Signal Mountain is looking for a new attorney after Phil Noblett was elevated to city attorney for the city of Chattanooga.
Mr. Noblett continued to serve Signal Mountain when he was assistant city attorney for Chattanooga.
However, he said he has to drop the Signal Mountain job when he was elevated after the recent departure of Wade Hinton.
Attorney Noblett told Signal officials he would "not leave them high and dry," but would have to scale down as the town sought his replacement.
Officials said a Request for Proposals will go out for interested candidates.
The town attorney must live in the town under the city charter.
Officials said he will need to attend about four meetings a month - about 10 hours.
There is a base pay plus an hourly rate. Officials said attorney Noblett did not turn in hours, but took the base pay.
Signal Mountain council members again discussed the unresolved issue of what to do with the town water system in an agenda meeting on Friday that lasted almost four hours.
Outgoing Mayor Chris Howley said he was concerned that the town has been holding the line on rates for about three years during the discussion. He said the longer the rate is held the same the bigger the jump at one time that will be needed later.
Councilman Dan Landrum argued that capital needs are not needed all at once, but could be paid over an extended period.
He said he would be willing to go to a special meeting to discuss ideas Mayor Howley has about the water system, but no such meeting was set.
The council was also told that the town won a grant for ball fields. The town has to come up with a $200,000 share. The council earlier provided $200,000 to the Signal Mountain Arts Community Center.
Councilman Bob Spaulding said the money could be found and might be taken from the rainy day fund.
Councilman Landrum said the council was obligated to see if the money could come by a number of specific savings, such as delaying new carpet for the library. Vice Mayor Amy Speek said the new carpet was needed now.
Councilman Spaulding said the Landrum approach was "a thousand paper cuts."
Councilman Landrum said, "That is what the people elected us to do.