The Oak Ridge Outdoor Pool will show the 2018 movie “Aquaman” on Saturday night, June 15.
“Aquaman” (rated PG-13) will be shown poolside on an inflatable screen during the “Flick N Float” movie night, a press release said.
Gates will open at 8:30 p.m. with the movie scheduled to start at approximately 9 p.m., the press release said. Attendees can watch the movie while floating in the water (shallow end only) or sitting in the grassy area.
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Oak Ridge fireworks are July 4 in Alvin K. Bissell Park. The Independence Day fireworks show is sponsored by the City of Oak Ridge, and it is expected to begin after dark at approximately 9:45 p.m. July 4.
The Oak Ridge Community Band, now in its 75th year, will perform prior to the fireworks. The concert is free, but donations are accepted by the band to help cover the cost of equipment and other expenses, a press release said. The music is expected to begin at 7:30 p.m. WMYL 96.7 Merle FM will be live following the band performance and will broadcast the soundtrack for the fireworks display, the press release said.
“Anyone planning to attend is advised to bring a lawn chair or blanket for outdoor seating,” the release said. “A safety zone will be established by the Oak Ridge Fire Department. Please sit only in the designated areas.”
[Read more…]The Oak Ridge City Council will consider the municipal budget and a proposed two-cent tax rate increase on Monday evening, June 3.
The two-cent tax rate increase would raise the property tax rate from $2.54 per $100 of assessed value to $2.56. It would be the second tax rate increase in the past two years after about a decade of no tax rate increases.
Each cent on the property tax rate generates about $80,000 in revenue.
The city’s general fund is about $26.2 million, and its total budget, including all funds such as school funds and utility funds, is roughly $210 million.
The budget has to be considered in two readings, or meetings. Tonight’s vote is the first reading. The second and final reading will be on Monday, June 10.
[Read more…]The USA Cycling National Pro Road, Crit, Time Trial, and Para-Cycling Championships will be held in Knoxville and Oak Ridge June 27-30. This will be the second time all U.S. national champions in professional road cycling will be crowned the same week under the organizational umbrella of one host community, a press release said.
“All are invited to join for an exciting, fast-paced national championship event held in your backyard!” the press release said.
Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson said the city “is pleased to welcome back the officials and participants of USA Cycling’s National Championships for a second year. The new route will take you through a challenging course in our neighborhoods as well as the speeding segments along Melton Hill Lake. We know you will enjoy the spectacle of world-class cycling within Oak Ridge and will learn about the unique sport that it is!”
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The City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department has announced a new mixed martial arts fitness program set to begin in June.
In honor of this new program, Martial Arts of Oak Ridge will host two free seminars on Saturday, June 1, at the Oak Ridge Civic Center. Seminars will be taught by instructors Cody Jordan and Laban Propst with the Lucas Lepri Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school of Knoxville.
The first-ever Brazilian Jiu Jitsu seminar will be held from 10:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. in the Civic Center gymnasium. The second seminar will follow immediately in the gym from 11:45 a.m. until 12:45 p.m. and will cover Women’s Self Defense, also a first for Oak Ridge, a press release said.
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Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson will present the proposed budget for the next fiscal year in a special meeting this evening (Tuesday, May 28).
The special Oak Ridge City Council meeting will start at 6 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 South Tulane Avenue.
The next fiscal year starts July 1.
The Oak Ridge City Council will consider the revised plan for Main Street Oak Ridge on second and final reading at noon today (Friday, May 24).
The meeting will be in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom at 200 South Tulane Avenue.
Council approved the revised plan in a 6-1 vote on Monday, May 13. That approval occurred four months after Council rejected an earlier version of the plan in a 3-4 vote in January. Since then, a new revised plan has been submitted to the city, and there have been additional discussions between city officials and RealtyLink, the South Carolina developer. In April, the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission recommended 7-1 that the new plan, which is similar to the earlier plan, be approved with some conditions.
Main Street Oak Ridge is the 58-acre project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.
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The Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission will study a potential zoning text amendment for self storage facilities this evening (Thursday, May 23).
The text amendment is being considered after a developer, RealtyLink, proposed a climate-controlled self storage facility at Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.
The self storage facility, which is not currently allowed under the type of zoning in place at the site, could be along Rutgers Avenue. It could be three stories, with a maximum height of 35 feet. It could have about the same “footprint” as Dick’s Sporting Goods.
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The Oak Ridge Public Works Community Open House is this evening (Thursday, May 23).
It’s from 5 to 7:30 p.m. at the Oak Ridge Central Services Complex at 100 Woodbury Lane. Everyone is invited to attend, a press release said
The Public Works Community Open House is designed to increase public awareness about the contributions of the Oak Ridge Public Works Department, as well as educate the community about the duties, practices, and goals of the department, the press release said. It is being held in recognition of National Public Works Week, May 19-25, with the theme “Public Works, It Starts Here.”
“We’re so pleased to be able to host this free event for the community for the third year, offering everyone an opportunity to see behind the scenes and learn what Public Works is all about,” Public Works Director Shira McWaters said. “This open house will be bigger than ever, featuring fun and educational activities for all ages.”
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Oak Ridge City Manager Mark Watson received his doctorate degree in philosophy from the University of Tennessee on Thursday, May 9. In March, Watson successfully defended his dissertation titled “City Managers, Mayors and Councilmembers: Local Stability in Tennessee.”
“It has always been a belief of mine for continuous learning, and being close to the University of Tennessee allowed me to fulfill the heights of my profession while learning new technical and research skills along the way,” Watson said in a press release on Monday. “I shall continue to use those skills in serving Oak Ridge in the years ahead. It has been quite a seven-year academic journey while working full time as a city manager.”
[Read more…]Low-interest loan will go toward new water treatment plant
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner David Salyers on Monday announced approximately $3.2 million in a low-interest loan for drinking water infrastructure improvements for the City of Oak Ridge.
“This loan will help Oak Ridge to meet one of the vital needs of its citizens,” Lee said in a press release. “I am pleased to support infrastructure upgrades that will help to provide safe and reliable drinking water for more Tennesseans.”
The City of Oak Ridge will receive a planning and design loan in the amount of $3,288,000 to develop plans and specifications for construction of a new 16-million-gallon-per-day water treatment plant, the press release said. The effort is funded from the State Revolving Fund Loan Program with a five-year repayment period and an interest rate of 1.08 percent.
[Read more…]Note: This story was updated at 11:20 a.m. May 14.
After rejecting an earlier version, the Oak Ridge City Council voted 6-1 on Monday to approve the latest version of the revised plan for Main Street Oak Ridge, the 58-acre project to redevelop the former Oak Ridge Mall.
The vote during a regular meeting in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building Courtroom on Monday was the first of two readings, or votes. The second vote could take place during a special meeting on Tuesday, May 21.
The approval on Monday occurred four months after Council rejected an earlier version of the plan in a 3-4 vote in January. Since then, a new revised plan has been submitted to the city, and there have been additional discussions between city officials and RealtyLink, the South Carolina developer. In April, the Oak Ridge Municipal Planning Commission recommended 7-1 that the new plan, which is similar to the earlier plan, be approved with some conditions.
The revised plan is being considered as RealtyLink prepares to welcome a second wave of tenants to the site, which is in central Oak Ridge. It would be the second phase of the project, and it could include 90,000 square feet of new retail buildings, an open space near the Belk store, and new sidewalks and crosswalks. It could also include a bus drop-off area near the relocated American Museum of Science and Energy.
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