OR Council commits to economic development
The Oak Ridge City Council has unanimously passed a resolution encouraging Oak Ridge Mayor Warren Gooch to work with Anderson and Roane Counties along with other groups regarding economic development.
“It doesn’t mean that we are going to agree on everything. But we are going to talk to each other. That’s a great start,” Oak Ridge City Council member Ellen Smith said. Gooch made the motion, and City Council member Sean Gleason seconded.
The resolution doesn’t create any new ordinances or contracts, but it lays out the challenges and opportunities for economic development in Oak Ridge and the two counties the city hopes to address.
“Economic development in East Tennessee is constrained by a general lack of developed land for industrial use, lack of abundant and affordable housing, and a limited number of workers for newly created jobs,” the resolution states. Nevertheless, the resolution states companies in the nuclear industry are interested in the area due to “opportunities and advantages afforded by the presence and plans of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Y-12 National Security Complex and the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).”