“The public works department is the hero of the month,” said Mayor Carol Mutter at the March meeting of the Lookout Mountain, Tn. commission Tuesday night. Echoing comments by the other commissioners, she said department employees did a great job during the recent snow and ice events in keeping the roads open.
Commissioner of Public Works Walker Jones gave the credit to Corey Evans, supervisor of the department who organized the effort.
He also has procured more salt in case there is another need for it this year. Now the department’s attention is turning to cleaning up brush piles, said the commissioner, and when the weather cooperates, paving that has been started on Bartram Road will be completed. The dumpster is scheduled to be at the public works department next on April 3.
Cmmissioner Jones attended a meeting of the garden clubs on the mountain where the continuing effort to eradicate kudzu was discussed. On March 13 a meeting of the “Kudzu Coalition” will be held at the Community Foundation which will map out the spraying plan that is expected to take three years. Another item of interest is that the Laurelwood Garden Club is celebrating its 50th anniversary by planting 50 trees on the mountain. The club is asking for suggestions from the residents for locations to place them.
The Hemlock Wooly Adelgid earlier was found on Lookout Mountain. It is treatable and Jimmy Stewart is organizing a plan that will help people identify and develop a treatment strategy to protect their hemlock trees. He said if left untreated the hemlocks will die in as little as two to five years. A licensed contractor can be hired for the work or people can do it themselves. If that option is chosen, he suggested calling the county Cooperative Extension Agent for product and application directions, or to call him for more information at 413-6420.
Statistics from the fire and police department for February show that police patrolled 4,383 miles during the month. They responded to 57 calls, 22 burglar alarms that were all false, five assist citizen calls and 12 calls to 911. There were three auto accidents with no injuries, nine traffic stops and no arrests were made in February. Eleven medical calls and six fire alarms that were all false were handled.
Commissioner of Fire and Police Jim Bentley said due to the large number of speeding vehicles that have been noticed, the Lookout Mountain Tn. Police Department will be coordinating with the police department in Georgia in an attempt to slow down cars. The speed limit all over the mountain is 25 mph except around schools and in the commercial districts. The town has received $5,000 from the Governor’s Highway Grant program restricted for use to improve public safety. To help the speeding problem, this will be used to buy movable, unmanned radar that can be attached to different speed limit signs that will show how fast a car is traveling. Increased enforcement of parking restrictions around Sunset Rock on West Brow Road will also be made.
Chief Randy Bowden reported that in the next few weeks the police department will be participating in advanced training classes. These include leadership development, training for dealing with the elderly, and training in mercy vehicle operations. They will also receive additional education in tactical firearms training and in child sexual abuse. Some continuing education is required by the state of Tennessee, but he said that the Lookout Mountain Police Department goes above and beyond what is mandatory.
Principal Ruth White thanked the police and fire departments for conducting training sessions at the school, and said the electrical system for the new security door has been installed and is waiting for the door to arrive. Three students made it to the fourth round of the regional spelling bee last month. Graduation will be on May 20. Three teachers are retiring after this school year, Cathy Slocumb, Margaret Anne Haley and librarian Deborah Henry.
Commissioner of Schools Don Stinnett reported that Night out for Lookout was a success with 240 people at the event that raised $47,000 for the school. Another fundraiser, the White Elephant sale, netted over $3,000, he said. The auditorium was packed for Grandparents Day held the Monday following the fundraiser and he announced that Kaki Brown Jenkins will be heading up the PTA annual fund next year.
Brooke Pippinger, commissioner of parks and playgrounds, said the beginning of baseball and softball season will kick off with a parade on April 18. She also asked that anyone wanting to use the gym at the school to check out the key from the town hall. She said that parents are required to supervise children while there. She gave a reminder that if people do not take care of it and follow the rules, they will lose the use of the gym as a community center.
Dwight Montague, town consultant, gave the financial report for February, saying that $255,000 was received during the month in property taxes. The state sales tax is $5,000 ahead of the same time last year and the local option sales tax increase indicates people are patronizing businesses on the mountain. Renovations to the kitchen at city hall are now complete. The only item that is unusual is the overtime for employees of the public works department, who he said worked long and hard in the cold snowy days.
Following the baseball parade on April 18, a community block party is scheduled from around noon until 7 or 8 p.m. The “Spring-fest” is planned at the shopping area on Scenic Highway, sponsored by all the businesses on the mountain. The parking areas and sidewalk will be blocked off with hay bales. Food and beverages will be served outside and there will be activities for children. Vendors will sell items such as honey, fruit, flowers, plants and birdhouses. Artists and locally made jewelry will also be sold. The commissioners approved a special events permit for the event assuming proper insurance is obtained that will protect the town.
Mr. Montague updated the commission on issues surrounding the cell phone tower bidding process. The first draft of a lease including a drawing of the facility and a request for proposal has been sent to both Crafton Communication and Wireless Properties, the two companies competing to build the tower. The process will allow each company to make comments on the proposal and the town may or may not make revisions based on them. A final lease and RFP will then be sent to both companies. Sealed bids will be opened July 1 and the contract will be awarded the following day.
Mayor Mutter said the yearly news letter will be sent to residents in the next couple of weeks. This is a compendium of information citizens need to know about the town.
The next meeting of the Lookout Mountain, Tn. commission will be April 14 at 5 p.m.