Red Bank commissioners approve mural funding, music‑therapy affiliation and budget adjustments

Red Bank commissioners on March 2025 moved to accept outside funding for public art, authorize installation of a mural at the Kids Corner playground restroom, and approve a university affiliation to add music therapy to the city's active older adults program. Commissioners also authorized a $20,000 appropriation to cover a prior contract buyout and advanced two ordinance changes on first reading, including an amendment to the city's beer ordinance.

The actions matter because the $21,000 donation will pay for public-art projects recommended by the city's Public Art Advisory Board, the mural project will use up to $7,000 of that money to install artwork on all four sides of the new restroom building at City Park, and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga affiliation opens an educational placement pathway for students while bringing structured music programming to Red Bank seniors.

Commissioners adopted ordinance 25-1272 (second and final reading), which accepts a $21,000 gift to the city and "accepts conditions of the grant award," and they passed resolution 25-1772 to authorize up to $7,000 for mural installation at the Kids Corner restroom. Director Johnson said the public-art process began with an RFP that generated about 10 artist inquiries; the Public Art Advisory Board evaluated submissions and selected a single artist for this project. "When the RFP was first released, they had 10 original artists to submit inquiries through their procurement process and evaluation," Johnson said. City staff said, if scheduling allows, work could begin within roughly two weeks of contract execution and the city hopes to document the installation with time-lapse footage.

The commission also approved resolution 25-1774 to sign an affiliation agreement with the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga music therapy department so students can provide programming for the active older adults program. Mr. Grady, presenting the item, said the agreement will let the program assistant, Tyegan Barber, schedule UTC students to begin programming once the affiliation is final. The motion to approve the affiliation was moved by Commissioner Jamie Fairbanks Harvey and seconded by Commissioner Terry Holmes; the vote was recorded as unanimous among those present.

On budget matters, the commission passed ordinance 25-1273 on first reading to appropriate $20,000 to cover a negotiated buyout of a temporary finance contract. Director Perry said the city had about 23 applicants for the open finance position and negotiated a contract buyout with a Robert Half placement for $20,000 (reduced from an earlier figure of $40,000). The city manager, Mr. Granham, also told the commission he had discussed several pieces of pending state legislation during a Tennessee Municipal League visit, including a proposal to eliminate the state sales tax on groceries; Granham said that change "would reduce Red Bank's revenues by over $281,000 a year based on last year's receipts" and added, "It is my assessment at this time that this legislation is unlikely to pass."

Commissioners moved a change to the city's beer ordinance on first reading (ordinance 205-1274 as introduced) that would let the beer board, at its discretion, allow a vendor to serve at multiple city-sponsored events in a calendar year without requiring a separate permit for each event. The amendment is limited to city-sponsored events (examples cited by staff included the Jubilee and the Christmas parade) and does not affect privately organized events that use city space. Staff said the language was provided by the city attorney.

The consent agenda, approved by unanimous voice vote, included approval of minutes from the Feb. 18 work session and regular meeting and three resolutions to appoint or reappoint members to the Public Art Citizen Advisory Board and the Red Bank Festival Citizen Advisory Board. The meeting concluded with no citizen comments and a unanimous vote to adjourn.

Votes at a glance

- Consent agenda: motion by Commissioner Jamie Fairbanks Harvey; second by Commissioner Hayes Wilkinson; voice vote carried (present: Mayor Stephanie Dalton, Commissioner Jamie Fairbanks Harvey, Commissioner Terry Holmes, Commissioner Hayes Wilkinson; Vice Mayor Holly Berry absent).

- Ordinance 25-1272 (accept donation funding, second and final reading): mover Commissioner Jamie Fairbanks Harvey; seconder Commissioner Terry Holmes; recorded vote: Mayor Stephanie Dalton — yes; Commissioner Jamie Fairbanks Harvey — yes; Commissioner Hayes Wilkinson — yes; Commissioner Terry Holmes — yes. Outcome: approved.

- Resolution 25-1772 (authorize up to $7,000 for restroom mural at Kids Corner Playground): mover Commissioner Hayes Wilkinson; seconder Commissioner Jamie Fairbanks Harvey; voice vote carried. Outcome: approved.

- Resolution 25-1774 (affiliation agreement with UTC music therapy department): mover Commissioner Jamie Fairbanks Harvey; seconder Commissioner Terry Holmes; voice vote carried. Outcome: approved.

- Ordinance 25-1273 (appropriate $20,000 for contract buyout, first reading): mover Commissioner Hayes Wilkinson; seconder Commissioner Jamie Fairbanks Harvey; roll call recorded as unanimous among present commissioners. Outcome: advanced on first reading.

- Ordinance (beer ordinance amendment, first reading, introduced as 205-1274): mover Commissioner Jamie Fairbanks Harvey; seconder Commissioner Hayes Wilkinson; roll call recorded as unanimous among present commissioners. Outcome: advanced on first reading.

What's next

- Staff said the retreat follow-up report prepared by Hana Rogers of the Municipal Technical Advisory Service will be brought back for formal adoption at the next commission meeting scheduled for March 18; the commission also announced a ribbon cutting for the new restroom facility at the Community Center playground on March 18 at 4 p.m.

- Staff will finalize artist contracts and scheduling for the mural project if the necessary procurement steps proceed on schedule; the UTC affiliation will move to program scheduling once the agreement is fully executed.