The Lookout Mountain, Georgia City Council held a public hearing prior to the Thursday meeting to discuss the fiscal year 2020-2021 budget. Mayor David Bennett said he has proposed a three percent property tax increase this year. If employees are given a 2 percent raise, it will cost the city about $18,000-$20,000 and the cost of insurance will be 16 percent higher in 2021. He said even though the town is run efficiently, it costs more and more to run it.
Anticipating comments from residents blaming a tax increase on the new city hall and fire station, the mayor said, “That is not why were are raising taxes.” He said the debt service for the town center was originally budgeted from the general fund, which does come from the citizens, and half will come from the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOT) and the Hotel and Motel tax, which do not come from town residents. SPLOST funds are from a county sales tax and are designated for funding public facilities. Lookout Mountain, Georgia will be getting $1.5 million of SPLOST revenue, he said, so that will pay for over half of the entire project. “We don’t need a property tax increase to cover the Town Center,” said the mayor.
Approval of the budget will require two votes. Because SPLOST information was supplied to the town without enough time for the council to review it, a special meeting will be held for a first vote tentatively scheduled next Wednesday at 6 p.m. The second vote will be prior to June 30.
The mayor met recently with USDA about the loan to build the Town Center and said it is moving along well. At the meeting, the construction contract for the city hall and fire station was formally awarded to DBS Corporation, which had the lowest and best bid. Mayor Bennett said that ground breaking could begin in the next three or four weeks.
The planning commission has been working for some time to revise the town’s subdivision ordinance. The new ordinance was presented at the council meeting by town attorney Bill Pickering. It would create a difference in major and minor subdivisions. A major subdivision is defined as one that would need construction of public or private roads and/or installation of public utilities. A minor subdivision would have four or less building lots - the number is to be determined by the planning commission at the next meeting. All of the lots would front upon an existing street and would require no roads or public utilities to be built. The minimum size of the newly created lots are 175 feet wide, 200 feet deep and 35,000 square feet in total size. A vote on the new ordinance will take place at the June 17 special meeting.
As the town prepares for growth, a comprehensive plan is being developed, headed by community volunteer Jimmy Campbell. He told the council that he and consultant Phil Walker are now cleaning up details of the plan and expect to have a final draft in about a month.
Mr. Campbell has also been in charge of creating a network of trails and gardens throughout the town. One project that will be moving forward in the near future is the renovation of the Victory Garden on Whitt Road. He has asked the Garden Club of Lookout Mountain to help with both money and in planting and caring for it. The garden will be filled with native plants and it will be planned by Barge Designs with input from Jimmy Stewart, a friend of the town. Before soccer season starts, 12-15 new parking spaces will be built to service the garden.
Statistics from the fire and police departments for May show that officers patrolled 4,115 miles, made 15 traffic stops, issued seven citations, and gave 15 traffic warnings. They responded to five alarms and assisted citizens six times, the Tennessee police department four times, and motorists six times during the month. Two fire calls and three medical calls were made. Five suspicious persons and six suspicious vehicles were investigated and there were two thefts. Council Member and Police and Fire Commissioner Taylor Watson asks for all residents to remove valuables and lock car and house doors.
The commissioner announced the promotion of two officers, Phil Shankles to Captain and Tommy Hedden to Lieutenant. Both are dedicated officers and well deserving of a promotion, she said.
In a spirit of cooperation shared by the police departments in Lookout Mountain Ga. and Tn., Chief Todd Gann and Chief Chuck Wells met recently to discuss ways to incentivize officers to take advanced training courses, and talk about how the advanced courses affect pay grades.
Firefighters in both towns also work together with mutual aid calls. Both departments plus volunteer firefighters will participate in an exercise for fire rescues at the old Lookout Mountain, Georgia town hall building that will soon be torn down. The building will be filled with non-toxic smoke and there will be practice with equipment that seeks body heat, rescue tools and extraction by cutting through the roof and busting through doors. The drills will be held next Monday starting at 7 p.m. Anybody is invited to watch from a distance, said Commissioner Watson. “There will be a lot of sirens and horns.”
Information about the school is all in flux, said Council member Caroline Williams, liaison between the council and the school. She said that how it will look next year and if there will be online teaching is still unknown. Walker County has sent a survey to parents.
An update from the sewer board was given by Mr. Campbell. The town is in the process of selecting an engineering firm to design a new pump station. An application for a grant to build it will be made to the Appalachian Regional Commission. If received, the grant should cover half of the cost. The new pump station will be built on the existing pump station property.
The annual Fourth of July parade will be held, said Mayor Bennett. The difference is that this year there will be no activities afterward.