A number of Red Bank citizens came to the commission meeting Tuesday night looking for help with stormwater and wastewater conditions in the city. They are concerned about flooding and stormwater runoff issues that they said have not been addressed. The speakers blamed a lack of communication from the city’s representative to the Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority (WWTA) for not keeping them informed. Red Bank has been under a long-term building moratorium because of a lack of sewer service and "the city is not getting the consideration and attention that we deserve," said one speaker.
Most of these comments were addressing stormwater, not sewer or the WWTA, said Commissioner Ruth Jeno.
She suggested for the city of Red Bank to organize a public meeting so the residents can ask questions. City Manager Martin Granum will look into scheduling it.
The source of some of the confusion does come from the WWTA, however. One resident said some people believe that they are on the sewer system and then discover they have a septic tank. That is because they are being billed by WWTA for sewer even though their home has a septic tank. People need a public information system, said one resident. Vice Mayor Stefanie Dalton said she believes people receive bills if their property has the ability to connect to the sewer system.
City Manager Granum reported that the application for a multi-modal grant from TDOT was denied. An application for a TDOT grant last year was also turned down.
Mr. Granum is continuing talks with The Trust for Public Land discussing building two possible trails in the city. One would be a beginner off road bike trail that would also be suitable for hiking or running and the other is a walking trail that would start at the ball fields and go up and over the ridge.
MTAS is currently doing a salary analysis for city employees, said the city manager. The information it yields will factor into the next year’s budget, he said. The Red Bank Jubilee is also being planned. On May 7, it will start with a 10K run.
In the absence of Finance Director John Alexander, the city manager said Red Bank finances were in a good place through the end of December. Revenue is where it was expected to be and expenses were at 43 percent of the budget.
The commissioners voted to issue, sell and provide payment for interest bearing capital outlay notes to finance a portion of the cost for four police vehicles and associated equipment. The amount is not to exceed $137,603. This will be spreading out a rather large payment, said the city manager.
The Red Bank electrical code was updated with the adoption of the National Electrical Code 2020 edition, the most recent version. Mr. Granum will appoint a new electrical inspector to replace the previous inspector who has left the position. This may be a full or part time employee, or an independent contractor.
Mayor Hollie Berry announced a public hearing on a request to change the zone for 2101 Dayton Boulevard from C1 to RT1 to allow townhouses. The hearing will take place at the planning commission meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 26, at 6 p.m. in the commission meeting room. The renovated building would include office space, a brewery and tap room and new single-family townhomes would be built on the property. The planning commission will make a recommendation to the commission after that meeting.
Vice Mayor Dalton had organized a clean-up day to honor Martin Luther King. It was postponed due to the threat of snow and ice and has been rescheduled for Saturday, Jan. 22, from 10 a.m. until noon.
Commissioner Jeno announced that she will be running for the Hamilton County representative’s seat from District 6. She said she has a vested interest in this district, having grown up in North Chattanooga and raising her family in Hixson. She said 28 years ago she built her forever house in Red Bank and has been elected for three terms to the Red Bank Commission and has served six years on the Red Bank planning commission. She said she would be using her experience in government and her commitment and dedication to service if elected.