The city of Red Bank has entered into an agreement with The Trust for Public Land for help with expanding the city's trail network.
The goal of the TPL is to create parks and protect land, and it will be helping Red Bank do that with acquisition and protection of parkland and trails in the city. Red Bank will pay $50,000 for the one-year contract that began Aug. 1. It will be paid in quarterly instalments of $12,500. The city will also reimburse TPL for any surveys or appraisals that are made.
The city has acquired 7.7 acres adjacent to an old cemetery known as “The Field.” TPL facilitated the donation of that property from the Hill Pointe Homeowners Association to Red Bank. That cemetery itself is owned by the city but has been neglected for many years. It currently is overgrown with invasive species. The 7.7 acres will be used to access the cemetery for rehabilitating it.
Another agreement was approved between Red Bank and CARTA to provide paratransit service. It will be available for qualifying disabled and senior-eligible residents aged 65 and over for Care-A-Van service. A three-year pilot program ended this year at the end of June. The city’s new budget includes money for the service from the current fiscal year and will be coming from the city’s State Street Aid fund. Residents who use it will pay $3.50 per ride and the city will pay the rest. County Commissioner David Sharpe, who represents Red Bank, has also committed $9,180 to the program which will pay for 612 trips at $15 each. The city is committing an amount up to $30,000 for its citizens to use Care-A-Van.
Other services that the city is hoping to provide for senior and under-served residents will be made available from grants. One that will be applied for is from the National Council of Aging, that, if received, would give the city up to $9,000 to use for digital literacy. It would be for teaching those residents how to use a computer and the basics of logging on and using a search engine. Another grant application will be made for the Arts Build Community Cultural Connections grant that, if received, would be up to $2,000 with no match required from the city. This would give arts and cultural experiences to diverse, under-served people in the city.
Red Bank is also giving grants. On Tuesday night the commissioners authorized micro grants for 11 non-profit organizations in the city. The money for these came from American Rescue Plan funds. Recipients are the Red Bank Community Food Pantry at the Red Bank United Methodist Church that will receive $10,000. Another $5,000 will go to Downside Up, Inc. that will use the money for emotion-regulating programs for children and adults. La Paz Chattanooga will receive $5,000 for computer classes and help the Latino community in career readiness and workforce development programs. The Learning Gardens at Red Bank Elementary will receive $5,000 for planting beds that will be handicapped accessible. Waterways, the local organization that helps communities to protect and restore waterways, will get $5,000 to focus on Stringers Branch. Be the Change and Just the Right Purpose and the Northside Neighborhood House will each be given $4,000. Vision of Mercy will receive a grant of $4,000 to help the homeless population, Red Bank High School Blue Lion Band will receive a $2,000 grant from the city for providing private lessons and The Tennessee Humane Animal League (Pet Placement Center) on Dayton Boulevard will get $2,000 for its spay and neuter program for low-income pet owners who otherwise could not afford it.
In regular business, approval was given to purchase two all EV trucks for the Solid Waste department. And approval was given to hire temporary labor for $18,000 for seasonal leaf clean up.
Property at 171 Oak St. was rezoned from Residential, to R-TZ Residential Townhouse Zero Lot Line. And an ordinance was amended tor change the definition of townhouses. A townhouse is now defined as a minimum of three single-family units attached with fire walls.
Announcements from the council include that there will be a blood drive in the city on Sept. 9 at the community center. Times can be reserved by calling Blood Assurance. Library Cards are now available for the Chattanooga Public Library, Food Truck Fridays will begin on Sept. 5, and a Red Bank market will be on Aug. 21. City Manager Martin Granum told the council and those at the meeting that the median home price in Red Bank has tripled in the last 10 years.