At the March 7, 2016, Public Services Committee meeting, Hamblen County Commissioner Stancil Ford introduced a resolution to request that MUS build out its Fibernet service in Hamblen County before entering into a plan to provide Fibernet outside of Hamblen County.
The resolution asking that MUS build out in Hamblen County before jumping county lines was voted down in a 6-3 vote.
Commissioners Stancil Ford, Tim Goins, and Johnny Walker voted FOR the request.
Commissioners Howard Shipley, Rick Eldridge, Randy DeBord, Hubert Davis, Joe Huntsman, and John Smyth voted NO to the request.
Hamblen County Mayor Bill Brittain and every County Commissioner will say (I hope) that they believe in open and transparent government.
The local media says that it supports open and transparent government, running editorials every March supporting "Sunshine Week," a statewide celebration of Tennessee's Open Meetings and Open Records Acts.
After the January 14, 2016, commission meeting, I received information that Mayor Brittain had told the individual taping the meeting to cut the camera off during the portion of the meeting when public comments were made. I was very concerned about this, and I explained what I knew about this censorship to the commission at its February 18, 2016, commission meeting.
The video shows Mayor Brittain admitting that he asked the individual taping the January 14, 2016, commission meeting to censor the taping of that meeting by turning the camera off during the public comments portion of that meeting.
Commissioner Johnny Walker asks if Brittain has the authority to direct that the camera be cut off during public comments. Walker then asks Brittain why he ordered the editing of the tape. Brittain responds: "I thought that it was in the best interest of the meeting." Walker responds: "That portion of the meeting is not important? I didn't hear you."
Commission Chairman Rick Eldridge then states that removing public comments from the tape of the public meeting was some sort of "compromise." Eldridge does not state who was involved in the "compromise," when discussions about the taping/censorship occurred, or when the "compromise" was voted upon.
Why is this commission secretly agreeing to some sort of "compromise" to censor the tapes of its public meetings to edit public comments out of the tapes? This type of censorship and editing of a public meeting is something you would only expect to hear about in a third-world country.
What is it about a three-minute comment by a citizen that terrifies the mayor and at least some county commissioners to the point that they secretly reach an agreement outside of a public meeting to censor public comments out of the official tape of a public meeting of the Commission?
SOME HISTORY BEHIND THE TAPING OF COUNTY COMMISSION MEETINGS:
Hamblen County Commission meetings have been taped for the past 13 years.
When I ran for county commission in 2002, taping and airing public meetings was a key part of my platform.
Upon taking office in September 2002, newly-elected Commissioner Nancy Phillips and I pushed for the taping. Ms. Phillips took the lead in working with Charter to get cameras and related equipment donated. She and I obtained a local donation of microphones, a soundboard, and related equipment.
For nearly 13 years, the entire meeting was taped from start to finish, including public comments which were and still are part of each meeting. The local cable providers then aired the tape of the entire meeting on the local PEG (public, education, and government) channel(s).
Sometimes I agreed with a citizen making a public comment. Sometimes I disagreed. I never attempted to restrict a citizen's right to speak, nor did I ever propose secretly or openly that the tapes of commission meetings be edited to remove public comments by anyone.
On September 10, the Hamblen County Budget Committee voted 8-4 to recommend that the full commission give $125,000 of public funds to the MHHS Foundation for use in a building project and reserve all remaining funds in the former Hamblen County endowment fund for future jail capital projects. Click here. [Paul LeBel and Herbert Harville were not present at the Budget Committee.]
When that recommendation went to the full commission yesterday, it failed to get the 2/3 majority vote (10 YES) that was required for approval.
Yesterday's vote was 8 YES and 6 NO, two short of the ten required for approval under the special act.
Doe Jarvis voted for the recommendation in Committee but voted NO yesterday. He was joined with a NO vote from his very good friend Paul LeBel.
Although it's hard to resist pressure from powerful people who come to commission asking for public money for their projects, it appears that there is---at least for now---a significant group of commissioners who feel that public money should go for county government projects first and foremost.
Helen Ross McNabb Center Foundation and MHHS Foundation have raised huge amounts of money already, plans are drawn, and both will more than likely proceed with their planned construction with or without a donation of public money from the Hamblen County Commission.
But they go to public bodies (MUC and County Commission), ask for a public donation, and are often able to get support from commissioners who have no trouble in spending other people's money even while major county needs for roads and jails are present.
The eight YES votes were Stancil Ford, Larry Baker, Howard Shipley, Nancy Phillips, Dana Wampler, Rick Eldridge, Tilman Goins, and Herbert Harville.
The six NO votes Doyle Fullington, Larry Carter, Tim Dennison, Tim Goins, Paul LeBel, and Doe Jarvis.
That Hamblen County endowment money is burning a hole in commissioner's pockets. If it is not clearly set aside for county government capital projects soon, foundations and other non-profits will continue to come and ask for 14 people to take public dollars and donate them for foundation and non-profit capital projects.
Stancil Ford made the motion to give $125,000 to the MHHS Hospital Foundation for a building project to add beds in a cancer wing. Doe Jarvis seconded the motion. [MHHS was sold to Covenant Health several years ago.]
Tilman Goins who opposed the earlier donation of $100,000 to Helen Ross McNabb for its building project agreed to support the MHHS Foundation donation if Ford would amend his motion to include earmarking all remaining Hamblen County endowment funds for the jail. Ford agreed to the amendment.
Doe Jarvis took exception to the use of the word "conservative" by Commissioner Goins. Jarvis commented that this was a lot of "horse whatever" and added "I frankly don't believe you know what you are talking about...."
The vote was 8 YES and 4 NO with Commissioners Paul LeBel and Herbert Harville absent.
Voting for the donation and earmarking all remaining funds for the jail were Stancil Ford, Larry Baker, Doe Jarvis, Tilman Goins, Howard Shipley, Nancy Phillips, Rick Eldridge, and Dana Wampler.
Voting NO were Tim Goins, Tim Dennison, Larry Carter, and Doyle Fullington.
It appeared that the four NO votes were based on the belief that all Hamblen County endowment public money should be reserved entirely for county government capital needs.
Fullington had stated earlier in the meeting that he would be voting against the donation of money to both the non-profit Helen Ross McNabb Foundation and the non-profit MHHS Foundation.
Fullington had also pointed out what everyone knew---the hospital and/or the hospital foundation could and would build the new wing with or without the county's donation. Click here for the earlier McNabb vote and discussion.
Dennison and Carter had also voted earlier in the meeting against donating public money to the Helen Ross McNabb Foundation. Tim Goins had abstained from the McNabb vote due to a conflict of interest.
Those who voted against the donation to McNabb but then voted for the donation to MHHS Foundation were Tilman Goins, Rick Eldridge, and Nancy Phillips.
On September 10, the Hamblen County Budget Committee--which is composed of all 14 commissioners---voted against recommending that the full commission donate $100,000 of public money to the Helen Ross McNabb Foundation to use in a McNabb construction project.
The vote was 5 YES, 6 NO, and 1 ABSTENTION. [Commissioners Paul LeBel and Herbert Harville were not present. Commissioner Tim Goins abstained]
The vote came after spirited discussion about the very nature of non-profits and donating public money to non-profits.
Commissioner Doyle Fullington commented that he wanted to hold on to the money for county needs--particularly with the economy in the shape it is. He said he would be voting against the donation of $100,000 to the Helen Ross McNabb Foundation for a McNabb building project and the donation of $125,000 to the MH Hospital Foundation for a Foundation building project.
Commissioner Tim Dennison reminded everyone that the county already has specific needs on its plate with a decertified jail and road maintenance and repairs. He wanted everyone to look at using this money wisely.
Commissioner Doe Jarvis led the push to donate public money to the McNabb Center for a McNabb construction project. He thinks there are "answers" for the jail.
Commissioner Fullington made it clear that it was never his intention that money from the Hamblen County endowment would be donated to non-profits. In referring to the request for $125,000 from the Morristown-Hamblen Hospital Foundation, Fullington noted that the hospital directors sold MHHS hospital to Covenant precisely because of Covenant's ability to fund improvements and operate the hospital. He added that the term non-profit can be misleading since non-profits may make a profit--they just don't give it to shareholders.
Voting against donating public money to McNabb for the McNabb building project were Doyle Fullington, Tilman Goins, Tim Dennison, Larry Carter, Rick Eldridge, and Nancy Phillips.
Voting to donate public money to McNabb for the McNabb building project were Doe Jarvis, Stancil Ford, Larry Baker, Howard Shipley, and Dana Wampler.
[Previously, Helen Ross McNabb obtained a donation of up to $51,000 of "round-up" funds from the Morristown Utilities Commission for the proposed McNabb building project. Click here for video of the MUC vote, and click here for video of the initial McNabb request for $148,000 from MUC.]
Married. Three grown children. Taught school 11 years. Entered law school in 2001. Graduated and passed the bar in 2004. Licensed attorney in Tennessee. Hamblen County Commissioner (2002-2006). Focused on accountability, ethics, and openness in government at all levels.
Comments to my blog posts are welcome. However, verification of the identity of commenters will be made via phone contact before comments are posted.
You send a comment by clicking on the "comments" button at the end of each post. After sending a comment via blogger, you must send me (lindacnoe@aol.com) a separate e-mail that contains your full name and phone number so I can contact you by phone to verify your identity and that you are the source of the comment.
I request phone contact information to protect both you and me. By contacting you prior to posting a comment, I try to prevent the possibility that someone else might send a comment to the blog and put your name on it.
If, during phone verification, you feel that there is still a need for your comment to be labeled "anonymous," it can be posted that way.
This is my blog, and I reserve the right to control what appears on this site.
Click on the label "anonymous comments" (below) for more background information on my blog comments policy.
