CLARKSVILLE — The Clarksville Town Council voted to approve a resolution to provide a $500 college scholarship for students who serve on the Clarksville Youth Council.
Created in March 2022, the council is made up of eight area students and runs from August to May.
S tudent learn about and are witness to the functions of local government, councils, boards and commissions. The opportunity allows the students to develop leadership and communication skills.
These members will now be rewarded with this college scholarship. Students are appointed by their respective school principals.
Through the program, the youth council members will earn $500 for each year of service on the council to be used toward future college expenses, whether that be a traditional university or trade school. A student could potentially earn $2,000 for college if the student were to serve all four years of high school.
At the council meeting on July 2, a few different residents spoke for and against a potential change to a town ordinance that forbids basketball goals in public streets. A work session was then held for discussion on the issue.
Town Manager Kevin Baity said that in 1986 an ordinance was established by the council banning basketball goals from public roads. The building commissioner’s office then is tasked to enforce this.
If the town did allow basketball goals to be in public streets with caveats, the town would not be held responsible in the case of an accident.
Building Commissioner Rick Barr said that he believes in these ordinances, and that this is what parks are for in the first place.
“I want them to play too, but not in the streets,” he said.
Council member Karen Henderson also said that there could be cases in which the park is too far so children have to play in their neighborhood. She said this is more about parenting than policing. Members Darci Schiller and Jennifer Voignier brought up that people will occasionally have to walk in the street in certain neighborhoods that don’t have sidewalks or have ones that are incomplete. They said they don’t want basketball goals on busy main roads, but some neighborhoods ought to possibly be allowed to use them in certain cases. However, member Bob Stotts said he’s concerned with possibly changing the ordinance, and then children being injured in the streets while playing.
Ken Conklin, Clarksville communications director, said at the meeting on Tuesday said that they will be putting out a survey at the beginning of August into September for residents to share their feedback on this issue in the next town magazine.
© 2024 Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.