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ISSUE 5 VOLUME 30
FARRAGUT, TENNESSEE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2017 • 1A
BOMA, EDAC in middle of Town tourism tussle New position, part-time coordinator, featured in BOMA’s $120,000 plan
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TAMMY CHEEK tcheek@farragutpress.com
After an hour’s discussion, Farragut Board of Mayor and Aldermen has agreed to hire a parttime tourism coordinator, who would implement a marketing plan for the Town. The Board voted unanimously in favor of a marketing plan, which is budgeted at $90,000 and hiring a part-time tourism coordinator, budgeted for $30,000, dur-
ing its meeting Thursday, Sept. 14 despite objections from three Farragut residents and concerns from Alderman Bob Markli. The biggest bone of contention, brought up by Markli, was having more specific metrics in place to measure the effectiveness of the program and the coordinator. “It’s definitely going to take some time to come up with all those metrics to see how successful this [plan] is,” Town administrator David Smoak said. “It seems to me, if we are going to hire someone and give them a position, then we should have specific goals in mind before we hire them,” Markli said.
At the same time, three residents — John and Cheryl Nehls of Smith Road and Robin “Bob” Hill — asked the Board to defer action. Nehls “I would like to see this [issue] postponed indefinitely,” said Hill, a former chair of Farragut Municipal Planning Commission. He recommended looking at what Knoxville See BOMA on Page 4A
U.S. Rep. candidate’s wife builds ‘brick’ foundation
Hotel/motel assistance a better option: Hill
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TAMMY CHEEK/ ALAN SLOAN editor@farragutpress.com
Encouraging Farragut’s hotel and motel management to develop a tourism promotion plan, which would help the Town avoid government expense and bureaucracy, sparked debate during the most recent Economic Development Advisory Committee meeting. As for government expense, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen recently decided to hire a part-time tourism coordinator [see related story on this page].
Speaking against hiring the tourism coordinator was Robin “Bob” Hill, former Farragut Municipal Planning Commission chair and a Farragut resident, who promoted using the Town’s hotel and motel personnel. “This Town has within its limits, I believe, eight motels. … I don’t see anything in this job description that incorporates the people who actually are benefitting from guests: the motels,” he said during the EDAC meeting Wednesday morning, Oct. 4. “In my opinion See HOTEL/MOTEL on Page 3A
From tackling to tuba
Speaks of Matlock’s strong ethics he wants to bring to D.C.
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Alan Sloan
Using analogies with a brick from a historic structure, Dean Matlock spoke about her husband, state Rep. Jimmy Matlock [R-District 21], and his bid for the 2nd District U.S. Congressional seat. She was featured speaker at Concord-Farragut Republican Club’s monthly meeting Thursday evening, Oct. 5, in Knox County Sheriff’s Office Turkey Creek precinct off Parkside Drive.
ALAN SLOAN editor@farragutpress.com
Dean Matlock brought a brick to Concord-Farragut Republican Club’s monthly meeting last week. Filling in as the club’s featured speaker for her husband, state Rep. Jimmy Matlock [RDistrict 21], “My husband is the brick that can go to Washington, D.C. and help firm the foundation for an ethical, moral government; to keep it firm,” Dean Matlock said Thursday evening, Oct. 5, in Knox County Sheriff’s Office Turkey Creek ~ Dean Matlock, precinct off Parkside about her husband, Drive. state Rep. Jimmy Matlock, State Rep. Matlock [R-District 21]. is running for the 2nd U.S. Congressional District seat to be vacated by the retiring U.S. Rep. John J. “Jimmy” Duncan Jr., a Republican. “This happens to be a Civil War brick. It was made in
“… He’s moral, he’s ethical, he’s giving, those things are in his ‘brick,’
See MATLOCK on Page 4A
Town commercial permits $9.2 million
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TAMMY CHEEK/ ALAN SLOAN editor@farragutpress.com
In the calendar year through September, 122 new homes have been under construction in the Town of Farragut according to David Smoak, Town administrator. “That’s about an average of $367,000 per home,” Smoak said as part of his monthly report to the Town’s Economic Development Advisory Committee during its Wednesday, Oct. 4, meeting in
Town Hall. “So far this year we’ve had seven commercial permits for around $9.2 million,” he added. “This is all new commercial.” About Dollar General Store’s new store under construction along Kingston Pike near its intersection with Old Stage Road, Smoak said, “They’re looking to move out of their current facility at the old Ingle’s shopping center [along Kingston Pike] to that new building probably, I would say, sometime this winter.” Asked about “any plans” for the
old Ingles shopping center, with Dollar General the only remaining occupant, Smoak said, “We’ve had a lot of discussion with people over the years trying to get that re-used.” However, “The landlord is not quite ready to do anything with it,” he added. “We are definitely trying.” Robin “Bob” Hill, former chair of Farragut Municipal Planning commission and a Town resident, reported “a gluten-free bakery See PERMITS on Page 3A
Tony Cox
Concord Christian School football player Connor Quinlan, a freshman, pulls double duty playing the tuba during the Lions marching band performance at halftime of the game versus Cosby Friday evening, Oct. 6, at CAK.