Council to discuss city marketing, eighth rowing lane, housing, Main Street

Posted at 11:38 am July 16, 2016
By John Huotari 8 Comments

Officials and referees monitor races on the seven-lane rowing course at the 2016 SIRA Championship Regatta in Oak Ridge on Sunday, April 17, 2016. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

The Oak Ridge City Council on Tuesday will discuss city marketing, the potential eighth lane at the rowing course, housing, and Main Street Oak Ridge.

The issues will be discussed during a non-voting work session of the Oak Ridge City Council at 6 p.m. Tuesday, July 19, in the Multipurpose Room of the Central Services Complex on Woodbury Lane, which is behind the Kmart shopping center.

There are other agenda items that could also be discussed: pending U.S. Department of Energy projects and public comment requests, and updates on the Oak Ridge Senior Center and Friendship Bell.

The report on visitation marketing will be presented by Marc DeRose, executive director of Explore Oak Ridge (the Oak Ridge Convention and Visitors Bureau).

The update on re-bidding the eighth lane rowing project will be presented by Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson and Recreation and Parks Director Jon Hetrick.

An overview of current housing programs and a discussion of the new Blight Elimination Program will be presented by Watson, Community Development Director Kathryn Baldwin, and Bruce Applegate, assistant to the city manager.

See the work session agenda here.

More information will be added as it becomes available.

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Mike Stevens

When will the City Council begin serious discussions of the new Pre-School building at Elm Grove? How about an up-date on the City’s intentions,
- johnhuotari
  
  Hi, Mike. I don’t have any recent information on the preschool other than some brief discussion of some funding during budget deliberations in June, but I’ll try to get more information. Thank you.
  - Mike Stevens
    
    Thank you John. No one seems to want to discuss the matter prior to the November election of 3 new city council members. I hope someone will ask those running for the three seats where they stand on the issue.
    - johnhuotari
      
      It may come up at one of the candidate forums, but I don’t know that there will be much discussion of City Council or School Board issues until after the Aug. 4 county general election and state and federal primary election. At this point, there is still time for new candidates to get into the race because the qualifying deadline for the Nov. 8 election is noon Aug. 18.
    - Joseph Lee
      
      Mike, I’ll tell you where I stand on the Pre-School. I’m all for it and have been for a very long time. The big question is, how to fund this 7.5 million dollar project. The need is there and a lot of planning has already taken place. This community is committed to the education of our children. The problem is there has been a lot of bad blood in the water due to some former and present council members that have made their bones by slamming our school system. That will end November 8th, then we can get on with it. Any questions? Thanks you. It’s a good question and deserves a straight answer.
      - Philip W Nipper
        
        YES, BUT WHAT ABOUT A NEW SENIOR CENTER? What’s your stand on that issue?
      - Joseph Lee
        
        Relocate Rec & Parks and move the Seniors in. Good question Mr. Nipper.
      - Mike Stevens
        
        I believe that was one of the items on the agenda for the work session tonight.