No WhiteWash!

I was curious at the fact that Mr. Marsh ended up voting with the BMA on the contract of the Aquatic center.

What they put on the table (as a dog and pony show) is the location . In 2 weeks they will be putting on a show again, then they will do as they want , as usual , and put the Aquatic Center at Meadowview.

Joh must go. Her comment that …just because a couple of areas do not want it at meadowview is not a reason to change the location. She’s talking about Highland and 1 other area.

Joh must go!!!! Marsh talks out of both sides of his mouth.
Shull is an officer and a gentleman . Read his Resume’ and biography on this website.

Mr. Shull or should I say Colo. Shull is the most qualified , infact, he is over qualified to be of BMA. Dennis Phillps and Valarie Joh could win the academy award for their fine acting job last night at the meeting.

Oh…. there was about an audience of 3 people there. Marsh and Mallicote are not to be trusted. Marsh has talked and voted against everything he could, concerning the aquatic center until last night then he voted for the building contract. They ACTED like they tabled the vote of where the swimming pool is going to be put. Joh that must go, keeps screaming, I know more than anyone here about swimming and I use to be a lifeguard ( yeah at the Legion Pool) and I use to teach swimming. You can certainly tell she doesn’t do laps NOW.

The sessions meeting before the meeting is a Kingsport tradition and it is a dress rehersal. They (the members of the BMA) do not give Shull the respect he deserves ….they must be jealous of his extensive experience and background of service and responsible with United State Government. Dennis Phllips didn’t mention that Shull is up for re election . Phillips mentioned that Joh is , but Joh must go. Phillips mentioned that mallicote is up for re election. mallicote is a palgue on the town. No one is going to run against phillips . He looks like he might stroke before the election . They need to give copies of the meeting and look at themselves and what bad shape they are in.

Just like the Federal Government (which they seem to try to imitate) they need to tell us their health problems as full disclosure before we vote in the spring. I want healthy people , people that value and keep up their bodies , especially when it’s a swimming pool that is going to push this town over the edge. Kingsport is already sending post cards from the edge. HELPPPPPP!

I think that your readers may be interested in a quick history on the Aquatic Center.

Before I joined the BMA the board established a fund to repair the Legion Pool. Previous Boards “raided” that fund. The City tried patching the pool several times, but the pool continued to leak.

The BMA then considered starting over again with a new pool in current location. Then the board began entertaining the idea of also having an indoor pool,quickly emerged into the Aquatic Center concept.

Let’s pause – the entire BMA agreed that the current situation -leaking old pool was unacceptable. But then the differences in opinions began to emerge as the City staff provided different versions of an Aquatic Center. While ALL members requested that the City manager discuss the situation with the YMCA, it was never immediately agreed upon (as was inferred last night at the BMA business meeting) that the city would enter the type of agreement with the YMCA that we seem to be headed toward.

Last summer we had a special called session to decide 2 issues: 1) Location of the pool, and 2) Should it be co-located with the YMCA. I voted against BOTH for the following reasons.

- The Meadowview is not the ideal location for the pool. I won’t elaborate here, but I would be glad to discuss further with any citizen. I favored the Legion Pool area

- Co-locating with the YMCA gives them a tremendous competitive advantage over the other fitness center operators. In effect, the city would be subsidizing an already NON-PROFIT organization to the detriment of tax-paying enterprises in the city (Great Body Company and others).

I asked the question of Mr. Gray, the YMCA Board President, that night – what would the Y do if the city built a world-class outdoor pool at the legion area? He replied that they would go forth with their plans (an outdoor & indoor pool plus fitness center) at their site behind K-Mart. He ALSO assured us that they had the funding to do this.

I immediately proposed to my fellow members that we build the city facility at Legion (a great new outdoor pool) and let the YMCA build theirs. Please note that the citizens of Kingsport would then have two options for indoor swimming – the Dobyns-Bennett pool and the YMCA.

Not only do I believe this to be the best option, I’m even more strongly for it considering the Recession that we are now in. What’s wrong with saving tax-payer dollars.

As a side note about the DB pool. It belongs to the citizens – we simply need to get that point across to the BOE. Thank you. Pat Shull, Alderman

One other point – under the current concept the Y will only build a fitness center (no pools) right next door to the City Aquatic Center. This will save them a lot of money. I have nothing against the Y. But I’m interested in saving the City money. Pat Shull

Thanks Alderman Shull for your input. I have taken your two comments above and included them in a post Alderman Shull’s perspective on the Kingsport Aquatic Center

It’s really sad that an article like this one from Pat Shull will not be printed by the KTN.

The citizens of Kingsport have a right to know what has gone on in called and regular meetings.

Everyone on the BMA seems to be working an angle. We will get the pool at Meadowview just like Joh said last night . She kept saying , but we’ve already voted on it. We’ve had 5 studies . blah, blah.

Things could change!

The point is that Meadowview is a Hotel/ now with the extra 150 rooms it could even be considered a real convention center. Highland citizens will not go there, they will not feel comfortable there. I find it hard to believe that the legion pool is leaking 35,000 gal. of water per day. People from all parts of town should have a say ….even Highland. Joh seems to believe by evidence of her own words that the young people that utilize the Legion do not matter.

Well Joh , they do matter. The legion may be leaking water. I do believe that water is coming from Bays mountain. We, as citizens need to be more informed instead of the of BMA trying to RAM this “project” through. Joh needs to resign because she has the same conflict of interst that Dave Clark had. Dave Clarks wife which is still on the Kingsport Housing and Redevelopment Authority should resign also. Joh stands to gain money if the property values do go up in the meadowview area. She is broker with Blue Ridge Properties. Too bad we are in a historic economic meltdown and the housing subprime mortgage loans are a big part of the reason the problems came about. As Marsh said at the meeting last night joh is not rational when it comes to this subject.

She’s too worried about her own pocketbook….it seems. Those are my words.

I’m tired of seeing a SHOW , I want to see what is going on REALLY with Eastman ….Meadowview….and full disclosure as to who stands to gain money by where the stupid aquatic center is located.

Damon’s and one other restaurant in that area have closed in recent years and months . What makes the BMA think that this is going to be the saving grace for Kingsport?

I think the members of the BMA treat Pat Shull as if he is less than intelligent.The fact is, he is the most intelligent and reasonable person on the board.

I would like to know what the maintenance cost a year will be. Where will this money come from.

Are we going to have a rate hike getting all that water in and out of there?
Will the drought have a effect on the cost?

Will this need a new water system ie bigger pipes to get water there? If so will the roads have to be redone? Who will pay for it all?

I had the chance to view the meeting on channel 2 and I was amazed at how uneducated that Alderwoman Joh came across with some of the comments that she made especially the fact that she knows more about swimming than any of the other members (her words) and the one thing that Marsh said that I do believe is Joh is out of touch and needs to go . She’s a total embarassment for the VOTERS of Kingsport , also I noticed that Mayor Phillips came across as not wanting to be there very negative,

I think that if the voters /taxpayers would take the time to sit back and witness the way business is conducted ,come re-election time there would be alot of new faces on the Board.

Pat Shull I commend you for staying on the side of common sense and the true feelings of the citizens of Kingsport. This country is in a recession and Kingsport is not immune as some of the Board members seem to think.

Valarie Joh truly must go away. The conflict of interest is too obvious.
It’s discrimination when she talks of “only 2 areas” that are against the aquatic center being at meadowview merriott. She speaks of Highland and across the street on midland dr.. Joh is blantaly discriminating against those people when she has no regard for their wants as to the future of the Legion Pool.

People , in general, do not know how the BMA operates. I have been asked today.. Why does the BMA only have 5 aldermen? There’s Shupe, Joh,
Marsh, Munsey, Mallicote, Patrick Shull. The mayor. Mayor had to abstain from voting on a piece of property the last meeting. I suppose because he made money from the sell. I’m not sure. John Campbell is a hired employee, the mayor and the aldermen are elected.

John Campbell makes around $140,000.00 (thousand dollars ) per year with approx. $800.00 car alowance. Yet when a citizen calls him he will not answer the phone. I am not satisfied with my employee.

Not to mention the 5 big spenders. Joh, Shupe, Mayor Phillips, Munsey , Mallicote. Mallicote is running in may -09 election. Pat Shull is running, Joh is running …Mayor will probably be unopposed . Is he qualified to run for Mayor. I would vote no.

John Campbell came back home after being in J. C. , TN for years. WHY WHY …..???