Don Stinnett with painting made with each student’s fingerprint
The March meeting of the Lookout Mountain, Tn., Commission was the last for Don Stinnett in the position of commissioner of schools, which he has held for the past eight years. Ruth White, principal of Lookout Mountain School, thanked him for being “unbelievably supportive of the school” especially throughout the past year when it has been on "the biggest roller-coaster” ever. Mayor Walker Jones added that his wife, Cheryl, grew up on the mountain and their family was raised here.
“They have been dear and valuable friends of the community which is so grateful for his service,” said the mayor. During the last year, in response to the MTG report which originally advised closing the school, "Don has been a tireless warrior and navigated the town through it," said the mayor.
“I’ve been humbled and honored to serve on this commission," said Commissioner Stinnett, while thanking his fellow commissioners, Principal White, the school board members past and present and the PTA presidents for their involvement. He said they supported him and made it one of the most rewarding experiences in his life. In honor of and as a thank you, a painting of the school building, created with a fingerprint of every student presently at LMS, was presented to Commissioner Stinnett.
Brooke Pippenger, who has served as commissioner of parks and playgrounds for the past six years, will transition into the position of commissioner of schools. She has been involved with LMS for many years, said the mayor. The commissioners have identified a replacement for the void that will be left in the parks and playground department. An appointment will be made at the next commission meeting. “We will be moving on with very capable people,” said Mayor Jones.
Baseball practice has begun, said Commissioner Pippenger. There have been five to six nights devoted to getting age groups together and assessing the players in order to balance the teams and make them fair. She said the rec board has decided to leave Dixie Youth Baseball and join the Dizzy Dean Baseball league, which has a bigger group of teams in the Chattanooga area for competition. Information about the change can be found at the website bluesombrero.com. The opening day of baseball will begin with the parade on April 18.
Jim Bentley, commissioner of fire and police, would like residents of the town to know that if 911 is dialed using a cell phone, the call may be answered elsewhere and responders might not be able to find the caller. It is imperative that the first information given to the dispatcher is a name and address. With spring arriving, said the commissioner, drivers need to watch for children on bicycles and he reminds everyone that headlights should be used in the fog.
Statistics from the police and fire department show that police patrolled 5,738 miles in January and 4,285 miles in February. Officers made 100 traffic stops, and investigated 23 suspicious persons/vehicles/or activities during February. There were three auto accidents without injuries and 10 parking citations were given. Five arrests were made - two for traffic violations, one for a traffic charge for leaving the scene of an accident, and two arrests for charges of narcotic violations and a stolen handgun out of Atlanta. There were 266 calls to the police, six calls to assist citizens, eight burglar alarms during the month (all false) and 32 calls to 911.There were 10 medical calls - nine in Tennessee and one in Georgia. Response was made to one fire alarm in Tennessee and two in Georgia, one smoke investigation was made and there was one call about a car fire.
Assistant Chief Dale Taylor told the commissioners of the new protocol being used because of the threat from the coronavirus. He said that 911 calls are being forwarded to Amnicola Highway where the dispatchers will ask a list of specific questions. If the caller is not in any distress, but the symptoms and location of recent travels is a cause for concern, an ambulance will be sent. If the caller is distressed but there are no travel concerns, response will be made from the Lookout Mountain medics, but only one person from the department will enter the house. If there are no troubling symptoms, it will be handled as a regular call.
Public Works Commissioner Frank Schriner announced that a dumpster will be on the mountain for spring cleaning two extra days. In addition to the first Saturdays of each month, a dumpster will be available on April 18 and May 16 for both Tennessee and Georgia residents.
Assistant Treasurer Samantha VanAlstyne reported that property taxes are due by the last of February, making that the high point of the year. During February $357,000 was paid in property taxes and $18,000 in back taxes and penalties. The city received an in-service training grant of $12,800 from the state for the fire and police department. This grant will pay for one week of continuing education for each officer. Expenses include $2,000 as a partial payment for a new restroom at city hall and $4,200 to purchase portable thermal imaging devices for each officer.
Town Attorney Brian Smith was given approval to send a newly drafted sign ordinance for Lookout Mountain, Tn., to the Regional Planning Agency (RPA) for approval. By the next meeting, it will come back for authorization from the town’s commissioners.
Mayor Walker Jones said the town has been notified that the cost of recycling will be increasing. For single stream recyclables, the cost will be $35 per ton, excluding glass and cardboard. The company providing that service has no competition in town, said the mayor. That is still less than the $44 per ton for taking household garbage. "We will continue recycling," he said. "It is the smart thing to do."
Streets on the mountain are crowded with trucks and people from the utilities. Chief Chuck Wells said instead of blocking just one lane where work is being done, the road will be closed to keep people safe. WWTA is revamping the sewer system and is behind about 30 days because of the weather. The mayor said any potholes and cuts they have made to the roads have temporarily been fixed. Permanent repairs will meet the town’s ordinance pertaining to the method of making road repairs. Multiple crews from EPB are still cutting trees and branches from their right-of-way and they, too, are behind due to the large amount of rain. And Tennessee American Water is on the mountain replacing hydrants. All the work needs to be done, said Chief Wells, so residents should continue to be patient.
Discussion took place about creating an email data base for residents of Lookout Mountain, Tn. A blank left on the decal form could be used for email addresses which could be used to send out important notices or announce events, said the mayor.
The next meeting of the Lookout Mountain, Tn. Commission will be Tuesday, April 14.