The Red Bank Commissioners have agreed to officially join with the Trust for Public Land to get help for increasing park access for residents. By joining, the city will have access to resources and assistance, support and recommendations for action from the Trust for Public Land. There will be no cost to Red Bank for this help, Tennessee State Director of Trust for Public Land Noel Durant told the commissioners.
The goal is for every resident to have the ability to walk to a park within 10 minutes from where they live. Mayor Hollie Berry was authorized to sign the agreement after City Attorney Arnold Stulce reviews it. City Manager Martin Granum said that the agreement aligns with one of the goals previously established by the commissioners.
The city of Red Bank has identified a potential new source of income. Bridgett Raper, representing the Small Cities Coalition of Hamilton County, told the commissioners that restoring revenue sharing with the state of Tennessee has the possibility to bring in a significant amount of money. Beginning in 1947 the state began sharing 4.6 percent of the year’s total sales tax with the municipalities. During a tough financial period in 2002, state sales taxes were increased from six to seven percent, but the state kept all of that increase and in the past 20 years the state took in an additional $2 billion in sales tax.
As Tennessee’s economic growth continues and the population has realigned, demands on local governments have increased for essential services, infrastructure and more amenities among other things, said Ms. Raper. The city would like to encourage its citizens to be vocal and inform the community of the opportunity of gaining more sales tax. Residents will also be asked to encourage their legislators to push for the increase of shared taxes. Had this new revenue sharing been in effect last year, the city would have received an additional $219,000 from the state sales tax, said Ms. Raper.
Red Bank Police Chief Dan Seymour received approval from the commissioners to apply for a Violent Crime Intervention Fund Grant. The city can apply for an amount of up to $120,564. This is a 100 percent grant that will require no match from the city. If received, the money would be allocated to pay for two additional full-time criminal investigators for violent crime, bringing the department up to 25 officers. He said that violent crime in Red Bank focuses on domestic violence. After the grant money is used, the city will have to decide whether to retain the additional positions or let them be eliminated by attrition.
The Fire Department will be getting two “Humongous Fans” at the cost of $21,228. One will be installed in Station 1 and the other in Station 2. And Fire Chief Brent Sylar was authorized to declare some equipment as surplus after Red Bank’s old rescue equipment was replaced with new. The surplus equipment will be given to the small Rigsby Volunteer Fire Department in Pikeville, Tn. and a bracket to contain equipment on a firetruck truck will be given to Dallas Bay Fire Department in Hixson.
On Tuesday night, a resolution passed authorizing the purchase, installation and support for a new city website from Civic Plus. It will also have the ability to create agendas and have minutes management capabilities. The total initial cost will be $34,836, and for subsequent years the cost will be $19,000 annually. The city will contract with the same company for 16 months for the republication of Red Bank’s municipal code for an additional $1,847 that will come from American Rescue Plan funds.
Approval was given for the creation of a citizen’s advisory committee for non-profit endeavors. The commission has designated $150,000 for a period of three years. The committee will have six members whose responsibility will be to vet and make recommendations for assisting non profits that operate in or for the city of Red Bank. The city commissioners will make the final determination about how the money is distributed.
The city manager reported on the days during the upcoming holidays that city hall will be closed. The first commission meeting in January, scheduled for January 1 has been cancelled. The next commission meeting will be on Tuesday Jan. 17, 2023. The city’s offices will be closed Dec. 23, the Friday before Christmas and Monday, Dec.26, the day after Christmas and Dec. 30 and Jan. 2, 2023 for New Years. City Hall will also be closed Mon. Jan. 16 to observe Martin Luther King Day.