Signal Mountain Moving Forward With New $2 Million Fire Station; School Panel To Delve Into Finances; Work Starts On MACC Repair

  • Saturday, March 25, 2017
  • Gail Perry

The Signal Mountain Town Council is in the process of making decisions about a new fire hall to accommodate growth that has taken place in the town since the original fire hall was built. When Signal Mountain is fully built-out, said Vice Mayor Dick Gee, another 700 houses will be added therefore the new building has been designed taking the town’s future needs into consideration.

 

In 2015 the original cost was targeted at $1.5 million.

To play it safe, a contract was based on $2 million. Into the process, the actual cost was right at $3 million, said Town Manager Boyd Veal. To reduce the price, the project has been pared down and a plan that will still meet all requirements and be within the original budget has been developed.

 

Architect David Bryant with Allen & Hoshall said the reduction in cost will not sacrifice the quality of materials. Efficiencies created by use of space will reduce the footprint along with the cost. Some changes to the original plan include using loft space for mechanical equipment rather than floor space, moving a fitness area, putting a stairway outside, using wall racks instead of storage rooms, and a bar area with microwaves rather than a full kitchen. The bays for the fire trucks will still be standard size and provide space for trucks that might be needed in the future.

 

Fire Chief Eric Mitchell assured the council that the $2 million version of the building would be sufficient for the next 15-20 years. It will also be supplemented by the fire hall that the city already has, he said.

 

With the council’s approval for the pared-down version, the next step will be the redesign, which Mr. Bryant said is his obligation. It will take about one month to do. Construction costs are constantly increasing, so the council is anxious to move forward with the building.

 

Other costs to fully equip the new fire hall will be around $680,000, including $620,000 for a new truck and equipment and $60,000 for furnishings. Another expense associated with the building is $500,000 per year to staff it.

 

John Friedl, chairman of the Signal Mountain school viability committee, updated the council on its progress. There have been two meetings to date. The first was organizational and the second was used to identify the substantive issues and formulate a plan for how to proceed. Most topics under consideration came from questions submitted on the town’s website. The focus will be on five topics derived from those questions.

 

The first to be addressed is the budget and finances. That meeting will take place on April 3 from 11:30 a.m. until around 2:30 p.m. Mr. Friedl said they will begin with the budget created by the ad hoc group and that the committee will then “tear it apart.”Information on it will be verified and missing information will be determined. He said that what the budget will be in the future will also be looked at so that taxpayers will not be hit down the road. Other considerations will be taken into account, such as the impact of the Hall state income tax that is being phased out.

 

Mr. Friedl has suggested additional meetings of sub-groups consisting of whoever is able to come, in order to finish the study in a reasonable amount of time. He said that if the group wants to work with administrators and boards in other school systems, that part of the study will need to be finished by June or else it will have to wait until September when schools are again in session. The public is welcome at all meetings.

 

Mayor Chris Howley said the committee has the ability to bring in advisory people if the groups feel that they need outside help. The only issue is if there is a cost, which would require being approved beforehand, said City Manager Veal. The council will be updated monthly, on the progress being made by the viability committee.

 

The city manager informed the council about activity that has taken place regarding the MACC building since May 13 when the council approved preserving the structure. Mr. Veal said that the plan involves cleaning up the back rooms so they can be used while work is being done on the front building. Once the work is completed, those rooms that will not have a sprinkler system will be closed to all use. Mold remediation of the original building and cleaning up the rooms at the rear will begin next week. New quotes for work on the auditorium have been received and engineering has been done for the sprinkler and fire alarm systems. Mr. Veal said that a quote for site drainage has been received and deemed reasonable. How to achieve fire separation and have sufficient restrooms is being discussed with the architect. A quote for surveying is still needed. “A lot of things are falling in place,” he said.

 

Mr. Veal also reported that issues have been resolved that will allow the bridge replacement at Shoal Creek to move forward. A temporary easement for access into the subdivision will allow the new bridge to be built in close proximity to the existing one.

 

The replacement of water lines in order to improve fire flow in four locations on the mountain is getting ready to begin, he said.

 

In preparation for developing the new budget, the city manager has already had a couple of meetings with the department heads. A budget work session is scheduled for the full day of April 28.

 

Kyra Howell of the centennial committee told the council members that the group is hoping to engage the community, and that the Mountain Business Association (MBA) is happy to be involved. The committee is also identifying organizations on the mountain that may have an interest in participating. Activities to promote the 100-year celebration can then be matched up to the interested parties. The group does not see a need for something planned for every weekend, but do want to have activities throughout the year, planned by the community. The main focus for the committee will be Founder’s Week, from April 7-13. A parade will be held on Saturday the 13th. Exactly what that week will look like has yet to be determined. The centennial committee will develop a calendar for 2019 and make sure that the different events fit.

 

A logo for the year-long celebration will be designed, followed by a website. The committee asked the city for $5,800 out of this year’s budget to have on hand if needed. If unused, that money will roll over to next year. A budget for the centennial committee will be given to the council before the city’s 2017-2018 budget is created.  

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