This evening at the Clarksville City Council Meeting, Councilman Richard Garrett introduced an amendment to his proposed Ordinance 79-2020-21. The amendment left all $14 million in funding for the Exit 8 Athletic Complex intact and requested $1 million in new funding for a North Clarksville Regional Recreation Center. This would be in addition to the already budgeted $500,000 the proposed recreation center. The ordinance passed as amended and we will get the fully funded athletic complex we fought for and were promised and a North Clarksville Recreation Center will receive a total of $1.5 million in funding this year as well. I want to be clear, our club’s opposition to Garrett’s ordinance was never about stopping a recreation center from being built in North Clarksville. We believe this is an important project for the people of Clarksville (and Montgomery County) and much overdue. In fact, I am confident that many of the families who want to see the Exit 8 Athletic Complex built want a regional recreation center for North Clarksville as well. Our opposition was always about the city following through on a promise to Clarksville’s youth athletes and their families to provide high quality fields for soccer, football and lacrosse. First, I want to thank all of you. Your passion and action made this happen. You made your voices heard and made a huge impact. We are fortunate that the leaders and families from the Montgomery County Soccer Association made their voices heard as well. We even received support from high school soccer coaches and families and the lacrosse and football communities who will be utilizing the Exit 8 Athletic Complex as well. Collectively, we ‘wore out’ the supporters of Ordinance 79-2020-21 . Those are not my words, but the words of a supporter of the ordinance. Second, I want to thank Mayor Joe Pitts, Councilperson Stacey Streetman and Councilperson Karen Reynolds. All three have been longtime supporters of the Exit 8 Athletic Complex, youth soccer and the Clarksville Soccer Club. Collectively, they fought publicly and privately to keep the funding intact. And they all reached out to me with words of encouragement and solidarity this week. I also want to thank Jennifer Letourneau, the Director of Parks and Recreation. She is also passionate about the athletic complex and wants to be there when the ribbon is cut to open those fields. Jennifer personally helped me and those listed above to ensure we had the most accurate information regarding both projects addressed in this ordinance. She also provided Garrett all the information he requested, combating any and all misinformation revolving around the Exit 8 Athletic Complex. Finally, I want to thank Councilperson Garrett for keeping an open mind throughout the week and having the courage and humility to amend his own resolution. In the end, his amendment ensured the funding for the Exit 8 Athletic Complex remained intact. He also took the time to send me a personal message when he filed his amendment with the Clarksville City Clerk. I am proud and humbled by what we accomplished in such a short amount of time. I hope all of you are as well. I am looking forward to celebrating this accomplishment at the new athletic complex when the fields are opened. Sincerely, Brian DeSantis President Clarksville Soccer Club