VOL. 11 NO. 7
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FIRST WORDS Creative ways to build sidewalks By Nick Della Volpe We need your help. As a city councilman, you often hear from neighborhood groups and individuals about the need/ desire for more sidewalks, a safer way to get around the neighborhood on foot or bike. In a May Della Volpe 10 Shopper article, I wrote about the five criteria the city’s engineers use to assign priority to sidewalk segments to build. Let’s focus on quantity. Currently, Knoxville builds roughly a mile-plus of new sidewalks and rebuilds another mile-plus of reworked/repaired walks each budget year. How can we build more? If you skip over the restrictions of topography and space limitations, that work generally costs over $1 million per mile. Indeed, it is estimated that retrofitting sidewalks in established areas costs about $300 per running foot, considering land acquisition cost, plans, stormwater drainage (piping and infrastructure), curbs, ADA requirements and the actual concrete pad work. Most of this work is contracted out by the city, although our Public Service crews tackle small segment repairs and replacement, when a break in regular work permits. Public Service is also building some greenway segments. How can we improve on our sidewalk build-out rate? More money is the simple answer, but that resource is as scarce as a pinch of saffron for your next paella. City government services already cost some $215 million of your annual tax dollars. A general tax increase, anyone? Didn’t think so. Realistically, we have to look for creative solutions. That’s where you come in. One obvious solution is to require new subdivisions to include sidewalks in their design and build-out. When built as part of that original build-out and grading, the cost is much lower, estimated at $100 per foot (it depends on drainage, grade, etc.) – roughly 1/3 of the cost of a retrofit. To page A-3
Sherri’s photo feature:
Bully to all
The Smoky Mountain Bulldog Club held its Wine to the Rescue fundraiser at Crowne Plaza Saturday night. ➤ See pictures on page B-3
NEWS News@ShopperNewsNow.com Sandra Clark – 865-661-8777 Sarah Frazier – 865-342-6622 ADVERTISING SALES Ads@ShopperNewsNow.com 865-342-6084 Amy Lutheran | Patty Fecco Beverly Holland | Mary Williamson CIRCULATION 844-900-7097 knoxvillenewssentinel@gannett.com
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February 15, 2017
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Hidden gem in Hardin Valley
Looking south near one of the boat ramps, a scenic vista of Williams Bend.
By Margie Hagen
A frequent visitor, Sloane Hamrick points out one of her favorite views.
Tucked away in the gently rolling hills of the northwest corner of Hardin Valley, Melton Hill Park is a respite from the bustle of the fast growing community. Located on Williams Bend Road, it’s a pleasant drive along the bucolic road that ends at the entrance to the park. At 112 acres, the park is one of the largest of the 44 parks in Knox County. Situated on the south shore of Melton Hill Lake,
the park has roughly 7,000 feet of shoreline. Two boat ramps are located on north and south sides of the park, providing boating access to connecting river shoals. The park has numerous walking and hiking trails, with a paved loop that circles one of the recreation areas. A covered picnic pavilion, sand volleyball pit and playground are near the small To page A-3
Leaders needed for NW business group By Sandra Clark Karns residents and Cedar Bluff area businesses need to step up to support a worthwhile organization. The Northwest Knox Business & Professional Association needs officers for the new year. Formerly the Karns Business Alliance, the group expanded its name and reach in hopes of gaining members.
Meetings are held on the third Thursday of each month at noon, with the exception of March, June, September and December, when meetings are held at 6 p.m. to accommodate members who may not be able to attend meetings during the day. All meetings are held at the Karns Community Club Center, 7708 Oak Ridge Highway, unless otherwise announced.
State Rep. Roger Kane has volunteered to head the Karns Christmas parade for 2017. Alisa Pruett, vice president, will preside at the noon Thursday, Feb. 16, meeting since Kane is in Nashville. The speaker will be Drew Thurman of Knox County Engineering & Public Works. “Our bylaws require that we vote on officers in March,� Pruett said. Volunteers are needed for
president, secretary, treasurer, and committee chairs for membership, publicity, school liaison, beautification, trash clean-up, and selection of businessperson of the year. Volunteering already are Cassie Kiestler, Karns Community Fair; and Carolyn Greenwood, website. To volunteer or learn more: call Pruett at 865-603-4273 or visit www.nwkbpa.com
Age discrimination settlement costs tax dollars By Betty Bean Donald Trump is not the only Republican officeholder who’s got a problem with women.
Analysis Knox County’s clerk of Criminal and Fourth Circuit courts, Mike Hammond, has a pattern of behavior that recently cost county taxpayers almost $200,000. The latest scrum was the settlement of an age discrimination lawsuit brought by two female supervisors whom Hammond fired shortly after taking office in September 2014. The firings of Debra Sewell, 62, and Jean Smathers, 68, cleared the way for Hammond to hire or promote younger individuals. They probably would have won at trial, but trials are expensive and uncertain and three years is a long time to wait for compensation, so they settled. Smathers received $57,500, Sewell got $65,000 and Knox County paid their attorney, Jeffrey C. Taylor,
$28,100.50 per client. Hammond could have avoided this with better personnel practices. Richard Julian, manager of Knox County’s human resources department, said the employee handbook clearly outlines procedures for a progressive discipline procedure. Hammond (Hammond has opted his office out of the county’s HR department.) “Do an annual performance review,� Julian said. “If you want improvement, put it in writing.� The next steps are verbal warning, written reprimand, suspension up to 10 days without pay and termination. “I can’t imagine why anyone would not go through these steps,� Julian said. Another way to terminate is simply to abolish an unneeded position. Hammond gave no reason for the terminations initially, but when the women filed suit in March 2016, he denounced them for running a disorganized, cha-
otic office permeated by a “circus atmosphere� that allowed lawyers free run of the place. This accusation was puzzling, even infuriating, to many lawyers who used the office. Fourth Circuit Court was the domain of Judge William Swann, who retired in 2014. His penchant for issuing orders of protection brought massive, angry and often unruly crowds to the City County building on Thursdays, where feuding parties waited for their cases to be called. Extra security was required, and OP Thursdays were dubbed “good love gone bad� days. Hammond has said the office is running more smoothly now, but a veteran lawyer who has handled divorce cases for decades said any changes in the office culture are due to Swann’s successor, Judge Greg McMillan. “You need look no further than the judge who sat in Fourth Circuit for 30 years for creating whatever atmosphere was there. The judge sets the tenor,� the lawyer said. “Ms. Sewell and Ms. Smathers were the go-to people in that office. When you needed a question
answered or something done, you went to them. I’d say they have more friends in the courthouse than Mike Hammond. This was a debacle. He took that office’s institutional memory out in one day.� Clashes with women are becoming a hallmark of Hammond’s post-county commission career (he is a career radio broadcaster who served as a county commissioner for 10 years). He ran unopposed in 2014 after unleashing a barrage of withering attacks on his predecessor, Joy McCroskey, who chose not to stand for re-election. Next he took aim at the county’s other court clerk, Cathy Quist Shanks, who heads operations for the balance of Circuit Court as well as Juvenile and General Sessions courts. Late last year, in a memo to Mayor Tim Burchett marked “Confidential,� he outlined a plan to consolidate his office with that of Shanks. She quickly criticized his plan, saying he was trying to make himself a “super clerk� who would control hundreds of jobs and a massive budget. Hammond retreated.
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