LACIE SILVA
Editor
Mayor Samantha Rector announced that City Hall has been temporarily relocated to the senior center building next door due to upcoming renovations. Although the timeline for the renovations is uncertain, the City Hall staff will maintain their usual hours, and phone numbers will remain unchanged. The primary focus so far has been moving the staff to the new location.
Mayor Rector also requested the closure of streets on September 27 for the homecoming celebration, as was done the previous year. The streets outside the high school, from 7th to 8th Street, will be closed from 3:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. The board unanimously approved this request.
Commissioner Cheryl Kellerman inquired about the status of the former Kmart plaza. Mayor Rector informed that the property has been purchased, and Chief Wayne Jordan added that site plans and zoning are currently underway. Once these are finalized, the project will move forward.
Commissioner Allison Buchanan expressed her gratitude to Cody from the Parks and Recreation Department for converting the tennis courts into pickleball courts, noting that the community has responded positively to the change. She proposed converting two additional tennis courts into pickleball courts, and the board unanimously approved this request, agreeing that the tennis courts had gone largely unused and would serve better as pickleball courts.
Although the Street Department representative was absent, a citizen raised concerns about trash cans being left in alleys, obstructing passage. The board was asked to notify residents to remove their trash cans from the alleys after trash collection. Mayor Rector confirmed that they would look into issuing a notice.
During the Police Department report, Chief Jordan provided an update on a three-year investigation that had recently concluded. The investigation, conducted in coordination with the FBI, resulted in federal charges against individuals involved in defrauding multiple states of COVID-19 funds. The suspects were sentenced to 18 to 24 months in federal prison and ordered to pay restitution between $150,000 and $200,000. Additionally, the department received new plated vests donated from the FBI during the process.
Cody from the Parks and Recreation Department reported challenges with flag football sign-ups, leading to the referral of participants to other teams, particularly in Jasper, where most of the interested children were located.
Kelley Hogan, representing the Library, reported that the Summer Reading Program was a success. She encouraged parents to bring children who have read over 100 books to the library to receive their prizes, including a coupon for Tower Community Bank and a book of their choice. She also announced that Chattanooga Zoo passes are still available on a first-come, first-served basis for two adults and four children. Additionally, “Crafternoon” and “Story Time” will resume in the coming month. Story Time is scheduled on September 4 at 10 a.m. Hogan also announced that on October 30 at 3 p.m., the library will host Barry Mitchell for a free magic puppet show called “Shelloween.”
