Oak Ridge Today

Oak Ridge Fire Department recognized as organization of year at fire instructors conference

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ORFD Jody Durham and ISFSI Steve Pegram

Oak Ridge Fire Department Assistant Chief Jody Durham, left, accepts an Organization of the Year award on behalf of the ORFD from International Society of Fire Service Instructors President Steve Pegram, at the 2016 ISFSI Conference. (Submitted photo)

 

The Oak Ridge Fire Department was recently presented with the Organization of the Year Award by the International Society of Fire Service Instructors at the 2016 Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis.

Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson announced the award on Monday.

The award was presented in recognition of the significant contributions the Oak Ridge Fire Department made as a co-host of the 2015 International Conference last year, a press release said. There were more than 300 fire instructors from several different nations that attended the conference in East Tennessee last October. The Oak Ridge Fire Department provided equipment, staff, and logistical coordination for the conference.

That was the first time the ISFSI International Conference had been hosted in Tennessee, but after the success of last year’s conference the ISFSI is considering returning to Tennessee in the upcoming years, the press release said.

This press release was submitted by the City of Oak Ridge.

Copyright 2016 Oak Ridge Today. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Council will consider ordinance to allow up to six hens at Oak Ridge homes

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Pictured above during an Oak Ridge City Council work session on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, are Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, left, and Kayla Wyatt, an advocate for allowing a small number of hens at Oak Ridge homes. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider an ordinance that would allow residents to keep up to six female chickens, or hens, at homes in the city, possibly starting this year. No roosters would be allowed, and henhouses would not be allowed in front yards.

Council will consider an ordinance that was adopted by Knoxville in 2010 and amended for potential use in Oak Ridge.

Under the proposed ordinance, which has been requested by City Council members, the Oak Ridge Police Department Division of Animal Control would have authority to permit residents to keep hens. The Oak Ridge Community Development Department would be responsible for permitting and inspecting residential henhouses and fencing for the hens, often referred to as “backyard chickens.”

Fenced enclosures and henhouses for the chickens would have to be properly ventilated, clean, dry, and odor-free. The enclosures and henhouses would have to kept in a neat and sanitary condition and not disturb neighbors due to noise, odor, or other adverse impact. They would have to provide adequate ventilation, sun, and shade, and be built to resist access by rodents, wild birds, and predators, including dogs and cats. The access doors to henhouses would have to be capable of being shut and locked at night.

If adopted, the ordinance would require $25 annual permits for domestic hens, plus a one-time $50 building permit fee for the required henhouse, according to a memo from Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson to City Council members. Permits would expire on December 31 each year, although permits issued in 2016 would extend through December 31, 2017. Only one permit would be allowed per property.

Permits could be suspended or revoked by Animal Control when there is a risk to public health or safety or failure to comply with applicable ordinances or law. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge Chamber opposes Hall tax changes that hurt local governments

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Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce building is pictured above.

 

The Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce acknowledges the need for tax reform in Tennessee, but the organization has opposed changing the Hall income tax in a way that would hurt local governments, an official said Thursday.

Specifically, the Oak Ridge Chamber opposes modifying or ending the Hall income tax in a way that would result in a negative financial impact to local governments, Chamber President Parker Hardy said.

The Tennessee General Assembly passed a bill Friday that would lower the Hall tax on stock and dividend income from 6 percent to 5 percent in the 2016 tax year. The tax would be reduced by 1 percent per year after that until it is eliminated by 2022.

Oak Ridge officials expect to lose between about $100,000 and $120,000 in the fiscal year that starts July 1. There is an impact on other local communities as well—including Anderson County, Clinton, and Roane County—but none of them will lose as much as Oak Ridge.

The eventual repeal of the tax could cost Oak Ridge as much as $700,000 per year or more. The city collected $708,454 from the Hall tax in 2015. [Read more…]

Oak Ridge could lose $500K-$700K per year under Hall tax repeal

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McNally-Ragan-Calfee-at-Breakfast-with-Legislators-April-25-2016

The reduction and repeal of the Hall income tax was among the issues discussed during a Breakfast with the Legislators on Monday, April 25, 2016. Pictured above from left are Sen. Randy McNally, Rep. John Ragan, and Rep. Kent Calfee. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9:30 p.m.

Oak Ridge could lose $500,000-$700,000 per year in revenues if the repeal of the Hall income tax is approved, Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said last week.

If Governor Bill Haslam signs a bill that the state legislature passed Friday, the tax, which was enacted in 1929, would be eliminated in the 2022 tax year. Haslam has not said whether he will the sign the bill into law or veto it.

If it becomes law, the bill could cost Oak Ridge about $119,000 in the fiscal year that starts July 1, or about 1.25 cents on the property tax rate, Mayor Warren Gooch said Saturday. The legislation would reduce the Hall income tax on stock and dividend income from 6 percent to 5 percent in the 2016 tax year.

The tax would be reduced by 1 percent per year after that until it is eliminated by 2022.

The Hall income tax generated total revenue of $303.4 million in Tennessee in fiscal year 2014-15, and $105.5 million went to cities and counties, with the rest going to the state.

On Thursday, Watson said the amount dispersed to Oak Ridge varies between about $500,000 to $700,000 per year. State data shows Oak Ridge collected about $708,000 in 2015. [Read more…]

Council could consider backyard chicken ordinance in May

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Mark-Watson-and-Kayla-Wyatt-April-19-2016

Pictured above during an Oak Ridge City Council work session on Tuesday, April 19, 2016, are Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson, left, and Kayla Wyatt, an advocate for allowing a small number of hens at Oak Ridge homes. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Note: This story was updated at 3:30 p.m.

The Oak Ridge City Council could consider a backyard chicken ordinance in May. If adopted, the ordinance could allow residents to have a small number of chickens, maybe up to a half-dozen hens, in places where they’re not allowed now.

Council is expected to use a Knoxville ordinance as a model. Knoxville allows domesticated chickens under an ordinance approved in 2010. An annual $25 permit is required to keep the birds, up to six chickens (hens only) are allowed, and they must be kept in a fenced enclosure at all times. They are for personal use only, and the slaughtering of chickens is prohibited.

Knoxville also requires a $50 fee for a building permit for the fenced enclosure and for a required henhouse, which must be covered and predator-resistant.

The Oak Ridge City Council could conceivably have several options in May: adopt the Knoxville ordinance without any changes, adopt a modified version of it, reject it, or defer it or send it to the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission for further review. Planning Commission can’t accept it or reject it but can recommend that Council do so.

Oak Ridge officials have considered allowing backyard chickens before. In April 2010, the Oak Ridge City Council voted 4-3 against a resolution that would have kept alive a previous proposal. Two current Council members, Charlie Hensley and Ellen Smith, voted in favor of referring the proposal to the Planning Commission, which could have then consulted with interested residents and other city boards. The rejected resolution also would have directed former Interim City Manager Gary Cinder to draft an ordinance to amend the city code. [Read more…]

Redflex proposes new handheld laser device that could be used to catch speeders, traffic violators

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Redflex-LIDAR-April-19-2016

A representative of Redflex Traffic Systems gives a brief presentation on a new laser-technology traffic detection system that includes video and can measure the speed of vehicles and the distance between vehicles. Charlie Buckels, southeast U.S. sales manager for Redflex, gave the presentation during an Oak Ridge City Council work session on Tuesday evening, April 19, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Redflex Traffic Systems, the company that once had unmanned, pole-mounted red-light and speed enforcement cameras in Oak Ridge, has a new handheld system that it says could be used to help make roads safer as the city tries to slow down speeding drivers. But the use of the devices hasn’t been approved yet, and one Oak Ridge City Council member expressed her strong opposition on Tuesday.

The new handheld LIDAR devices include a camera, and they can capture traffic violations on video. They use a laser technology to measure vehicle speeds and distances between vehicles, said Charlie Buckels, southeast U.S. sales manager for Redflex. LIDAR stands for light detection and ranging.

Buckels said the handheld devices could be used for both civil and criminal violations. In some cases, such as for speeding, police officers could use the devices and the evidence they collect to issue civil citations that could be mailed to the registered owners of violating vehicles. In those cases, officers wouldn’t have to stop the violators, Buckels said.

But in other cases—when a car is driving excessively fast or swerving, for example—police officers could pull vehicles over, Buckels said.

City officials said they have been discussing drivers traveling too fast on roadways in the city, including those coming into town on South Illinois Avenue in the morning and trying to get to work on time. Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said three City Council members have asked him to take action to combat speeding, and he’s had concerns himself about traffic on Illinois Avenue. Other roads cited by city officials Tuesday included Oak Ridge Turnpike, Robertsville Road, Melton Lake Drive, and Tennessee Avenue. [Read more…]

Council to consider contract to evaluate water plant

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Oak-Ridge-Water-Treatment-Plant-2009-1

The Oak Ridge Water Treatment Plant is pictured on Pine Ridge above the Y-12 National Security Complex. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider hiring an engineering company to evaluate the city’s 70-year-old water plant. There are questions about whether Oak Ridge and the U.S. Department of Energy should continue to invest money in the water plant, build a new one at a new site, or consider other alternatives.

The Council on Monday will consider awarding a $98,250 contract to Jacobs Engineering Group Inc. of Knoxville to evaluate the plant. Jacobs Engineering has offices in Oak Ridge.

The city’s 1940s-era water treatment plant is on Pine Ridge above the Y-12 National Security Complex, and it provides water to businesses and residents of Oak Ridge, as well as to DOE.

“The plant is currently 70-plus years old and continues to show signs of aging despite efforts over the last 15 years to modernize and upgrade,” said Shira McWaters, the new Oak Ridge Public Works director. “Many of the plant’s assets are near or have exceeded their useful life cycle and require replacement or major rehabilitation.”

Discussions about the future of the current plant came up as the city and DOE negotiated a contract extension for water supplied to Y-12 and Oak Ridge National Laboratory. [Read more…]

City approves water contract extension for Y-12, ORNL, but DOE rates questioned

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Oak-Ridge-Water-Treatment-Plant-2009-1

The Oak Ridge Water Treatment Plant is pictured on Pine Ridge above the Y-12 National Security Complex. (Photo by City of Oak Ridge)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 9 a.m. March 30.

The Oak Ridge City Council on Tuesday approved a one-year, $2.1 million contract extension for water supplied to Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Y-12 National Security Complex, but a few members questioned whether the U.S. Department of Energy is paying a fair rate.

The one-year extension is expected to give the city time to have a qualified third-party engineering firm study the city’s aging water plant on Pine Ridge above Y-12, consider what is needed, and develop options that could help Oak Ridge decide whether to renovate the 70-year-old facility—or build a new one at a new site.

City officials said bringing the existing plant up to code could cost $16 million or more. It was transferred to the city from DOE in 2000, more than 15 years ago. Officials declined to estimate how much it could cost to build a new one, although it’s also said to be in the multi-million-dollar range.

Among the challenges at the water plant now are a leak of 3,000 gallons per day. The city staff is not sure where the leak originates or whether the water that is leaking has already been treated, and so far they haven’t been able to stop the leak. [Read more…]

Eighth rowing lane could cost more than $500,000, up to about $1.2 million

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Cardinal-Invitational-Regatta-West-Virginia-Rowing-March-12-2016

Twelve of the nation’s best NCAA Division I women’s rowing teams competed this month in the Cardinal Invitational Regatta in Oak Ridge. Pictured above, a West Virginia University team competes at Oak Ridge Marina on Saturday, March 12, 2016. The eighth lane would require some work along the Melton Lake Drive side of the course, which is on the right side of this picture. (Photo by Julio Culiat)

 

Note: This story was last updated at 5:30 p.m.

An eighth lane at the seven-lane Oak Ridge rowing course could cost more than $500,000 and up to about $1.2 million, officials said Tuesday.

The eighth lane has been on the wish list of rowers and many local officials for years. They say it would allow the Oak Ridge Rowing Association to compete for bigger races and international regattas, which require an eighth lane. It would also keep the site a top-tier rowing venue and provide more on-water capacity, allowing more competitors in events. It’s also expected to significantly increase the economic impact of rowing races, or regattas.

Officials announced a $250,000 state grant for the eighth lane in April 2015.

In August, the city hired Barge, Waggoner, Sumner, and Cannon Inc. for design and survey work, among other tasks.

A March 1 memo from BWSC to Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks director, outlines five construction options with various estimates of probable costs ranging between $543,771 and $1,162,444. The five estimated construction costs include a 20 percent contingency. All five options would include a retaining wall and earthwork, which would include excavation and dredging. [Read more…]

Woman taken into custody after barricading herself in home, throwing pistol out window

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East-Tennessee-Avenue-Standoff-March-19-2016

Members of the Oak Ridge Police Department are pictured outside a home on East Tennessee Avenue on Saturday, March 19, 2016.

 

Note: This story was updated at 10:42 a.m.

A 30-year-old woman was taken into custody and to a hospital after barricading herself in a bedroom and mentioning suicide before throwing a pistol out a window while negotiating with police officers on Saturday morning, authorities said.

The Oak Ridge Police Department was on the scene for hours before the situation at 426 East Tennessee Avenue was peacefully resolved.

Police said they found an arsenal inside the home, including more than a dozen high-powered rifles, shotguns, an assault rifle, a pistol, and several boxes of ammunition.

The ORPD responded to a domestic disturbance call at the home at about 2:04 a.m. Saturday.

“Officers arrived and made contact with a male subject, who advised his girlfriend, who was very intoxicated, had locked herself in the bedroom and was in possession of multiple weapons,” an ORPD press release said. “Officers verified a female subject identified as Sara Flynt, 30, was barricaded in an upstairs bedroom of the residence and initiated negotiations utilizing ORPD Crisis Intervention Team members. [Read more…]

Council supports grant application for synthetic turf at Blankenship

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Blankenship Field Overall Plan

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday unanimously supported a grant application for synthetic turf on Blankenship Field. An overall view of part of the proposed renovation of Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium is pictured in this image from early 2015.

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday unanimously authorized a grant application for synthetic turf on Blankenship Field.

If approved by Tennessee officials, the grant could be worth up to $500,000. It would be matched by the Blankenship Field Revitalization Foundation, a nonprofit organization chaired by Tennessee Senator Randy McNally.

The synthetic turf is part of the first phase of a multi-million-dollar proposal to renovate Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium.

Previous work has included replacing the visitors side bleachers and renovating the Broadway Avenue parking lot.

The application approved by City Council in a 7-0 vote on Monday is for a Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The requested grant funding could range between $250,000 and $500,000. The grant requires a 50 percent match. [Read more…]

Council to consider applying for state grant for synthetic turf at Blankenship

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Wildcats Tee Higgins Catch against Campbell County Oct. 30, 2015

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider applying for a state grant worth up to $500,000 to install synthetic turf at Blankenship Field. Pictured above, Oak Ridge junior wide receiver Tee Higgins (5) hauls in a catch near the left sideline during a 45-6 win over Campbell County on Blankenship Field on Friday, Oct. 30, 2015. (File photo by Julio Culiat)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday will consider applying for a state grant worth up to $500,000 to install synthetic turf at Blankenship Field. It’s the first phase of a multi-million-dollar proposal to renovate Blankenship Field and Jack Armstrong Stadium.

The application that City Council will consider is a Local Parks and Recreation Fund grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation. The grant requires a 50 percent match, which would be provided by the nonprofit Blankenship Field Revitalization Foundation. The requested grant funding could range between $250,000 and $500,000.

The Local Parks and Recreation Fund, or LPRF, grant provides state funding for parks and recreation development and capital projects, said Jon Hetrick, Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks director. It requires the facility to be maintained as a public recreational facility and open to the public. Grant reports must be filed with the state every five years to document ongoing use as a public recreational facility. [Read more…]