311, 2020 Census, Supporting our Teachers, and Opportunities for Local Artists.
Friends, Monday was National 311 Day, and Chattanooga joined cities across the country to celebrate the hard-working operators, technicians, public works crews, and other outstanding professionals who serve our residents. I spent some time at our 311 Call Center talking with people about concerns in their neighborhoods and helping find solutions. We made a short video that…
Read MoreSave the Date: State of the City 2019
Friends, The renovation of Miller Park. The construction of a new Avondale YFD Center. The creation of our downtown Innovation District. Baby University, which helps families thrive. Tech Goes Home, which connects more Chattanoogans to the educational and entrepreneurial power of the internet. Our commitment to end veteran homelessness once and for all. These are…
Read MoreAffordable Housing Fund, Tribute to Late CPD Officers, and Housing Vouchers for the Homeless
Friends, We began this week with some deeply sad news, as we learned over the weekend about the death of Chattanooga Police Department Officer Nicholas Galinger. Officer Galinger was struck by a vehicle while inspecting a manhole on Saturday evening and later succumbed to his injuries. This incident came soon after the untimely passing of Sgt. John…
Read MoreSmall Business Grants and #IAmBlackHistory
Friends, It’s easy to read some of the headlines about Chattanooga’s economy and think that everything we’re doing is about big business: huge factories investing millions of dollars to create hundreds of jobs. We’re certainly very happy for those kinds of announcements when they happen, but there’s actually much more to our city’s economic development…
Read MoreNeighborhood Reinvestment Fund, CHA Creates, and Workforce Development
Friends, I started this week in Tacoa Park, where Councilman Russell Gilbert and several neighborhood leaders joined me for a discussion about our new Neighborhood Reinvestment Fund. This fund will support smaller projects with huge implications for how we make our whole city more safe, beautiful, and connected. Over the next few months in Tacoa Park, for example, we’re going…
Read MoreBerke Bulletin: February 8, 2019
Friends, What makes a neighborhood great? For some people, it’s having a nice park within walking distance of their home. Other people appreciate the locally-owned shops and restaurants that are unique to their part of town. Almost everyone values the connections that come when their neighborhoods are safe and social interactions are easy. Building stronger…
Read MoreBerke Bulletin: February 1, 2019
Friends, While big development projects downtown tend to get a lot of attention, I know how much the investments we make in neighborhoods throughout Chattanooga matter. That’s why I wanted to make sure you saw a few recent stories about what we’re doing to build stronger neighborhoods, starting with this piece in NOOGAToday about some…
Read MoreBerke Bulletin: January 16, 2019
Friends, Keeping Chattanooga safe requires outstanding police work — but also so much more. Civic organizations, churches, local businesses, and residents have to work together to prevent crime and help those who have run afoul of the law come back into our community safely and productively. This approach to crime reduction keeps getting results. For…
Read MoreBerke Bulletin: January 7, 2019
Dear Friends, Martin Luther King Jr once said: “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way.” Every day, all across Chattanooga, people like you are doing so many great things to move our city forward. It might be picking up litter in your streets and parks, it might…
Read MoreBerke Bulletin: December 19, 2018
Friends, Stronger support for our youth, families, and senior citizens. More job readiness, education, and workforce development programs. Greater investment in public health, affordable housing, and social services. Improved infrastructure, especially paved roads, new sidewalks, and more bike lanes. These are among the top recommendations we heard from you, the public, about your priorities for…
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