Norris awards $67,099 contract for Community Gym Roof
Norris will pay a Chattanooga company $67,099 to put a new roof on the gymnasium at the Norris Community Building on Chestnut Drive, but will have to keep the gym – which has the city’s only pickleball courts – closed until the work is completed, possibly by early November.
The City Council voted Monday night to award the roof contract to Tri-State Roofing Contractors, which submitted the lowest of five bids the city received for the work.
Bids ranged from Tri-State Roofing’s $67,099 to $147, 454.
City Manager Bailey Whited told the City Council that he was recommending 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 includes an expected completion date of Nov. 6, Whited said, adding that “the gymnasium will be closed for all uses during the duration of the project.”
“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 other business Monday night, the council:
• Gave Whited a positive review for his first year as city manager, with Mayor Chris Mitchell and the other council members praising him for his work.
• Heard from Whited hat the Police Department had purchased two used Ford Explorer police cruisers “in good condition” from the city of Knoxville for $6,750 each. One has about 70,000 miles on its odometer, and the other about 111,000 miles, Whited said.
The council had included $20,000 in the current fiscal year’s budget to buy two more police vehicles, which will replace two aging Ford Crown Victoria cruisers that have more than 200,000 miles of use.
“After striping and other modifications, we expect to fall below our $20,000 project budget,” Whited said.
• Approved on first reading Ordinance 723-2026, which when passed will allow the council to set updated commercial trash pickup rates by resolution, rather than by ordinance as now required.
The city contracts with Waste Connections to provide commercial refuse service, and sets the rates for each commercial customer according to what that company charges.
Rates are subject to change each year based on the Consumer Price Index, a measure of the national inflation rate.
• Heard from the Norris Recreation Commission that the annual Halloween Trail event for families in Eric Harold Park next to the Norris Community Building will be held on Saturday evening, Oct. 24.
• Watched the presentation of a new American flag for the Norris Public Safety Building to Chief of Police Mike Poole by Roy Langheld of the group Norris Citizens in Support of Fire and Police. No flag had been flying in front of the building since a new roof was installed earlier this year and the mount had been removed in the process.
• Chose Scott Haythorn to fill a single open position on the Norris Planning Commission, and picked Ashton Stroud and Joanna Busigin to fill two open seats on the Norris Tree Commission.
