At the March meeting of the Lookout Mountain, Ga. City Council, Mayor David Bennett gave a statement that he said he wanted to share with citizens of the town. He said, “The past six months has been an interesting chapter in my life and the life of my family. It began with a DUI charge in Alabama and ended with a DUI charge in Walker County. All along, I have looked forward to being exonerated when the facts and the truth came out. I am happy to report that my blood test and toxicology report finally came back. My blood alcohol content was under the legal limit and there was nothing in my toxicology report. Both judges dropped all the charges that I was arrested for."
Mayor Bennett also said, "I want to say thank you to my friends, family and community for standing next to me and believing in me. It has been a terrible ordeal that we have gone through as a family. I want to thank my children and my wife who have stood next to me the whole time. They have been truly amazing.
"Lastly, I felt this was the time for me to do everything I could to resist being angry and try to listen, learn and grow; this has been the most important part. I want to encourage anyone who has or will be going through a major challenge to take the same advice that I was given. Try not to get angry. Try to grow and be soft and figure out what they could learn from this experience. I would be willing to go through this difficult time all over again if I felt like any of these words resonated and helped somebody going through the same thing. What I have learned is that it is not about me at all. It’s about how you care for and show love to others. With all of that said, I am ready to put all this behind me and move on.”
During the month of February, the Lookout Mountain, Ga. Public Works Department was busy tying up loose ends, said Kevin Leckenby, the city council liaison with the department. The season when brush collection is highest has started and the way it is placed at the street is important. Brush is collected with a scoop so the piles need to be 4’x4’x4’, the same size as the scoop or smaller and care should be taken not to tangle the piles. If they are not placed this way, they may be passed over. The councilman also said it is important to not block the city’s right-of-way, the roads and neighbors’ driveways. The crews do a lap of the city before coming back to an address, so if piles are replaced immediately, they will stay there until the next round. If the rules are not followed, he said that the digital system now being used by the city, will tie the violation to the address and enforcement letters will be sent. The police have the responsibility of enforcing the penalties.
Connecting the new gas lines that have been replaced throughout the city over the last couple of years is on hold again because of an easement issue with a single home. The city is now being told that problem is in the process of being resolved and that completion of all the hook-ups should be finished by the end of March.
Some sections of the sidewalk along Lula Lake Road have been sinking at the expansion joints made of mountain stone. During the repairs it was discovered that some of the joints were built incorrectly and laid on top of only a sand base causing them to sink over time, which created tripping hazards. All but one uneven place on the sidewalks have now been repaired. Residents are asked to let the city know if additional problem areas are found.
Building a buffer between the new parking lot for city hall and Oberon Trail is underway. The privacy fence has been put up and the positions of plants that will go in front of the fence have been marked. Striping the city’s roads should be done by the end of April and road signs are currently being repainted. City Manager Kenny Lee was authorized to order acoustic panels for the city council room to improve sound quality and have them installed. The dumpster will be available next on Saturday, April 1.
Council Member Taylor Watson gave the report from the fire and police department. Statistics for the month of February include 2,254 miles patrolled, 24 traffic stops resulting in 15 citations and 21 warnings and there were four wrecks. During the month, police checked 12 burglar alarms and investigated two suspicious persons and four suspicious vehicles, One arrest was made but there were no burglaries or thefts. The police assisted the Lookout Mountain, Tn., Police Department six times, assisted motorists five times and citizens five times in February. Response was made to five fire calls and four medical calls. Council Member Watson reiterated how important it is for residents to lock doors of their homes and cars, and to keep personal items out of sight in a car.
A special thank you was given to Assistant Chief Ansel Smith of the city of Trenton’s Fire Department who gave needed equipment to Lookout Mountain’s Fire Department. Trenton has also supported the department by offering training to the city’s volunteer firefighters. Appreciation was expressed to the Lookout Mountain, Tn., Fire Department for including Georgia’s firefighters in training at a donated house before it was demolished. Commissioner Leckenby, who also serves as a volunteer firefighter, said, "You can talk about theory but actual practice is different. The firefighters were able to actually practice search and rescue and the techniques used to escape a hostile fire. Doors could be broken through, and holes could be cut in the ceilings needed for roof ventilation. This was a beneficial exercise for both departments by supporting the mutual aid relationship of the two departments and helped to ensure that they partner well when responding to a fire."
Mayor Bennett reported that clearing the vines out of trees at the big curve at the bottom of Ochs Highway to increase visibility and safety has been completed. And at this time, vegetation is being cleared from the rock bluffs on Wood Nymph Trail. This is being done on private property in order to make it safer for officers enforcing the no trespassing signs.