The Signal Mountain Town Council passed the 2022-2023 budget on the final reading. Prior to the vote a review was given for last year’s budget and the year of challenges for the town which included two searches for a new town manager that ended unsuccessfully and the exit of 21 employees.
After the past year review, a public hearing for the new budget was held with no public comments, followed by a unanimous vote of approval on the second and final reading.
The property tax rate will remain $1.7012 for every $100 of assessed value.
The second reading to increase the stormwater fee for residents was also approved on the second reading following a public hearing with no person speaking for or against.
Council member Vicki Anderson began the presentation with an overview of accomplishments made during the past year. The current council has agreed to re-establish decorum and civil discourse, she said. They are committed to operate through respectful debate and consensus-making. The tone of the meetings is now collaborative, respectful, efficient and productive to ensure that each voice can be heard as issues are deliberated, she said.
The town has engaged the Municipal Technical Advisory Service to assist in many areas of governing including departmental reviews. A detailed audit of each department will be done, designed to improve efficiency, fiscal responsibility and employee support. The public works department was the first review completed, which showed it already was operating efficiently and competently. Suggestions made by MTAS are being implemented.
A strategic plan has been created that states the mission and vision statement for the town and prioritized issues, including improving policies and procedures, developing a long-term financial plan, identifying money saving opportunities and improving technology.
Personnel issues during the past year were addressed by Council Member Elizabeth Baker. She said there was a period of transition after the entire administrative staff from town hall retired or transferred to other departments. Seven people retired and 14 people moved on to new careers or opportunities. She credited long time staff for providing uninterrupted services to citizens during this time. Currently, there are five openings throughout the town and department heads are now interviewing for three of the positions.
She said a new pay scale was adopted as the result of a study done by the Burris Thompson firm. The council allocated $230,000 to implement the new pay scale. The new budget allocates $300,000 for one-time retention bonuses and an additional $150,000 to be used for merit raises to address the pay scale inequities. There will also be two new positions - one in Human Resources and one in the Information Technology department.
With the key retirements from positions in the finance department during the past 12 months and the hiring of new staff members, the council anticipates seeing a fresh perspective on finance functions and processes to lead to needed improvements, said Council Member Andrew Gardner. One such example he gave related to requests from the state comptroller’s office pertaining to the 2020-2021 audit. He said that Finance Director Jennifer Broomfield has identified processes to ensure that there are no deficiencies in the next audit.
Future plans include updating technology to modernize the town, said Mayor Charles Poss. This will mean having the right equipment such as new software, computers and other hardware. A new user-friendly website, planned for several years, will be implemented and online payments will be expanded. A part-time social medial coordinator will be hired to implement a social media policy to improve how the town communicates with the public. The new budget includes up to $15,000 to outfit the council room with equipment to livestream and record all town council meetings as well as board and committee meetings.
Signal Mountain has a significant amount of federal funds available to assist with needed projects such as stormwater improvements and repairs, said the mayor. And, after an MTAS review, the town will analyze processes to ensure it is operating efficiently and to determine where adjustments are needed. Each department is being examined and MTAS will be asked to conduct a study to follow-up after the implementation of the town’s new pay scale in the last year.
The council is committed to keeping the quaint small-town character of the town while working towards building a modern and effective town government, said Mayor Poss.
Vice Mayor Susannah Murdock said that moving forward, a mountain top growth plan is being developed due to the high growth rate on Walden Plateau. The plan will address how to manage the growth because what happens in Walden and the unincorporated areas of Hamilton County on the mountain affects those living in the town limits of Signal Mountain. County Commissioner Chip Baker has procured county funds to contract with Common Ground Urban Design & Planning for creating a comprehensive plan that will be a road map and vision for the future.
An interconnect with Walden’s Ridge Utility District is also being discussed under the leadership of Matt Justice, the new director of Signal Mountain’s water utility. This will serve as a backup source for water in the event of an interruption. Federal funds can be used for the project that will reduce the cost to taxpayers, the vice mayor said.
Elaine Brunelle has been working as interim town manager for around one month and has already made a significant impact during the short time, said the vice mayor. Citizens, department heads and staff have all been pleased, and she has begun to implement new policies and procedures for record keeping and organization, it was stated. The council is developing a performance evaluation policy for the town manager position.
Due to Ms. Brunelle’s performance during the past month, the vice mayor made a motion to remove “interim” from her title and give her permanent town manager status. The council unanimously approved the motion. The town will move forward to negotiate a contract with her.
A purchase agreement with Tennessee American Water was amended that will extend the contract until 2030 but will reduce the number of gallons the town agrees to buy each year, so no penalty will be charged. Signal Mountain is now using less water due to efficiencies mostly from leak detection and repairs. The change will not affect the rate paid per gallon.
A resolution was passed that will provide up to $21,000 for design and project management services for a TDOT water line replacement along Highway 127 from Suck Creek Road to Shoal Creek Road. This will be eligible for 90 percent reimbursement. The council also approved an additional $8,000 with CTI Engineers for design and management services for the TDOT slope stabilization project on Palisades Road.
Authorization was given to apply for a grant for the police department for up to $2,000 from the Public Entity Safety Partners matching grant program. And Jim Webster and Darrington Crane were appointed to the Signal Mountain tree board.
The council also voted to rescind the state of emergency that has been in place since 2020 due to COVID. The town will now be following the CDC guidelines. Council Member Anderson noted that the with the recent declaration that Hamilton County is again at high risk for the disease, the town will need to be ready to respond if needed.