A disturbing revelation came to light recently when Signal Mountain Town Manager Boyd Veal was researching restrictions on town property. At the council meeting on Monday, he read a letter to the council regarding what he found. He said deeds on some property transactions from C.E. James, his family and his company, the Mountain Land Company, from both before and after the town was incorporated in 1919, revealed the darker side of history and should be acknowledged.
He said that C.E. James was a businessman who saw a way to expand his wealth by development of Signal Mountain and that racism played a part in it. Restrictions that were in the deeds for the property said it was set apart for the “white race,” and no property could be sold, transferred, leased or conveyed "to a negro, mulatto or person of color." The deeds also stated that if these stipulations were violated the transaction would become null and void and property would be returned to the grantor.
Mr. Veal’s letter said that the town should take full stock of its history which cannot be changed. In concern for generations to come, he said that how the town was conceived would be a deterrent and influence how it is perceived. He said that making it clear "who we are now versus who we were then" is needed.
At the entrance to the town now stands a monument to C.E. James that includes his vision. “How can we honor him when racism was a driving force behind it?” he asked. He said that he finds it unacceptable and so he spoke up and is asking the council to consider removing the monument and renaming James Park. He proposed to find a location for the monument at a later date, where it can be part of the historical telling of Signal Mountain. He said the park is the town’s “welcome mat,” and that everyone should be welcomed.
“Very well said,” said Vice Mayor Bill Lusk. Mayor Dan Landrum said he would like to listen to the community for a couple of weeks and have a discussion at the next council meeting about making any changes. The vice mayor suggested taking a look at the names of all the parks to see if they need to be modernized to reflect who makes up the town today.
Discussions of current issues facing Signal Mountain filled the remainder of the meeting. There have been no problems concerning COVID-19 in the past two weeks at the recreational facilities including the pool and parking for the trails. Both have been opened and are being used in limited capacities. A new request has been made to begin planning for the flag football league.
The codes such as building, electrical, plumbing and mechanical are being updated this year. The town has no latitude of what it can do with some of them, said Police Chief Eric Mitchell - what the state adopts must be followed. Tennessee is in the process of adopting 2018 versions of many of these codes and Signal Mountain’s codes must be within seven years of what the state uses. But the town is creating two new codes to help with enforcement issues. A new property maintenance code will bring together in one place the various requirements that are now scattered throughout the municipal code. A Wildland Urban Interface Code is also being created. Fees for all codes will be collected into one chapter.
Each year the town is required by Tennessee state law to discuss its debt policy. On Monday, Finance Director Carol White told the council that Signal Mountain is in full compliance with the debt policy and that there is sufficient oversight. Any debt is thoroughly discussed and approved by the council, said Mr. Veal.
Discussion also ensued about paving for the year which was budgeted at $400,000. Just a single bid was received and it came in at $574,636. Town Manager Veal suggested either adding funds for paving projects or waiting until later in the year to see how revenue comes in and if more bids are received. That, however, may be unlikely since construction in the area is not expected to slow down and work is not needed. The vice mayor said the season for paving might also be missed by waiting.
A resolution was passed authorizing an agreement with the Humane Educational Society for animal control in the town for a yearly cost of $9,900 from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. This will be paid in monthly installments of $825.
The purchase of a four-wheel-drive truck was approved for use by the water company. The price came in under budget at $27,250.50.
New water rates were also approved on the second and final vote. This is the second of three rate increases, each for 15 percent, that was suggested from a study done by MTAS when the town decided to retain ownership of the water company. The increases are needed to cover the planned and unplanned costs of running the utility. There will be no change to the sewer fees. Mr. Veal said delivery of the new AMR water meters are expected this week.