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The Neighborly Notice
Vol. 17, No. 10 – Tuesday, March 12, 2024
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Published by the City of Knoxville’s Office of Neighborhood Empowerment, we report news important to Knoxville’s residential neighborhoods. Include your neighborhood-related event or meeting in this space. Call 865-215-3232. News deadline: 12 noon on Fridays.
Newsletter (PDF version):
https://bit.ly/NeighborlyNotice-2024-03-12
1. Neighbors Honored at Second Annual Neighborhood Awards Dinner
2. Save the Date: Baker Creek Ribbon Cutting
3. Provide Your Feedback on The Neighborly Notice
4. Neighborhood Advisory Council Meets This Week
5. Grant Workshop Takes Place This Saturday
6. CAC Holds Pancake Fest and Senior Expo
7. Housing and Neighborhood Development Requests Input
8. Why Certify Your Yard or Neighborhood as a Wildlife Habitat?
9.
Knoxville Neighborhoods Calendar
(click link for online calendar)
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Published by the City of Knoxville’s Office of Neighborhood Empowerment, we report news important to Knoxville’s residential neighborhoods. Include your neighborhood-related event or meeting in this space. Call 865-215-3232. News deadline: 12 noon on Fridays.
Like us on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/KnoxvilleNeighborhoods
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1. Neighbors Honored at Second Annual Neighborhood Awards Dinner
Community members and neighborhood groups were honored Thursday, March 7, at the Office of Neighborhood Empowerment’s (ONE) Second Annual Neighborhood Awards Dinner.
This event celebrates the achievements of community members and neighborhoods. It also celebrates neighborhoods that participate in ONE programming.
Here were the following awards:
The Wiffleball Champions from the 2023 Tournament were Westwood Homeowners Association.
ONE honored the two neighborhoods participating in
Healthy Knoxville, a program that encourages healthy eating, physical activity, smoking cessation, and improving mental health and wellness. The
Westwood Homeowners Association received a Bronze Award, and
West Hills Community Association received a Platinum Award for all of their activities and programming that make their neighborhoods healthier places to live.
In 2023, ONE hosted a leadership training course called Building Strong Neighborhood Organizations for individuals who want to start, strengthen, or revitalize a neighborhood group in order to build community. Six graduates were recognized: Erin Hatfield –
Edgewood Park Neighborhood Association, Eric Johnson – Vestal Community Organization, Victoria Moore –
Vestal Community Organization, Caroline Platt – the Western Heights area, Jay Price –
Marble City Neighborhood Organization, and Tiara-Lady Wilson – East Knoxville area.
Several neighborhood organizations received Neighborhood Achievement Awards including:
Forest Heights Neighborhood Association, Mechanicsville Community Association,
Parkridge Community Organization, Timbercrest Neighborhood Association, and the
West Hills Community Association. These neighborhoods will receive $100 from the City to further their projects.
This year’s Officer Liaison of the Year award went to Knoxville Police Department Officer
John Morgan, who served as Officer Liaison for the Vestal Community Organization. He is the Community Partnership Officer for the Central District. Officer Morgan received a standing ovation and a plaque from ONE.
Nominees for the Diana Conn Good Neighbor of the Year Award were: David Lee –
Town Hall East, Betty Jo Mahan – Inskip Community Association, Peggy Myers of
Mechanicsville Community Association, and Aaron Searcy –
Parkridge Community Organization. The winner was Peggy Myers. Enjoy
this video to see our award winner in action.
These community members go the extra mile to improve their neighborhoods without seeking recognition, and that is all the more reason we should celebrate them and their good work.
Please sign up for our next venture, the Inaugural Kickball Tournament, in April, and be on the lookout for more information about the Neighborhood Resource Fair being held in August.
For more information about ONE and the programming/resources offered, please visit the City’s
website
or contact Debbie Sharp at
dsh...@knoxvilletn.gov.
2. Save the Date: Baker Creek Ribbon Cutting
Celebrate the completion of the new
Baker Creek Preserve pavilion at a ribbon-cutting event on Monday, March 25, 4 p.m. at 3700 Lancaster Drive.
Located about three miles from downtown Knoxville, Baker Creek Preserve is one of the most popular trailheads in the
Knoxville Urban Wilderness. Baker Creek Preserve offers several unique experiences from an exploring run/hike, greenways, kid-friendly forest play, to challenging your skills on one of the several mountain bike trails.
In November of 2023, Mayor Indya Kincannon, City Council members, and South Knoxville neighborhood organizations cut a ceremonial ribbon and
officially opened the Preserve’s sidewalk in Baker Creek along Lancaster Dr. The new $2.6 million amenity will have hardscape areas, picnic tables, a water-filling station, parking spaces, and yes, highly requested restrooms.
This Lancaster Dr. sidewalk was the City’s third major investment in pedestrian corridors in the past year. With these sidewalks, the City wants to enhance public safety while also connecting great spaces and neighborhoods.
Please come see the amazing new space just in time for the warm spring weather. |
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3. Provide Your Feedback on The Neighborly Notice
The Office of Neighborhood Empowerment wants to hear your feedback on our weekly newsletter,
The Neighborly Notice.
You can do so by completing this brief, anonymous
survey.
For a physical copy of this survey, please contact Hayley Howard at
hho...@knoxvilletn.gov or 865-215-2113.
We appreciate you taking your time to fill this out, and we look forward to reviewing the survey responses!
4. Neighborhood Advisory Council Meets This Week
The
Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) will meet on Wednesday, March 13, at 4:30 p.m. in the Small Assembly Room of the City County Building, 400 Main St.
Rob Breymaier of
Community Solutions Collaborative will discuss the City’s process of – and purpose for -- creating a Fair Housing Equity Plan.
All are welcome to attend. For more information or if you have questions, contact Debbie Sharp at 865-215-4382 or
dsh...@knoxvilletn.gov.
The NAC members are appointed by the Mayor to:
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Give advice and feedback on the programs and policies of the Office of Neighborhoods;
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Bring neighborhood issues and concerns to the attention of the Mayor and City Administration;
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Propose to the Administration responses and solutions to address these concerns; and
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Serve as a sounding board for City initiatives and proposals affecting neighborhoods.
The NAC advises and provides input only to the Mayor and the City Administration. As a matter of policy, it does not advise Knoxville City Council, Knoxville Knox County Planning and other elected and appointed bodies; however, they may speak on behalf of their
neighborhoods or as individuals.
The City of Knoxville ensures meaningful access
to City programs, services, and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary aids and services.
To request language translation services, contact the City’s Human Resources Department at tit...@knoxvilletn.gov
or 865-215-3100. For disability accommodations, contact City ADA Coordinator Stephanie Brewer Cook at
sc...@knoxvilletn.gov or 865-215-2034 at least 72 hours before the meeting.
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5. Grant Workshop Takes Place Saturday
The first of three workshops required for Neighborhood Small Grants applicants will take place this Saturday, March 16, at 10 a.m. via Zoom.
To register, please contact Hayley Howard at
hho...@knoxvilletn.gov
or 865-215-2113.
The
Neighborhood Small Grants Program (NSGP) strengthens neighborhoods in the city by supporting a wide range of community-based initiatives like planning an event, creating space for community, bringing neighbors together,
etc.
Your neighborhood group must send a representative to one of the three mandatory grant workshops in order to qualify for a grant submission. This representative must be the primary contact for the application if the group chooses to apply for the program.
Two additional Mandatory Grant Workshops will take place:
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Pre-Application Workshop B - 6 p.m. Monday, March 18, 2024 (In person)
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Pre-Application Workshop C - 5 p.m. Tuesday, March 26, 2024 (Zoom)
The City of Knoxville has approximately $20,000 available under the NSGP in the round of grants to be awarded in early 2025 for projects carried out in calendar year 2025. Awards to support one-year projects can range from $500 to $5,000 or $6,500 if partnering
with another neighborhood, public school, umbrella neighborhood group, or non-profit. To be awarded $6,500, the applicant must have previously participated in the NSGP and turned in all required paperwork/documentation on time. Yes, the award amounts have
increased this year!
Need some inspiration for a project? Check out the Office of Neighborhood Empowerment’s
Placemaking Guide.
6. CAC Holds Pancake Fest and Senior Expo
The CAC Office on Aging is holding its annual Pancake Fest and Senior Expo on Friday, March 22, from 7 a.m.-12 p.m. at O’Connor Senior Center, 611 Winona St.
Tickets are $5 each and can be purchased on the
CAC Office of Aging website, at the Office of Aging (2247 Western Ave), or at the O’Connor Senior Center.
Stop by for all-you-can-eat pancakes served by local celebrities and elected officials, as well as sausage, juice, coffee and milk. Sugar-free and gluten-free options will be available.
The Senior Expo will host dozens of vendors providing programs and services for older adults. There will be a free COVID-19 vaccination clinic. Additionally, there will be a Craft Fair with items made by O’Connor Center participants. There will be live music
throughout the day.
To-go orders are available for pick-up and delivery within a five-mile radius with a minimum of five orders.
Call 865-523-1135 for more information. |
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7. Housing and Neighborhood Development Requests Input
The City of Knoxville’s Housing and Neighborhood Development Department is drafting its Program Year 2024 (Year Five) Annual Action Plan update to its 2020-2024 Consolidated Plan.
The Annual Action Plan describes the proposed use of U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), HOME Investment Partnerships (HOME), and Emergency Solutions Grant (ESG) funding for programs beginning July
1, 2024. The Annual Action Plan will allocate funds across four priority areas: Affordable Housing; Homelessness; Creating Economic Opportunity; and Neighborhood Stabilization and Revitalization.
The Draft Annual Action Plan will be available for a 30-day public comment period beginning on Thursday, March 28, at
KnoxvilleTN.gov/Development under the “Reports and Plans” tab. One can also view the Draft Plan at the City’s Housing and Neighborhood Development Department office at 400 Main Street, Suite 532B, Knoxville, TN 37901,
during the hours of 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. or by calling Linda Rust at 865-215-2357 for a copy.
The City is also hosting a public hearing on the Draft Annual Action Plan on Tuesday, April 23, at 5:30 p.m., at the City’s Public Works Service Center, 3131 Morris Avenue.
All residents are encouraged to participate. If you are unable to attend the meeting, your feedback is still appreciated.
Residents can ask questions or comment on the Draft Annual Action Plan by emailing Linda Rust, Community Development Administrator, at
lr...@knoxvilletn.gov, or by mail to P.O. Box 1631, Knoxville, TN 37901. The City of Knoxville Housing and Neighborhood Development Department will accept comments through Friday, April 26.
The City of Knoxville ensures meaningful access to City programs, services, and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws and reasonably provides: translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary
aids and services.
Individuals with a disability who require an accommodation in order to participate may contact the City of Knoxville’s ADA Coordinator, Stephanie Brewer Cook at 865-215-2034 or sc...@knoxvilletn.gov no
less than 72 business hours (3 business days) prior to the meeting or end of the public comment period. If you have Limited English Proficiency (LEP) and want to request language translation services, contact the Human Resources Department at
tit...@knoxvilletn.gov, or 865-215-3100 at least 48 hours (2 days) prior to the meeting or end of the public comment period.
8. Why Certify Your Yard or Neighborhood as a Wildlife Habitat?
Whether you have a rolling rural property, a tiny urban lot, or a container garden on your balcony, you can have a wildlife habitat in your own back yard! Gardening for wildlife is a fun, inexpensive, and easy way to make a lasting impact for wildlife. You
can even certify your church, school, or a whole neighborhood.
Rapid and large-scale changes to our lands and water mean wildlife are losing the habitats they once knew. Every habitat garden is a step toward replenishing resources for wildlife such as bees, butterflies, birds, and amphibians--both locally and along migratory
corridors.
Creating a wildlife habitat garden is easier than you might think. Here is what a wildlife garden should include:
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Food – native plants or feeders to supplement natural sources
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Water – such as a bird bath
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Cover – such as trees or shrubs to take shelter from bad weather
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Places to Raise Young – such as birdhouses
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Sustainable Practices – removing invasive species and/or composting
To see the full certification checklist or apply to have your home or community certified, please visit the
National Wildlife Federation’s Website. |
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9. Knoxville
Neighborhoods Calendar (click link for online calendar)
Call 865-215-3232 to include your neighborhood event or meeting in
this Google calendar.
The City of Knoxville ensures meaningful access to City programs, services, and activities to comply with Civil Rights Title VI and ADA Title II laws and reasonably provides translation, interpretation, modifications, accommodations, alternative formats, auxiliary
aids and services.
To request language translation services, contact the City’s Human Resources Department at tit...@knoxvilletn.gov
or 865-215-3100. For disability accommodations, contact City ADA Coordinator Stephanie Brewer Cook at
sc...@knoxvilletn.gov or 865-215-2034 at least 72 hours before the meeting.
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Other Calendars
Additional online calendars that cover events outside the neighborhood realm include:
The City of Knoxville requires a permit to operate a short-term rental property. Details and a list of short-term rental permits are located on the City’s website
here. |
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