The Hamblen County Commission met last night.
The Tribune photographer took a picture of three local high school students receiving a "Give Kids Good Schools" resolution.
Almost all the votes were 13-0, but there was one 12-1 vote when Larry Baker cast a dissenting vote in opposition to adoption of an "International Building Code" which he sees as an added layer of bureaucracy and expense for home builders and home buyers.
And there was one 11-0-2 vote when a capital plan was adopted with Joe Swann and Frank Parker abstaining due to conflicts of interest.
The really interesting part of the meeting--and just about the only true time of discussion--came toward the end of the meeting.
The quote of the day goes to Commissioner Guy Collins. Guy wanted to speak on one of the agenda items but was told by Chairman Ford that he had to press his "speaking" button before he could continue.
Guy, who has been a county commissioner longer than several of the other commissioners have been alive, kept trying to hit his "speak" button but finally blurted out that he didn't care about that d**n button. Lady Macbeth, no doubt, would have appreciated Guy MacCollins frustration!
[The new voting system that has been instituted by Chairman Ford requires that commissioners who want to speak must hit a "speak" button and then be recognized before making any comments. ]
If Guy's Macbeth remark was the highlight of the meeting, the lowlight came shortly after during discussion of staffing and title changes in the sheriff's department. After listening to commissioners, a citizen (Bonnie Oakberg) raised her hand and asked if she could ask a question.
Chairman Ford lashed out with a clear "no," and in his brief explanation, Ford told Ms. Oakberg that she should have talked to commission at the beginning of the meeting if she had anything to say. Ms. Oakberg then said that she had just thought of something that she wanted to ask.
Ms. Oakberg added that the previous commission used to allow the public to comment when items came up for discussion. [She's right. I was on that commission and was extremely proud of our policy of openness and our willingness to listen to public input.]
With an "I'm important. You're not" attitude, Chairman Ford let Ms. Oakberg know that she would not be allowed to ask a question. Ms. Oakberg left the meeting.
At the end, Commissioner Nancy Phillips asked for a moment to make a statement. She turned to Commissioner Joe Swann and said that she didn't want to get into a fight with anyone, but she did want to say that she thinks that the public should be allowed to speak if they have a question that comes up after the public comments portion of the meeting.
Joe Swann, agreeing with Chairman Ford's heavy-handed tactics, said if the public was allowed to speak there would be "chaos." Apparently, Swann's definition of "chaos" is the public speaking and the commission taking the time to listen.
Then he told Ms. Phillips that the previous commission had been "chaotic." Swann's definition of "chaotic"? Probably commissioners who ask questions, who try to control spending, and who think that higher taxes and spiraling debt pass an overwhelming financial burden on to our children.
Commissioner Phillips took exception to Swann's remarks and replied that there had never been chaos.
Commissioner Tommy Massey who ran unopposed for the seat that I vacated said that he liked the current (Stancil Ford) process and the way the meetings were handled.
Commissioner Baker spoke up in support of Commissioner Phillips.
The meeting was quickly adjourned by Chairman Ford.
I hear from sources that Commissioner Joe Spoone and perhaps another commissioner told Phillips after the meeting that they supported her position on letting the public ask questions during discussion of issues.
The previous commission allowed open, but not unlimited, discussion. Often very good ideas and suggestions were brought up by citizens in the audience. As Commissioner Phillips was heard to say after last night's meeting, citizens have good ideas, too!
Obviously, commissioners make the final decision, but that doesn't mean that the public should be ignored or insulted as Ms. Oakberg was simply because she politely requested permission to ask a question.
I heard one person say last night that Stancil Ford must still think he's in the Tennessee House of Representatives and that he's been reincarnated as iron-fisted Speaker of the House Democrat Jimmy Naifeh.
Ford barks at commissioners and at the public. And to make sure that he can get out of there in 30 minutes, he runs through the agenda like it's a race... with no time to listen to questions that might arise from the public during the meeting.
Showing posts with label Bonnie Oakberg. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bonnie Oakberg. Show all posts
Friday, October 19, 2007
Monday, May 14, 2007
May 13, 2007 Hamblen County Ethics Committee Appointed But the Sun Wasn't Shining
There was a special called meeting of the Hamblen County Commission on Tuesday, May 8, but the public wasn't told or notified.
Officials and a few other individuals received e-mail notification about the meeting from the Hamblen County Mayor's Office around May 1.
[I just happened to hear about the meeting from a Hamblen County official a few days before the meeting was to take place. ]
There is a Sunshine Law in Tennessee. The Sunshine Law states that it is the public policy of the state that the business of the public must be conducted in public.
To make sure that public business is conducted in public, the Sunshine Law provides that there must be "adequate public notice" for regular meetings and for special called meetings.
Just prior to the start of the business portion of the May 8th meeting, I notified the entire commission that there had been only e-mail notification to a very limited number of individuals about this special meeting, and I expressed my concern over this apparent violation of the Sunshine Law.
Chairman Ford turned to Mayor Purkey, and the Mayor said something to the effect that they had complied with the notice requirements for public meetings.
When asked specifically whether an e-mail notification that only went to a very limited number of individuals in Hamblen County could be considered adequate notice to the 60,000 Hamblen countians who did NOT receive the e-mail or any public notice, Chairman Ford referred the question to County Attorney Rusty Cantwell.
Cantwell expressed no concern about the legality of public notice even when the only notice of the meeting was an e-mail that was sent to a very limited number of specific recipients.
While it may have been hoped or expected that the press would notify the public of this special meeting, that didn't occur. The Sunshine Law doesn't state that a hope or expectation that someone will provide notice of the meeting meets the actual notice requirement.
The Sunshine Law states that there must be "adequate public notice" for regular and special called meetings. T.C.A. 8-44-103.
How can you conduct public business in public if you don't tell the public that there is a public meeting and if you don't provide notice as to when and where the meeting will take place?
There wasn't any Sunshine at the May 8th meeting even though it was an especially important meeting--a special called meeting during which appointment of the Hamblen County Ethics Committee would take place. The only other item on the agenda was termites in the Courthouse.
Mayor David Purkey, as expected, appointed commissioners Stancil Ford and Joe Swann and Trustee Bill Brittain to the Ethics Committee. Joe Swann then jumped in and nominated Jack Cartwright and Jim Harrison for the "regular citizen" positions.
Right before the meeting, I talked with two commissioners and recommended Patricia Stephens and Steve Sublett for the Ethics Committee. Each was nominated and received three and four votes respectively. Both Ms. Stephens and Mr. Sublett attend commission meetings regularly, are thoughtful and conscientious individuals, and would have represented the citizens and taxpayers well.
Bonnie Oakberg was also nominated. She attends meetings regularly and would have served well. Bonnie had taken the initiative to submit her own list of possible Ethics Committee nominees to commissioners several weeks ago.
I know Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Harrison by name only. I don't know how many commission meetings they have attended in the past 4-5 years.
I trust that Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Harrison along with the other members of the Ethics Committee will serve honorably, recognizing that they have perhaps the most important jobs in Hamblen County. They are the gatekeepers of ethics in Hamblen County.
It is unfortunate and ironic, however, that the appointment of this new five-man Hamblen County Ethics Committee took place at a meeting of which the public meeting was not notified.
It is unfortunate, and that is putting it midly, that the County Mayor, the County Attorney, and Commission Chair Stancil Ford (who was appointed to the Ethics Committee) had zero concern about the lack of public notice for this meeting and zero concern about the apparent violation of the notice requirements of the Sunshine Law.
It is unfortunate, and that is putting it mildly, that the thirteen other commissioners, including Joe Swann (who was appointed to the Ethics Committee), had zero concern about the lack of public notice for this meeting and zero concern about the apparent violation of the notice requirements of the Sunshine Law in Tennessee.
Officials and a few other individuals received e-mail notification about the meeting from the Hamblen County Mayor's Office around May 1.
[I just happened to hear about the meeting from a Hamblen County official a few days before the meeting was to take place. ]
There is a Sunshine Law in Tennessee. The Sunshine Law states that it is the public policy of the state that the business of the public must be conducted in public.
To make sure that public business is conducted in public, the Sunshine Law provides that there must be "adequate public notice" for regular meetings and for special called meetings.
Just prior to the start of the business portion of the May 8th meeting, I notified the entire commission that there had been only e-mail notification to a very limited number of individuals about this special meeting, and I expressed my concern over this apparent violation of the Sunshine Law.
Chairman Ford turned to Mayor Purkey, and the Mayor said something to the effect that they had complied with the notice requirements for public meetings.
When asked specifically whether an e-mail notification that only went to a very limited number of individuals in Hamblen County could be considered adequate notice to the 60,000 Hamblen countians who did NOT receive the e-mail or any public notice, Chairman Ford referred the question to County Attorney Rusty Cantwell.
Cantwell expressed no concern about the legality of public notice even when the only notice of the meeting was an e-mail that was sent to a very limited number of specific recipients.
While it may have been hoped or expected that the press would notify the public of this special meeting, that didn't occur. The Sunshine Law doesn't state that a hope or expectation that someone will provide notice of the meeting meets the actual notice requirement.
The Sunshine Law states that there must be "adequate public notice" for regular and special called meetings. T.C.A. 8-44-103.
How can you conduct public business in public if you don't tell the public that there is a public meeting and if you don't provide notice as to when and where the meeting will take place?
There wasn't any Sunshine at the May 8th meeting even though it was an especially important meeting--a special called meeting during which appointment of the Hamblen County Ethics Committee would take place. The only other item on the agenda was termites in the Courthouse.
Mayor David Purkey, as expected, appointed commissioners Stancil Ford and Joe Swann and Trustee Bill Brittain to the Ethics Committee. Joe Swann then jumped in and nominated Jack Cartwright and Jim Harrison for the "regular citizen" positions.
Right before the meeting, I talked with two commissioners and recommended Patricia Stephens and Steve Sublett for the Ethics Committee. Each was nominated and received three and four votes respectively. Both Ms. Stephens and Mr. Sublett attend commission meetings regularly, are thoughtful and conscientious individuals, and would have represented the citizens and taxpayers well.
Bonnie Oakberg was also nominated. She attends meetings regularly and would have served well. Bonnie had taken the initiative to submit her own list of possible Ethics Committee nominees to commissioners several weeks ago.
I know Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Harrison by name only. I don't know how many commission meetings they have attended in the past 4-5 years.
I trust that Mr. Cartwright and Mr. Harrison along with the other members of the Ethics Committee will serve honorably, recognizing that they have perhaps the most important jobs in Hamblen County. They are the gatekeepers of ethics in Hamblen County.
It is unfortunate and ironic, however, that the appointment of this new five-man Hamblen County Ethics Committee took place at a meeting of which the public meeting was not notified.
It is unfortunate, and that is putting it midly, that the County Mayor, the County Attorney, and Commission Chair Stancil Ford (who was appointed to the Ethics Committee) had zero concern about the lack of public notice for this meeting and zero concern about the apparent violation of the notice requirements of the Sunshine Law.
It is unfortunate, and that is putting it mildly, that the thirteen other commissioners, including Joe Swann (who was appointed to the Ethics Committee), had zero concern about the lack of public notice for this meeting and zero concern about the apparent violation of the notice requirements of the Sunshine Law in Tennessee.
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