More rehabilitation work of the city’s sewer collection pipes is scheduled to continue this week, starting Monday, October 13.
The work is being done by Hurst Excavating and Morgan Contracting under contract with the City of Oak Ridge. It includes rehabilitating sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and in roadways, a press release said. [Read more…]
Alan Lowe
Alan Lowe, director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas, will be the featured speaker this week in the third of a series of community meetings on the future of the American Museum of Science and Energy.
The community meeting is scheduled from 6-8 p.m. Thursday, October 9, at AMSE.
Lowe was previously founding director of the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville.
Thursday’s meeting has been organized by the City of Oak Ridge and the American Museum of Science and Energy Foundation. Lowe’s presentation is titled “The Path Forward for AMSE: Lessons Learned from a Life in Museums.” [Read more…]
Parker Hardy
By Parker Hardy and Chris Johnson
At the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce, we have been surprised by the debate that has surfaced after we established Progress PAC last month.
Why? Because political activity by this Chamber and others is nothing new. And political action committees, or PACs, are quite common tools for chambers and for other organizations that wish to exercise their rights to participate in the political process. Progress PAC was established to build transparency for the Chamber’s political engagement. It is not funded by Chamber membership investments or dues. Furthermore, city economic development marketing funds, which cannot be used for Chamber operations, certainly cannot and will not be applied to Progress PAC. Reporting requirements for all PACs will demonstrate that financial transparency.
Good chambers have been politically engaged for decades. And our chamber has been engaged in pro-business political activity since our founding in 1949—even before the City of Oak Ridge was incorporated. [Read more…]
The City of Oak Ridge is gearing up to begin the end-of-year recruitment for board and commission members. The recruitment process began October 1, a press release said.
This year’s process is similar to previous years in that interested residents must complete a Boards and Commissions application available on the City Clerk’s departmental website or by visiting www.oakridgetn.gov/online/cityclerk/bcelections.
Applicants may also attach additional documents that includes cover letters, references, and resumes. The application allows residents to choose and rank their top three board choices for membership consideration. [Read more…]
More rehabilitation work of the city’s sewer collection pipes is scheduled to continue this week, starting Monday, October 6.
The work is being done by Hurst Excavating and Morgan Contracting under contract with the City of Oak Ridge. It includes rehabilitating sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and in roadways, a press release said. [Read more…]
More rehabilitation work of the city’s sewer collection pipes is under way this week, the week starting Monday, September 29.
The work is being done by Hurst Excavating and Morgan Contracting under contract with the City of Oak Ridge. It includes rehabilitating sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and in roadways, a press release said. [Read more…]
Mark Watson
In December of 2013, the City of Oak Ridge was given a Christmas present: a strong, viable prospective property owner that would help reclaim the center of our precious city. Crosland Southeast, well-respected developers from North Carolina, came to our city and said they could help us redevelop the crumbling mall within our city. This mall, newly named Main Street Oak Ridge, had come to symbolize the ultimate development challenge for our city.
Now, 10 months later, the time has come for the details of our work to begin to come out in the open. This project has taken several courses. First, the City of Oak Ridge and Anderson County said that they would support the development of this project with what is known as a tax increment district, or TIF. The governments would continue to receive their marginal values in property taxes, but the “new” value created by the private investment in Main Street Oak Ridge would be used to pay for public improvements on the project such as new traffic configurations, road improvements, and building demolition. In return, the private developer would borrow money at his own risk and develop major new retail shopping, with a potential hotel and residential development on the 65-acre site.
This effort has been successful, and major retail tenants have been lined up for filling a targeted 260,000 square feet of new facilities. Our Belk store will receive a facelift, and JCPenney will continue to perform. At present, stores are in the initial inquiry stages of building and will be moving to make announcements by the first of the year or shortly thereafter. I would love to tell you the names of the stores (which I have seen), but we need to honor the wishes of the companies as they make their expansion announcements. I believe the Oak Ridge community will be pleased! [Read more…]
Alan Lowe
The director of the George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum in Dallas will be featured in a community meeting in October on the future of the American Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge.
During that Thursday, October 9 meeting, Alan Lowe will discuss the process of developing and managing facilities that function as both research libraries and historical museum attractions, a press release said.
The George W. Bush Presidential Library and Museum is located inside the George W. Bush Presidential Center on the campus of Southern Methodist University in Dallas. In his role as director, Lowe oversees millions of presidential records as well as exhibits related to the important issues and events of the Bush Administration, a press release said. [Read more…]
More rehabilitation work of the city’s sewer collection pipes is scheduled to continue this week, starting Monday, September 22.
The work is being done by Hurst Excavating and Morgan Contracting under contract with the City of Oak Ridge. It includes rehabilitating sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and in roadways, a press release said.
Residents should already have received color-coded letters and door hangers (orange for Hurst Excavating and purple for Morgan Contracting) providing general information and each contractors’ contact information.
Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are urged to use extra care and caution when traveling on the streets with sewer work areas, a press release said. Temporary road repairs will be made, and loose gravel should be expected until the patches are permanently paved. [Read more…]
TDOT Commissioner John Schroer presents a signal optimization grant check to Oak Ridge Mayor Pro Tem Jane Miller. (Photo courtesy City of Oak Ridge)
Grant for signal optimization
The City of Oak Ridge has been awarded a Tennessee Department of Transportation grant for $237,500 for a signal timing optimization project, and TDOT Commissioner John Schroer recently presented the award to Mayor Pro Tem Jane Miller in Nashville.
The signal timing optimization grant is funded by the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement Program, or CMAQ, which supports transportation projects that reduce air emissions from on-road sources and non-road sources, as well as projects that reduce traffic congestion, a press release said.
“The city is pleased to receive this grant which will significantly enhance air quality and reduce congested roadways,” Oak Ridge City Engineer Steve Byrd said in the press release.
The signal timing optimization project will target 26 traffic signals on Illinois Avenue, Oak Ridge Turnpike, and Lafayette Drive. The program will synchronize these lights in order to improve traffic flow, reduce congestion and vehicle idling, and decrease commuter travel time. [Read more…]
More rehabilitation work of the city’s sewer collection pipes is scheduled to continue this week, starting Monday, September 15.
The work is being done by Hurst Excavating and Morgan Contracting under contract with the City of Oak Ridge. It includes rehabilitating sewer collection pipes within city easements in yards and in roadways, a press release said.
Residents should already have received color-coded letters and door hangers (orange for Hurst Excavating and purple for Morgan Contracting) providing general information and each contractors’ contact information.
Motorists, pedestrians and cyclists are urged to use extra care and caution when traveling on the streets with sewer work areas, a press release said. Temporary road repairs will be made, and loose gravel should be expected until the patches are permanently paved. [Read more…]
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD)
Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Entitlement Program
City of Oak Ridge, Tennessee
NOTICE OF PUBLIC COMMENT
Consolidated Annual Performance Evaluation Report (CAPER) for
CDBG Program Year 2013 / City of Oak Ridge Fiscal Year 2014
and
Technical Assistance for CDBG Public (Social) Service Sub-recipient Applications (PY 2014/FY 2015)
Notice is hereby given by the City of Oak Ridge that the Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) 2013-2014 has been drafted and will be made available to the public for review for a period of 15 days. A copy of the draft will be posted on the City of Oak Ridge’s Community Development website or a physical copy of the draft can be obtained by request to the Community Development office (200 S. Tulane Ave., Oak Ridge, TN 37830) after 8:30 a.m., Monday, September 15, 2014.
Notice is also hereby given that the City of Oak Ridge will hold a public meeting regarding the CAPER 2013-2014 on Thursday, September 18, 2014 at 6 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building’s City Manager Conference Room. The Municipal Building is located at 200 S. Tulane Ave, Oak Ridge, TN 37830.
The City of Oak Ridge is required by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to annually submit a CAPER. This report provides an assessment of expenditures and accomplishments of the City’s progress in carrying out the final year of its Consolidated Plan (2011-2014), and its one year Annual Action Plan (2013 – 2014) for the Community Development Block Grant Program. The CAPER covers community development objectives undertaken during the period of July 1, 2013 to June 30, 2014 and does not establish any new policy.
The CAPER report contains a summary of programmatic accomplishments, the geographic distribution and location of investments, actions taken to further Fair Housing, and other actions indicated in the Consolidated and Annual Action Plans. The purpose of this notice is to make the CAPER report available to the public for comments prior to its submittal to HUD. The CAPER will be submitted to HUD by close of business, September 30, 2014. Deadline for comments is Monday, September 29, 2014 at 5 p.m. Comments may be submitted one of four ways. 1) In person: During the public meeting on Thursday, September 18th from 6-7 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building’s Training Room. 2) Email: email all comments to Sherith Colverson by the deadline date, scolverson@oakridgetn.gov. 3) Mail: Attn: Sherith Colverson, City of Oak Ridge, Community Development Department, 200 S Tulane Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830. 4) Phone: 865.200.6989.
Call for Public (Social) Service Applications & Technical Assistance Meeting
Notice is also hereby given that the City of Oak Ridge will be accepting public (social) service sub-recipient applications for CDBG funding (if selected by City Council), from January 1, 2015 through June 30, 2015 in a total amount not to exceed $34,077.00. A digital application will be found on the City of Oak Ridge’s Community Development website or a physical copy of the application can be requested in person at the Community Development office (200 S Tulane Ave. Oak Ridge, TN 37830) after 8:30 a.m., Monday, September 8, 2014. The City of Oak Ridge will hold a technical assistance meeting for interested applicants on Monday, September 22, 2014 from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Oak Ridge Municipal Building’s Training Room. The Municipal Building is located at 200 S. Tulane Ave., Oak Ridge, TN 37830.
The deadline for organizations and agencies to submit a CDBG public (social) service application for funding is Thursday, September 25, 2014, at 5 p.m. Applications can be submitted one of three ways. 1) In person: Completed applications can be dropped off before the deadline to the City of Oak Ridge’s Community Development Department, Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 2) Email: Completed applications can be emailed to Sherith Colverson by the deadline date and time, scolverson@oakridgetn.gov. 3) Mail: Attn: Sherith Colverson, City of Oak Ridge, Community Development Department, 200 S Tulane Avenue, Oak Ridge, TN 37830.
The City of Oak Ridge does not discriminate against anyone based on race, color, gender, religion, national origin, age, related medical condition or disability. Please call Sherith Colverson at least 48 hours prior to the meeting times listed above at 865.200.6989 for assistance with translation or accommodations. Reasonable accommodations will be made upon a timely request.
