The stamp in question

Clarksville Tennessee’s Mayor, Johnny Piper has sent an inflammatory anti-Islamic email to employees of the city, encouraging them to boycott a stamp issued by the U.S. Postal Service.

According to the U.S. Postal Service, the stamp in question commemorates the two most important festivals—or eids—in the Islamic calendar: Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha. On these days, Muslims wish each other “Eid mubarak,” the phrase featured in Islamic calligraphy on the stamp. “Eid mubarak” translates literally as “blessed festival,” and can be paraphrased as “May your religious holiday be blessed.” This phrase can be applied to both Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha.

The email in question is the equivalent of a chain letter, which according to the Snopes Urban Legends web site was first seen in 2002. The letter was modified in August 2009 to falsely accuse President Barack Obama of ordering the U.S. Postal Service to issue a 42 cent first class stamp in honor of these Islamic holidays. In fact the stamp was first issued on September 1st 2001, and has been re-release several times since then. Mayor Piper’s email painted everyone of the Islamic faith with the same brush as those who carried out the various terrorist bombings over the years.

Several questions arise regarding the Mayor’s actions in sending this email that must be answered….

• Did the sending of this email by an elected official violate any local, state, or federal laws.
• Did this email violate city policies.
• What action would have been taken under current city personnel policies had another city employee sent the same email.
• Did the sending of this politically oriented email using city computers, on city time, to city email addresses constitute misuse of city computing resources.
• What was the cost to the city in time and resources from this incident, and will the Mayor reimburse the city for these costs.
• How do we prevent this from happening again.

Mayor Piper has since attempted to defend his actions, but they are simply indefensible. Muslims are a integral part of this country. They serve honorably in our armed forces, defending our nation, and our freedoms. No one should be treated like a second class citizens based on their religious beliefs, or the actions of a radical fringe. This incident created by our Mayor  has been an embarrassment for our City, our State, and our Country.

It is time for the City of Clarksville to establish a clear policy of non-discrimination, and to prohibit the City of Clarksville, the municipality’s elected officials, and city employees from engaging in activities or personal conduct which discriminates, or directly encourages discrimination by others on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, pregnancy, disability, age, medical condition, ancestry, marital status,sexual orientation, citizenship, or status as a Vietnam-era veteran or special disabled veteran. The penalty for the violation of this policy this should be termination for employees; and removal from office for our elected officials, who should be held to a higher, not lower standard of behavior.

Mr. Lampkin has been a senior planner with the Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission since 2004. The basic function of the Planning Commission is to create and adopt a plan for achieving coordinated, adjusted, efficient and economic development of the physical region.

“I have worked hand-in-hand with Keith on short and long-range Planning Commission projects, and his knowledge and skills will be of great benefit in this new role,” said Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper. “He has an excellent work ethic and will contribute greatly to Clarksville’s housing and community development.”

Mr. Lampkin has a degree in public management from Austin Peay State University and has worked in community development and city planning since 1992.

Nashville – Business, governmental and community leaders including Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper and Montgomery County Mayor Carolyn Bowers will gather in Nashville on May 27^th for the annual “Convening the Region” Summit focusing on regional transportation system development in the ten-county Middle Tennessee area.

Cumberland Region Tomorrow (CRT), in partnership with Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, the Nashville Area MPO and the Tennessee Department of Transportation, will co-host the event as leaders work to gain collaboration and consensus on the development, funding and operations of a Regional Transit System.

“Ask any citizen in the middle Tennessee area what our top challenges are and I can assure you that traffic, congestion and gridlock will be right at the top of their list,” said Pat Emery, co-chair of CRT. “But this issue is about more than inconvenience; it’s a matter of economic competitiveness, quality growth and development and working to maintain our quality of life here in middle Tennessee. The only way we’re going to solve it is by working together – all ten counties – in a collaborative manner to turn these challenges into opportunities.”

Organizers of the event pointed to a recent survey by Nashville-based Prince Market Research on regional thinking and issues that found overwhelming support for middle Tennessee communities and governments to work together (81%) on top quality of life and economic vitality concerns in the region over the next ten years. These include regional transportation and other infrastructure, land development, air quality and economic growth.

The survey also found that citizens and community leaders expect the top benefits of a Regional Transit System to include reduced traffic congestion, improved environmental health and more transportation options. The top barriers to such a system include lack of funding, lack of connectivity between transportation modes and lack of understanding of transit options.

In addition to the event organizers, U.S. Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN), and representatives from the cities of Austin, Charlotte and Denver will be on hand to discuss federal legislative activities with regard to national infrastructure improvement and case studies of regional transportation development.

“This really is an unprecedented time and opportunity for us to turn talk into action while preparing for the future growth and sustainability of this place we call home. But we can only do it if we all work together, to harness the ‘Power of Ten,’ and develop a regional system we can all be proud of. We hope this Summit will put us on that path,” added Emery.

Convening the Region Summit

WHAT: Cumberland Region Tomorrow Convening the Region Summit
WHEN: Wednesday, May 27, 12:30-5:30 p.m.
WHO: Business, governmental and community leaders from ten-county region
WHERE: War Memorial Auditorium, Nashville, Tenn.

For more information or to register, visit www.10power.org.

About Cumberland Region Tomorrow

Cumberland Region Tomorrow is a private-sector regional 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization working with the public sector to support and encourage growth planning, with an emphasis on land use, transportation, and preservation of the rural landscape and character of the region’s communities.

Mayor Johnny Piper will swear in the following: James Lewis, Ward 3; Wallace Redd, Ward 4; Candy C. Johnson, Ward 5; David Allen, Ward 8; Joel Wallace, Ward 9; and Jeff Burkhart, Ward 12. City Judge Charles W. Smith will also be sworn in. The election of a Mayor Pro Tem will follow. The agenda for the event is as follows:

1. CALL TO ORDER
2. PRAYER AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
3. ATTENDANCE REGISTRATION
4. OATH OF OFFICE:  CITY COUNCIL – Mayor Johnny Piper
5. OATH OF OFFICE: CITY JUDGE – Mayor Johnny Piper
6. ELECTION OF MAYOR PRO TEM
7. ADJOURNMENT

In a special session Monday night, the City Council approved an amendment to the city’s capital project budget, giving the okay to $32 million in new debt and $39 million in re-structured debt for development of Mayor Johnny Piper’s proposed marina, water park and other Fairgrounds “development.” The debt package would extend loans through 2027.

In fact, the “done deal” marina has spurred boats sales, or the illusion and suggestion of boat sales, including the collage of watercraft already on display in a Riverside Drive dealer’s lot and another boat display/storage area strategically poised on the concrete slab that once housed the Fairground Pavilion.

Councilors Wallace Redd, Marc Harris and Wayne Harrison opposed the amendment, with Harris lobbying for a 30-day stay on this vote, a move that would have allowed new city councilors a say in a development project that will, in January, fall under their purview. Not all the new councilors support the marina; the current council make-up was a guaranteed win for marina advocates.

What consideration has been given to traffic flow problems on access roads (state highways) to the new development have been elaborated on. Clarksville already has significant traffic flow issues including along Riverside Drive, and water park/marina development will magnify those issues as well for the people who live, work in or travel that area.

As the new council oversees future development of the marina and the Cumberland as a recreational waterway, it is hoped that among their concerns they will consider the overwhelming noise pollution generated by powerboats and jet skis — the latter can equal the output of a racetrack in one’s back yard. The amount of oil and gasoline residue that seeps from vehicles such as jet skis, particularly older models, is a serious pollutant on many waterways; newer models have adapted to stricter EPA standards. In many forward-thinking states these “toys” have been banned on small lakes and rivers because of the noise, noise pollution, and pollution issues, and earth-friendly reclaiming of rivers and streams — or at least, do no further harm — is the most important priority.

Given that the city for years has endured the stench of wastewater treatment permeating the downtown business and residential district, it would behoove the new council to address that that issue in tandem with any new downtown and riverfront development.

If the current administration is hellbent on this form of development, it is incumbent on the next City Council to be proactive in protecting the natural resources that run through Clarksville, and ensuring that within this development, there are ample protections for the water, the shoreline and the abutting homes and businesses (including new residential development). Or hope that the pollution just runs downstream…rendering it NIMB (Not In My Backyard).

Walking through a garden of holiday lights...

The City of Clarksville unwrapped its Christmas gift to the city Tuesday evening with the lighting of Christmas on the Cumberland, a holiday light display that is a top attraction not just to local residents but the region.

Bundled up and braving the cold at Christmas on the Cumberland

On a brisk and cold eve, a substantial crowd gathered, bundled in coats, scarfs, hats and mittens — a far cry from the 2007 event and its exceptionally temperatures that could have given Santa heat stroke under all that velvet suiting and flowing cape.

Hot chocolate and spice cider were in demand as two tables served up beverages to help revelers beat the chill in the air. Frances Sykes donned a Victorian gown to set the holiday spirit as she handed out programs for the evenings event.

J.T. Daniels of Eagle 94.3 FM emcee’d the event, with Pastor Scott Evans of the Grace Church of the Nazarene offering the invocation. Mayor Johnny Piper took time to acknowledge the city employees who have spent hundreds of hours installing this years holiday display.

APSU’s Honors Brass Quintet played a selection of holiday music for the early visitors, with Hypertension, a local and popular combo, taking center stage on the riverside terrace with some bluesy holiday and popular songs. Beside them was the switch to “turn on the lights.”

With a festive welcome, Santa and Mrs. Claus arrived in their sleigh, towing wagons of holiday trees and a collection of festive Nutcrackers.

Then with a collective press of the switch, Santa, Mayor Johnny Piper, and other officials lit up Christmas on the  Cumberland.

Mayor Johnny Piper presents a print of the winning poster to its artist, Cori Marrott of Northeast Middle School

During this event, Public Information coordinator Tonya Vaden presented finalists and the winning artist in the Christmas on the Cumberland Art Contest, which was open to all Middle Schools in the Montgomery County school system. Of the hundreds of entries received, the winning artist was Cori Marrott of Northeast Middle School, who received a framed copy of her poster, which is being used to advertise the Christmas on the Cumberland event. Other winners include:

• Unity Christian Academy: Yu-Jeong Choi and Jaen Yeon Lee.
• Clarksville Academy: Matt Hyams and Amelia Mathis.
• New Providence Middle School: Rebecca Ratcliff and So Park.
• St. Mary’s Catholic School: Amanda Kelling and Nicole Mullins.
• Richview Middle School: Leann Smith and Alyssa Durant.
• Northeast Middle School: Cori Marriot and Alec Seeburger.
• Rossview Middle School: Analena Boehms and Kristen Johnson.

Christmas on the Cumberland is open 5-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 5-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday through Jan. 1  at the McGregor Park Riverwalk. The event is free and handicapped accessible.

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Christmas on the Cumberland, Clarksville’s walk-through holiday light display, will open for its 10th year on November 25,  with a lighting ceremony and entertainment at Clarksville’s McGregor Park RiverWalk on Riverside Drive.

The Grand Opening Celebration next Tuesday will begin with holiday entertainment performed by the Austin Peay State University Honors Brass Quintet and Hypertension.  Clarksville’s Mayor Johnny Piper will officially light up the park during a lighting ceremony that begins at 6:30 p.m. The Mayor’s Youth Council will be serving up hot chocolate and apple cider and children will be able to visit with Santa and The Grinch.Admission to Christmas on the Cumberland is free and the event will be open nightly through January 1, 2009 unless inclement weather occurs.

Downtown visitors will enjoy an extra treat with the holiday lights extending from Public Square to University Avenue and including the newly renovated Strawberry Alley this year.   More than 300 businesses in the Central Business District, including downtown and Riverside Drive, were asked to join the holiday celebration by decorating their stores and shops for the holidays as well.

CPRC member Don Sharpe speaks out against redevelopment at "fact-finding" community meeting

“Sued for a half million dollars for speaking out…”

“This ordinance is detrimental to the community…”

“The City Council ‘rubber stamped’ the mayor…”

“I don’t think they have a plan…”

“Our Leadership doesn’t want to listen to us….”

“CHA is a shadow, not a voice…”

“Preying on minority communities…”

“I’ve never been to a public forum where the public couldn’t speak…”

This is what representatives from the United States Department of Justice, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Institute for Justice  heard when they came to Clarksville Thursday to listen to community concerns about the about the city’s controversial redevelopment plans. Seventy people participated in a fact-finding meeting at the New Providence Community Center on Oak Street sponsored by the NAACP and the Urban Resource Center.

Walter Atkinson, Senior Conciliation Specialist with the U.S. Department of Justice Community Relations Service (Southeast Region IV), in stating that the meeting was “to hear community concerns,” said his role was in part to try and avert “litigation.”

“I am here to listen and observe,” Atkinson said, noting that it was letters from NAACP Chapter President Jimmie Garland and Terry McMoore of the Urban Resource Center that focused federal attention on this local issue. Atkinson had been “in communication” with Mayor Johnny Piper and with the Downtown District Partnership Board. Piper, DDP members and most sitting City Councilors did not attend this meeting. Jim Doyle, who was not re-elected to his Ward 8 seat, along with newly elected councilors Candy Johnson, David Allen and Jeff Burkhart did attend the meeting and spoke with the Ward 6 constituency.

The origin of the issue and the center of the controversy, which exploded in November, 2007, is a city ordinance that was quietly developed and passed by the City Council; at its core was section that designated two square miles, 1825 homes and small businesses in the downtown area, including City Hall and the Courthouse, as “blighted,” with the exception of property owned by Austin Peay State University. The ordinance also included an assemblage clause that would allow eminent domain to be used in “assembling” a group of properties to be transferred to private developers who would “maximize” the potential of the land involved.The land in question lies in Ward 6, the city’s only major minority ward, which, according to Garland, may be protected under the Civil Rights Acts of 1964.

In response to the passage of the ordinance, a grassroots activist group was formed: the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition, who staged an initial Standing Room Only meeting at the Hope Center on Legion Street in November, 2007, which attracted 50 people. Several weeks later, a second meeting at the Train Station on 10th Street was not only packed with concerned citizens but had the overflow crowd of 300 spilling out the doors. A postcard campaign was organized and specialists including representatives and lawyers involved in historic preservation and litigation became involved. Subsequent meetings, including one at APSU where the CPRC and others were not allowed to speak or make a presentation to city officials, and another meeting at the Burt School on Eighth Street where a last minute change in building capacity left nearly a hundred people standing in the parking lot, signs in hand, but unable to speak out to officials or hear what being said inside. Piper later admitted that of the written comments from the concerned residents were destroyed.

Joyce Vanderbilt of Kelly's on Riverside Drive displays the controversial ad on redevelopment

With city officials squaring off against Ward 6 residents and business owners, the redevelopment plans became the supercharged issue of 2008; an ad placed in a local newspaper by the CPRC made a case against the ordinance and proposed development, and The case, borne of a highly controversial ordinance passed by the Clarksville City Council in November, 2007, that “blighted” some two square miles of downtown Clarksville, culminated in a libel suit over a newspaper ad taking some city officials to task for their actions in supporting the ordinance that potentially opened the door for taking of properties by eminent domain and for private development.

In that case, Richard Swift, a developer who is a member of the Clarksville City Council, and Wayne Wilkinson, a member of Clarksville’s Downtown District Partnership, sued the CPRC because its members criticized them for supporting Clarksville’s controversial redevelopment plan, which authorizes the use of eminent domain for private development. In a newspaper ad, the CPRC noted that both Swift and Wilkinson are developers and said, “This Redevelopment Plan is of the developers, by the developers, and for the developers.” Virginia’s Institute for Justice represents the CPRC in the case.

Christine Walsh of the Institute for Justice

Becky (McMahan) was sued for a half million dollars for speaking out,” said Christina Walsh, Director of Community Organization for the Institute for Justice. “The Clarksville Center Redevelopment and Urban Renewal Plan violates the rights of home and business owners in the redevelopment area. The saga of how it was passed illustrates perfectly why the abuse of eminent domain is wrong. This plan would not pass muster in many states.”

“We do have the right to speak. We are not a Third World Country. Wake up, Sleeping Clarksville, and realize that this is our community. Question the ordinance and the need for the ordinance, and the potential use for the ordinance… even some of the city councilors did not understand this ordinance, and if they didn’t understand it thow can they vote on it.” — CPRC member

NAACP Chapter President Jimmie Garland Sr.

Jimmie Garland charged the City Council with “rubber stamping” the mayor on this issue and asked where “the plan” for development. “Knoxville showed us a plan and invited the community in; that’s not how it was done here There is no plan here.” Garland said that Clarksville’s present leadership does not want to represent us and “does not want to  listen to us.” (Ed: garland excepted Ward 6 Councilor Marc Harris, who opposed the plan). “Our legislators don’t listen to us.”

“Clearly, the confluence of bad law and politically connected developers here does not bode well for the citizens of Clarksville, who have been virtually abandoned by the very political officials they elected to represent their best interests…Local governments very often disguise their intentions of transferring perfectly fine properties to private developers, declaring so-called “blight removal,” “urban renewal,” or “slum clearance” as the justification for eminent domain. … they hide behind this “public use” concept in their quest to acquire property for the private use of developers.” ~~ Christine Walsh

Walsh noted that Piper himself said the plan “was not written in strict accordance with state law,” at which point the city amended rather than rescind the plan, and took a trip to Knoxville to view that city’s redevelopment  process.

Turner McCullough Jr. speaking about a state law that requires that community bodies must reflect the diversity of the community they represent.

Turner McCullough Jr. said “the mayor himself said there is no plan.” After the APSU public forum in which the “public” could not actively participate, and “when (the public) asked for information, we were told to shut up. We  were not considered.”

Wanda McMoore noted that the ordinance assesses what terms “underutilage” of land, which the Institute for Justice and the CPRC read as property that could rake in more profit and more taxes if uses for something other than what it is (i.e., three homes vs a strip mall, five homes versus and apartment complex, a family-owned restaurant vs waterfront condos).

Edward Vanderbilt of Kelly’s on Riverside Drive questioned why, under eminent domain his land and business could conceivably be taken for a minimum of money that wouldn’t even buy a plot of land somewhere else  while “the mayor sells his land and gets millions” (Mayor Piper owns land along Riverside Drive that is in the redevelopment and marina area).

Kevin Johnson of Veterans Services of America discusses the make-up of redevelopment committees

Kevin Johnson of the Veterans Services of America suggested that beyond stating what they do not want, the residents of the area and members of the CPRC, along with local community leaders, should assess what they do want, what kind of growth and positive change they would like to see in their community, and what they would use in lieu of the present ordinance.

It was noted that legislation passed in 2006 can withhold federal funds to communities that use public money to fund private development.

A theme that ran through many of the statements offered by concerned citizens included the following:

• The assemblage clause is of serious concern
• Eminent domain should not be used for private development. (”Take eminent domain out of this plan.”)
• Elected officials simply do not listen to or want to hear from dissenting constituents
• Developers and real estate people with properties in the affected area should recuse themselves from voting on issues which may benefit them (conflict of interest, ethics)
• The actual authors of the ordinance should be disclosed. (”Who wrote this damned thing?”
• According to law, redevelopment plans in Tennessee must be overseen by a housing authority. A determination of Kevin Johnson of the Veterans Services of America participation in the development and execution of the ordinance and redevelopment efforts should be disclosed (Wanda Mills of the CHA has said publicly the CHA did NOT do a study for this plan)
• Demographics (ethnicity, gender etc) of development and advisory boards should be disclosed and appointees to these public posts should be present at meetings when their appointments are confirmed, rather than simply being “a name on a piece of paper.”
• What are the qualifications of the people who created the ordinance?
• Why aren’t more members, if not all members, of the board from the areas impacted by this law?
• What have HUD and other federal monies really been spent on? Has HUD funding been redirected to other projects outside of the designated districts or parameters?

Walter Atkinson, Senior Conciliation Specialist, U.S.D.O.J.

In summing the comments accumulated during the fact finding meeting, Atkinson asked the audience to consider the following?

• If the plan is dropped, what do you want (in your community)?
• What qualifications do you feel people need to participate on redevelopment and related boards?
• What kind of oversight (and by whom) do you need for your community?

As the meeting closed, Terry McMoore noted that he had sent “many, many emails and invitations to people about this meeting, including city officials and Mayor Piper. Given the Mayor’’s lack of response and absence from this session, McMoore requested that Atkinson himself ask the Mayor to attend the next meeting on this issue.

Also attending were Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Representative David H. King, Director, Knoxville Field Office; , Louisville, HUD Fair Housing Equal Opportunity;  County Commissioner Lettie Kendall; CPRC spokesperson Rebecca McMahan; and Tim Harvey, former City Attorney.

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Installation of the fountain has been ongoing for several weeks, with large blue and green tarps encasing the multistory structure., which cost approximately $125,000. The fountain was purchased for the city by an anonymous donor and will be dedicated in honor of a former Clarksville citizen during the unveiling next Tuesday, November 25.

The original Community Town Hall Meeting format was discarded in favor of this new agenda. Elected officials, community leaders and civic organizations have been invited to attend. The meeting is also open to interested members of the public.

Organizers felt this meeting format will best help identify to USDOJ and HUD the issues and non-compliance that will and have already come about since this redevelopment plan was put together. A letter from HUD concerning these issues of non-compliance along with some recommendations were sent to the office of Mayor Johnny Piper several months ago.

The USDOJ and HUD will use the information gathered at this meeting to determine the best possible way to effectively engage the community in thnext phase of this process.  Please RSVP to Terry McMoore at the Urban Resource Center, 931-378-1999.

The Opening Ceremony will kick-off the holiday entertainment at 5:30 p.m. with Austin Peay State University Honors Brass Quintet.  Immediately following will be the holiday jazzy sounds of Hypertension.  After the entertainment and much anticipation, Mayor Johnny Piper along with City Council Members will flip the switch that will begin the official holiday season at McGregor Park River Walk.

This year’s Christmas on the Cumberland event will be decorated with beautiful Christmas villages along with several other holiday scenes featuring over a million twinkling lights. Children of all ages will enjoy scenes like Santa’s Workshop, snow skiing elves, Santa’s Express Train, gingerbread boys and girls, skating bears, and two tunnels of amazing dancing lights. A custom-made light display featuring the 101st Airborne Division emblem will once again adorn the pedestrian overpass in honor of our community’s men and women serving at Ft. Campbell and around the world.

It will be an exciting time during the Holiday Season for Clarksville.  Don’t forget that Santa is scheduled to make several visits to the Christmas on the Cumberland event which is scheduled to be open nightly from November 25th through January 1st.  Event hours are from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday through January 1st. Admission is free.

For more information on this event and for the entire holiday entertainment schedule at McGregor Park, go to the website at www.christmasonthecumberland.com or call 645-7444 for more information.

Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper (file photo by Bill Larson)

There are no pictures to illustrate the drama that was the city council’s meeting last night. Those who attended (expecting a fairly normal session) and stayed the long course, including the council members themselves, were exhausted at the end of this marathon session. It felt as if we all had been in the Boston marathon, our energies totally drained. The meeting finally adjourned at close to 11 p.m., with a surprise proposal that upped the price of the marina and related redevelopment plans to $32 million dollars.

In chronological order, this is how the evening played out:

Starting at 7:33 p.m., the meeting opened quietly enough with prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance. Special recognitions went to Danny Powell and Matt Moore receiving Mayor’s Certificate for their achievements at the annual Public Workers Rodeo in Memphis.

Ken Spradlin, former CDE General Manager, was recognized for his forty year career with the utility, which culminated with his advancement to the general manager position and the expansion of the utility’s services to include fiber optics cable delivery. Spradlin said, “I’d like to accept this award on behalf of the CDE employees who do the work that makes me look this good.” Mayor Piper and Spradlin took this opportunity to introduce CDE’s new General Manager Rick Ingram and his wife.

The design and construction team for the Strawberry Alley project also received mayor’s certificates for the honors the city received for the project. Finally, Jim Durrett received a mayor’s certificate for being named Public Works Man of the Year by the Tennessee Association of Public Works.

The night’s fireworks began with the Zoning Change Requests portion of the agenda. Ordinance 27-2008-09 proved to be a highly volatile issue. A change of property at Memorial Drive Extension and Richaven Road from R-1 Single Family Residential District to C-1 Neighborhood Commercial District proved to be the sticking point, taking up fully the first eighty minutes of the deliberations of the meeting. Unfamiliarity with parliamentary law also proved to be major deterrent to progress during this matter. Having approved an amendment to the ordinance, concerned citizens from Rudolph Town and Memorial Drive Extension left the chambers only to have to be recalled by the police security force when the matter was unexpectedly brought back for reconsideration of the just approved amendment. The residents complaint centered on their contention that the zoning request was pure ’spot zoning’ and as such was a violation of city’s laws ad charter. The session was recessed to that lawyers, applicants and complainants could confer and seek compromise. Following further parliamentary law uncertainty, amendment being put forth and withdrawn, compromise positions being debated, then approved and then rejected, the original ordinance was approved but it was clear the matter was not settled, as this was only the first reading.

Ordinance 23-2008-09 was approved with no deliberation. It authorizes the city’s use of eminent domain to obtain rights-of-way and or easements for the marina/fairgrounds development project. This action is likely to include property along Riverside Drive and the condemnation of the Jaycees building. Ordinance 24-2008-09 seeks to cap the mayor’s salary at the current $125,000, eliminate the automatic annual pay increases that would bring it to $175,000 within ten years. Instead Mayor Piper proposed that starting in 2010, the mayor’s salary would see a single four percent increase over the course of the next eight to twelve years. The adjustment would apply at the end of each four-year term, so the first increase would not occur until 2014.

Mark Harris (file photo by Bill Larson)

The mayor also proposed to allow the mayor to reject a pay increase, a provision which is not allowed under current rules. Council member Deanna McLaughlin asked that council members also be allowed to reject pay increases, if they so desire. Mayor Pro Tem Barbara Johnson noted that the council members’ salary is tied to the mayor’s salary. They are paid at the rate of one-eighteenth of the mayor’s annual salary. She offered a motion to allow the council’s salaries to advance on proposed increases to the mayor’s salary, even if that salary increase were rejected or frozen. This motion failed. Bill Summers then offered an motion to tie council members pay increase to the rate of pay increase given city employees. This motion was approved. The now amended ordinance was then approved with an eleven-to-one vote. Ward 6 Marc Harris cast the dissenting vote.

Ordinance 22-2008-09 deals with adopting River District Design Guidelines. It passed without debate. Copies of the guidelines were not available for the public. Also passed was Ordinance 32-2008-09 which would eliminate the requirement for sidewalks and underground utilities in industrial zones. Debate raged over whether light industrial zones could be excluded from the ordinance. The mayor proposed the exemption. Richard Swift was not supportive of the exemption, seeing no need for sidewalks in these areas as they are residential areas where people are likely to walk their strollers. [Ed. Note: Joggers and cyclists might use these areas as short cuts to other areas.] Lance Baker, as City Attorney, advised that the ordinance excludes light industrial areas. With that clarification, the ordinance also passed first reading.

“Eleventh hour” funding request to finance $32 million in marina and peripheral projects.

At 10:20 PM the council took up Resolution 28-2008-09, a measure to authorize the mayor to pursue funding sources for various capital projects, but especially the Marina/Fairgrounds Redevelopment Plan. Following a PowerPoint presentation, Mayor Piper told the council that in 1978, a marina had been proposed for the current fairgrounds location. At that time the estimated cost was one million dollars. That cost has now escalated considerably, to $21.53 million with the detailed amenities now proposed. The redevelopment plan will be developed in three phases, with the marina being a public/private enterprise. New to the deal is the inclusion of a Water Park in the new redevelopment area as well. Funding this redevelopment is the major obstacle facing the city; Mayor Piper offered strategies recommended by the Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund. The TMBF also has advised the city to move deliberately as loan funding is on hand but its availability may be limited. They explained that by re-structuring three current city loans, sufficient funds can be leveraged to accomplish the project without increasing the city’s current debt service payments. The full estimated costs for all aspects of the redevelopment plan is $32 million dollars. Quadruple the original $8m price tag bandied about. Debt that, according to accompanying eleventh hour figures would not be paid off until at best the year 2034.

Councilman Harris noted that 10:30 PM was not the time to begin considering a $32 Million dollars of new debt. Jim Doyle asked about replacing the ball parks that would be lost with the marina development. The roll call vote was 10-2, with Harris and Harrison dissenting. Finance Director Wilbur Berry old the council they must pass three resolutions, which are requirements of TMBF, so that required planning documents can be submitted for the loans development. [Ed. Note: This action only authorizes the mayor to begin talks about funding with the TMBF.] The council approved this action and the meeting was adjourned at approximately 10:50 p.m.

This was one of the longest council meeting in this writer’s memory. Also attending the meeting were council members-elect Candy Johnson and David Allen.

Additional information and details of the redevelopment plans will be presented on this site over the next seven days.

County Mayor Bowers, center, in anad hoc meeting with concerned minority citizens (CO archive photo)

Montgomery County mayor Carolyn Bowers, in letters sent to Piper and DDP chair Scott Giles, said the county will not participate in the controversial Clarksville Center Redevelopment Plan, which had been dubbed “the blight bill.” The proposed plan which was approved by the City Council earlier this year had been strongly opposed by the Clarksville Property Owners Coalition, a grassroots group that has challenged the legality of the program and process of eminent domain and an assemblage clause. The redevelopment plan would offer tax increment financing for certain property developments.

Mayor Johnny Piper addresses concerned residents at redevelopment hearing

Bowers indicated that county officials wanted “more time” to review and analyze the project and study alternatives.

Without county participation, the tax incentive financing would affect only city taxes; the county would also not participate in decisions on which projects will be supported.

In her response, Bowers said simply that the county by concensus “declined.” The county mayor then added that the county was seeking projects with a “countywide” impact and allow greater participation in and benefit from such development.

Mayor Piper wields the scissors, cutting the red ribbon to officially open the rebuilt "Strawberry Alley"

The project has tied up traffic, rerouted buses, and clogged streets for several months during the redesign, which included new, wider sidewalks with brick pavers, new plantings, a vintage style clock, and angled parking. The original lighting plan, which was overkill and required the wearing of sunglasses at night when it was first lit, was tampered down, with a number of the new lighting fixtures removes at the 11th hour and re-installed on a section of North Second Street. It was a wise decision, and did a lot to balance the appearance of the street. The much-discussed $100,000 custom  fountain is scheduled to be installed in November, in time for the holiday season.

Strawberry Alley is the westerly portion of the former Legion Street. Officials took the portion of Legion Street from City Hall to North Second Street, renaming it after the wife of former Clarksville Mayor James Elder, whose strawberry patch at that location was paved over as the city expanded.

In her honor, the street has its new name, which is proclaimed on attractive signs attached to each of the vintage double lantern fixture that now light the road.

WVVR FM radio and the APSU POM’s dance team were on hand, along with the band Bump City on the main stage.

Jim Durrett of the mayor’s office described the rebuilding of the street as “part of a vision” for downtown. Durrett noted that during the excavation a wall and an old building were found. Mayor Johnny Piper thanked City Councilors and the builders of the project for “a job well done” and cited the importance of creating an attractive downtown as part of the tools to market the city to new business, industry and tourism.

A wreath was laid at the site to honor the veterans, who still have a a portion of Legion Street named in their honor.

With Strawberry Alley closed to traffic, creating a pedestrian mall, local businesses set tables and chairs outside, serving customers who enjoyed the event in a refershingly cool breeze.

A costumed renactor recreated the role of Mrs. Elder, circulating through the crown with two baskets of icy cold fresh strawberries. A multi-tiered chocolate fountain spilled dark chocolate over skewered strawberries, and free strawberry sodas were served as well.

If there remains a criticism, it is that even with all the new angle parking created on Strawberry Alley, only one spot, in the middle of the new parking spaces, is designated for handicapped access. There are none on neighboring Franklin Street.

We offer you a view of the Strawberry Alley festivities:

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