Written by Brian Zacharias
Clarksville City Council – Ward 1
Clarksville, TN – I hope this newsletter finds everyone well. I’m sorry that it has been so long since I’ve sent out a newsletter.
I was out of town for a week during spring break and then underwent a minor outpatient procedure that kept me out of the loop for a few days.
Congratulations Councilman Shakeenab!
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Councilman Joe Shakeenab on his appointment to fill the vacancy resulting from Ashlee Evans’ resignation. Councilman Shakeenab brings a wealth of knowledge and a distinguished history of working for the citizens of Clarksville and I look forward to working with him in the future.
March 31st Executive Session
100-2021-22 – Amending the Zoning Ordinance and Map of the City of Clarksville for Zone Change on property located at the intersection of Needmore Rd. & E. Boy Scout Road from R-1 Single Family Residential to R-6. Single Family Residential.
101-2021-22 – Amending the Zoning Ordinance and Map of the City of Clarksville on property located at the intersection of Ford St. & Carpenter St. from R-3 Three Family Residential District to R-6 Single Family Residential District.
Both of these ordinances are in areas where I have consistently voted against rezoning applications that would bring additional density. Ordinance 100-2021-22 would allow for additional medium-density housing on E. Boy Scout Road. It is interesting to note that this particular parcel was part of a different zoning application that came to the city council in November and passed the second reading in December, despite heavy opposition from the other residents on the road.
This part of the property was rezoned from AG to R-1 in December and now the developer is trying asking to go from R-1 to R-6, a zoning designation that is meant for high-density residential development. I am opposed to the development on Needmore and its feeder roads until the planned road improvements are complete.
Ordinance 101-2021-2 is a bit different. While the R-6 zoning designation is an infill zoning designation, the number of people it puts in an area is very similar to the number of people that would live in an area zoned R-3. Though I normally vote against rezoning applications that bring additional density to this area in particular, the difference between the number of residents in an R-3 and an R-6 zoned area is negligible.
In addition to the zoning cases, the city council is also being presented with a new budget ordinance after the last one failed over concerns about the funding of a new parking garage downtown. The new budget ordinance includes funding for much-needed repairs to the existing garage, as well as funding for repairs for other city-owned property.
You can view the entire agenda from last week’s meeting using the button below.
Month of the Military Child
Calling all military children, past and present! The City of Clarksville would like to invite all military children for a Month of the Military Child event the City is hosting on Saturday, April 9th, at City Hall, from 10:00am to 2:00pm to recognize and honor the sacrifices military children make to our nation.
The event, which includes a sponsorship from USO Fort Campbell, will feature over ten fun, kid-friendly events eagerly organized by specific City departments, said City Clerk and event lead organizer Lisa Canfield. There will be a bounce house, shaved ice, fire trucks, and more fun for the whole family.
This event is free to attend, but we encourage our military families to sign up via Eventbrite at https://bit.ly/3tKQXYU
The registration gives City staff an estimated number of how many goodies to attain since this is the first time the City is hosting this event.
My fellow city council members and I hope to see you there!
Comprehensive Plan Community Questionnaire
The Regional Planning Commission (RPC) wants to hear from you! This is your opportunity to influence the future of our city. The RPC is in the process of creating a Comprehensive Plan for future growth and development of Clarksville.
The Comprehensive Plan will outline the existing conditions of Clarksville-Montgomery County, describe future goals and objectives for development, and include an action plan on how to achieve these goals and objectives. Please take the time to fill out this survey!
Voter Registration
The Ward 1 election cycle falls during mid-term elections, which historically seels lower voter turn-out than elections where people have the opportunity to vote for the president. The last time the residents of Ward 1 voted for their city council representative, 956 voters chose the representative for a ward of almost 12,000 residents.
The State of Tennessee has made it very easy to register to vote online, either through its GoVote TN website or through the GoVoteTN app on your smartphone. Click the button below to visit the GoVoteTN webside, or search Apple’s App Store (iPhone) or Google Play (Android) for the GoVoteTN app. The process takes less than 10 minutes and guarantees your voice is heard in upcoming elections!
Schedule an Appointment
I want to hear from you. My phone number and email address are public, but I am learning that there are times when a face-to-face meeting would be more appropriate, depending on the issue. If you would like to discuss an issue facing Ward 1 or Clarksville in general, please use the form linked below and we can schedule a meeting. I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible!
Past and Future Votes
Transparency in government, especially local government, is extremely important to me. At any time, anyone can click the ‘Votes’ button to see my complete voting history as well as ordinances and resolutions on the City Council’s agenda for consideration in upcoming meetings.
What Has Your Councilman Been Doing?
March 3rd – City Council Regular Session
March 21st – Neighborhood & Community Services Committee Meeting
March 29th – Finance Committee Meeting
March 21st – City Council Executive Session
What Is Your Councilman Going To Be Doing?
April 7th – City Council Regular Session
April 9th – Month of the Military Child Celebration
April 9th – Habitat for Humanity Home Dedication Ceremony
April 11th – Neighborhood & Community Services Committee Meeting
April 28th – City Council Executive Session
April 30th – Great American Cleanup – Montgomery County
