During City Council on Tuesday, August 15, Mayor Haslam honored the Chronic Problem Properties Committee with the first Annual City of Knoxville "Innovator Award."
The award will be given each year to the City of Knoxville department(s) who come up with and execute the best new idea to move the city forward.
Removing blight and rehabilitating chronic problem properties is a priority for the city and is the focus of the Chronic Problem Properties Committee. A dedicated group of employees work diligently to fix these problems and at least five departments touched these properties in different ways. City departments meet on a monthly basis with the goal of developing coordinated, inter-departmental, property-specific initiatives for each problem.
The priorities for the Chronic Problem Properties Committee include:
neighborhood stabilization
crime prevention and safety
housing rehabilitation
home ownership
job creation
homeless/chronic
homeless services
"By targeting problem properties we can more effectively address the issues that create these problem properties on a long-term comprehensive basis," Mayor Haslam said.
Nearly 100 properties are currently under review - 70 residential, 4 commercial and 14 vacant lots. 10 properties have been successfully taken care of…they've either been sold, paid the taxes or the blight has been cleared. More than $15,000 has been paid in taxes.
Members of the Chronic Problem Properties Committee include:
Sam Anderson - Community & Neighborhood Services
Phyllis Patterson - Parks & Rec
Zina Bergman - Community Development
Rogers Doughty - Community Development
Michael Dunthorn - Community Development
Renee Kesler - Community Development
Ray Snyder - Community Development
Angela Bolton - Law Dept
David Brace - Public Service
Bob Whetsel - Public Service
Roger Byrd - Fire Inspections
Joe Milsaps - Fire Inspections
Anita Cash - Building Inspections
Tom Reynolds - Building Inspections
Dava Wyatt - Codes Enforcement
Gus Paidousis - KPD
Gordon Catlett - KPD
Lee Miracle - Finance