Signal Mountain council approves early termination of MAC agreements, plans theater proclamation

The Signal Mountain Town Council on Dec. 22 approved two related resolutions to terminate agreements with the Signal Mountain Elementary Preservation Fund and bring the Mountain Arts Community Center (MAC) under town operational control.

Council members voted, by voice, to authorize early termination of the lease and the memorandum of agreement with the preservation fund. The items were presented together; a motion to approve each resolution was moved and seconded and passed with no opposition recorded.

Council members repeatedly thanked the Grams (the preservation fund volunteers) for their work maintaining the center. Council member (voice 4) said the fund "have really created a a very strong base and foundation" for the space and noted town staff and the fund would coordinate through Jan. 1, 2026 to complete the transition. Another council member praised the volunteers for fixing rooms in the building and creating a welcoming program environment.

Mayor Elizabeth Faker said she would like to prepare a proclamation for Jan. 1 to rename the theater after the Grams and suggested also naming a garden in their honor; council members signaled support and agreed to invite the Grams to the first meeting in January.

The resolutions do not specify an implementation schedule in the text read aloud at the meeting, but council members said staff will oversee the MAC manager once that position is hired and that communications staff will supervise operations during the transition. The council did not record individual roll-call vote tallies on the resolutions; the meeting minutes reflect approval by voice vote with no opposition.

Next steps: the town manager and staff will prepare the necessary paperwork and a proclamation, and council members said they expect to finalize recognition of the Grams and the operational handoff at the first January council meeting.