Signal Mountain’s new council made appointments to fill vacancies in the city’s various boards and commissions on Monday. Most of these boards are without enforcement power and are largely advisory in nature. Applicants filled out forms to let the council know their backgrounds and experience. In the future, those who are reapplying for a board will need to submit a new application, so new council members will be able to see their qualifications.
The boards and appointments are:
· The Municipal Planning Commission: Jamie Blanton, Eddie Smith, Ryan Slattery and Marci Cooper
· The Board of Zoning Appeals: Ashley Henry and Doug Fuston
· The MMAC Board: Margaret Sullivan and Ellis Gardner
· The Design Review Commission: Ray Boaz, Claire Griesinger, Jeremy Rardin and Melissa Hartmann
· The Tree Board: Robert Richie and Andrew Hodgson
· The Hemlock Conservation Task Force ( a sub-commiittee of the tree board): Anne Hagood, Barbara Womack, Clyde Womack, Kyle Kelly, Robert Ritchie, Jr.
and Joshua Rogers
· The Recreation Board: Tom Turner, Brandon Sullivan and Mary Margaret Sullivan
· The Parks Board: Curt Koontz
· The Construction Board of Adjustments and Appeals: Marci Cooper
· The Condemnation Board: Scott Ferguson
· The Historical Committee: Rita Irvin
Mayor Charles Poss was appointed to represent Signal Mountain at the Chattanooga-Hamilton County-North Georgia’s Transportation Planning Organization’s executive board.
Each board has a representative form the town council that acts as a liaison. The role of a liaison has been vague and so the current council members have created an ordinance to define the position as an advisor to the individual boards. The liaison will be allowed to participate in the discussion as a citizen, but they will not vote. Town Manager Boyd Veal will draft an ordinance with the guidelines for a vote at the Jan. 25 meeting.
The sanitation department will be getting a new automated side loading garbage truck. Mr. Veal said the city’s newest garbage truck is now having issues and a nine month turn-around is needed when acquiring a new one. An amount not to exceed $218,938 was approved for the purchase. This truck will be delivered in the next budget year and is part of the town’s vehicle replacement plan.
The council also approved renewing a contract with WestRock for the sale of scrap and recycled materials collected at the recycling center, the price will be based on market conditions. They provide single stream recycling and take the recycled cardboard and glass as separate items. The Orange Grove Center provides some of the labor for WestRock. Officials said besides being the right thing to do, the town is being regulated for reducing what goes into the landfill which recycling helps to do. Currently Signal Mountain pays WestRock $35 per ton to take away the materials collected with single stream, but the town is paid for cardboard and scrap metal. Loretta Hopper, public works director, was asked to find out end users for the materials that are collected on Signal to make sure it is not being thrown away.
The city manager recently met with engineers working on the sidewalk project in Olde Town that has been in the works for a very long time. The latest meeting presented Mr. Veal with a change order. Mayor Poss has asked Ms. Hopper to send emails weekly to keep our project “on the top of the pile." The original development schedule that was approved for the Wildridge development, included a schedule relating to building. That timeline created in 2013 has not been met and so the proposal must go back to the planning commission and the council. A public hearing will be held Jan. 21.