The June 17, 2025 special session of the Clarksville City Council is now called to order. Pastor
Cal Hampton, with second-mile church, will be our chaplain of the day. Councilman Streetman
will lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Ladies and gentlemen, I invite you to stand
if you wish and Pastor Cal.
Let us pray. Father, this is the day that you have made, and we rejoice
and we're glad in it. Every day we get is a gift from you, Father. Help us to make the most
of whatever this day holds for us for your honor and praise and glory. I want to just
Father, before we ask you for anything, we want to thank you for everything. You've
been so, so good to us. As my brother Pastor Jimmeter, I used to say, Clarksville is a great
place to live. I want to thank you for our city and our county. Lord, the whole world, it
It seems as come into clerks for these days.
And with growth is a good thing, and I believe you're going to make this a great city of hope
for all of its citizens.
I want to also thank you, Lord, for the City Council and all of our government officials
and workers and servants.
They do such a fantastic job for us.
We're just so grateful for them and Mayor Pitts and his bride Cynthia and thank you, Lord,
for all the leadership that you provided, but Father with growth comes problems. And you're
the giver of every good and perfect gift which comes down from above and we have not because
we asked not to script your says so I pray God that you would give everyone of us wisdom, wisdom
from heaven. We need your wisdom God to do what's best for our entire city and county and I just
pray that every problem would be a small problem in God that you would give us the solutions for the
things that we need to make this a better place to live. Thank you so much God for all the work
and the effort that's gone in by every one of these dear people here. And I pray that you
would anoint them and bless them in the great big name of our Savior. It's in Jesus of Nazareth,
name we pray, amen.
States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation
under God, individual with liberty and justice for all.
Members, please register your attendance.
Madam Clerk, take the roll, please.
All members are present with the exception of Councilman Chandler.
Could we get the screens fixed?
I might need that later. All right.
Okay, next item on our agenda is the consent agenda. Madam Clerk, will you read the lengthy consent agenda?
Ordnance 82, 2024, 25, second reading and ordinance rescheduling the July 2025 regular session meeting of the City Council.
Thank you Madam Clerk, I'll entertain a motion.
Motion been made and properly seconded in favor of the consent agenda.
Anybody wish to be recognized on the consent agenda?
Seeing none, hearing none, are you ready to vote? All members, please cast your vote.
Every member voted, any member wish to change their vote? Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
12 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain.
The consent agenda is adopted.
All right, members, we're now getting into the budget ordinances first reading.
We'll take them one at a time, obviously, and the first one is item A, ordinance 91, 2024, 25,
an ordinance amending the operating capital budgets for fiscal year 2024, 25, adopting
the operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2025, 26, for CDE light ban, I'll entertain
a motion.
Motion been made and properly seconded in favor of Ordnance 91. Anyone wish to be recognized
on Ordnance 91? Hearing none, seeing none, are you ready to vote all members? Please
cast your vote. Every member voted. Any member wish to change their vote? Madam Clerk,
please take the vote. 12 yes, zero no, zero abstain. Ordnance 91 passes for
First reading, next item is item B, ordinance 92, 2024-25, an ordinance amending the 2024-25
budget and approving the 2025-26 annual action plan and budget and authorizing applications
for community development, block grant and home investment, partnership funds, as well as
other programs.
I'll entertain a motion.
Motion be made and properly seconded in favor of ordinance 92.
Any comment or question from Council regarding ordinance 92?
Hearing none, seeing none, are you ready to vote?
All members, please cast your vote.
Every member voted.
Any member wish to change their vote?
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
12 yes.
0 no.
0 abstain.
Ordnance 92 passes for a trading.
Now ready for item C. Ordnance 93, 2024, 25.
And ordnance amending the operating in capital budgets for fiscal year 2024, 25.
And adopting the operating in capital budgets for fiscal year 2526.
for the Clarksville Gas and Water Department on Entertainer Motion. Motion been made
and properly seconded in favor of Ordinance 93. Any member wish to be
recognized on Ordinance 93? Councilman McLaughlin, you're recognized on Ordinance 93.
Thank you, Mayor. If there's no objection, Mr. Riggins would like to come forward and
explain the stormwater utility process. Okay, without objection, Mr. Riggins.
You're
recognized, sir. Good evening, Mayor Counsel. Due to the apparent issue,
was stormwater throughout the city, most different areas.
Through many conversations with our department,
street department, the mayor's office, and beyond,
we felt the need to at least study the possible need
to create a stormwater utility.
It was discussed about where that would be best residing,
was all sitting done in comparison with other utilities
and other cities of our size throughout Tennessee
and beyond who have stormwater utilities, they usually reside with the utility like myself
that has either water and or sewer.
And so with that, as you can see in our budget, we've proposed two things.
We've had a million dollars in the budget for a stormwater study.
The reason we put that amount in there, as you also know, we are currently in the process
of having a study performed for a reuse study to do with sewer up toward the industrial
in that area. And that study is a year long and a half a million dollars. And that's
not creating a whole new utility. So this one, we just budgeted double the amount. We think
it will take at least a year to perform that study. We have been looking in the meantime
currently summers, our grants analysts looking into what kind of grant funds are out there
and available. We do know already that art funds are not available. We've heard that back
from the state. They're not taking any new applicants only to look to provide additional
funds for existing applications. We are researching other grant options. If there's no viable
option, we do have a list of a couple, one main one but a couple of consulting engineers
that we could partner with in professional services agreement. Like one, for instance, does
Metro's. WSP does Metro's. They've been with them for over 30 years. They actually created
their storm water division, the rate structure and everything. So we've got plenty to choose from
there. Also in the budget we have a position for a storm water operation division manager,
the reason for that is I'm hoping to be able to get an expert in that field on staff and they can
help us drive that study. We know what we know, we don't know what we don't know, but get an expert
in house, a resident expert, and let them drive that study, see what we actually need,
make sure we're hitting all the parameters of this study.
So the fundamental topics of the study, as you can imagine, would be to survey inventory
and assess the existing infrastructure, whether that be ditched, miles of ditched, miles
of pipe, injection wells, things of the tension basins, things of that nature, what the condition
they are, whether they're public versus private, whether the private ones spill over into, whether
Whether they, some of the private, whether they should be public or not, that will be looked
into need for replacement, expansion, or simply for new capital improvement projects where
there's existing issues.
Will also be, the study will be reviewing existing records, permits, FEMA flood maps, easements,
things of that nature, another piece that we'll be looking into.
I don't know if this will be included in the study or if it would be something that comes later,
but also modeling the capacity of the infrastructure and the functionality.
We have that in gas water and sewer now, again, I'm not sure if that's something that will come with the study or after, but we'll be asking the consultant and this expert for that.
After reviewing all of those and the existing issues we have will come up, this study will also help us identify short term midterm and long term capital improvement projects for what needs to do to take care of the city.
And then with all that, of course, we'll form, part of this will be form a master plan
for maintenance of existing, the capital projects altogether, replacement of existing
or new projects.
It'll also help us address and define the responsibilities and duties that will shift
under our preview from the street department.
And I want to stop there and make sure I say this.
What we're planning on doing, there's no negative tone or connotation to the street department.
This is something we see as moving forward, it's a situation to where without a dedicated
funding source, I don't, in my opinion, from what I've seen in other places and what
we've looked at, I don't know that they'll ever have the means to do what needs to be done
without a dedicated funding source, which this will come up with.
And we've made sure to pass an information along to the employees there as well.
This is nothing negative toward the street department or anything they've done in the past.
So with that, and changing those responsibilities, we'll look at us taking on the grading and
drainage plan review, coordination with the planning commission, inspection on public and
possibly private as well. As we know, there's plenty of private injection wells throughout
the city. And it may be possible that the city would need to take on the inspection of those.
At least so we can give those owners a report. Here's what, you know, if there's something wrong,
you're either clear and good to go, or here's what's wrong, here's some options on what to do to fix this,
remedy this situation, and possibly even here's a list of contractors if they ask and need to know
who do this type of work. We wouldn't tell them who they have to use, but that's a possibility.
Taken over the storm water related GIS management, storm water management, manual, water quality
erosion control manuals, things like that, including the updates for current and upcoming standards,
periods, creation or updating current policy specification, transference of the MS-4 permit
and any other TDEC coordination.
And then also we'll look at part of this would be what staff is it going to take to take
care of all this that the study has come up with, and then what equipment is going to take
to require to run that.
And the staff recruitment will be one of the main parts that we'll have the most influence
we're within the study and that's how we handle that recruitment after the
fact. In discussions with Mayor and David Smith and myself and this is also what
we've made sure to talk to the entire Street Department workforce about is
how we're going to handle that moving forward and by that what I mean is and we
met with them on June the 3rd just to make sure they knew where we were headed by
that I mean if this study says you need 30 employees to take care of what the
cities needs is we would we would create job descriptions in post overtime 30
positions we're not talk but what we're want to make sure is is everybody
understands we're not talking about anybody losing their job we're not talking
about forcing anybody to move from the street department over to gas and water
it would be posting jobs that they can apply for and if they're the most
qualified they'll be hired and what we believe that will do is right now the
street department I know I don't know how many numbers how many they have
right now would say it's around a hundred. I know when I was over there for that short
time is interim I was shocked to find out they had 96 employees. They don't have enough.
And as long as they're a part of the pie of all the tax base, I don't think they'll ever
have enough to keep up. So what this will do, but letting them keep their number of employees
and let us take the storm water part away and hire our own, now they'll be fully staffed.
They can take those positions to reform those. They'll be fully staffed for the first time
them in decades. First time since I've been around, I can tell you that much. And that's
how that will be taken care of right there. And then another part of that, just to ensure
the city employees have the first shot, our plan would be to post those city, we have
options when we post a job, whether we do it externally, city only or department only.
We would post those city only first, so those at the street department or any other city
department who possibly want to apply for that job, they would have the first shot at it
before somebody out in the public.
And then after that, if we're not full at that point, then we would go out to the public
to feel those positions.
Then after all that tied together, we would look at finding a piece of property, hopefully
on the north side of town, that way we could do a building, a capital improvement project
for a building, for offices, a shop, a warehouse, lay down yard, this is something
gas and water has been talking about for the future, anyway, doing something on the
north side of town, whether that's in the Dover Road area, anywhere between there
and say the industrial park, we make, could have some talks with the IDV or the
DC about some different properties for that. Like I said, it's something that we
would need to expand our workforce at some time in the future, if this is something
we take on within the next couple of years, perfect opportunity to solve all those
issues at one time and then we could send some of our forces over there and do a good mix
of those but I want to be clear we cannot house another division on the existing property
that we have right now and then finally once you take all that into the account the last piece
of the study would be taking all that into account to form a race structure and what we've seen
so far for examples with like Metro and Chattanooga and other places.
As they have a rate structure where every parcel in the city, they pay a rate for stormwater beauty,
for stormwater service. And with that would look like usually there's a minute, a tiered structure
with a minimum and then a maximum. And most of the time it's based on impervious square footage,
you know, how much of their area is under rooftop, how much of it is paved, and things like that.
and until the study that's what our plans for the study are until we hire that
expert and get this study going that's about all I have for the I'm happy to
answer any questions anyone may have about it. Okay thank you mr. Riggins any
questions for mr. Riggins saying none thank you sir okay thank you all right all
right any other questions regarding ordinance 93 saying none hearing none are you
ready to vote all members please cast your vote every member voted any member
We're always to change their vote. Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
12 yes, zero no, zeroed thing.
Ordnance 93 passes for a reading.
We're now ready for item D. Ordnance 94, 2024, 25.
In ordnance, amending the fiscal year 2024, 25 budget,
adopting the operating budget for fiscal year 2025, 26.
For the internal service funds, I'll entertain a motion.
Motion been made and properly seconded in favor of ordnance 94.
Any comment or question regarding ordnance 94?
Seeing on hearing none are you ready to vote all members please cast your vote.
Every member voted, any member wish to change their vote? Madam Clerk please take the vote.
12 yes, zero no, zero abstain.
Or does 94 passes first reading?
Now ready for item E, ordinance 95, 2024, 25.
In ordinance amending fiscal year 2024, 25 budget.
In establishing the operating budget for fiscal year 2025, 26 for the Clarksville Parking Commission.
a proprietary fund. I'll entertain a motion. Motion been made and properly
seconded in favor of ordinance 95. Councilman McLaughlin, you're recognized.
I have an amendment for this budget. It's in your stack of many amendments by
various people. It is on the far left hand side. It says, we find it our
I'd like to propose an amendment to eliminate the new position of parking enforcement officer in the amount of $56,620.
Most have been made and properly seconded this $53,000 according to my.
Yeah, sorry. It's what mine says.
Okay. I got you. All right. Do you recognize for an explanation?
I think by our conditioners drying out my contact with you sorry
So the reasoning behind this is that I'm during the rewrite discussions of the two parking ordinances the ones that law enforcement will enforce and the ones at the parking
Authority or commission will enforce
There was discussion about
What is illegal would be enforced by the police department?
So the reason for adding this position
in our budget document was to enforce a legal parking.
And a legal parking, true legal parking,
is enforced by laws which would be conducted
by the police department.
So that's my supporting reason
for eliminating this new position.
Okay, you've heard the explanation,
any comment or question regarding this?
Councilman Smith, you're recognized?
Yeah, thank you, Mayor.
I thought that the parking employees or workers
still enforce illegal parking by giving tickets because I know when I was on the
parking commission we voted when there was illegal parking and we made the
decision at that time whether they should pay the fine or or not the committee
did so I don't see why we need to do this a decrease of this information I hear
what you said but I just don't agree with that. Thank you Mayor. Thank you.
Councilman McLaughlin, you're recognized.
For clarification, the legal parking
is blocking the fire hydrant, blocking traffic,
blocking the intersection.
It's not the enforcement of the fines
or fees on parking, meters or meter parking.
Okay, Councilman Shikina, you're recognized.
Yes, Mayor, thank you.
Is there any way we can call up the parking commission,
Michael to explain his need for this position
or his lack of need for this position?
Okay. Any objection to Mr. Palmore? Yeah, there you are. Just looking.
Okay. Councilman
Chicanam, you're recognizing. Thank you, Mayor. Sir, reference this proposed reduction
in the budget for the Parking Commission. What is do you feel that we need this position
or we no longer need this position? I know there's been a lot of conversation going back
I can for as to whether the Park Commission is going to, you know, somehow work with the
CPD to turn this stuff over to them.
Can you elaborate on that a little bit?
I can.
And, um, Carlson, Councillor McLaughlin is correct when we talked about, um, as we move forward,
we're looking at having CPD kind of take over some of this illegal parking, especially
for NYSA, have a presence in the downtown.
Now, um, I do agree that if we decide to move in this direction, which the code is not
completely complete yet. We still have some conversations we had. If that is
direction then I do agree then this position is probably not needed for now.
Another kind of piece of this is that this night enforcement person would
also be overseeing any event parking. So when we get into the side of events when
which is part of the rewrite, this person could also then oversee the lots of
things that people are required to pay. So but of right now I do agree that during
to rewrite it. It's not needed. Thank you, sir. Thank you, Mayor. That's all that.
Okay. Councilman Smith for Mr. Palmore or for the sponsor. Yes, sir. What are you saying?
We need this position or we don't. As of now, no, if the code is approved the way, yeah.
We don't need it right now. Okay. And how would it affect you decreasing your funds?
It won't affect because we're currently not doing that enforcement. So it was an additional
enforcement to the department. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Any other
commoner question for Mr. Palmore. Thank you, sir. Yes, sir. Palmer is a
Palmer. Palmer. Yeah. All right. Any more commoner question regarding this
amendment? Seeing none, hearing none, are you ready to vote? All members please
cast your vote.
Every member voted. Any member wished to change their vote?
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
11 yes, 1 no, 0 abstain.
Amendment 1 is adopted.
Any other amendments from any member?
Seeing none, hearing none?
Are you ready to vote on the ordinance as amended?
All members, please cast your vote.
Any member voted, any member wish to change their vote?
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
11 yes, 1 no, 0 abstain.
Ordinance 95 passes for a treaty.
We're now ready for item F. Ordinance 96, 2024-25,
an ordinance amending the operating in capital budgets
for fiscal year 2024-25,
and adopting the operating in capital budgets
for fiscal year 2025-26 for the Clarksville Transit System.
I'll entertain a motion.
Motion been made and properly seconded in favor
of Ordinance 96.
Any comment or question regarding Ordinance 96
Councilman McLaughlin, you're recognized.
Okay, back in my stack, and this will affect a couple of budgets.
We have, in a budget, it talks about that we will pay $1,080 for each employee to have
access to the employee health clinic.
Yet, we have employees that have opted out of employee-provided health insurance.
a survey was done by the HR department.
Sometime probably during the renewal period,
that's the asking employees if they would like to have access to the employee health clinic or not.
And so, the difference between who said that it would like to have access to the employee health clinic
and who doesn't have the city-provided health insurance is a handful of people.
And I have that, I don't know, did you find the amendment?
Okay, so for Clarksville Transit, I'm sorry, yeah, Clarksville Transit is one employee, so
the reduction of the $1,080, they have 16 who are enrolled in health insurance and one
is opted out of the clinic.
So just trying to understand, and I know that this was a discussion when this clinic was
first created, why we're paying funds into a service when employees are not enrolled
in the health insurance and they have other health insurance.
Well, the simple answer is yeah, we use that as a recruitment or retention tool.
We want to make sure employees have access to health care regardless of whether they're on their health insurance.
So that would be one reason.
I'm sure that we could come up with other reasons as well, but I understand you're rationale.
Councilman Shaqine, have I on the amendment?
Yes, Mayor. Could we have the Director for the HR department come up to have a question regarding this?
Okay, any objection?
Seeing none.
Ms. Lutz.
Councilman Chikina.
Thank you, Mayor.
Ms. Lutz.
Regarding the employees being able to opt out and we're still paying, is there any period
of time that employees or employees can opt back in?
So if we approve this to reduce the funding and they decide to opt back in, then the funding
is no longer there.
Do they have this chance to opt back in and wants to opt out?
No. With it being city funded, we would have to pass it during the budget.
Even if they were to opt into the clinic during open enrollment, it wouldn't be funded without the budget.
Okay, so that means they can opt in during the year, but then there will be no funds.
Correct, right. So they wouldn't be able to utilize that.
Thank you. Thank you, Mayor.
All right. Any more questions? Councilman Stryman from his lunch? You recognize.
Thank you mayor at mine's kind of in line with that. There's a no and I'm just asking because I guess it could be different since ours is self-funded
But I know that and out in the private sector that if you have a change of life then there's opportunities to then if
Enroll in the services for your insurance that would be the same with
Hours am I correct on that?
That's correct any life event such as having a baby losing a spouse
losing a job that had insurance, your spouse was a job, would open up your
enrollment to be able to opt into the city benefit. So some of these then could
also have that opportunity outside of open enrollment as well. That is correct.
Okay, thank you, ma'am. All right, any more comment or question for
Ms. Lawrence. Thank you. All right, any other comment or question regarding this
amendment? Seeing none, hearing none, are you ready to vote? All members were voting
on this amendment number one to the CTS budget.
Any member who wish to change their vote, I'll get it right now.
All members please cast your vote.
Any member who wish to change their vote.
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
Give me out of here.
Eight notes.
Zero abstain.
Amendment one fails.
Any other amendments for Ordinance 96?
Seeing none, hearing none, are you ready to vote?
votes on Ordinance 96 as presented. All members please cast your vote.
Every member voted, any member wish to change their vote? Madam Clerk please,
take the vote. 12, yes, there are no, zero abstain.
Ordinance 96 passes first reading, or now ready for item G, Ordinance 97,
2024-25, and Ordinance amending the operating and capital budgets for fiscal year
year 2024-25 and adopting the operating and capital budgets for fiscal year 2025-26 for
the governmental funds for fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2025 and ending June 30th, 2026.
I'll entertain a motion.
Motion been made and properly seconded.
We do have a number of amendments and we're just going to plow through them.
Wanted a time.
We'll go to go from my right to left.
Councilman McLaughlin, you're our lead off hitter.
Thank you, Mayor.
My first amendment, it will say McLaughlin Capital Project Funds, I'd like to make a motion that we unfund and close the Frosty Morn Project number 20101 Capital Project and transfer the property to Community Neighborhood Services Land Bank for privately built and managed true affordable low income housing for senior citizens.
motion been made. Do I hear a second? All right for an explanation to the sponsor.
We definitely have a housing crisis in our community especially affordable housing
for our aging seniors of which some of us are part of that getting to be part of that
group. But in looking at the deficit that we have in the budget, I was trying to come up
with creative ways to get more revenue without tax increase. And if we can take city
property and put it on the tax rolls and also have a good feeling about trying to provide
housing for people that desperately need it, this is probably the best way to do it.
On the properties located on a bus line, there's access to amenities in the area and I just
feel like this would be a really good opportunity for the Land Bank project that Neighborhood
Community Services is working on with Silas at the Planning Commission.
Okay. Thank you. Councilman Marquis, you're recognized on the amendment. Yes. So, I too have a frosting
more than amendment. And I do like the idea here on its use. I am also defunding it just as a sponsor.
So, I would like to amend her amendment. At least make a wish and amend her amendment. Okay. Well, speak your amendment.
My amendment. Okay, so my amendment is to one different frosting board. It's a bit complicated if you guys find my amendment
And we'll need you to put it in writing at some point before we can vote it is there. Yeah, it's the real okay
We're going to let us look it up.
You're somewhere.
You're recognized. Yes. So it deals with Frosting Warren, the fire engine station three outlaw field public safety complex. And all this combined will essentially reduce the property tax by a penny and a half. So Frosting Warren has like $7.1 million allocated to it currently. And essentially, I would be decreasing $4 million to provide for the new fire engine.
capital project as well as get station three up and running and then they
remain their frosting war and will be transferred to the outlaw field public safety
complex to get that up and running. These are projects that have been pushed on
next fiscal year but I believe that it's infrastructure project that the
community will benefit right now as far as the reduction of the tax rate
Essentially, the current engine is in the fire department's budget, so by transferring
it over to Capital Project and using Frosting Worn Funds to pay for it, we can then decrease
that department by the cost of the engine and decrease the tax by a penny and a half,
while they're still able to purchase the engine and get Station 3 up and then with PD get
the public safety complex up and running. And then I do like the use that the
sponsor had for her amendment to transfer Frosting Warn to make affordable housing
so that's why I would prefer to combine them. Okay, you've hardly
explanation. I will just kind of respond this way as far as district four
precinct for the Clarksville Police Department building that it is a two-step
that dance, the building, and then it requires 24 to 27 new positions for Clarksville Police
Department. So if you're committing to, if you're committing to building the building,
then we're committing in fiscal 27 to hiring additional police officers, which is about
a $3 million price tag roughly. So it is not, it is more than just building the building.
I understand and that is the time when we're looking at.
So that's why that project was put on hold because it was a pretty heavy lift.
Yes.
Secondly, unlike our friends in Washington, we don't have an unlimited debt, ability to
issue debt, we do have limited capacity to issue debt.
So moving a piece, a fire truck to debt, we are trying to, I'm trying to save that capacity
for the storm water issues that we need to fix right away.
Not the plan and the study that gas and water will be doing,
but we've got some numbers coming in a little bit later this summer,
which we're going to have to have a capital project to fix woodstock
and some of the other projects like Alberta Freestone, et cetera.
And so we're going to need that capacity to address that.
So I don't want to take up debt capacity for fire trucks or other buildings that we may
not need right away or may not be able to use until we know the final number for our
stormwater issues that are acute right now.
That's part of it.
And then the second thing is Frosty Moore.
And I know, you know, people may not understand why we're spending money on this project, but
we are trying to get a property in a legacy neighborhood that can be used for people who need it.
They don't have the means to drive or pay for venues across town or in other places.
We have determined through the planning process that a neighborhood and community services department would move there
and be the anchor tenant for that building because that's closest to the people that they would serve.
Partly, we have public spaces as well, as well as we're in conversations with a health
clinic, a nonprofit health clinic, to open there, to provide services for the neighborhood.
And the public hearing that we had for this project, that we held at the BirdCob Recreation
Center, that was the best attended public hearing that I've ever seen.
There was so much passion and so much interest in this project.
So I would ask that we not move money, we won't add any money to this project, we're holding back until we get the final numbers on the storm water issues that we're going to need some debt capacity to take care of.
So I would just ask you to consider not approving this and moving money and especially committing to building a building that we don't can't commit to staffing next year just yet.
Councilman Lovato.
Thank you Mayor. I have some clarifying questions because this is a little
complicated because we're talking about real property on one hand but then
we're talking about debt in the same conversation and so I just want to
clarify exactly what we're voting down or what we're voting for. So from what I
My understanding is the original amendment to the budget is just moving the property to another ownership.
And then the amendment to the budget is moving the debt that is associated with the property.
Am I understanding that correctly?
I will call on the sponsor of the original amendment, Councilman McLaughlin, to explain to answer your question.
And then I'll call on the sponsor of the amendment to the amendment to explain.
Councilman McLaughlin, you're recognized.
How many amendments to the amendments?
We can only have one amendment to the amendment.
I hear Lance Biker in my head.
That's haunting.
Tell me.
Okay, so my original amendment was to close the Frostymore project.
No more debt would be issued to it.
That money that's for out years,
allocated for that would go away.
It would be closed.
And then we would look at transferring the ownership of the property to the land bank for future private entities that want to buy that property to build affordable housing for our senior citizens.
So neighborhood and community service in the city would not own this property a third party entity.
But you don't know who the third party entity would be?
No, that's part of the land banking process that the Director and a member of the planning
commission have been going through.
It's been brought up at the Resource and Clarksville Initiative, but we all know there's
a desperate need for affordable housing.
This would provide land so that a deal could be made for somebody that is in the building
business that specializes in HUD and federal grants could build something like this.
We don't have a dedicated senior housing like this, but there are people in our community
than the past have partnered in bought properties or horsewood properties to build affordable
housing.
Does this, because there have been a lot of conversations with neighborhood and community services and
the organizations in our community working on homeless shelters and affordable housing, etc, etc.
Does this fall in line with their mission in their current projection?
If you want to call on the director, you can, but they're desperately looking for property
that they can partner to get redeveloped so people have affordable places to live.
Mayor, I would like to hear from Ms. Austin.
Yeah, okay, we be happy to call without objection Michelle Austin director of
Negra and Community Services. I can tell you the first step is establishing, if you don't mind,
come on up. Establishing the land bank, land trust, whatever version that is, but
Councilman Lovato you recognize for a question.
Thank you. So I'm not opposed to this amendment, but I do have concerns about what
What would happen to the building in the meantime while we're creating this?
And does this even fall in line with your mission as far as what you're doing with the homeless
coalition and all of that?
Well, of course, any affordable housing falls in line with our mission.
We need as much housing as we can get.
We're looking at a 15,000 unit gap here in Clarksville over the next five years.
That being said, you know, I'm just learning about this as well.
We don't, we aren't necessarily able to stand up a land bank at this moment.
We're still in those preliminary stages.
We're also looking at a community land trust that might better fit for something like this.
But again, it's not something that we can really decide on at this moment.
We would really need to look at all the factors to see what would be the best scenario
for funding a project like this.
Councilor Lovato, you have floor.
That's all. Thank you.
Okay.
I don't have any more questions for myself.
Thank you.
Thank you, sir.
I am not opposed to this, but my issue with the Frosty Morn is I feel like we have gone
for years where it's just been one good idea after another.
And I don't want to make a decision today that it's just another good idea without the planning.
So I hope I see something like this come forward within the year with better planning.
but I will be voting. No one else. That's all.
Councilman Stretman, you're recognized.
Thank you, Mayor. I can also say that I have had meetings with Ms. Austin regarding some land we already have
to try and create some affordable housing for senior citizens as well as some other groups without
discussing it in detail. But I know that there's already some land we have that we can look at being
able to utilize and do these projects with. And I'm also in agreement with the previous speaker
in that I would hate to see us give this up and I think I'm speaking in the same agreement.
I would hate to see us give up where we are right now especially with everything we've already
spent. I'm very much excited by the aspect of the medical potential medical clinic. We've seen a lot
of activity here recently about more medical facilities coming our way and that could maybe
possibly hopefully tie into what the mayor is referencing, but I think I'd like to see
us look at this just a little bit longer before we take the opportunity away for what we could
potentially have there for an underserved neighborhood. Let me give you the posture we're in.
Councilman
Councilman Marquis has motion to substitute her amendment for McLaughlin's amendment.
So we're discussing the Marquis amendment to McLaughlin's amendment on Ordinance 97.
Councilman Chikina, you're recognized if you understood it.
Yes, I understood it, Mayor.
Thank you.
And to the council member with the amendment, to the amendment.
But if we're talking about defunding Frost and Morn, what is your intent for the building, do we sell the building, what happens to this building because we've invested in this building?
So how do we recoup some type of funding from this, do you have any discussion on that?
Yes. So from last year's speaks are talks that I had with the EDC. It is something that we could do.
We can ask them to help us to market that building and find healthcare professional or somebody to come in there.
Maybe a grocery store or something of the sort, but it's something that if we wanted, they could help us do.
and just to speak on the current ideas of healthcare situation and the city cannot use taxpayer money to build frosty
mourn and then rent it out to a non-profit. We're going to be in the same situation as the performing arts center.
We're going to have to create something similar to the act authority in order to pay for it.
So where are we going to get that funding from it?
That's the route that we're going to go with.
Because if you look at also the actual project here
in the long-term financial impact,
it's going to cost us about almost $5 million a year
out of our general fund, just to pay for the estimated debt
repayment annually.
So it's $4 million annually for debt repayment
and about $815,760 for maintenance and facility operation.
So it's about 5 million when you look at the current penny costs,
that's 7.5 pennies, that we're going to have to spend out
of our general fund to fund Frosting Warren, potentially next year
at the rate that this is written for the fiscal years,
which is very expensive for one building.
And then again, it is that figuring out the ultimate funding again, we are if we're going
to do non-profit and rent it out for restaurant or event centers or something of the sort, it's
going to have to come from a third party, some other authority that we're going to have
to create.
So I think we should sell it, get back our money because then it also puts it back in the
tax rolls as well.
We'll get the initial sale price and then they'll be paying taxes.
is eventually will make back our money.
It were not in it that much compared to the 56 million
that we will at the end of this.
Councilman Chicanan, do you have the floor?
Thank you, Mayor.
And thank you, sponsor to the amendment to the amendment.
Mayor, question for you.
Do you know how much about how much money have we put
into this project so far?
How many million, so far?
About four million, so far.
and that's demo.
The coalition, new roof, some drainage, keeping the site secure while we protect what investment we had, so around four million or so. And then we're looking at about how much more. Well, that's, that's the, that's the next part of this exercise. We're going through not only what we would have to spend in order to do phase one of the build out, but how would we pay for it much like we did the performing arts center. You know, we, we spent a lot of time and effort.
on the performing arts center leading up to the creation
of the act authority and then having a revenue stream to pay
for the performing arts center.
So that's part of the exercise we're going now.
Going through now.
Thank you, Mayor.
All right, thank you.
Councilman Haywood, you're recognized.
Thank you, Mayor.
It's to the sponsor for the amendment to the amendment.
There's four million.
Is it four or is it seven?
I don't, I don't know, I was counting up the money that you were transferring from
Frosty Morning. It looks like there's just over 7 million.
There's 7 million total in the project at this time.
Okay, so I went down there to the Frosty Morning Project because I also have a amendment to
pull Frosty Morning, unfund and cancel it, but I'm, I'm just going to leave that one as is.
So I don't hate this. I, I'm not as invested as everyone else here, but I think this is
the amendment to the amendment, adding to the amendment is a great idea. I went down
there last week and talked to the supervisor of security and he kind of walked me around
and showed me the new roof up there and he didn't let me in there because he didn't want
me to get hurt, told me I could sue the city. I didn't tell him I was a councilman.
I don't
see it being something the whole city can use but you know putting 4 million to and for
new fire truck capital project in station 3 transferring outlaw fuel public safety complex
complex.
I see that as something the entire city can use so I will be voting in favor of this amendment
to the amendment.
Thank you.
All right.
Thank you.
Any more comment or question before I go back to the sponsor of the amendment to the amendment
for final thoughts. Councilman Markey, you're recognized for final thoughts on your amendment to the amendment.
As it was previously stated, I just think this is something that the city has a hope to use.
This is something that again will reduce the tax rate by a bit and give us services.
Okay, thank you. We're now voting on the amendment, the Markey amendment to the McLaughlin amendment.
All members please cast your vote and remember voted and you remember always to change their vote. Madam Clerk, please take the vote
5 yes 7 no zero to the amendment to the amendment failed. We're back on the McLaughlin amendment as presented
Councilman Holliman you're recognized
Thank you mayor. I'm so much going to talk about the amendment. I like the idea, you know, you know
I have dealt with a lot of our senior citizens. I've worked with them
They work their whole life and they accumulate wealth and then it's all taken away by medical
bills.
It's seen so many senior citizens not being able to afford rent because the medical industry
is draining them dry and they end up homeless living in their car and the senior center parking
lot.
It's really a rough deal and thus as a society, we have a really bad habit of this person
can't work anymore. They're just not as fast enough. So then they're just automatically
discarded. So I'm in favor of it and I do plan a voting. Yes, that's all we've got.
Thank you.
Thank you. Any more comment or question? Councilman McLaughlin, final thoughts?
That concludes my report.
All right. Thank you. All right.
We're now voting on the McLaughlin Amendment to ordinance 97.
Remember, please cast your vote.
Every member voted. Any member wish to change their vote? Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
seven yes five no zero abstain the amendment number one passes we're now back
to our lead-off hitter councilman McLaughlin you're recognized okay I need
to
regroup a little bit I apologize okay
the McLaughlin amendment to reduce FY 26
funds from Public Relations Code 4630 to match FY 25 actual. So I have fire department,
human resources, mayors office, parks, police and street, and the reductions amount are
listed. And on the comment section, I showed what the actual spend your day through the end
of May 25 was, I make a motion for approval.
Motion been made and properly seconded in favor of McLaughlin Amendment number 22.
Thank you.
Any comment or question regarding this amendment?
Seeing none, hearing none, are you ready to vote?
We're voting on the McLaughlin Amendment number 2.
Every member, please cast your vote.
Every member voted.
Any member wish to change their vote?
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
So, eight, nine, yes, three, no, zero abstain.
Amendment number two passes, back to you, Councilman McLaughlin.
Okay, there is an amendment that says, reduce nonprofit wage increase and
benefits to match city employees.
And what this would be would be a reduction in the amount of $21,155 for
general wage increases for the airport, reduction in 15,600 to airport benefits, $60,118 from
the Regional Planning Commission and $31,274 from the Customs House Museum.
Total reduction would be $128,147 and at the bottom is a chart that the finance department
and put together after we had some budget discussions with nonprofits and we had heard discrepancies of benefits and pay to the nonprofits that receive city funding.
I, for one, don't think it's fair that we're funding nonprofits at a better rate than we are our own employees.
So that's what this amendment is for and I have to make a motion for approval, sorry.
Second.
Motion made and properly seconded in favor of the McLaughlin amendment number three.
Councilman Stretman, you're recognized on the amendment number three.
Thank you, Mayor.
And I was involved in this conversation as well when this was a big discussion that we had
within the Finance Committee budget meeting and it was very grateful for the conversation.
I do think that we should let these groups know that next year that their funding needs
to look the same way, that their insurance needs to look the same way, because I agree
knowing that one of them here they get 100% for the employee, whereas our employees are
having to pay in.
I do think that that's something that they need to be notified on, because it's not during
their open enrollment, so they can't really make changes to that until their time for open
enrollment. Also for the Regional Planning Commission, I'm unsure without
talking to them further. If I remember correctly, what was stated is that they
are on the county plan for their insurance, so they may have to actually fit to
what the county does there since they are part of that and considered. Within
that I would be speaking out of turn of knowing for certain on that, but I would
think that it would have to match up with the rest of those, so I'm not sure that
We could really make the change there on theirs and be correct in doing that.
Belia said with the others before making that change, I do think that they should make that change over the next year.
And when they come to us with their funding request, it should be to where they are not, we're not paying more for their employees than what we're paying for our own employees.
Any more comment or question regarding this amendment?
Councilman McLaughlin, I'm sorry. Councilman Lovato, you're recognized.
They get us next up all the time. Well, I see you're sorry.
I actually have an amendment to her amendment because I was bringing forward something similar.
I would actually like to increase the custom house.
I guess this is a procedural question because I actually have two changes so do I need
to make two amendments or three amendments or just one fell swoop amendment.
The amendment that you're proposing in mine is here.
Okay.
So describe your amendment that you're wanting to substitute for her amendment.
So my, my amendment is very similar to hers except for my numbers are higher, so I would like to increase some of her reductions.
Better stated, maybe you will substitute your, are you wanting to substitute your, I'm sorry I'm a little dense here.
No, it's okay. So my amendment is for the Custom House Museum to reduce their budget by $300,888 to reduce the senior
center budget by $44,000 and to reduce the HRC budget. She doesn't have the HRC on here actually, but do you want me to
bring mine up separately or I think it would be best to do that just to eliminate
any confusion okay all right councilman chicana you're recognized on the
McLaughlin amendment yes mayor thank you I have a question regarding the RPC
since it's partially paid by the city and the county right so reducing it
60,000 can you can you clarify how that's going to look if we take that 60,000
or you know because again like I said it's joint that's a joint type of
venue with the city and the county. Well I can't clarify it but Mr. Tendell
probably could if you wanted to hear from him. Oh yes I would love to. All
right without objection. Please. Mr. Tendell. Councilman Shakina your
recommend. Thank you Mayor. Mr. Tendell. The RPC band joint being a joint
venue city and county so the city reducing it by 60,000 you know how how is
What's that going to impact the services that you provide for the city?
First of all, this is a surprise to meet tonight.
So I'm trying to crunch numbers really quick here.
Per the joint city county resolutions we were established on, it's a 50-50 share of expenses.
The county, as you know, has already approved their budget.
However, it's always approved with a caveat that says RPC funding will be whatever the city is since typically the city's budget is passed after the county's budget.
So in essence, a $60,000 cuts, really $120,000 cuts to our budget for next year, probably
around a seven or eight percent cut to the whole budget.
Okay.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mayor.
That was my question.
I noticed a joint venue and I know that it's going to impact the overall budget.
Okay.
Thank you.
Any more comment or question before I go to the Councilman Brown, you recognized on this amendment.
So with the county doing a 2% cost of living and we're looking at two and a half,
is that going to throw off those numbers also for the RPC since, you know,
those numbers don't match there either? Mr. Tendell?
Councilman Brown please ask your question.
So what was y'all's planned general wage increase?
our general wage increase we do a cola with a step increase and it comes out to two and a half percent but we don't give our
colas until January so we're already funded our salaries are what they are right now and then in January the cola would kick in and we are
budging two and a half percent okay so I know you know the county is doing two percent cola in January and so if we're doing two and a half
you know, those numbers don't jive either, you know, to match up to, if they're doing
one percent and we're doing one and a half because it comes from both.
It's, you can't compare. You're both apples and oranges. They have a step system and a
colas system. You're more of a general wage increase. So typically I find that it comes out
in the wash over a couple of years. Maybe one's a little higher, one year, one's a little
higher the next year. But you all are trying to keep even with the market.
Okay, thank you.
Councilman Zacharias, you're recognized.
Thank you, Mayor.
Just in light of what we heard from Mr. Tindall
about how a $60,000 cut or reduction to this budget
would actually be $120,000 cut.
I would just ask the sponsor if she would be supportive
of just reducing that number to $30,000, $59
to have the same overall impact to the department.
To the sponsor.
Thank you, I actually wrote that down.
Okay, so I can click my report.
Be very afraid, be very afraid, y'all are thinking alike, it was.
So are you making that in the form of a motion and then a tournament?
Yes, it appears that I have the support of the sponsor.
Yes.
Okay, would you restate your motion?
Yes, I move to amend the amendment to change the value $60,118 for the decrease to the
Regional Planning Commission to $30,000, $59.
Second.
Okay, you've heard the motion and properly seconded.
The amendment to the McLaughlin Amendment is to reduce the Regional Planning Commission.
Is this specifically for the...
General wage increase or for salary increases. It is to generally we just appropriate money to half their budget to them or our half anyway. Right. So so in my mind what this is doing is reducing the amount. Based on what was in on that line item in the budget that was submitted in the budget book. Okay. Yes.
Councilman McLaughlin.
Well, and the hotter of the amendment says to reduce general wage increase in benefits
to match the employee, so it's the same thing.
Okay, all right.
I'm just clarifying.
I want to make sure.
Thank you, Mayor.
Sure.
Thank you.
Councilman Streetman, you recognized.
Thank you, Mayor.
I do want to remind everybody too.
They did just reduce what they were asking for us, asking from us by $30,000, $15,000 for us, $15,000 from the county.
So I can ask Mr. Tendell to come up here and talk about that if you'd like and know that Mr. Tendell, without objection, Mr. Tendell, you may as well sit on the front row.
Councilman Streneman, you're recognized.
Could you talk to us about, because I know we voted on this in the RPC as well.
Can you talk about that?
It was on your slides last week about changes over the last month before your budget in an effort to help the city and the county.
The county's budget was even, but they were still struggling and have made some cuts to projects at the county so in the effort of trying to be a team player and everyone expected to do their part, we decided at the Planning Commission to go basically into our General Fund 30,000 next year, the meaning $15,000 of savings to each department.
So we've already made that cut voluntarily this past year.
I think we amended the budget last month at the planning commission already to reflect that which was given to both the city and the county accounts and budgets and finance departments.
And in regard to my earlier statements, you guys are on the county insurance plan, correct?
Yeah, we have the benefit of not being self-insured.
We were many, many years ago before I got here and it cost us a lot.
But we are on the school system, AK, the county insurance.
And our employees pay 15% of their premiums for health,
dental vision, et cetera.
And you can't change what, I mean, you have to do the same.
We just had open enrollment last week, so.
I'm trying to figure out, and again, it's apples and oranges.
is what the sponsor wants to get at with $60,000
where we're that far off because my entire medical budget
next year's only $170,000.
So I can't imagine between a 2.5% raise
for 13 individuals and $170,000 of total medical expenses
where 60,000 evens out in there.
So I'd like to have a further talk about the line items
to figure out where the difference is coming from.
Okay. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Councilman Chikina be recognized on the amendment to the amendment.
Yes, Mayor. And it's for the sponsor of the amendment to the amendment.
Okay. Would she be in favor of just deleting the RPCs cut all together?
Because there are a lot of second, maybe third, fourth order effects to cutting this thing, being that it's a joint venue.
Well, we're on the amendment to the amendment which is Councilman Zagorias.
Yes.
Okay.
Well, so your question would be in favor of just omitting or deleting the RPCs could all
together?
I would support that.
Okay.
Thank you, Mayor.
I'd like to make another member, then, that we-
Well, we can't amend an amendment to an amendment that you would have to be a separate
deal.
I was going to try to pull one, Mayor, but thank you.
Okay.
Good try.
We would have to vote down this amendment to the amendment and then come back to the original
amendment and then come to you for an amendment.
And if you're following that.
Yes, I'm following.
All right.
Councilman Zacharias, you recognized.
Thank you, Mayor.
I would just ask everybody to not vote down my amendment.
And that's because if we're trending or for leaning towards eliminating the RPC altogether,
let's at least start from a position of closer to zero than where we are now.
That makes sense.
I think you sent shockwaves when it says eliminating the RPC.
From the reduction.
Oh, okay.
Sorry.
Thank you.
Okay.
Yeah, we're going to have to get medical help for Mr. Tenville.
Okay.
Anybody else wish to be recognized on the amendment?
Zacharias amendment to the McLaughlin amendment.
Seeing none, hearing none, we're voting on the Zacharias amendment
Amendment to the McLaughlin Amendment.
Every member please cast your vote.
Every member voted.
Any member wish to change their vote?
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
Ten yes, two no, zero abstain.
The amendment to the amendment is adopted.
We're now on the McLaughlin Amendment as amended.
Councilman McLaughlin, you are recognized.
Okay, based on the conversation, I'd like to make an amendment to the amendment to
the poll, the reduction from the planning commission.
Okay, you've heard the motion to remove the reduction to the regional planning commission
from the amended amendment.
I'm going to get that right, Mr. Bittner, my close, okay, all right, and it's been properly
seconded.
Any comment or question regarding that motion?
Saying none, hearing none, are you ready to vote on the amendment to the amendment?
which is to remove the regional planning commission totally from this amendment not from the earth but from just from this amendment.
Just removing the $30,059 reference to the regional planning commission from this amendment.
Okay, everybody know what we're voting on. Madam Clerk, you got a straight.
every member voted any member wish to change their vote. Madam clerk please take
the vote. 11 yes one no is there abstainment. Okay the amendment to the
amendment is adopted. We're now on the amendment as amended.
Councilman McLaughlin
you recognized. So for clarification what we're on is the reduction of 21155 from
the airport for a general wage increase, $15,600 from the airport from benefits, and $31,274
from the customs house museum.
She renews that motion, any comment or question regarding this amendment, as amended.
Saying none, hearing none, are you ready to vote?
All members, please cast your vote,
as soon as we get there, I know.
All right, every member voted.
Any member wish to change their vote?
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
9 yes 3 no 0 abstain amendment 3 as amended is adopted councilman McLaughlin our
lead-off hitter you're recognized can I take a break and pass on to somebody
else while I regroup sure thank you okay we're gonna come to councilman
marquee your next step you're recognized on amendments okay just want to make
sure well you're out of order all right we're nice try nice try all right
going around councilman hollumon you're recognized on your amendment thank you
mayor so so what this does is it's I guess it's pretty brutal it it removes one
$1,081,086 from the Custom House Museum removes $534,999 from the Regional Planning Commission
and essentially like defunding them because my stance is like Clarksville's full,
like we don't need to grow anymore, you know, so it's no longer no longer needed.
Human Relations Commission is a reduction of $50,000 and then with that the numbers are all messed up
because we just cut some of the custom house museum funding.
So the numbers aren't going to need to be adjusted, so the numbers are off.
But basically what it does is it gives wage increases to the police department,
the fire department, and then security as well.
And out of that total number from the cuts, $100,000 goes towards the seed bank.
And that would be under the city forestry department.
but I'd like to make a motion for approval.
Fail for lack of a second.
Okay.
All right.
We're now ready for...
Do you have another amendment?
No.
Okay.
Councilor McLaughlin, are you regrouped?
Do you want me to keep going?
I can do it.
You're ready.
Okay.
Back to you.
Okay.
Thank you, Mayor.
Okay.
We talked about this a little...
Okay.
The next amendment is Convert Grounds and Facilities Maintenance Specialist Positions
to Contract.
This would be the new positions for Parks and Recreation, totaling 245, 448.
I did not touch the specialty positions as far as turf management, but in trying to figure
throughout how we can continue or how we can get out of having deficit here by here.
I will be bringing forward a resolution next week that through attrition, meaning if
somebody leaves employment with the city in certain positions, grass cutting, et cetera,
that we look at putting those out to contract.
Once we add a position, it's very difficult to eliminate a position, but instead of replacing
with people and benefits and one equipment and maintenance that we look at doing that through attrition and this would be the start of that.
So I make a motion for approval.
Motion been made and properly seconded in favor of McLaughlin amendment 4, Madam Clerk, is it where we went?
5. We're on McLaughlin amendment number 5.
Councilman Chicanab, you're recognized on the McLaughlin Amendment number five.
Yes, Mayor.
Thank you.
I have a question for you.
There are the parks and director or someone from purchasing regarding contracts and getting
this thing on a contract.
Okay.
Well, let's start with the Parks and Recreation Department, Ms. LaTerno,
Councilman Chicanab,
you're recognized.
Thank you, Mayor.
Thank you, Ms. LaTerno.
Question for you.
I know you probably already have a plan to fill these positions and buy wind and things
like that. If we vote to decrease this funding and go there out of the contract, a contract
or about how long you think that's going to take to actually put that in place and then
the effectiveness, the control that you have over it versus the control you may have
over sitting employees, what is that going to look like in some of those challenges that
it may present for you in that department?
Sure. We currently have three Boeing contracts and we vote a good deal of our outline parts.
they're on a seven day mowing contract and we had to spread it out to three
different ones to be able to because no one single one could cover all of them but
we do those it's some of the outliers the manned parks the heritage park the
liberty park the ones that are more probably groomed it's essential for us to
have control over that because we have it on a daily basis that we have to to
groom them to our standards and they have to be maintained a little bit better
such as our turf, our soccer fields, we're adding a good deal of the, and you did say not
the turf positions.
Is that correct?
Okay.
A lot of the reason that we're asking for some of these is because we've added, we haven't
had a new person since 2018.
We've not added any new positions.
And I've got a list here of the properties that we've added.
Smith Trigger Mansion, Ellen Entrain Depot, Beach Street Park, Crossland Greenway,
Taylor Greenway, and then some more trail pieces.
And that's not something that we typically can easily contract.
It would take us some time to get that together.
We would have to probably figure out what would be, make sense to do a contract with
and what would not.
But some of these are maintenance also.
So it's physical building maintenance as well.
You don't get the, I'm not going to say that you don't get standards because we do have
some really good contracts, but you also have to have people to oversee those contracts
as well.
But you don't necessarily get the same product, and a lot of our folks are dual purpose.
They don't just mow grass, they don't just maintain one thing, but they'll set up for events.
They do the set up for summer night lights.
They take turns doing the tournaments, the soccer tournaments, the baseball tournaments and doing all the special events that we have.
So not any one person in our department is just mowing and weed eating properties.
And I hope that answers your question.
Yes, that's part of the question, but the second part of it is in terms of putting a current contract in place,
and we're talking about most of these are under $50,000, only one, this, $3,000.
What does it look like? How long does it take? Does it take three months, you know, 90 days to take 120 days, how long does it take to put a contract in place to fulfill these requirements and then we're talking about the start date, right?
Right. I would say probably 90 days would be because we're going to have to figure out what areas we can easily do a contract or what we could contract out.
We'll have to go to purchasing, we'll have to bid it out, we'll have to see if we get any bids and then have to start it in probably in the new season.
and we wouldn't be able to start until probably March of next year, we couldn't do anything
with it this year.
Okay.
And that was going to be the last following was, if you don't get a bid, right?
You can't hire anybody. So what's going to happen if you don't get a bid? Who's going to pick up the slack? You guys are going to get a lot of complaints. Okay. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. Okay. Thank you. Councilman Stretman for Miss LaTerno or just in general about the amendment. It's a little bit of in general, and I'm really not sure if this question will be for you or even if Mr. Smith, I know he's street department, but let me just lead into it with I understand the law process behind the sponsor. The sponsor's amendment, however,
However, if I recall correctly, several years ago, we tried to contract out more of these
this type of work and I think we had issue with it and that's why I'm not really sure
if it was you or Mr. Smith can talk about it because I know his department is responsible
for a lot of the mowing of right away, but I know we had difficulty in trying to get contractors
taking it on and they were rather large projects and then we even kept I think busting it down
and still having difficulty. Can you speak to that or would I need to put that question
to Mr. Smith?
Just from a high level I can speak to the fact that we did divide the mowing contracts
as Ms. Luternov said into several areas because one company, one contractor couldn't handle
it to our specifications so we did break it up.
But these positions do more than just
And while I get where she's trying to head, it's just, it's, we're kind of at a point where we need to
head bodies to take care of the facilities that we're adding to our inventory.
And we've got a list as long as the nickel shoestring of other parks and facilities we want to add.
That concludes my report.
That concludes your report.
All right.
Councilman Zacharias, you recognize?
Thank you, Mayor.
I'm just going to start off by saying that I do have a direct family member who is
currently employed as a grounds and facilities maintenance employee with the city since
this specific amendment affects like growth positions, adding positions.
I don't know if that's a conflict of interest but I just want to make that very clear before
I say what I'm about to say.
I lived through a time in the army when we did a lot of this.
We converted positions, gate guards, that sort of thing, to contract positions because
we needed those people, 2003, 2004, the surge, and it made a lot of sense to take some
of those soldiers off the gates and put them back into positions where they could do what
they joined the army to do.
So it was not a cost saving measure by any means.
It ended up being more expensive for everybody.
And at the time, it wasn't a big deal because it was GWAT.
And that money was just coming in from Washington.
We're in a kind of a different situation here.
And I am concerned that an attempt to save money on these positions
is actually going to end up costing more money than it saves.
plus we lose all of the benefits that these employees provide outside of, you know, mowing
and that sort of thing. So, for that reason, I think I'm going to know on this. Thank
you. Thank you. To the sponsor, these are the five new positions. Okay, these are not
existing people. Correct. Okay. All right. Thank you. Councilman Brown, you recognize on
this amendment. Thank you, Mayor. So, my question would be, is, you know, cutting these
five positions and contracting out the mowing, do we have any kind of idea of how much that contract
would cost, you know, whether that's going to make up, you know, is it going to save us a thousand,
10,000, 50,000? That's an unknown on this that we don't know if we cut these positions out.
It would purely be speculation or a guess on our part. Based on what Mr. LaTernos said,
that we don't know exactly which parts, facilities,
properties that would mo, so we'd have to figure that out.
OK, any other comment or question regarding this amendment?
To the sponsor for closing comments.
The end.
All right, you heard it here first.
All right, we're voting on McLaughlin Amendment number five.
Do you remember please cast your vote?
Do you remember voted?
Any member who wants to change their vote, Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
Two yes, ten no, zero abstain.
Amendment number five fails.
Councilman McLaughlin.
The other amendment I had was related to the health clinic and based on the previous vote.
I feel like that would be a waste of everybody's time to bring up.
So I will not bring that up, and I believe that's all that I have for now.
Thank you.
All right.
Living right along, we're now ready for Councilman Haywood for your amendments.
your recognized. Thank you mayor. So I first want to say sorry for the few hundred trees that I
killed in the meeting of my amendments. So I have 30 pieces of paper on each of your desks.
So if you look at them, there you have eliminate tax increase and then you'll see eliminate tax
increase option two. If you just want to look at eliminate tax increase and you can put option two aside.
Give us just a moment to find it.
Like the yellow pages.
So it just says eliminate tax increase with no option two beside it?
Yes, sir.
Option two, I don't think we'll need it. I hope we won't need option one yet.
I should have said option one, you know, and probably easier to read.
I'm trying to find it hang on just for oxygen. It started off as one page right then I've put it all on you know each department on one page
I don't know why so the the your amendment is the amendment description name is eliminate tax increase period right? Yes, sir
Okay, everybody got that yes, sir. All right. You are recognized on the eliminate tax increase
Yeah, just just eliminate just an increase. Yeah, option two is no, hang on a second. What's the question?
Everybody got it
Okay, you recognize councilman Haywood. Okay, so the first department would be the legislative administrative
I proposed to decrease it by 15,000.
I
I guess a motion.
Thank you for lack of a second.
You're recognized on your next amendment.
Building codes, board, zoning appeals, decreased by a million,
delay three of five new hires, reduce vehicle equipment and upgrades.
I hope you're liking a second.
Okay, it's properly seconded, it's in front of us now.
You're recognized councilman Haywood for an explanation.
So I just wanted to delay three of the five new hires and reduce the vehicle equipment
in upgrades.
That was it.
Okay.
Councilman Streetman, you're recognized on the Haywood Amendment.
We're calling this amendment two.
Thank you, Mayor.
I'm sorry.
Six B.
Okay.
I'm sorry.
Thank you.
Thank you, Mayor.
First of all, we're talking about a million dollars here and I know it says delay three of
five new hires reduce vehicle
equipment upgrades. I just as a reminder,
we actually don't get true line item approval.
What you're doing is taking a million away from
the building and codes budget.
And then we've hired the directors to decide
how their funds are utilized in their budget.
So it's to my understanding because I did have
some department heads reach out to me
in this list of 30 that we have here.
I believe you just contacted them today to find out their feedback on the cuts to the
budget.
Is that correct?
That's correct.
So you know we had budget meetings just a few weeks ago to where all of their budgets
were presented to us in detail.
It was a great opportunity to attend and ask questions.
Was there a reason why you chose to utilize tonight or today to do it versus actually attending
those meetings and talking to the department heads prior to throwing this all
out to them today. No there wasn't a reason.
Okay that's a good answer. So what
kind of feedback did you get from building and codes is what a million would
do to their departments? I don't think I don't know if building and codes got back
to me. Did you call them and see if you could talk to them? I didn't get off work till
3.30. I myself didn't get off work until 4 o'clock but I managed to be able to
reach out and talk to him and I will say that our department heads are readily available
for us to reach out and talk to them anytime.
Not just today but in the, I think it's been four or five weeks since we've had these
budget meetings and had this information before us.
I know from talking to Mr. Crosby that a million dollar hit to his budget means he's not
going to be able to hire any of the new people that he has requested from us and there's a
a good chance that or it's very likely that he would actually lose some of the current employees that he has here has with him now.
So that's going to be a severe reduction in services from the building and codes department to be able to verify.
And that would more than likely come from the people that are out there looking to verify everything that we've talked about with the restore clerksful movement because we can't not inspect buildings to ensure that they're safe.
but everything else that we're putting on them and asking them to be able to do.
So I mean I think my advice not only now but in the future is I think it would be good to actually talk to the department heads earlier than day of when you're talking about making such a hit to their budgets because it's that's a substantial and especially when you think about losing employees and losing
the ability for building codes to be able to enforce the laws that we're
sitting up here and asking them to enforce. So I'll be voting against this with
ease. Councilor McLaughlin, I'll come back to you that Councilman McLaughlin you're
recognized. Thank you Mary, I know it's a tongue twister. So I'm against this in
first several reasons one of which we currently have five codes enforcement
officers for the whole city of Clarksville. They have not had this staffing to
to be able to be self-initiate codes violations.
They've strictly been running off at complaints
that people call in for dilapidated structures,
cars parking on grass, tall grass, et cetera.
And I don't know about you, but one of my top five calls
I get from constituents is codes violations.
The mayor and Justin worked together
to bring these new positions forward
so that we can get on top of making our city
We look better as a previous spokesperson mentioned, part of the Resurring Clarksville
initiative, improved property brings more property taxes.
It makes people feel proud about where they live.
It also, hopefully, in the major parts of Clarksville, and the main corridors will encourage
people to invest in businesses there.
And we can't continue to operate a city R size with five codes of enforcement officers.
It's not going to work.
work. So I ask that you please vote this down. In a perfect world we'd have a code
enforcement officer for every ward, but this is a star and this will help the department
be able to continue to work with property owners to have property owners tear down dilapidated
buildings at the property owner's expense, not the taxpayer's expense. Four buildings
in four months was an amazing feat by this department and they've done so much with so
little staff. We need to continue to support that to help our city look better.
People will feel proud about where they live and where we are. Thank you.
Councilman Chicana, you're recognized. Yes, Mayor. I have a question for the
director of the building and codes if I may. All right. With that objection, Mr.
Crosby.
Councilman Chicana, you're recognized. Yes, thank you, Mayor. Mr. Crosby.
Yes, sir. I know we have five code enforcement offices. In your your
profession, what do you feel is the true number? The true number. Not was not
not what's here right these five new hires but what's the true number because again as the previous
council member alluded to man that seems like that's the number two call right it's it's codes
codes violations right and everybody wants something to be done and they said well your department can't
do it so what do you what do you really need to be able to enforce these codes in my opinion and we
went over this during the yes the meetings we've had previously we ran about 30 to 40,000
inspections last year with five code officers. That's a tremendous amount of work. But what
that means is I have to do it faster. I can't do it better if I'm doing it faster. So we can
whittle it down. A million dollar cut gets rid of code enforcement period. The folks we have on
staff now that we can't keep them with a million dollar cut. So code enforcement goes away with this
if it's a help. The true number in my honest opinion is about 30 code officers to take
care of the city. In a way, I'm proud for it. So we work hard, but I'm from Clarksville.
I'm born and raised here. I know what it can look like. I know how hard these guys work.
You give me two code officers per ward. Be a proud place to go home. So we're grateful
for the staff we have. These guys work so hard. I can't even tell you, their heart is in it.
You don't go to a lot of other places and find heart. Yes, you can get people to come to work.
That's not a problem. To get the heart that we've been able to get in our office with our code
and portion of the staff is tremendous. You guys know, y'all deal with them. Their heart is here.
Thank you. Mary, I just wanted to clarify that because, like I said, that's the number two call.
Every seems like four or five times a week somebody's calling send the fire complaint code is not doing it
You know, they're not acting fast enough. Can you please follow up, right? And even my neighbor, he cuts half of his yard, right? The part is between him and I, right? So I don't call code, but the other side, he doesn't, he doesn't, he doesn't really want to cut it. So, so I understand. Yeah, but I just want to clarify that. Thank you, mayor. Thank you, Mr. Crosby. Councilman Brown on this amendment. So looking at this, you know, this may and it also says, reduce vehicle and equipment upgrades.
is there specific pieces that we're wanting to cut with this?
Because that's a 25% of his budget.
I mean his budget is 4 million is what they've requested totally.
It does double his number of staff but that's just a million dollars out of a 4 million dollar budget.
That's 25% of it, it's just quite a bit.
It's a big leg.
Councilman Holloman you're recognized. Thank you Mayor. So I just wanted to address something
I heard and one of the arguments talk about line item approval and and you're right like the
city council cannot do line item approval but but the department head should understand intent you know
and the thing is to like the mayor the mayor the department heads boss is the mayor so if you
You can convince the mayor, everyone votes in unison on something with the understanding
that this money is going towards this, or the reduction of this money is going towards
this.
I mean, I think the message should be conveyed.
Sometimes I wonder, like, do we represent Clarksville, do we represent our wards, or do we represent
the department heads, because it just seems like a lot of times, like the decisions, that's
That's the real weight with the decisions, but that's all gone.
I just want to get that off much.
Yes.
Thank you.
Any more comment or question regarding this amendment?
Councilman Haywood, you're recognized for final thoughts on your amendment.
That's all I've got there.
Thank you.
All right.
We're now voting on the Haywood Amendment 6B to ordinance 97.
Every member voted.
Any member wish to change their vote?
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
One yes.
11.
Zero.
The first amendment fails, Councilman Haywood, you're recognized on the next amendment.
It seems like the rest will fail for lack of second, so I'm getting there.
Okay.
We'll now ready for Councilman Lovato, we're up to you.
I'm sorry.
Help if I turn your mic on, you're recognized.
Thank you, sir.
The first amendment is for the other city-funded agencies.
for the Custom House Senior Center in HRC Reductions.
Okay.
That's my notion.
All right.
Motion been made and properly seconded
in favor of the Labato Amendment clerk,
which number is this?
Seven. All right.
You're recognized for an explanation.
Thank you.
So this is a reduction to
and free of our other city-funded agencies.
The first one is the Custom House Museum.
And we'll have to adjust this number for the previous amendment.
But in total reducing their budget by $300,888 to bring their total budget to $780,198.
And the reason for that was very similar to what a previous amendment had stated.
When we looked at the budget during the budget review meetings, there's a lot of issues and
concerns that I have specifically with the Custom House and the exorbit percentage
of tax dollars that they need to continue to operate.
So reducing this, I'm hoping that they will change their business strategy.
The next one for the Senior Citizen Center, reducing that by $44,000 to match their budget
from last year, they do amazing things for our community, but they're another entity
that needs to be driven by the people who utilize their services.
And we need to start weaning some of these organizations off the taxpayer dollar.
The HRC organization reducing their amount by $28,400.
So if you look at their budget, there are many of their line item activities
that they don't have a dollar amount, they just have a 2B determined amount next to it.
And so I don't think that it is good stewards of our taxpayer dollars to give money out
that is to be determined and really no explanation of what they're going to be using that for.
So that is the explanation.
All right.
You've heard the explanation of the amendment.
Councilman Zachary, I should recognize on the Lovato amendment number seven.
Thank you, Mayor.
So my comments are specifically for the Custom House Museum.
I too was a little frustrated when I was reviewing the Custom House budget.
For those that maybe aren't sitting up here and don't know, we get a page that kind of lists accomplishments in the last year, goals for the upcoming year, that sort of thing.
And when I compared Custom House Museums document that showed what their goals were, what they accomplished last year.
From this year's budget, it was identical to the one from last year's budget.
So, to me, it kind of feels like there's no attempt to grow.
That being said, I do think that there is a place for publicly funded things like museums
and parks and rec. That sort of thing, that stuff is important to a community.
I've made my comments about that a couple of years ago when we were talking about Wings
of Liberty Museum.
I think one of the greatest things that our nation's capital has to offer is the Smithsonian
and all of these other incredible opportunities to really dive into our history.
I'm going to, I'm going to offer an amendment to this, okay?
I am satisfied with the decrease that we have already passed by amendment today.
So I'm going to propose that we amend this amount, this decrease from this amendment.
I will write the Zach Royce amendment on the top of my copy.
We crossed out that first line to make it please.
But with the statement that when we do this again next year,
I'm going to be looking really hard at goals, accomplishments.
And I would like to see the money that we,
so we're already providing the lease to the customs house.
I would like to see the funds that we give to the custom house
It's part of this budget process to be somewhat tied to what they bring in in donations
from the previous year.
If we can encourage them to step up fundraising efforts, we can show our appreciation
by matching those funds.
But I am not in favor of such a significant cut at this time.
Like I said, I think we need to send a message.
I think I've just done that.
And that is something that I would like to look at next year, that's all.
So are you making?
Yes, I'm making a motion to amend with the Zacharias amendment.
Then we will make copies of Zacharias amendment to the Lobato Amendment and distribute that before
we move any further.
I'll second his motion.
Thank you.
It's just eliminating it.
Does everybody have a copy of the Zacharias Amendment?
Some number, whatever it is.
We're going to get an explanation here in a second.
Okay. Another one, I should say.
I've got one.
Okay.
The posture we're in is that Councilman Zacharias has proposed an amendment to the
Lovato amendment, and I'm going to come back to the sponsor of the amendment to the
amendment for an explanation.
Yes.
Thank you, Mayor.
All I'm doing is amending the Lovato amendment by eliminating the $388 decrease to the
the Custom House Museum budget.
The other two decreases would remain.
Okay, all right.
Councilman McLaughlin, you're recognized
on the Zacharias Amendment to the Lovato Amendment.
Okay, if not to complicate things more,
I'd like to divide this into three separate motions.
Second.
Okay, motion been made to divide the question,
which is to divide the three items in this amendment
into three different votes, properly seconded, any commoner question regarding the motion
to divide.
Where all we're doing is simply deciding to divide the question into three separate votes.
Councilman Stretman, on the motion to divide the question?
No?
Councilman Chikineb, on the motion to divide the question.
No, we're not going to divide the question.
Okay.
I won't take you out of line, okay.
All right, any comment or question regarding the motion
and properly seconded to divide the question?
We're gonna be voting on each one
of these reductions individually.
Madam Clark, I don't know how you're keeping up with it.
I'm thankful you're doing it.
Just let me know when you're ready.
And we'll be voting on the first reduction,
which is the Customs House Museum.
We have to, I'm sorry, thank you. That's why we have the clerk. Okay, we're voting to divide the question. So all in favor of approving the dividing of the question of the three separate votes.
Please register your vote. Have you remember voted? Any member wish to change their vote? Madam clerk, please take the vote.
12 yes there are no zero abstain now we're we have just approved dividing the
question we're on the custom customs house museum reduction councilman
she councilman's treatment on that one okay you're recognized on the
customs house museum question thank you mayor I appreciate this being brought
forward and appreciate what was said but I'm actually in agreement with the
earlier speaker. I do in regard to not quite prepared to take that big of a
head. I do know how important it is to our community and I know we're also
responsible for some of that and that many many many years ago it was determined
that the county is responsible for the library. We're responsible for the
customs house museum. So I know there's responsibilities on us for that and I
learned about that myself many years ago when I served on the guild and learned a
about the Customshouse Museum from that aspect, but I do agree as well that please take note
of this that really needs to be looked at how much is being requested from us, and I would
like to see that request to us be less next year, and not just in regards to the benefits
that we discussed, but everything, please look for ways that you can come to us less for funding
being because that's quite a bit that we are putting that way and since that was money
that was unfortunately not at the time chosen to go into the act authority and now we
don't have the ability to add them to the act authority so it's unfortunate that we couldn't
take this off of our plates as it was but that is what it is so I at this time I'm going
to be voting no against this but again please take note of it for next year.
Councilor Mr. Keenam.
Thank you.
I just want to say that the museum with this director, they do a lot to try to, you
know, balance their books and raise money.
They have the flying high fundraiser every year, and they work extra hard to try to
get that, get the membership up throughout the year, and donors, but of course, just like
any entity, we can always do better, so I'm quite sure this will serve notice to the leadership
team over there to kind of figure out how they're going to improve and if they reach out to us, hopefully we'll be willing to assist them in improving their platform. Thank you, Mayor.
Councilman Lovato, you're recognized.
Thank you, Mayor.
Yes, the city does need publicly funded entities in the museum has their part in that.
But if you look at their budget, if you look at the income that they bring in in total, it is a little over $1.8 million. They are requesting from the city $1,081,086. The majority of their budget does come from the city. So is it a hefty decrease? Yes, it is. But it is much needed because they are relying heavily on the
tax payer dollars and I want to remind you all the atmosphere of the financial situation
of our taxpayers and our constituents.
So when we're looking at trying to decrease the tax rate and to get it lower, these
organizations should be the first ones that we cut from instead of our departments.
Thank you.
Councilman streetman, you're recognized. Mayor, I would like to ask, and I think this
might be the right place to do this, but every month the all of our departments have
to present their budgets to us on a monthly basis at the Finance Committee meeting.
I would like to be, and I think the rest of the Finance Committee would probably be supportive
of this, I would like these other entities to also have to present to us, maybe not on
a monthly basis and extend the meeting but at least maybe on a quarterly basis so that
we are able to see it as the year goes on. Is this the appropriate time to make that suggestion?
Well we won't put it in the form of a motion but I will make that a requirement of these funded
agencies that they will report to us on a regular basis and we'll determine what that is.
All right thank you sir. Sure, thank you. Any other comment or question? Councilman Brown,
You recognize so we're not on an amendment on an amendment. Are we now we're on we're on simply on the customs house museum reduction
question, so
I'd like to make an amendment to
removing the
instead of just
taking them off to
amend it from $300,000 reduction to just $100,000 deduction, can we do that?
You heard the motion, Councilman Zacharias, point of order, what's the point?
Because the amendment, my amendment, to reduce that number to zero past, what's in front of us is to...
Hang on a second. Let him finish the question. Go ahead.
I'm sorry. It sounds like I'm out of work.
Okay. We are part of me. We divided the question, taking them one at a time.
Okay, and we're on the customs house museum reduction of $300,000, $888.
Okay, so we did not vote.
We have not yet voted on that.
Okay, so we voted on a list and then it's...
Yeah, it's been a long afternoon.
Okay, so back to Councilman Bryan, your...
Please restate your amendment to the amendment.
So my amendment would be to change it from the $300,000,000 to a $100,000
dollar reduction in their budget, which will be about 10% of their budget instead of the
30% reduction.
Okay.
You've heard the motion for the amendment, the Brown amendment to the question of the
point of order.
We voted to divide the question, which is taking each one of these three items individually.
And am I right, Mr. Bittner, I'm sorry, okay.
So to restate, we voted to divide the question, which is the Zacharias amendment,
but we had
a motion to divide the question, instead of eliminating the Customs House Museum reduction,
the motion was made by Councilman McLaughlin to divide the question into three.
So we're voting on each one of those individually.
I key made his amendment, but we printed out that we have not voted on yet.
Which is, we're taking his amendment, which was divided into three.
No.
Yes.
Okay.
Did you amend the amendment?
So we, Councilman Zacharias made the motion to amend the McLaughlin amendment, excuse me,
to eliminate the customs house museum from your reduction.
Yes, and we have not voted on that.
Now he's trying to amend his amendment to my amendment.
Then the motion.
Mr. Bittner, if you don't mind.
This is the worst kind of electrical diagram you can imagine.
Mr. Bittner, please correct me.
Okay, so the way I was tracking this was, we, Councilman Zacharias did his amendment to the
amendment which was then split into three questions, so then we were going to vote those
three questions, we're already on the amendment to the amendment which will limit it to two,
so then Councilman Brown's would wait until we deal with Councilman Zacharias, amendment
to the amendment.
By understanding you restate that for the senior citizens and yes, we should I think the way I track that
We should handle
Excuse me councilman Zacharias's amendment to the amendment in three different questions because it's split three different ways
Prior to the time that we allow councilman Brown to do his amendment. Okay, everybody tracking
Thank you, Councilman Lovato for straightening it out.
Councilman Brown will come back to you.
All right, we're on the question of the Customs House Museum reduction.
Councilman McLaughlin, do you wish to be recognized on that?
No, sorry.
Okay, don't apologize, all right.
Okay, we're now voting on the question of the reduction of the Customs House Museum
by the 300,888.
Are we square? No? Hang on a second. I'm sorry. Zero.
Oh, to eliminate
the reduction. Okay. Everybody understand? But me?
Okay. Everybody know what we're voting
on? Somebody explain it. All right. Every member, please cast your vote.
Every member
Revoted a
remember voted any member wish to change their vote now. I'm clerk. Please take the vote
Six yes five no one abstain. All right it passes whatever it was. Okay
All
right, let me let me make sure I'm I'm getting it right here. Mr. Bettner helped me out here phone a friend
So we're now on question two which is the reduction of the senior center by 44,000 dollars
hereby squaring anybody wish to be recognized on that question, Councilman McLaughlin on that question.
Thank you Mayor. Just I appreciate trying to reduce spending 200%. But a lot of the people that
visit the senior center wouldn't eat if they didn't have the senior center. There's so many challenges
there that they have added dinners for the low income people. And I remember during the budget
presentation, the director talked about how she took a lower director rate because her
mission was about getting the senior center up and running.
So she's the lowest paid director out of all of the nonprofits that receive funding
from us by, I think, $45,000, $50,000.
So I would not be in favor of reducing the senior centers funding.
Councilman Stretman on the Senior Center funding reduction.
Yes, I agree with the previous speaker.
I went for their open house here just recently.
It's wonderful food that they fix there.
And I would encourage any of our seniors out there that are in need of a place to go,
as well as to be able to get some additional meals.
That's a wonderful place to be able to do it.
And with dinners being something they've just recently added,
This would eliminate it right back out of there, and they are trying to grow the number of people that they're able to serve in our community.
So I do, like I said, this one is one I'll have to vote against.
Councilman Lovato, you're recognized.
Thank you, Mayor.
Reducing their budget is not a slight at the services that they provide.
Yes, it is much needed in our community, but these organizations need to find other sources of revenue.
And if we keep giving them the same amounts and the same increases year over year, they're
not working to be self-sufficient.
Now, I come in the senior center and the director for taking her pay cut, but it doesn't
stop there.
We need to do more funding fundraising and we need to find other sources of revenue for
them.
That's all I have.
Thank you.
Any more comment or question regarding the question of reducing the senior center funding?
Seeing none, hearing none, are we ready to vote on question two, which is the reduction
of the senior center by the $44,000.
All members please cast your vote.
Any member wish to change their vote?
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
5 yes, 7 no, 0 is your vote same.
Motion fails.
We're now on the third question of the Human Relations Commission, reducing their funding by
$28,400. Do I hear a motion in a second?
Motion and properly seconded. Councilman Stretman, you're recognized on this question.
Thank you, Mayor. I agree with the sponsor on this when she first started speaking and
when this was a whole thing, she was absolutely correct and when this was presented to us,
we had a lot of to-be determines, to-be determines, to-be determines, so I absolutely support her amendments to the budget in regards to this one.
All right, any more comment or question regarding this question?
We're voting to reduce the Human Relations Commission funding in the amount of $28,400 new budget of $21,600.
dollars. All members please cast your vote. Remember voted and remember wish to change their vote.
Madam Clerk please take the vote. 11 yes. 1 no 0 abstain.
That reduction passes. All right councilman Lovato you recognized. Thank you. Thank you Mayor.
So my next amendment is for two of our city departments. I reducing the budget for building
and maintenance and reducing the budget for building and codes.
That is my motion.
Before we move on, Mr. Bitner has given me that look.
We have to go back.
This is close.
We have divided the question.
We have voted on all three questions.
Now we have to go back and vote on the amendment
with those items that have been approved.
Okay,
Mr. Bettner, would you go to the microphone, please, sir, and tell us which ones that have been approved, so we'll know what the heck we're voting on.
I will.
Okay, so we're going to vote on the amended amendment, which took out the 300,888.
and then the senior center believed that failed and then the HRC budget passed.
So we're voting on the amended amendment which would be the new budget of 216
and removing the Customs House Museum from the amendment of Lovato.
You might know what we're voting on.
Okay.
Councilman McLaughlin, you recognized on this amendment.
Senior moment.
Point of clarification.
So, essentially, the only thing we're voting on is the HRC funding since the one, the
senior setter reduction failed and the museum was pulled out.
So, essentially, we're just voting on the decree.
Okay.
Thank you.
All right.
Councilman Brown, you recognized.
So I'm just trying to figure out where my amendment would
have went since it for the Customs House Museum.
Because we voted on taking it off, you know,
off of this resolution, I guess.
Just for clarification, we voted not to reduce.
Right, right, OK.
And so, you know, I was going to propose an amendment
to that to change it from 300,000 to 100,000 so now we went to zero where would I
propose mine to have to be a separate amendment, have to be a separate
amendment in writing to reduce the funding to the Customs House Museum by
$100,000. So since we voted to go to zero it would be to reduce it by 100,000 if
If that's your intent, all right, if you'll give that to this, this is correct.
Okay, hang on a second. Let's get some clarification. It's still a decrease on their overall budget.
So the motion made by Council of Brown is to decrease the funding all
what you got.
Okay, let me just kind of interrupt this high-level discussion here.
You can't amend an amendment to an amendment.
So we've already amended the Lovato amendment with the Zacharias amendment.
So, we're at the limit of what we can do for that amendment, for her amendment.
You would have to come back with a separate amendment to reduce funding unless
the
Zacharias amendment fails, and then you could come in with your amendment.
You got it?
We already voted on that, so that takes one amendment away.
Okay.
Hang on, Mr. Bittner.
I apologize. We were bumping along pretty good here.
Display it into three and then we were going to vote on the amended amendment.
So we haven't voted on the whole thing put together.
So we'll vote on that. If it fails, we'll go back to the Lovato amendment.
Her original amendment.
original. We voted only to take it to zero. I think you've split it into three
questions to approve it and then you vote on the amended amendment which is the
first amendment with those changes added to it through the second amendment.
So then you got to vote on that to pass it.
If it fails then you go back to the
original ordinance or the ordinance has amended the first time which could be amended the second time
again. So we have an amendment to the amendment which is Councilman Zacharias' amendment and we have
to vote on that. Correct. Once we vote on that, if it fails then we back to the libato amendment without any
amendments to it, and then Councilman Brown could jump in, but if it passes, then we can't
then why not?
In your according to Robert's rules, an amendment to the third degree is not permitted.
So to accomplish the same person, same purpose, a member can say, while a secondary amendment
is appending, which is that one, if voted down, Councilman Brown would offer his secondary
amendment, whichever, but he knows about now.
know. So if he passes, then I think he could come back before our second reading next week
with his amendment. Okay. Okay. Questions for Mr. Bittner on the posture of this of this
amendment? Councilman Streeman, you're recognized on to Mr. Bittner, please. Thank you, Mr. Bittner.
We voted on the amendment. So that's at least the question one has already been amended
because that was what we had to vote on when it first came up.
Then we voted on question two, then we voted on question three.
Question one was already amended to zero.
Question one was amended to zero.
She's split into three parts, correct?
The whole thing was split into three parts.
So we voted to amend question one and really the amendment wasn't necessary
then because we were already in a question, that's what's throwing everything here, because
we're in it, we were in a question, but question one was amended to zero. Then we voted on
question two, which question two failed. Then we voted on question three, question three
passed. So I'm guessing that what for one thing that probably we did miss is that we needed
to vote on it as a whole after all the questions. I guess you have to bring it together.
That's what I'm trying to get to.
That's already been amended.
So the question as a whole is just the HRC budget being reduced now to, I handed my sheet off, being reduced down to 21,600.
So that's all that's left of it.
That's all that's left, but that's the amendment as amended.
Right, but so it is still, I mean, it's been amended.
So the question is, can Councilman Brown offer his amendment to this amended amendment?
Because there's only one active amendment in place now.
Exactly.
But you haven't voted on Councilman Zacharias' amended amendment.
Yes, sir.
We did.
We voted on that.
That's what brought it to zero.
Well, we divided the question into three.
The first one passed to bring it to zero, second one failed, third one passed, but did
we ever vote on his amendment in total?
And the clerk and the attorney says no.
So just for say, clarity's sake, we need to vote on the Zacharias amendment now that
we've addressed the three issues.
So just for clarity, let's go back and pick up the Zacharias amendment that has been amended.
And by understand, so we're only really voting, we're voting to take, to reduce the HRC budget
to 216.
Correct.
And that's the extent of his amendment.
Correct.
Survived.
Everybody good?
And if I know councilman Lovato?
No.
I strongly disagree with the definition that we're using for what the third, the third, the third
party amendments.
Like I understand, if he makes an amendment,
my amendment Councilman Brown can't amend that.
But if his amendment passes or fails,
someone else can still bring another amendment forward.
And that is what Councilman Brown is doing
and we're not allowing him to do that.
We will, go ahead, Mr. Bettner.
We will allow Councilman Brown.
We're gonna need a dispose of Councilman Zacharias's amendment
now that we've voted on the three parts.
We'll dispose of that, either up or down, and then we'll go to Councilman Brown for his amendment to your amendment, as amended.
Correct, so you can't go into the third degree until we finish off.
Right.
Councilman Zacharias' amendment, then we can move on to Councilman Brown.
Yeah, the Chair rules that he can then introduce his amendment to your amendment.
So we're going to go into the third degree out of the amendment.
So we're not at the third degree yet, because we still have to dispose of Zacharias's amendment by good?
Okay. Councilman Zacharias on this issue?
No, I was just going to try to offer an explanation that I don't know, I thought it might make sense.
You recognize you guys before. So here's what has happened.
We had an amendment, I proposed an amendment to that amendment.
Had we voted on that first, we would then divide the question and then we would have been
dividing on each line individually.
But because that motion was made before we voted on my amendment, what has happened is
through dividing the question, my amendment has been amended.
So now my current amendment is what I think some people may have thought we were voting
on as the final thing.
If this next vote fails, my amendment having been amended by the dividing of the question
fails and we're back to the original.
Hereby, clear.
Councilmember Gloufflin on for clarity?
For sanity's sake, would you please redefine what your amendment was?
Yes, after the votes on the divided question, my amendment will decrease the Custom House Museum budget by zero.
It will decrease the senior center budget by zero and it will decrease the HRC budget by $28,400.
Council member Claude.
Good.
everybody else good so after
this vote then I will come to Councilman Brown who has
an amendment to little bottle amendment all right we're voting on the
Zacharias amendment as amended every member voted any
member wish to change
their vote none clerk please take the vote six yes five no zero I've seen okay
passes. Councilman Brown, you're up. Thank you Mayor. So after going through all that and thinking
about that and looking at previous numbers, I'd like to propose an amendment to the Custom House Museum
to decrease an additional $68,726 because we took $31,000 in a earlier
vote. So this would make the total of be 100,000, but on this amendment the
customer house museum decreased of $68,726. Okay, you heard the motion. Do I
hear a second? Properly second. Any discussion about this amendment? Okay? Are
you ready to vote? Hang on a second. Yeah, let's get a copy. I'm sorry. Let
deputy clerk, can you pass that down?
Make sure you see it.
Now that's another
question. I printed. I did it in print.
All
right, everybody got a copy of the
Brown amendment to the amended amendment.
Councilman Brown, will you restate
it one more time? Yes, Mayor. So look to decrease the
Customs House Museum budget by $68,726.
Okay, you've heard the explanation.
It's properly before us.
This is an amendment to the amended amendment.
Any questions?
Are you ready to vote?
All members, please cast your vote.
Every member voted.
Any member wish to change their vote?
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
Eight, yes.
Four, no.
Zero, I've stand.
All right.
the amendment to the amended amendment passes.
Okay, we're now back on the Lobato Amendment as amended.
Councilman Lobato, you recognize for final thoughts?
That concludes her report.
All right, we're on the Lobato Amendment as amended.
All members please cast your vote.
Every member voted.
Any member wish to change their vote?
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
ten yes one no one abstain the amendment is adopted councilman Lovato any
further amendments I do I have one more this one is a a reduction for building
So, the first one for building and maintenance, it is a reduction of $351,456. This, I did not list out line items, but essentially, this would remove,
the funding for their new staff, new requested vehicles and other optional services that they
are providing. For building and codes for reduction is $200 and $1,352 and this is the amount that
it would take for two of their requested enforcement officers in their admin in the correlating
vehicles. Just ahead this off, I understand that this is going to reduce the services that they
can provide to the city. But right now we have citizens with tarps still on their roofs because
they can't afford their deductible to get their roof fixed.
We have citizens who are going without their auto insurance because they're having to make the difficult decision
between putting gas in their car and paying for their auto insurance.
So, when we're looking at the tax rate and trying to reduce that some of our well-intentioned wants need to be put off
and so the state of our national and state level economy can catch up.
So that's my explanation.
Council Member Gloufflin on the amendment.
Make a motion to divide the question before it's amended.
Motion been made in properly second to divide the question of the two items on the
libato amendment.
Any question regarding the motion to divide?
Seeing none, okay, we're voting to divide the question into two votes before it's
All right. All members please cast your vote. Every member voted. Any member
wish to change their vote? Madam Clerk please take the vote.
Ten yes, one no, one abstain.
Okay. The motion to divide passes. We are now voting. We're now discussing the
first item is building in maintenance reduction but in the amount of $351,456.
dollars. Any comment or question regarding that line or that amount? Councilman Markey, you're
recognized? Yes, I actually have a point of clarification. Under their budget, building
and maintenance has a line item stating property taxes on non-city use property. And my
question is, why are we paying taxes on buildings that we're not using, but we have for-profit
businesses using. Why are they not paying their taxes? Why are we paying their taxes?
And then why, and then the second part is for the other portions of that, that it's
properly that we've obtained through taxes that we're not paid for, why are we paying
that, it's, that seems circular to pay taxes with taxes?
Okay, that question is so simple. I'm going to ask Ms. Madda to come up.
It is actually pretty simple so before all of us were here there was a lease agreement
approved by City Council with the Marina and the Liberty Park Grill so that property
there private entities and in those lease agreements it's a ground lease we own the ground
that they're on they own the buildings at the end of the lease the buildings change hands
and stuff, but because it's in our name, we're the owner of the property.
So when the leases were approved, it was approved saying that the tenants would not pay any property
taxes.
That language is in there regardless of if it's ever assessed or not assessed, they're not
responsible for property taxes.
After we signed those lease agreements and everything was approved and the buildings were
built and operational. There was a new assessor, and she's following the rules. She has done
absolutely nothing wrong. The rules say, if it's leased by a private entity, it gets taxed
at the lease hold value. We actually tried to argue that point, tried to push that it was
serving a municipal purpose by having a marina for use of the citizens, the docs. We tried
to push all that to have the taxes not be applied to us and we did not win that one so we
are required to pay those taxes and we've tried to negotiate with the tenants and they will
not budge so they have to be paid we don't have an option how long is the lease I think they're 20
year leases and then there's options to renew on both parties have to agree though at the end of
20 years. We'd have to double check them, but that's my memory.
Other questions, Councilman Marquis, for Ms. Mennon?
The other portion of it, of properties that we would receive mid-year, that the taxes
were not paid for.
So there's also, I forgot to tell you, U.S. Bank is the other one.
So we lease this building, again, part of City Hall is leased to U.S. Bank and it became
the same situation based on the square footage that U.S. Bank is, they have to, we have to pay the
taxes on that. So, if we acquire land that some taxes were owed on, ultimately they're going
to have to be paid if we don't collect them at time of closing. We've had really good luck with
our new city attorney to make sure that that's happening at closing, that the other entities are paying
it and we're holding it, but it still an expense on our side because once the tax bill gets
presented to us, it has to be paid. So we got the money through the sale of the property,
but then we have to actually pay them. So it's a revenue and an expense. It's an accounting
thing you have to show the expense side.
I guess that doesn't really click on my head because
we're operating on taxes. And therefore, because the taxes were paid, we're using taxes
to pay the taxes, I guess it's where I'm not really understanding.
So we don't get the opportunity to change our taxes.
We do know also the only thing that you counsel can do is
that a tax rate.
We are not involved in the assessing of praised values
or assessments on the land.
We cannot change the tax role.
It's we're not allowed to.
The tax role can only be changed by the elected official
for the assessor's office.
She can tell us, send us a change of assessment.
That's the only way they can get changed.
So if it comes on that as tax assessment role,
we have to bill it and it has to be paid.
Otherwise, it goes up for tax sale.
Okay. All right.
Thank you.
I will get to you a minute.
We're on the list. I've got you.
Councilman McLaughlin for Ms. Mattout or just in general.
In general.
Okay, thank you.
Go ahead and we'll get to him and she's not far.
Yeah, I was just going to step back for the people that have questions for her.
You go right ahead. Go ahead and ask my question.
Please.
Okay. In keeping with what some of the other council members have done,
did we want the director of building maintenance to come forward and explain
how this would affect the budget? What would have to be reduced?
I think it'd be prudent to do that. Mr. Palmore,
With that objection,
please, if you wouldn't mind, answer the question about the reduction
and its impact on your budget.
So as you know, Council, I've also taken over a portion of Minister of Prophecy's up in
the switch to over $600,000 of that budget.
I've already reduced my budget by 5%, and then that budget was also reduced.
If we're going to talk about taking away $350,000 or $1,000 or so of my budget, we're going
start cutting into new employees. We have grown a lot as a city. My maintenance covers 100 plus
facilities and we have people on staff that they need support to get done PMs, asset management,
things of that nature. Also when it comes to vehicles I spoke about this during my budget,
meaning that my forester does not have formal drive and she only has a normal truck and we have
issues with her during the winter months and some of the rainy months getting stuck
in areas that she is currently kind of planning trades or whatnot.
So it would be a huge, I mean, impact to my budget of $351,000.
Councilman McLaughlin, you have the floor.
Thank you.
Okay.
All right.
Thank you, Mr. Belmore.
Councilman Streatman, you're recognized.
Just asking did you as a sponsor, I think you talked about these during the committee meeting, did you reach out and talk to the director prior to this just to find out more in detail about his budget?
Attempts were made to reach out to that director?
Okay, so you did.
and you discussed this in some of these also in the committee meeting by
remember correctly. Yes okay because I know I can remember if I was I was almost
positive you brought those up in that one. Thank you. Now Councilman Brown you're
recognized. Thank you Mayor. Ms. Manna. Ms. Manna without objection. Councilman Brown.
So back on those taxes most of those are county taxes that we're having to pay
county and city. So we have to pay ourselves also but part of that is taxes that we have to pay to
the to the county that doesn't make a circle. Absolutely correct. Yeah we have to pay both city
and county taxes on those properties. So the city taxes pretty much just almost washed themselves
out. Exactly because we bill it and we pay it. Right. So it's just the county taxes that is
Excess.
Correct.
All right.
Thank you.
You're welcome.
Thank you.
Thank you, Miss Manna.
Any more comment or question regarding this question of the Building and Facility Maintenance
Budget Amendment?
Seeing none, hearing none, are you ready to vote?
We're voting on just that one item to reduce the Building and Facility Maintenance Budget.
And remember, please cast your vote.
And remember, vote it.
And remember, wish to change their vote.
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
4-yes, 8-no, 0-ed-sane.
Motion fails.
We're now on the second question of reducing the billing and codes budget by $200, $1,352.
Any comment or question regarding that?
Councilman McLaughlin, you're recognized.
My comments from the previous attempt to cut the billing codes budget stand.
Thank you.
All right. Councilman Lovato. Any words for that? Okay. All right. We're now voting
on the question regarding the reduction of the bill in Codes Department budget. All
members, please cast your vote. Every member voted. Any member wish to change their vote?
Madam Clerk, please take the vote. For yes, eight no, zero abstain. Motion fails. We're now on
the amendment that has nothing in it, right, Mr. Bittner?
Yes.
Okay.
So it failed.
All right.
Councilman Lavado, you recognize additional amendments?
That's all.
Thank you.
All right.
That's all.
All right.
Any other amendments?
Seeing none, any other discussion regarding ordinance 97?
Councilman McLaughlin, you are recognized.
Thank you, Mayor.
I just need to make a statement that my husband is a city employee and that what I vote on the city general budget,
It's for the best interest of the citizens of Clarksville and not my family in a personal capacity.
Councilman Zacharias, you're recognized.
Thank you, Mayor.
Same thing, my son is a Parks and Rec employee, but I am to casting my vote based on what I think is in the best interest of the city.
Thank you.
Any other comment or question regarding ordinance 97 as amended?
Seeing none, hearing none, are you ready to vote all members?
Please cast your vote.
every member voted. Any member wish to change their vote?
Any member wish to change their vote? Madam Clerk, take the vote.
5 yes, 7 no, 0 abstained.
On its fails, we're now on the resolution 63, 2024, 25 resolution, accepting the public improvement program for fiscal years 26 through 2023, 2030, excuse me,
Compiled by the City of Clarkson,
reviewed by the Clarkson Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission.
We'll call on Mr. Tendell,
please sir, if you wouldn't mind.
Well, let me get a motion in a second first.
Motion been made in properly second.
Mr. Tendell, please.
Thank you mayor.
I was just confirming with Ms. Mata that even though the budget did not pass,
this is just your capital improvements program plan.
It is not hinged on the budget.
It is not influenced.
The budget is a planning tool.
Some cities, some counties, some jurisdictions around the country maybe have a local one cent sales tax or a capital bond that they did.
The city does not currently have that.
So our capital improvement plan that is presented from the city to the planning commission.
We reviewed it and we're sending it back to you.
It's been reviewed and accepted is a wish list for the next five years.
It gives the city a gauge of those projects that are on the more near term and on the longer term.
For instance, you had a set of funding of
10 or 100 million a year of capital projects, then you would plan out that further output. The way the city currently budgets, it's the projects that are most needed rise to the top annually, but this is a list of projects that we're not always calling for projects that's constantly evaluated every year. So we present that to you in the form of a resolution for planning purposes. All right. You've heard the explanation any comment or question? Are you ready to vote on resolution number 63? All members, please cast your vote.
but every member voted.
Any member wish to change their vote?
Madam Clerk, please take the vote.
11 yes, one no, zero abstain.
Resolution 63 is adopted.
Next item is public comment.
We allow three people five minutes each.
We wish to address the council.
We encourage you to come forward.
Please come forward.
Give us your name and you'll have five minutes.
Hi, my name is Kelly Snyder.
I have spent the last 25 years in the mental health field.
and I've been a licensed professional counselor
with mental health service provider designation since 2016.
Will you pull your microphone down just a little bit
so we can hear you?
Okay.
Thank you.
Is that a little better?
That's better.
All right.
I also specialize in trauma therapy.
Today I'm not standing here as a therapist.
And today I'm not just a voting citizen trying to talk to you.
I'm here as someone who has lived a lifetime surrounded by people who serve
and I felt the way they carry.
I've seen what stress trauma and less sacrifice due to a person's spirit
over time. I'm the proud wife of a firefighter 25 years by his side, 26. I'm also the stepmother,
a cousin, and niece of firefighters, and I'm a proud army brat. Service runs deep in my blood,
but so does the heartache that often follows it. I've spent a life surrounded by people who serve.
I've seen firsthand the toll that serving others, especially in high-risk, high-stress roles,
can take on someone's mind, body, and family.
It is not just professional for me, it is very personal.
I know what it means to live with someone who runs into danger for a living, and what
it looks like when they carry the weight of those calls into our home.
Let me share what it looks like here in Clarksville.
Last year, Clarksville firefighters responded to nearly 20,000 calls, according to CFR's
website, 19,851 to be exact, and despite what most people assume, only about 2% of those
were fires, over to 70% were medical emergencies. That means they're first on the scene for cardiac
arrests, car crashes, overdoses, suicides, and the unthinkable when children don't make
it. These calls don't disappear when the truck pulls away. They stay, they replay, and they
compound. Okay. Let me put this in human terms. You start your shift at eight, seven
thirty if you're doing the right thing. By nine you're already responding to a
car wreck. By nine thirty you're holding someone hand that they take their final
breath. Then like nothing happened you're expected to go back into a training that
the call interrupted or pick up the phone and talk to your child that you haven't
seen since bedtime last night and you won't see until the dinner tomorrow because
is after your shift, you have to go to your second job.
Not for extra spending money, we don't have that.
It's because we don't make enough to live comfortably.
This is what's different about Clarksville firefighters here.
They're expected to do more for less.
So our department seems underpaid compared to others in Tennessee.
You've seen the numbers, I'm not going to repeat them.
Most of our firefighters are raising families on government assistance.
you heard this renting instead of owning, commuting this long distances, working
second sometimes third jobs because their life-saving job doesn't pay
enough. What that means is they have no space to recover from what they're
experiencing. They have no time to process their trauma, they have no ability to
rest, no access to mental health care without the added stress of taking a day
off of that second or third job. As a therapist I can tell you this is
dangerous, dangerous formula. It's a recipe for burnout. It's a pipeline for
depression, anxiety, emotional numbness, insomnia, and worse suicide.
Nationally, more firefighters die by suicide in the line of duty. That alone
should stop us in our tracks. The metal load becomes unbearable. I've seen it in my
office and my kitchen table. They're silent suffering that they go through. They
don't want to be weak. They don't want to be seen as bringing the pain home. They
They hold it in, they push it down, they go on to the next shift, the next job, the next
birthday party.
You can only stack trauma so high before something cracks.
The weight doesn't stay at work, it follows them home.
It shows up in their sleep or their lack thereof, in their nightmares, their short tempers,
the distance from their families.
Chronic headaches, high blood pressure, physical exhaustion, that no amount of caffeine, can
fear or courage, can fix.
Over time that emotional burden doesn't just chip away at their well-being.
it erodes their entire quality of life.
Too often they're expected to carry that weight alone.
So even with all this pressure, our firefighters show up.
They've completed training hours.
They do maintenance work orders.
They do inspections.
They install smoke detectors because protecting
the city is personal to them.
Here's the truce.
We're running them into the ground.
We're exhausting their minds, their bodies,
their families, and then we're asking them for more.
So I'm here today not as a mental health professional alone, but someone who lives
this life beside them. Someone who watches the toll it takes and I want to ask you,
how long would you carry someone else's trauma before it broke you? Our firefighters
don't need more praise. They don't need another thank you for your service.
They need time to recover. They need time to go home and sleep to pay.
Sorry, your time is up. Thank you very much. Is there anyone else that wishes to
address the council, please come forward.
Ladies and gentlemen,
give us your name
and you have five minutes.
Hi, my name is Melissa Lindsay.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to speak today.
I'm a teacher and I'm a member of Clark's
Montgomery County Education Association.
And as a member of CMCA, I'm a part of the team
that collaborates teacher salaries with the school district.
I felt like to speak up about firefighter pay
because I see similarities between the professions.
where both underpaid public employees, even though we are vital to the community, and we're hard to replace.
One of the key components I addressed with the school district is the salary of teachers and surrounding counties.
When any of those counties raised teacher salaries, CMCSS also raises our salaries in order to stay competitive.
That's not happening in the city of Clarksville with firefighter raises.
Right now, our firefighters have their picket places where they could make higher salaries,
but they choose to stay here.
When I asked for the starting salary of firefighters, I was shocked to hear $43,000 in some change.
These brave men and women run into burning buildings.
They consult people who've lost their loved ones.
They carry teddy bears for children who've lost their family members and pets.
They try to sleep with visions that hopefully most of us will never have to see.
43,000 in subchange, and I understand that they're getting erased like other
public employees, but that raise will be approximately a hundred dollars a
month for those starting firefighters. It hasn't been long ago that
Clark's legitimacy was lauded as the best place to live in the country by
How can we say that we're one of the best places to live if we do not have the best public
services like the fire department and how can we have the best fire department and we
do not pay the best people to serve?
I listened to a firefighter the other day at a press conference.
She moved here like a lot of other people have moved Clarksville because she thought that
it would provide a better place to live, a better way to live.
to live in a safe area she and other firefighters have to have two jobs as we've just heard
sometimes three. Her family member had to drop out of college to help pay the bills.
They've had to sell many of their possessions. Well $100 a month allow that family member
to go back to college. I also ask what type of step pay plan firefighters had because
I hope that maybe the starting salary was low but that they had steady increases like teachers do.
Again, I was shocked to hear that they don't have a structured step pay plan.
Teachers have one because experience in the classroom is valued.
I'm a much better teacher than I was when I started 30 years ago and my experience is valued.
Our firefighters not valued for that same experience.
If your house gets on fire, would you not hope that firefighters putting out the blaze
had experience?
They don't get bonuses, they don't get education support.
If other cities can figure out how to pay their firefighters more, then why can't we?
I know that, you know, just in listening to all of you talk and try to cut money wherever
you can.
I understand to just a small degree after listening tonight how hard it is to find the
funds and I know that you want to do better and I know that you want to serve this community
to the best of your ability.
And so when I say these things I'm not trying to be critical of you as people.
I can't imagine I don't have to worry about the budget.
I don't know how to make the cuts but what I do know is that we're expecting firefighters
to give their lives but we cannot but we are not paying them enough to live and I think we can do better
Thank you
We have we have room for one more person wishes to address the council
Seeing none the purpose for which the special session the Clarkson City Council haven't been accomplished. I'll entertain a motion to adjourn
Without objection. We're adjourned
Sorry, so we're adjourned