The town of Lookout Mountain, Tn. is looking to various governmental departments in Tennessee to find out what can be done to recover money that has been lost since the Incline stopped selling tickets at the top station. In the past, Lookout Mountain received a percentage of the sales tax from tickets and revenue from people parking around the station when rides originated at the top. Mayor Walker Jones said the town is now losing about $120,000 annually due to the Incline.
The Incline brings 250,000 visitors each year to the town with a population of around only 2,000, said Commissioner of Fire and Police Jim Bentley, and it becomes our responsibility to take care of them. The law requires us to have sufficient people to handle their safety, said the commissioner. So Lookout Mountain becomes responsible for fire, police, medical and garbage services for them.
There are around six fire and medical calls to the attraction every two weeks, said the commissioner. The town is also liable for sidewalks used by visitors and there is a constant problem of trespassing on private property. We will never waiver from providing those services, said Mayor Walker Jones, but we are frustrated.
“A gentleman’s agreement had been made with CARTA’s director, that would have given the town 50 cents per ticket. But the CARTA board decided we didn’t need their help,” said Commissioner Bentley.
Now the town has decided to make every effort to recoup money from the Incline. That will include taking a look at the Incline’s property tax-free status as a transportation provider, even though it is really a tourist attraction. Other options considered would be to charge a de-embarkation fee, impact fees or to install turnstiles on the city owned sidewalks. “The money that we lost, they gained,” said the mayor.
The parking kiosks that have been used around Point Park and the Incline have now been removed, and the town is using the Park Mobile system to monitor parking. The kiosks that are no longer needed were declared as surplus property and will be sold.
A new system has been activated with license plate reader cameras at the entrances to the town. They are now connected to a database that will automatically notify police if a stolen car or vehicle owner with a warrant enters the town. That gives the police a heads-up to be alert for someone breaking into cars, the usual problem, said Chief Duane Schermerhorn.
For decades, residents have left house keys with the police department in case they are needed for emergencies. There are currently around 400 keys there now. In an emergency when they are needed, the right key is hard to find in a hurry, said Chief Schermerhorn. Additionally it is an issue of accountability for the department if something is missing from a house, he said. He found a way to remedy both issues which is using a system of key locking boxes known as a KnoxBox.
A lock box is attached to the side of a house with a key inside. The only way it can be opened is by opening another box with a master key that will be kept in both of the fire trucks. When a key is removed and the officer uses his key, it logs who that person is, when it was taken out, and when it was put back. There are other safety measures such as the company providing the boxes has to verify the homeowner with the local police and the police are notified when it has been shipped.
This system gives police immediate access in an emergency, said Chief Schermerhorn. The cost to the town for two boxes to keep in trucks is $4,100 a year. The cost for a homeowner is a one-time cost of $210-$230. In an emergency, the police will get inside, he said, and that might mean the door will be broken, and it is cheaper to buy the box than replace a door, he said. He is encouraging people to take advantage of this. A letter will be sent to all residents about the benefits.
If anyone who lives in Lookout Mountain, Tn. has keys at the police department, the chief said they should be picked up by Oct. 30, or they will be destroyed. Another safety requirement is for residents to be sure and have the street numbers clearly visible on their house so it can be found quickly.
During the last year there were 92 fire calls between the two towns of Lookout Mountain, Tn. and Ga. Of those, 85 were false alarms. In the past, the towns have been part of a mutual aid agreement so dispatchers automatically call both towns to respond when there is an event. Each of the calls results in activation of a lot of equipment and people. The two towns have decided to participate in an automatic aid agreement instead. With the new arrangement, the first responder on the scene will confirm if there is fire or smoke before dispatchers call the other department. It is hoped this will avoid sending responders and equipment when they are not needed. There will be very little difference in response time since the two towns are so close together.
The light poles that were found to be unsafe, are being replaced at Johnson Field with help from Hamilton County and County Commissioner Joe Graham. The county has provided $62,000 for the replacements. Plans are to have them fully installed by the end of September, but if all the mounting equipment is not received in time, temporary lighting might be needed for touch football, said Commissioner of Parks and Playgrounds Joe Hailey. Money that is left after the lights are up at Johnson Field will go toward replacing the lights at Senter Field next spring. There is a new concession stand ready at Johnson Field where there has never been one, and everyone hopes it will be successful. Water can still be heard running under the repair that was made for a drainage problem on the track last month. The commissioner has called Tennessee American Water to determine if it is a leak or groundwater that continues even though there has been no recent rain. A couple of trees were cut around the batting cages and Commissioner Hailey is looking for a roof system to cover them.
The new school year is off to a great start with new principal Emily Haney and 227 students. Lookout Mountain Elementary has already held events such as Lions Days and field trips have started. The cross-country team had a first meet and will continue to have meets each Thursday in September at Camp Jordan. The faculty and staff at the school have had “Code Blue” training, which is considered to be integral for quick response in case of an emergency because everyone knows their roles. Plus the school always has quick response from the town’s fire and police departments. The students received the Level 5 recognition in standardized testing from last year, the highest level of achievement which is a reflection of the excellent education students receive at LMS, said Commissioner of Education, Karen Leavengood. The school carnival will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 24, and Hamilton County Coupon books will be ready by then. They will be $15 and available at the Mountain Market, Fairyland Pharmacy, at the carnival and from students. Proceeds from the sale of the books will go directly to LMS to be used for technology.
Commissioner of Public Works William Valadez said the department has been busy patching the roads. Concerning brush, he said that contractors cleaning yards have to remove the brush and it has been prolific this summer with a lot of rain. Public Works will remove the brush if a resident does the work and puts it on the street themselves, but the piles must be no bigger than 4 feet wide, 8 feet long and four feet tall. The yellow center lines of all the roads will be striped with exception of the state highways. The town was unable to find paint to do the work themselves and have contracted it out. The single bid that was received is for $30,500. Commissioner Valadez is aware of several locations where street drains are stopped up and is looking for a business to repair them.
Two zoning variances were approved, one for a home on North Forrest to abandon a non-existing alleyway, and the other for 405 Park Road where a 3 by 12-foot section of a building will be inside the setback. It will not interfere with fire response time or access nor will it be a problem of exposure for the nearby neighbors.
The town’s new website was activated Tuesday morning. The website is www.lookoutmtn.us. A feature of the new site is that a person can choose to be notified by an email or text when information has been added to a certain page. For the time being these pages are titled News, Alert and Commission. Others can be included in the future. To receive the notifications of changes, it must be requested. Town Consultant Brooke Pippenger has been instrumental in the creation of the new website and is the person who has access to make changes.
The next meeting of the Lookout Mountain, Tn. Commission will be held on Oct. 10 at 5 p.m.