Four men and four women, all residents of Signal Mountain, filed applications to fill the temporary seat that will be created when Councilman Richard Gee officially leaves his post later this month.
The eight, who all filed before Friday’s deadline, boast backgrounds ranging from industrial development to mass communications to construction management to jewelry design and repair.
Together, they can claim almost two centuries of residency in Signal Mountain.
“If you know any of the following people, thank them for being willing to serve,” current council member Dan Landrum urged readers of League of Signal Mountain Voters, a blog maintained by former town mayor Paul Hendricks.
The candidates include:
· Eugenia Alderdice – a 22-year resident of the town, she ran for town council in 2016 but was forced to withdraw for family reasons.
She served as co-chair of the citizens’ advocacy group “Be Vocal, Choose Local,” which opposed a proposal to sell Signal’s water supply to Tennessee American.
· Marleah Alpers – active on the board of Nolan Elementary PTA, she moved here with her family four years ago after her husband completed his commitment to the U.S. Air Force.
· Brandon Anthony – owner/operator of Chattanooga Jewelry Company, he has lived in the town for six years and feels “a civic responsibility to support our local government and the folks that work diligently to keep it running.”
· Anne Hagood – a native of Signal Mountain who moved away as an adult but returned for good 32 years ago, she believes her experience in software development and construction management help her understand issues such as the future of the town water system.
· Annie Impink Hall – a member of the Hamilton County Industrial Development Board since 1982 and a Signal resident for almost 43 years, she also is a former county school board member.
· Laurence “Scott” Rix – chief operating officer of data management and corporate mass communications firm Airnet and a member of the Chattanooga Technology Council, he has lived in Signal for 23 years.
· Richard Saputa – consultant to the nuclear electric utility industry and a licensed soccer coach and referee, he has been a resident of the town for eight years. Earlier this year he filed a multimillion dollar civil rights lawsuit against Signal and other defendants in federal court.
· Jim Webster – chief executive officer of Continental Films, a multimedia company founded by his father in 1951. He has been a Signal resident for more than 40 years.
According to the applications they submitted, their historic levels of interest in town government vary widely from candidate to candidate.
Brandon Anthony, for example, said he hasn’t gone to any town council meetings during the past year and Marleah Alpers reported attending just one.
Anne Hagood, on the other hand, said she went to “all but two.”
Now that the applications have been submitted, it is unclear what action the council will take to fill Gee's soon-to-be-vacant seat, Councilman Landrum said in an email.
“We technically don’t have an opening until after Dick Gee is no longer eligible to serve,” he explained. “That date is August 16. With this in mind, it seems premature and perhaps a violation of our charter for us to choose a replacement at the next regular town meeting on the 13th.”
Councilman Landrum suggested that the council take up the issue at a special meeting held as soon as possible after the 16th.
"The council could then vote on the replacement," he said. "I'm not sure if this is procedurally possible, but I'm tossing the idea out there publicly so other council members and citizens can think about it. It would be a violation of Open Meetings law for us to privately discuss how we're going to do this outside of a meeting. it is not a violation to share one's positions and opinions publicly. On the contrary, I think we should encourage it."