Since Signal Mountain Town Manager Boyd Veal is retiring effective in December, Honna Rogers gave the town council an overview of the process recommended for the search of a new town manager, which typically takes three-four months. Ms. Rogers is the municipal management consultant with MTAS, the organization that assists municipalities in the state of Tennessee.
MTAS will assist the town in interviewing employees and department heads as will Mr.
Veal to develop an updated job description and in advertising the position. MTAS will grade the resumes to help narrow the number of applicants. City manager professionals at an assessment center will look for qualities that cannot be put on a resume and will give a recommendation. The council will interview the narrowed field as a group and individually. An online test can also be used to show qualities that do not show up in a standard interview. The council asked Ms. Rogers to move forward with the interviews of city employees and creating the job description. She will also put together a calendar/timeline for the process.
Ms. Rogers, who was the Signal Mountain town manager for five years, said, "I am so appreciative of Mr. Veal and for all he has done for the town. He taught me more about leadership than most people in my life. He has done a great job as police chief and as town manager.”
Mayor Charles Poss said, "Boyd has been an amazing servant to the town for most of his adult life, including as the town’s police chief. He has done so much for this town and added stability.”
Ms. Rogers was also present at the council meeting to give advice about MTAS helping to streamline government operations. MTAS will conduct departmental reviews in which consultants in each specialty will look for efficiencies. It will take three-five months to review each department, she said, and will be done at no charge to the city.
The council was given an update on stormwater projects in Signal Mountain. There is a five-year capital improvement plan that is really a “living document,” which will be continually changing to focus on the most pressing needs, said Stormwater Manager Cliff Fite. Currently, he said, corrugated drainage pipes that are rusting are causing road failures from sinkholes. Both the pipes and roads will have to be replaced. Only five of these pipes can be replaced each year, he said. Some of them are really big projects, where pipes are long and deep making them expensive to replace.
The stormwater department also wants to purchase a street sweeper with a special arm that will assist in cleaning catch basins and piles of leaves that the leaf machines cannot reach. A camera system is needed to evaluate pipes and stream restoration. For just the initial assessment of the restoration of Bee Branch, the cost will be $90,000. Grants may help do the work after the studies and design is done, he said, but none cover 100 percent of the cost. Some roads need hydrology studies for drainage issues and relocating utilities before road can be repaved. "The recently approved stormwater fees will help move us forward," he said.
Extensive discussion was held concerning the Mountain Arts Community Center board that now is empty. All the former members resigned to join the Signal Mountain Elementary Preservation Fund (SMEPF) which now is in charge of operations. The council members decided to leave the vacant board in place and review it again in May before deciding if it is needed.
The current mask policy will remain in place for the time being. If COVID infections drop, the issue will be reviewed at the next council meeting and staff members will be consulted about their individual offices and departments before making any changes.
The council approved the purchase of a Bobcat tractor for the water company at a price not to exceed $27,334.
October 22 was recognized at Arbor Day in the town of Signal Mountain.