Rep. Richard Floyd
Lookout Mountain, Tn. Town Attorney Brian Smith told town commissioners on Tuesday the same Year 2020 plan that Chattanooga is using to target annexation areas is also protecting property that Lookout Mountain targeted for annexation when the plan was drafted.
Attorney Smith said when the first plan was put together in 1998, the county municipalities could not all agree. Each municipality was required to show expected boundaries for the year 2020. Since some of those boundaries overlapped, the disagreements began and the state of Tennessee had to intervene and help all parties come to an agreement.
Because of the time involved in reaching an agreement, the Year 2020 Plan in Hamilton County is good until the year 2021, Attorney Smith said.
In the plan, Chattanooga targeted an area reaching up to the Winterview condominiums on the side of the mountain, Attorney Smith said. Chattanooga is not currently trying to annex that area; although, it could be included in a future phase of Chattanooga’s annexation plan, he said.
Lookout Mountain, in the Year 2020 plan, targeted areas along Ochs Highway. That area is protected until the plan expires in the year 2021, Attorney Smith told the commissioners. Until that time, Chattanooga cannot come any closer than what the city targeted in the plan.
Attorney Smith said there is no need for the town to start annexation now because the property is protected until 2021.
In other business, town consultant Ansley Moses told the commissioners the Hall Tax has been received and was deposited last Tuesday. The amount was $660,000.
Mr. Moses and the commissioners discussed the ongoing saga of the property at 120 S. Forrest Ave. Two years ago, the town had the house on the property demolished for safety reasons. There are nine heirs to the property and all live out of town.
Mr. Moses said at one time he thought the town might want to acquire the property and sell it to recover the cost of demolition, back taxes, and legal fees. However, he said, he has changed his mind and recommends the town put a lien on the property to recover the costs when the heirs sell the property. The costs have already reached $18,500.
Mr. Moses said he got attorneys from Miller and Martin to clear an infringement on the property that was an abandoned railroad right-of-way. The legal cost was $7,000, he said.
Another infringement involves the EPB and discussions are still underway. EPB officials said they received permission from the property owner about 50 years ago to cross the property with a power line. However, not right-of-way was ever recorded and the power line remains.
The commissioners approved Mr. Moses’ recommendation to have surveyors set the property corner markers to help determine if the claimed EPB right-of-way will make the property undevelopable. The cost of the survey is not to exceed $2,000 and the heirs will be notified of the town’s intent and be expected to pay for the survey.
Fire and Police Commissioner Carol Mutter said more personal property has been recovered from burglaries that occurred last month. Almost all of the stolen items have now been recovered, including silver tableware, laptops, and numerous electronic items.
Police Chief Randy Bowden said arrests have been made and there have been no new burglaries since the arrests were made.
Ms. Mutter encouraged citizens to continue to be vigilant, lock their property, and set home alarm systems if they have them.
Parks and Playgrounds Commissioner Will Moses congratulated the town’s 11- and 12-year-old baseball team for its appearance in the World Series in Arkansas. The team lost the first game to North Carolina, won the second game over Arkansas, and then was eliminated by Alabama. Lookout Mountain has been to two of the past three World Series, Mr. Moses said.
On Labor Day, Mr. Moses said, there will be a baseball ceremony and a Mountain Maze dedication.
Education Commissioner Bill Mitchell said school begins on Wednesday. He said N. Bragg St. will be one-way from 7:45 a.m. until 8:10 a.m. each school day.
Kindergarten students will be phased in over a two-week period, Mr. Mitchell said. New parent orientation will then follow.
The PTA has a new Lookout Mountain phone book available for $12 each, Mr. Mitchell announced.
Public Works Commissioner Dan Crates said the new wash rack is in use and the intersection of Oak Street and Sunset Street ditch work is complete.
Mayor Greg Brown said there will be a brainstorming session with business owners about the parking problems in the business district. The meeting is planned for Aug. 31 at 4 p.m.
Police Chief Bowden said he has had some discussions with the business owners and has put several changes in place. The speed limit has been lowered to 20 mph and warning signs have been placed. Also, the speed trailer is out and shows the speed of cars as they approach. Business owners have said they are seeing a remarkable difference already.
Two important guests attended the meeting and were asked by the mayor to speak.
The first guest, State Rep. Richard Floyd, helped the town receive the grant money that was used for the new Mountain Maze.
Rep. Floyd thanked the mayor and the commissioners for the opportunity to meet them and for the great job they do for Lookout Mountain. He encouraged them to contact him at any time with any concern.
He said Tennessee got $2.2 million of the federal stimulus funds and one of the commissioners asked if it was true that Cook County, Ill., (Chicago) got almost $30 million. Rep. Floyd said, “Yes, they did, and I’m not surprised. Are you?”
The second guest was Covenant College president Dr. Niel Nielson. Dr. Neilson said he tells his college students to never forget that they are attending college in the midst of a community. He acknowledged that some of those students have apparently forgotten at times and received speeding tickets from the town police. He encouraged the police to continue doing their job.
Dr. Neilson said he has been at Covenant for seven years. In that time, a new entrance and several new buildings have been completed. The face of the campus has changed and he invited the commissioners to come by and he would like to personally show them around the campus.
The college, Dr. Neilson said, has reduced the annual budget from $28 million down to $24 million. No major program has been eliminated and the reduction has been transparent to the students. Like most small colleges, he said, capital projects have been placed on hold.
In this down economy, Dr. Neilson said, enrollment at Covenant has increased. He said Covenant is a special place to learn, to build relationships, and to find opportunities. Enrollment for the new school year is right at 1,000. Students come from all across the nation and many remain here after graduation.
Chief Bowden said he married one of the Covenant young ladies 31 years ago and she stayed here too.
In closing the meeting, Mayor Brown said the U.S. Post Office has announced it will be closing many post offices across the nation. He encouraged residents to use the local post office instead of going into Chattanooga for their postal needs. “Let’s try to protect our post office,” he said.
The next commission meeting will be Tuesday, Sept. 8, at 5 p.m.
Dana Wilbourn
dbwilbourn@yahoo.com
Dr. Niel Nielson