Lookout Mountain, Tn. Town Consultant Dwight Montague reported Tuesday that the town ended the year in the black, adding “that is a very good thing.” The new parking meters the town installed near Point Park are partly responsible, but credit is also owed to the diligence of each department in “getting the most bang for its buck” as far as spending is concerned. The 2019 budget as written was approved.
Commissioner of Fire and Police Jim Bentley presented the department’s statistics for the month of June. Police answered 184 calls, patrolled 5,815 miles, responded to 10 burglar alarms, all false, assisted eight citizens, answered 26 calls to 911, responded to five automobile accidents with no injuries, made 75 traffic stops, issued 25 parking citations, made two narcotics arrests and responded to four fire alarms, all false. The department responded to 14 medical calls in Lookout Mountain, Tn., and assisted the Lookout Mountain, Ga., department five times during the month.
Public Works Commissioner Walker Jones reported that the town lost a valuable member of the community, David Kendrick, in an auto accident. Mr. Kendrick owned and operated the Lookout Mountain Service Center. David’s sister, Amanda, and her husband, Shane Farmer, along with David’s son Tristan, will continue to operate the service center. The support of both the Kendrick family and the business is important, and the town council urges the community to support both of them, it was stated.
Commissioner Jones reported that the town is busy cleaning up brush and will begin trimming trees, bushes and shrubbery that encroach on town signage as well as visibility on the roads. He urges citizens to prune their shrubbery immediately, adding, “We are not landscapers, but are more like a M.A.S.H. unit ready to cut and go.” If you care how your shrubbery looks near the road, get out your pruners."
Don Stinnett, commissioner of schools, introduced Jenny Hill, a resident of North Chattanooga who is running for the District 6 seat on the Hamilton County Board of Education. She is the mother of two children, ninth and fifth graders, and realized there are not many parents of middle school and high school children on the board. She and her husband own a small tech business, and she said she realizes that the economy is changing rapidly. “High school graduates should be life long learners, and they need to be well trained and skilled for the work force, whether they are engineers, welders or phlebotomists,” she said. According to Ms. Hill, Hamilton County has many “haves” and “have nots,” and she is not okay with the “have nots.” “We need to be thoughtful in using tax payers dollars to advocate for students,” she said, promising to do that if elected.
Mayor Carol Mutter said that David Kendrick was such an important member of the community, adding, "We have sustained a terrible loss with his tragic passing."
“Please continue to buy your gas from the Lookout Mountain Service Center,” she said, reiterating how valuable the service center is to the community.
Mayor Mutter asked District 6 Hamilton County Commissioner Joe Graham to stand, noting that it was so wonderful that he routinely attended the town meetings.
“Are you firing me?” he quipped.
“Far from it,” Mayor Mutter replied, presenting him with a monogrammed coffee mug and honoring him with her words.
“I come to these meetings because I love my job. I’m a public servant, and I represent you, so I need to know you, and understand what you want and need,” Commissioner Graham said.
He is running for re-election and voting is Aug. 2.
The next meeting of the Lookout Mountain Commission is Tuesday, Aug. 14, at 5 p.m.