Oak Ridge Today

City Council to discuss housing, infrastructure at Oct. 24 retreat

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Oak Ridge City Council on July 27, 2015

The Oak Ridge City Council will discuss housing and capital infrastructure planning during a retreat on Saturday, October 24. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

The Oak Ridge City Council will discuss housing and capital infrastructure planning during a retreat on Saturday, October 24.

The retreat is scheduled from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. October 24 at the MCLinc Conference Facility at Heritage Center, 200 Heritage Boulevard. That’s 2010 Highway 58, Building K-1000.

Christina Kloker Younger of C.K. Young Creative Planning Systems will help lead the meeting, a notice said.

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TDOT: Replacing ‘green bridge’ on US 25W in Clinton could cost $18.8 million

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Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge

The Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge on US 25W in Clinton is pictured above. Also known as “the green bridge,” it could cost $18.8 million to replace, state officials said Thursday. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)

 

Replacing the Lewallen Bridge—known as “the green bridge” to locals—on US 25W in Clinton could cost $18.8 million, state officials said Thursday.

The bridge, officially known as the Hon. William Everette Lewallen Memorial Bridge, crosses over the Clinch River, and it connects downtown Clinton to South Clinton.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation said preliminary plans are under development to replace the major bridge, which connects the main route from Clinton to Knoxville. South of Clinton, the road is known as Clinton Highway.

Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Tennessee Department of Transportation Commissioner John Schroer gave an update on that and other projects when they sat down with local and state officials in Knoxville on Thursday to discuss the region’s transportation and infrastructure needs, a press release said. [Read more…]

Companies contributing $500K to Main Street Oak Ridge wanted to help

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Ray Evans

Ray Evans

Note: This story was last updated at 7 p.m.

The six companies contributing $500,000 for public infrastructure at Main Street Oak Ridge approached the city and volunteered to help, a consultant said Friday.

The companies are Methodist Medical Center; Oak Ridge Associated Universities; UCOR, a federal cleanup contractor; Restoration Services Inc., a cleanup contractor; Consolidated Nuclear Security, which manages and operates Y-12 National Security Complex; and UT-Battelle, which operates and manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The companies understand how important the project is to the city and to them, said Ray Evans, retail consultant for the City of Oak Ridge.

“They approached us and said, ‘How can we help?'” Evans said. “They just want to ensure the success of this project.” [Read more…]

Six employers pledge $500,000 for Main Street Oak Ridge infrastructure

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Warren Gooch

Warren Gooch

Six Oak Ridge employers have pledged $500,000 to support public infrastructure at Main Street Oak Ridge, the $80 million redevelopment of the former Oak Ridge Mall.

Officials said it shows unprecedented community support for the project.

The six companies are Methodist Medical Center; Oak Ridge Associated Universities; UCOR, a federal cleanup contractor; Restoration Services Inc., a cleanup contractor; Consolidated Nuclear Security, which manages and operates Y-12 National Security Complex; and UT-Battelle, which operates and manages Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

“All Oak Ridgers realize the successful development of the Main Street town center project is of critical importance not only to the citizens of the City of Oak Ridge and the business community but to the region in general,” Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch said. “We appreciate these great corporate citizens stepping up the plate to help make Main Street Oak Ridge a reality.”

Tim Sittema

Tim Sittema

Project executives said critical final decisions are being made on the ramp-up to the project.

The relocation and reconstruction of public infrastructure such as Wilson Street and the two Main Streets are key elements of the project and the Oak Ridge City Council and the Industrial Development Board have pledged $1.5 million toward these improvements. According to the city’s consultants, costs will exceed this amount, so the corporate pledges are a welcomed addition to the development’s financial backing, a press release said.

[Read more…]

DOE Oak Ridge names director of facilities, information, reservation management

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Johnathan Sitzlar

Johnathan Sitzlar

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge Office recently named Johnathan Sitzlar as director of the Facilities, Information, and Reservation Management Division, or FIRMD, in the Office of Assistant Manager for Administration at DOE-ORO.

In this position, Sitzlar directs a staff of 24 federal employees in the FIRMD with responsibility for the development and execution of a variety of programs including reservation management and infrastructure and facility management.

Sitzlar is directly responsible for all support services and reservation management issues on the DOE Oak Ridge Reservation. His duties also include planning and executing programs for the federal workforce designed to provide a clean, safe work environment with all the necessary resources required for ORO employees and customer organizations to fulfill their assigned missions. [Read more…]

Cinder, public works director, to retire Sept. 4

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Gary Cinder

Gary Cinder

Gary Cinder, who has been Oak Ridge public works director for 24 years and interim city manager twice, is retiring September 4.

Cinder has been in public service for 33 years. He could go to work in the private sector, possibly as a consultant.

“It’s time to try something new, something different,” Cinder told Oak Ridge City Council members on Tuesday.

Cinder was the lead staff member on locating, designing, and building the Oak Ridge Central Services Complex on Woodbury Lane. That building is used by the Oak Ridge Public Works Department, Oak Ridge Electric Department, and the school bus maintenance facility, among others.

Cinder has led a major effort to ensure that Oak Ridge complies with a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency order that requires the city to repair all sewer system overflows by September 28. That work is mostly complete, and the city is in good shape, Cinder said. [Read more…]

State: Tennessee roads good, but per-capita highway revenue the lowest

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Tennessee’s per-capita revenue for highways in 2010 was the lowest of the 50 states, but its roads are generally rated as being of good quality, officials said Tuesday.

Tennessee was fourth-highest among 50 states in the percentage of roads in good condition and 13th-lowest in percent of deficient bridges.

A study by the Offices of Research and Education Accountability in the Tennessee Comptroller of the Treasury said the state’s fuel taxes have stagnated and are not expected to be sufficient to maintain existing infrastructure and meet long-term transportation demands. [Read more…]

Tennessee again named economic development ‘State of the Year’

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Governor Bill Haslam

Bill Haslam

Tennessee first state to win award in back-to-back years

NASHVILLE—Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam announced Monday that Business Facilities, a leading national publication focused on site selection and economic development, has named Tennessee its 2014 State of the Year for a second consecutive year.

Tennessee becomes the first state in the award’s history to win back-to-back honors for economic development efforts and the first state to win the designation three times, winning in 2014, 2013, and 2009, a press release said.

“It is an honor to be the first state to receive this recognition two years in a row,” Haslam said. “We have a great story to tell in Tennessee. Businesses continue to make the decision to locate, expand and grow here, and we are grateful for those strong partnerships. We will continue doing all we can to make sure we offer an attractive business climate and skilled workforce to be the number one location in the Southeast for high quality jobs.” [Read more…]

Mosby seeks re-election to City Council

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David Mosby

David Mosby

David Mosby is seeking re-election to the Oak Ridge City Council in the November 4 municipal election.

“I am ready to continue my service to the citizens,” Mosby said in a press release.

Mosby was first elected to Council in 2001, and he said he remains committed to listening and acting to make Oak Ridge a great place to live, work, and visit.

“His Council record reflects a thoughtful and balanced approach to decision making based on his concern for people, fiscal responsibility, and support for new initiatives that enhance our quality of life,” the press release said. “He is active in the community and holds the belief that ‘We become better by working together!'” [Read more…]

Oliver Springs, Rocky Top receive grants for water, sewer system improvements

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Governor Bill Haslam

Bill Haslam

State officials announce 80 Community Development Block Grants

Oliver Springs received a $525,000 grant for sewer system improvements, and Rocky Top (formerly Lake City) received a $360,840 grant for water system improvements, Tennessee officials announced last week.

Oliver Springs and Rocky Top were among the Tennessee communities that will receive funding after Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam and Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty approved more than $28 million in Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) to help with infrastructure, health and safety projects, and downtown improvements, a press release said.

The Oliver Springs grant will be matched with $225,000 in local funding (for $750,000 in total funding), and the Rocky Top grant will be matched with $27,160 in local funding for a total of $388,000. [Read more…]

CNBC: Tennessee ranks second-best in America for transportation, infrastructure

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For the fourth year in a row, Tennessee’s transportation system ranks as one of the best in the nation, according to CNBC’s 2013 study “America’s Top States for Business.” According to the report, Tennessee ranks second-best in America in the category of “Transportation and Infrastructure,” up from fourth place in 2012.

Tennessee is also the only state topping the list that has no transportation debt. Many states across the nation carry transportation debt and must allocate a large portion of their funds to interest payments, according to a press release from the Tennessee Department of Transportation. [Read more…]

Y-12 evaluation: Some excellent ratings, but unsatisfactory on security, UPF

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Y-12 National Security Complex

Y-12 National Security Complex (Submitted photo)

Although it received excellent and very good ratings in some areas, the contractor that manages and operates the Y-12 National Security Complex in Oak Ridge was stung by unsatisfactory marks for its performance before and during the July 28 security breach and the redesign of the new Uranium Processing Facility.

The National Nuclear Security Administration said the UPF redesign could add $539 million to the project cost and extend its schedule by 13 months. The UPF has been estimated to cost up to $6.5 billion, and plans have called for it to start operating as early as 2023.

The NNSA also said the Y-12 security system and protective force completely failed when three anti-nuclear weapons activists penetrated a high-security Protected Area before dawn on July 28. The three protesters were able to avoid detection and cut through three fences inside Y-12 before spraying paint and splashing human blood on the Highly Enriched Uranium Materials Facility, where bomb-grade uranium is stored.

But federal officials awarded “excellent” or “very good” ratings to the contractor, Babcock and Wilcox Y-12 Technical Services LLC, or B&W Y-12, for operations in areas that include environmental and waste management activities, infrastructure improvements, risk reduction initiatives, cyber security, and stockpile and nuclear nonproliferation work.

[Read more…]