Officials in Red Bank are establishing ways of getting citizens involved in the city’s planning and decision making. At the commission meeting Tuesday night, three new boards were approved. The Red Bank Jubilee Committee will be rebranded as the Red Bank Festival Citizen’s Advisory Board. The new, expanded board will now assist with the planning and execution of not only of the Red Bank Jubilee but also the Christmas Parade and festival and all other festivals sponsored by the city.
A Citizen’s Advisory Board to help identify the transportation needs in Red Bank was also given approval by the commissioners. This committee is a requirement of a grant that the city applied for and received. This new Citizen’s Urban Transportation Advisory Board will be made up of professionals from several transportation planning organizations around the Chattanooga area and one Red Bank commissioner, one member of the city’s planning commission and three residents that will be selected by the board of commissioners. Applications for these positions will be available on Red Bank’s website for interested residents. The duration of this advisory board is tied to the grant project itself, then will cease to exist.
Another citizen’s advisory board was established to assist with the care and maintenance of cemeteries on the city’s property. City Manager Martin Granum said there are four cemeteries in Red Bank, two are private and are in very good shape, he said. Two others that are on city owned property are the Red Bank Cemetery on Oakland Terrace off of Morrison Springs Road. This one-and-a-half-acre cemetery has headstones from the 1890’s until the 1990’s. And the Stringer’s Ridge Cemetery, he said, is rather hidden off of the eastern side of the White Oak Park Connector Trail. Mr. Granum plans to set up a 10-member board and to include representatives from the Trust for Public Land, SETD and an historical group that will work together and advise the commissioners and staff how to be stewards of the cemeteries at the highest possible level, he said.
The Red Bank fire department will be getting 28 new portable radios and accessories from Motorola Solutions to replace the ones for which support is no longer available. The new radios will be the newest technology available. The cost of $245,822 will be paid from American Rescue Plan funds. The fire department was also given the commission’s approval to apply for the 2022 Firefighting Support Grant of up to $1,000, from Tennessee American Water that will require no matching funds from the city. Some uses that this grant is eligible for include protective gear, equipment and tools and training.
Commissioner Ed Lecompte, who is on a committee with the goal of having a city park within a 10-minute walk for every resident, announced that a public meeting will be held on Aug. 11 from 5-7 p.m. at the community center. He said he is hoping for a good turnout of citizens to see a presentation and to talk about the initiative and gather ideas.
Marty Hawkins was reappointed for another two-year term to be the city of Red Bank’s representative to the management committee of the Hamilton County water quality program.