Comment on this story Seven Days Wednesday, Oct. 13 • County Law Director Mike Moyers advises Knox County officials to hold off posting the Ten Commandments pending the results of a federal court case in Kentucky. Great. Some cities look toward New York; others follow trends in Chicago or L.A. We take our cues from Pulaski, Ky. Thursday, Oct. 14 • Employees of Tennessee Department of Transportation embark on a program to help them identify elements used in crystal meth production, allegedly for “safety reasons.” Yeah, right. But, hey, anything that gets those damned orange cones off the highway a little faster is OK by us. Friday, Oct. 15 • A U.S. magistrate chastises officials for making prisoners sleep on the floor at the overcrowded Blount County Justice Center. Sheriff Jim Berrong claims the overflow was caused by an influx of non-inmates, owing to the fact that Maryville has such crummy hotels. Saturday, Oct. 16 • The Ole Miss Rebels meet the University of Tennessee Volunteers in a college football game in Oxford. The Rebels lose twice: (1) They drop the game 21-17; and (2) after the game, they’re still in Mississippi. Sunday, Oct. 17 • A Knox-area federal judge has ruled that police officers are permitted to lie to motorists (under certain conditions) when they make a traffic stop. The issue apparently came before the bench because hundreds of cited Tennessee drivers have been disappointed to learn they hadn’t really won a radio station bumper sticker promotion. Monday, Oct. 18 • Workers close a section of Mabry Hood Road for the next several months as part of an improvement project. Another example of Knoxville’s unique approach to traffic management: improve traffic by discouraging area motorists from ever wanting to drive. Tuesday, Oct. 19 • Knoxville City Council members say they aren’t ready to endorse a KUB plan to build storage tanks for sewage overflows. Council members are rightfully suspicious of anything that looks like it might be as full of shit as they are. Street Talk Brian Conley publisher, Metro Pulse What is Street Talk? It’s a new weekly feature that will focus on one individual. In effect, it’s a mini-interview. It’s very similar to a column that the Nashville Scene runs entitled, ‘A Face in the Crowd.’ Are there any specific criteria for who will be featured in Street Talk? Absolutely not. The name ‘Street Talk’ is indicative of our ambition to interview people from all walks of life. What kinds of questions will be asked? All kinds. It will vary greatly from week to week. Obviously, we’ll ask different questions of an attorney than we would of a doctor, poet or auto mechanic. Why is Metro Pulse running such a column? Because we want to open up the pages of our paper to different points of view. Who knows, maybe someone who would never otherwise have the opportunity to express their view on a specific problem facing our community will have the answer to it. Mostly, however, we just think it’ll make for interesting reading from week to week. Meet Your City A calendar of upcoming public meetings you should attend CITY COUNCIL Tuesday, Oct. 26 7 p.m. City County Building Large Assembly Room 400 Main St. Regular meeting.

City Looks into ‘Redevelopment Zone’
Revamping part of Gay Street is the goal

The city of Knoxville is considering establishing a redevelopment zone encompassing part of Gay Street and will likely ask the Knoxville Community Development Corp. to explore the possibilities.

Bill Lyons, Knoxville’s senior director of economic development, says nothing has been decided, but city officials are looking into it.

The 400 block of Gay is a likely target, and the 300 and 600 blocks are under consideration.

When an area is designated a redevelopment zone, each property owner is responsible for responding to the city (or an agency retained by the city) with a development plan for their respective property. Areas designated as redevelopment zones generally consist of blighted, abandoned or underutilized properties that need a concentrated effort to improve.

Financing for redevelopment zones is available to building owners that they might not otherwise be able to secure. Pending the approval of City Council, the city is considering tax increment funding (TIF) for the east side of Gay Street on the 300 and 400 blocks.

TIF is a tool used specifically in redevelopment, and the Fire Street Lofts on Jackson Avenue were the first in the city to be approved for such financing, Lyons says.

If Council goes along, the city will ask KCDC to identify the boundaries of the Gay Street zone and handle the public process. The agency would be responsible for conducting meetings and returning the findings from individual property owners. “[We’re] basically doing the fact-finding on the conditions of the individual properties and returning that information with a recommendation to the city,” says KCDC Chairman David Hutchins. “Then, City Council approves anything that actually happens. KCDC executes the process on behalf of the city.”

At the end of the process, if there are properties that continue to be blighted, with no remedy or acceptable proposal for improvement to return it to habitable conditions, then, if funds are available, the city has the option to direct KCDC to proceed with acquisition.

The execution of a redevelopment plan is historically time-consuming, because the municipality may have an infrastructure contribution to make in terms of sidewalk improvements, utilities, and road improvements.

“All of the things that are public property may need improvement, and the individual property owners, when they return [with] how they’re going to improve their individual properties, may include suggestions or requests for municipal expenditures that may help them,” Hutchins says. “You have to identify the scope of the issue to be able to budget and deal with that from a finance standpoint.”

—Clint Casey

Motor Voters
Knoxville Voices organizes carpool to the polls

During two voter registration drives held in September in Knoxville’s predominantly African American community of East Knoxville, Christina Brooks was surprised to hear why potential voters weren’t registered or hadn’t voted in the past. Their main reason was a lack of transportation.

“‘I don’t have a ride.’ That was the huge, overwhelming response, and it really surprised us,” says Brooks, publisher of the monthly newsletter Knoxville Voices, which focuses on the needs and interests of Knoxville’s black community.

In response, Brooks and other organizers have arranged Ride to the Polls 2004, a community carpool that will serve nine East Knoxville polling wards.

One of the event’s sponsors, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, which opened at Summit Hill and Central Avenue last week, is donating four drivers for the day. And Brooks has been pleasantly surprised that 15 to 20 volunteers have offered themselves and their vehicles to chauffeur voters from their homes to the polls. Voters eligible for pick-up are those registered at Sarah Moore Greene School, Walter P. Taylor Community Center, Eastport School, Lennon-Seney, Lonsdale School, Sam E. Hill Center, First Calvary Baptist Church, Beaumont School, Moses Center, Clinton Chapel AME, Austin East and Fair Garden.

Knoxville Voices volunteers will also be present at the polls to help voters determine their correct precinct and know their rights. Brooks cites examples of some voters being scared, intimidated or bribed away from the polls during previous elections. Poll watchers will be prepared to help voters if they are turned away or confused.

The efforts are non-partisan, says Brooks.

“Our job is to drop them off the polls, walk them to the door and take them back home,” she says. “We’re not partisan or for a particular candidate.”

Sixth District City Council representative Mark Brown says that increased efforts at registering minority voters may translate into more votes by election day.

“There has been a groundswell of interest in registering people to vote, and of entertainment artists reaching out to young people who haven’t registered before,” Brown says. He adds that the ease of early voting combined with the memory of the last presidential election may further encourage citizens to vote, regardless of their race. “The election in 2000 helped to illuminate how important it is to vote,” Brown says. “What happened in Florida and the closeness of that race has encouraged all sectors of America to realize the importance of the individual’s vote.”

Brown says his constituents consider the same matters as the members of other communities across Knoxville.

“I think everybody is concerned about the same issues. People tend to think about quality of education, safe and decent homes and community, and a strong defense. What we differ on is the method for achieving those goals.”

While the results from the Knoxville Voices’ registration efforts in September are still being measured, administrator of elections Greg Mackay reports that nearly 30,000 new voters have been registered for Knox County this year—that includes citizens who have come of voting age, moved into Knox County or never voted before. That figure compares to the 16,700 new voters registered in 2000.

Early voting rates have also doubled, Mackay says, with 25,000 votes already cast two weeks before the Nov. 2 election.

—Paige M. Travis

October 21, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 43 © 2004 Metro Pulse