Support for increasing available child care programs that promote safe, supportive, educational environments with a particular concern for access to affordable child care for all families. Expansion of existing local government owned and operated preschool daycare services such as CAC and KCDC, the YMCA Pryme Time after school care program and existing privately-owned and operated licensed daycare facilities. More desirable would be the adoption of a before and after school care program equivalent to the Murfreesboro Extended School Program.
Necessary components of a preschool daycare program are the hiring of qualified staff, the inclusion of recreational activities, and relaxation time. To the extent possible, arts and crafts, enrichment programs such as music and foreign languages, reading time and nutrition and other health related services are desirable.
Support of special services for mentally ill homeless persons in Knox County including: help on the street or transportation to psychiatric services; medicine management, daily supervision of medication; financial management so bills are paid; sheltered work.
Other special needs are information and referral services, case management and recreational and social opportunities.
The services above should be made available through a spectrum of housing options with case managers or outreach workers available in every setting.
Homeless mentally ill persons should have a right to receive treatment even when they are unable to seek it for themselves although their civil rights must be safeguarded. Alternative services should be appropriate and attractive to mentally ill persons.
Local state-funded mental health centers should be responsible for the planning and oversight of local services. The family should be involved but not bear total responsibility for overseeing services for family members.
Support of a Fair Site redevelopment process that includes the public and private sectors with adequate measures to protect the public interest.
Support of Fair Site uses based upon market, environmental, legal, financial, and cost/benefit analysis; development of infrastructure to support site uses and to protect the environmental quality of nearby areas; a satisfactory arrangement for on-site operations, maintenance and programming; protection of the park area, open festival lawn, and site's historic structures; respect for the physical characteristics and integrity of the site and its residual structures; accessibility to visitors; and improved linkage between Fort Sanders, downtown, University of Tennessee and the waterfront.
Support of center city revitalization to include 1) the concepts and goals of the 1974 Redevelopment Plan; 2) establishment of a public/private committee to coordinate redevelopment activities; 3) a development mix that emphasizes housing opportunities and retail to support downtown workforce and residents; 4) redevelopment project areas sensitive to upgraded properties; and 5) redevelopment incentives and financing of public improvements from available sources and appropriate to individual projects.
Support of improved transportation and parking including provisions for pedestrians, bicycles and transit; reasonable regulations to achieve a cohesive design that addresses height, scale and design of new development; preservation, restoration and rehabilitation of historic structures.
Support for modification of MPC rules to include notifying the school administration of proposed residential development and seeking comments on the effect on local schools.
Equal weight to all four current MPC development evaluation criteria (need and justification, effect, relationship to the zoning ordinance, relationship to the General Plan 2000). Commissioners should have full details on capacity and current loads of roads, sewers, etc. in proposed development area. Residential developers should assume some cost of off-site drainage and road improvements due to their projects and bear some part of the cost of providing open space/recreation land in the development area.
Support of restrictions on residential development to mitigate the negative impact on drainage/runoff and the natural environment; restrictions/delays for developments that would put roads or sewers over capacity.
Support of a healthy, sustainable Urban Forest in Knoxville which is managed to provide our citizens with a continuing level of economic, social, environmental and ecological benefits today and into the future. This includes:
Public school buildings are valuable public assets. While the League recognizes that the primary mission of public schools is educating our children, public schools can also serve the entire community.
The League supports expanded public use of school facilities for such activities as after-school child care, neighborhood services, family services, lifelong education, civic events, recreation, and citizen participation in organizations and public issues. County government and school system policies should promote an enhanced use of school buildings.
Teacher recruitment and retention efforts in Knox County should include: raising salary; raising the employer contribution for health care insurance; being creative and flexible in working conditions (especially as it relates to expanding job sharing and other part-time opportunities); offering a cafeteria style benefit package; reducing barriers to enter into teaching (especially as it relates to expanding alternative licensure programs); offering a sign-on bonus for new teachers; and getting input from teachers as to their priority needs.
Two studies are currently underway: urban forestry for Knox County and potential restrictions on residential development.