After sidelining the issue early last year, the town of Signal Mountain will finally begin considering proposals for the takeover of its water department.
The town council approved a motion to draft a request for proposal during its regular meeting May 8. An RFP is legally required to solicit business propositions.
The matter was put on hold last year per the request of Town Manager Boyd Veal, who said he wanted to give the decision the attention it deserved.
“I don’t want this to be something that’s just in the mix,” he explained during last week’s meeting. “We need to make sure we have time and ability to pay close attention to it.”
The issue was thrust into the spotlight after Tennessee American Water Company offered to buy the town’s water system in late 2015 – right before circumstances forced the council to turn its attention to scenarios for the Mountain Arts Community Center, along with other pressing issues. Now, with initial repairs for the MACC approved and 2017-2018 fiscal budget discussions wrapping up soon, the council can dedicate more time to reviewing its options.