Back on the second day of November 2015, BrianHornback.Com reported this about Mayor Tim Burchett’s Amherst Road property that housed a business that lacked a building permit, sign permit. The business was illegal in the manner that the building had not passed the inspection of the Knox County codes department, it lacked a Knox county issued issued certificate of occupancy, it had three permanent signs, without one approved Knox Co. sign permit.
At the time, the Mayor and his Communications guy did not respond to at least 3 requests from BrianHornback.Com, However, Gerald Witt at the Knox News Sentinel did get comments and reported here on November 3, 2015 In Witt’s story it was reported, “The online store has been open since 2014 and the warehouse opened in May. Burchett said he visited the store on its opening day, but hasn’t been back there since.”
On about November 18, I did an open records request to the current law director, (here is my report) he waited the statutory time to inform me there were 400 emails to review, (here is my report) after consulting with several individuals, I immediately informed the law director to carry on, with providing me the emails. This was before Thanksgiving on November 25, 2015. Several weeks later I emailed and asked the law director what was taking so long. I ran into him personally the day he replied to my email, he explained there were potentially 400 emails and it was taking time for his office to review everyone of them, he then stated to me, I am not slow walking this and I replied those are your words not mine.
On Christmas Eve I received via the US Postal mail the CD of the emails, the files were in an unreadable format on my three computer machines. I was covering other stories like the Knox County Legislative delegation and the embattled TN House Republican Whip Jeremy Durham, the holidays, etc.
Finally after the first of the year, I contacted the current law director and his staff person about the file format, she had to contact the county’s IT department to advise me how to make the files readable from the CD, I was reminded (for some reason) of the current law director saying to me, I am not slow walking this. Those were his words, not mine.
Of the emails there are several that are comical, like the Mayor’s Director of Engineering and Public Works Dwight Van de Vate, a former Knox Co. sign inspector and former Knox Co. Sheriff bean counter before he jumped to the greener pasture of Mayor Mike Ragsdale as the PR/Spokesman for the Ragsdale administration. I will cover those later.
The two for today are from Burchett’s Communication guy, Mike Grider, at 2:31:23 PM on 11/3/2015, Grider replying in an email to Gerald Witt at the Sentinel titled RE: A couple more questions about 3015 Amherst Grider wrote, “I don’t know much in the way of details on his private dealings, but it is the same location where his motorcycles were previously stored, but he doesn’t have anything stored there currently, from what I understand. He said he does have a few items on consignment there. Thank you,”
A few minutes later, 2:35:53 PM on 11/3/2013 to be exact same titled email wrote, “Give me a quick call to correct something…basically, he doesn’t have anything on consignment right now, but has in the past. Thank you,”
Not only is it suspect that Burchett’s published statement to the Sentinel, he was there on opening day in May 2015 but hasn’t been back is a lie. Clearly by admission from his Communications guy is that he has sold personal property on consignment there, which would have required his presence more than on the first day for a ribbon cutting. Now, you have to wonder if this business is similar to cigarette stamp purchases. Was everything reported and conducted correctly?
