Avoiding the Wednesday hangover.

♣ Top Billing?

This column by Mark Cook, Williamson A.M. Editor, was given top billing on the webpage: Region’s visitor industry grows with positive energy.

To be honest, after reading the column, I'm a little lost on the message, but it seems to cheerlead for everything from battlefields to encouraging development of more hotels and restaurants.

Oddly, Cook remarks:

"I am impatient with Brentwood's efforts to redevelop a town center because of the potential of that area (and the existing hotel rooms so close)."

You know, even if I won the lottery, I'm not sure I would go out and buy a house in Brentwood that day, but I can tell you this: Brentwood is faaaaaarrrrrrr ahead of Franklin in actually addressing quality of life instead of talking about it - and they did it all without a town center.

It might even be suggested that the lack of a "town center" has allowed Brentwood to focus on providing "quality of life" for ALL of its residents and attracting a very sustainable base, if you will ...

... in stark contrast to Franklin, where the taxpayers have handed over millions of dollars to downtown-centric elected (many even financially benefiting from this) and the overall effect has essentially been a frenzied pace to buildout the rest of the City, a deluge of stifling traffic, a failing infrastructure, a willing neglect of proactivity with its residents, and a bizarre attention deficit by City Adminstrators that has resulted in string of federal lawsuits against the City.

The most disheartening aspect of Cook's column is that with so many critical issues in the County that deserve attention, and knowing that a few columns in an Editorial capacity could spur attention (see Tennessean columnists Kerr and Schrade), that he's disappointed Brentwood doesn't have a town center.

♣ Mark the first repsonse.

6:55 a.m.: There goes the parade of fire trucks and rescue vehicles that probably have to drive to Goose Creek and beyond. Let's hope the 5-to-10 minute delay to get through the traffic crowding this tiny town will not have an adverse effect on any potential resuce.

It's a shame the Goose Creek fire station isn't a priority given the volume of responses, but that's nothing but a result of politics that unwittingly make Aldermen, Mayor, etc., Actuaries by Proxy.

♣ Avoiding the Wednesday hangover.

The old adage for people that were suffering from depression used to include advice to stop watching the news as part of their path to wellness. The thought was all of the conflict presented in the news left an indelible mark on the subconcious.

Similarly, I've decided to avoid the Wednesday hangover from watching BOMA meetings the night before - it's disheartening that the attention of the BOMA has come full circle to parallel the approach by the last BOMA, as we close on the first anniversary.

Take an issue from the agenda ... say ... Item No. 11:

11. Consideration Of The AT&T Agreement For Line Relocation Along Boyd Mill Avenue In The Amount Of $110,500.93. (8/12 ws) David Parker, ACA Public Works and Utilities.

I know some know the result of this issue, but for those that don't, take an educated guess what was discussed concerning this issue.

Indeed, A year wasted, unless of course you live on Boyd Mill or own property where $treet$cape is afforded by the taxpayers and neighbors.

♣ Water supply questions linger.

"A new report, written by the Harpeth River Watershed Association, recommends the removal of the low-head dam for ecological benefits. It's known as a low-head or channel dam because it is lower than 15 feet tall, is made of concrete or wood and stretches from creek bank to creek bank."

This of course will turn into the Battle of the Biologists.

The truth is, you could make an argument that while the dam perhaps changed the existing ecology at the time, it also promoted the growth of a new ecology over the past 47 years.

So, you destroy the newly-developed ecology in favor of restoring to the old ecology that doesn't exist anymore?

Interesting.

Working backward.

♣ Well, while select members the chosen few of the the BOMA are off instituting developer socialism, it looks like the "Public has time to comment on creek cleanup," where:

"Department of Environment and Conservation officials announced they would accept comments until Sept. 19 about Egyptian Lacquer Manufacturing's most recent plan to address the chemicals that have been spilling into the creek and river for months."

This all seemed to come about from correspondence from BOMA ... the Ward Alderman ... the Mayor ... any person of responsible charge from the City ... Elizabeth Coker - a parent at BGA.

You know Ms. Coker, if you called yourself something like a "Municipal Consultant," you could probably even work out an agreement and charge the City of Franklin for your time - as much as 8 times the private sector - and make a tidy sum. Keep up the good work.

♣ The Cleansing: Round 2

Some of you may remember "The Great Pavement Debate," the H.G. Hills cleansing effort, and loosely, what is the definition of a family ... where the last BOMA started off on a veiled cleansing effort in mandating the number of cars parked at a home, as well as how many people can live in a home.

Unpublished online: "Cars in yards move to head of alderman's agenda today"

Now, it's no mystery what this ordinance is being pursued for to specifically target, and the article never mentions who is once again sponsoring this all-white-and-uptight-on-Main-Street approach, but D-Mac hits the nail on the head (again):

"I don't know if we'll have codes officers looking for violations on this and I don't know that the city needs to be involved in a conflict between neighbors."

Amen. All this will be is a short-lived blitzkrieg on a few areas by the City, then after that, it will languish into a free-for-all-tit-for-tat-angry-neighbor skirmish that will force the City into a bizarre role as hall monitor.

This move might have had some merit if ALL of the codes had been enforced evenly and fairly across the City to preserve your ... quality of life.

By the way, would these be the same codes officers in the same department as the ones that should "Turn over complaints on [Egyptian Lacquer] over to Guy as ordered on Liberty Pike?"

We're working backward here folks.

Franklin doing what they do best: Screwing you.

Eddy Lane's fiasco makes That's Messed Up: Residents not happy with school construction.

Just one snippet:

Vernon Gerth is Assistant City Administrator of Community Development. He confirms that the project is going according to plan, and that under the old laws, the city was not required to notify the public.

“Well, under the old ordinance, that was not the case, it was buy right zoning. and as we would with any residence or business, If it is properly zoned and it meets all the design standards and storm water control and other characteristics, they can submit their application and obtain an approval from the planning commission. With the new ordinance, purposes of place of worship and schools, there is a more laborious process where we do get out and require neighborhood meetings. It does contain public information meetings up and above what is required by law.”

I ask Mr. Gerth whether the city has conducted a traffic survey of the road. He fidgets for a moment and tells me the city is not required to do so and has not. He also tells me, the city is planning on a projected street upgrade for Eddy Lane.