This is the season of planning for the city of Red Bank, said City Manager Martin Granum. A master plan is being made for the city’s stormwater system by Barge Designs that involves 4,500 structures that are 12 inches and greater and 3,200 structures that are 15 inches and greater all across the city. This includes culverts, inlets, manholes road crossings and open channels.
In the next two commission meetings a master plan will be presented for the parks in Red Bank. And an inventory of sidewalks and a management plan for them will be discussed at the meetings on Aug. 6 and 20.
Also, an event will be held sometime toward the end of July to present an overall comprehensive plan for the city that will guide Red Bank’s future development.
A grant from the Tennessee Department of Health has been awarded to Red Bank, and the commission has voted to accept it. The 2024 Healthy Built Environment Grant in an amount of up to $50.000 is to fund projects that will lead to improved public health through improvements to the “built environment.” One of the top goals of the commission this year is to improve multimodal transportation networks to improve bicycle and pedestrian safety and to encourage active forms of transportation.
An urban mobility study done in 2023 identified the need for a feasibility study of Dayton Boulevard before the road could be reconfigured with multi-modal infrastructure. The $50,000 received from this grant will pay for the study. The city will be responsible for funding the remaining cost if it exceeds the grant amount. Red Bank has a goal of initiating the design and engineering phase of the project within five years.
One of the city’s fire engines has been repaired and rebuilt. The cost came in a little under the amount that was budgeted for engine repair, at $20,497. The work was authorized by the city manager on an emergency basis without the normal bidding process, in order to return the vehicle back into service as quickly as possible. On Thursday, the commission approved the amount to be paid to Cummins Sales and Service for the repair and return of the truck.
The commissioners also voted to amend the 2024 operating budget in order to appropriate unbudgeted expenditures and grant funding through the year, in the amount of $1,888,187.
Announcements from the commissioners and city manager include that the first commission meeting in July will not take place. The next regular commission meeting will be on Tuesday, July 16.
The next Red Bank Food Pantry will be held on June 20 from 4:30 to 6 p.m. The next Red Bank Farmer’s Market will be next Saturday from 9 a.m. until noon.
Alpine Crest Elementary School has passed a final inspection to become a class-1 arboretum by the Tennessee Urban Forestry Council. Citizens are urged to call the city hall or go to the Red Bank website to request brush pick-up in the effort to keep the city’s streets aesthetically pleasing.