Portland, Tennessee Blog

I just have to make a comment that regarding what someone wrote about there being so many clicks here in Portland. I am in total agreement. We moved here 4 years ago from Florida, you know where everyone is accepted, and it has been difficult ever since. Even own family members are guilty of slamming a persons reputation even before the moving van is unloaded. It has taken over 4 years, but my family and I have seemed to make a footprint here finally. It is just a shame, because I know how new people feel comming into this community.

I am shocked....appauled and actually saddened by the comments about the Health Dept. My family moved here 5 years ago, from New York....because we wanted a family based, growing community for our children to Graduate from. I have found not much from Portland in the way of what I mentioned. We have found a "very clicky" town. We have found, or believe if you weren't born and raised here...your not likely to be wanted here. We, as a community, have New Businesses willing to take a chance on Portland, and yet what do we give back. Yes, we want the money here, but not necessarily the folks who come with it. The Health Dept. is a MUCH NEEDED priority here. We should be thankful that the property was donated for this need. No matter where it sits, someone will not like it. As a community...we should be humbled. Knowing that we all (including my family) have a tendency to look at others differently. This Business will generate Healthier and Happier Families. Families in need, in crises and at times teens in confusion. We were not ashamed to take the beautiful homes on 109 and turn them into profit...so now when New folks come to Portland looking for a Home...they see how we have defaced that area. I am proud to be from Tennessee, not always Portland. Maybe I view things very differently from folks that have been here a lifetime. I have had an opportunity to meet some wonderful people here in Portland...one's that want the community to grown, not only as a profitable Portland, but to be a geniune good city. Maybe when planning on building the new and upcoming businesses, in the past few years, a vote should have been passed to only be allowed in one area. Think about that,this business will provide a service to our community, not only Doctors & Nurses with degrees. It will also provide short term contractors, long term Receptionists, Maintainence, and other non-skilled laborers. I applaud all who say...Build where it is feesable, Build where it is needed. Shame on those who say Don't Build in an area where it might be too High Classed.

A lot of you have gotten the wrong idea on this topic from I have wrote. A sore subject for must it seems. I did not mean to offend anyone. Enough said....

Frustrating to read the comments posted and the articles in todays papers.

Strawberry Street? Ewing Drive? I am tired of hearing that preference to ANY issues are based on WHO YOU ARE or HOW MUCH SOMEONE EARNS. I live in a 1200 sq ft house with as much love and happiness as any home on Ewing Drive, Strawberry Street or Goodtown, USA can hold that is affordable for me and my family. I have a significant investment there and am proud to call it my home. The location of the Health Department from what I have read is a location that already allowed for health facilities prior to the development of Ewing Drive and the people who purchased homes across the street should have possibly looked into this before making such a substantial investment if they had a concern on what could potentially happen to undeveloped land surrounding them. A Health Department is a health facility and our town needs this facility. I read in the paper that "safety" was a concern for the residents. Poor people does not equate to theives and other undesirable acts of crime. If the statistic were pulled for the mix of people that use this facility...the majority are probably going to be senior citizens. Now one more thing it should not matter where you live Ewing Drive or Strawberry Street...Bratton said it best lets get standards that apply to everyone and make it clear up front what they are so the city can require a certain look for buildings. If you haven't read the Progressive today do. There is an article on the front page and also one on the second page that addresses these issues. Thank you Mr. Bratton for identifying the need to apply this to the overall City and not to the folks that feel like they deserve more because they live in an "upscale" home...we all deserve to look at nice commercial buildings.

Jazzy3-- I also agree with you regarding Strawberry Street. Except- there a couple of houses that older people live in, and have lived there for 40+ years. Those are also the people that I feel sorry for.

Judy--- YOU GO GIRL!!!! I agree with everything you just said!

Strawberry St...Are you kidding??!! I won't even go down that street by myself and you want a health dept placed there?? Give me a break!!

Let's face it. Strawberry St is in one of the worst neighborhoods in Portland. Just read the police reports every week in the Progressive. I don't think that is a place that parents need to be taking their children. I feel for the children that have to live there.

Michelle - I went out to my older computer with MS Office professional XP Word and pulled up the file and it read just fine, must be just some sort of glitch with word2007 that causes the font change.

Jason - You noted that the health department should of been built on Strawberry Street, Give me a break, I guess now we need to define areas of town where businesses can go based on the dollar value of homes in the area. People in South Fork Estates don't have a problem making money off these same folks thru their garage sales all summer long!! It's ok they come by their neighborhood for a garage sale but not a dr's visit!! Maybe CARES can build their new home next door, then you'll have something to complain about, not because of the business but because of all the dumping.

I guess the stigmatism of such a place would keep your children from receiving needed medical attention if you couldn't afford it elsewhere! Oh that's right... As long as it's built on Strawberry street you'll go! People who live in Glass houses shouldn't throw stones!

Wow, I guess it's a good thing you moved out of that soon to be run-down neighborhood. I guess that means you don't have a dog in that fight - so why are you barking?

You support "good causes", just not in your former backyard. It's not like it's a run-down building or a crack house, it's a medical facility with real doctors and nurses and patients. I hope for your sake the drought continues, because if it rains too much more you might drown.

MDL - I mean by coming out of Southfork and seeing that site each and everytime you come out of Ewing Dr.

dontmakemelaugh - Your 110% correct.

Like I said there is nothing wrong with the Health Dept. (it's a great thing) but never the less I just do not agree with the location. I know the land may have been free but this building should have been built around Strawberry St. and not a higher end part of Portland. I'm glad I do not have a home for sale on Ewing anymore because I'd say that would have killed the lookers. Again just my two cents....Flame ON!!

Judy, I also have Vista and I always use the Works Word Processor to open documents because it seems to have less compatability issues. I'm not computer savvy, so it has to be simple for me to get any kind of benefit. ;P

For those still having trouble:

CITY OF PORTLAND
BOARD OF MAYOR AND ALDERMEN AGENDA
Portland City Hall
100 South Russell Street
Portland, Tennessee 37148
January 7, 2008
7:00 P.M.

1. Call to Order

2. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Associate Pastor Al Johnson, from Portland General Baptist Church, will provide the invocation and lead the Pledge of Allegiance.

3. Roll Call

4. Approval of Minutes from the December 3, 2007 Regularly Scheduled Meeting and the December 20, 2007 Special Called Meeting.

5. Approval of Agenda

6. Communications from Mayor/Aldermen

7. Reports:

Building & Codes Inspector’s Report
Community Development Report
Financial Report
Parks & Recreation Dept’s Report
Public Safety Director’s Report
Public Works’ Report

Public Recognition: Five minutes per person and must pertain to an item on the agenda.

Other Business:

A. Employee of the Month – Andrew Roberts will receive $25.00 and a gift card for being selected the City of Portland’s Employee of the Month for November 2007.

10. Planning Commission – Jerry Taylor, Vice Chairman; Mike Callis, Council Representative

A. Ordinance 08- First Reading – An ordinance to amend the City of Portland, Tennessee zoning map by rezoning an area of property at 813 South Broadway from rs-20 (Low Density Single Family Residential0 to OPS (Office/Professional Services).

B. Ordinance 08- First Reading – An ordinance amending the zoning ordinance of Portland, Tennessee (Ord #387) by establishing provisions for keeping of horses as a conditional accessory activity within certain residential districts.

11. Finance Committee – Phil Hobdy, Committee Member

A. Ordinance 07- Second Reading – An ordinance authorizing a contract between the City of Portland and The Aldis Group, LLC for the installation and maintenance of signal heads for all traffic controlled intersections.

12. Public Works Committee – Luther Bratton, Chairman

13. Parks & Recreation Committee – Ronnie Meadows, Chairman

A. Ordinance 08—First Reading – An ordinance adopting a job description for a Parks Security Officer.
(Approved by the Parks Committee)

B. Resolution No. 08- - A resolution authorizing the acceptance of the best bid for field lighting for Richland Park.

C. Resolution No. 08- - A resolution authorizing the acceptance of the best bid for grass seed for the Parks Department

14. Public Safety/Technology Committee – Allen Dyer, Chairman

15. Legislative Committee – Kenneth Wilber, Mayor/Chairman
Mayor’s Office – Kenneth Wilber, Mayor

Resolution No. – A resolution establishing an easement for Kirby Building Systems.

16. Airport Authority – Doug Hunter, Chairman, Mike Callis, Council Representative

Adjournment

I also went to the site and experienced what Cheryl saw, the font is coming thru not very legible. I think the problem is they used MS Word97 for this file, I am using Windows Vists with MS office Word2007, evidentally there are some compatibility issues and it doesn't read well with the newest msword program.

Thanks, Michelle.
I went to the site and looked at the agenda. The font looked normal. Looks like they must have seen it and changed it.

The official city website is not as good as this one...in my opinion.

DeeAnna

The city's web address is:
www.cityofportlandtn.gov

What is the address for the Portland city website?

Has anyone been to the pORTLAND cITY WEBSITE?
Look at the agenda for city council meeting!
What kind of font is this?? You can't read it well at all. What happened to regular font where the citizens can read the words. Please, no more fancy font!!

What do you mean, widen a road? Do they actually do things like that around here? Why not just keep it a barely-two-lane path with a drainage ditch on each side? It keeps the tow trucks and repair shops in business, doesn't it?

I wonder, with the increase in traffic that the health dept will cause, is the city going to improve and widen the road.

Jason...bet ya even some people in South Fork Estates and their families will use that health dept.

Seems like a decent location. Why do you say 'have to come out and see that sight everyday?'

If I remember correctly, the hospital owned that land and donated it for the health dept. No matter where you live in this town, if there is undeveloped property near by that isn't zoned residential, you are at risk of having something you may not like being built near by. I could think of worse things that could of been built there. Proper planning and zoning is essential however it is lacking in Portland. Home buyers owe it to themselves to do their homework before making a home purchase in this town, you never know what's going to wind up next door!

What's wrong with the location?