Lookout Mountain, Tn., Town Manager Brooke Pippenger has collected all the ordinances that have been passed through the years and reviewed them for accuracy, then sent them to the Municipal Technical Advisory Service, (MTAS). The ordinances were codified so it will be easier to search for a city code. On the final reading, the commissioners adopted the town’s new municipal codes.
The Lookout Mountain School Carnival on Oct. 24 was a huge success, said Karen Leavengood, commissioner of education. She would like to thank the many people who came to the event in support of the school. And she gave a special thanks to co-chairs of the carnival, Kari Pollard, Hannah Harrell and April Goebler.
The new mountain directories are hot off the presses, and available to buy at the Mountain Market and the Fairyland Pharmacy. They are a great resource for mountain residents and the money raised from their sale directly benefits LMS, said the commissioner. The school’s performing arts department is working on their holiday programs now. Residents are invited to come to the performances on Thursday, Nov. 30, and Friday, Dec. 1.
"We are blessed to live in a safe community," said Commissioner Leavengood, and she said actions are being taken to ensure it stays that way. Three new exterior cameras have been installed on the school building and teachers and school employees are being trained for how to keep everyone in the building safe in all circumstances. One recent day when students were not in school, the Lookout Mountain, Tn. police conducted an active shooter training exercise by simulating an active shooting event. Teachers and employees were taught what to do and where to go in the building during an emergency. The police take safety in the community seriously, she said. The commissioner, the school and the town want to thank the police for their service of keeping the school and the community safe.
Police Commissioner Jim Bentley reminds residents to always lock their cars and to remove valuables. He said cars have been broken into and stolen in every corner of the Chattanooga area. Lookout Mountain has license plate readers up and running, so the police have a good chance to identify individuals that come into the town and break the laws, he said. The police department’s newest officer, Christia Reagen, was introduced and welcomed at the commission meeting. She comes to the town from Bradley County where she had years of law enforcement experience.
The new field lights are up and being used at The Commons, said Joe Hailey, commissioner of parks and playgrounds. He thanked Hamilton County Commissioner Joe Graham for helping to make that happen. Football season will be over on Lookout Mountain in a couple of weeks and basketball is scheduled to begin a couple of weeks after that. Thanks goes to Mayor Walker Jones for getting lights put on the town’s Christmas tree this year. It is almost 80 percent finished now, but equipment may need to be rented to get to the top of the tree, said the mayor.
Right now, the public works employees are spending most of their time removing leaves from the streets. They are ahead of the work now, said Commissioner of Public Works William Valadez. That is largely because the leaves have been so dry from the lack of rain. When the leaf truck vacuums and mulches the leaf piles, the volume is reduced so much that it requires fewer trips and less time to drive them to where they are unloaded. The commissioner is waiting to get an estimate for replacing a stopped-up drain pipe on Fairy Trail before the work can start. Another project that is being done is to replace the slats in the fencing around the public works department.
Jennifer Waycaster, the town’s certified municipal officer, said this is the part of the year when the town’s finances are the lowest, just before homeowners start paying property taxes. Payments generally are made in the next four months. And a large expense this month was insurance payments. The cost of workman’s comp insurance was $44,000 and $77,000 was paid for property and liability insurance. Another expense was for restriping some of the tennis courts so they can be used for pickleball. New nets have been ordered and are due in December. A donation was made this month that is restricted to use for parks and playgrounds that will go toward the work on the pickleball courts.
Mayor Jones is asking the commissioners to think long-term in planning for the town. Instead of creating a budget and a plan for a single year, he would like to have a two-to-three-year plan that would include the way each commissioner envisions the city and what would be needed to achieve that goal.
The next meeting of the Lookout Mountain, Tn. Commission will be Dec. 12 at 5 p.m.