This is a busy time of the year for sports on Lookout Mountain, said Commissioner of Parks and Playgrounds David Paschall, with the overlap of sports. Basketball is wrapping up with most all age groups. All play had to stop the first week of March because of COVID problems, but the fourth and fifth grade games were carried over an extra week to finish up the season.
There is a lot of activity at The Commons now because it is evaluation week for baseball.
Overall, the number of sign-ups is high, said the commissioner. There are 60 five- and six-year-olds who have registered, 50 in the 7-8 age group, 48 who have signed up in the 9-10 group and 20 who will be participating 11-12. There will also be three softball teams.
Baseball season has traditionally started each year with a parade, which would be very difficult to do this year because of COVID restrictions, said Commissioner Paschall. Numbers of virus cases will be tracked and, if it will be safe, some kind of a special gathering celebrating baseball may be held in mid-season, in place of the parade.
There are still plans to hold Commons Camp this summer, after not being able to have it last year. There must be enough children participating, said the commissioner.
Upgrades are being done at The Commons. Additional steps and handrails are being added leading up the slope to Dockery Field and railroad ties at the area used for picnics behind Johnson Field are being replaced with landscaping stone. The work will be started on these projects during spring break, when fewer people will be using the Commons. New fencing around the playground is being planned for the future.
Announcements from Lookout Mountain School from Brooke Pippenger, commissioner of schools, were presented by Mayor Walker Jones. The book fair which was held online this year was not quite as profitable for the school as it has been in the past. A fun celebration of Reading Across Tennessee has been planned by the librarian, Whitney Fessler, for the week of March 29 through April 1. Children will be encouraged to dress up for fun theme days. Spring break will be April 2 through April 9. Kindergarten registration is online at hcde.org from April 12-16. Children need to be five by Aug. 15 to be eligible. Fifth grade graduation will be held outdoors at LMS, most likely on the football field. There will be additional information to follow on how many people can attend for each child who is graduating. It is scheduled for Tuesday, May 25 at 9 a.m. with a rain date of Thursday, May 27. "Please continue to show your support to our local elementary school by donating to the LMS Annual Fund," said Commissioner Pippenger.
The public works department is expecting for brush clean-up to start soon as people begin to clean up their yards in the spring. Residents are asked to be sure to place brush piles at the street, below a drain so debris will not wash into the storm sewers or culverts. There is enough salt left in the event there is a late snow.
Mayor Jones thanked Belinda Allen for wearing many hats since Assistant Treasurer and Court Clerk Samantha VanAlstyne left. Ms. Allen told the commissioners that around 98 percent of the property taxes were paid by the Feb. 28 deadline.
“Everything is going as it should in the fire and police department," said Commissioner Jim Bentley. He said that discussions have taken place over the past couple of years about replacing the town’s number one fire engine, which is now 25 years old. Despite it being well maintained and looking good, rust has formed, the pump needs to be completely rebuilt, and old equipment on the truck needs to be replaced. Quite a bid of money has been put into the truck already to keep it operational. Captain Danny Wright has been given the task to spec out a new truck that will be tailored to the curving, narrow and hilly streets in Lookout Mountain. He said a lot has changed in 25 years. The new fire engine would have ladders and hoses that are mechanically lowered and tool trays that roll out. The new truck would have a life expectancy of 30 years.
Municipalities are given ISO scores for the quality of fire protection that is provided to residents. The best is number 1. Lookout Mountain, Tn. is rated as Class 2. The scores are based partially on equipment, and the old fire truck could affect the rating, said Commissioner Bentley. The next rating will be done in three years, and, if the town lost the Class 2 rating, homeowners insurance rates would increase, said the commissioner.
The cost of the new fire engine will be close to $700,000. The last time a fire truck was bought, the town was getting income from the Hall tax. However, that has been completely phased out, so the price will be a big issue, said the commissioner. Mayor Jones said when working on the upcoming budget, the town will have to look for grant money that could help with the high cost.
Lookout Mountain, Tn. is seeking applications and resumes for two positions. The applicant for one will need accounting and management skills, and the second would be for a part time job for court clerk. Resumes can be sent to the Lookout Mountain, Tn. Town Hall.
The next meeting of the Lookout Mountain Tn. Commission is scheduled for April 13 at 5:30 p.m.