CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – After weeks of discussion, the City Council voted Thursday to continue funding the Roxy Regional Theatre.

Additionally, the council postponed voting on an ordinance that would support the reinstatement of parking passes for City Council and County Commission members.

Roxy funding kept in place

Former Councilperson Vondell Richmond first sponsored the measure to defund the Roxy, citing complaints of a hostile work environment involving theater director Ryan Bowie.

The vote was postponed last month, giving council members time to review the issues and hear the results of an Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigation into the matter.

Since the allegations were made, the Roxy’s board has addressed the issues, and the EEOC closed its investigation without taking further action.

“I do not have anything additional to add that I did not say about this last week. I would just ask that we vote and get on with our lives,” said Councilperson Trisha Butler, the current sponsor of the ordinance.

She also proposed an amendment removing language from the measure that stated that Bowie was cleared of any wrongdoing. Councilperson Joe Shakeenab called the language an “incorrect statement” last week, explaining Bowie was not cleared of anything but rather reprimanded.

The amendment passed unanimously, but the ordinance as amended failed 11-1, with only Butler voting yes.

Parking vote delayed

In other action, the council postponed voting on the measure to support the reinstatement of parking passes for elected officials.

According to the resolution, the Parking Commission met on Sept. 23 and voted to do away with free parking passes for elected officials. Officials are now required to send a note to the parking manager every time they park downtown so he can block their license plate from getting a ticket.

The proposed measure called that process “cumbersome and an invasion of elected officials’ privacy,” while noting that the wording in the current legislation doesn’t set parameters and gives the parking manager full authority to approve or deny a request.

Councilperson Karen Reynolds, the sponsor of the measure, proposed an amendment to the resolution on Thursday that would add clarification of current parking standards, which were sent in an email from Clarksville Parking Manager Michael Palmore.

Clarksville Now has reached out to Palmore for details on the clarification email.

The amendment passed 11-1, with only Councilperson Stacey Streetman voting no.

While some council members viewed parking passes as necessary, others were still wary of voting for something that could influence legislation pertaining to a possible benefit for an elected official.

“I do have to oppose this for a reason that does not have anything to do with parking specifically, but I see this as a blurring of the separation of power lines that I am so fond of. Here we have a legislative body that is attempting to influence the policies and procedures of the Parking Commission, which is an apparatus of the executive branch of our municipal government,” said Councilperson Brain Zacharias.

Councilperson Wallace Redd added that, per city code, city officials cannot change their pay or benefits, and Clarksville’s Chief Financial Officer Laurie Matta explained last week that free parking could be considered a taxable benefit.

Redd, who stated he was not against the resolution, motioned to postpone the vote until the council received clarity from City Attorney Lance Baker, who was not present at the meeting.

The motion to postpone the matter to the March regular meeting passed 8-3, with Zacharias, Reynolds and Shakeenab voting no.