The Oak Ridge City Council has approved the purchase of Mullins Performance Car Wash in south Oak Ridge to allow the city to build a sewer system holding tank.
A car wash in south Oak Ridge could soon be replaced by a sewer system holding tank.
The Oak Ridge City Council on Monday voted 5-1 to buy the car wash, owned by businessman Terry Mulllins, for $125,000.
The land is at the southern gateway to Oak Ridge, near the intersection of Scarboro Road and South Illinois Avenue. The city agreed to buy the property so workers can place the proposed tank, officially called an equalization basin, farther away from the busy intersection and make it less visible. The intersection is used by thousands of drivers every day, including workers at the Y-12 National Security Complex.
The tank is one of three equalization basins that the city plans to build in order to comply with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency order that requires Oak Ridge to repair all sewer system overflows by September 2015.
Council had agreed this past September to authorize Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson to negotiate with Mullins to buy the land.
Oak Ridge Mayor Tom Beehan and Mayor Pro Tem Jane Miller voted in favor of the car wash purchase. So did Council members Anne Garcia Garland, Charlie Hensley, and David Mosby.
Council member Trina Baughn voted against it. She said the city purchase was not the highest and best use of the land, and Oak Ridge already has plenty of tax-exempt property.
Baughn also asked Hensley—who has worked for Mullins and received campaign contributions from him—to recuse himself from the vote.
Hensley declined to do so. He said he had worked part-time for Oak Ridge Tool-Engineering until 2006 and had worked about two hours per month for Mullins until about a year ago.
“I wish you would do one-tenth as much as he has for this town,” Hensley told Baughn. “For you to ask me to recuse myself is way out of line. If anyone should recuse themselves, it should be you.”
Although Oak Ridge would spend money on the car wash, the city would save money on the tank itself, about $100,000, by moving it back farther from the road and making it smaller and wider, Hensley said. The tank is expected to be 100 feet in diameter and 22 feet high.
Hensley brought the proposed purchase of the car wash to city staff for consideration, according to an Aug. 30 Public Works Department memo.
On Monday, Baughn said she didn’t question Mullins’ contributions to Oak Ridge, but she was concerned about taxpayer money.
“It was a simple request,” Baughns told Hensley, referring to her recusal request. “There is no need for you to get upset with me.”
Watson said Council had had concerns about building the tank close to a primary entry to town, and it would fit on Mullins’ property. Also, it helps that a sewer main runs through the back of Mullins’ property, he said.
One of the other two equalization basins would be between a county-owned building and Fairbanks Road on Emory Valley Road. The county-owned building now houses Emory Valley Center programs and the Oak Ridge Senior Center.
The third tank would be in an industrial area off Cairo Road in east Oak Ridge.
The tanks are expected to hold mostly rain water with some sewage mixed in during periods of heavy rainfall.
Council member Chuck Hope was absent from Monday’s meeting.
Kay Williamson says
I think this is great!! I think it should be painted with a big paw print with welcome to oak ridge, and would be the first thing people see coming into the city..
Andrew Howe says
I wish I could’ve attended in person last night, but some last minute needs from others in my circle precluded my ability.
If memory serves me correctly regarding the short-wide vs. tall-thin tank discussion from a couple months ago, we could’ve fit the cheaper tank on the free land – caveats being the tie-in to the system and the closer proximity to Illinois.
Charlie Hensley, I believe you that Mullins is a great asset to the city and I’ve no problems with him “winning” a bit from the deal. However, your employment history with him does make “abstaining” from the vote a reasonable request. Not really out-of-line, the request itself at least.
Mr Watson and the rest of council, as to the budget break-down requests, the people have a right to more transparency, so please provide justifications for expenditures when asked. At times like this, when the residents have just been told they’ve more to pay, isn’t the time to act protective of ledgers.
If our debt is high, which it is, and our residents over-burdened, and some are now, then this expenditure known as Secret City Fest (which should be able to be hosted for MUCH less money AND MAKE money) is ripe for taking off the budget altogether. I categorize my expenses into three simple categories: Absolutely Needed, Would be Nice, and Totally Superfluous. Money losing ventures for a small bit of entertainment gain and a little bit of publicity, such as SCF, fall squarely into the Totally Superfluous category.
Another question to ask is: Why is the funding for Secret City Fest spread across various financial boundaries? Why should Parks and Rec need money directly from the city while the Arts Council does, too? Why not just have one central group run the whole deal and leave the books more tidy?
We should attempt to make some money off SCF for a few years and see if that works. Forget subsidizing it so the ticket prices are low. Let’s see if we can run the event like a money-making venture and see what happens. It’s like this: when you’re flush, you host parties and buy the booze, but when you’re in the red, you host parties and charge. We’re not flush, so we should charge if we’re going to have this big party.
We could also save a lot of money by hiring less famous performers. Don’t get me wrong, seeing Rick Springfield was great and really made me feel like a little girl again, but I would’ve dug seeing a major named blues star just as much (and those cats cost far less, for a number of reasons).
😉
Dan Jones says
Unless the SCF hired completely “no-name” performers, I don’t think you could go much cheaper. And isn’t “Andrew” a rather odd name for a little girl?
Andrew Howe says
I went by Andrea before the operation. Tee hee.
Six years ago I was booking bands for a large caver convention. Found numerous second tier rock acts that would draw crowds for around $5K. Nirvana played a dorm party back in college for $500. Two months before Nevermind dropped. The dorm was PACKED because Nirvana was known on the street, even if they hadn’t made the Top 40 yet.
The local dive blues bar near me in St Paul, 15 years back, could afford names like Junior Wells, and it was a bar similar to The Atomic was ten years ago. Lots of access to good Nashville talent, too, up-and-comers that’ll be known by local connoisseurs, and the same goes for the whole of the south – brimming was great affordable, crowd-drawing acts.
Not that I know what Rick Springfield cost to hire, but I’m assuming it was easily over $10k.
johnhuotari says
Andy,
I did post a separate story on the Secret City Festival spending and contracts. It’s available here: http://oakridgetoday.com/2013/12/12/council-approves-secret-city-festival-resolutions-disagreeing-whether-cost-info-needed/
I haven’t checked on the Rick Springfield cost, but your assumption seems reasonable based on what I’ve heard about other artists and concerts.
On a side note, did you see Nirvana at the college dorm party? I saw them in February 1989 at the University of Washington in Seattle. I found an old picture of the show (it’s the second photo from the top in this NPR story): http://www.npr.org/blogs/therecord/2011/04/21/135445333/20-years-later-seattle-music-scene-still-channels-spirit-of-nirvana
Sam Hopwood says
A lot of good, common sense there Andrew. I hope you will consider running for city council.
johnhuotari says
Andy,
I’ve got a story started on the debate over the Secret City Festival funding during Monday night’s meeting, and I will post it as soon as possible.