March Items NOT on consent

[Hugh Nystrom]

Good Evening Commissioners,

In accordance with Governor Bill Lee’s Executive Order Number 16 we will be conducting our meeting this Monday electronically. Governor Lee’s order was very specific in that it was to be used just for conducting essential functions. With that direction given, I have prepared our proposed consent agenda with many of the items that are nonessential being carried forward to the April or a future Commission meeting. This means that many of the items such as honorary resolutions, declarations, proclamations, and proposed rule changes will be postponed.

To speak frankly and with sincerity, I would like to have the agenda as simple as possible this month. A short and simple agenda will help us learn how to work together in this new medium. I also want to share with you have grateful I am for Zach Webb in County I.T. and Kevin Leske-Polyak and his team at Community Television for their hard work and support of this new meeting format.

Other Operational Notes:

• Members of the public wishing to address the Commission can do so via email. Public forum comments will be directed to the Commission@KnoxCounty.org email address.
• All votes will need to be via a roll call vote.

Proposed Agenda & Proposed Deferrals:

During the public forum part of the agenda I have asked Mayor Jacobs to address the Commission regarding Covid 19.

Drives and Roads:

I am proposing that item 1 be postponed to April. It is a 1st reading.

Items 2 & 3 were read and discussed at the February meeting. Both were researched and confirmed by Knox County Engineering to be noncontroversial. I am proposing that we complete the 2nd reading for both of these items.

Line Item transfers will be pulled from consent for a vote. Important line item transfers regarding flooding response are in this months’ transfers.

Spread of record items read by Knox County Clerk

School Board Items: Items 6-10 – remain on consent.

Engineering and Public Works: Items 11-14 – remain on consent . Three of the four items are covenants for stormwater maintenance of facilities. The 4th is a towing contract.

Health Department: Items 15-17 – remain on consent. All three of these items are related to accepting grant funds from the State of Tennessee.

Parks and Recreation: Item 18 –This is regarding acceptance of a property to create a new Knox County Park.
Postpone to April.

Finance: Items 19 and 20 - Remain on consent – They are related to the appropriation for the TVA East Tower and Summer Place Complex.

Information Technology – Item 21. Remain on Consent. This is for software related to property assessment software for the Knox County Property Assessor’s Office.

Juvenile Court – Item 23 - Remain on consent. Is regarding a grant contract with the State of TN.

Commissioner’s Dailey and Beeler – Item 24 – 2A Constitutional County resolution - Postpone to April meeting.

Commissioner’s Jay and Biggs – Item 25 – Supportive resolution for 2020 Census – Postpone to April meeting.

Commissioner Dailey – Item 26 – Resolution regarding transfer of $ 150,000 in funds to a new account designated for litter control purposes.
Postpone to April meeting. Commissioner Dailey - do you want to move this one out to May when we have a better forecast of revenues prior to consideration ?

Rules Committee – Item 27 – Regarding changes to order of business.
Postpone to April meeting.

To Be Added items:

Item 28 - Resolution expressing support of Knox County Stay at home order.
Item 29 – Resolution approving appropriation from Hotel /Motel tax fund balance to Knoxville Zoo.

Both of these To Be Added items will be pulled from consent after they have been added to agenda.

Ordinances will be read into the record.

Other Business:
County Mayor & Community Development - Item 31 – Proclamation regarding Fair Housing Month. Postpone to April.
Discussion regarding illegal littering /dumping. Postpone to April.

This is our proposed agenda. Please advise on this forum if you have any suggestions or changes. We will be finalizing the agenda in the beginning of the meeting Monday.

With Gratitude,

Chairman Nystrom

[Carson Dailey]

Mr. Chairman,

I would like to go ahead and hear item 24, 2A I have lots of calls and emails from citizens supporting this Resolution and would like for it to be heard.

Item 26 we can defer to April if you would like. The funds will come from the Criminal Court fees and should have little effect on the 2021 budget. I would think that Sheriff Spangler would like to know asap so he can plan on purchasing a truck, trailer and having officers in place for 2021 budget. If these funds are approved by commission the account can only be used for litter control. Any unused funds must be returned to the general fund. By doing the account in this manner would mean that any Sheriff in the future that may want to discontinue the litter crew the funds will have to go back to the Knox County General balance.

Thank you.

Commissioner Carson Dailey

[Charles Busler]

please remove consent items # 19 and # 20 ( TVA ) for discussion.
Respectfully asked Charles Busler

[Carson Dailey]

Item 6 Mr. Oaks with the state of the world and the COVID-19 hopefully the parents and students understand that even in 2021 this same issue could return and the cancellation of the trip and paid fees associated with the event.

[Larsen Jay]

Chairman,

I agree with most all your suggestions - with these exceptions:

#24
I recommend deferring item #24 (2A) to May. I know several constituents will want to appear before us to speak on this issue, and it's still questionable if we will have an in-person meeting in April allowing a large gathering of people.

#25
If possible, I believe item #25 (Census) is better read now as people are receiving their Census information in the mail. If we wait till the end of April, most of the Census emphasis will be concluded.

Thank you,

Commissioner Jay

[Evelyn Gill]

Mr. Chairman,

Please add my name to Resolution R-20-3-909 regarding the Knoxville Zoo considering the Zoo is in District 1.

Thank you..

Commissioner Gill

[Richie Beeler]

Chairman,

I would like to see Item #32 deferred to the May meeting. I do support my co-sponsor's position on hearing Item #24; however, I will defer to the Chair's discretion.

Thank you,

Commissioner Beeler

[Evelyn Gill]

Information from TCSA

We have not recommended anything in the way of a resolution on the second amendment or gun control. In Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 39-17-1314, the state legislature very clearly preempts any local regulation of firearms and ammunition in our state, so the county does not have authority to enact any local regulations on firearms.

I got a few calls from counties several months ago about resolutions to express support of the second amendment. When asked, I told them they take an oath to uphold the constitution and could obviously express support for any and all parts of it as long as that is all they are doing. If the proposed resolution goes beyond expressing an opinion, state law preempts local authority on firearms.

David Connor
Executive Director
Tennessee County Services Association
226 Anne Dallas Dudley Blvd., Suite 700
Nashville, TN 37219
Office: (615) 532-3767
Fax: (615) 532-3769
Mobile: (615) 440-3959