Lookout Mountain, Ga., Holds Hearing On Property Rate Issue; Compromise Sought On Short Term Vacation Rentals

  • Friday, October 21, 2016
  • Gail Perry

All property in Walker County, Georgia was reassessed this year, including that in the Town of Lookout Mountain, Ga. where some increased in value, some decreased and others stayed the same. The city council encouraged the property owners with increased assessments to appeal the change. Not knowing if the property values, in the end, would be up or down, the council made a decision to keep the millage rate the same, hoping the property tax that the city will receive matches the amount planned for in the budget.

The first of three public hearings was held Thursday night to set the millage rate for fiscal year 2016. This will determine the amount of property tax that the city gets. Commissioner Arch Willingham said that if there is a tax increase, it is because of the reassessments, not because of what the council has done. If there is a net revenue increase, the council plans to set the money aside in reserves.

 

One resident of the city said that Walker County provides some tax relief for people over the age of 70, even though it is not well advertised, and somewhat hidden on the website. The relief is in the form of a reduction in the school taxes that make up part of the overall property taxes. Citizens of the county must apply for this. She also made a suggestion that the city could follow suit.

 

The matter of short term rentals was brought before the council again by Mark Wardell, who has operated that kind of business in the past. Another resident at the meeting said he had counted 14 homes available in the vicinity on various websites. The current zoning ordinance defines a single family zone as an abode for one family, which rules out the short term rentals such as those found on Airbnb and VRBO.

 

 Mr. Wardell asked for a compromise that would accommodate both property owners and the city. He suggested conditions such as requiring a city-issued permit and safety inspections, no signs and restrictions on parking as well as requiring that the house be owner occupied. Councilmen Jim Sabourin and Arch Willingham will join to come up with an ordinance that might be acceptable to all. The plan would then be presented to the city council for approval.

 

The council was informed of an agreement involving the sewer, between the city, Brow Woods and Covenant College. Lookout Mountain, Ga. will buy the sewer lines servicing those two locations for $350,000. The transaction will be a lease purchase of the equipment financing it through Regions Bank. For the first five years, Brow Woods will pay $2450 per month for the right to discharge waste, the same amount that the city will pay Regions Bank. After that time, the payments from the city will increase greatly. The net revenue for the city is positive, said City Attorney Bill Pickering.

 

The planning commission recently heard a request for a development that would be good for the city, but that does not meet the current requirements, said Jimmy Campbell who is a member of the planning commission. The owner would like to build townhouses. It would provide housing for an additional 16-18 new families said Mr. Campbell. This project would create a greater density than is currently allowed so the development cannot move forward under the current codes. Mr. Campbell asked the council if that property should be spot zoned. No discussion or decision was made.

 

The fire and police report statistics for September complied by Chief Todd Gann, shows that 2965 miles were patrolled, 26 traffic stops were made resulting in 10 citations and12 warnings. There was one auto accident during the month.  The department responded to six burglar alarms, seven medical calls, four assist citizen calls, three fire alarms and two city ordinance warnings. There were no burglaries or thefts.

 

Council woman Taylor Watson reported that a new stop sign on Lula Lake road is working and reducing the speed of cars in that area. When the 30 day grace period ends, people will be ticketed, she said. She also said that trick-or-treating will be celebrated on the actual night of Halloween, Monday, Oct. 31.

 

A dedication ceremony will be held at the new city park at the corner of Lula Lake Road and Red Riding Hood Trail, for a Gold and Blue Star Memorial marker, on November 12 at 11 a.m. There will be a military honor guard, speakers and someone playing bagpipes.

 

Council woman Caroline Williams announced two fundraisers for the Fairyland school. A movie night will be held at the baseball field and will be a double feature. The first film will begin at around7- 7:45 p.m. The feature film will begin at 8. The cost is $10 per child with adults being free.  Another event for raising money will take place October 28. Children will solicit pledges, prior to the event, for each lap that they run.

 

Ms. Williams has also been involved with resolving problems with bathrooms at the baseball fields. The school has agreed to keep them clean if the city provides supplies. Another problem has been caused by people not picking up after their dogs on the field. The town has purchased two pet waste stations for the baseball field and another for Carter Field, including bags, instructions and a place to deposit the bags. Mayor David Bennett said he hopes that people will be responsible, and clean up after their pets, and if not, dogs will no longer be allowed.

 

Progress is being made on the Town Center project. Architects have been consulted, site plans are in the works and surveys have been done. Geo Tech reports are being worked on and should be finished in a couple of weeks. The mayor said to expect the next big step to happen in about four weeks.

 

Wes Hasden reported that the sewer board is working on the continuing problem of odor control. He also said the board has collected $10,000 in delinquent sewer bills with a citation being served on only one hold-out.

 

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