The Ten Year Plan to address the plight of the chronically homeless was controversial before I came on the Knoxville City Council and, if anything, it is probably more controversial still. The statement I made at the recent Knoxville City Council meeting has been published on my website, as well as other forums. It was a decision I came to after careful thought and much prayer consideration.
Within two days of the Council meeting, I had received over 100 email letters and communications from folks all across the city, although with a heavy emphasis on South Knoxville. I was very pleased to see people so engaged as this may well be the most important issue facing our city during my tenure on the City Council. Naturally, there are differing opinions and all sorts of suggestions. Friends have told me the plan is flawed; some think the plan is not flawed, but the leadership and execution of the plan have been seriously flawed. Virtually everyone has suggestions for possible sites for facilities to house the homeless and many simply indicate they don’t want any such facility near their own neighborhood.
Some oppose the concept of a campus-like facility, while supporting the concept of various facilities located across the City of Knoxville. In short, the opinions and attitudes of folks are varied, to say the least. What I do hear from friends and constituents is that they don’t believe either the Council or the public have been getting complete answers from the proponents of the Ten Year Plan. They feel that the adherents of the Ten Year Plan have neglected to answer many of the difficult questions associated with this project and just about all the questions are difficult ones and they rightly believe both the Council and the public deserve answers to these questions. For this project to have even the remotest chance of survival, those questions are going to HAVE to be addressed. Lack of faith or trust or confidence in the execution of the plan or the leadership attempting to administer the plan will kill as surely as anything else. There has to be credibility in the leadership and execution of the Ten Year Plan for it to succeed. My own view was that I cannot support the Ten Year Plan in its current form. I don’t feel it is responsible for me as a member of City Council to support a plan without having ALL the answers necessary to move forward. For those who fault the leadership and execution of the plan I wonder if the Ten Year Plan could be saved by changing the leadership and hoping the new leadership could more effectively address community concerns and execute the plan faithfully?
Any site or facility is certainly likely to transgress upon someone or someone’s neighborhood. The Council must be mindful of those investments of tax dollars we’ve made in on-going projects as well, such as the Waterfront and those areas of downtown where we want to attract tourism.
I think it is going to be very difficult for the City Council to proceed if things remain as they are; there is every indication homeowners and neighborhood associations are mobilizing and a perception about the Ten Year Plan has been forming, yet again an example of a failure on the part of the leadership to communicate both properly and adequately.
For those of you who have told me that my statement helped to change both the nature of the discussion and the tenor of the debate, I thank you very much. I was disappointed with the result, but am not ready yet to surrender or admit defeat. If nothing else, my fellow Council members and the Administration have witnessed that South Knoxville will stand up and fight. South Knoxville’s voice will be heard and for that I am grateful.
Let me say I am not trying to discourage discussion or debate; quite the opposite. I would remind everyone each of us has an opinion and that is what made this country great. We should not condemn nor vilify our friends and neighbors if they don’t agree with us in every respect. As we move toward the future, South Knoxville’s greatest protection as well as our most effective weapon will be showing a united front to the powers that be. So many people have contributed interesting and very valid points and I thank each and every one. I have tried to acknowledge and thank every person who has sent me an email letter or comments. If I overlooked anyone, it was purely by accident and I apologize. Please let me continue to hear from you, share your thoughts and opinions. I don’t pretend to have all the answers and for me to represent you to the best of my abilities as your Councilman, I must have your help.
As always, I thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Councilman and I hope to hear from you about any matter of concern to you or your family. Whenever I can be helpful to you or yours, please let me know.
Statement of Councilman Nick Pavlis regarding the Ten Year Plan to end chronically homelessness:
The City of Knoxville has been tasked with providing services and shelter to one of the most unfortunate segments of our society - - - the chronically homeless. It may well be true many of us don’t want to think about how terrible it must be to be homeless in our country. Personally, I really don’t see how it is possible for any person with either a heart or a conscience to view a homeless person, especially a family with children, and not feel a pang of sorrow and or perhaps even guilt. The homeless struggle daily for things most of us take for granted; having enough to eat, having shelter, being surrounded by loving family members and pets. I cannot begin to imagine the feeling of despair and loneliness many homeless people must feel. I am truly sorry for the plight of the homeless and as one member of City Council; I want to help fix this problem.
Mayor Haslam and his administration have presented a plan they feel is best for our community. Bill Haslam is a person I respect and like very much. Bill comes from a family who has been very generous in giving back to our community, including the less fortunate. It is a way of life for Bill and his family and we should all recognize and be grateful for that.
But I cannot agree with the plan offered by the administration. Most of my colleagues - - - and all of South Knoxville - - - are aware I was deeply opposed to the proposed facility for the homeless at the old FlennikenElementary School in my district due to the tremendous expense associated with the project.
As a member of City Council, I do not see how it is possible for me to be responsible and vote against such a facility in my own district, yet support a similar facility in someone else’s neighborhood. That seems to me not only irresponsible, but a violation of the public trust given me by my people and it would be, I think, morally wrong.
It seems to me the current Ten Year Plan is one that intends to place permanent housing in every corner of the city and the county I just do not find that a logical approach. I think it will be a source of constant and continuing friction for the Council and the citizens we represent.
Let me also say that I do fully understand that under current Federal law, the chronically homeless are considered a “protected class” of people. I understand we must comply with the mandated Federal guidelines and requirements, but I feel that we can still meet those requirements and obligations by siting a facility closer to downtown and in a campus-like atmosphere.
The benefits of a centralized and single location should be obvious to everyone. Spreading facilities all over the city and county just is not practical in my opinion. Keep in mind; we are also required to deliver certain services and the greater the distance between locations, the higher the cost for delivery. I would remind my colleagues that the Knox County Commission turned down a facility to be located in far west KnoxCounty, at least partly on the basis of the distance of the proposed facility from available services and they had a legitimate point. Considering the geographical size of KnoxCounty, I will be very surprised if that particular argument does not emerge in every hearing in siting a facility anywhere outside the corporate limits of the City of Knoxville. I can easily see the City of Knoxville having to extend transportation farther into the reaches of every area of our city and perhaps even the county at a time when we have reduced services for other citizens, including the disabled.
In our current economy, it is a simple fact of life the Council has to eventually consider the expense involved in not only building or buying an existing property for the Ten Year Plan, but in delivering efficiently the services required. Even if the initial expense in building or buying a single facility is far greater than the first phase of the Ten Tear Plan, I think ultimately a single centralized facility will be in the long run far cheaper than buying multiple properties. It will also make delivery of services cheaper as well. I also think the KnoxCounty government will be much more likely to extend aid to a single centralized location.
To me, it seems like common sense to call for a single centralized location located in close proximity to necessary services in Knoxville if the Ten Year Plan is to be successful. The City Administration is assuring homeowners and neighborhoods that numerous facilities throughout Knoxville will be an actual asset to a particular community, and then one can easily argue that a single centralized facility will be a bigger asset for all concerned.
That having been said, I still wish to be a part of the solution and to fulfill our moral obligation to the homeless population. I will lend my support and work toward a single centralized location that will work to ensure the success of the Ten Year Plan and I urge my colleagues and the administration to re-think where we are heading and support the concept of a single centralized facility.
