Newspaper box remains downtown despite ordinance

It?s still there after all this time. Despite passing an ordinance in mid-April that would eventually allow the removal of the red Chattanooga Times Free Press newspaper rack, it still resides outside McMinnville Post Office. It?s a situation that should have been remedied by now, but it hasn?t because city officials have forgotten to send the newspaper a letter.

A copy of the news rack ordinance was supposed to be sent to the newspaper shortly after it was passed in mid-April. According to the ordinance, the newspaper had 30 days to remove its current box or replace it with one that fits the ordinance.

The Southern Standard and Tennessean paid for expensive downtown newspaper boxes to go along with the downtown renovation plan. The Chattanooga Times Free Press declined to be included in the box with the two other newspapers.

If the Free Press box was not removed or replaced in 30 days, a notice of violation should have been sent 33 days after the ordinance was sent. The newspaper was then to have seven days after receiving the violation notification to remove the box, including a grace period of three days to ensure they received the notice by mail.

That?s 43 days altogether and it?s been more almost two months since the ordinance passed. So why is the box still there?

After contacting Public Works director Bill Brock who, according to the ordinance, is supposed to be the one handling enforcement, he said the ordinance was in the hands of legal council.

?I don?t know what is going on with the ordinance,? Brock said. ?You will have to call legal council.?

After contacting legal council for the city of McMinnville, it was discovered the ordinance has not been enforced due to miscommunication between Public Works and legal council.

?I think he (Brock) thought we were supposed to send Chattanooga Free Times Press a letter,? said city attorney Susan Marttala. ?I thought he was sending it. It was a lack of communication. Now that I know, we will get a letter sent out.?

The box has been a thorn in the side of city officials since February when it reappeared without warning. Because of the misunderstanding, city officials will have to see the box for at least another month and a half.