Red Bank has a new chief financial officer, Kris Pickel, who was introduced at the Tuesday night commission meeting. Ms. Pickel has been filling the vacancy on an interim basis since the departure of long time CFO John Alexander so she is already familiar with the city and its finances. She will be presenting the city’s financial report at the second commission meeting each month.
Red Bank also has started offering a new service to its residents. There will be three residential pickups per year where citizens of the city can dispose of old tires, oils and antifreeze. The city has developed a list of oil types that are accepted. There is a maximum of eight tires per pickup.
Red Bank received $3,513,087 in ARPA federal COVID relief funds. The commissioners approved allocating $150,000 of that money to eight non-profit organizations over three years. That money will provide funding for projects and goals in direct support to the citizens of Red Bank.
The eight recipients of the grants this year are:
- Be the Change Youth Initiative$10,000
- Chambliss Center for Children$5,000
- Downside Up, Inc.$10,000
- McKamey Animal Center$5,000
- Northside Neighborhood House$5,000
- PORCH, Inc.$5,000
- The Learning Gardens$5,000
- WaterWays$5,000
Commissioner Hayes Wilkinson said that these non-profits interact with the community in ways that the city cannot because there is no staff that does what these organizations offer.
The remainder of the COVID relief funds that were set aside will be used for donations to non-profits for the next two years.
The city will be getting its first public art with the approval to spend up to $5,200 to cover four traffic signal boxes with original art. There were 11 artists who submitted designs around the theme of “Our Southern Birds” and which met the city’s guidelines. The winning designs will be digitized, printed and used to wrap the boxes located at highly visible intersections.
The artists whose designs were chosen are Jessalyn Beasley, Andi Kur, Amanda Brazier and Karen Estes. Each of the artists will receive $500. The installations will be on Dayton Boulevard at intersections of Memorial Drive, Morrison Springs, Hedgwood and Signal Mountain Road.
The Red Bank Police Department is getting five new cars that need to be equipped when they are delivered. The commission approved buying five in-car radios from Motorola Solutions for the amount of $25,687.60. And approval was given to enter a contract for $80,000 with Dana Safety Supply, Inc. for emergency equipment such as cages and lights for the new vehicles.
The public works department was authorized to hire temporary laborer services and leaf pickup for fiscal year 2025. The amount approved is not to exceed $18,000.
A resolution passed that adopted a new electronic device and computer usage policy. The purpose of the policy is to provide an understanding of allowable uses for city-owned electronic devices. The rules apply to all employees, contractors, consultants and other individuals who have access to the city’s devices and computer systems.
On the second and final reading, property at 200 West Euclid Ave. was rezoned from R-1 Single Family Residential to R-TZ Residential Townhouse Zero Lot Line. Conditions that were put on the development include that the houses are detached and restricted to single families only. There was no opposition at the public hearing where residents and neighbors could weigh in. The owner plans on subdividing the property to be able to build two new single-family homes in addition the house he lives in.
City Manager Martin Granum announced that city hall will be closed on Monday, Sept. 2, because it is Labor Day.