Lookout Mountain, Ga.'s newest park, Our Community Garden, is almost complete. Community Volunteer Jimmy Campbell who has been in charge of the entire project, said “We couldn’t be more pleased.” He said that now 95 percent of the planting has been added to the flagstone patio and pathways. A stone border around the edge of the garden has yet to be finished because the cost of the building materials has almost doubled since the garden was planned, so alternatives are being discussed. The council approved spending $7,000 to get electricity to the site for security equipment and wi-fi service.
Mayor David Bennett said it could be paid out of SPLOST funds.
Construction of the Town Center municipal buildings is also on track. Vice Mayor Arch Willingham estimated that the complex is now about 60 percent complete and he expects it to be finished and ready for occupancy in mid-October.
Lula Lake Road reopened just in time for the July 4th parade. The opening followed the replacement of gas, sewer, water and power lines that run under the street. That portion of the road in front of the new town center will be repaved in the future. Mayor Bennett acknowledged and thanked Jeremy McDowell for the donation of rockwork that now frames the drainage culvert across Lula Lake in front of city hall.
Gas line replacement throughout the town continues. Where the work has been completed, steel plates cover openings in the roads, said liaison with the public works department, Kevin Leckenby. Future work by the gas company will include excavating the interior parking lot at Fairyland Club. Road striping will be done later in the summer, depending on the weather, and will be coordinated with the gas line project.
Councilman Leckenby said that the green tags have been received that will be used to notify residents when debris or garbage that is left for the public works department is out of compliance. The tags will be attached to brush piles or trash cans, then photographed and put in the file for that address and a letter of explanation will be mailed to the occupant. City Manager Kenny Lee gave examples of violations including brush and leaf piles blocking drains and/or exceeding size limits. Some items cannot be disposed of in the regular garbage, such as unbagged kitty litter, dead animals, and paint cans., all which have been found. He said also that garbage cannot overflow the container and the lids must be closed for safety of the city’s employees.
It also is the responsibility of residents to maintain vegetation to keep it out of city rights-of-way, added the mayor. Letters will be sent to homeowners giving a warning that the city will do the pruning with a side arm lawn mower if the line-of-sites are not cleared.
The public works has finished much-needed maintenance at the baseball field. Both the pavilion and press box at Carter Field have been repaired or rebuilt. Carter Field has been top dressed and its use will be prohibited for about a month. Signs will be put up telling people to stay off the grass.
The dumpster day in July was rescheduled for July 10 because it originally fell on a holiday weekend. In August the regular schedule will resume on the first Saturday of each month.
The city has sent letters to homeowners in Lookout Mountain, Ga. who rent property in the city. The letters notify of their obligations regarding upkeep and responsibility for sewer on their properties, said the city manager.
Three large trees on Peter Pan that have been leaning toward houses are being removed by EPB. That will allow re-engineering of the road in preparation of repairing stormwater drains. The stormwater committee believes that some maintenance and cleaning up will help runoff problems significantly by removing debris that is in culverts, said Chairman of the Stormwater Committee Tony Towns.
Council member Taylor Watson, representing the police and fire departments, said that during the past month, officers have stopped more cars than usual for speeding and running stop signs. Despite the increased stops, two residents came to the meeting saying that those problems continue in front of their homes and throughout the neighborhoods. They both welcomed the police to sit in their yards and observe in the effort to make the roads safer for children.
Councilman Leckenby asked the council to keep in mind the need for new radios for the fire and police departments. He was told that the procedure will be for Chief Todd Gann to get pricing after which the city manager will put out Requests for Proposals (RFPs).
The city is rolling out a new e-payment service through Government Windows. Residents can use it to pay taxes, pay court costs, check tax history and payment status, said City Manager Lee.