Clinton residents will have the opportunity to weigh in on proposed zoning changes and the city’s budget during a public hearing on Monday, June 23.
The Clinton City Council will hold a public hearing at 5:30 p.m. that day at Clinton City Hall, 100 N. Bowling St.
The hearing, which is prior to the council’s regular meeting, will cover a proposed zoning ordinance and the city’s budget for the coming fiscal year. Members of the public are encouraged to attend and speak.
Zoning changes
The proposed zoning ordinance would allow new uses — including multifamily housing — in areas zoned as “Interstate Business District.”
City Planner Preston Stokes said the zoning district is near the interstate, primarily to the north of the city along North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard.
If approved, the ordinance would permit multifamily dwellings, such as apartment buildings with five or more contiguous units. However, such developments would require special exception approval from the Clinton Planning Commission and could not face or have primary access to arterial roads like North Charles G. Seivers Boulevard.
Observers packed the meeting room for Monday night’s Norris City Council meeting, many of them there to protest a proposed resolution that would have allowed the Norris Police Department to be certified to help the U.S. Immigration and Customs Service in its efforts to fight illegal immigration. - G. Chambers Williams III
The Norris Police Department, at least for now, will not be authorized to assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, in its duties of enforcing federal laws regarding illegal immigration, after the City Council on Monday night declined to consider a resolution that would have allowed such assistance.
At the beginning of the council’s June meeting, during the period in which the council approves the agenda as submitted by city staff, Mayor Chris Mitchell made a motion to remove consideration of Resolution 22-2025 from the agenda.
That measure, if approved, would “authorize the Mayor and the City Manager, on behalf of the City, to enter into a Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), as a participating United States government agency, to provide for operational assistance pertaining to enforcement of laws to combat illegal immigration … ”
Mitchell said he felt that such a proposal would need to be presented by the chief of police and discussed in a workshop meeting if the council were to consider it, but he also said that he was not in favor of even holding a workshop on the issue.
A Waste Connections crew collects recyclables on West Circle Road in Norris on Tuesday (June 10). This service will be discontinued as of July 1. - G. Chambers Williams III
The pickup of recycling items will end in Norris on July 1, along with most back-door trash pickup, under a new refuse-collection ordinance approved on second and final reading Monday night by the City Council.
The city has entered into a new contract with Waste Connections Inc. that makes those changes, and reduces the refuse-collection fee to $15 a month from the current $16.
As the refuse ordinance is written, residential recycling pickup will be discontinued completely, and regular trash pickup will be changed to curbside service only, except in the case of disabled people who qualify for back-door pickup.
The council approved the ordinance on first reading, along with a new contract with Waste Connections, during its regular meeting May 12.
In its bid to continue its refuse collection service to Norris earlier this year, Waste Collections declined to offer the back-door trash pickup service that Norris residents have enjoyed for years.
The city of Clinton has given instructions to help residents work with the garbage trucks’ automated arms.
All residents should place waste-collection bins at least five feet away from any other objects — including vehicles, mailboxes, fences, utility poles and other bins.
“Placing bins too close to other objects can prevent the truck’s automated arm from safely lifting and emptying the bin. This can result in your bin being skipped for service,” the city stated in an official announcement.
Problems with the automated arms have caused complaints, which the City Council has discussed over several meetings.
City Manger Roger Houck said the complaints had “decreased considerably” in May, during which time the city gave the instructions. Houck called the automated arms “more efficient,” adding they can pick up on average 100 cans per hour.
The city and its contractor Waste Connections have updated its collection dates and routes this June to better reflect Clinton’s growing and shifting population.
A schedule and map are on the city’s Facebook page. Houck said thwy are the first changes in routes since 1997.
Contact Waste Connections at 865-482-3656 or wasteconnections.com if you have additional questions.
ReVIDA Recovery Center is opening a new location inside Munsey’s Pharmacy at 106 Administration Road in Oak Ridge.
It held a ribbon cutting on Tuesday, June 10 from 11:30 to noon.
The company treats patients trying to overcome addiction to various opioids.
The company accepts TennCare and several private insurance varieties. You can reach the Oak Ridge location by calling 865-326-5760.
Green McAdoo Center concert June 14
Green McAdoo Cultural Center will have live performances from Jorden Albright and J. Bush, artwork and food at 6 p.m. June 14 at 101 School Street in Clinton.
Chambers hosing ribbon cuttings
UBS, United Branding Supply, will have a ribbon cutting at 11 a.m. Friday, June 13, at 714 North Charles Seivers Boulevard.
F.A.T.S. BBQ will have a ribbon-cutting ceremony from 1 until 1:30 on Friday, June 13 at 336 East Tennessee Avenue in Oak Ridge.
Stephen Woodward, foster parent recruitment and engagement specialist for Youth Villages, receives a proclamation from Anderson County Mayor Terry Frank, center, and Commission Vice Chair Shelly Vandagriff. - Ben Pounds
Amid a time of great need, the organization Youth Villages is looking for people to foster children in Anderson County.
Stephen Woodward, foster parent recruiting and engagement specialist for the organization, spoke of the need for foster parents in Anderson County, and how to become one through his organization during a May 29 meeting at the Anderson County Senior Center.
“We like to say it just takes one caring adult to change a child’s life, and you can be that caring adult,” he said.
He said more than 100 children from the county are in state custody. There are, however, only 45 open foster homes. Only 16% of the foster kids are staying in Anderson County.
His organization trains people to be foster parents for varying amounts of time and sets them up with children and teenagers.
Woodward said it was a misconception that all foster children misbehave.
“They are just some of the sweetest little kids,” he said. “Like your fingerprints, every child is different.”
