Council travel stipend increase, higher pollution fees

Chattanooga City Council members Jenny Hill and Jeff Davis gave a presentation on Nov. 18, 2025, about traveling to China for a sister cities conference. (Screengrab of the Nov. 18 City Council meeting streamed on YouTube)

See the full Feb. 3 meeting agenda here

Council travel stipend increase.

Council deferred a resolution to increase the maximum allowed yearly travel reimbursement to $10,000 per Council member. The current limit is $6,000.

Council members and Council Clerk Nicole Gwyn had different versions of the resolution, leading to the deferral.

Higher air pollution fees

Council approved raising fees for various air polluting activities by about 25%. Fee increases include:

Permits to install and use fuel-burning equipment and incinerators
Permits to demolish asbestos-containing structures
Minimum fees for high-pollution sources

For example, the five-year renewal fee for the most productive incinerators will rise from $500 to $575. Proceeds go to the joint Chattanooga and Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau.

$30K for Provence Street Park

Nonprofit Trust for Public Land received approval to donate $30,000 to the city to support trail building and access to the planned Provence Street Park in Brainerd. The project was included among six proposed new parks in the 2023 Parks and Outdoors Plan.

Friar Branch research

A $272,000 agreement with UTC to study the impact of development on Friar Branch Creek was approved. Over three years, the project will analyze water quality and the amount of sediment entering the creek, which flows east of the airport.

According to the proposal, urbanized land around the creek doubled from 1985 to 2016.

Rezoning requests

A developer was approved to build 47 townhomes on four properties on the 1800 block of Jenkins Road.

A townhome development at S. Kelley and E. 19th streets was approved. Oak Grove’s neighborhood association suggested several conditions for the project. Three conditions are part of the ordinance, including a building height limit and restriction to residential uses.