

Click here for the Agenda WITH the Proposed FY 2026 Budget:https://cms8.revize.com/revize/collegedaletn/April%207,%202025%20Special%20Called%20Workshop%20Meeting.pdf

A Commission Meeting will follow the Workshop, at 6:00 pm. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend this meeting as well. Those that can’t attend, can watch us live on our LIVESTREAM feature on our website by clicking here: https://www.collegedaletn.gov/government/agendas___minutes/livestream/index.php

Click Here for the Agenda & Minutes from the last meeting:https://cms8.revize.com/revize/collegedaletn/April%207,%202025%20commission%20meeting%20agenda%20packet.pdf

Meeting Topics:
1. Second Reading to Amend New Zoning Ordinance
2. First Reading to amend Official Zoning Map
3. Approval Request to Install Airport Ceilometer
4. Approval Request of Bid to for SkyBoss Hangar Site Build at Airport
5. Approval Request for Katie Lamb Public Library Remodel
6. Approval Request of Bid for 2025 Freedom Festival
7. Approval Request for American Legion Shed Addition at The Commons

04/03/2025

Here is a quick summary of the proposed 2025/2026 Collegedale budget. There was supposed to be a Commission Meeting this Monday the 7th, where we could have discussed the budget, but according to the city website this meeting was cancelled by Mayor Lloyd.
Our city's budget is $15,003,400. We have expenditures amounting to $16,303,600. The deficit is $1,300,200. This money will be coming from the Capital (Project Investment). This is not uncommon, last year they budgeted $2,745,00 from this account for capital projects. They did exceed that due to overtures in bids and the emergency repair of Pine Hill Road.
Our city employees 70 full time and 23 part time personnel. This budget their asking for 6 additional full time and 1 part time position. ( 1 for administration, 1 for Buildings and Codes, 3 for Public Works, 1 for the Police Department, and 1 additional part time for the Airport).
The Capital Improvement budget list is as follows,
Skyboss Airport project overtures $600,000
Greenway expansion $250,000
PD's range upgrades $100,000
Signage $70,000
Website upgrade $50,000
Library holdings reduction $25,000
Snow flakes $25,000
Christmas lights $25,000
Pickleball courts shade $10,000
I'm not sure in this budget what the percentage of raises is to city employees, looking at each department that wasn't getting new employees the salary increase ranges from 2-5%.
The Collegedale Tomorrow Foundation, who runs and maintains The Commons, The Little Debbie Park and the new parking lot is getting a decrease this of $45,000. This makes sense because last budget they received an increase and then mid year they started getting the revenue from all the reservations at the Little Debbie Park. This will off set the decrease this budget.
Just in case anyone was wondering what the city pays Tri-Community Fire Department to provide fire protection for all of us it's $1,277,200. This number goes up slightly every year depending on the budget, people, tax value of properties, it's a very complicated formula. Saying that, the city would not be able to provide this same protection for this amount of money.
The big news is, this budget did not ask for a tax increase. That's good news.
A couple of concerns and questions I have is this; of course the Airport, I disagree with spending $700,000 on top of the already allocated $535,000. This last workshop the priority list of to do items at the Airport was discussed and they agreed to purchase a courtesy car and a beacon tower out of the already allocated funds. Now this is in this budget. What is the allocated funds going to be spent on?
Another question I had was in this years budget there is a line item revenue for donations of $30,000. Where is this from?
The large item capital purchases usually alternates each year from the Police Department (vehicles and equipment) to Public Works (vehicles and equipment). This year it's Public Works turn.
Trucks, landscape equipment, front end loader, used bucket truck, mowers, used backhoe for a total of $735,000.
All in all not a bad budget, I will say that our City Manager ad the Chief Financial Officer does a great job creating our budget. These revenue numbers are somewhat conservative and we usually collect more. This is how we have been able to build a healthy savings account.
I know this is kind of long but important information, Once again this is a proposed budget, there is no telling what the Commissioners might request or cut.

Send a message to learn more

03/25/2025

I have a suggestion for our Collegedale government. It’s budget time, almost too late for suggestions but we will see what happens. Collegedale residents, what’s your thoughts on being able to carry your own large trash or brush to Collegedale Public Works? If I’m cleaning out my garage or trimming some brush, why should we have to wait for one day a month when we could just drive it down there? I truly don’t see where this would be much of a cost increase. Do it during business hours, verify address on license. You would be getting this trash/brush anyway. This saves you from spending gas and manpower coming to pick it up. Citizens wouldn’t have to wait for one day a month and get our lawn destroyed by the grappling arm of the truck. Maybe there are some things I’m not seeing, and I’m sure it will be brought up, however they find ways to do things they want for other projects, why not do something that every citizen can take advantage of instead of a select few. Will an elected official or city official please reply. Thanks.

03/18/2025

Commission Meeting Update

I wanted to share a quick update from last night’s Commission meeting. As I mentioned previously, the agenda items were largely routine, including contract revisions and the approval of a bid for electrical work at the sewer pump station. There were no major surprises during the official meeting. However, as is often the case, the more interesting discussions took place afterward.

Several follow-up questions were raised regarding topics from previous meetings. During these discussions, some issues emerged that could lead to significant changes for our city. One of the most notable topics was a question regarding the City Manager’s contract and legal representation. Vice Mayor Sadler asked whether it is standard practice for a City Manager to hire their own attorney or if the City Attorney typically represents them. City Attorney Sam clarified that his role is to represent the city as a whole, not the City Manager, and that it would be appropriate for the City Manager to seek independent legal counsel.

This raises some concerns. If you’ve attended as many meetings as I have, it is apparent that Vice Mayor Sadler does not support the City Manager and has previously suggested replacing him or accepting his resignation. In my opinion, City Manager Hines is doing an excellent job in a challenging role. He consistently works to maintain the city’s budget and attempted to minimize taxpayer expenses at the airport—though his efforts were overridden by Commissioners Johnson, Baker, and Mayor Lloyd. One of the most difficult aspects of his position is balancing the relationship between city administration and the legislative branch, which has been an ongoing challenge in Collegedale for decades. This Commission has a long history of trying to run the day to day operations and not letting the City Manager do his job.

Ultimately, the City Manager serves at the will of the five commissioners, and if three of them are dissatisfied, his tenure could come to an end. His current contract is set to expire in June. Given the current dynamics of the Commission, Vice Mayor Sadler appears determined to see him removed, Commissioner Howse may follow her lead, and Commissioner Johnson has been inconsistent in past decisions, (like with the previous City Manager) making his stance unpredictable. Meanwhile, Mayor Lloyd and Commissioner Baker seem more inclined to support the City Manager.

If the City Manager is dismissed, it could lead to a revolving door of leadership, making it difficult to retain qualified candidates for the position. It will be difficult to find and keep someone who will put up with what this Commission does. Such instability would likely have a negative impact on city employees and could create a ripple effect throughout the community.

Another point of interest from last night’s meeting involved the City Attorney. When asked a question he could not immediately recall the answer to, he made a comment about the commissioners being “one of six,” clarifying that it was not meant to diminish their importance. However, Vice Mayor Sadler’s reaction suggested otherwise. She has previously expressed concerns that the City Attorney is overextended, particularly when meetings fall on Tuesdays due to his commitments with other municipalities. I hope this does not become another point of contention, as I suspect may happen with the City Manager.

I’m not trying to sound overly pessimistic, but based on my experience attending these meetings and having insight into private conversations when it was assumed I would be elected, I believe our city could be heading into a critical period. Now, more than ever, it is essential for citizens to stay informed and engaged.

If you have concerns, I encourage you to reach out to your elected officials via email at [email protected] or through social media. Interestingly, Commissioner Tim Johnson recently deleted his political page, seemingly to avoid public feedback. After I tagged him in a comment, he not only removed the page but also unfriended me. It appears he may not be interested in hearing from his constituents.

As always, if you have any questions, feel free to email me at [email protected].

03/14/2025

Looking forward to seeing any of you guys that can make it. I’ll give a brief description and an update after the meeting. You know what would be great, is if one of our elected officials would give a brief description, and ask for the citizens who elected them for their opinions about these topics.
Yeah that would be cool.

Unfinished business, the second reading to rezone the Park’s and Rec building on Ooltewah Ringgold Road from AG to MUTC. Once again, just a housekeeping item to clean up the zoning.

1. First reading to amend the Official Zoning Ordinance. This looks like it’s mostly just correcting some grammatical errors and adding some things that were accidentally overlooked. They did add some language to address wayfinding signs, real estate signs and murals.

2. The Airport is requesting approval to sale surplus airport vehicles- 1 Dodge Charger and 1 Chevrolet Tahoe. I’m not sure how many vehicles the airport has in their possession. I do know one of them is a loaner vehicle for pilots to borrow when they fly into our airport. My question is, do the funds from surplussing these two vehicles go into the airport budget or back into the general fund? The way they speak about the airport budget being so tight and negative for decades, I’m almost positive those were bought from the general fund or handed down to the from the general fund.

3. Approval request to award the contract for a bid for the sewer pump station electrical procurement. this is in an enterprise fund and comes from funds from the sewer budget. Paid for by those who pay sewer fees.

4. Approval request to agreement with Pyrotecnico, proposed cost $37,500. I can’t remember off the top of my head the previous cost. Seems like it was around $35,000. Don’t hold me to that, or say I’m spreading misinformation. Haha, inside joke. I’m assuming it went up some, everything else in this country has. Our fireworks are some of the best around.

5. Approval request of an amendment for the ALPR (automatic license plate reader) license agreement. This is a touchy subject all over the country. I’m not going there. I know that when I was running for Commissioner I had a lot of questions about this and Assistant Chief Heath answered all of them. Vice Mayor Sadler has her own opinion about these also. She made a comment on her page the other day on how this vendor should be banned. She currently works for their competitor so I think she may have to abstain due to conflict of interest. I have seen these ALPR do wonderful work, from finding missing elderly people who had an altered mental status to finding bad guys pretty quick. Form your own opinion, I have nothing to hide, if someone is tracking me, they’re going to be very bored.

6. Approval request of NeoGov services agreement. I’m not sure what the Police Department does with NeoGov. They have a lot of software at their disposal to assist in their criminal investigations and tools for them to do their job on a daily basis. I trust Chief Sapp and think he’s doing a great job with that department. If he says they need it, I’m sure they do. He seems to be responsible with taxpayer dollars.

7. Approval request of February Finance Report. This is a report they do each month to show what percentage they are at in regard to total revenue and expenditures for the year.

I know I have been quiet for the past couple of weeks. There hasn’t been much going on, the last meeting was canceled due to no business. I would love to see more of my fellow Collegedale citizens attending these meetings. You should get involved and k ow what’s going on in your community. Feel free to email or message me with any questions. I get quite a bit of emails on a daily basis from Collegedale citizens asking questions.

[email protected].

A Commission Meeting will be held on Monday, March 17, 2025, at 6:00 pm. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. Those that can’t attend, can watch us live on our LIVESTREAM feature on our website by clicking here: https://www.collegedaletn.gov/.../livestream/index.php

Click Here for the Agenda & Minutes from the last meeting:https://cms8.revize.com/revize/collegedaletn/March%2017,%202025%20commission%20agenda%20packet.pdf

Meeting Topics:
1. First Reading, Ordinance #1156, an Ordinance to Amend the Official Zoning Ordinance

2. Collegedale Airport: Approval Request for Sale of Surplus Airport Vehicles - 1 Dodge Charge & 1 Chevrolet Tahoe

3. Collegedale Public Works: Approval Request of the Award of Contract for Pump Station -- Electrical Procurement

4. Approval Request of Addendum to Agreement with Pyrotecnico July 3, 2025, Freedom Festival - Proposed 2025 Cost: $37,500

5. Collegedale Police Department: Approval Request of Amendment to ALPR License Agreement - License Agreement between City of Collegedale and Tennessee DOT to Install and Operate Automated License Plate Recognition Cameras

6. Collegedale Police Department: Approval Request of NEOGOV Services Agreement - Public Safety workforce management software that provides tools for managing, training, and supporting employees.

7. Approval Request of February Finance Report

02/25/2025

Sorry folks, this is a long one.

Last night was a long Collegedale Commission workshop, just as I expected. Some very important topics were discussed.

Airport Project
The first major discussion was about the airport project. Jay Jolley, the entrepreneur behind Sky Boss—the private company wanting to build at the airport—gave a lengthy presentation. He did a great job outlining his vision, explaining the numbers, and simplifying the process to make it seem like a no-brainer for the Commissioners.

Essentially, he is asking for $500,000–$700,000 in taxpayer dollars to construct a multimillion-dollar building that the city will own in 40 years. He also mentioned how much money this project would bring into Collegedale’s economy, though I have my doubts about those numbers. The number of jobs created? Only 1–2 full-time positions initially, with the possibility of 2–4 more over the next three years.

At first glance, based on his presentation, this investment looks reasonable. The building will be beautiful and will enhance the airport’s entrance. However, I want to be clear—everything I say here is my own opinion. I encourage everyone to get the facts and form their own conclusions.

Sometimes, financial decisions are spread across multiple budget years, making it harder for the public to see the full picture. Here’s a breakdown of the numbers:

The State of Tennessee awarded the airport a $1.28 million grant (requiring a 10% match) with the expectation of creating 48 new jobs by 2026.
If we accept the grant but only create two full-time jobs, will there be an audit? Vice Mayor Tonya Sadler raised this question.
Last year, Commissioner Tim Johnson led an effort to allocate a large amount of taxpayer dollars to the airport, totaling $500,000 so far.
The 10% match for the state grant requires $128,000 from taxpayers.
The city approved funding to start the process to relocate a maintenance building. Per the City Manager he estimates around $100,000 to complete the relocation of this building.
Now, Sky Boss is requesting an additional $500,000–$700,000.

Total taxpayer investment in the airport will be: $1.228–$1.428 million. And that number could rise. So I ask—when is enough, enough?

From what I observed last night, this project already has at least four Commission votes in favor, based on their comments and body language.

Street Scan Results
A brief update was given on the Street Scan results. The Commission previously approved spending around (going from memory on this amount) $40,000 (over three years) for this service, which scans streets and traffic signs to assess road conditions.
I opposed this spending when it was first proposed. In a city just 12 square miles, officials should already know which streets need repairs. The results? Most of our streets were labeled "good" (green), some "moderate" (yellow), and only a few "needs resurfacing" (red).
Our city allocated $900,000 for paving in this budget, yet I haven’t seen any work done. They now plan to combine two years’ budgets and start paving in June or July.

Greenway Extension
Three possible routes for extending the Greenway were presented, all leading to Tucker Road near the Homewood subdivision sidewalks. The city considers the sidewalks on Edgmon and Tucker part of the Greenway, so their goal is to connect the trail to those sidewalks.
The chosen route will pass through the old Tallent Farm property along a sewer easement and will require permission from a couple property owners for easements. When completed, residents will be able to walk or bike from this side of town to the center of Collegedale. Estimated cost: $1.65 million.

Jake Brake Ordinance
Commissioner Howse proposed an ordinance to regulate exhaust brakes (Jake Brakes) on large trucks without proper mufflers while traveling on Apison Pike. She mentioned that the loud noise scares kids at bus stops and pedestrians. To me, this seems more like a concern for residents near Apison Pike—such as the Howse family.

Supporting Small Businesses
Vice Mayor Sadler suggested an initiative to highlight small businesses in Collegedale. I think this is a great idea. It’s not easy to open a brick-and-mortar business in our city due to strict regulations (just ask Advance Auto). Recognizing businesses that choose to operate here is a positive step, and this would come at little to no cost to taxpayers.

Strategic Plan – Another Waste of Money?
After the workshop, a special meeting was held to finalize goals for a city strategic plan before sending out a request for bids. The City Manager estimates this will cost around $100,000.

Here’s my issue: These "goals" were set by the Commissioners, not the citizens. No one has asked residents what they want for their city.
Do you want the Greenway to extend to every subdivision?
Do you want a walkable city center with retail, housing, and restaurants?
Do you think improving communication is a priority?
Do you want more parks, bicycle trails, or even a putt-putt course?
This was the list from the Commissioners. If these are your priorities, great—but shouldn’t the community have input before $100,000 is spent on an out of state company to formalize what the Commission has already decided? Shouldn’t taxpayers have a voice in setting our city's priorities and strategic plan?

Final Thoughts
I know some city officials have expressed concerns about "incorrect" information circulating on social media. Since I’ve been the most vocal about airport spending, I assume they’re referring to my posts.

For the record, I always ask questions and get information directly from the City Manager and, at times, the Airport Manager. I have never intentionally posted incorrect information or misled anyone. Dollar amounts can change—initially, I was told the city might be $1 million short on the airport project after the grant. Now, they’ve found ways to cut costs, and per Jay Jolley, the current estimate is $500,000–$700,000.

I want to be clear: I’m not anti-airport. Build whatever you want out there—just don’t use our tax dollars to do it. I truly believe this is a hobby airport with a couple of small businesses, and it will not have a huge economic impact on our community. I just want to keep the citizens informed on what's going on with our city and how our elected officials are choosing to spend our tax dollars. Their communication is terrible. Not once has any of them asked the public what they want done around our town or if they want their tax dollars being spent at the airport. They speak about improving communication and they run on it during the election, but not one of them has done anything to show it. Trust me when I say this commission relies on the community not being plugged in and not asking questions about spending taxpayer dollars. Get involved.

Send a message to learn more

02/19/2025

Collegedale Commission had their meeting tonight. If you missed it you can watch it on their website collegedaletn.gov. It wasn’t a very long meeting. They approved rezoning the Parks and Rec building from Agriculture to Mixed Use Towncenter.
The next item was not surprising but interesting. There is a shed on the grounds of the airport that is right where the Sky Boss project is going. This shed holds the lawn maintenance equipment for the airport. The city wants to build another one to house their equipment and eventually auction or tear this one down. The commissioners (Morty Lloyd, Tim Johnson, and Deborah Baker) approved $35,000 for the engineering design to rebuild this shed. The Collegedale City Manager Wayon Hines estimates that the all in estimate to rebuild this metal building will be around $100,000. Can anyone guess where this money is coming from? Not the grant money from the state, not the $500,000 dollars of tax payer dollars already allocated to the airport this year, it’s coming from the General Fund. Thats right, tax payer dollars not budgeted for this, and they just approved it like it was nothing. This is going to the airport that is in an enterprise fund that is supposed to be self supporting. To move a shed so that a private business that will possibly employ 1-2 full time employees can be built. When is enough, enough?

They also approved a Ceilometer for the airport, weather equipment to determine the height of the cloud ceiling. $60,431. This is coming from the $500,000 earmarked for the airport earlier this budget. Also taxpayer dollars.

The amusing part of this meeting tonight, came when Commissioner Tim Johnson inquired (like he has in the past) about a missing bicycle jump from the Thatcher Switch playground. He is worried about a bicycle jump, but doesn’t bat an eye at giving, now $600,000 taxpayer dollars to the airport.
Next meeting will be the Commissioners Workshop. The entrepreneur with the Sky Boss project at the airport is scheduled to make a presentation. Should be interesting.

City of Collegedale

02/14/2025

The Collegedale Commission meeting will be on Tuesday instead of Monday due to Presidents Day. This will be another fairly short but important meeting.

The first item on the agenda is the rezoning of the current Parks and Rec building from Agriculture to Mixed-Use Town Center. This is more of a housekeeping item that was found in preparation for zoning for a new sign.

The next item involves expenditures at the airport. The airport is looking for approval to enter into a contract with Austin Engineering to provide civil engineering services to relocate a storage building and construct a new building. These services will allow them to then use the plans to bid out the contractors to remove and construct the new building. The reason for this is that the building is in the exact location where an entrepreneur is requesting to build his hangar. The cost of this contract is $35,000. This is just for the plans and does not include any labor or additional costs. I'm eager to see what the total cost will be to us taxpayers to remove this maintenance building to make room for a private business.

The third item is for a new piece of weather equipment at the airport. They are requesting to purchase a Ceilometer, a piece of equipment used to determine the height of a cloud ceiling or cloud base. The cost of this is $60,431.

I'm assuming that since these items are being purchased this budget cycle, they are coming from one of two pots of money—either the half a million taxpayer dollars allocated last year exclusively for the airport or the $1.28 million state grant obtained solely for the private business at the airport. Since this grant amount is not enough, our tax dollars will be utilized for the balance.

This is an example of why you need to get involved in your local government. These small agenda items add up to a considerable amount of taxpayer dollars going toward pet projects of certain commissioners and those with a vested interest in these projects.

COMMISSION MEETING MOVED TO TUESDAY DUE TO HOLIDAY

A Commission Meeting will be held on TUESDAY, February 18, 2025, at 6:00 pm. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend. Those that can’t attend, can watch us live on our LIVESTREAM feature on our website by clicking here: https://www.collegedaletn.gov/.../livestream/index.php

Click Here for the Agenda & Minutes from the last meeting:https://cms8.revize.com/revize/collegedaletn//February%2018,%202025.pdf

Meeting Topics:
1. First Reading of Ordinance to Rezone the Collegedale Parks and Recreation building near the Ooltewah Middle School from Agriculture to Mixed Use
2. Approval for Engineering and Site Development Proposal to Relocate Collegedale Airport Maintenance Building
3. Approval for Collegedale Airport Ceilometer Installation
4. January Finance Report