ISSUES & POSITIONS

   In the area of future development, I believe we should:

• Be sure appropriate infrastructure is in place before any development moves forward. This includes considering traffic, schools, town services and environmental impacts. While aesthetics are harder to quantify, they are also clearly a priority for the citizens of the mountain.

• Traffic studies must be completed and considered before any new development should go forward.

• Require new development on Shackleford Ridge to have paths which allow and encourage pedestrian and bicycle access to the new schools. Look for similar opportunities in other areas of town.

• Consider strongly the idea of Development Impact Fees and investigate legal changes needed to apply them. If legally possible, these should be based on the square footage of the homes built.

• Investigate possibilities for extending sewer service into existing areas of town.

• Seek out consultation from experts in town planning to advise best use practices which are consistent with the town vision statement.

• Water run-off into the sewer system is an issue that will need to be addressed in the near future.

It is important to remember that there are other issues before the town. In the area of safety, I would encourage:

• efforts to decrease speeding in neighborhoods.

• looking for opportunities to create bike paths and sidewalks

• continuing to support our police, fire and EMS departments to have state of the art equipment and techniques to keep us all safe.

 I strongly support recreational opportunities on the mountain. My children have played most sports up here at one time or another. We must maintain our recreational facilities and look for opportunities to expand these. I would like to see the town look into acquiring or having use of the gym and football field at SMMS when the new middle school opens.

In addition, we must support our cultural and artistic activities. The MACC is a tremendous resource for this mountain which should be supported. I also want to continue strong support for the Signal Mountain Playhouse.  The Signal Mountain library is a unique resource. It should continue in its current location and I agree with its supporters that contributions to the library should be used for the library and not to offset the Town's contribution.

I would love to see more social opportunities for our youth. Scouting and church youth groups obviously serve an important role in this area. The new middle and high school will also be a great asset in this regard. Opportunities to expand and add to these options should be sought.

Obviously, our greatest resource is our citizens. We should continue to value the tremendous volunteer ethic of our town.

I am working to learn more about the management of the town. I have scheduled meetings with many town officials. I certainly think we should be fiscally sound and responsible. I would:

• work hard to avoid lawsuits and their costs. As a physician, I know that even frivolous lawsuits can be expensive and time-consuming.

• work with the Town Manager to continue to be as efficient as possible, realizing that our town’s employees are an important resource who should be respected.

• support efforts to improve trash collection and decrease injuries and work-comp costs without diminishing services to our elderly and less able citizens.

• look for ways to increase recycling in our town. This will reduce our utilization of the landfill and ultimately our town costs. We are blessed with an excellent recycling facility and I would like to see a public campaign to encourage more citizens to use it.

• be proactive in addressing town problems rather than being constantly in crisis management mode. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

In the overall area of Town/Citizen relations, I think that we need to investigate better ways to communicate with our fellow citizens. I would seek to create an atmosphere of neighborliness and strive for amicable resolution of disputes without resorting to micro-management with ordinances or litigation in the courts.

I pledge to be always polite and respectful to my fellow citizens, even when I disagree with them.

I do want to be clear that I oppose the current recall effort. While I sympathize with the frustration of the supporters, I mourn the atmosphere of distrust.

I think we can find better ways to handle these situations. Such ways might include:

• Better public notification of public meetings and important issues facing the town.

• More public hearings early in the process when important issues confront the town and more transparency in town affairs.

• Better use of internet. I would consider letting interested citizens sign up for email notification of Town Council and various board meetings with agendas attached.

It is important to remember that Town Council members are representatives of the citizens of Signal Mountain. They represent best when communications are two-way. If I am elected, I promise to listen to my constituents and will look forward to hearing from them. I will strive to make myself available to my neighbors and work hard to seek out their views on important issues confronting the town.

© Copyright Hendricks for Town Council Committee, Jim Dunbar, Treasurer. All rights reserved.