In Our Ole' Ball Game--3 Strikes is All you Get and You're OUT of the Game!

3 strikes you're OUT!
Ump says SO!
See Ya!

Come on Ump! That wasn't a strike it was way
outside. That wasn't my fault! The Pitcher is
throwing illegal "spit balls" blame the Pitcher!
Sound familiar, you bet! Almost every evening
a ball game is in full force under the lights in
our town's field. Strikes outs are always pain-
ful and very hard to accept for some of the
younger players just starting out. Older play-
ers become veterans and learn how to deal
with 3 strikes in their own way.

How about in our local government circles
how does our leadership deal with repeated
mistakes, over-sights and flat-out failures?
A precious few readers comment why are we
so hard on our elected office holders and
staff? Good question!

As a public forum we try very hard to bring
our readers the no-spin facts on the perfor-
mance of our local leaders. Its the only way
to do it and our readers tell us over and over
to keep on doing it that way.

Back in Feb.2/15/06 we published a post
about some 24 mistakes that Mayor Knap-
per and his board had made. Now 5 months
later we need to review any mistakes our in-
terim Mayor and his board have or are mak-
ing. We do this to do what blog readers want
..."keep us updated!"

1. One of the most pressing problems is the
water shortage. And as we said in previous
post interim mayor & vice-mayor are mak-
ing a big mistake by repeating that "this is a
non-issue" meaning it is not important.
They are totallly alone in this opinion. Hey
Guys your 3 strikes are over and you both
have struck out!

The General Manager of our private water
utility, Charles Strasser, said it is real and
he is not going to issue any more water
approvals to new home developers. This rul-
ing may stay in place for one year. As we out-
lined in previous post this will have far reach-
ing effects and it is an important issue!

2. As happened in Ballenger Farms & Bent
Creek with too narrow streets...it has happen-
ed again in Nolen Park. How could it happen
again? Where is town engineer who is suppos-
ed monitor the construction of streets and
curbs in Nolen Park. It seems town engin-
eer did not do his job and neither did the in-
terim mayor.
Solution: Don't make developer "re-do" the
streets, just send a letter to 7 home owners
telling them they cannot park on either side
of street. And town will erect signs to that
effect to fine any home owner that does park
in front of his own house. A big "strike-out"
mistake for Town Engineer and his boss the
interim Mayor.

3. Cowan Drive residents unhappy with pav-
ing on their street. Groups of residents attend-
ed last town meeting and recent planning com-
mission meeting. Verbal exchanges with inte-
rim mayor and board and planning commiss-
ion were so bad that they all left the meeting.
Unable to communicate with board all resid-
ents said they would vote in one block for
Alderman Curtsinger for Mayor. Another big
strike out for our town leader & assistant lead-
er. CLICK HERE for Thurs. 7/20 article.

4. Bent Creek residents at last town meeting
complained about a service road next to Saw-
mill Pl. running behind their houses. Kids
play on it and there is too much truck traffic
for safety?? Road was to be removed after
PH. I. in that area? How Come? Well after
some dancing backwards town engineer ad-
mitted he probably authorized it and failed
to inform anyone? Is this 3 strikes? You bet!
Another strike out...big time.

5. Kelley/Marusa property on Nolensville
road. We did a post on this as to how town
engineer/ codes did nothing while Kelley
the new owner "gutted" the property and
put up a for lease sign in 5 days or less. No
permits, no site plan, no rezoning ok, no
nothing? Why do town officials permit this?
Turns out at last planning commission meet-
ing Kelley offered a plan, but it was returned
for more signatures from nearby resident-
owners saying it is OK to change from subur-
ban residential to commercial.Then surprise?
Our realtor-interim-mayor "recused" himself
from voting. Wonder why? Seems he was the
realtor that sold the Marusa property to
Kelley Realtors.
Now before you explode remember every-
body has to make a living. And that goes
for our mayor,too. Problem is the indirect
benefits to the mayor as a result of selling
the property. Namely, a 6 per cent realtor's
fee on a selling price of some $300,000 or
more? Potential conflicts are the public's
business! This gets really sticky and yes it
is a strike out for the mayor's credibility.

6. The interim mayor's Asset Investment
Fund for the town to be deposited in new
People's State Bank. A resolution that pass-
ed in last town meeting courtesty of the
"usual" guaranteed majority.
Our recent post offered sound advice to the
interim mayor even though after the vote.
We recomended the State Banking Collateral
Pool. It has 98 member banks like First
Tennessee Bank. Peoples bank isn't a mem-
ber so town may not be able to deposit con-
siderable sums into it after all. Another big
strike out for the interim mayor.
(Some call this the interim mayor's xmas
club fund cause about that time town will
need to withdraw the money to pay bills.)

7. Failure of Brittian Downs 141- PUD
development to obtain an official water
approval letter from local water depart-
ment. Despite no approval for water for
development it appears Mr. Yazdian went
ahead and presented his plans for PUD
development in Jan. 06. Mr. Charles Stra-
sser, General Mgr. of water utility recalled
that he didn't approve the development for
water. (Sounds like a mystery novel?) Pre-
vious mayor Knapper pushed very hard to
almost force approval for this development
in 1/06. This is so ironic because everyone
in the meeting thot Yazdian was getting pre-
ferred treatment and Knapper allowed short
cuts everywhere to get approval. Then this
happened. NO WATER available for Brittian
Downs? Even after approval no one like town
engineer checked to see if Yazdian had an
approval for water. Quite, by accident at last
meeting on water shortage at water dept.
office it was discovered Brittian Downs had
NO water letter.
Bottom line...they will have to wait for maybe
one year before they can get water approval.
Who gets charged with this strike out? There
are so many players?
Sorry, it has to be the developer, Yazdian,
and the town engineer , Woodruff, a big,
bad strike out for both? PS: Interim mayor
said no one on BOMA asked about a water
letter either? Includes our interim mayor
as alderman under Knapper. DUH? Maybe
that's the job of the BOMA, Planning Comm-
ission, town engineer/codes and staff ?
Why not just fine everybody including Yaz-
dian the developer???
Tell us how you would score this ball game?
7 Innings and strike outs allowed no score.