Comments on: Upcoming City Council business http://ellensmith.org/blog/2009/04/05/upcoming-city-council-business/ I'm Ellen Smith, member of the Oak Ridge City Council. Thank you for visiting my blog and reading my views on public and private life in and around Oak Ridge, Tennessee. This website is my own; content here does not represent the official policies or views of the City of Oak Ridge. To add your own comments, click on the topic title to open a comment box. To read posts about a particular topic, scroll down to "Categories" (in the sidebar) or use the "Search" box in the sidebar. Look under "Archives" to see collections of past posts organized by date. Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:38:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: CrackerNation http://ellensmith.org/blog/2009/04/05/upcoming-city-council-business/comment-page-1/#comment-38942 CrackerNation Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:09:23 +0000 http://ellensmith.org/blog/?p=161#comment-38942 Do we have any other multi-year contracts? Do we have any other multi-year contracts?

]]> By: Ellen Smith http://ellensmith.org/blog/2009/04/05/upcoming-city-council-business/comment-page-1/#comment-38938 Ellen Smith Wed, 22 Apr 2009 23:52:56 +0000 http://ellensmith.org/blog/?p=161#comment-38938 CN: Particularly in today's current uncertain climate, I don't think it makes sense to enter into a contract with the Chamber that runs longer than the city's budget cycle for its own programs. CN: Particularly in today’s current uncertain climate, I don’t think it makes sense to enter into a contract with the Chamber that runs longer than the city’s budget cycle for its own programs.

]]> By: CrackerNation http://ellensmith.org/blog/2009/04/05/upcoming-city-council-business/comment-page-1/#comment-38935 CrackerNation Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:25:02 +0000 http://ellensmith.org/blog/?p=161#comment-38935 Ellen, how can you possibly know whether a one year or a three year (or some other period) could be better for the city without knowing the term of those contracts? Ellen, how can you possibly know whether a one year or a three year (or some other period) could be better for the city without knowing the term of those contracts?

]]> By: LEROY GILLIAM http://ellensmith.org/blog/2009/04/05/upcoming-city-council-business/comment-page-1/#comment-38934 LEROY GILLIAM Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:04:41 +0000 http://ellensmith.org/blog/?p=161#comment-38934 I ATTEMPTED TO SAY "THATIS WHAT THE CHAMBER DOES THEY GET SOMEONE TO SPREAD UN TRUTHS BUT THEY DO NOT QUANTIFY WHAT THEY SAY– THE NEW HALLMARK APTS ARE STILL UNFILLED AND WHILE DRIVING AROUND I SAW SIGNS ADVERTISING TELLER VILLAGE APTS FOR RENT. UNLESS THIS IS REFERING TO SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER BEEN BUILT IN OAK RIDGE. I ATTEMPTED TO SAY “THATIS WHAT THE CHAMBER DOES THEY GET SOMEONE TO SPREAD UN TRUTHS BUT THEY DO NOT QUANTIFY WHAT THEY SAY– THE NEW HALLMARK APTS ARE STILL UNFILLED AND WHILE DRIVING AROUND I SAW SIGNS ADVERTISING TELLER VILLAGE APTS FOR RENT. UNLESS THIS IS REFERING TO
SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER BEEN BUILT IN OAK RIDGE.

]]> By: LEROY GILLIAM http://ellensmith.org/blog/2009/04/05/upcoming-city-council-business/comment-page-1/#comment-38933 LEROY GILLIAM Wed, 22 Apr 2009 13:01:03 +0000 http://ellensmith.org/blog/?p=161#comment-38933 I WAS READING ABOUT HOW THE CHAMBER HAD BROUGHT A PERSON THAT SUPPOSED KNOWS OAK RIDGES DIRECTION QUOTE BY Whitephrog What Kibben said was that 95% of the 'market rate' apartments in Oak Ridge were occupied. ############################# THAT WHAT THE DOES THEY GET SOMEONE TO SPREAD IN TRUTHS THAT DO QUANTIFY WHAT THEY SAY-- THE NEW HALLMARK APTS ARE STILL UNFILLED AND WHILE DRIVING AROUND I SAW SIGNS ADVERTISING TELLER VILLAGE APTS FOR RENT. UNLESS THIS IS REFERING TO SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER BEEN BUILT IN OAK RIDGE. I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE OTHER APT COMPLEXES WAS ADVERTISING FOR RENTERS. COULD IT BE THAT THE UP COMING YOUTH HAVE DO ESTABLISHED WEALTH----- AND OAK RIDGE WANTS TO RUN SENIORS AWAY. THERE MAYBE SOME EMPTY HOUSES BE THE SENIORS ARE FIXING UP THERE PRESENT DWELLINGS. I WAS READING ABOUT HOW THE CHAMBER HAD BROUGHT A
PERSON THAT SUPPOSED KNOWS OAK RIDGES DIRECTION

QUOTE BY Whitephrog
What Kibben said was that 95% of the ‘market rate’ apartments in Oak Ridge were occupied.
#############################

THAT WHAT THE DOES THEY GET SOMEONE TO SPREAD IN TRUTHS THAT DO QUANTIFY WHAT THEY SAY– THE NEW HALLMARK APTS ARE STILL UNFILLED AND WHILE DRIVING AROUND I SAW SIGNS ADVERTISING TELLER VILLAGE APTS FOR RENT. UNLESS THIS IS REFERING TO
SOMETHING THAT HAS NEVER BEEN BUILT IN OAK RIDGE.

I NOTICED THAT ONE OF THE OTHER APT COMPLEXES WAS ADVERTISING FOR RENTERS.

COULD IT BE THAT THE UP COMING YOUTH HAVE DO ESTABLISHED WEALTH—– AND OAK RIDGE WANTS TO RUN SENIORS AWAY. THERE MAYBE SOME EMPTY HOUSES
BE THE SENIORS ARE FIXING UP THERE PRESENT DWELLINGS.

]]> By: Ellen Smith http://ellensmith.org/blog/2009/04/05/upcoming-city-council-business/comment-page-1/#comment-38929 Ellen Smith Mon, 20 Apr 2009 21:57:08 +0000 http://ellensmith.org/blog/?p=161#comment-38929 Yes, Ray: The Anne Garcia Garland who posted above is the same Anne Garcia Garland who is running for City Council. The city manager's contract is a public document. I believe the current contract is included in the <a href="http://www.cortn.org/government/HOME/2-Information/94-current-agendas" rel="nofollow">online agenda package</a> for the July 2008 City Council meeting (if not in that meeting's agenda package, try the packets for the June and August meetings). Yes, Ray: The Anne Garcia Garland who posted above is the same Anne Garcia Garland who is running for City Council.

The city manager’s contract is a public document. I believe the current contract is included in the online agenda package for the July 2008 City Council meeting (if not in that meeting’s agenda package, try the packets for the June and August meetings).

]]> By: Ray Kircher http://ellensmith.org/blog/2009/04/05/upcoming-city-council-business/comment-page-1/#comment-38927 Ray Kircher Mon, 20 Apr 2009 15:41:15 +0000 http://ellensmith.org/blog/?p=161#comment-38927 Mrs. Smith, where can a current contract for city manager be found? It seems to me our city manager is giving employment to the chamber. Will citizens be required to give benefits to those of the business association who have contracts eerily similar to our city manager? Mrs. Garland, would clear contracts solve the problem of the chamber? The problem I see is the overwhelming amount of money put into the chamber. If greed is contagious, I can see where the chamber gets it being on adjacent property with the high school. The chamber should have a competitor to bring down prices, or at best have the city boards and committees work more with an influx of funds diverted from the chamber. In addition, it is enlightening to hear a Chamber of Commerce member say yearly contracts is all that is needed to perform. Mrs. Garland, are you the same Anne Garcia Garland running for city council? Mrs. Smith, where can a current contract for city manager be found?

It seems to me our city manager is giving employment to the chamber. Will citizens be required to give benefits to those of the business association who have contracts eerily similar to our city manager?

Mrs. Garland, would clear contracts solve the problem of the chamber? The problem I see is the overwhelming amount of money put into the chamber. If greed is contagious, I can see where the chamber gets it being on adjacent property with the high school. The chamber should have a competitor to bring down prices, or at best have the city boards and committees work more with an influx of funds diverted from the chamber. In addition, it is enlightening to hear a Chamber of Commerce member say yearly contracts is all that is needed to perform.

Mrs. Garland, are you the same Anne Garcia Garland running for city council?

]]> By: Ellen Smith http://ellensmith.org/blog/2009/04/05/upcoming-city-council-business/comment-page-1/#comment-38925 Ellen Smith Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:32:25 +0000 http://ellensmith.org/blog/?p=161#comment-38925 I don't think the City should negotiate a long-term contract, but I have a hunch that other Council members may not agree with me. I don’t think the City should negotiate a long-term contract, but I have a hunch that other Council members may not agree with me.

]]> By: LEROY GILLIAM http://ellensmith.org/blog/2009/04/05/upcoming-city-council-business/comment-page-1/#comment-38922 LEROY GILLIAM Sun, 19 Apr 2009 20:45:40 +0000 http://ellensmith.org/blog/?p=161#comment-38922 SHOULD THE CITY COUNCIL BE WRITING LONG TERM CONTRACTS WITH THE CHAMBER SINCE THE CITIZENS DO NOT GET A 30% DISCOUNT ON SUCH COMMITMENTS. AND BESIDES THAT IS WOULD BE A DISADVANTAGE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO NEGOTIATE LONG TERM CONTRACTS SINCE THE VARIABLES MAY CHANGE OR DECREASE?? SHOULD THE CITY COUNCIL BE WRITING LONG TERM CONTRACTS WITH THE CHAMBER SINCE THE CITIZENS DO NOT GET A 30% DISCOUNT ON SUCH COMMITMENTS. AND
BESIDES THAT IS WOULD BE A DISADVANTAGE FOR THE CITY COUNCIL TO NEGOTIATE LONG TERM CONTRACTS SINCE THE VARIABLES MAY CHANGE OR DECREASE??

]]> By: Ellen Smith http://ellensmith.org/blog/2009/04/05/upcoming-city-council-business/comment-page-1/#comment-38917 Ellen Smith Sat, 18 Apr 2009 14:16:18 +0000 http://ellensmith.org/blog/?p=161#comment-38917 Thanks to Stan for setting the record straight on the Chamber and its budget. As I understand it, the Oak Ridge Economic Partnership is the organization's industrial recruitment arm and is separate because it needs a different status under the IRS regulations for nonprofits (there are many different categories of "nonprofits", all subject to different rules). Regardless of the Chamber's budget and the sources of its funding, City funding is not supposed to be provided to subsidize the Chamber, but is supposed to pay for services that the Chamber and Economic Partnership is better equipped than the City government to provide. As Anne G.'s comment indicates, this needs to be treated as a contract (not a grant or a subsidy). The current contract actually includes some detailed metrics. However, some of those metrics don't obviously serve City needs, but were included (according to Chamber leadership) to reassure members that the City shares the Chamber members' goals. Also, it was discovered after the fact that some of the required metrics were extremely difficult to calculate (because the required data don't exist), so those metrics are creating a lot of work for the Chamber staff without necessarily assuring a benefit to the City. I hope we can obtain a revised contract that is clearly tied to public objectives, has a duration tied to the city's annual budget cycle (not longer), and is treated as a contract (with specific expectations) rather than as a grant-in-aid. Thanks to Stan for setting the record straight on the Chamber and its budget. As I understand it, the Oak Ridge Economic Partnership is the organization’s industrial recruitment arm and is separate because it needs a different status under the IRS regulations for nonprofits (there are many different categories of “nonprofits”, all subject to different rules).

Regardless of the Chamber’s budget and the sources of its funding, City funding is not supposed to be provided to subsidize the Chamber, but is supposed to pay for services that the Chamber and Economic Partnership is better equipped than the City government to provide.

As Anne G.’s comment indicates, this needs to be treated as a contract (not a grant or a subsidy). The current contract actually includes some detailed metrics. However, some of those metrics don’t obviously serve City needs, but were included (according to Chamber leadership) to reassure members that the City shares the Chamber members’ goals. Also, it was discovered after the fact that some of the required metrics were extremely difficult to calculate (because the required data don’t exist), so those metrics are creating a lot of work for the Chamber staff without necessarily assuring a benefit to the City.

I hope we can obtain a revised contract that is clearly tied to public objectives, has a duration tied to the city’s annual budget cycle (not longer), and is treated as a contract (with specific expectations) rather than as a grant-in-aid.

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