I posted a notice from the City County Building on this tweet from the twitter account of the website (here) which feeds to my Facebook account. A spirited discussion ensued on the Facebook page, you can check it and read the comments if you desire here.
Here is the notice,
According to the notice, Knoxville Mayor Rogero, Knox County Mayor Burchett and the Public Building Authority approved this revenue grab. Here is the link to the TCA that governs Public Building Authority. Section (20) has not been added, yet.
Here is the bill that Rep. Ryan Haynes of Knoxville presented. Here is the video when the bill was first presented to committee. Here is the video where Rep. Haynes believed that it was only the Knoxville / Knox County PBA that the bill would apply to. Here is the video from House Finance Way and Means Sub Committee. Here the bill is in House Finance Committee. Here the bill is in House Calendar and Rules Committee. A committee chaired by Knoxville Rep. Bill Dunn. Here is the video of the House Floor debate where extensive questions were asked, Rep. Ryan Haynes acknowledges that this bill was at the request of Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett. Rep. Mike Stewart asks about disabled drivers, Rep. Haynes refers to Stephanie Brewer Cook who told him that of 500 drivers parking in the City County Building that 140 have handicapped placards. Haynes reports that Cook believed this to be unfair. The House bill had to substituted to conform with Senate bill 2259. Here is the video of the bill passing, Rep. Haynes explains there are 30 Public Building Authorities, that this legislation is permissive, meaning it is up to the locals to enact fees. Rep. Larry Miller asked about the governing body that makes the decision. Rep. Haynes says the local Public Building Authority Board of Directors are the governing body.
So, if you have a handicapped permit and employed in the City County Building, beginning January 1, 2015 (you must give PBA a payroll deduction in December 2014) you are now required to pay $47.50 a month or if you work 2nd or 3rd shift you must pay $23.75. If you cant afford to do that, you as a handicapped employee will have to walk from some other parking facility far away from where you are employed.
This seems like an issue where Human Resources has dropped the ball, maybe giving a wink and a nod to folks with handicapped placards. Seems the Mayor may want to look at post hole toby’s boy and deal with this issue internally, instead of wasting the legislatures time in giving him a wall to hide behind.
