Portland Board of Mayor and Aldermen Meeting - November 3, 2025

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen met in regular session on November 3, 2025. The meeting opened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and roll call, followed by unanimous approval of the agenda. No presentations, public comments, or public hearings were held. The board approved consent items, several resolutions, and first-reading ordinances, discussed a possible change in solid-waste tipping fees, and received updates on water system work.

Consent Calendar

• Unanimously approved Resolution No. 25-75, reappointing Tom Driscoll and appointing Jess Birdwell to the Portland Municipal Zoning Board of Appeals.
• Unanimously approved Resolution No. 25-76, appointing James Dipiazza to the Portland Municipal Planning Commission.
• Unanimously approved Resolution No. 25-77, reappointing Robert Tooker to the Portland Municipal Planning Commission.
• Approved the minutes of the October 20, 2025 City Council meeting as part of the consent calendar.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No members of the public signed up to speak, and the no-comment record was entered.
• No public hearing was scheduled or held.

Communications & Mayor's Report

• Council members highlighted the successful Halloween event at Richland Park and promoted the 52nd annual Harvest Festival Craft Show on November 8, 2025, at Richland Gym beginning at 9 a.m. Alderman Vince Ellis's birthday was also acknowledged.
• Mayor Mike Callis reported commercial progress: Waffle House is open; Zaxby's has submitted a project on Highway 52; Travel Center and Country Inn & Suites have approvals; Scooters is under construction on Highway 52; and work continues on the bypass and North 109 gas-line casings.
• Mayor Callis discussed the Portland Investment Act, a half-penny sales tax referendum on May 5, 2026. He said current property tax plus sales tax revenue is just over $9.9 million, while the budgeted public safety cost is $9.5 million. He also said more than $5 million in new public safety spending is needed over the next six years, along with about $1.7 million for employee step-plan raises. If the referendum passes, the revenue split would shift from about 66% property tax and 34% sales tax to about 58% property tax and 42% sales tax, with half-penny revenue projected at more than $7 million over five years. He encouraged residents to vote for the referendum and to contact General Assembly members about restoring state-shared sales tax revenue.
• Mayor Callis provided updates on PFAS and fluoride. He noted the EPA has extended its compliance deadline from 2029 to 2031, that mandated testing and treatment could cost millions, and that many scientific unknowns remain. He also described concerns about over-fluoridation, cited toxicity concerns in children, noted that some states and countries have banned fluoride, and said Tennessee and the EPA are reviewing fluoridation requirements.
• Mayor Callis encouraged residents and council members to submit recipes for the America 250 community recipe book, which will be sold in 2026 and include historical facts.

Legislative: 2026 Meeting Dates

• The board considered Resolution No. 25-74, establishing 2026 meeting dates. An amendment to add June 15, 2026 was approved; an earlier proposal to also add November 16, 2026 was withdrawn after discussion about holiday conflicts and the need for council action to cancel scheduled meetings. The amended resolution was approved unanimously.

Public Works: Paving, Sidewalks, and Tipping Fees

• Resolution No. 25-78 was approved, adopting paving and sealing priorities for fall 2025 and spring 2026 using funds allocated in the 2025-2026 fiscal budget. Airport Road was added because grant funding would take too long; North Leaf and Martin Road were moved to spring 2026.
• Ordinance No. 25-59 was approved on first reading. It authorizes acceptance of the best bid for the City of Portland 2025 sidewalk contract, effective December 1, 2025 through December 31, 2026, with a one-year renewal option. The low bidder is Jetton Property Group.
• Tipping fees were discussed without a vote. Public Works staff reported that a new transfer station near New Deal has offered tipping fees of about $62 to $62.50 per ton, compared with the current $60 per ton at Gallatin. The projected annual increase would be roughly $13,000 to $15,000, but fuel and maintenance savings could be $15,000 to $20,000 or more. The round trip would be about 18 miles, compared with 42 miles to Gallatin, and wait times would likely be shorter. Staff noted the new station has rail access, contingency plans, and roll-off service. Council asked staff to obtain roll-off pricing, explore a contract, ask about contingency pricing if Gallatin goes down, and compare the total package with current arrangements.

Utility Infrastructure

• Resolution No. 25-79 was approved, approving change order #1 with Perdue Trucking and Excavation to add $750 per service for installation of a full-circle repair clamp when abandoning old water services in the 2025 Annual Water Service Line Replacement Project.
• Ordinance No. 25-60 was approved on first reading. It rescinds Ordinance 25-24 in its entirety and replaces it to amend pay-in-lieu fees for city-completed capital projects for water, sewer, natural gas, and capacity letter maintenance fees. Under the revised approach, developers pay only for the capacity or minimum pipe size they need. Examples cited included a 16-inch water line sized for 2,100 gallons per minute with a single-family home needing 1,000 gallons per minute, which would reduce a pay-in-lieu fee from $29,401 to about $14,000 for a 100-foot frontage. A sewer example using a 30-inch interceptor dropped from $166,000 to $112,500 based on a TDEC minimum 8-inch pipe. Officials noted the ordinance does not address the Didden Ford Road property because that involves upsizing an existing 6-inch line to the 8-inch minimum inside city limits, not pay-in-lieu for a city-completed project.
• Staff provided water system updates. The Mason tank has been offline for about two to three weeks for improvements; pitting was found, and after maintenance work starting November 10, the tank is expected online by the end of the following week. Low pressure is expected to continue in some areas for about two more weeks. The Oak Hill tank will then be taken offline for piping improvements, and the new tank, about 40 feet taller, is expected to improve pressure. A booster pump station issue was also discussed; a temporary station is maintaining pressure around 80 PSI while parts are awaited, with an estimated repair timeline of a couple of weeks. Council members urged better public notification, and staff directed residents to sign up for text and email alerts on the city website instead of relying on Facebook.

Key Outcomes

• Agenda approved unanimously.
• Consent calendar approved unanimously.
• 2026 meeting dates approved with June 15 added.
• Paving and sealing priorities for fall 2025 and spring 2026 approved.
• Sidewalk contract ordinance approved on first reading.
• Water service line change order approved.
• Pay-in-lieu ordinance approved on first reading.
• No action taken on tipping fees; staff will return with more cost and contract information.
• Water system low-pressure work was discussed, and improved public notification was encouraged.
• The meeting was adjourned.