Image Credit: Town of Signal Mountain / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative Staff –
The Signal Mountain Council unanimously approved more fee increases for services provided by a number of different departments in the town. These additions come after the August 28 meeting where water utility fees were also increased.
During their first September council meeting, members discussed increasing the fees for services provided by the public works department.
At the recommendation of Public Works Director Loretta Hopper, both residents and non-residents will be charged $400 per year in solid waste fees, up from $300 per year. Businesses will also pay $80 per year along with a $20 monthly fee per receptacle.
They also opted to add a new one-day use fee of $25 for the transfer station, along with additional charges for specific items brought for disposal.
According to Vice Mayor Elizabeth Baker, costs for the town have doubled and the council noted that all fees that were previously being charged should also be doubled to account for those additional costs.
The council also discussed a number of different topics related to public projects and programs.
The newly combined parks board and recreation board will serve as an advisory group to the council. The new board will give recommendations on maintenance of public parks, sustaining of recreational programs, and soliciting of donations. After final approval in October, there will be a three-week period for application submission. There will be no new events offered until the final selection is made.
The council discussed renovation of sidewalks in Old Town and the upper tennis courts. These projects have previously been delayed.
City Manager Brunelle also noted that the list of candidates for fire chief has been narrowed down to four and that she will be conducting in-person interviews. She also provided information on new CPR devices, a new records management system, and a FEMA grant to replace hoses on all fire trucks.
Police Chief Mike Williams informed the council of the hiring of two new police officers, as well as his search for new patrol cars. He also noted that they would be conducting a car safety check over the weekend and will have a training at Nolan Elementary.
Additional discussion included recent upgrades to water meters, a new notary public being added to the town hall, and recent tree cutting.
