Red Bank is in really good financial shape, Mayor John Roberts said at the commission meeting Tuesday night. Information that he received from Finance Director John Alexander shows that in the last seven years local sales taxes have increased by 25.7 percent and the local share of state sales taxes has increased by 17 percent. He said goals that the commission has strived for have yielded improvements to the city. One result of the increase in tax income is that pressure has been taken off of the residents of Red Bank in regards to property taxes, he said.
In this fiscal year, said the mayor, 30 new building permits have been issued for residential development. In the same time period, 49 new permits for fixing up existing houses have been given. This indicates that Red Bank is really making significant strides, said Mayor Roberts.
Commissioner Ed Lecompte announced that the Red Bank Chamber of Commerce will be holding a special event "Business After Hours," on Oct. 26 from 5-7 p.m. The by-invitation-only event will be held at the Red Bank Community Center and will include a silent auction. Cathy Shine, representing the Chamber, was granted a special events beer permit Tuesday night by the Red Bank Beer Board for that event.
Commissioner LeCompte said that Alpine Crest Elementary School will hold its annual Fall Festival on Sept. 29 from 4:30-8 p.m. The local Masonic Lodge will be offering a child identification program during the festival. The process includes making a video of a child, taking a DNA sample, and chipping the child. The festival will also have town officials and others competing in a chili cook-off.
A new cardiac rehabilitation center will be opening at Erlanger North in Red Bank. This is a good addition to the city, said Vice Mayor Eddie Pierce in his report.
In regular business, the commissioners approved making renovations and updates of Kids Corner Park. The playground equipment there is all wood and is 25 years old. It is at the end of its useful life, said the city manager. Columbia Cascade Company won the bid to replace all the equipment for the amount of $96,610. A gift of $23,150 for this purpose was given to the city from the Red Bank/Soddy Daisy Foundation. Around $19,000 will come from the Red Bank Playground Committee that raised the money for the original playground and maintenance of it in 1995. The city included $55,000 for the park in this year’s budget. The new playground will still be all wood and will be ADA compliant, said the mayor.
The commissioners voted to authorize a five-year purchase agreement with Taser International to buy tasers, holsters, batteries and replacement cartridges for the amount of $35,200. City Manager Randall Smith said that tasers have a life span of five-seven years and all of the ones used by the police department are wearing out. He said that it will be more cost efficient to buy an all-inclusive package to replace the old ones.
The fire department will benefit from the 2017-2018 Tennessee Municipal League’s Risk Management Pool Safety Partner’s loss Control matching grant, totaling $2,000. The money will be used to buy safety vests.
A unanimous vote approved extending the moratorium for issuing new permits for permanent signs and billboards throughout the city. The existing moratorium will expire this week and the commission has not finished reviewing changes that are being considered. The vote will add one year to the moratorium.