Grrrrr.
Knox County Commission unanimously approved a $1.5 million line of credit for Circuit Court Clerk Charlie Susano today. Finance Director Chris Caldwell finessed it through. You can read my earlier column here.
Commissioner Randy Smith alluded to the past when a division of Circuit Court was transferred to the Criminal Court Clerk. Moving his hands up-and-down, palms up, Smith suggested that switch put the two courts out of whack. And he came close to suggesting that the division ought to go back to Susano.
Randy has forgotten the scripture (Matthew 25:14-30) about the talents. The master went off, leaving five talents to one servant, two to another and one to the final one. “To every man according to his several ability.”
When the master returned, the servant with five talents had doubled his money; ditto the one with two talents. But the man with one talent had dug a hole and hid it. Sure enough, it was safe. The master rewarded the first two but called the third guy “wicked and slothful,” took away his single talent and cast him into outer darkness where, Matthew writes, “there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
That’s a bit harsh for Charlie Susano, a good man. But there’s no way you take away Mike Hammond’s talent.
Karns rezoning: A contentious rezoning in Karns was voted down Monday. The vote to deny Smithbilt’s request passed 7-4, leaving the four most consistent pro-development commissioners on the losing end: Brad Anders, Charlie Busler, Carson Dailey and Randy Smith.
Amy Brooks
Amy Brooks is interim director of Knox Planning: Amy Brooks, planning services manager, will serve in this role until a permanent executive director is named. Gerald Green, previous director, retired after five years. Brook has been with the planning commission since 2007. She holds a master’s degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies and political science from Maryville College.
Sandra Clark is editor/CEO of Knox TN Today.