by Dana Wilbourn
posted October 20, 2009
Lookout Mountain, Tn., on Thursday approved on first reading an agreement with EPB to bring cable TV competition to the town. Town attorney Brian Smith told the commissioners the agreement is standard and allows EPB to operate on common footing with Comcast and others.
The agreement includes a 5% franchise fee, Mr. Smith said, and should not be considered a new income stream since anyone signing up with EPB probably already has service with Comcast, which also pays the town a 5% franchise fee.
EPB officials, who were present to answer questions from the commissioners, said they will begin servicing homes in the town within one year. If you currently receive cable TV service from overhead lines, then the EPB service will come in from overhead lines. If you currently receive cable TV through an underground conduit, then the EPB service will come through that conduit, they said.
EPB said two things will need to happen when a resident requests cable TV (or other services) from them. The first is a visit from them to the outside of the home. They will mount an Optical Network Terminal box on the side of the home near the existing electric meter. The second is a separate scheduled visit, at the homeowner’s convenience, to come inside the home and assess what is needed to bring their 100% fiber optic service to the home. Cable TV, telephone service, and high-speed internet services will be available, they said.
In most cases, the existing wiring used in the house for cable TV can still be used. For internet service, they prefer to run a new CAT5 line directly to a computer in the home so the fastest service can be received.
Channels 2 through 78 will not require a set-top box, EPB officials said. Channels beyond 78, including the high-definition channels will require a set-top box. Other amenities include a Quad DVR that allows recording up to four channels at a time. The DVR can be accessed from all TVs in the house connected to the service.
In other business, town consultant Ansley Moses told commissioners United Healthcare River Valley will again be the health insurer for the town. Blue Cross Blue Shield had made an offer, but United Healthcare’s bid was lower. The town will experience just a 6.5% increase in insurance costs over last year. Mr. Moses said he had budgeted for a 20% increase.
Changes to the health plan are minimal, Mr. Moses said. The deductible portion increased from $500 per individual to $1000. The deductible for families increased from $1000 to $2000. Town employees will continue to pay just 10% of the premium for and individual. Co-pay amounts will be $15 for family physician visits and $30 for specialist visits.
Parks and Playgrounds Commissioner Will Moses said he is working on receiving estimates for landscaping and shrubbery around the Mountain Maze, and a facelift for the picnic pavilion. Also, tennis court #1 has a crack that will need repaired.
Carol Mutter, Fire and Police Commissioner, said she is still gathering information and cost estimates for security cameras to monitor ingress and egress routes in the town.
Traffic changes in the business district include a crosswalk and other signage, she said. Residents can expect to see those changes in the next few weeks.
Education Commissioner Bill Mitchell said the school carnival has been rescheduled for Thursday, Oct. 29. Also, extra-curricular classes in Spanish (grades K-5) and computer (grades 3-5) are available at the school.
The commissioners approved on second reading the tax rate at $1.47 per $100 assessed value.
In the mayor’s report, Mayor Greg Brown said the Southeast Development office had called to tell him about available energy grants for municipal buildings. EPB can partnership with the town and do an energy audit of the town hall and recommend changes, he said. The commissioners authorized the mayor to proceed.
Mayor Brown praised a former resident, Nate Rawlings, for exemplary service in the military in Iraq where he earned two Bronze Stars. He has retired from the military and is pursuing his Master’s degree at Columbia University.
Mayor Brown also provided the commissioners a couple of points of trivia about Lookout Mountain.
The town of Lookout Mountain, Tn., he said, has the distinction of being the first in the South to allow women to vote in municipal elections, but not state or federal elections. Mrs. Newell Sanders was the first woman to cast a vote in the south.
Mayor Brown next read an advertisement that appeared in the Chicago newspapers in 1868. The advertisement asked carpetbaggers to leave the frigid north and come to the comfortable confines of Chattanooga. A certain Walter Temple accepted the challenge and came to Chattanooga. He said he later became the first mayor of Lookout Mountain, Tn.
The next meeting of the commissioners will be Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 5 p.m.
Commissioner Mutter provided the following statistics for the police and fire departments in September.
Police Calls - 99
Miles patrolled - 4,654
Burglar alarms - 16 (all false)
Assist citizen calls – 9
911 calls – 6
Traffic citations – 12
Traffic warnings – 32
Arrests – 0
Thefts – 2 (credit card fraud)
Auto accidents – 0
Medical calls – 3
Fire alarms – 3 (odor of smoke, gas leak, and false alarm)
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