Mayor: Greg Brown
Town Consultant: Ansley Moses
Office Manager: Pat Lane Fricks
Town Attorney: Brian C. Smith
Judge: W. Bradley Weeks
Administration
February, 2008
To the Citizens of the Town of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
From the Office of the Mayor, Greg Brown
Happy New Year to all Lookout Mountain residents. Your Commission is working hard to make 2008 a good year for our community. I would like to highlight some accomplishments and continuing efforts that we have underway.
Hall Tax Revenues- We continue to work toward recovering state revenues that we maintain should go to Lookout Mountain instead of other municipalities. Hall Tax Revenue is 25% of our budget and is extremely important in maintaining our quality of service. Please ask your tax preparer to use your Lookout Mountain address when preparing your 2007 Income Tax return. The State of Tennessee directs the Hall Tax to the address on the tax return. If your tax preparer uses his address or your office address off the Mountain, then Lookout Mountain’s revenue will go to Chattanooga or some other local municipality.
Firetruck - The town is purchasing a new 75’ ladder truck. Delivery is scheduled for fall ’08. The new truck will replace a 30 year old truck. More importantly, it will greatly improve our fire fighting capabilities. Fire and Police Commissioner Carol Mutter organized a fundraising effort that raised a substantial amount of the funds necessary. A great big thank you to everyone that participated in this successful effort.
Street Paving - Plans are underway to pave this spring/summer. Our streets have been ranked according to need and we will work on as many streets as our funds permit. Obviously, $100 per barrel oil makes this more challenging. Commissioner Dan Crates and the Streets Department are working hard on planning for this major project.
Website - Commissioner Billy Mitchell has led an effort to develop the town’s new web site – www.lookoutmountaintn.org . This should be an active source of communication including town ordinances, resolutions, budget info, Commission minutes, brush policy and streets and weather alerts. Please visit our website and give us your feedback.
Mountain Maze - The maze is almost 20 years old and is beginning to show its age. Our insurance carrier is very concerned about its deteriorating condition. Parks and Playgrounds Commissioner Will Moses is working with the Lookout Mountain Recreation Board to determine a replacement plan. The town has applied for a state grant that, if successful, would provide 50% funding toward a new Maze/Playground. The Maze is a popular and important hub for our recreation community.
State Baseball Tournament – The Town of Lookout Mountain is privileged to host the state tournament this summer. Families from across Tennessee will be visiting our mountain to enjoy great baseball. It will be an opportunity for our mountain to shine.
Natural Bridge Park – An effort is underway to reclaim the Natural Bridge area from Mother Nature. Natural Bridge Park is bordered by Scenic Highway, North Bragg and Sunset road. Our goal is for the residents to enjoy the rock formations, trails and the Natural Bridge itself. The area is part of the town’s earliest history, once the site of a hotel and a nationally recognized spiritualist campground.
Brush Policy – Almost everyone seems to be complying with our town brush policy. Thank you! If you have questions about this policy, visit our website or call the Public Works Department at 821-2417.
Reflective Clothing - We encourage walkers, joggers, bikers, etc. to wear reflective clothing at night to help motorized vehicles better identify you. Our streets are very narrow and curvy, and it is vital that pedestrians and vehicles be aware of one another.
Car Decals – Please purchase your new car decals this spring. It helps our police to monitor resident and non-resident traffic.
I would like to thank all the hard working town employees and the dedicated Commission who help to make this community a special place to call home.
All the best,
Mayor Greg Brown
January 4, 2007
To the Citizens of the Town of Lookout Mountain, Tennessee
From the Office of the Mayor, Greg Brown
The Mayor and Commissioners would like all town residents to be knowledgeable about town ordinances and policy. We plan to publish a newsletter periodically advising residents of information of value including additions and changes to town ordinances and policy. Our mission is to continue to make our community a safe, friendly and attractive place to live.
One subject that needs immediate attention is town policy dealing with garbage and yard brush. New residents should find this information helpful as well as long time residents who can always benefit from a reminder.
The current ordinance, adopted as amended in 1994, is entitled “MUNICIPAL REFUSE COLLECTION SERVICE ORDINANCE OF THE TOWN OF LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, TENNESSEE.” Its two main sections cover containerized twice-weekly garbage pick-up and, secondly, residential yard brush.
1. CONTAINERIZED HOUSEHOLD GARBAGE. Pick-up days Monday and Thursday weekly. In the event of a recognized holiday, pick-up will be the following day. Household garbage is to be placed in normal 20 to 30 gallon garbage cans, or equivalent, with tight fitting covers, placed at the curb. Small non-food items can be accommodated by our hydraulic crusher-equipped truck. However, larger items cannot be accommodated by our truck and may not be picked up at the discretion of the supervisor. We urge those homeowners who use poly bags to obtain garbage cans for safety and sanitation, which is required by the ordinance. Our garbage truck is just that: for household garbage. Please use common sense in what is placed curbside for pick-up.
2. RESIDENTIAL YARD BRUSH. The town WILL pick up both leaves and grass trimmings, whether placed by the homeowner or a commercial contractor. Leaves should be placed at the curb without blocking the roadway or drainage ditch, and within reach of our vacuum truck for removal. Please do not put limbs or other matter in the leaf pile, as our vacuum cannot pick up such matter. Yard brush, defined as clippings, small limbs and brush placed at the curb by the HOMEOWNER shall be picked up providing the piles are not in excess of 4 by 8 feet, and 4 feet high, not to include heavy limbs of more than two inches in diameter and over 8 feet in length. The Town will pick up only one 4 foot x 8 foot pile at a time. Residents are asked to place only one pile at a time on the street. This will allow us to serve all the residents in a timely manner, and keep our streets safe and attractive. We cannot pick up construction materials or foreign matter which may subject our workers’ exposure to health or safety hazards.
Town ordinance specifically excludes from pick-up brush collected by a commercial for-pay company. Hired commercial firms are expected to remove brush as a normal part of their service. Construction material such as concrete, bricks, lumber, or roofing, shall not be the responsibility of the Town to remove. Put another way, the Town will pick up yard brush generated by the homeowner, or a person regularly employed by the homeowner to maintain the general appearance of a homeowner’s property. It is not the Town’s responsibility to pick up brush generated by a commercial company engaged in tree removal or trimming, landscaping, or construction for profit.
The intent of the newsletter is for a better understanding of those jobs our Public Works Department can and cannot perform, due to legal, manpower or equipment limitations.
If you have any questions as to whose responsibility it is to remove your yard brush, please call the Public Works Department at 821-2417. Our mission is to insure the health, sanitation, and the attractiveness of our community, while being fair and equal to all.
NOTE: THE TOWN DOES MAINTAIN A LIST OF PRIVATE CONTRACTORS WHO CAN PICK UP AND DISPOSE OF ITEMS WHICH FALL OUTSIDE THE ORDINANCE ON AN AS-NEEDED BASIS. PLEASE CALL THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS FOR ASSISTANCE AT 821-2417.
A copy of the entire ordinance can be obtained at the Town Hall, or by clicking here .