#BREAKING: In a resignation letter today from embattled Roxy Regional Theatre Director Ryan Bowie, he details reasons he says he must quit, including his professional headshot being displayed “amid convicts.” As he resigns, he makes demands for a lump sum payment of the remainder of his yearly salary, a severance package, full health insurance, and a retirement package…
Tag: Joe Pitts
Lights out for the city’s Roxy Parking Lot – who controls the switch?
Hours after the Clarksville City Council voted not to re-appoint Ryan Bowie, the embattled director of the Roxy Regional Theatre, to the city’s parking commission, the lights went out on the city’s Roxy parking lot – used by hundreds of downtown patrons. The lights, which sit atop the Roxy Theatre, have been dark for weeks now, and the city has refused to comment on the situation or if it’s a direct result of the standoff with Bowie, who reportedly has control of the lighting.
Clarksville Police Announce Department Promotions
The Clarksville Police Department held a promotion ceremony at Freedom Point located in Liberty Park on Monday. Agent Jason Smock, Detective Brittany Hubbard, Dispatcher Samantha Jenkins, and Officers Cody Heath, Casey Headley, Kristen Ashford, Joshua Clegg, and Matthew Roederer all received promotions within the department.
CLOSED: Miss Ashley’s Tearoom ordered to close by State Department of Health
#BREAKING: A Clarksville restaurant that has been operating illegally in Stacey Steetman’s 10th Ward for nearly a year was closed today by order of the State on Friday afternoon. The restaurant, which was operated by Anissa Finney-Gold under the name “Miss Ashley’s Tearoom” was in a nondescript residential home, in the middle of a neighborhood, with 100% residential zoning on the property. The residential kitchen, which functioned as a commercial kitchen selling to-go orders for pick-up/curbside, DoorDash, GrubHub, and other delivery services had never been inspected by the state, as it’s illegal to have a commercial kitchen in those conditions.
Conditions which some delivery drivers reported as being “filled with pets”, primarily cats. According to state, county, and city records, there was no business or tax license on file, and no tax was being paid to the government, despite it being collected by the business. Multiple agencies have now confirmed open investigations into the operations of the business. #developing
Clarksville recognizes 130 employees during annual “Cause for Applause” event
This year, Mayor Pitts received 130 recognition nominations from the department heads, consisting of 65 Shining Stars and 65 Rising Stars. The Employee of the Year award went to Willie Scott, from the Clarksville Street Department.
Clarksville is holding a listening session about parking — but they didn’t invite anyone to attend
Just before 4 p.m. Monday, the City of Clarksville quietly added a meeting to the events calendar for Tuesday at 5 p.m. — a “listening session” where they want to hear input from the public about the downtown parking options, except they didn’t tell anyone. In fact, at least one parking commission member was caught off-guard about the timing, as it happens at the same time the Mayor and one commission member have to be inside the City Council chambers for their own meeting.
So on Tuesday, at 5 p.m. the Mayor’s Parking commission will hold a listening session to decide the public’s input on parking, but the Mayor nor some of the commission will be in attendance, and they hope you won’t either, because they made no formal notice or announcement, despite promises from Parking Director Michael Palmore there would be a public outreach campaign to notify the public of the meeting, as he stated during a conversation last week when discussing the listening session.
Clarksville Parking Commissioner asks reporter to stop recording public meeting during controversial topic
During last week’s meeting of the City of Clarksville Parking Commission, Commission member Andrea Herrera asked a reporter to stop recording a portion of the public meeting, in violation of the state’s open meeting act, which allows for all portions of a meeting to be viewed, accessed, and recorded as a matter of public record. Herrera also asked for a special parking exception to be made for one of her employees, which seems to be a direct conflict of interest to her new role, and was visibly upset when the other commissioners didn’t necessarily accommodate her.
Addition of ParkMobile app allows almost-free downtown parking — The city’s new nightmare
Thanks to the addition of the ParkMobile app to the existing parking meter infrastructure, and the fact that the two systems can’t communicate – you can park downtown in a metered space for as little as $2 for the entire day — and there’s nothing the city can do to stop it without removing either “1st-hour free parking” or getting rid of the ParkMobile app. Here’s how… and you never even have to leave your office, workplace, or downtown home, thanks to the app.
City says it will accept & keep payments made during free parking times; won’t disable app
In response to an inquiry from Clarksville Today, Clarksville Parking Manager Michael Palmore says the city will not disable the new ParkMobile app (which is now used to pay for downtown parking) during city regulated ‘free parking’ hours on evenings, nights, and weekends. Palmore stated he doesn’t want visitors to “get comfortable with free parking” and if they pay during “free parking time” without knowing the rules, the city will simply pocket the money.
Palmore added that “anyone who has paid [on nights/weekends] is probably a visitor”. There are no clear signs posted about free parking on nights/weekends when using the new app, and it sends reminders during free periods that payment is required.
Free downtown parking in December
Throughout the month of December, the City of Clarksville will waive all downtown parking fees every Friday for metered and City-managed garage parking to promote shopping local during the holiday season.
