Expect county to sell Hillcrest land

Hillcrest north campus (photo by J. Miles Cary)

First post of the year. About time, I suppose. Just really getting back after a good amount of time off for the holidays.

Anyhoo, had a story in this weekend's paper about a deal between the county and Hillcrest HealthCare Communities that could lead to the nursing home securing the property where it operates for about $5.3 million. It currently pays the county $1 a year to lease a combined 33 acres in the north, south and west parts of the county.

Hillcrest has tried this before and it didn't work out, I think mostly because Paul Pinkston was on the commission and he wanted to let others bid. Ornery, yet charismatic he was able to get enough of the then-19 member commission on board. In the end, officials just extended the least.

I don't expect that to happen this time. Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett has the six votes he needs to sell the property. Plus, he's going to argue that regardless of whether the deal is put out to bid, only Hillcrest can continue to use it as a nursing home for the indigent. And he's pretty much right. (It all comes down to Hillcrest owning the “certificate of need” to operate a nursing home and that's based on local demographics and the need for beds.)

Sooooo . . . expect this to pass. The board is supposed to talk about it during its work session and voting meeting later this month, but it is possible that it gets deferred for until February out of courtesy to any member who wants to further study the matter.

Pension costs to jump, Lobetti retires

Never understood why most of the local media ignores the pension board meetings. Probably don't understand it. Or maybe they can't get a pretty picture to go with it. Or something. This is good stuff. Seriously.

The pension board meets Monday morning. There's a couple items of interest. The board will talk about the county's expected levels of contributions this year for the three pension plans (two of which are closed).

Back in late January, I wrote a story about the expected increases. Click right smack here for that bad boy.

Here are some more solid figures:

• In the current year, the county contributed $4.1 million to cover the Uniformed Officer's Pension Plan, or UOPP. This doesn't count costs toward paying off bonds. In the upcoming fiscal year, which starts July 1,, it's expected to be $4.6 million.
• The county this year contributed $1.5 million to a closed defined benefit plan for general employees (it closed in the early 1990s when they went on the asset accumulation plan, which is like a 401(k)). For this upcoming year, the board is asking the county to ante up almost $2.4 million.
• The county this year also chipped in a little more than $1 million for the “Old School” plan (this doesn't count bond payments, too). The board is asking for almost $1.2 million for the upcoming year.

Altogether, we're talking about an increase of $1.6 million.

In the meantime, a couple of folks in the Sheriff's Office are retiring effective April 1 (although I think they've already left).

First up is Dorothy Pinkston, the wife of former hellraisin' county Commissioner Paul Pinkston, the sharpest dresser on the commission and at one point an arch enemy of a certain former mayor. Dorothy worked for the county for more than 22 years. And no, she is not on the Sheriff's Office pension plan.

Next is Mose Lobetti, local political super spy, card player (or so the rumors go) and bailiff (when he's not a super spy). He is on the pension plan and worked for the county for more than 30 years. Actually, more like 3,000 years. Heh.

The board will talk about some other stuff, too, including its annual luncheon for county retirees and the charter review committee.

Tim Hutchison's legal bills due?

Hey, guess who is back? And wanting some mega-coin?

Well, sort of.

Attorneys for former Knox County Sheriff Tim Hutchison want the county to pay up - to the tune of some $134,000 in scratch for successfully defending the long-time sheriff during a series of ouster suits that began in 2007.

(It's not actually known if Hutch paid the attorneys and they're collecting for him or if they were waiting for the county - former county law director John Owings hired the firm - to just flat out reimburse them. Not sure if that sentence even made sense.)

Click right smack here for the memo and the itemized statements from the law firm.

The county (that means taxpayers) paid for former Commissioner Paul Pinkston's legal fees ($24,000), and plan to pick up the bill ($4,300) for Commissioner R. Larry Smith's tab for some Ethics Committee related crap that didn't have anything to do with ouster suits.

I'll have a story in Saturday's paper with more detail.

Have a good weekend.

Paul Pinkston looking at Senate seat

How does “state Sen. Paul Pinkston” sound?

Oh yeah. Heh.

The former Knox County commissioner, left, and well-known rubble-rouser just called, saying he's probably going to email commissioners and tell them he wants the 6th District seat that Jamie Woodson, R-Knoxville, will vacate in July.

“I just feel like they'll give it to some political hack and since (the county) needs the money, why not give it back,” said Pinkston, who was working in the lawn when he called. “I don't think anyone should be paid for this job for not doing anything and staying at home and just saying they're a senator.”

Pinkston, the sharpest dresser on the commission for six years (he left last September)who operated a business with his brother, said he doesn't expect to get the job, but hopes to put pressure on whoever does to not accept the salary.

The county is accepting resumes right now. Once Woodson leaves, the commission will interview candidates. The top selection will serve until the election. The county hasn't set an actual date yet for the appointment process.

“I really don't want the job,” Pinkston said, laughing. “You think I'm kidding, don't you?”

The job is pretty much a bench-warming, resume-padding position. Heck, even Pinkston knows that. But it is kind of cool to have folks calling you “senator.” And technically you get a pro-rated paycheck for whatever the annual salary is. (I think it's about $20,000 a year.)

Anyhoo, Pinkston said if – miraculously – the governor did call an emergency session then he'd still work for free, but he'd like the state to pick up the tab for his hotel room while he hung with the Nashville lawmakers. He said he'd pay for his own food.

“I've got to eat,” he said. “But why should someone be paid when they're not doing any work?”

Good point.

As it stands, a couple folks have already decided they want to run for the seat for real. None of this appointed, bench-warming stuff.

So far, Knoxville City Councilwoman Marilyn “I can't make up my mind” Roddy, Sertoma Center Executive Director Becky “I'm a Duncan so you should vote for me” Massey and former Knox County Commissioner Victoria “Dance for Me, Puppet” Defreese are gearing up to run for the spot.

RINO Woodson will step down July 9 to become the CEO of a statewide education initiative.

Pinkston: Show me the money

Former Knox County Commissioner Paul Pinkston, left, may finally get his money.

Years after he won an ouster suit filed by local attorney Herbert S. Moncier (a world-record setter for suing local government), Pinkston in January asked county officials to pay his legal bills.

No one seemed to have a problem, but Pinkston apparently needed to have the request placed on the commission’s agenda. That finally happened.

During Tuesday’s work session, officials indicated that they were ready to pay the tab: roughly $23,000.

“I’m all in favor of paying it,” commission Chairman Mike Hammond said.

The others agreed.

When asked about the amount county Law Director Joe Jarret said “the quote seems more than reasonable because he went through a trial and an appeal.”

Under state law, apparently, the county couldn’t front Pinkston the money to defend himself.

However, officials are allowed to reimburse him, so long as he won.

More than likely, Pinkston will be $23,000 richer in about a month, officials said tonight.

Added the former commissioner: “I did nothing wrong.”

Commissioners plan to talk. A lot.

The Knox County Commission hosts its monthly work session 2 p.m. tomorrow at the City County Building (that's 400 West Main St. for those who wants to take advantage of Mapquest, which I don't recommend)

The agenda is nine pages long and - on first glance - it looks like the 11 members could quickly run through it. Until you get down to those discussion items.

• Commission Chairman Mike Hammond told me last week that some folks want to talk about the Karns Volunteer Fire Department and its subscription-based service plans. Apparently, the department, which serves Northwest Knox County, is hurting for money. Much of its funding in the past has come from donations and grants, but the well is running dry (so to speak).
• Commissioner Amy Broyles wants to talk about the structure, function and funding of the Knox County Drug Court. This is a discussion item that the commission had planned to talk about previously but - for reasons I no longer remember - tabled it. I say this because the discussions started before the TBI investigation in Judge Richard Baumgartner, although I'm sure his name will come up tomorrow.
• Commissioner Mike Brown plans to ask his peers for input into the "scope of authority and oversight" of the Public Building Authority. The word I'm hearing around the county is that folks aren't quite so sure we need the PBA anymore. Officials there, of course, will tell you otherwise.
• Commissioner Richard Briggs tomorrow will continue his efforts to shake-up the county's Ethics Committee. Briggs, who also serves on the panel, wants it to consist solely of county residents to avoid conflicts of interest among elected leaders. He also wants to more clearly define just want the panel is supposed to preside over. The committee's chairwoman, Elaine Davis, however, says the panel should include at least one commissioner with institutional knowledge to serve as a liaison between the panel and the commission.
• Commissioner Briggs also wants to talk about whether to pay former Commissioner Paul Pinkston's legal fees he incurred while defending himself in a 2008 ouster lawsuit. That's a lawsuit he won, by the way. Pinkston told us in January that former Law Director John Owings told him that the county would pay the fees if he won the case. I talked to Paul last week and he told me it was about $20,000.
• Chairman Hammond also wants to talk about the area's Ten Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness. Officials earlier this month decided they wanted to "restart" it, whatever that means. About the only thing that really happened is that TYP Director Jon Lawler and his right-hand-man, Robert Finley, said they would step down. Officials also put on hold off on any efforts (which there weren't any at this point) to pursue additional permanent supportive housing under the plan. In the meantime, a committee is looking into how to tweak the program's efforts. It's hard to say what will happen. My guess? It will probably be taken out from under the auspices of the city and county.

The county commission at 4 p.m. tomorrow (or following the work session) will host a workshop to go over the Knoxville Knox County Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan. I've written all I plan to on that today. Here's a copy of the MPC's plan.

Until tomorrow . . . .

Pinkston is no 'Lumpy' Lambert

Former Knox County Commissioner Paul Pinkston (at immediate left) won't follow in the footsteps of his former peer, the colorful Greg “Lumpy” Lambert.

No, Pinkston says – despite word making the local rounds – he hasn't taken a $50,000-a-year security gig with the school system.

Nor does he want one.

(Lumpy, pictured on the far left, as you might recall began a new career in early January, working as a courtroom security officer.)

Pinkston, laughing, said: “I'm 73 years old. I don't want to work.”

The former commissioner added that – other than his time on the county commission – he's been retired for eight years and plans to fix up his house - “and all the things I couldn't do before.”

However, Pinkston's son, a former police officer, has worked school security for the past 12 to 14 years. And Paul's wife still works for the PD.

In the meantime, Lumpy is still watching over one of the criminal courtrooms.

So far, he hasn't pulled a gun on anyway.

That I know of.