Chattanooga City Council's Ken Smith joins Chip Chapman to discuss constituent concerns

Chattanooga City Council's Ken Smith joins Chip Chapman to discuss constituent concerns

On the way this half-hour will have a chat with ken smith, our city council representative and district 3 also will have a chat with the folks from allele help there the parent company of hospice of chattanooga talking about the brand-new thing you've heard a lot about nightly telemedicine and the tennessee aquarium is set to reopen with some stipulation will get all of that and more.

This half-hour on let's chat that is focusing to jeff's rate and just jump bringing you smart new strength chat.

Very glad to have you with us as we continue on this wednesday morning june the third.

It is a beautiful day away and we have got a beautifu half-hour lined up just gravy.

Continuing her maternity leave and riding shotgun with me this morning, at least for a little while.

It is city councilmember ken smith from district 3 ken smith good morning and welcome to the broadcast.

Good morning chip opportunity opportunity to get on with you chat.

We have a number of topics that i want to cover so were going to jump right into it.

Tell me what you position is with the city council familiar with district , but give us a little more.

The back story.

Many folks may not know about ... #representative through predominately hickson in the south of the river hills area and i currently hold the device chair seat city council them in my tenant year a cure actually now sermon on the city council so i'll towards it.

In my secon term and i have i've been chairman, vice-chairman four an vice-chairman again.

It is implemented for now, you're a busy guy you work it.

The freight waves a relatively new company here in town talk more about that coming up in a moment.

Previous to freight waves you were with the johnson group got three children, including teenagers.

So you got your hands full, not even counting all of the city counci responsibilities why you keep coming back to the table and serving the folks of the entire community, but especially district 3 yeah you know it was one of those things don't necessarily plan for its use as you start to get more and more involved in both business and the kids start paying more attention.

Education and see how important local government is t the lives of the citizens in an to you personally.

That's reall really start to really are.

That's when my involvement started starting very active in local politics and policy.

More than anything in understanding what can be done to better serve the constituent's residence and then people to start asking based on that if i would be interested in representing and verse now you that that wasn't what i was taking on but the more and more i got into it the more it release suited on being able to get something done and is the best way to to have a voice and to give the people a voice out there in the district and when people wanting you to do it, feel capable of doing it.

I was definitely willing to step out.

I've been rare fortunate to be able to serve her again a must.

Eight years now i've got a lot of really great stuff done for the district.

The city as a whole, there's a lot more work to do in and i'm anxious to continue on to one of the big things that it is in your district incredibly busy stretc of 153 and hickson were you got target got home depot, lowe's a lot of the big box retailers just along that one or two mile stretch.

That area is responsible for a lots of the chattanooga area economy ... correct yes it is, i believe that area is currently third downtown beat number one in the hamilton place area and then i ... well it's it's amazing over in that stretch into some other areas of hickson also you go over there at least before the pandemic rolled out during either the morning or the afternoon rush hour and there were be you be hard-pressed to be able to find the place and the traffic light that area just keeps growing and growing and growing, thanks in large part t a lot of work you're doing with the city council correct yes it's one of those things where human development needs to be done but it needs to be done very well how to put it lightly to develop that development we've been really fortunate to be able to have a lot of really great development taking ice out here and i'm just development the redevelopment reuse space reason rundown space i want pushing for more and more that is used to clearing the land and buildings of the lot areas we got home building are empty rundown and repurpose those new views is one big things or push not your very fortunate with those hank retailers to mention i continuing to draw more and help build the economy of hickson so very fortunate that he knows luckier i say what hang onto that thought just one second we have to take a quick break.

Were going to continue her chat with jeff city councilman and vice chair ken