No WhiteWash!

The Kingsport, Tennessee Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted to spend $819,000 for an architect to design the $12.5 million expansion at the Meadowview Conference Resort and Convent Center. This was brought quickly to a vote without much detailed discussion or input from the public.

The September 16, 2008 televised meeting of the BMA showed that Vice Mayor Ben Mallicote has an issue with anger management and should seek help with it. In fact, it appears that there are many on the BMA that throw hissy fits when someone makes a statement why they are voting a certain way. See Mayor has hissy fit and attacks Alderman on TV

Again, this vote was another example of railroading a vote. Alderman Marsh expressed concern that this was voted on within 24 hours and that there had not been ample time to study the the financial numbers. He also asked what is in it for the citizens of Kingsport. He said that this is more for the special interests of certain people. He attempted to defer the vote to the latter part of October, but Alderman Marsh’s and Alderman Shull’s votes were not enough to postpone the vote.

In my view, the City of Kingsport has no business competing with other businesses. Kingsport built the convention center with a special sales tax that was approved by the voters many years ago. The current convention center is paid off, but the city continues to subside the convention center. The convention center is not a money maker and the city wants to spend another $12.5 million to expand it to make it a plush convention center.

Let hotels build convention centers and let them operate them. They have the expertise and experience in this type of thing.

This BMA board is out of control when it comes to spending the taxpayers money. Mayor John Campbell and his gang of five (Phillips, Mallicote, Munsey, Joh,and Shupe) continue to find ways to set records in spending the taxpayers money. They may listen to citizens concerns, but they are going to do it their way.

Below is a post that I wrote on February 18, 2008 that the Mayor wanted to spend money for a pool at the hotel, but the hotel already had a pool.

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Kingsport mayor urges look at MeadowView improvements

Kingsport is looking for more ways to spend money at the MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center. Eastman Chemical owns the hotel and the City of Kingsport owns the convention center at the same location. Kingsport also owns the golf course that is next to the MeadowView complex. The MeadowView Conference Resort & Convention Center is managed by Marriott

I would like to tell the Board of Mayors and Alderman to not spend the tax payers money on a pool for MeadowView……because they already have one.

KINGSPORT — Mayor Dennis Phillips wants the Board of Mayor and Aldermen to re-examine the MeadowView Conference Resort and Convention Center to see what investment, if any, the city should be making to help improve the facility for the future.

Phillips’ comments come after Eastman Chemical Co. announced last month a $15 million expansion project for the hotel — adding two 55-room towers and bringing the total number of rooms to 305.

In addition to the hotel expansion, Eastman is also footing the bill to renovate the facility’s existing 195 rooms. Once completed, all 305 guest rooms will feature the latest technology, including 32-inch flat panel televisions that will allow guests to plug their laptops into the TV screen.

“I believe it’s time for this board to re-examine MeadowView and see what investments, if any, we should be considering,” Phillips said.

A couple of items that catch Phillips’ eye are the fact MeadowView does not have a pool, and when he takes his 85-year-old mother to lunch at the hotel’s restaurant, she has to walk “a half mile.” Kingsport Times-News article