Commish, elections, managment style

Couple things on this Friday afternoon that I noticed during the past week. 

A number of folks were talking about Joe Sullivan's column over at the Metro Pulse. The one in which he skewered Knox County Commissioner Dave Wright.

Find it right smack here.

Sullivan says Wright has a tendency to ramble like a mental, and he takes exception to a number of resolutions tied to school-related election issues that Wright sponsored.

I'll give da Pulse this: Wright like to ramble. That's true.

But to say there's no consensus in the 8^th District for an elected superintendent? Yeah, you're kidding yourself. And while I like Lisa Starbuck (she's a great activist and has a cool last name), she's kidding herself, too.

In fact, I'm pretty sure that countywide – if you put to vote whether to have an appointed or an elected superintendent – we'd be voting for a new one next year.

I'm not saying it's right or wrong. But you can take that vote to the bank. People in Knox County like to vote. Heck, the charter review committee had a chance to fix this and didn't bother.

Over on da Rogue's blog, Brian Hornback calls out Knox County Property Assessor. (These two have no love for each other by the way.) He says Ballard is violating all sorts of campaign laws and has the picture to prove it. Click right smack here for that bad boy.

Ballard, though, says he's not doing anything wrong. He said that he was putting together a booth that he will set up tomorrow for a home builder's association at the Expo Center. He said the sign that bears his name doesn't include the phrases “vote for” or “elect.”

“I'm term limited,” he said. “I don't need to campaign.”

He didn't mention the rumors that he'll seek another elected office when his time is up.

Finally, we got former Knoxville Mayor Victor Ashe and his column in the Shopper – click right smack here. Ashe talks about the managing style of county Mayor Tim Burchett and city Mayor Madeline Rogero. And he appears to be dead on about that South Knoxville stuff, which has left me scratching my head for awhile.

I really thought the city was going to take the initiative on this. Well, there's certainly still time.

East Sector Plan coming back

It appears that commissioners again are finally set to vote – for what seems like the thousandth time but probably isn’t – on the East Knox County Sector Plan, a long-term guide for economic development.

But, area residents who want to keep the land pristine and rural shouldn’t worry. Because the nefarious, divisive, controversial (blah, blah, blah) Midway Business Park proposal is still off the table.

However, Commissioners during their monthly work session agreed 9-2 (Sam McKenzie and Vice Chairman Brad Anders cast the dissenting votes) to put the rest of the proposal on Monday’s agenda.

In the meantime, county Mayor Tim Burchett said a “visionary” committee he put together in January to brainstorm ideas for the remaining land where the park was planned will report back to him in about 60 days.

“We haven’t really set any parameters,” Burchett said, talking about the marching orders sent to the committee. “We’re just looking for (new) ideas and solutions.”

(On a side note, the good doctor and Commissioner Richard Briggs pointed out that the committee – comprised of business park opponents and supporters – doesn’t own the land. So, the group making the proposals really doesn’t have any control of the outcome. It will be up to the Development Corporation of Knox County – the owners – to act on the recommendations.)

The land in question? About 380 acres off the Midway Road exit from Interstate 40. The Development Corp. bought it for almost $10 million and set aside roughly $17 million to develop it. (Its nerd-name by the way is “E.C.O. 7”.)

As it stands right now, according to Metropolitan Planning Commission Executive Director Mark Donaldson, developers could currently build five units per acre (either houses, complexes, duplexes, whatever), on the land.

However, as pointed out by one of the coolest-named community activists around, Lisa Starbuck: Nothing is getting built on the land right now because there isn’t any sewer out there.

As far as the rest of the East County Sector Plan goes?

Commissioner Dave Wright (whose district includes the area) said: “It’s been worked on for three years. It’s current, it’s up-to-date and people like it.”