Author Archive: Turner McCullough, Jr.
Turner is Publisher of Business & Heritage Clarksville. He is Retired US Army, disabled veteran, interests include -photography, jazz, beachfront ocean exposures, sharing good foods with friends, wine tasting, political advocacy, people watching, theatre, arts, works of Wm Shakespeare/James Patterson/Maya Angelo/Alice Walker/Brian Lumley, Cornel West, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Pres. Lyndon B.Johnson, movies, books, writing, parliamentary procedure.
County Highway Dept. removes Sango Road from road closure list
The Montgomery County Highway Department has updated its closed roads listing. Sango Road has been rejoined the roster of accessible roads in Montgomery County.
Excessive rainfall and flooding had resulted in numerous county roads been closed. Updates have been issued as road conditions improved and flooding receded.
One road remains on the road closure list. That road is Lylewood Road at the Stewart County Line.
Locust Grove Church Road access re-opens
Montgomery County Highway Department has issued a new update to its road closure listing for Thursday. The Montgomery County Highway Department has reopened Locust Grove Church Road.
Excessive rainfall and flooding over the past weekends had resulted in many county roads being closed to drive-thru access due to flooding. As flooding levels recede, roads have been removed from the closure.
Two county roads remain closed.
Those roads are:
- Lylewood Road (at the Stewart County line)
- Sango Road
Notifications will be sent as the remaining roads reopen.
Clarksville Budget for Fiscal Year 2013-2014 garners citizens interest
Wednesday afternoon City of Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan held a press conference to announce the release of the city’s Fiscal Year 2013-2014 budget. Mayor McMillan noted that each member of the City Council has been provided a copy of the budget for review and sharing. She also noted that the complete proposed budget would be available to residents on the city website.
Mayor McMillan stated during the press conference that she anticipated residents would have questions about the budget. She was on target with that declaration as traffic to the city’s website has seen an uptick in volume as citizens searched for the budget document.
For those curious about the budget process, the city has uploaded the budget committee hearings of the city departments submissions to the committee. Those hearings are available via this link.
The complete city budget proposal can be viewed now by following this link.
Specifics concerning the FY 2013-2014 Budget include:
- No new taxes are proposed
- The budget proposal is balanced. No drawdown from the city’s Rainy Day Fund.
- All departments are fully funded.
- Funding projections provide for a new fire station and a new park.
- All eligible city employees will receive a 2% pay increase.
- No funding for increase of CPD officers. No new officer request was submitted by the CPD during committee hearings.
Mayor McMillan releases Fiscal Year 2013-2014 budget proposal
City of Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan at FY 2014 Budget Press Conference
City of Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan held a press conference Wednesday afternoon to announce the release of the proposed Fiscal 2013-2014 budget for city government. Members of the media and city department heads filled the City Conference Room for the 2 p.m. presentation.
Mayor McMillan noted specific highlights of the budget. First, the budget does not call for a tax increase. Second, all departments are fully funded. Third, the budget includes a pay increase for city employees of two percent. This increase complies with the recent pay rate comparison analysis. Fourth, this is a balanced budget. There is no drawdown of the city’s Rainy Day Fund.
Mayor McMillan noted that the complete budget proposal has been provided to each member of the City Council. She also noted that the budget will be available to residents on the city’s website for viewing and/or downloading. Mayor McMillan stated she expects citizens to have questions about the budget and anticipates her office will receive some calls of inquiry.
Other aspects of the budget proposal include a land purchase for developing a park in the Sango area, while the actual purchase of a new radio system for the police department has not been finalized, it does advance towards actualization. As there was no request to increase the number of police officers, the budget contains no funding for additional CPD personnel.
The city is seeking funding sources to provision a new fire station. There is no funding plank in the budget for a new fire station, as such. However, the budget proposes funding preparations to pursue major funding sources for the new fire station.
Mayor McMillan additionally noted that there is no current proposal to utilize city-owned property to establish a city-owned facility to serve as the home for the North Clarksville Precinct. This does not preclude development of a potential site in the future.
This is a developing story and more details are expected to be discussed in the future. Coverage will be published as information becomes available. City departments budget proposal videos are available at this locate.
Find the Fiscal 2013-2014 City of Clarksville Budget module here.
Mayor McMillan asks Harpel to be Chief of Administration
Mayor Kim McMillan has asked Bill Harpel, a Clarksvillian, to accept the position of Chief of Administration for the City of Clarksville. Harpel must await the finalization of the application process. He has accepted the position and it is anticipated he will officially begin working with the city on or before May 13.
“Bill, as the Chief of Administration, will work with me on a daily basis to ensure that we are operating as efficiently and effectively as possible. He will be primarily working with the Department Heads and my staff as we continue to work on projects that move Clarksville forward. Obviously, the most immediate priority is the 2013-2014 budget,” said Mayor McMillan.
Bill Harpel-Ch. of Admin-pending
“I am very excited to join Mayor McMillan’s administration. “I have always loved Clarksville and I’ve been here almost 62 years. I can’t wait to get started working with this team because I know that they have always and will continue to make Clarksville the very best,” declared Harpel.
As with all City employees, Mr. Harpel is required to pass a background check and a physical. Once those tasks are complete, Mr. Harpel will begin his new duties.
Harpel has been an active member of the community for years. He has served on the Chamber of Commerce, the Housing Authority and many other volunteer boards and commissions. He has been active in Montgomery County government as well as City government and is well versed in Clarksville’s opportunities and challenges for growth.
Zumba fitness makes return to Crow Community Center
Clarksville Parks & Recreation announces the resumption of its Zumba fitness program . So if you’ve marking time with boring workouts while waiting for Zumba , your wait is over.
Ditch the workout and join the Zumba fitness party at the Crow Community Center, located at 211 Richview Road. The Crow Center will once again offer Zumba fitness classes on Wednesdays from 6 to 7 p.m. beginning May 29.
Zumba fitness classes combine Latin dance with hip hop dance and other exotic music flavors. Routines feature aerobic interval training with a combination of fast and slow rhythms that tone and sculpt the body. No experience is necessary, just wear athletic shoes and come prepared to burn calories. Classes will be $3 per class or $20 for 6 weeks with a Community 
Center ID.
For more details on this or other community center activities, please contact Parks and Recreation at 931-645-7476.
Public regains access to Liberty Park
The Clarksville Parks and Recreation Department has restored public access to Liberty Park. Clarksville Parks & Recreation reopened most areas of Liberty Park today. Recent weekend flooding had closed the public’s access to the park.
The walking trails, King’s Run Bark Park, Where Imagination Flows playground and all restrooms except the small pavilion next to the bark park are open as of 11:00 a.m. this morning.
The pond and boardwalk remain closed due to flooding that hasn’t receded in that area.
Clarksville Parks & Recreation appreciate everyone’s patience during the cleanup and look forward to welcoming visitors back to enjoy the park.
TDOT’s “SmartWay” mobile app hits 100K downloads
Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) marks the popularity of its free mobile app for its SmartWay service. More than 100,000 users have downloaded the TDOT SmartWay Mobile App since its launch in December 2012. The App is designed to help drivers navigate Tennessee highways, providing up-to-the-minute customized traffic information. The TDOT SmartWay App is free and available for download in the Apple App Store and Play Store for Android.
“Providing real time traffic information can help motorists avoid delays and in turn, reduce congestion on our roadways. “The Smartway App is easy to navigate, and can be customized to provide only the information the user wants. We’re pleased so many travelers are taking advantage of this free resource,” said TDOT Commissioner John Schroer.
The home screen for the TDOT SmartWay App is a map which locates your current position. The icons on the left hand side of the map allow users to customize views to show traffic speeds, incidents, cameras, road construction, road conditions, and dynamic message sign displays. The “Near Me” screen allows users to see all roadway events sorted by what is closed to their current location. The “Notifications” screen allows motorists to select counties, roads, or setup routes they typically take. A time range can also be defined to receive notifications of incidents on selected routes.
The TDOT SmartWay App was developed by NIC, the state’s chosen eGovernment portal vendor. NIC will provide user support for the application. The Help Desk can be reached 24 hours a day by calling 615-313-0300 or 1-866-8TN-EGOV.
For more information on how to use the TDOT SmartWay App, please visithttp://www.tdot.state.tn.us/tdotsmartway/mobile.htm.
TDOT asks motorists to use the TDOT SmartWay App responsibly. Drivers should “know before you go!” by checking traffic conditions before leaving for their destination. Motorists should never text, tweet, or use a mobile device while operating a vehicle.
St. Bethlehem’s Civitan Park readies for Horseshoe Pits Grand Opening
Montgomery County extends an open invitation to the general public for the grand opening of the newly installed Horseshoe Pits at the St. Bethlehem Civitan Park on May 11. The ceremony will be 9 a.m., Saturday morning.
Civitan Park is a facility of Montgomery County Parks & Recreation. The event is open to the public and free.
The horseshoe pits are located on the backside of the baseball fields at Civitan Park, which is located at 650 Bellamy Lane. The ceremony will also include the re-dedication of the Marvin Smith Pavilion.
This new activity site is part of the ongoing program to enhance public facilities and our community’s diverse outdoors recreation options.
Clarksville Transit proposes ending trip transfers
The proposal is now in the public comment phase, where the general public and specifically members of CTS’s ridership may submit their comments on the proposal. Affected public members may also request public hearings on the matter.
CTS riders live in all areas of the city and work across the diverse sectors within the city boundaries. The transportation system blankets medical service providers, shopping and entertainment venues and public activity centers as well. Employers as well as their employees have a vested interest in the continuation of this vital community asset. Families will also be impacted by this proposed elimination.
Buses waiting at the CTS Transit Center
The way it works is, when a rider boards a bus, they pay the regular fare which gets them to the CTS Transfer Point. By buying a transfer, which costs less than half the full fare price, that rider can then board a second bus to complete his/her journey to their final desired destination.
Under this system, a South Madison Street or Tiny Town Road area resident wishing to get to the Social Security Administration Center needs to purchase two fares to do so. One full fare ($1.50) and a transfer fare ($0.25). Such a round trip presently costs $3.50. Under the transfer elimination proposal, that cost rises to $6.00 If the rider wishes to go to other destinations, a day of riding CTS can become quite costly. There are discounts for students and the elderly, and a Day Pass is also offered.
Public transportation systems are crucial in metropolitan areas where many residents do not have their own personal transportation. Additionally, public transportation systems typically are not ‘for profit’ operations. The USDOT and the Federal Hwy Administration offer grants to subsidize public transportation systems in the U.S.
Anyone with questions or comments on the CTS or wishing to request a public hearing may call (931) 553-2430. Additionally, inquiries may be sent to Clarksville Transit System; Attn: Arthur Bing, Deputy Director; 430 Bollin Lane, Clarksville, 37040. Email contact: abing@cityofclarksville.com.
Clarksville Transit proposes ending trip transfers
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