Red Bank Baptist Church at 4000 Dayton Blvd. at the corner of Ashland Terrace has opened a private school. The city is responsible for establishing a school safety zone for the public as well as students around schools whether they are public or private.
The city of Red Bank has authorized Barge Design Solutions to develop and design a school zone around Point Christian Academy, the new school. Barge will also do a study of Ashland Terrace to establish a speed limit which the commission would have to approve. The engineers will tell the city where signs and lights are needed and where entrances and exits to the school should be located. Barge will be paid $44,500 for this work.
Barge Design Solutions has also been contracted to do a study of Dayton Boulevard to do a feasibility study for multi-modal transportation improvement options. The agreement is that Barge will perform the professional services for the project for an amount not to exceed $59,100. A grant from the Department of Health for $50,000 will be added to $9,100 that the city put in the 2025 budget for community development to pay for the study.
Barge Design Solutions is also contracted to engineer two projects relating to stormwater. One is the completion of Red Bank’s comprehensive stormwater assets management plan. And the second is the restoration of the detention ponds in White Oak Park. To pay for both projects, the city will use a TDEC water infrastructure grant with the required match coming from American Rescue Plan Funds. The total amount for the work is not to exceed $76,250.
Rezoning property in Red Bank was approved for three locations at the commission meeting Monday night. 107 Cartwright St. was rezoned from R-1A residential to R-TZ residential townhouse/zero lot line. The change will allow three attached dwellings to be built. They are being built to sell, not rent. and will add to the city’s inventory of affordable housing at a lower price range.
A two-story building and the property next door to Walgreens at 4105 Dayton Blvd. was rezoned from R-3 Residential to C-1 Commercial. The two-story building there is already substantially commercial, said Leslie Johnson, public works deputy director, so the new zoning designation is more appropriate. Commissioner Pete Phillips said it has always been used commercially so this is essentially a correction.
The city ordered a new brush truck for the public works department in 2021 but it is just now ready for delivery. In the time since the order was placed, the cost of the truck has increased by $33,000. The commissioners approved paying that extra amount with money from the solid waste fund.
Another unexpected expense for the public works department is to make repairs to the New Holland tractor that was purchased in 2018. Public Works Director Tate said that this equipment is used eight months out of the year, primarily for mowing, and it has been well maintained. The repairs need to be done now to get it ready for spring. The one-time expense to make the repair is $13,258. That amount was budgeted to come from the street department.
Red Bank has been using Geographic Information System (GIS) services from Hamilton County since 2006. This provides free regional data and identifies zones and address information to the public. And the information is continually updated. The commission authorized paying $10.730 to the county on behalf of the county Geospatial Technology Department for continuing to have this service.
Another $159,056 was earmarked and the expenditure approved for payment to R.J. Young to digitize records and to implement a document management system to access the records electronically and by computer.
The board of commissioners has approved an amendment to the fiscal year 2025 operating budget. That will allow for the unbudgeted expenditures and grants received to be appropriated after which they can be spent. The amendment to the general fund is $132,226.35 and the solid waste fund was amended in the amount of $52,233.90.
Red Bank has joined Buyboard Interlocal Cooperative Purchasing, another co-op program that opens up additional inventory and good prices for items the city needs to buy. And the commissioners authorized an application to the Tennessee Arts Commission for a grant of up to $1,000 that would require the city to match the amount. If received, it would be used to help add another yearly event to the city’s calendar, an art show planned for September.
Red Bank commissioners also adopted a new air pollution control ordinance. This includes the most current of various federal regulations. The same ordinance has been adopted by every municipality in Hamilton County.
The Thursday night meeting was the last for Pete Phillips in his role as a commissioner. He was thanked for his four years of service and for sharing his perspective, always with integrity and with the best interest of the community in mind, his fellow commissioners said.