Norris pickleball players relish extra time
Work on replacement of the roof on the gymnasium (left) at the Norri Community Building has been postponed to start in late November, which is a few weeks after it was originally intended to be finished. (photo:G. Chambers Williams III )
The council on Sept. 14 approved a $67,099 contract with Tri-State Roofing Co. of Chattanooga to put the new roof on the gymnasium, which has the city’s only pickleball courts, and had expected the work to begin right away.
Whited said the contractor has been delayed with other work.
The gym will be kept closed while the work progresses, the council was told. With the delay, pickleball players may continue to use the courts for now, Whited said.
Tri-State Roofing submitted the lowest of five bids the city received for the work. The bids ranged from Tri-State Roofing’s $67,099 to $147, 454.
Whited recommended giving Tri-State Roofing the contract, since the bid was well under the $135,000 the council had put in the budget for the project.
There will be some additional cost for the work, depending on how much damaged roof decking and insulation will need to be replaced once the old roof is removed. Whited said there was no way to estimate that before taking off the existing flat roof.
The contract had included an expected completion date of Nov. 6, Whited said, but that now is expected to be pushed into January.
“As the project begins wrapping up, we will seek bids for air conditioning, with the intention to have new AC installed before temperatures begin rising in the spring,” Whited told the council in September.
In other business last week, the council:
• Passed 4-0 on first reading a comprehensive new animal ordinance that sets the city’s rules for licensing dogs and cats, operating the city’s animal shelter, and determining what constitutes a “vicious” or “dangerous” dog or cat and how the city should deal with such animals.
A public hearing on the proposed ordinance will be held at 5:45 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 9, prior to the 6 p.m. council meeting, during which the measure will be up for vote on second and final reading.
• Passed 4-0 on second and final reading an ordinance setting up new rules for the city to set rates for commercial refuse services, giving the city the right to set the rates by resolution rather than by ordinance.