Tennessee Coalition for Open Government (TCOG) Blogs on Hamblen County Government

The Tennessee Coalition for Open Government has a blog post about Mayor Brittain's action in censoring and editing public comments OUT of the videotape of the January 2016 Commission meeting,

 

Here is the link to the TCOG post:

http://tcog.info/hamblen-county-decides-to-exclude-public-comments-from-videotape/

 

TCOG supports transparency and open government at all levels.

Hopefully, Mayor Brittain and Chairman Eldridge and those unnamed and so-far "silent" commissioners who want to censor and edit tapes of Hamblen County Commission meetings are having second thoughts.

When you start censoring and editing tapes of public meetings, you are starting down a slippery slope.

When your first censoring and editing adventure is to edit public comments out of tapes of public meetings, you are on the most slippery slope of all! What is next?

Stopping the taping altogether?

Stopping public comments altogether?  

Both?

 

Censoring tapes of public meetings is not just a problem in itself. It is a symptom of a deeper problem and attitude toward the public.

There was never, to my knowledge, any censorship or editing of tapes of commission meetings during the past 12+ years of taping.

Why did Mayor Brittain decide in January 2016 that it was suddenly time to censor and edit public comments out of the tape of the meeting?

First, it's not his meeting.

Second, it's a meeting of a public body and public comments are on the published agenda of that public meeting.

Some commissioners may not like certain members of the public who speak at meetings.

Some commissioners may not agree with some of the public comments that are made at meetings.   

The Mayor may not like some members of the public and may not agree with some of the public comments that are made at meetings.

That's fine. That's understandable.

But that is not a justification for the Mayor and (some) Commissioners to decide to censor a tape of a public meeting in a misguided attempt to get back at those members of the public whom they personally dislike or who express opinions with which the Mayor and (some) commissioners disagree.

This is America. 

Public officials should not be promoting government editing and censorship of tapes of public meetings.

August 25, 2014 Morristown City Council Spends Taxpayer Dollars for 2-day Workshop Get-Away in Gatlinburg

The Morristown City Council met at the Edgewater Hotel and Convention Center in Gatlinburg on Friday, August 22 and Saturday, August 23.


Lots of interesting discussions and comments from the Mayor and councilmembers.


Zero "press" present.


For some reason, the local "news"paper chooses to give the councilmembers privacy in these retreat meetings--even though these meetings, called strategic planning workshops, are public meetings in which public business is discussed.


It is a shame that the council often chooses to meet away from Morristown for these workshops. Mr. Cox has previously scheduled overnight workshops at the Carnegie Hotel in Johnson City and at the Meadowview Resort Center in Kingsport.


There will be more on the "retreat," but here is a starter video where the council--that has been condemning and demolishing substandard houses for several years now--discusses two downtown eyesores that have been ignored.  


Click on the link for the video of LeBel discusses giving TIFs (tax increment financing) to the owners as an economic incentive; Chesney proposes new city "Belk and Bradley's" city ordinances; and Garrett mentions the city condemning and tearing the buildings down.


 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68-1HR9vyZk&list=UUC_cDe1XLFQo1ytNNoF1nxg

November 22, 2009 City Council Special Meeting on November 24 at 11:30 AM (For the Convenience of all Citizens? Not!)

The City Council is having a special meeting on November 24, 2009, at 11:30 AM at the City Center to:

1) Name a new city administrator; and
2) Consider a bond anticipation note in the amount of $950,000 for the purchase of the Roy Widener property on N. Liberty Hill Road.

A very important decision--selecting a new city administrator--is on the agenda. Setting this meeting for 11:30 AM shows that the Mayor and many councilmembers are happy to exclude the working and taxpaying public from being able to participate or observe the handling of public business.

[Of course, the Mayor and most councilmembers have already shown that they are not interested in having any meetings at a time that is convenient for the public.  See a prior post on council meeting times here.]

One reason for the inconvenient 11:30 AM meeting time could be questions that have arisen surrounding how the last two finalists (Angie Carrier and Jody Baltz) for the city administrator position were selected.

The newpaper hinted at these questions in the last two paragraphs of a November 19 article when Bob Moore reported:  "Interim Morristown City Administrator Lynn Wampler and Pat Hardy, a Municipal Technical Advisory Service (MTAS) consultant, narrowed the (city administrator) field from more than 80 applicants to the final four. Baltz and Carrier, acquaintances of Wampler and Hardy, were added as last-minute entries into the city administrator selection process." 

The normal process of application followed by interview of potential finalists was apparently circumvented with the addition of Baltz and Carrier as finalists despite not being interviewed by phone as were other finalists.

Carrier's situation is particularly troubling. It must be very important to be "an acquaintance" of certain people when you can waltz into the final four with submission of a last-minute resume, no phone interview, and an admission that you are not directly involved in formulating budgets and that you have no experience in industrial recruitment because your city (White House, TN) is primarily a bedroom community for people who work in Nashville. [Bob Moore's November 20 article in the Tribune.]

Strangely, I didn't see any quote in Bob Moore's article from Mayor Barile, other councilmembers, Wampler, or Hardy about the passes given to Baltz and Carrier. Surely, Bob asked for comment about failure to follow procedures in connection with Carrier and Baltz.  Carrier, as I understand, is a very personable individual. Baltz has the financial expertise required for the job, but he, unfortunately, appears to have received an automatic pass to the final four just on the basis of being an "acquaintance" of Wampler and Hardy. 

Contrast the automatic selection of Carrier and Baltz as finalists with the Mayor's comments a few weeks ago rejecting any further consideration of city department head Jay Moore's application and refusing to give Moore an interview because he did not meet the advertised budgeting and financial "requirements" for the job.  

If Mr. Moore had just been an "acquaintance" of Wampler and Hardy, perhaps he, too, could have waltzed into the final four without meeting the financial requirements and without having an interview.

On the other hand, one has to wonder about the Mayor's definition of financial requirements. She seemed to think that the departed Jim Crumley was the financial bomb and that the city would be lost without his presence.

Now that Crumley's behind-the-scenes maneuvers are coming out, what does she think of Crumley's illegal transfer of $2.5 Million from the sewer fund to the general fund? 

What does she think of the contract Crumley signed to lease the Roy Widener property on N. Liberty Hill Road--a contract that Mr. Wampler looked at and saw for what it was--a bad lease for the city. Now the City is having to issue $950,000 in bonds--more debt--to purchase the property and get out of additional lease payments with the minimum of financial damage.  Did she see and approve that contract?

What do she and councilmembers think of Crumley and Janish's 09-10 budget--a budget that the Mayor voted for about 4 or 5 months ago and that is now falling apart around her and around the city employees.  Department heads were required to make cuts. Did the Mayor and council take a 4% cut? Probably not, but it is possible and even likely that these officials have protection from any increase or decrease in their pay during their time in office.

What do she and councilmembers think of the huge city debt? What do she and councilmembers think of the astronomical sewer increases--past and future? 

Have she and councilmembers ever really looked at and examined the 2008 audit and current financial  information to try and figure out what has gone on and what is going on? Have she and councilmembers looked at how much more money the city has taken in over the past five years?  Have she and councilmembers ever asked where the money went?

Are she and other councilmembers ready to ask financial questions now without fear of, gasp, micromanaging?  Or is the Mayor's real concern still light pollution and those pretty brick-paving machines?

September 13, 2009 The Facts on Hamblen County's Payment of Unauthorized Car Allowances--Yes, Including Mayor David Purkey's Car Allowance

On August 20, 2009, Hamblen County Commission finally voted to come into compliance with long-standing state law and ceased paying car allowances to three individuals: Assessor Keith Ely, Marsha Hopkins, and Danny Young.

State law does not allow Hamblen County to pay car allowances. Click here to read the state attorney general's opinion 09-60 listing which three counties can provide car allowances (Knox, Bedford, and Dyer). See Page 2, Paragraph 3, and Page 3, Paragraph 3, stating that only Knox, Bedford, and Dyer can provide car allowances.

Despite the law and the attorney general's opinion, there is one individual in Hamblen County who still receives a "car allowance." That individual is County Mayor David Purkey.

Why, in the face of state law prohibiting car allowances in Hamblen County, does Mayor Purkey's "car allowance" continue to be paid? Because the mayor and the county attorney say that the mayor's car allowance is actually NOT a car allowance at all.

In a variation of the Clinton syndrome--the mayor and his attorney say that it all depends on what the meaning of "car allowance" is. What is unique about this word game is that the OFFICIAL WRITTEN PUBLIC DOCUMENTS (above) and the MAYOR'S OWN WORDS point out that the Mayor requested and received $600/month for a "car allowance."

(1) The Mayor's own letter and words (above) request a "car allowance" and then ask that the "car allowance" be paid through a salary increase;

(2) The Finance Committee minutes (above) that were prepared in the Mayor's office by the Mayor's staff show that a "car allowance" was voted on and approved; and

(3) The budget amendment (above) that was prepared in the Mayor's office by the Finance Director and approved by the county commission says that the $600/month is for a "car allowance" to be paid through a salary increase.

Purkey requested a "car allowance." [Click on page 1 and 2 of his letter of request above]. Purkey came to the Finance Committee and asked for and received a "car allowance." [Click on the Finance Committee minutes above].

Purkey's request for a "car allowance" was approved through a budget amendment prepared in his office by Finance Director Nicole Epps-Buchanan and later passed by Hamblen County Commission . [Click on the Budget Amendment for a "car allowance" above].

There will be further discussion of this matter on September 14, 2009, during the Finance Committee meeting that begins at 11:30 am in the conference room at the Hamblen County Health Department. [The Health Department is located next to the M-H Library on Main Street.]

Of course, the 11:30 am meeting time tomorrow makes it virtually impossible for most working people/taxpayers to attend without risking loss of job or income. Most commissioners, however, do not have to worry about work as most are retired, do not have a full-time job, or own their own business and do not have to ask for permission to leave work during the middle of the day with a loss of wages. See my previous post HERE that included discussion of meeting times.

It is my understanding that 12 of the 14 commissioners fall into one or more of the above categories: Larry Baker, Herbert Harville, Stancil Ford, Guy Collins, Paul Lebel, Nancy Phillips, Louis "Doe" Jarvis, Doyle Fullington, Dana Wampler, Reece Sexton, Joe Spoone, and Dennis Alvis.

In addition to excluding the working person/taxpayer, the 11:30 am meetings conclude with a taxpayer-provided lunch and drink for the commissioners. At the conclusion of previous committee meetings, some of the commissioners and county employees have even taken an extra (taxpayer-provided) lunchbox home for the spouse or family.

The old saying that there's no such thing as a free lunch, like so many old adages, obviously doesn't apply to government officials and employees!

There's nothing like scheduling meetings at times that for all practical purposes exclude the working/taxpaying public and then getting a free lunch out of it plus a free meal or two for the family.

Click here and here and here for previous posts on county car allowances.

Click here for a previous post where I publicly requested that meeting times be moved to a more taxpayer-friendly time.

September 3, 2009 More from City Council's Meeting on 9/1/09

Other happenings at City Council on 9/1/09 and what the Trib is likely to report and what the Trib is likely to leave out.

The Trib may report today or tomorrow on the lengthy city council discussion on the Farmer's Market at the corner of S. Henry and W. Morris Boulevard. Mayor Barile did not want to discuss this on Tuesday, but councilman Gene Brooks managed to get the discussion going anyway.

Lots of ideas were thrown out---build a canopy over the area so it doesn't look, as one individual put it, like a "tent city"; sell it (proposals were sought from interested buyers about two years ago, but that's as far as it went); enforce the regulations for the market and perhaps clarify the current regulations regarding who can set up a booth and what can be sold; try to collect sales taxes (This was said to be virtually impossible since the city and state essentially rely on the honesty of the vendor to report sales and forward sales tax to the appropriate entity. It was also pointed out that farmers who are truly selling produce that they grew on their own farm are exempt from sales tax. One person said that he was pretty certain that pineapples being sold at the farmer's market were NOT grown by a local farmer).

What the Trib's Bobby Moore probably won't report is that Charles Cook asked the Mayor and Council to move their meetings to a later time--perhaps 6:00 pm--so more working members of the public could attend if they wanted to.

Cook made an excellent point---city government meetings should be held after normal work hours so the working person can attend.

I have publicly asked a number of times that County Commission move its 11:30 AM committee meetings to 5:00 PM or later for the same reasons as stated by Mr. Cook.

Government meetings should be held at times that are most convenient for the public. Having 11:30 am meetings (county commission committees) and 4:00 pm meetings (city council) shows disregard for the taxpaying public and interested citizens.

There are numerous other "public" meetings of government committees and groups that take place at 7:30 am, 9:00 am, 12:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and other times when the public for all practical purposes is excluded. LAMPTO (Lakeway Area Metropolitan Planning Transportation Organization), Morristown Regional Planning Commission, Morristown Utility Systems, and the Solid Waste Board are a few examples.

Another item that the Trib's Bobby Moore probably won't report is that after Mr. Cook suggested having later meeting times, I asked that the Mayor and City Council tape their meetings and air them on the MUS FiberNet government/education Channel 7. Over 18 Million dollars has been spent on the FiberNet/cable/phone system operated by the City.

County Commission meetings are shown or are supposed to be shown on MUS Ch. 7 (govt/ed channel) on Tuesday and Saturday nights at 9:00 pm. [I get Charter cable, so I'm not certain if MUS is still showing county commission meetings at the same time as Charter does. I do know that MUS is supposed to air county commission meetings.]

With the millions invested in MUS FiberNet, why in the world won't the City tape and air its own meetings on MUS Ch. 7? In addition to airing the tapes, the City could allow easy internet access to the tapes of these meetings at the city's website.

If the City really cares about giving more than lip service to open government, its meetings should be held late in the evening, meetings should be taped and aired on cable Channel 7, AND the meetings should be accessible at any time on the city's website at http://www.mymorristown.com/.

I believe Mayor Barile will place the matter of meeting times on the agenda for discussion at a future work session. She was very hesitant, however, to give the same consideration to taping and airing council meetings.

UPDATE: Well, the Trib's Bobby Moore finally got around to reporting the Farmer's Market discussion (see above) in yesterday's Trib---and that was only three days after the discussion/news took place! Bobby's front-page article was under the headline Farmers Market debate resurfaces. And if you read to the end of Bobby's "Farmers Market" article, you would find a short paragraph about Mr. Cook's request that council hold meetings later in the day (see above) and my request that council televise their meetings (see above). Impressive reporting.

June 24, 2009 City Council Changes 3-year Sewer Increase To 8%, 8%, and another 8%

At yesterday's 11:00 am city council meeting, it was apparently decided to change the original proposal for an approximate 14%, 6%, and 2% rate increase over the next three years to an 8%, 8%, and then another 8% increase. See the original proposal by clicking here.

The city council met at 12:30 pm today for finalization of various budget ordinances and other business.

Just as an aside: Scheduling "public" meetings at 11:00 am, 12:30 pm, or other traditional work hours shows contempt for the public and is apparently designed to restrict public attendance and public comments. That is an issue to which the new council should give serious consideration. The question is, for whose convenience are meetings scheduled?

June 8, 2009 Radio Announces That The School Board Will Meet at 7:30 AM This Morning

I just happened to be listening to the local radio this morning when a local public meeting was announced.

It appears that the Hamblen County School Board has scheduled a meeting at 7:30 AM this morning at the Central Office to vote on budget revisions to present to county commission.

I'm sure that this announcement/meeting time works wonderfully well for the citizens and taxpayers of Hamblen County.

April 22, 2009 More Questions on the "Joint Meeting" That Was Announced But Didn't Take Place

Well, things just get curiouser and curiouser.

The Tribune reported on Sunday, April 19, that there would be a joint work session meeting of the Hamblen County Commission and School Board on Monday, April 20, at 6:00 PM. That joint work session didn't happen.

Yesterday, the Tribune reported that County Commission Chair Stancil Ford and County Mayor David Purkey told Director of Schools Dale Lynch "last week" that the county commission wouldn't be attending. Click on Tribune for yesterday's explanation of why the joint meeting that was a front-page story on April 19th didn't happen. [And if the Tribune links above aren't working, call the Tribune 581-5630. For some reason, they are very quick to take down links to their stories.]

Here are the unanswered questions. If county commission cancelled out of the joint meeting "last week," why in the world did the Tribune go ahead and announce on April 19 that the joint meeting was still taking place on April 20? If the County Mayor and Commission Chair Stancil Ford told Dr. Lynch that commissioners would not be attending, why didn't the Tribune report that on April 19?

I know the county has trouble providing notice of meetings to the public. Now, it looks like the county, the school board, and the press are just plain confused about what's going on.

May 30, 2007 The Public Is Invited (sort of) To a City Retreat at 8:00 AM Tomorrow

I was looking through the Tribune tonight and happened to see a rather interesting public notice in the classifieds.

The notice said that the City of Morristown is having a "retreat" at 8:00 am in the morning at Windswept.

My guess is that the retreat is at Windswept, the house, and not Windswept, the gated subdivision.

For people who are new to the area, people who don't know what or where Windswept is ...well, maybe they can ask somebody really early in the morning.

The City schedules a public retreat for 8:00 am in the morning. The county schedules public committee meetings at 11:30 am.

It looks like there's not really much interest in scheduling meetings for times when the public can actually attend and hear public discussions, recommendations, and decisions being made.

Schedule public meetings at a convenient time for the majority of people? What an old-fashioned, democratic idea!

Schedule public meetings at inconvenient times for the majority of people? What a modern, elitist idea!

Wonder if a taxpayer-provided breakfast will be served?