Funding was approved by the Signal Mountain Town Council on Friday for additional work that will complete renovations to the Mountain Arts Community Center (MACC). More work was needed to the back of the building than was originally planned, which was to add sprinklers. The council voted to approve an amount not to exceed $30,000 for the changes that were required by the state in order to use the building. Funds will come from the capital projects fund and a budget amendment will be made.
The total cost of the town’s investment in renovations and preservation totals about $600,000. Mayor Dan Landrum said this is taking care of an asset that has been appraised for around $2 million.
Authorization was also given to extend the purchase of water from Tennessee American Water for a period of one year. The agreement has a provision that TAW will be the sole supplier to Signal Mountain for the contract term.
The council officially approved Harry Cash to be the new town attorney, effective Feb. 1, to replace Phil Noblett. Attorney Cash told the council that he has accepted the terms and what he is expected to do. The conditions were included in the request for qualifications that was issued by the town during the search for a new attorney. He said he would provide monthly billing that will include daily entries of the time spent on Signal Mountain’s behalf.
Amendments to the town’s ordinances regarding firearms and park regulations were approved on the second readings. At a November council meeting citizens were given mixed information from the town and from the TWRA during a discussion about coyotes and the use of firearms. Research found that state laws preempted municipal laws concerning firearms. The state also guarantees the right to hunt. In order to comply with the state law, Signal Mountain’s ordinances were amended. The town cannot prohibit an individual with a carry permit to have a gun, including in city-owned parks. There are certain circumstances guns can be prohibited, such as an event where children are present. And hunting is prohibited on all city-owned property. There are also state laws that prohibit the reckless use of guns which will govern firearm use on personal property.
Plans for the town of Signal Mountain’s centennial celebration were a topic discussed at the Friday meeting. Plans have changed since the celebration was originally envisioned. It was anticipated that $40,000 would be available for the celebration’s budget. The town had designated $20,000 and $20,000 in donations was expected. The donations did not materialize and now the town will have to shoulder the cost, with $20,000 to spend.
The Centennial Committee has planned the kick-off of the celebration for April 4 at Alexian Inn. The theme will be “Past – Present- and Future.” The focus will be on history and genealogy and there will be photo exhibits. The original plan to have events each day of that week may be altered. A picnic, parade and fireworks display that was planned to end the week may now be combined with the parade and fireworks that take place on the mountain every Fourth of July. Combining the events would reduce costs. The weather is also more reliable in July than April. The preference of the council to change the dates of the parade and fireworks to July will be given to the Centennial committee for direction.
Librarian Karen Glendenning asked the council for permission to start a fundraising campaign for expansion of the library. The library is town property and the board that governs it has a lot of autonomy, said City Manager Boyd Veal, but it must get permission from the council before raising money. The expansion will include a handicapped elevator, a quiet space for reading and research, a cover over the back patio and a door from the main part of the library into the reading room so the space can be divided into separate areas. The money that is raised will be donated to the town and the town will have the work done.
Two tennis courts are now unusable due to erosion. Engineers have informed the town manager that the cracks are so extensive that the courts cannot be repaired and need to be rebuilt. The project was sent out to bid but no response was received. It was sent out to bid a second time and seven contactors did reply but the town only received one bid for the work. The budgeted amount to replace the two courts is $90,000 and the single bid came in at $170,000.
Mr. Veal said the town has taken two loans for projects that have cost less than expected - the new public works facility and the new fire station. There is $500,000 remaining from the public works building loan that could be available to use for the tennis courts. Options for building them include expanding the tennis courts at the high school or building them behind the country club. There is an obligation to rebuild the tennis courts because they were originally paid for with a grant that specified how the money would be used. The council discussed trying to build two new courts behind the country club in the small window of time between the spring and fall tennis seasons.
The Signal Mountain baseball youth league has proposed purchasing bleacher shade for the ball fields. They will donate $20,000 if the town will facilitate installation that is expected to cost about $20,000. This has not been budgeted, but Mr. Veal said there is money in the capital projects fund that could be used. The council voted to support the project and to move forward.
A student from the high school and her father have volunteered to build bike trails around the city property surrounding the municipal building complex. This would expand the town’s recreational offerings, but would add a facility for the town to maintain, said Mr. Veal. The council voted to approve and allow the plan.
Discussion also took place about allowing people to “brown bag” at concerts held at the MACC. Alcohol is currently allowed for caterers with a licensed server. Catering businesses also have the appropriate insurance. If people are allowed to bring their own alcoholic beverages the group holding the event would have to be insured for alcohol use for that event. Changes would also need to be made to the town’s ordinances, said Mr. Veal. The council was in favor of the proposal.
A final vote approved changing the schedule of the town council meetings. There will be two regular council meetings held on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 6 p.m. There will no longer be an agenda meeting which has been held on the last Friday of each month.