The Hamilton County Schools that are in Signal Mountain are used by residents of the mountain who live outside the city limits, and a half dozen of them came to the town council meeting Monday night with concerns about the creation of a new school district. Most were apprehensive that they would not be able to give opinions or vote in a referendum to decide the fate of a new school district. Other questions included why the effort was originally started, what the Signal Mountain schools are not getting from the Hamilton County School District and what do the residents want from Hamilton County.
Several parents approached the council wanting to look at a better/different way to educate children and that cannot be a bad thing, responded Mayor Chris Howley. After the viability committee is finished with its study, public meetings will be held, and a referendum will decide if the plan will go forward. Regardless, some very good information will come from the study, he said.
The study is nearly half finished, said Council member Amy Speek and she said that all questions sent to the committee will be answered. Signal Mountain’s representative to the Hamilton County Board of Education, Kathy Lennon, told the council that the needs of Signal Mountain have to be known before they can be addressed.
Town Manager Boyd Veal told the council that RFPs for managing or selling the town’s water system should go out around the first of August.
An update was also given for the new fire station. Architect David Bryant, working with Mr. Veal and Fire Chief Eric Mitchell, redesigned the building and found economies to get the cost down to around $2 million. Bids for the project are expected to be received by Aug. 1. Construction will take around 12 months.
Zoning regulations were amended regarding livestock regulations in the town’s residential estate district, consisting of properties of three or more acres. The planning commission determined that restrictions and some contradictions in the ordinance made it almost impossible for people to keep animals and recommended changes that will make it easier for homeowners to enjoy what the zoning allows. Horses and goats are permitted, but not chickens.
An ordinance was passed that adjusted the 2016-2017 budget, adding $7,751,461 to pay unexpected expenses that occurred during the year. There were increased expenditures in the administration, building and codes, police, and library departments and in parks and recreation for both the pool and gym.
Another ordinance passed that temporarily continues the 2016-2017 budget for the next year, until the new tax rate is known and the 2018 budget is finalized and adopted.
Signal Mountain approved a new open records policy Monday night, which has been required of all municipalities in the state. This is a way to handle requests for records. Requests can come in different manners including written or verbal, said Town Attorney Phil Noblett, and this gives the town a procedure for documenting requests and that they have been fulfilled. It also provides a way to handle frequent and continual requests if they become burdensome. This is a formalization of what the city has already been doing, said City Manager Veal.
Signal Mountain is in need of additional assistance for planning, zoning and subdivision issues. These services require specific professional background and training. The council voted to enter into an agreement with the Southeast Tennessee Development District for these services for two years for the amount of $12,500 yearly. The appointment of Mike Richards to the town’s municipal planning commission was unanimously approved.
Councilman Dick Gee said that the council has an opportunity now to establish an architectural standard which would direct the appearance of the town. He said that timing is right, with a new owner of the shopping center, five vacant commercial buildings and a moratorium that is restricting the sale of many buildings. He suggested that the design review committee come up with the vision of what the town should look like.
The council, acting as the Signal Mountain beer board, approved an application for a consumer beer permit from Max’s Restaurant, a new business on the mountain that serves traditional Southern food. It is open on weekdays and Saturdays and in the future may open for dinner on week nights.
Red Bank Mayor John Roberts and City Manager Randall Smith came to the meeting to give advance warning about road work in Red Bank that will affect many residents of Signal Mountain. The intersection of Ashland Terrace and Dayton Boulevard will be closed for three weeks in late August or mid-September for work on Stringers Branch Creek that runs under the street. Traffic will be re-routed through Red Bank during the work. Updated information will be available at www.ashlandterraceproject.com.