CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Riverview Inn was packed Thursday as over 300 local community leaders turned out to hear Clarksville Mayor Kim McMillan and Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett speak at the Clarksville Area Chamber of Commerce Power Breakfast.
Mayor McMillan first mentioned public safety and the Clarksville Police Department’s new North Precinct on Cunningham Lane. She also talked about new units like the Clergy Rapid Mobilization Team and Gang intelligence Unit.
She said the Clarksville Police Department is the best trained, most successful, and most professional police department in Tennessee if not the country. McMillan added that the low crime stats and the high rate of solved crimes confirms it.
Also on public safety, the Mayor talked about the new Clarksville Fire Rescue Station 12 in the Industrial Park and said construction is expected to begin soon on Fire Station 11 on Tyler Town Road. With the new fire stations, response time throughout the city will be improved.
The Mayor said Clarksville homeowners can be excited because Clarksville Fire Rescue has received an ISO rating of 2, which is the second highest rating in the state. The importance of being rated as a 2 means Clarksville homeowners will receive better rates on their homeowners insurance.
McMillan talked about the importance of the Power Breakfast. “I think the Power Breakfast is a wonderful opportunity for both mayors to be able to share the accomplishments and the successes and the paths forward with the public because it’s their government”, McMillan said.
Montgomery County Mayor Jim Durrett was next to take the podium to talk about some of the things that have been going on in Montgomery County and what new things there is hope for in the near future.
The proposed civic plaza, in the block surrounded by Main, 2nd, Legion and 3rd Streets downtown is one of the major projects being taken up by the county. Durrett said the process of acquiring the property is currently underway.
A civic plaza committee has been formed and work on the site could start this fall. An arena, event or conference center was also on Mayor Durrett’s mind when he commented on the community becoming a “big boy now” and saying and we “need to start acting like it.”
The possibility of budget cuts and sequestration affecting Fort Campbell took front row for Mayor Durrett. He spoke with pride about last year’s listening session on Post with the Department of Defense which was attended by more local residents than any of the other sessions held throughout the country.
The new RichEllen Park on Highway 149, the Veterans Network of Care online at www.mcgtnvet.org and a downtown Tax Increment Financing (TIF) district to help develop growth downtown were also mentioned as highlights of Montgomery County.
After the breakfast Durrett commented on Montgomery County. “It’s a lot going on and I’m awfully proud of it. I can’t take credit for all of it, we’re just trying to move it forward whatever it is,” he said.
When it came to business and industrial development, both McMillan and Durrett shared their excitement about what the new Hankook Tire plant and the recent announcement of Google’s global data center will mean to both Clarksville and Montgomery County.