Knox County and the Metropolitan Planning Commission will pay a
former MPC manager $800,000 to resolve what she alleged was a job
retaliation case.
Dee Anne Reynolds of LaFollette filed the complaint in June 2015 in U.S. District Court in Knoxville.
Attorney
David Burkhalter said the case was resolved Monday when his client
accepted the defendants' "offer of judgment," presented earlier this
month.
Private attorneys Benjamin Lauderback and Emily Taylor, on
behalf of the MPC, and attorney Jeffrey M. Ward, on behalf of the
county, presented the offer Aug. 8, according to records.
Reynolds formerly was MPC's finance manager and had worked there 12 years until being fired in June 2014.
She
alleged she was fired by former MPC Director Mark Donaldson in
retaliation for standing up for Elizabeth Albertson, an employee who
complained she was a victim of sexual discrimination and unequal pay.
Reynolds was part of the MPC's management team.
She alleged that Donaldson became increasingly hostile toward her as she pressed Albertson's case.
In
October 2013, according to Reynolds, she received a "trumped up written
disciplinary warning" from Donaldson. She alleges he acted to retaliate
against her for supporting Albertson.
Burkhalter said the county and MPC "swept under the rug" Albertson's complaint.
He said Reynolds never did anything wrong.
"She never should have been fired for doing the right thing," he said.
Donaldson left the agency in August 2014 amid growing pressure by some community groups seeking his termination.
Showing posts with label MPC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label MPC. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
MPC asked to modernize zoning laws
As it stands, the City Council has approved a measure to fund the cost - some $300,000 - that will allow the MPC to hire and direct a consultant to start the review.
“Our zoning ordinance was written decades ago, for land-use patterns of a very different era – the post-World War II suburban model,” Rogero said. “The ordinance may have made sense then. But as we’ve grown, and lifestyle choices have changed, the ordinance no longer fits our needs in 2016.
“In many cases, the outdated, rigid ordinance actually prevents some neighborhoods from achieving their full potential. We need an up-to-date ordinance that protects the things we all value in our neighborhoods and commercial areas while allowing the kinds of smart, sustainable growth that will move Knoxville forward.”
Rogero said public input is encouraged – and needed.
“This will not be a top-down review,” she said. “We need to hear what works best from residents, business owners and developers. I look forward to everybody’s help in making this new zoning ordinance insightful and comprehensive.”
The list of issues to be discussed is lengthy in overhauling and modernizing such an old zoning ordinance. MPC will be smoothing out a variety of inconsistencies and gaps in the existing ordinance. For example, the ordinance update will establish clear and objective standards that can be used to help guide consistent use-on-review decisions.
Among the issues to be addressed:
- Is more flexibility needed in allowing mixed-use development in commercial districts?
- The existing ordinance lacks uniform, consistent landscaping requirements, and flood-zone development standards are unclear.
- Standards for lighting do not take advantage of current technology to reduce the light impact of new development and redevelopment.
- Regulations of setbacks in current non-residential districts make it difficult or impossible to redevelop many of the properties located in the older sections of the City initially developed prior to World War II.
- Standards for preserving the community character of the City's residential neighborhoods can be clarified and strengthened.
Friday, February 12, 2016
MPC working on new zoning option
MPC discussed "mixed use" zoning at its meeting Thursday, where residents came to listen to the commission's yearly zoning plan update.
“There is a proposal right now in the works to create a zone that allows the mix of uses," MPC Senior Planner Michael Brusseau said. "The Bearden area has kind of asked for that, and Duane Grieve on City Council asked us to take a look at it.”
Brusseau said that right now businesses and living areas tend to be more separated, but this new zoning class could combine them.
“This would allow, for example, a commercial business with residential units on top, similar things that you see downtown," he said. "Downtown is really the only area that uses mixed use zoning right now, and we’re hoping to change that.”
Those who attended the meeting expressed interest in the new potential planning options.
“I think it's interesting," said Charlotte Davis, who regularly attends MPC meetings. "I was sitting there thinking there was a gentleman with MPC for years, Mike Carberry, and he has since retired. He was talking about this years ago, and at that time, unfortunately, there just wasn’t a lot of interest in pursuing. But now it’s coming to the forefront."
MPC plans to have that on its agenda for consideration within the next two months.
It's also encouraging residents to come to meetings so they can make decisions based on the community's desires.
Friday, November 13, 2015
MPC signs off on business park
The MPC is a recommending body. The proposal will now go to the Knox County Commission in December.
Monday, November 9, 2015
County kills Ball Park Walmart plan
A proposed plan to build a Walmart Neighborhood Market on a piece of
Nicholas Ball Park is dead after Knox County withdrew its request to
rezone a portion of the land.
The county, under the plan would, swap an 8-acre piece of the park in exchange for a 100-acre piece of land in Hardin Valley. Gusto Development would then need the property rezoned from agricultural to general business.
That’s not going to happen.
“We’re just not going to do that – we’re not to swap it,” said Knox County Communications Director Michael Grider. “It was pretty clear the Ball Camp community wasn’t interested in moving forward.”
The Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission was set to talk about the proposal this month, but officials agreed to postpone the discussion until early next year as they sought more input from the West Knox County neighborhoods.
Instead, the county withdrew its petition to the MPC on Thursday, Grider said.
The plan would have cut out two of Ball Park’s soccer fields and a parking area.
The county, under the plan would, swap an 8-acre piece of the park in exchange for a 100-acre piece of land in Hardin Valley. Gusto Development would then need the property rezoned from agricultural to general business.
That’s not going to happen.
“We’re just not going to do that – we’re not to swap it,” said Knox County Communications Director Michael Grider. “It was pretty clear the Ball Camp community wasn’t interested in moving forward.”
The Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission was set to talk about the proposal this month, but officials agreed to postpone the discussion until early next year as they sought more input from the West Knox County neighborhoods.
Instead, the county withdrew its petition to the MPC on Thursday, Grider said.
The plan would have cut out two of Ball Park’s soccer fields and a parking area.
Monday, May 4, 2015
NC planner picked to lead Knox MPC
Green, currently the Planning Director for Jackson County, N.C., was selected by Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero and Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett after a six-month search process.
 |
Jackson County Planning Director Gerald Green, left,
receives the Edwin M. Gill Award during the June 3 commissioners’ meeting from
N.C. Association of County Commissioners
Photo: Sylva Herald |
Green has a Master’s degree in City Planning from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a B.A. in Urban Affairs from Virginia Polytechnic Institute. He worked as Principal Planner for the East Tennessee Development District from 1979-1982, and in the decades since has also worked as a Senior Planner and Chief Planner for the City of Asheville, N.C., and in private practice as owner of NFocus Planning and Design in Asheville. He has been in his current position with Jackson County, N.C., since 2010.
“I am very excited to return to East Tennessee to work with the City and County and the talented group of professionals at MPC,” Green said. “I have returned to Knoxville often over the years, and I am impressed with all of the progress and growth the area has seen. I look forward to helping to build on that momentum through all of the planning services that MPC can provide.”
MPC was established in 1956 by Knoxville and Knox County as the agency responsible for comprehensive county-wide planning and administration of zoning and land subdivision regulations and remains so today, except for the town of Farragut. Funding for MPC activities comes primarily from City and County appropriations and from federal grants for specific initiatives.
Green will oversee a staff of 35, with duties that include preparing and adopting a General Plan; reviewing subdivision regulations and site plans; preparing and recommending zoning ordinances and maps to the Knox County Commission and Knoxville City Council; and reviewing proposed zoning amendments.
“MPC provides vital services to the City of Knoxville, and it is crucial that we have effective leadership at the agency,” Mayor Rogero said. “We had a very strong pool of applicants for this position, and Gerald really stood out. His background in both city and county planning, and his familiarity with Knoxville and East Tennessee, will make him a great asset to all of the constituents MPC serves.”
“I look forward to working with Gerald as the new director of MPC,” Mayor Burchett said. “In a very real way, the organization’s work affects everyone in Knox County, from individual residents to business owners, which is why the director’s position requires effective communication with the public. Ultimately, that is who everyone in government works for.”
Green was selected from more than 30 applicants for the position, and was one of three finalists interviewed by the mayors and a joint City-County search committee. Green will begin his duties on July 1, succeeding former MPC Executive Director Mark Donaldson, who retired at the end of 2014. Jeff Welch, Executive Director of the Transportation Planning Organization, will continue to serve as interim director of MPC until then.
Thursday, June 12, 2014
MPC: Happy Holler nominated to National Register of Historic Places
Been on vacation. Latest from the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commission:
The Happy Holler commercial district has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places for its cultural and historic significance to Knoxville's early days of development.
The nomination, submitted to the U.S. National Park Service, was written by Metropolitan Planning Commission staff and was pre-approved by the Tennessee Historical Commission.
Happy Holler's historic and cultural value is tied to its collection of early 20th-century buildings, the most complete example in Knoxville outside of Downtown. The district runs along both sides of the 1200 block of N. Central Street and forms the core of a community-oriented shopping district established along early trolley lines.
Most buildings in Happy Holler are one-story commercial structures built between 1900 and 1930. The area served northside residents, from the community now known as Old North Knoxville, a Victorian-era neighborhood lying to the east of Happy Holler, as well as the families of textile, railroad, and iron workers who lived to the west. Trolley lines brought other Knoxvillians-many from nearby Lincoln Park and Oakwood subdivisions-to the grocery, drug, and hardware stores, movie theater, and other venues in Happy Holler.
The name "Happy Holler" came from both its low-lying topography and its popularity during Prohibition, well known for its bootleggers who operated from back rooms in the district. Despite its notoriety, Happy Holler also became a popular entertainment area. The first suburban movie theater in Knoxville, The Picto, opened at 1205 Central Street in 1916.
Today, Happy Holler retains a unique identity that has not diminished with the passage of time, and it remains a distinctive and vital retail and service area.
The National Register documents properties that are historically and culturally important to local, state, and national heritage and highlights their significance by placing the nomination reports within the National Archives of History.
A Register nomination establishes a review and mitigation process in cases where a federal project would have a negative impact on the properties. Another benefit is a Federal Income Tax Credit for the certified rehabilitation of properties listed in the National Register.
The Happy Holler commercial district has been nominated to the National Register of Historic Places for its cultural and historic significance to Knoxville's early days of development.
The nomination, submitted to the U.S. National Park Service, was written by Metropolitan Planning Commission staff and was pre-approved by the Tennessee Historical Commission.
Happy Holler's historic and cultural value is tied to its collection of early 20th-century buildings, the most complete example in Knoxville outside of Downtown. The district runs along both sides of the 1200 block of N. Central Street and forms the core of a community-oriented shopping district established along early trolley lines.
Most buildings in Happy Holler are one-story commercial structures built between 1900 and 1930. The area served northside residents, from the community now known as Old North Knoxville, a Victorian-era neighborhood lying to the east of Happy Holler, as well as the families of textile, railroad, and iron workers who lived to the west. Trolley lines brought other Knoxvillians-many from nearby Lincoln Park and Oakwood subdivisions-to the grocery, drug, and hardware stores, movie theater, and other venues in Happy Holler.
The name "Happy Holler" came from both its low-lying topography and its popularity during Prohibition, well known for its bootleggers who operated from back rooms in the district. Despite its notoriety, Happy Holler also became a popular entertainment area. The first suburban movie theater in Knoxville, The Picto, opened at 1205 Central Street in 1916.
Today, Happy Holler retains a unique identity that has not diminished with the passage of time, and it remains a distinctive and vital retail and service area.
The National Register documents properties that are historically and culturally important to local, state, and national heritage and highlights their significance by placing the nomination reports within the National Archives of History.
A Register nomination establishes a review and mitigation process in cases where a federal project would have a negative impact on the properties. Another benefit is a Federal Income Tax Credit for the certified rehabilitation of properties listed in the National Register.
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
State doles out preservation grants
Big Bill and the Department of Environment and Conservation Commissioner
Bob Martineau today announced 25 Historic Preservation Fund grants that combined for more than $600K in coin were awarded
to community organizations for programs and activities that support the
preservation of historic and archaeological sites, districts and structures, according to the spin release out of the governor's office.
The grants awarded come from federal funds allocated by the Department of Interior under the provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act. The programs authorized by this act are administered by the Tennessee Historical Commission. The grants pay for up to 60% of the costs of approved project work and the grant recipient must provide the remaining 40% of the costs as matching funds.
I think you can find the complete list of winners, right smack here.
Locally, the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commissioner received $7,500 for design guidelines for some of the city's historic districts.
The commission also received $3,500 for a one-day window workshop with Bob Yapp.
Huh?
The grants awarded come from federal funds allocated by the Department of Interior under the provisions of the National Historic Preservation Act. The programs authorized by this act are administered by the Tennessee Historical Commission. The grants pay for up to 60% of the costs of approved project work and the grant recipient must provide the remaining 40% of the costs as matching funds.
I think you can find the complete list of winners, right smack here.
Locally, the Knoxville-Knox County Metropolitan Planning Commissioner received $7,500 for design guidelines for some of the city's historic districts.
The commission also received $3,500 for a one-day window workshop with Bob Yapp.
Huh?
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Knox to pay for Carter school by June
The county is set to stroke the final
check toward paying off Carter Elementary School, which opens in
August, after it recently received the $5.75 million in folding
paper it got from selling three pieces of property to Hillcrest
HealthCare Communities (that the operation initially leased).
The commission obviously will have to
sign off on it, but it shouldn't be a big deal. The money will cover
the rest of the $13.9 million for the school as well as a little more
than half the FF&E (furniture, fixtures, equipment), which will
cost another $2 million.
The county will then sell some 1.5
acres off Middlebrook Pike, which will cover the remaining $900K it
needs. Officials hope to actually get between $1 million to $2
million for that property. Key, though, will probably be how it's
zoned.
It's currently zoned
agriculture-residential. The county is asking the Knoxville City
Council to rezone it to commercial (MPC recommends “office”). The
council will take up the issue tonight and during its May 28 meeting.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
Mayor unveils proposed budget today
 |
| Mayor Burchett |
Had a story today about Knox County
Mayor Tim Burchett's proposed budget. You can find that bad boy,
right smack here.
Just left the actual presentation.
Here's the spin release and – for the most part – the mayor's
speech, although the guy is actually pretty funny and sometimes leaves script, so the good stuff
won't be in it.
And just cause I'm a nice guy, right smack here, is the link to 54-pages of budget-ness.
At this point, it doesn't look like
there's going to be much of a battle this year. MPC got money, the
school got funding, Beck Center got some scratch, the employees are
getting some extra coin, and so an and so on.
Still, the County Commission doesn't
meet until May 29 to talk about it, so we've got some time.
Heh.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Commission passes Briggs Hillside plan
The Knox County Commission tonight approved the Richard Briggs Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan. (Or at least seven of them did.)
If you're confused, don't feel bad. That was one cluster-F of a meeting that was made worse because of all the hijacking that went on earlier in order to delay the meeting as late in the day as possible. (Hit me up on Twitter to see what I'm talking about. I'm about to get something to eat right now, so I'm too tired to bother with it.)
Anyhoo, a lot of folks want to know just what the Briggs amendment is.
Soooo, here ya go (and yeah, I'm typing this myself cause I love ya):
If you're confused, don't feel bad. That was one cluster-F of a meeting that was made worse because of all the hijacking that went on earlier in order to delay the meeting as late in the day as possible. (Hit me up on Twitter to see what I'm talking about. I'm about to get something to eat right now, so I'm too tired to bother with it.)
Anyhoo, a lot of folks want to know just what the Briggs amendment is.
Soooo, here ya go (and yeah, I'm typing this myself cause I love ya):
This plan and the principals, objectives, policies and guidelines included herein are advisory in nature and constitute non-binding recommendations for consideration in connection with development of steeply sloped areas. While this plan is being adopted as an amendment to the Knoxville-Knox County General Plan 2033, it is intended to provide background and supplemental information of an advisory nature and to serve as a guide to future MPC staff recommendations, but it not intended to form an official part of the General Plan which would be binding on future land use decisions by City Council, County Commission, MPC, the City or County Boards of Zoning Appeals pursuant to T.C.A 13-3-304. Any comparable provisions of the Knoxville-Knox County General Plan 2033 or any Sector Plan which relate to hillside and ridgetop protection shall also be considered advisory consistent with this plan.
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Ridgetop plan tops commission agenda
The County Commission meets tomorrow at 2 p.m. in the Deathstar.
Here's the agenda - click right smack here.
It should be a fairly quick meeting. Until we get to that little thing called the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan. From there, the same people will futilely make the same arguments. My favorite: "Don't tell me what to do with my land."
Uh, yeah, right. Government has been telling you what to do with your land, since there's been land. What do you think zoning restrictions are? Heck, some people can't even build a swimming pool in their yard because they happen to have a protected tree in the back lawn. (I'm all for tearing up that tree by the way.)
Anyhoo, this sucker is passing 8-3. That's my call (although it could possibly be 7-4).
Remember, though, that this is not over by a long shot. The MPC has to approve it, too, which it will. But, then it goes back to the commission again. So, tomorrow really isn't the final call.
And don't forget the ordinances both the city and county will have to approve.
This battle isn't ever going to end, is it?
Here's the agenda - click right smack here.
It should be a fairly quick meeting. Until we get to that little thing called the Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan. From there, the same people will futilely make the same arguments. My favorite: "Don't tell me what to do with my land."
Uh, yeah, right. Government has been telling you what to do with your land, since there's been land. What do you think zoning restrictions are? Heck, some people can't even build a swimming pool in their yard because they happen to have a protected tree in the back lawn. (I'm all for tearing up that tree by the way.)
Anyhoo, this sucker is passing 8-3. That's my call (although it could possibly be 7-4).
Remember, though, that this is not over by a long shot. The MPC has to approve it, too, which it will. But, then it goes back to the commission again. So, tomorrow really isn't the final call.
And don't forget the ordinances both the city and county will have to approve.
This battle isn't ever going to end, is it?
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Jeff Roth new MPC commissioner
There's been quite an uproar about Mayor Big Dog's appointment to the Metropolitan Planning Commission – a group of folks who are nothing more than a RECOMMENDATION panel.
A panel, I might add, that the county has pretty much dismissed in recent months. You know, the Midway business park proposal. Or that Ridgetop/Hillside protection plan thing. (I'm not saying it's a bad panel, but it makes makes only recommendations.)
Anyhoo, Big Tim Burchett decided he wasn't going to reappoint Rachel Craig, who was serving out the remaining two years of City Councilman Nick Pavilis' term. Craig posted her thoughts on "that obscure liberal blog," which you can read right here. She's not mad about the mayor stiffing her. But, she – and a lot of folks – are upset that Burchett didn't appoint someone who lives south of the river.
We wrote a story about the issue (click right smack here) and county Commissioner Mike Brown stopped just short of calling the mayor a D-bag. The Metro Pulse wrote a story about it (click right smack here) and pretty much put a dunce cap on the mayor's head and sat him in the corner.
Of course it didn't help that, according to the story, the mayor admitted to getting a list of “potential South Knoxville replacements for Craig” and then “looked at the list but chose to ignore it.”
Personally, I don't think he ignored the list. I bet he looked at it; thought what a great paper airplane it would make and then threw it at Dean “The Emperor” Rice's head.
But, here's what's been bothering me: So far, no one has bothered to call the mayor's pick – Jeff Roth. So, he doesn't live in south Knoxville anymore. But, doesn't anyone want to hear what he has to say? Apparently not.
Sooooooo, I got bored, like I often do when I eat horse tranquilizers, and I called the guy last night. He was out, but he got back to me early this morning and we talked about his appointment and ties to south Knoxville.
Let me say that first off, sometimes tone gets lost in the printed word. So, if some of his comments seem sarcastic, they weren't. The guy was funny, sincere and a tad humble. Also, this post isn't about taking a side or not on Burchett's appointment, but rather a chat with Roth. (And as a disclaimer, I live in South Knoxville and do think that in the past few years local government has treated it like a turd.)
“It's a little funny that there's so much controversy about this – I didn't realize being a volunteer would bring that out,” said Roth, 47. “It's the MPC. We're not raising taxes or redistricting property lines. We're just a recommendation body.”
Roth said he was born in Baptist Hospital and attended South Knoxville Elementary (and spent sixth grade at Galbraith Elementary School).
His parents divorced when he was five. When his mom later remarried, they did move out of South Knoxville. After high school, he joined the Army and then went to UT where he earned a degree in business administration and marketing.
Yes, he has lived in Karns since 1985, he said, but “I'm not completely out of touch with South Knoxville.”
His uncle was the owner of Gravely Tractor, off John Sevier Highway, for more than 30 years. He has a cousin who teaches South Doyle (forgot to ask whether that was the middle or high school).
“I want to represent the whole county – that will be my goal,” Roth said. “I certainly don't want to go into any situation with a biased opinion or predisposition about how I'll vote on a particular issue. I want to walk in with an open mind.”
I asked why he'd want a thankless job like that.
He gave me the typical “I want to contribute and serve the community" answer.
“The bottom line is, I think, the reason Mayor Burchett appointed me is that he has faith in my ability to make decisions that are non-biased and based on what we hear in our meetings,” he said. “I don't think geography has a lot to do with that. I feel Knox County is all one group of people, so I don't tend to make a distinction between people who live in one area or another. I'm looking forward to serving. I told Tim I'd do a good job and do the best I can and do what needs to be done up there.”
I also asked him his thoughts on whether it's important – in his opinion – to have representatives (what are there? 15 on the MPC?) – from all parts of the county.
He responded: “Up until my appointment, I never gave it a whole lot of thought. The quick answer is 'no I don't think it's necessary.' It's set up so that the mayors make the appointments and I think you have to give those guys the benefit that they'll do a good job. I know several people on the commission and it's a good group, and I think we can make decisions based on education and not about being biased.”
Roth owns Knoxville-based Quality Machine and Welding Co, Inc., which his grandfather founded in 1966 and his father took over 10 years later. He grew up in the business and said at one point it employed 130 people, but is down to 66, mostly because of the economy. (Not the best time to be in construction, I suppose.)
Finally, I asked him his thoughts on the ridgetop/hillside issue.
“I'm going to have to educate myself a little more about the details,” he said. “Certainly, I'm not as familiar with the details (as other people are), but development is important in bringing businesses to Knoxville. My employees depend on us to do that – to have jobs. But having said that, we need to be cognizant of the communities, subdivisions, people and of the environment. We don't want to go paving paradise. But we also have to keep in mind that development is good for economic growth.”
So, those are Roth's thoughts.
I'm not saying Burchett was right or wrong about not appointing someone from the south. (Remember, the glass is always half-empty. He was probably wrong.) But, maybe there's still some South Knoxville in the boy.
I mean at this point, everyone will be squarely focused on what decisions he makes because it will reflect on the mayor.
Roth is in the spotlight right now.
And so is South Knoxville.
And that might not be a bad thing.
A panel, I might add, that the county has pretty much dismissed in recent months. You know, the Midway business park proposal. Or that Ridgetop/Hillside protection plan thing. (I'm not saying it's a bad panel, but it makes makes only recommendations.)
Anyhoo, Big Tim Burchett decided he wasn't going to reappoint Rachel Craig, who was serving out the remaining two years of City Councilman Nick Pavilis' term. Craig posted her thoughts on "that obscure liberal blog," which you can read right here. She's not mad about the mayor stiffing her. But, she – and a lot of folks – are upset that Burchett didn't appoint someone who lives south of the river.
We wrote a story about the issue (click right smack here) and county Commissioner Mike Brown stopped just short of calling the mayor a D-bag. The Metro Pulse wrote a story about it (click right smack here) and pretty much put a dunce cap on the mayor's head and sat him in the corner.
Of course it didn't help that, according to the story, the mayor admitted to getting a list of “potential South Knoxville replacements for Craig” and then “looked at the list but chose to ignore it.”
Personally, I don't think he ignored the list. I bet he looked at it; thought what a great paper airplane it would make and then threw it at Dean “The Emperor” Rice's head.
But, here's what's been bothering me: So far, no one has bothered to call the mayor's pick – Jeff Roth. So, he doesn't live in south Knoxville anymore. But, doesn't anyone want to hear what he has to say? Apparently not.
Sooooooo, I got bored, like I often do when I eat horse tranquilizers, and I called the guy last night. He was out, but he got back to me early this morning and we talked about his appointment and ties to south Knoxville.
Let me say that first off, sometimes tone gets lost in the printed word. So, if some of his comments seem sarcastic, they weren't. The guy was funny, sincere and a tad humble. Also, this post isn't about taking a side or not on Burchett's appointment, but rather a chat with Roth. (And as a disclaimer, I live in South Knoxville and do think that in the past few years local government has treated it like a turd.)
“It's a little funny that there's so much controversy about this – I didn't realize being a volunteer would bring that out,” said Roth, 47. “It's the MPC. We're not raising taxes or redistricting property lines. We're just a recommendation body.”
Roth said he was born in Baptist Hospital and attended South Knoxville Elementary (and spent sixth grade at Galbraith Elementary School).
His parents divorced when he was five. When his mom later remarried, they did move out of South Knoxville. After high school, he joined the Army and then went to UT where he earned a degree in business administration and marketing.
Yes, he has lived in Karns since 1985, he said, but “I'm not completely out of touch with South Knoxville.”
His uncle was the owner of Gravely Tractor, off John Sevier Highway, for more than 30 years. He has a cousin who teaches South Doyle (forgot to ask whether that was the middle or high school).
“I want to represent the whole county – that will be my goal,” Roth said. “I certainly don't want to go into any situation with a biased opinion or predisposition about how I'll vote on a particular issue. I want to walk in with an open mind.”
I asked why he'd want a thankless job like that.
He gave me the typical “I want to contribute and serve the community" answer.
“The bottom line is, I think, the reason Mayor Burchett appointed me is that he has faith in my ability to make decisions that are non-biased and based on what we hear in our meetings,” he said. “I don't think geography has a lot to do with that. I feel Knox County is all one group of people, so I don't tend to make a distinction between people who live in one area or another. I'm looking forward to serving. I told Tim I'd do a good job and do the best I can and do what needs to be done up there.”
I also asked him his thoughts on whether it's important – in his opinion – to have representatives (what are there? 15 on the MPC?) – from all parts of the county.
He responded: “Up until my appointment, I never gave it a whole lot of thought. The quick answer is 'no I don't think it's necessary.' It's set up so that the mayors make the appointments and I think you have to give those guys the benefit that they'll do a good job. I know several people on the commission and it's a good group, and I think we can make decisions based on education and not about being biased.”
Roth owns Knoxville-based Quality Machine and Welding Co, Inc., which his grandfather founded in 1966 and his father took over 10 years later. He grew up in the business and said at one point it employed 130 people, but is down to 66, mostly because of the economy. (Not the best time to be in construction, I suppose.)
Finally, I asked him his thoughts on the ridgetop/hillside issue.
“I'm going to have to educate myself a little more about the details,” he said. “Certainly, I'm not as familiar with the details (as other people are), but development is important in bringing businesses to Knoxville. My employees depend on us to do that – to have jobs. But having said that, we need to be cognizant of the communities, subdivisions, people and of the environment. We don't want to go paving paradise. But we also have to keep in mind that development is good for economic growth.”
So, those are Roth's thoughts.
I'm not saying Burchett was right or wrong about not appointing someone from the south. (Remember, the glass is always half-empty. He was probably wrong.) But, maybe there's still some South Knoxville in the boy.
I mean at this point, everyone will be squarely focused on what decisions he makes because it will reflect on the mayor.
Roth is in the spotlight right now.
And so is South Knoxville.
And that might not be a bad thing.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
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.”
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.”
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