“We run a very tight ship. I’m proud of the way we spend money,” Brooke Pippenger, town consultant and certified municipal financial officer told the Lookout Mountain, Tn. commissioners at the February meeting. She said that all the department directors and supervisors pay close attention to their budgets and stay in or come in below budgets while maintaining services.
So citizens will realize the significance of property taxes in the small municipality, she gave a snapshot of income from the month of January. As of Feb. 11, the town has received 77 percent of the property taxes for the year. They are due on Feb. 28. In January she said the only other significant income that came in was $26,000 from local sales taxes, $21,000 from state sales taxes and $6,000 from the state gas taxes, which is restricted to the State Street Aid Fund and can only be used to maintain the roads.
Following the snow and ice event where the public works department was busy keeping the roads clear, their attention is now on cleaning up leaves and brush. Commissioner of Public Works William Valadez said that contractors who work on Lookout know to separate leaves from brush. But in the spring, he said many residents are cleaning up their yards themselves and he wants to remind them how important it is to keep the yard debris, including any metal garden materials, separated. He said the leaf machines cannot be used for branches and brush, making it difficult for the public works employees to pick it up.
This month the Parks and Playgrounds department is focusing on cleaning up the town’s parks, said Commissioner of Parks and Playgrounds Joe Hailey. To begin with, they are working in the park area behind Senter Field and the park that is across Scenic Highway from The Commons. The Public Works Department is working along with Parks and Playgrounds to get the town ready for spring, said the commissioner. The football field will get special attention to correct drainage issues. And a portable building that was put in the park 26 years ago will be taken down and removed during the summer.
Although it is a relatively quiet time in the town, Lookout Mountain Elementary School is always busy, said Commissioner Karen Leavengood. Recent activity at the school includes the Sweetheart Lunch to celebrate Valentines, held for parents and guests of first, third and fifth graders, was a huge success. Parent-teacher conferences are currently taking place. These meetings give parents a chance to get a comprehensive look at their child’s learning during the course of the year and outcomes that can be expected, said the commissioner. In early April Grandparents Day will be held when students will be able to welcome their grandparents and special friends to LMS. They will be able to tour the school and classes and see a performance. The biggest event that is on the horizon is “Rock Out for Lookout”. This year’s theme for the annual fundraiser is Night Out for Lookout. It will be on April 4. The commissioner said that all funds raised will go directly to support the school. This year the money will be used to make improvements to the field at the back of the school and surrounding green spaces. A team is now planning, with the recreation department, to make the space usable for both the students and the community.
The new sign ordinance that was passed at the January commission meeting was amended at the February meeting. Two conditions were added. All temporary signs can stay up for a maximum of only 60 days. And residents will only be allowed to have one temporary sign in their yards at a time.
A variance was accepted for 106 Morrison St. for an addition to the house, after the neighbors signed off on it and Deputy Fire and Police Chief Davy Nicholson determined that it would not restrict access to emergency vehicles.
Massy’s Kitchen will be holding a farmer’s market on Saturday.
The next meeting of the Lookout Mountain, Tn. commission will be March 11 at 5 p.m.