In 2018, a group of residents in the town of Signal Mountain formed a committee that created a “Bicycle and Pedestrian Plan.” Laura McCormick, chairman of the town’s planning commission, told the town council that actually sidewalks on James Boulevard and bike paths have been discussed since 2007. Now 17 years later they are still talking about it. The planning commission has created a plan relevant for 2024 with a goal of connecting what are considered to be town assets along Taft Highway and making crossings safe. The total project would consist of three “nodes.” Because the grant that could help fund the work comes from the state of Tennessee, it would need to be done on a state road. According to the proposed plan, the extensive amount of work would be done in different phases and it would need to be a part of the town’s overall “strategic plan,” which has not yet been developed.
The application for a grant from TDOT for a maximum $1.25 million could be used for the work, if it is received. The town would be responsible for 10 percent, or $125,000. After the grant money is used, Signal Mountain would be responsible for all the costs that exceed it. And there are expected over-runs, said Council Member Andrew Gardner. Other projects the town has undertaken have had significant increases over the original estimates, and the town has had to cover those costs. Council member Gardner said that the reality is that actual costs increase once work has begun, and this total project could exceed $5 million. Council member Clay Crumbliss said he would be interested in what the town would get for $1.25 million, but first the council would need to decide if this multi-modal project would be included in the overall strategic plan that should be created at a meeting in February or March. The planning committee is asking for a financial commitment from the council before moving forward.
A plan for resurfacing and striping is also being considered by the council. A TDOT Transportation Planning grant could be applied for forecasting future road work. The total maximum for this grant is $200,000 and Signal Mountain would be responsible for paying 10 percent of that amount for the study. It would provide a plan going forward to prioritize road work. The council will vote on whether to apply for this grant at a meeting in February.
Public Works Director Wesley Stokes has a plan to streamline certain permitting processes. He suggested to the council a way to consolidate two previous permits related to work that is done on any of the town’s rights-of-ways by creating a single encroachment permit. This would ensure that the city could hold a contractor doing the work responsible for what they do. The deposit would be held until inspections are done to ensure that when the work is finished, what they leave behind is done the right way.
Another suggestion was for commercial customers which have two or more garbage cans to be required to use a dumpster service, instead. He cited wear and tear on the equipment picking up garbage and the cans being incorrectly placed for pick-up. And the town’s ordinance says that anything in a can must be bagged but often it is not, resulting in garbage that overflows from the cans when the lid is not completely closed. Where businesses are co-located, Councilman Gardner said they could combine and share the cost of a dumpster.
Another discussion was about a “burn box” that was purchased but which has never been used for disposing of brush. Leaves are hauled off and used by a private individual. Mr. Stokes said he believes that the equipment is usable but that would be contingent on being able to get permits, which was not considered before it was bought. The permits are expected to cost around $4,000 per year but that would be less than hauling the brush to North Hawthorn Street in Chattanooga, which is the closest location available. He said training for using it correctly would be a top priority. A permanent location could be at the public works annex, which meets the requirement of being 300 feet from a dwelling. He said the equipment is designed with an air curtain to lower emissions. Mr. Stokes also said that the ash by-product is used for soil enrichment and is a possible source of income. An update to help the council decided what to do about the burn box will be given at the next council meeting.
In the future, recreation leagues and certain community groups will be asked to enter into a memo of understanding with the town. The MOUs will establish the town’s expectations such as the need for insurance and who pays for the attendant that is needed at each event. At this time, only the MOU with the basketball league has been agreed upon but it has not yet been signed. The other sports leagues using town facilities will begin in spring. The fees may be negotiated on a yearly basis and Councilman Clay Crumbliss suggests to put a date on when they need to be paid. Up until now, the city has not charged to use the town-owned facilities or related costs.
Another way Signal Mountain will recover expenses will be to cover court costs. Now the maximum fine that can be charged is $50 for a traffic violation. The council members are reluctant to change the residential speeding law that would allow those who get tickets to be tried as a criminal offence with a mandatory fee of $250. Instead, they appear to favor that Signal Mountain adopts “rules of the road” to clarify what officers can write tickets for. That would mean the ticket would be for a city violation, still with a $50 maximum. But the actual court costs could be covered so that the town would break even with its costs for holding court and the town would receive the $50 fine.
A request came from Fire Chief Larry Sloan to purchase ventilation fans and to pay an invoice for an air compressor. The air compressor was ordered in September 2022 but was not received until 2023. The cost should have been allocated for in the budget, however that was not done and the money was used for something else. The $52,000 invoice for the compressor was sent when it was delivered in 2023. Fire Chief Larry Sloan told the council that money for it now is not in his budget. He suggested using American Rescue Plan funds to pay the invoice. There is $411,337 in ARP funds that remain unallocated. Before making a decision about where to take money from, the council wants to make sure that a compressor is an admissible use of the funds. Ordering battery powered ventilation fans to replace the gas-powered ones currently being used has been put on hold to confirm if ARP money could be used for that purchase as well.
The council will be making a decision about residency requirements for a new town manager. Currently the town manager has to live in Signal Mountain, but the council maintains the right to waive that requirement. Considering the present cost of real estate, having that requirement in the advertisement for a town manager may deter some applicants. Entirely removing that condition from the advertisement for the position will be decided at the next council meeting.