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The Kingsport Parks and Recreation Department is now accepting registrations for the 2022 Youth Basketball program.
Participants must live inside Kingsport’s city limits, own city property or attend Kingsport City Schools.
Registration dates are as follows:
- Girls ages 5-9: Sept. 12 through Oct. 7
- Girls ages 10-15: Oct. 17 through Nov. 7
- Boys ages 5-10: Sept. 12 through Oct. 7
- Boys ages 11-17: Oct. 17 through Nov. 7
You can register your child online anytime or in person at the Kingsport Civic Auditorium Monday through Friday from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. To register online, go to www.kingsporttn.gov and click the “CivicRec” button on the main page, then click “Youth Sports”, followed by “KPR Athletics Youth Basketball” and select your desired age bracket.
The registration fee is $20 per child and the jersey fee ($25-$30) will be paid at a later time to Action Athletics after players are contacted by coaches.
For more information, please visit www.kingsportparksandrecreation.org or call 423-229-9460.
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Bays Mountain Park & Planetarium regrets to announce the passing of one of their white-tail deer, Cotton. Cotton passed sometime during the night of September 11 and was found by staff the following morning (Sept. 12).
Cotton lived a full life, passing at 11 years old. She came to Bays Mountain Park at the age of 8 months in 2012. She was confiscated from a family that had illegally removed Cotton from the wild at a very young age.
“She was a special deer, not only to park staff but to the community,” said Megan Krager, manager of Bays Mountain Park. “She had a lot of spunk and pep, and she made a lot of people smile. She liked playing chase. Staff would run along the fence and she would follow, sometimes kicking up her back legs in excitement. Park staff are deeply saddened by this loss.”
Cotton was always friendly and playful with staff since she had spent nearly all of her life with people. When she first arrived at Bays Mountain, she gained the nickname “Squirt” from her caretakers. She enjoyed playing with staff, especially when squirted by the water hose. Always a runner, Cotton would often race staff and visitors up and down the fence line.
“She was a favorite for all of us here at the park,” said Ranger Rhonda Goins. “When she first came, she loved Honey Nut Cheerios. She didn’t realize she was a deer. She thought she was a dog because that’s how she was raised. She came to us with a pink dog collar. We will all miss her very much.”
Cotton often inspired wonder among park guests due to her unique color pattern. Born piebald, she had a white and brown pattern unlike that of most deer. This genetic difference did not hinder Cotton’s life but did make her an exceptional ambassador for her species.
Cotton’s playful and curious nature will be profoundly missed by all the Bays Mountain staff, volunteers, and visitors.
For more information about Bays Mountain Park visit www.baysmountain.com.
In an effort to provide employees with a more competitive retirement plan, the City of Kingsport is returning to the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System effective January 1, 2023.
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved three measures during its regular meeting Tuesday night related to this move:
- To enter the TCRS Hybrid Plan with cost controls.
- To implement the bridge benefit for public safety employees.
- To adopt an agreement for a 401(k) and 457 plan.
The TCRS Hybrid Plan includes two main components – a defined benefit (pension) and a defined contribution (401k). The maximum city liability for the plan is 9%.
The public safety bridge is a benefit for fire and police positions under TCRS that will cover the financial gap between early retirement (age 55) and age 62.
Only employees hired after July 1, 2012 will be affected by this switch – approximately 400 city employees and 400 classified school employees. Going back to TCRS will have an increased annual cost to the city – approximately $300,000 for the hybrid plan and $60,000 for the public safety bridge.
However, moving back to TCRS will place all employees in the same retirement system as other state employees, while providing a cohesive one-stop shop package with better financial planning and retirement education.
“In a service based industry, retention and attraction of our employees is essential if we are going to continue to provide the services our customers expect,” said City Manager Chris McCartt. “The perpetual churn being experienced in the workforce has required every employer, including government, to re-evaluate all aspects of the total employment package.
“Kingsport’s return to TCRS further illustrates a century-long commitment of investing in our employees and their families.”
Kingsport withdrew from TCRS in 2012 due to rate volatility and a lack of cost controls within the system. In return, Kingsport went with a 401(a) plan with a maximum contribution of 16% – 5% mandatory from employers and employee and the city would match up to an additional 3%.
“We recognized that saving for retirement is not easy, especially as a new employee early in their career,” said Tyra Copas, human resources director for the city. “We believe the TCRS Hybrid plan with the defined benefit and defined contribution will help our employees build their retirement even if they only contribute their mandatory 5%.”
In addition to addressing this concern, the return to TCRS aligns with the city’s strategic plan to be more attractive and competitive as an employer.
“Cities across the country are struggling to retain and attract quality employees,” Copas said. “We’re in this new workforce dynamic with all employers competing for a shrinking pool of candidates. This move will definitely help us be more competitive.”
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One of the quickest and easiest ways to report a pothole to the City of Kingsport is through the ConnectKingsport app. Just download the free app on the App Store or Google Play Store and click the “Report a Concern” link to let us know about any issues in the city.
The ConnectKingsport app allows residents to have a direct line of communication to the city to report a variety of non-emergency concerns in more than three dozen categories, including drainage issues, dead animal removal, graffiti, potholes, water leaks, renter complaints, high grass and sewer backups.
The app also provides links to the city’s website, animal services, KATS, an events calendar and the police and fire departments.
ConnectKingsport uses GPS to recognize your location and gives you a menu of common quality-of-life conditions to select from when submitting a request. The app allows you to upload pictures or videos to accompany your request. Residents can then track the status of reports they or other members of the community have submitted until the issue is resolved.
Back at the office, city staff will leverage powerful dashboards and reporting tools to identify hot spots, increase productivity, prioritize projects and spend tax dollars smarter.
This new application not only allows citizens to report problems, but also to view, comment on, and vote to fix problems submitted by their neighbors. Citizens can even create their own “watch areas” to receive notifications about all of the issues reported in their community, enabling them to follow the progress of all service requests—not just the ones they report.
“ConnectKingsport is a great tool for reporting issues you see in the city,” said Community Services Specialist Maxine Poole. “Plus, it gives you a direct link to This Is Kingsport, the website that answers the question ‘What is there to do in Kingsport?’ by providing a handy calendar full of events throughout the city.”
To download the free app, go to the App Store or Google Play and search “ConnectKingsport” to find the app. You can also access the tool via kingsporttn.gov/city-services/public-works/connectkingsport/ or seeclickfix.com. Download the free app today to be a part of making Kingsport a great place to live, work and play.
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