Beware: Reduced Speed Limit on Hwy 52 in RBS

By Misty Green

During the May 8, 2025, Red Boiling Springs City Council meeting, it was voted to reduce the speed limit that runs along side the Hillwood shopping center from 40 mph down to 30 mph.

Police Chief Jeffery Maynard confirmed that drivers were given a two-week grace period to get accustomed to the reduced speed limit, with a goal of having motorist to begin remembering the new speed limit change.

“The guys have began stopping and warning violators and they have been instructed to be very lenient as of right now for citations,” Red Boiling Springs Police Chief Maynard said.

In other business, the RBS City Council held a special called meeting on June 12, 2025 to discuss two ordinances.

The first was Ordinance #05-2025-5, an ordinance of the City of Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, adopting the annual budget and tax rate for the fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. During the meeting following, the tax rate was set at .95¢ of every $100.

Councilman George McCrary said this year’s budget looked fine and that every department request had been added, leaving a positive balance on the books. The ordinance was approved on the first reading, and a special called meeting for the second reading of the budget is scheduled for Thursday, June 19th at 6 p.m.

The second item on the special called meeting agenda, was the second reading of Ordinance #05-2025-1, an ordinance to amend the zoning ordinance of the City of Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, to include a definition for data centers/cryptocurrency mining facilities and to allow these uses only within the Industrial Zone of Red Boiling Springs.

Red Boiling Springs Mayor Kenneth Hollis shared that the location of the Industrial Zone is on the school house hill. He further explained that when it was designated as the Industrial Zone years ago, they were planning to put more factories up there.

Councilwoman Trisha Grindstaff stated, “Where I am from, there was a lot of lawsuits and a lot of people who decided to move because for a five-mile radius, all that you would hear, 24/7, is the cooling units to keep the computers from overheating, and this does not help to staff jobs. They may have one tech person who comes in and out of there and it doesn’t give anything to Red Boiling Springs.”

“They say it’s a huge operation of what they do,” Mayor Hollis replied. “When it was a Japanese company in 2005, if you put $1,000 in Bitcoin, that would be worth $968M today.”

“It’s not going to employ anybody,” Grindstaff replied, “and it is a nuisance and makes a loud noise… It will make a lot of people suffer.”

“There’s nothing coming at this time,” Hollis replied, “But, if someone wanted to come in, then we have an ordinance for it.” The Ordinance amendment was then approved.

In the police department, the City Council approved to go forward with Citizens Bank’s bid of 4.80% for two new patrol cars (2025 Ford Explorers).

In the Gas Department, the second reading of Ordinance #05-2025-4, an ordinance amending Title 19, “Electricity and Gas” Chapter 1, of the Municipal Code of the City of Red Boiling Springs, was approved.

In the Water Department, the second reading of Ordinance #05-2025-3, an ordinance amending Title 18, “Water and Sewers” Chapter 3, “Sewer Use” Section 16 “Schedule of Rates for Sewer Service” of the Municipal Code of the City of Red Boiling Springs, was approved.

The City Council approved the resignation of Lucas Garrett from the Water Department, and approved to hire Michael Long as a full-time employee in the Water Department, with a pay scale starting at $14 per hour.

In the Parks Department, it was approved for Diego to pour concrete to replace the damaged sidewalks in the parks and to also pour a concrete pad in the Civil War Park.

For Whitley Cemetery, the City Council approved the second reading of Ordinance #05-2025-2, an ordinance providing for the increase in purchase price for burial/cemetery plots.

The Fire Department reported they attended two fire calls and two rescue calls last month. Fire Chief Randall Bray also mentioned the the RBS Auto Jam has been rescheduled for Saturday, July 12, 2025 on Market Street in historic downtown Red Boiling Springs. Registration from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. For more information, contact Chief Randall Bray (615)670-5848, Captain Jordan Davenport (615)699-7765, or Captain Todd Gentry (615)388-5016.