Members of the Signal Mountain school system viability committee were chosen at the council’s last workshop meeting in January. On Monday night they were officially appointed. Susan Speraw, John Friedl, Tom McCullough, Thomas Peterson, Charles Spencer, Amy Wakim and Melissa Wood will not make recommendations but will be tasked with fact finding regarding the establishment of a school system for the residents of Signal Mountain. If the plan is deemed viable, citizens of the town will make the final decision through a referendum.
The council chose Council member Amy Speek to be their liaison to the committee because she has children in the school system and is very involved with it. Meetings will begin almost immediately. The first one is scheduled for Saturday at 2 p.m. with Town Attorney Phil Noblett present. The second meeting will be the following Saturday where the committee will address questions that are sent via email from residents of the town and from the council.
The meetings will be advertised and will all be made as public as possible. The only meeting that will be closed will concern land and buildings so that Mr. Noblett can advise the council of strategies. There will also be meetings with Red Bank, which has formed a committee to study breaking away from the Hamilton County School System, as well. The two cities hope to share and compare information.
A city judge was chosen Monday night to replace Judge Mark Rothberger who is retiring before his term ends. Nine people applied for the job that will temporarily fill the position until the next election. At that time, the citizens of Signal Mountain will choose a judge for the four years remaining of the term. Most members of the council felt that an incumbent judge would have an advantage in the election and so opted to choose a judge who has indicated they would not be a candidate in that election. Tracy Cox was appointed as municipal judge for the next two years.
An interlocal agreement was approved with Hamilton County, in which the county agrees to waive all of the costs related to reappraisals that will be done in 2017. Previously, the town had been told it would be responsible for one half of the costs, which would have been $26,000 this year and $5,000 for every off-year. Reappraisals are done every four years. City Manager Boyd Veal said this agreement only applies to this cycle, but he is hopeful that it will be done on a more protracted basis.
The city manager was authorized to purchase a new Chevrolet truck for an amount not to exceed $30,622. The vehicle will be used by the Parks and Recreation department.
A clerical error in 2006-2007 was made for property adjacent to the St. Ives subdivision and Bollinger Road, when it was annexed into the town but never was registered. The property has not been developed and the mistake went unnoticed until Mr. Veal discovered the problem. It has now been corrected. At the council meeting, a vote formally was made to zone the property to Low Density Residential District which is consistent with the surrounding properties. Because it is technically a rezoning, there will be a public hearing on the issue at the next council meeting.
Discussions Monday night included Mayor Chris Howley’s recommendation for the rest of the council to study a de-annexation bill that state Senator Bo Watson has sponsored. The mayor said it would put the town in limbo, taking away revenue that it relies upon. He said it would not be good for the town of Signal Mountain.
Town Attorney Noblett has drawn up a new lease for land where the Signal Mountain Country Club is located. The land is owned by the city and the club has asked for an extension of the lease. The arrangement has been in place for decades, said City Manager Veal, but there is a new state law that will require the club to pay what it would if it was a private entity. He said that the lease really amounts to a payment in lieu of taxes. The property is being reappraised and a new legal description has been drawn up. The contract will now change as the assessments change every four years.
Signal Mountain has applied for a Safer Grant from the state that is for temporarily helping to fund nine firefighter positions at the new fire station the town is building. If the grant is received, it will pay 75 percent of salaries for the first and second years and 50 percent the third year. After that, the town will be responsible for 100 percent of the salaries.
Appointment of Judy Ekiss to the town’s condemnation board and Lois Baird as a member of the Signal Mountain Beautification advisory committee were approved Monday night.
A resolution was unanimously passed that honored Bill Wallace for serving the town of Signal Mountain for six years as a council member, two of which he was vice mayor. He has also been a member of the planning commission and advocated for protection of the charm and character of the community.
A resolution also honored Bill Lusk for his service on the town council for 10 years, and mayor for six of those. He has been “a tireless advocate for the town” as an executive board member for the Chattanooga-Hamilton County/North Georgia Transportation Planning organization.
A tree will be planted in a town park to commemorate and honor each of these men.