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Council debates stipend for poet laureate; policy currently bars city funds

Oak Ridge City Council · March 17, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

Council discussed whether to reimburse travel or pay a stipend to the city poet laureate after the previous holder reported no travel compensation; the city attorney reminded council that a standing policy and the city charter prohibit city funds for this honorary position, and the mayor voiced opposition to a stipend.

Council considered whether to provide reimbursement or a stipend to the city’s poet laureate after Julie Fortner relayed the prior poet laureate’s experience that she received no travel compensation and recommended a two‑year approach to the role (development year one; community engagement year two).

Fortner told council that the prior poet laureate traveled (Knoxville, Johnson City, Chattanooga) without compensation and…

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