The News Sentinel headline writers must have that one programmed on a hot key to save time.

Katie at KT has the scoop...

The local media has been all over Mayor Ragsdale this week re. the budget and more. See here, here, here, and here.

The big news from yesterday's County Commission meeting was a citizen's petition signed by 100 people asking commissioners to remove Mayor Ragsdale from office.

When advised by the County Law Director that commission doesn't have that power and that citizens would have to file an ouster lawsuit, petitioner Charles Bowers said he may do just that. Victoria DeFreese apparently approves.

Katie at KT has an interview with Dwight Van de Vate following the meeting. (Listen near the end when a clueless reporter asks if Ragsdale would run again. Sheesh.)

UPDATE: Nichols recuses his office, Finch investigation moved to Shelby County DA's office. (By way of KT)

Knoxville News Sentinel:

[Lumpy Lambert] said recent meetings have lasted as long as nine hours because, after the sunshine lawsuit, commissioners no longer could discuss business beforehand in private. Now, all business that may be voted on by the commission must be discussed publicly.

Interesting. So Lumpy openly admits to conducting public business in private. And contrary to the article's suggestion that things are different now, that has always been against the rules. Now they're complaining that doing public business in public takes too long. County commissioning is hard work.

Anyway, the article is about a proposed online chat room for commission to conduct business. Not sure what's wrong with public workshops, but this seems like a reasonable compromise.

WATE: Mayor gives Pinkston tongue lashing

"I've never been convicted of a crime between the two of us. Only one of us has been convicted of a crime and that's you," the mayor told Pinkston.

The gloves came off during yesterday's special County Commission meeting to review an audit of Knox County p-card expenses. The issue of travel allowances also came up.

Despite Mayor Ragsdale's vigorous defense under oath and Commissioner DeFreese's failed motion calling for Ragsdale's resignation, Commission took harsh action.

From the Knoxville News Sentinel

The Knox County Commission formally censured Mayor Mike Ragsdale on Monday and will force him and his top aides to pay back nearly $40,000 in questionable purchasing-card charges.

Commission also voted to refer the matter of Cynthia Finch's fabricated receipts to District Attorney General Randy Nichols for criminal investigation.

In other action, a proposal to put liquor by the drink up for a vote was withdrawn because Law Director John Owings said County Commission isn't authorized to put it on the ballot. (Does anybody know why that is?) He said citizens would have to petition for a referendum.

Lobster was apparently not served during the marathon meeting, but there was definitely some grilling.

Newly appointed Commissioner Victoria DeFreese remarked in last week's Commission meeting that she had received "countless" e-mails, faxes, letters, and phone calls regarding the recent p-card audit.

Now, the Mayor's office has made a formal request to Commissioner DeFreese under the Tennessee Open Records Act requesting access to copies of all correspondence including letters, faxes, and emails she has received regarding the p-card audit, and also phone records and any logs or notes related to phone calls she has received about the audit.

Not sure why they would want to keep poking this hornet's nest with a stick. At any rate, I guess somebody will have to count them now. Wonder how many were from Paul Pinkston?

UPDATE: DeFreese responds, will hold a press conference at 3PM to discuss the request. According to the report, her position is that the correspondence is not public record. There's also something about "communication 'forged' by citizens." Probably not what she meant to say.

UPDATE: WBIR contacts an expert who says if the correspondence was received in transaction of public business then it is public record, adding "Ethically speaking, I don't know why (Commissioner DeFreese) would want to withhold it." Good question. Boxes and boxes of correspondence would certainly be embarrassing for the mayor. Why not just produce them?

UPDATE: From the KNS: "At any rate, DeFreese said she doesn't have any of the e-mails or other communications because she gets so many she doesn't keep them." Seriously? Game, set, match.

Bill Dunn's bill to use chat rooms to offer "sunshined" discussion between officials covered by the Open Meetings Act is moving forward.

However, it's always good to think out the details. What specifics should this bill include?

1. Archive of all conversations for elected term + 1 year (e.g., 9 years for Knox County Commissioners)
2. All posts must be keyword searchable, with complex queries allowed (e.g., show all posts by Commissioner X, with keyword "TIF" and keyword "Halls" in the same post)

If we choose to allow public comments, I would recommend a blog engine like Scoop, that allows registered users to build rating points based on comments other users find useful or, on the other side, lose points by 'trolling.' Other users can then filter comments from users below a certain rating value (it's not censorship, since it's the choice of each individual user to set the viewing threshold).

I would also suggest how KNS uses "suggest removal" to allow a county administrator to remove potentially libelous posts.

Other thoughts?

DeFreese calls for subpoena to detail p-card charges

As Mark was switching his university hat for his commission binder I managed to get a summary from him of what we can expect of this evenings county commission meeting. We have a bet on how long this meeting will go tonight. I say it will go on past 10:00 and he says they will be done by 8:30.

(I take full responsibility for any editorializing contained in thisentry.)

Zoning starts at 4:00 pm and will include a request by Butler Homes for a zoning change to 6.5 units per acre/area. The Briarglen Homeowners Association is opposing this change. Apparently there is also some slope protection also at issue.

Commission will be electing a new Chair and Vice Chair. The local Sunday shows and the KNS have all predicted this to go to Tank Strickland, especially after the outstanding job he did during the appointment process. Apparently there have already been Committee assignments because I found this on the Commission website: Link...

The Commission agenda is here,
Link..., and the zonings are the last 4 pages. The biggest issue on the agenda is the Knox County, One Question, charter amendments listed under ordinances. Expect at least one commissioner (guess who?) to offer many ways to re-word some of them which may water them down to nothing or introduce the “poison pill” in order to insure their demise.

There may be an attempt to add some items to the agenda and there may be discussion on the pending audits.

I think most people would agree that the appointments meeting yesterday was very well done and that Commissioner Strickland did a great job chairing the meeting. It was relatively short, sweet, and to the point, yet everyone who wanted to speak was able to, and there was opportunity for discussion of the issues, etc.

Why can't it always be this way? The rules for this meeting were:

1. No lobbying - No one could approach the commisioners once the meeting started.

2. No cell phones - Commissioners could not take phone calls on their cell phones during the meetings.

3. No recesses - There was no going into the back room to discuss a vote.

4. No votes while absent - Bathroom breaks were one-at-a-time, and while a commissioner was absent, there was no voting.

5. No private discussions - Commissioners were not allowed to talk to each other privately during the meeting.

I liked it and I think the general public felt that the meeting was very above-board and open, the way it should be. I think it also made the meeting go much quicker than it would have otherwise.

I think Commission should seriously consider adopting these rules for all future meetings. Not necessarily workshops, committee meeting or agenda meetings, but at the regular monthly meetings, these rules sure would make things go faster and remove the perception that things are going on outside of the public's view.

Let's say you had two local governments, side by side. One was well-organized, generally efficient, with characteristics that led to lower taxes, better services, and equitable processes for the redress of grievances.

The other government had public officials ignoring term limits to remain in office, offering up self-serving tax subsidies to big box corporations in the form of unneeded tax increment financing (TIFs) that ended up taking money out of the school system by artificially reducing the true tax base of the government to the state. Government officials here wasted money on lavish dinners on government credit cards, threatened residents with property tax increases if they didn't vote for a wheel tax on their registered vehicles, and provided grant dollars to nonprofit organizations run by their own families.

Could the viability of each of these governments culturally find themselves subject to Darwin's process of natural selection, where one is more likely to culturally adapt, survive, and prosper than the other?

A new Stanford University study shows that human culture may be subject to natural selection.

• WATE has live streaming video.

• KNS is live blogging.

• WBIR is live blogging.

• Lisa Starbuck is live blogging here at KnoxViews

• Steve Drevik is live blogging at his Reform4 blog.

Mark Harmon proudly models his "University Twit" T shirt!

We have more available if you have not ordered yet. See the classifieds here on KnoxViews for how to contact me if you want one.

For those that have already ordered one, I am still figuring out how to get them to everyone.

Becky Harmon

The Knoxville News Sentinel has comments from several County Commissioners regarding the criteria they will use to appoint interim replacements for twelve county offices vacated first by a term limits lawsuit then again by a subsequent "sunshine" lawsuit over the first appointment process.

The special County Commission meeting to appoint interim replacements will be held Wednesday, Feb. 20th at 9AM in the City County Building Main Assembly Room.

Following are the applicants for interim replacements according to the KNS, with links to KNS profiles or resumes submitted by the applicants where available. (Please let me know if this list is not accurate.)

As an editorial comment, I find it interesting and disappointing that none of this is mentioned on the Knox County Commission website.

It's great that they adopted a more open process and conducted a series of public forums for the replacement appointments (prompted by the "sunshine" lawsuit, I'm sure). But there's no announcement of the date, time, or place of the special meeting that I can find on the Knox County website (apologies if I missed it and if someone can find it please let me know), there's no listing of applicants or background information, no minutes or reports from the public forums, no explanation of the process, and no agenda for the meeting. They are leaving it all up to the media to communicate this to the public.

This is pretty lame given the concerns about more "open government" in Knox County. They shouldn't expect the local media (or bloggers for that matter) to do their job for them in terms of outreach and communication, just like the KNS shouldn't have to take them to court to make them do their job out in the open.

(Again, apologies if this information is somewhere on the Knox County or County Commission website. I just wasn't able to find it.)

WBIR: Knox County Commissioners fire off tough questions

Commissioner Mark Harmon entered the meeting wearing a t-shirt with the words "proud to be a university twit" printed on the front.

Knox County Commission's first T-shirt!
(Who knows,there may be more to come)

Front side: Proud to be a University Twit
Back side: I'd rather be a "University Twit" than a "Lumpy"

Royal Blue with white print, 100% cotton
As of 2/12/08 price is $9.00 per shirt (my cost)
Photo pending (once the shirts actually come in I will photograph and figure out how to upload)

See the KnoxViews classified under miscellaneous for order information.

A reminder that the forum for the 1st, 2nd and 4th District appointees will be held tonight, February 11th at 6:00 pm. in the Main Assembly Room.

Other forums will be held this week and next before the appointments next Wednesday, February 20th.

* 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in the Small Assembly Room of the City County Building for the 6th, 8th and 9th Commission Districts

* 10 a.m. Feb. 16 in the Main Assembly Room for sheriff, trustee, county clerk and register of deeds

* Feb. 19 following the 8:30 a.m. County Commission committee meetings in the Main Assembly Room for candidates who cannot attend an earlier workshop

Frank Talk: Clown Shoes

You might concentrate on legislation rather than argument. Maybe something to do with road kill, posting the Ten Commandments, or asking your colleagues to go on record as to whether they love the Baby Jesus.

Katie asks whether you think this is cool or not.

WBIR: Scott Moore resigns as county commission chairman

Knox County Commissioner Scott Moore resigned his post as chairman of that body Wednesday afternoon.

KNS: Moore resigns as County Commission chairman; Strickland to serve

"Yesterday in the election we seen many changes in Knox County government," Moore said.

"I'm going to step down as Knox County Commission chairman. It's been a privilege to serve the last three years.

"It's time for somebody else to take over."

Vice Chairman Thomas "Tank" Strickland took over duties as chairman.

When the discussion turned to the issue of county employees serving on County Commission, Commissioner Mark Harmon proposed letting the people decide or failing that a common sense approach regarding commissioners voting on their own salaries and operations.

Commissioner Lumpy Lamber apparently disagrees:

That’s when Lambert yelled at Harmon, "How does that arrogant little university twit sit up there and make decisions?" Harmon is a University of Tennessee journalism professor.

That is some unbelievably rude and uncivil behavior for an elected public official. And I don't even know what it means. This stuff isn't even funny any more. It's just pathetic and embarrassing.

Knox County Commission agrees on appointment process and timeline:

Knox County Commission approved a timeline Monday night for appointing replacements to 12 vacant county offices.

Commissioner Mike Hammond presented a plan for accepting resumes and holding public forums, and commissioners approved the timeline with a few variations.

The article has more details including the public forum schedule.

Interesting and varying accounts of a controversial Realtor's Association meeting in the KNS.

Tomorrow's County Commission meeting is chock full of controversial or potentially controversial items. Here is a quick rundown so viewers can keep track of them.

Zonings (4pm):

10-D-07-SP and 10-Q-07 RZ: Southwest Sector Plan Amendment, an attempt to switch from Low- to Medium Density on Northeast side of Canton Hollow Road. MPC recommended deny, plus lots of neighborhood opposition. MPC let slide a switch to 5 units per acre Planned Residential; neighbors want scaled back to 3 units.

10-E-07-SP and 10-T-07RZ: South Sector Plan Amendment. Significant neighborhood opposition to Victor Jernigan plan for high-density apartments on south side of W. Gov. John Sevier Hwy, east of Winkle Lane, north of Tipton Station.

( I have questions on a couple other zoning items as well. )

Commission Regular Meeting (5pm or after zonings):

R-07-12-906: Tax Increment Finance package for Willow Creek Shopping Center in Halls, the proposed tax break is 20 years and $4 million.

R-07-12-909: Invoke subpoena powers of commission.

R-07-12-914: Changes regarding Code of Ethics that include defining certain things as not "items of value" and also defining nepotism.

R-07-916: Revisiting the vacancy appointments question.

R-07-917: Resolution urging all citizens to proclaim to every level of government its responsibility to recognize God as foundation of national heritage, the "God Resolution."

R-07-919: Specifying Tyler Harber incidents as part of subpoena powers, and starting investigation.

O-07-12-101 Stormwater Ordinance. Deal with city. Lumpy amendments gone, types of pipe specified in three specific instances. County gets larger size plots exempted from plans. Lingering serious questions whether other provisions are adequate or sufficient regarding EPA and environment.

O-07-12-102 Ordinance Amendments related to Animal Control, dangerous dogs.

O-07-11-103 Recall Amendment

--Mark Harmon

Knox County Law Director John Owings has issued a recommendation to the Tennessee Legislature's Open Meetings Subcommittee.

In his petulant response to the recent trial and questions raised, he proposes to basically rewrite the Open Meetings act to make everything that happened on Jan. 31st A-OK.

There's just too much good stuff to single out one best part, but this is pretty good:

Please make it clear that if there is no discussion about a matter at a meeting, but instead, a motion, second, a call for discussion, no discussion, and a vote, that is not a violation of the act.

Why not go ahead and make it "a motion, a second, a recess to go discuss it in the hall and decide you need another vote and get a judge down to swear somebody in and when you get caught doing that give somebody else a copy of the oath and directions to the judge's office to get sworn in and seated and THEN vote" it is not a violation.

(They way it's written, is Owings suggesting that people might think things have already been decided if there's no discussion? Where would they get that idea?)

The whole thing is based on the premise that county business will grind to a halt because commissioners are now afraid to speak to one another. Nobody who has been paying attention is aware of any such prohibition in the Open Meetings Act. Who does The county law director represent -- Knox County and its citizens, or Scooby and Lumpy?

Chancellor Daryl Fansler ruled today that the law does not allow a special election and replacements must be made by appointment. Link Link...

Well duh! This is what I (and others) have been saying for weeks now. Instead of pandering to voters with promises of a special election how about just doing what the law requires the way the law requires it to be done. Make the appointments in compliance with the Open Meetings Law, have those folks serve a few months, let's have a good election with a huge turnout and swear the winners in next Fall.

Lumpy explodes at County Commission meeting!

I heard from someone that was there that he even used a few expletives aimed at Tony Norman. He leveled many accusations at other commissioners.

John Owings advises commission that a "re-do" of the storm water ordinance would be appropriate since Lumpy stated on TV over the weekend that he discussed the ordinance with other commissioners before that vote.

And they are going to the Governor for a special election. Also, it seems that the control of the commission may have been taken away from the Scoobie faction. Phil Ballard, Craig Leuthold and Tank Strickland voted against a "drop dead date" for the election question to be resolved and for the commission to appoint, apparently a recommendation by Scoobie.

Cortney Piper sent out a press release today saying that she would not seek an appointment to County Commission, but would only serve if elected by the voters to the 2nd District seat. Refreshing, eh?

This is a new day is Knox County. Right now the County Commission is holding a workshop where they are discussing how to conduct the investigation of Ragsdale funds and spending.

Owings is not quite ready, apparently he has been somewhat busy with other matters recently.

Check out Comcast channel 12.

Click image for larger view...

Submitted by a "fed up Halls guy."