CLEVELAND, Tenn. – Cleveland Mayor Tom Rowland says the city will continue to plan and build for a successful future.
On Thursday, Rowland reviewed the city’s achievements in 2015 and his expectations for the coming years during his 22nd annual State of the City address to the Kiwanis Club of Cleveland.
“Cleveland is setting new goals and continues to move forward, looking to the future for growth and development,” said Rowland, citing ongoing team efforts involving city government, the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, local legislators and the community as a whole.
Rowland said industrial developments and transportation improvements continue to be key factors for Cleveland’s opportunities. He mentioned assets such as the proposed Spring Branch Industrial Park, the recently overhauled Exit 20 at Interstate 75 and the Cleveland Regional Jetport.
Rowland praised the installation of a LifeForce emergency helicopter at the jetport in 2015, which he said has reduced response time for critically injured patients in need of flight services.
The proposed assignment of a U.S. customs agent at the jetport will further the city’s relations with the international business community, he said.
The widening of the bridge and ramps at Exit 20 is only one part of a package of investments intended to bring new industry and business to the Spring Branch Industrial Park, located at the city’s southwestern limits, he said.
An interchange, named by the Tennessee Legislature in honor of Rowland, will connect the industrial park to APD-40 and allow for quick access to I-75 by means of Exit 20.
Construction crews work to enclose Raider Arena at Cleveland High Schools. Installing wooden floors and bleachers are the next critical tasks once the facility is enclosed and climate-controlled, said Cason Conn, project manager for general contractor Tri-Con Construction, in a recent meeting with school officials.“Without these improvements, it’s like having a new home without a driveway,” Rowland said.
After the address, Vice Mayor George Poe cited the mayor’s mention of the construction of Cleveland High School’s Raider Arena as another major achievement for the city.
“We made a $10 million investment without raising taxes,” Poe said of the new gymnasium that replaces the landmark Raider Dome, which was closed in December 2013. “I’m just proud to be a part of all that Cleveland has been doing.”
Rowland noted that Cleveland appointed Mark Gibson as its new police chief in September and that City Manager Janice Casteel announced in December that she would retire at the end of May.
He did not acknowledge the turbulent circumstances within the Cleveland Police Department before Gibson’s appointment, including the retirement of demoted former police chief Dennis Maddux in May after a highly publicized sex scandal; the firings of a number of police officers over the summer; and an arson-related indictment of one officer.
Neither did Rowland mention that law enforcement consultant Larry Wallace, a former director of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, was hired to help improve the department’s situation and assist with updating the city’s personnel policies during the period.
Paul Leach is based in Cleveland. Email him at paul.leach.press@gmail.com.