Ringgold business owners weigh in on new ordinances

Of the three new ordinances being discussed by the city of Ringgold, one was accepted, one introduced, and the other delayed during the most recent city council meeting on Monday, Sept. 23, which included in-depth discussions about the new laws complete with feedback from local business owners.

Over the past month, the city has become proactive by evaluating changes to its current business sign ordinance, while also creating new ordinances pertaining to wrecker and towing fees, and the removal of feces from domesticated animals.

Discussions regarding the wrecker ordinance began during the pre-meeting work session with police chief Dan Bilbrey updating the council and mayor on meetings he’s had with the four wrecker companies that currently operate in Ringgold.

“I’ve met with the wrecker owners in the city and explained to them what we’re doing here, and I received valuable input from them,” Bilbrey said. “There are some concerns, and I think before we pass anything, we should have them come in for a table top meeting, so that we can hear what they have to say.”

The need for an ordinance surfaced a few months back when complaints were made about local wreckers overcharging for services.

One of the four wrecker owners, Mark Teter of Teter & Co., addressed the council during the actual meeting and stated that while he has no problem complying with a city ordinance, he feels that he already offers quality services to the community at fair prices.

“We’ve been in the business for about 30 years, and we try to charge fair prices,” Teter explained. “We take pride in offering services to people, and it’s very rewarding.”

Teter also stated that it was “really

cool” of chief Bilbrey to come and speak with him and gather information for the council before the ordinance is created and implemented.

“We’re already in compliance with the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office and their rules, so we would be happy to comply,” Teter said.

Early points of discussion about the ordinance have included capping the towing fees at $125, annual inspections on all wreckers, time and efficiency concerns, and possible background checks for those operating the wreckers.

“We’ve had nothing on the books in the past about this issue, and we want something that works for everybody,” said council member Earl Henderson.

The council unanimously accepted the introduction of the sign ordinance with changes to be made before the final reading.

The current sign ordinance charges business owners a one-time $50 fee per sign for signs in front of, around, or in windows of their businesses. The council has gathered input from code enforcement officer Greg Boss, while evaluating what changes need to be made to the ordinance.

Richard Dycus, owner of Richard’s Restaurant downtown, brought his concerns to the council, stating that he found out about the current ordinance the hard way.

Dycus claims that during a regular business day, he was approached by Boss, who informed him he was in violation of the current ordinance, and needed to pay $150 after having his windows re-done.

“A guy with a badge asks me to step outside, and my customers were wondering what’s going on and if I’m in trouble or not,” Dycus said. “If y’all go around charging $50 per sign every time somebody changes a sign, y’all are going to be rich.”

Dycus says that he’s all in favor of having an ordinance, but feels that the fees are a little too high.

“It’s the cost of doing business,” Henderson said. “It costs the city and the taxpayers money to run this city. … We have to charge something to cover our end.”

Mayor Barger assured Dycus and the rest in attendance that the sign ordinance is necessary, and that neither he nor the city is creating it to generate revenue.

“We need this sign ordinance to keep clutter down,” Barger said. “It’s not a money making project.”

According to city manager Dan Wright, the future of the ordinance may include more specific parameters regarding the square footage of signs, their colors, the graphics, and any lighting that may surround or accompany them in addition to the evaluation of fees.

“The ordinance is in place so that we can permit the signs and make sure they’re appropriate,” Wright said. “That’s why we created the process.”

The final reading of the animal waste ordinance was unanimously accepted, with violators to be charged a $25 fine the first time they’re cited for not cleaning up the messes made by their pets, $50 the second time, $75 the third time, and $100 the fourth time.