Members of the Lookout Mountain, Ga., city council opened their monthly meeting in August with the discussion of taxes. When homes in Lookout Mountain, Ga., were reappraised this year, property values increased significantly from the year before. If property taxes were based on the new assessments, property owners in the city would have seen around a 15 percent increase. To keep taxes close to where they were before the reassessments, the city council debated lowering the millage rate one mil. The city will still receive a 2 percent increase, or around $17,000 more, in property taxes this year over last. Public hearings will be held on September 8 and September 15, before the millage rate will be set.
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Property owners who live on Oberon Trail across Lula Lake Road from the city’s new municipal buildings voiced their frustrations with how their property has been affected by the new development. The homeowners, who all agreed to have their street closed on one end to create a parking lot, originally viewed the new development as a way to make the city better and were prepared for the inconveniences resulting from construction. But they were not prepared for the water problems or the intense light pollution.

The impervious surfaces created with the large roofs and parking lots around the new buildings are partially to blame. Additionally, the parking lot built across the street was sub-standard and had to be taken up in preparation for repaving. The construction also added to the water problems. Water has to go somewhere, said one concerned citizen, and it is still seeking the original creek bed. However a large dirt berm that was built is redirecting the water from the creek and into people’s homes and yards. Another problem that the residents are dealing with is the excessive light from the dozen double streetlights that shine in their windows all night. Even though they are on dimmers, there are too many of them, and the light cannot be dimmed any more.

A meeting will be held where all parties involved, including residents, builders, engineers and the council, will try to find a solution for both problems, said Vice Mayor Arch Willingham. But the residents asked for an immediate, temporary solution to protect their houses, in addition to a permanent plan ready to be implemented when the groups meet.

The gas company is in the process of hooking up the last houses to the new gas lines and will follow up by checking all properties, sidewalks and streets that need additional repair resulting from the work. The whole gas line replacement project will be complete by the end of September or early October. Repairs on Wood Nymph Trail are nearing completion, and the repair behind hole No. 2 on the LMC’s golf course is nearly finished. Ditch work has started on the south end of the city. In preparation for fall, the city’s old garbage truck is being converted into a leaf truck, and salt is being purchased for icy roads, said Councilman Kevin Leckenby, the liaison to the public works department.

During July 2022, the police department made 25 traffic stops resulting in 19 warnings and five citations. It answered 12 medical calls during the month and assisted citizens 11 times in July. There were14 burglar alarms and 33 miscellaneous calls during the month. After a recent wind and rainstorm, multiple trees fell, including one whose roots caught and broke a gas line. Council member and volunteer firefighter Kevin Leckenby told the council that after the storm, neighbors in the affected areas were working alongside the volunteer fire fighters in a mutual effort to keep people safe.

During August, the police department scheduled a training drill with the Lookout Mountain, Tenn., police. The city’s new fire truck is due to be delivered in 60 days, and hoses and equipment are being purchased in preparation of the truck arriving. The new golf cart ordinance that will allow their use on the streets after dark passed on the final reading. Commissioner of Fire and Police Taylor Watson said that all other rules relating to golf carts will continue to be enforced.

The council received a recommendation from the planning commission to allow short term vacation rentals on the second story spaces above the proposed commercial district. City attorney Bill Pickering said the planning commission recommended expanded uses in the town center, but that no decision has yet actually been made.

Joe Wheeler Garden across the street from the municipal/commercial development is being designed now. Community volunteer Jimmy Campbell said the purchase of a sprinkler system for the park was approved, but the lowest bid was $10,000 over the budgeted amount. He said the city plans to install a sprinkler system in-house. Trees will be planted first fall, and the flowers will be planted next spring.

City Manager Kenny Lee said the community is using the city hall building as it was envisioned. Pop-up events such as the splash party where kids were sprayed with fire hoses will continue to be held by the city. Other community events in the works include a gathering with food trucks, a musical event and photos with Santa Claus in the great hall.

At the July city council meeting for the city of Lookout Mountain, Ga., city attorney Bill Pickering, Chief Todd Gann and Fire and Police Commissioner Taylor Watson approved an agreement to move forward with the purchase of a pre-owned fire truck that will cost the city $249,000. It has has already passed inspections and will be put into service in a few weeks.
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Chief Gann said the month of June was relatively uneventful for the fire and police department. Statistics show that officers patrolled 3,115 miles, making 15 traffic stops that resulted in 13 citations. Seven warnings were given to drivers, and there was one auto accident. During the month, the Lookout Mountain, Ga., police assisted five citizens, four motorists on different occasions and the Lookout Mountain, Tenn., police department six times. The department checked eight burglar alarms, four suspicious persons and six suspicious vehicles, with one arrest. There were no thefts or burglaries. The fire department responded to four fire calls and 11 medical calls. At the monthly meeting in July, a resident thanked Chief Gann for the excellent response he received after calling for help to the fire/police department this month.

As a result of discussion from the June council meeting, attorney Pickering prepared a new ordinance that regulates the operation of golf carts in the city limits. Because of the safety equipment that is required on the vehicles such as reflectors and lights in multiple locations, the council is comfortable allowing golf carts to be used at night. The ordinance was amended to eliminate the restriction of golf carts on city streets from 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise. (Last month the Mountain Mirror inadvertently referred to golf carts as low speed vehicles; they are different.)

Councilmember Kevin Leckenby reported on the public works department. The replacement of gas lines by SEC is nearing completion, and hookups to residences are now being finished. Repairs to Wood Nymph Trail and road striping continue as time and manpower permit. Brush and clearing ditches remain a high priority for the city in preparation for the heavy rains that come with summer storms. Residents are reminded to maintain easements and rights of way around their property. The amount of brush being cut is often so profuse that some loads have filled the entire truck, Mr. Leckenby said. Brush piles should be no more than four-feet by four-feet so the tractor is able to pick them up.

Repairs to the sidewalk in front of city hall are complete, and instead of making repairs to the gazebo, the structure will be renovated so it can be “done right rather than done fast.”

Looking ahead, the city is planning for leaf season. Employees are getting the leaf machine ready and finding a place to take leaves once they’re collected. The next day the dumpster will be on mountain is Saturday, August 6.

Since the Great Hall at the new city hall building opened, there have been complaints about sound quality. Vice Mayor Arch Willingham and the architect who designed the building are discussing ways to make improvements. A system of acoustical panels for the room has been designed that should help considerably, he told the council, which authorized spending $21,000 for the cost of the equipment and installation.

Plans are underway for a fundraiser to create new gardens at Joe Wheeler Park at the corner of Lula Lake Road and Red Riding Hood Trail, as well as other gardens on both sides of the road in front of City Hall. Jimmy Campbell, the community volunteer who is heading up building both parks, said a fundraising plan should be finalized by Labor Day. Interviews for a gardener to care for the parks are now being conducted.
City manager Kenny Lee said that the city is considering allowing vacation rentals on the second floor of the commercial buildings that will surround city hall in the future. A public hearing was held in July about the proposal, and the planning commission discussed it at its last meeting.

Mr. Lee said he and Lookout Mountain, Tenn., town manager Brooke Pippenger will work together to plan gatherings and events to promote unity in both towns.

Mayor David Bennett nominated Jan Weaver, Mike Willingham and Frank Youmans to fill three positions on the municipal planning commission. One vacancy was created with the departure of longtime member Dean Lowrance, who the mayor described as “a humble servant and wonderful person.” I am grateful for him and want to say thank you,” the mayor said.

A tribute was also given for past vice mayor and police/fire commissioner Dennis Eischeid, who passed away last month. “He served our city so well - what a great guy. I am honored for having served a short time on the council with him,” said Mayor Bennett.

Lookout Mountain, Ga., Mayor David Bennett opened the monthly city meeting with comments on the fiscal year 2022-2023 budget and the state of the city’s finances. “The city is in a good position, with reserves of $2.465 million, which is more than $400,000 over last year,” he said. The reserves will be designated for expenses that increase more than expected during the year, he said. Costs increased in administration, as well as in fire and police and public works departments, and there were also increases in other expenses. The city just paid off the large sewer debt; however a new sewer pump station must be built that will cost around $2.4 million.
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There is no property tax rate increase included in the proposed 2023 budget of $1,421,127, and there will be no sewer rate increase, but there is a $50 increased charge per household for removal of solid waste. Highlights of the budget include 4 percent pay raises for city employees, and the base rate has been increased for key positions. The mayor said the higher rates are needed in order to be more competitive and to retain employees.

Significant costs in the near future include the purchase of a new fire truck that will be bought with federal money the city received from COVID-19 relief funds, SPLOST funds and other sources. The sewer pump station project is expected to be paid off in five to seven years, and the city will be dealing with stormwater issues that will require investments for the next five years.

It is important for residents to know that debt service for the new town center development is 100 percent funded from hotel/motel taxes and SPLOST money. Not a single dime is coming from the resident’s property taxes, said Mayor Bennett.

“Overall, we’re in a very good place. The council has made good decisions over the last seven years,” he said.

The ordinance that controls the use of low speed vehicles on city streets specifies that they may only be operated on the roads during full daylight and not during the period from 30 minutes before sunset to 30 minutes after sunrise. With the increased use of low speed vehicles, and because they must be equipped with reflectors and lights in multiple locations, the council decided to amend the ordinance so they will be allowed on the roads at night.

Taylor Watson, council liaison with the fire and police department, said that a decision was made about what type of fire truck is needed and what the city is willing to pay for it, adding that a search for the new truck will soon be underway. The fire department recently completed a training session with the firefighters from Lookout Mountain, Tenn. This joint training is vital because the two departments always work together, so they need to know how to work as a team, said Councilmember Watson.

The month of May was a good month for the fire and police department, said Commissioner Watson before reporting on the statistics from the month prepared by Chief Todd Gann. Officers patrolled 3,102 miles in May, made 15 traffic stops, issued eight citations and 10 warnings. Police assisted citizens six times during the month, the Lookout Mountain, Tenn., police department five times and motorists three times. The department responded to eight medical calls and nine fire calls. Ten suspicious vehicles were checked, as well as five suspicious persons and 13 alarms. There was one theft reported, one arrest and no burglaries.

Major projects within the city are nearing completion, Kevin Leckenby said in his monthly report from the public works department. The gas company is in the process of connecting the last of the new gas lines. Significant rainfall slowed the work, but the repairs being made to the landslide on Ochs Highway are expected to be finished by next month. A new retaining wall was built on the low side of the road, and 120 feet of roadway is being removed in order to build up the sub-surface before repaving, after which some additional work will be done on the road at the bottom of the mountain. The public works department moved all its equipment back into the new municipal building and will be operating out of the new space.

Sidewalk repair has been delayed by special projects, and removing brush from the roadways continues. Councilman Leckenby reminds residents to keep brush piles small enough to be picked up with the city’s tractor. He also said that occupants of a property are responsible for keeping the easement or right-of-way clean and unobstructed for the safety of cars.

Upcoming work includes repairing the gazebo on the sidewalk once structural issues have been addressed. Repairs will also be made to Wood Nymph Trail. The next dumpster day is Saturday, July 9. It is pushed forward one week due to the Fourth of July weekend.

In his garden update, community volunteer Jimmy Campbell said that the original design for the gardens at Joe Wilson Park will be revised. Rob Vannoy will be working on new design concepts for the park that will serve as the entryway into the city. The dead trees in front of city hall will be replaced.

The Fourth of July will be celebrated on Lookout Mountain with fireworks from the Lookout Mountain Club on July 3 and a parade on July 4. City Manager Kenny Lee said people should register their floats for the parade with the city; find more info at lookoutmtnga.com.

Mr. Lee plans to meet with Brooke Pippenger, the new town manager for Lookout Mountain, Tenn., to discuss ways to continue the synergy between the two towns. Lookout Mountain, Ga., plans to purchase software that can be used in tracking the process of permitting. The new parking lot across Lula Lake from city hall was removed because the contractor failed to have its concrete mixture approved; it was also poured too thin, resulting in a defective surface both functionally and visually. The contractor is responsible for rebuilding the parking lot and for any costs stemming from the mistakes, said Vice Mayor Arch Willingham.

The next town meeting will be on July 14 at 6 p.m.

At its regular April meeting, the city of Lookout Mountain, Ga., discussed a new park that will be underway soon. Plans are now finalized to turn the almost five-acre site of the former Sims family’s hotel into a park. Representing the Lookout Mountain Conservancy, Attorney Bobby Dan said that the city has formally agreed to waive any liens that it has on the property. The liens resulted from work to clean it up and to remove asbestos. Delinquent property taxes have also been forgiven, and the Sims family agreed to donate any interests it has in this property to the conservancy. The city of Lookout Mountain, Ga., will have no on-going obligation for maintenance of the property.
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The conservancy expects to close on the sale in a couple of weeks, and then planning can move forward; landscape architect Matt Whittaker will lead the discussions. Public meetings will be held so the community will have input. A connector trail will join the new park to the city hall, which may possibly require the city to acquire several easements. Recalling the property as it used to be, filled with flowers, rose gardens, a pool and shuffleboard courts, Councilmember Taylor Watson said she was thrilled with the plan and that she could not think of a better thing to do with this property.

Additional gardens near city hall have also been designed and soon will be built at the intersection of Red Riding Hood Trail and Lula Lake Road. Dennis Bishop from Going-Native Landscape, along with community volunteer Jimmy Campbell and the garden clubs on Lookout Mountain, have planned the low maintenance gardens around an Irish Fairy Rings theme. Large boulders will form rings that are filled with colorful flowers in Joe Wilson Park and on both sides of Lula Lake Road. Flowering trees, shrubs, ferns and woodland perennials will fill out the perimeter of the park area. Phase two will extend the gardens along Lula Lake in front of the municipal buildings. Upcoming fundraisers will help with the cost of this park.

City Manager Kenny Lee gave the schedule of road closures that will be necessary for repairing the landslide area near the top of the Ochs Extension to Rock City. During the last month, GDOT designated the repair as an emergency site and moved the timeline from one year to next month. The road will be closed for four or so weeks from Mockingbird Lane down to where Ochs Highway turns up to Fleetwood Lane on the Tennessee side of the mountain. The work will include building a retaining wall on the brow side, installing stormwater culverts and repaving the section of the road impacted by the landslide. Mr. Lee recognized the importance of the city of Chattanooga paving Ochs Highway and installing a new guard rail before this work starts.

Large signs will warn the drivers of big trucks and tour buses that they cannot use the road. These vehicles are too large to navigate the curves, and there is no place for them to turn around if they do start up the mountain. It may be necessary for flaggers at the bottom of the mountain to get their attention. Some dangerous trees may also  be removed along the roadway while it is closed. Hopefully the work will be complete before tourist season begins on Memorial Day.

During the construction, traffic on Ochs Highway will be directed through the Tennessee roads. Councilmember Watson, liaison with the fire and police department, noted that traffic laws will be strictly enforced in Tennessee, and violators will be stopped and ticketed. She asks Georgia residents to respect the laws. She also emphasized the importance of locking doors of houses and cars to prevent break-ins from “unusual visitors.” Leaving them unlocked, she said, is an open invitation.

Kevin Leckenby, the councilmember representing the public works department, said the new parking lot on Oberon Trail across Lula Lake Road from city hall is underway and should be finished by mid-May. Also, fencing between Garden Walk Inn and the city hall is now in place, and sidewalk repair will begin as manpower and time allows, he said, as will spot road repairs. The SEC gas company should finish connecting homes to the main line by the end of June. Public works hopes to have all brush picked up for Memorial Day, and the next dumpster day will be Saturday, May 7.

Councilman Tony Towns, who is heading the city’s response to stormwater problems, said that the city will require permits for certain construction projects, which is expected to prevent some of the stormwater issues. It has been determined that some problems are being caused by the way some driveways are built, and others are due to heavy trucks running over and crushing drain pipes in the city’s rights-of-way.

One of Fairyland Elementary School’s three fundraisers, the Fairyland Festival, will take place Tuesday, May 3, with a rain date of May 5. Councilmember Caroline Williams said the effects of not being able to have the festival for two years have been felt. She said the school is happy to accept donations, which enables FES to offer enrichment programs and hire additional teachers. A farmer’s market at the school is planned for May 1, during which the students can showcase the aquaponics lab.

The city’s sewer system is again facing problems. Councilmember Wes Hasden said that the 22-year-old generator failed recently, and the city is renting a temporary one before building the new pump station. A replacement generator will cost the city $200,000.

The next Georgia meeting is Thursday, May 12, at 6:00 p.m.

The big news at the Lookout Mountain, Ga., city meeting in March was that the new town center opened last month, and all that is left are a few finishing touches. Copper awnings are installed on the building, and dimmers will be installed on the streetlights. City Manager Kenny Lee said the dimmers can control the lights by zones and by timing. A handmade conference table by Walker County resident Michael Smith stands in the great hall.
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Dennis Bishop is developing a new plan for Joe Wilson Park at the corner of Lula Lake Road and Red Riding Hood Trail, basing it on an Irish Fairy Rings theme. With community volunteer Jimmy Campbell at the helm of this project, the park will serve as an entryway into Fairyland and will extend to the new parking lot across the street from the municipal buildings. After the city approves the plan, Mr. Campbell hopes to pay for this park with a combination of grant monies and fundraising events. The goal is to create a low-maintenance park with a big visual impact for the entry to the city; it will not be a park for children since it is in a high-traffic area.

The new city hall building is being referred to as the city center because it was built for the community to use, said Fire and Police Commissioner Taylor Watson. And people have started doing just that. Mr. Lee said people are calling left and right to reserve the great hall. Various clubs have already held meetings and classes there, and a plant sale is scheduled for later in the spring.

The city’s comprehensive plan, which lays out the future development of Lookout Mountain, Ga., is now posted on the city’s website, lookoutmtnga.com. A master plan for parks, trails and sidewalks is still under development, with intentions they will all connect different sections of the town.

The Ochs Highway Extension up to Rock City will be closed three-four days in the coming weeks for more repairs. The permanent repair has been delayed, and it is now expected that work will not be done until next year.

Councilmember Watson said that February was a quiet month for the fire and police departments, but she said that in the first two months of 2022, traffic violations doubled. Most stops and citations were for speeding and running stop signs. Other statistics for February include 17 traffic warnings, three automobile accidents and 2,592 miles patrolled. Officers also assisted one motorist, four citizens and the Tennessee police department five times. Three suspicious persons and six suspicious vehicles were checked, but there were no thefts. During the month, the department responded to 17 medical calls and four fire calls.

On the weekends when the Mountain Hospital for Animals is closed, the city of Lookout Mountain Ga., has no place to keep lost pets. Jimmy Stewart with Dade Animal Rescue Team (DART) offered to supply animal crates if the city could house them until he could pick them up, which the city agreed to do.

The art show at Fairyland Elementary School was successful, and the quality of the work was amazing, said Caroline Williams, FES liaison. The school is gearing up for the festival that is scheduled for the end of April, and a push for fundraising for the school continues. There was a great turnout for Night Out for Lookout, the big fundraiser for Lookout Mountain Elementary, with many community members from Lookout Mountain, Ga., at the event, she said.

Wes Hasden, head of the sewer board, reported that preliminary plans for the new pump station to service the town are in the works. However, bids will not be ready to go out before November, and construction most likely will not begin until early in the next year. The city recently installed a meter at Covenant College to determine the exact usage and also put them at at Brow Wood and Thrive.

Mayor David Bennett said that car decals for 2022 will be for sale in April. He said they help police identify who are residents. A ribbon cutting to officially open the city center buildings will be sometime in April or May.

The city is serious about enforcing the rules that are on the books, said the mayor. This includes obtaining permits where they are needed. Permitting protects both the homeowner and the city and helps to keep property values up, he said. Chief Todd Gann will spearhead the push to be proactive and will address certain violations.

The next Lookout Mountain, Ga., council meeting will be Thursday, April 14, at 6 p.m. ​

At the first council meeting in the new city hall, the Lookout Mountain, Ga., council discussed and voted for several ordinances and agreements that will move the city into the future. The creation of a new zone, “office residential district,” was given final approval following the planning commission’s recommendation. The zone was first requested by Rock City in order to use a log cabin it owns on the other side of Patten Road from the attraction. The new zone is not tied to that one location and can now be used anywhere in the city.
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The planning commission also unanimously recommended approving a new comprehensive plan for the city that has been in development for the past two years. The council approved the future development plan for the city, as well. The next step is for the Georgia Department of Community Affairs to accept the plan, after which it will come back to the council to be adopted.

The Lookout Mountain Conservancy is continuing the process for acquiring the four and half to five acres of the Sims property. The conservancy plans to develop the area as a park. The city has agreed to waive any liens from expenses it incurred by removing asbestos from old structures and cleaning up the site.

Every five years the cities that are in Walker County: Lookout Mountain; Chickamauga; Fort Oglethorpe; LaFayette; and Rossville have to approve a TSPLOST intergovernmental agreement. The cities have to be in agreement for how the one-penny county sales tax will be divided for the next five-year period. This is determined by population and the number of road miles. Lookout Mountain received about $717,000 during the five-year agreement, which ends September 2022. The next five-year agreement, which starts in October 2022, will bring the city $1.125 million over the coming five years. The five cities reached an agreement, which the city council approved; it is subject to Walker County’s approval. This money is dedicated to transportation-related issues such as roads, paths and culverts.

Council member Caroline Williams, liaison with Fairyland Elementary School, informed the council of the current COVID-19 protocols. She said people are not being quarantined at this time, and that cases are reported to parents through emails. The school has managed to continue in-person classes. The playground at the school will receive updates, thanks to the Walker County Board of Education, which is providing every school in the county with $100,000 for playground improvements. The PTO will be working with the school to determine what is needed. Mrs. Williams added that the Fairyland Community Art Show will be held on March 1 at the Methodist Church next to the school.

Commissioner of the Fire and Police Department Taylor Watson gave the monthly department report that was prepared by Chief Todd Gann. In January, police patrolled 3,987 miles, made 22 traffic stops, and issued 13 citations and 15 warnings. There were two auto accidents. Four burglar alarms, two suspicious persons and 12 suspicious vehicles were investigated. Officers assisted five citizens, two motorists and the Lookout Mountain, Tenn., police department four times in January. The department responded to five fire calls and 13 medical calls.

Council member Kevin Leckenby thanked the public works employees and police for keeping the city going while moving offices into the new city hall and fire and police buildings, all while dealing with quarantine issues. He added that the public works department will focus on cleaning culverts in anticipation of the rainy season. The next dumpster day will be Saturday, March 5.

The city is creating another master plan, this for a network of trails, sidewalks and paths. They will be designed to connect different areas around the city. Eventually Covenant College, the city’s gardens, the Sims property and the new town center will all be joined by this system. A landscape engineer will be hired as a consultant to design the master plan. The work will be done in phases as the money is raised for different segments.

Mayor David Bennett said the opening of the new city hall on February 4, after 15 years of working on plans, was a fun event, with fourth, fifth and sixth grade students from Fairyland participating. He said the council and residents are excited about the great hall space that can be opened up to the front patio. The city wants to encourage residents to schedule its use for different events. He said that moving into the space involved a huge team effort, with much help from the public works and the fire and police employees. Everybody chipped in for the move, he said. ​