The Knoxville City Council met tonight November 28, 2023 most of the attention was around a Resolution brought by Councilwoman Amelia Parker about the conflict in Israel between the Israel and Palestine. After three individuals in favor of the Resolution and three individuals in opposition to the Resolution each spoke for 5 minutes each…. 30 minutes. A source told me that 77 individuals had signed up to speak. The 30-45 minutes appeared intense with the Mayor having to gavel the crowd for outburst. After having to stop the clock many times. I really don’t understand why KPD Chief Paul Noel did not have officers in the room and why he sat at his chair. Now, keep in mind, I watched online and was not at the City County Building. When Councilwoman Parker took her seven minutes to introduce the Resolution, the Resolution died for lack of a second.
Last week, the Knox County Commission passed a Resolution to combine the animal control out of Knox County Sheriff Office and Knoxville Police Department and put it under Knox Williams Animal Center control and operation. Councilwoman Lauren Rider wanted to postpone it for two weeks, it also died for lack of a second.
Ordinance 12 a, (below) an item amending the Animal Control Board was postponed for two weeks. Councilwoman Rider requested and a majority of Council supported the two weeks so that Rider could get answers from Knoxville Attorney Doug Gordon and a KPD Senior Leader.
- ORDINANCES ON FIRST READING
a. An Ordinance to amend the Knoxville City Code, Chapter 5, to transfer Animal Control
Unit functions to Young-Williams Animal Center of East Tennessee and modify the
Animal Control Board. (Requested by Knoxville Police Department)
So much for an open and transparent government operation. It seems that Councilwoman Rider prefers to go behind closed doors from the view of public and the press to potentially change the makeup and operation of a newly reconstituted Animal Control Board. It seemed from me as an observer to be personal toward outgoing Councilwoman Janet Testerman who is also the CEO of Young Williams Animal Center. But I will be watching again when the Animal Control Board is on the agenda again. Councilwoman Rider said she understood it could pass on emergency reading in two weeks, December 12, 2023.
