Is it any wonder that citizens in Sevier County don't trust our elected officials when they claim to care about the beauty of the mountains?
At the first public meeting hosted by a NY firm who was the only bidder (only after they were urged to bid) on a $60,000 mountain and hillside study, only two elected officials cared enough to hear what their citizens had to say. Of all of the elected officials in this county and all of the municipalities, only two County Commissioners showed up.
Ben Clabo and Phil King had the gumption to listen to their Sevier County neighbors. All other elected officials were _______ ( you fill in the blank - AWOL, negligent, arrogant, etc.)
No wonder people are losing faith in the local leaders. They don't even care enough to attend a meeting. The purpose of which is to build consensus and seek fair solutions to minimize the destruction of the natural beauty of our number one tourist attraction: the mountains.
Mayor Waters stated that he would make mountaintop protection a priority (in a meeting with Jim Wilson, John Edwards, John Meyers and Curtis Henry). "No Show" Waters doesn't even attend the public meeting kickoff. Wouldn't it have been polite of our county mayor to introduce the Saratoga Group in a study that might shape Sevier County forever?
Mayor Waters has not taken a stand or commented publicly on his planning Commissions actions regarding the Cove Mountain (High Bridge) project. His county planner recommended approval and then changed his mind when presented with virtually the same documentation at the following month's meeting. Six Planning Commissioners voted to ignore the facts as presented by 3 attorneys and a representative from the county attorney's office. No comment by Mayor Waters.
2000 acres were "zoned" commercial (Webb Mountain - Bankrupt) after Commissioner Kenneth Whaley begged for the change either at a meeting that violated the open meetings law or not. It doesn't matter. A commissioner touted his project to the commission just like he did with the Cove Mountain project. The newly formed ethics committee could set a precedent for how business is conducted in Sevier County by addressing various commissioner conflicts of interests. No comment by Larry Waters.
Seymour residents are looking at the very real possibility of having a 4 diamond "sports complex" for their children. The ball field is in a low lying field that is prone to flooding by a 303 (d) listed (polluted) stream. No comment from the Mayor of Sevier County.
There is no comprehensive growth plan (CGP) for Sevier County. The Tennessee Growth Readiness Project held a workshop in 2003. The county planner attended. Sevier County scored below a 10 on a scale of 1 to 100. Someone then decided that Sevier County would NOT participate in the FREE program. Now taxpayers in Sevier County "get" to benefit by participating in a $60,000 program hosted by a NY company. Public meetings - not important enough to attend.
Mayor Waters received a mountain and hillside building guide over a year ago. No action, no comment by the county mayor.
Without a CGP which is a basic tool that most forward thinking communities and properly managed counties use to plan for growth, Sevier County continues to lack the foresight necessary to address the growth issue.
Mayor Waters said that it's impossible to manage growth: "They all move to Seymour one year and to Pittman Center the next." This isn't management by planning. It's reactionary and it's akin to a ship steering the captain. This lack of planning always results in floundering and ultimately, it fails. When it does in Sevier County, we'll all still be here to fix the mess. Mayor Waters will be long gone and everyone will scratch their heads and wonder "how we got into this mess?"
The "aw shucks" shoulder shrugging by the 25+ year regime of Waters isn't the kind of leadership that we deserve. We need a leader who will stand up and take a position:
No more clear cutting! If you don't have a good landscaping plan, you don't get a permit!
No major commercial cabin rental developments without an environmental impact study to make sure our citizens are safe! Set aside a bond for your neighbor's peace of mind.
No more dumping junk in our streams! If you pollute, you don't get a permit or you get fined.
No more signing 20 year contracts without public notification, public meetings and public input!
No more incomplete development plans. No variances! If you can't comply, you don't get a permit.
No more good old boys conducting business in a back room!
Comments like: "I don't have any control over that," "I try to listen to everyone on all sides and I will continue to do that" and "most of what's in this resolution is already on the books, this just kind of piles it in one area" aren't made by effective leaders. They're a cop out. They are rhetoric. They are just words. They don't mean anything unless they are accompanied by action! Words without action are simply piles of something, for certain!
If all that our leaders give us is rhetoric, then, the recently formed ethics committee will be rendered useless as will most other citizen beneficial initiatives (zoning, building permits, building codes and inspections, fire inspections, impact fees, etc.) in this county. Nepotism will still happen. Commissioners will still promote projects that directly benefit them, their companies or their relatives. Citizens will still feel like "that's just not right" when they read about the actions taken or NOT taken by their elected officials.
Mayor Waters will be shrugging his shoulders: "Aw Shucks!"