In a well-attended reception on the fifth floor of the new Farmers and Merchants Bank Tower, Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper jubilantly invited the guests to witness the unveiling of the city’s new brand. Branding is a marketing term that encompasses a municipality’s slogan and logo as a unified identity characteristic. The invited audience was filled with luminaries of all stripes, to include Jim Durrett, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, State Senator Rosalind Kurita, Mayor Pro Temp Barbara Johnson, APSU President Tim Hall, City Council members Geno Grubbs, Deanna McLaughlin, Jim Doyle and Wayne Harrison, Arthur Bing of the Clarksville Transit Systems, C-MC Schools System Director Michael Harris, CPD Deputy Chief Frankie Gray, as well as Interim Co-City Attorney Tim Harvey.

Mayor Piper opened the reception with welcoming remarks and thanks to the members of the City Council’s Communications Committee which had worked so diligently on this project. Council members Deanna McLaughlin and Geno Grubbs gave the story of the development of this new brand. McLaughlin spoke of how the idea of a new brand came to be and development of the concept and focus which it should address. Grubbs added that committee members had worked through an extensive amount of public comment and input and then reviewed that data with the marketing firm of MMA Creative. Mayor Piper he was confident everyone would be impressive with the new brand/logo.

Council members Geno Grubs and Deanna McLaughlin address reception guests.

Mayor Piper introduced MMA Creative President/CEO Mike McCloud (above), who guided the audience through the unveiling. He spoke of how the Council’s Communication Committee’s focus research had resulted in the criteria that was pursued in creating this new brand for Clarksville. That research showed that our strong points, according residents input, centered on a ideal location and accomplishments of our people. From there, it was determined that the final brand/logo had to be Authentic – distinctive and true to our community and our objectives as a community on the move; Creative- visually eye catching, with a message that covers many important thematic bases; Easy to Adapt- readily workable and easily incorporated alongside all city promotional efforts, including economic and community development, tourism and public events; Memorable- its look and message should be easy to member and leave a lasting impression. McCloud said that he and the Committee believe that this new brand meets all of these criteria.

Now the concentration will shift to prioritizing and assessing how best to roll out the new brand/logo in a cost-effective and efficient manner. Incorporating it onto a re-design of the City Website and determining how to use it and its message at the City’s promotional booth at an upcoming major retail business trade show in May are already being discussed, according to a press kit handout. (Above- MMA Creative’s McCloud addresses reception guests.)

Additionally, City signage and promotional materials will have to be updated with the new brand/logo, to include promotional material for public events. McCloud stated that a realistic timeframe for full implementation can be as long as two years. Gathering cost estimates for replacing current signage and all existing promotional materials will begin soon. Meanwhile, the City will begin encouraging businesses and local community groups to start using the new City brand/logo where and when appropriate in promoting their own respective events or activities.

(Mike Kopp, MMA Creative VP of Public Affairs Strategy displays the City’s new Brand.)

The technical development aspects having been dispensed with, McCloud began the unveiling. From his laptop he opened a projected animation which displayed the city’s name in large blue lettering against a white background. Then in the lower right-hand corner a small compass dial appeared and started to spin. Finally, a red compass needle materializes, rotates and settles True North, representing the “I” in Clarksville, as red lettering materializes below the city’s name, proclaiming, “Tennessee’s Top Spot!”. With that, a large easel billboard was turned around to show the new brand in hard copy. See photo above. “Clarksville – Tennessee’s Top Spot!” was launched. Commemorative key chains emblazoned with the new brand/logo in white lettering on a blue background, were then made available to the guests.

There was no media coverage from Nashville; only local media outlets were present.

Faces at the reception

The rally featured Christina Walsh , Clarksville Property Rights Coalition Spokesman John Summers, Dan Brown of the Tennessee Preservation Trust and others. They addressed plan opponents and members of the press on the issues they perceive in the current version of Clarksville’s Redevelopment Plan. Summers and Brown have been frequent speakers at CPRC meetings.

Click here to view the embedded video.

After the rally, the public forum began in the Burt School Cafeteria. with Mayor Piper making the first statement. The program continued with a presentation by Knoxville’s KCDC President Alvin Nance, followed by Downtown District Partnership board member and recent appointee to the Clarksville Housing Authority Frank Lott. The presentation given was identical to the KCDC video on the “Our view: The updated redevelopment plan still has major flaws” article; watching that video provided all the same information as last night’s forum.

Laws mean exactly what they say on paper; it does not matter what those who created it intended for it to say. What counts is in the actual letter of the law. Members of the City Council do not see any issues with the plan they approved, even though a common sense reading shows that this plan is faulty, open to major abuse, and was clearly intended to make it easier for developers to take private property from its owner and then profit from it. Mayor Piper and the council have denied that, but that is exactly how the currently plan reads.

Counting heads, the Fire Marshall allowed only 180 people inside the hall for the meeting, with another estimated 150 people turned away. [Editor's note: At the Train Station meeting in December, more than 300 people turned out to oppose this plan.] CPRC members provided a list of the names and addresses of people who were denied access to this public forum: page after page was full of names and addresses.

This was a purported “public” forum, where some but not all interested members of the public were allowed inside, due to insufficient space, despite the fact that public interest in this issue and the turnout for prior meetings on this issue warranted larger quarters. Limiting attendance may have been a primary consideration due to the fact that there are three nearby locations with significantly more capacity: Burt school’s own gym, APSU’s Clement Auditorium, and the Dunn Center. The public were denied their right to speak. Many members of the audience wore red tape over their mouths as a visible protest over the acts that silenced them. The city could have but did not allow each person who wished to do so to address the City Council and the Mayor. The public was not allowed to ask questions, questions which should have been clearly answered.

When the forum ended, a number of attendees described it as “a farce,” “a dog and pony show,” “a joke,” and “just plain sad.” It was a public forum without public participation.

During a interview with Mayor Piper, News Channel 2 asked the mayor if the locations was chosen to limit public participation. Piper said “no,” then removed his microphone and terminated the interview. The Channel 2 newscast, in broadcasting this interview, cut away immediately following Piper’s “no.”

One gentleman was placed in handcuffs by the Clarksville Police for protesting the trampling of his rights by the city a little too vigorously (watch the video). He was released without any charges.

With such a large number of people opposing Clarksville’s redevelopment (eminent domain) plan, and the lengths the city is apparently ready to go to in order to enact it, one must ask who is the power behind the throne on this issue, who or what is giving Mayor Piper and the City Council the impetus to defy the clearly expressed will of the public.

The actions regarding the development plans, when combined with statements by city officials at other meetings and events, are clear examples of the contempt and disregard that Clarksville’s elected and appointed officials have for the wishes of their constituency.

Several groups opposing the Clarksville Center Redevelopment and Urban Renewal Plan will hold a rally prior to the City of Clarksville’s public hearing scheduled on the Plan for this Thursday, March 20th, at 6:00pm. Opponents of the redevelopment plan should plan on wearing red clothing.

At 4:30pm on Thursday, the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition (CPRC) will hold a rally to protest the Redevelopment Plan and the recent new Plan Amendment proposed by Mayor Piper. The rally will be held in the parking lot across from Burt School, 110 Bailey Street, the location of the public hearing.

The Redevelopment Plan authorizes the use of eminent domain over more than 1,000 parcels of private property near downtown Clarksville. Under the Plan, government agencies have the power to condemn homes, businesses and churches then transfer the land to a private developer. The city approved the original ordinance and Plan last year, but failed to follow state law in notifying all affected property owners. A proposed amendment to the Plan has been prepared by Mayor Piper. The Amendment does not remove the condemnation provisions, but instead actually strengthens the eminent domain language.

“Eminent domain is for public use—roads, schools, parks,—this plan is primarily for private development,” said Becky McMahan, one of the organizers of the CPRC. “If Mayor Piper is honest about there being no plans to acquire anyone’s property, then why must eminent domain be authorized? We are not against development in Clarksville, but we are against the city taking our homes and businesses to give to someone else to develop.”

In addition to the CPRC, Christina Walsh, the Castle Coalition Coordinator at the Institute for Justice will also address the rally, The Institute for Justice, a public interest law firm, has long defended home and small business owners across the country, and represented Susette Kelo and her neighbors before the U.S. Supreme Court in Kelo v. City of New London. The Castle Coalition, the grassroots advocacy project of the Institute, helps property owners nationwide stop governments and developers from abusing eminent domain.

Dan Brown, Executive Director of the Tennessee Preservation Trust, a state-wide historic preservation organization, will also address the rally. The TPT has expressed concerned over the loss of historic structures as a result of the Plan. Several other commuity groups have been invited to participate in the rally.

For Additional Information Contact:

• John Summers, CPRC – (615) 415-3016
• Christina Walsh, Castle Coalition – (703) 682-9320

Mayor Johnny Piper announced today, that Clarksville Gas & Water’s Downtown service center at City Hall, would be closing on March 14th as part of a reorganization of the cities’ revenue generating departments. Once freed up, that space will be used to expand the existing finance department payment center, and to house the city court clerks. All of the clerks would be cross trained for both jobs, and be able to handle tasks for either department.

This according to Chief Ansley would “free up much needed space” occupied by the City Court Clerks at the police station  for use by the police department. Mayor Piper said that this is intended to help make the concerned departments “Be more effective and efficient.” He added that it would not affect the services provided to citizens at city hall, as they will still be able to pay their gas and water bills at city hall in the U. S. Bank, across from the current location.

The downtown service center was opened on October 22nd 2001, and only approximately 5% of the total gas and water department business was done at the downtown service center.

During the same press conference Mayor Piper also announced the city would also be hiring three temporary employees to help process the backlog of parking tickets and city court fines.

Watch the press conference

Click here to view the embedded video.