A Few Updates

There are variety of small things that I thought you might want to know about.

Laurel Street Sidewalk Project. Construction of the sidewalks on the east side of Laurel Street has begun. This is a project funded with federal transportation dollars and is an essential safe route to Helman School.

Downtown Light Poles. Beginning in the next 10 days or so, the City will be repainting the poles of the tall cobra-head street lights in the downtown (the ugly brown ones). We will actually be taking each of the poles down so that each pole can be powder coated and will be reinstalling the poles with new, black lamps. We will first remove the poles in the block of east main between second and third. The freshly painted poles will be installed elsewhere in the downtown, and this will go on until all fifty lights are repainted. No one in the City can remember when the entire pole was last painted, so we are shockingly excited about this project.

Hearing on Transient Occupancy Tax Bill. Last Wednesday, Councilor Chapman testified on behalf of the City, by phone, in front of the Senate Finance and Revenue Committee, seeking some minor flexibility in use of transient occupancy tax for services that are used to promote tourism. The City has advocated for this expansion in the last three legislative sessions, but the lodging industry is strongly opposed to any changes to this law. I do not expect it to pass this session.