"Main Street will be a catalyst in enhancing the image of our City," Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch said about the project. "This helps us attract new families. That results in more homes being purchased and encourages continued investment not only by our existing businesses, but new companies who have decided to come to Oak Ridge."

"This project represents the clear establishment of a central city for Oak Ridge by creating a new core gathering place to live and work," City Manager Mark Watson said.

The City's Youth Advisory Board, created in 1991, is also celebrating a milestone anniversary. The board serves as a liaison between the Oak Ridge City Council and the youth of the community. In the 25 years since its inception, the YAB has offered input on City issues and also provided activities and programs that enhance the lives of young people in Oak Ridge.

On Wednesday, August 3, the newly appointed members of the City of Oak Ridge Youth Advisory Board attended their first meeting of the 2016-2017 term of office. City staff liaison Matt Reedy conducted the meeting and Sandy Sexton of the City Clerk's office assisted the members through the swearing-in process. City Councilman Chuck Hope, who currently serves on the YAB Application Screening Panel, also attended the meeting to wish the students well on a new year.

YAB member and ORHS senior Brent Robinson was elected as YAB Chairman. In other elections, senior member Stella Powell was elected as Vice-Chair, senior Shreyank Patel was elected Treasurer, and junior Candace Pang was elected Secretary.

At a meeting on Wednesday, August 17, YAB members set annual goals and voted on continuing some of its most popular events including Graduation Celebration, Water Awareness and Dodgeball Tournaments, while also considering many new ideas.

"The discussion on goals is the most important discussion we have during the year," Reedy said. "Each YAB member will be given a chance to share an idea or dream for Oak Ridge and each of them will accept leadership responsibilities for at least  one program or event during the year. Board members will learn valuable skills through policy discussions, volunteering, event planning and partnership building which will be a benefit to them throughout their lives." 

YAB meetings are held twice per month on Wednesday afternoons at the Oak Ridge Civic Center and are open to the public. Board members serve a one-year term of office and must re-apply in May of each year.

If you have questions about the YAB, contact Matt Reedy at (865) 425-3442 or visit the City of Oak Ridge Recreation and Parks Department website.  

The Make Oak Ridge Energy Efficient  (MORE2) program will begin hosting classes aimed at educating homeowners on cost effective ways they can make energy-saving improvements to their homes.

Classes will be held in the Oak Ridge Civic Center Recreation Building from 5:30-6:30pm.  Attendees will get an overview of the MORE2 program and how to register as well as a look at ways to lower energy consumption at zero cost to the homeowner. It will also cover "invisible" areas of the home that may need energy efficiency upgrades.

Before

After

(Click here to see more before and after photos...)

Those interested in applying can bring the following items with them to the class:

A schedule of upcoming MORE2 classes and public meetings can be found online. Walk-ins are welcome, but registration is also available on the website.

Need help with a resume? Veteran Services? GED Services? The Career Coach, sponsored by the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, will be coming to the Oak Ridge Public Library parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Thursday, September 15.  Come by anytime during those hours and receive job assistance. 

With access to their state-of-the-art computer workstations and well-trained team, you can successfully navigate online job searching and get on track to find the job you want. 

For more information on the Career Coach, check out their website or find them on Facebook.

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The City of Oak Ridge would like to remind citizens that the deadline to pay taxes without penalty is August 31st. 

With this date quickly approaching, we encourage you to stop by the business office to pay your taxes directly. You can do so between the hours of 8am and 5pm or you can drop them in the night depository located outside the building at 200 S. Tulane Avenue. 

Payment by credit card is also accepted at the counter and on the City's website . A 3% convenience fee is assessed to all credit card transactions to offset the cost of the program.

 

City staff cautions that a relatively small number of property owners may not receive a tax notice. There are several reasons why this may happen. For example, by law, property tax bills are mailed to the owner of record as of January 1st; if the property has changed ownership since that date, the new owner may not receive the notice. Failure to receive notice may also be attributed to address changes and delivery issues.

 

Regardless of the ability of the Utility Business Office to deliver the notice, it is still the responsibility of the property owner to make the payment in a timely manner. If someone has not received a tax bill by now, they should contact the City's Utility Business Office immediately.

 

Unfortunately, Tennessee State Law is very restrictive and there is little that can be done to help someone who did not receive a notice or who received it late. The last day to make tax payments without penalty is August 31st. Penalties start to accrue on September 1st, 2016.

 

If you have questions or concerns regarding your tax bill, please contact the tax specialist at (865) 425-3404.