Two new businesses are coming to Red Bank. Mayor John Roberts announced Tuesday that a new micro brewery, Big Frog Brewing Co., is set for 2122 Dayton Blvd. The business plans for 80 percent of its business to be wholesale, with kegs being sold to growler bars. The 20 percent of retail sales will come from a tasting room.
The mayor also said that Primal Paleo Concepts, a health food bakery, is moving to Red Bank from Kennesaw, Ga. This company sells its products from kiosks in major airports across the country, and specialty food stores such as Whole Foods.
All the citizens of Red Bank are invited to the first town hall meeting concerning future development of the old Red Bank High/Middle School property, said Commissioner Ken Welch. It will be held Thursday at 7 p.m. Mayor Roberts wants as many residents as possible to come and give ideas for use of the 13 acres. "How we develop it is going to be a new mark for the city", said the mayor. "We want to do it right and will take our time doing it," he said.
City Manager Randall Smith announced that at 7 p.m. Nov. 26 at the community center the city will host a seminar about the affordable care act. The purpose of this meeting will be to provide information about the new health care law for residents and businesses in the city.
The annual Christmas parade and tree lighting will be on Friday, Dec. 6, beginning at 6:30 p.m. Mr. Smith wanted to get that information out early enough for people to make plans to be there.
In other news from the city manager, the Red Bank Police Department has a new officer, Dustin McCall, who has recently come to work for the city from the Signal Mountain Police Department.
On second and final vote, the commissioners established an ordinance that will allow only commercial use of property that lies in the city’s commercial zone. Residential use already in place within this area will be grandfathered in, but no new housing or apartments will be allowed.
The city was awarded grants in 3013 and not all the money has been spent. Commissioners approved a resolution to carry that money over to the 2014 budget.
With proceeds from the sale of school property, the city provided money for the Red Bank Girls Association softball team. In return the association is making a donation of $3,994 for the purchase of a lawnmower for the public works department, which the commissioners voted to accept.
An ordinance to clarify the definition of a non-operating automobile and to regulate the accumulation of outside parking and storage or abandoned vehicles was approved on first reading. Mayor Roberts said this is a step in updating the city codes.
Beginning with an email sent to the mayor who passed it around to the other commissioners, a resolution was passed to declare November 2013 as Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Month” in Red Bank.
It was announced that the time of the second commission meeting in December has been changed. The meeting scheduled for Dec. 17 will be held at noon and will take care of some unfinished city business before the end of the new year.