Police Chief Jason Lewis, his wife Shelly and Judge Buddy Presley
The Lookout Mountain, Ga. police department is now fully staffed with the addition of the new Chief of Police Jason Lewis and Assistant Chief Brian Dedmon.
At the March commission meeting Chief Lewis was sworn in with a room full of old friends, family, mentors, colleagues from the city of Chattanooga’s police department and his wife Shelly who teaches at Fairyland Elementary. He comes to the mountain after being in the Chattanooga Police Department since 1994. He left there as the assistant chief of criminal investigations and special operations. After the swearing in ceremony Judge Buddy Pressley welcomed him to the city where he told the new chief that he would not find the same level of intensity that he had in Chattanooga.
Chief Lewis thanked the council for the opportunity they have given to him. He said “I’m really excited about the job. It is like a light switch—coming up here is amazing!” And he thanked Wes Barrett who has served as the interim chief the past several months, for the way he handled the department and for his help and assistance as he transitions into the job.
Taylor Watson, the council liaison with the fire and police department, said the city owes Officer Barrett “a massive amount of gratitude for how he stepped up and handled the interim position.”
And new Assistant Chief Dedmon has experience working with the Catoosa County Fire Department and as a Georgia state trooper. He is certified as both a firefighter and a police officer.
City Manager Kenny Lee announced an open house to help shape the future of a system of trails on Lookout Mountain. The city wants residents to share their priorities and recommendations for the network of walking and biking trails. There will be an open house at the Lookout Mountain city hall at 1214 Lula Lake Road on Monday, March 24. There will be two sessions from noon until 1 p.m. and from 5-6 p.m. hoping to get input from as many people as possible. The city wants to ensure that the plan reflects what the community wants.
Ongoing operations of the public works department includes picking up leaves, which will continue through March and then the focus will be on brush removal. Residents should remind their contractors that they are responsible for taking away what they cut. If contractors take brush to the street it will be passed over. Councilman Kevin Leckenby said that is included in the city’s ordinance.
Pot holes should be reported to City Manager Lee while the city is repairing the roads. Other projects that the department is working on are painting parking spaces at the Oberon lot. Work being done at the new park area on Red Riding Hood Trail has removed a small wall and installed a water meter. After a bridge is built the space will be sodded. Trees that were blown down by the last storm that passed through the city have been removed and plans have been made for the storm that is expected on Saturday. The city’s fleet has all been repaired and is in working order.
A reminder was given that only household trash should go into the trash can. Cardboard, glass, plastic and aluminum should be taken to the recycling center on the Tennessee side and Dumpster Day is available for items that cannot be recycled. The next time the dumpster will be available for residents is April 5. No construction debris will be accepted.
Wes Hasden, chairman of the sewer board, reported that the Chickamauga Trail pump station improvement project has been scheduled. The final design including the drawings and contract should be completed by the end of March. Then after approval by the state of Georgia, the project will be advertised and put out to bid. By mid-September the site preparation, and actual construction will be started and should be finished in mid-March 2026. Inspections will be done then the project will be closed-out in April 2026.
Planning for the 2025-2026 budget will begin this month when the department heads bring their wish lists to the council. The process will also include a workshop and a public hearing. The first reading of the budget will be June 12 and the second reading which finalizes the process, will be sometime between June 16-20.