Early voting starts today for the Knoxville City Council elections. KnoxViews invited candidates from South Knoxville's 1st District to share their views on a variety of issues. We emailed the same questionnaire to both Robert Marlino and Nick Pavlis. Following are their responses...

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KnoxViews: What in your background and experience makes you the best candidate for City Council representing the 1st District?

Robert Marlino: I have been involved with civic issues for years, usually thru neighborhood organizations. I have first hand experience in redevelopment issues, historic preservation, community organization, planning and urban design. I am very customer service oriented and I believe I can bring a fresh perspective to problems that the City Council will face in the next few years.

Nick Pavlis: My professional career certainly has taught me how to manage people and budgets. I ran a small family business of 20 employees for several years and knew how important it was to be able to write paychecks every week. For the past 10 years I have been involved in the cable industry at Comcast and Charter Communications which are publically traded and Fortune 500 companies. As the Director of Government Relations I am responsible for 196 cities and counties throughout Tennessee, 75 communities in Louisiana and both states’ General Assemblies. This gives me great insight and the ability to view best practices from many communities.

I have been in leadership roles in the City of Knoxville for the past 16 years having been a board member or involved in these organizations:

Fountain City Town Hall
Knoxville Chamber Partnership Executive Committee
Knoxville Tourism and Sports Corporation
Metropolitan Planning Commissioner
Graduate Leadership Knoxville
Knoxville City Councilman 95-03
Downtown YMCA

Most recently I have spent the past 18 months attending homeowner meetings, association meetings, and soaking up all the knowledge I can regarding the First District.

I am active in my City whether my name is on the ballot or not.

KnoxViews: How long have you lived in the 1st District?

Mr. Marlino: A little over 4 years.

Mr. Pavlis: South Knoxville 4.5 years, 1st District 3.5. We lived in Martha Washington Heights the year our home was being built.

KnoxViews: What 1st District neighborhood groups or other organizations are you involved in?

Mr. Marlino: I am a member of the South Woodlawn Neighborhood Association, and am involved with the restoration and LEED certification of 1011 Laurel Ave in Fort Sanders (a Knox Heritage project).

Mr. Pavlis: The following homeowners associations - Colonial Village, Lake Forrest, South Haven, South Woodlawn, Old Sevier Home, Vestal , and the South Knox Business Association.

KnoxViews: What are your priorities for the 1st District?

Mr. Marlino: 1) Building strong neighborhoods by building strong neighborhood organizations. 2) Preservation of our historic structures, open space and ridges/hillsides. 3) Bringing investment dollars into the First District through sustainable redevelopment. 4) Reviewing transportation investments to incorporate alternative modes of transport (bikes, greenways, etc). 5) Providing better government by listening to the residents through town hall and neighborhood meetings, regular email communications and updates.

Mr. Pavlis: First off, I want to be an effective advocate for the First District. Someone that will stand up against the special interests and represent the people. I will be the person that returns emails and phone calls as quickly after the election as before.

I want to make the First District a place where folks want to move into not from. I have noticed on my walking tour very nice homes and then a blighted property that is more times than not a rental. We have got to get our blighted properties under control with codes enforcement. There are plenty of affordable houses available for young families or individuals to move into and refurbish. These families and individuals moving into our community can make our, schools, churches, etc. stronger. When this occurs we can then enjoy the retail establishments we drive to West Knoxville to shop at currently. We must strengthen our neighborhoods which will allow us to welcome new investment.

KnoxViews: What is your vision for the South Waterfront project, and what needs to happen to get there?

Mr. Marlino: I am very excited about the potential of the South Waterfront. I believe if we follow the guidelines as outlined in the South Waterfront Redevelopment Plan, we will create one of the best examples of urban regeneration in the country. The plan is the result of many hours of citizen input - it must be followed as closely as possible to ensure the proper outcome. If elected, I would quickly begin a dialogue with developers who have proven project experience in urban redevelopment. I believe a successful 'demonstration project' using private money will be the catalyst for many other projects to follow.

Mr. Pavlis: I am supportive of the current plan the City has proposed. It has been a transparent process with input from the stakeholders. I do want to ensure that the housing to be constructed blends with its surroundings. The City has invested heavily in the project and now private enterprise needs to step up but until the economy turns around I don't anticipate much will happen. We were fortunate this week to be awarded 500k from the state for the floating walkway that will be in front of the Mercy property.

Once underway this will hopefully serve as a catalyst for mixed use development in South Knoxville and downtown.

KnoxViews: What are your thoughts about South Knoxville spreading further out into Seymour and how it's affecting the Chapman Highway corridor closer in?

Mr. Marlino: Sprawl is bad in many ways - its a big strain on government services, schools and road systems. We see a declining retail area closer in which is poised for redevelopment. I am for arresting the effects of sprawl by bringing investment back inside the city limits through planning efforts such as the South Waterfront, neighborhood investment, and a revamped transportation system (to name a few areas of improvement).

Mr. Pavlis: We are experiencing some growth in that end of the City which is positive. This helps make that end of South Knoxville more attractive for folks to remain in and to move into as I discussed earlier.

The corridor has its own unique challenges. Much of the commercial property is owned by a few individuals that have not chosen to update or reinvest to attract new wanted development. With the success of the waterfront project this should help rise the tide and spur positive growth for the area.

KnoxViews: What are your thoughts about completing the James White Parkway extension?

Mr. Marlino: I favor the JWP being completed with minimal impact on the affected neighborhoods by downsizing the road to an urban parkway, rather than the wide swath of 'interstate' that was constructed during the first phase. The path will need to be reviewed to make sure it is sensible and will accomplish the goal of relieving traffic on Chapman Highway. Listening to the area residents will be crucial - the JWP can be an attractive, safe asset to the area if done properly.

Mr. Pavlis: I think it should be completed to help diminish the volume of traffic on Chapman Highway and make the area more appealing to those that actually live there.

KnoxViews: What should happen with the Baptist Hospital?

Mr. Marlino: Since this is the most prominent location in the South Waterfront redevelopment area, the highest and best use for this site is imperative. I believe a medical facility or assisted living for part of the hospital can be looked at, as well as the adaptive reuse such as condos. I would favor new uses for the existing structures if at all possible. It's important to keep the site in private hands; if so, it can be a significant tax generator for the City.

Mr. Pavlis: This is still in the hands of Mercy for the time being. It is a very valuable piece of property that could become an icon for Knoxville. I would like to see it as a "mixed use" area of residential and festive retail, and entertainment. At the very least I want it to remain on the tax rolls.

KnoxViews: If you were on City Council today and the "guns in parks" vote came up, how would you vote?

Mr. Marlino: I would vote against allowing guns in parks, but would like to begin a dialogue about how to maximize safety for park users.

Mr. Pavlis: Let me begin my saying I am a gun permit holder and believe in the right to bear arms. I am not supportive of guns in our parks.

KnoxViews: What's the deal with chickens running loose? Apparently this is an issue?

Mr. Marlino: It is an issue to some of the residents I spoke with. Not 'chickens running loose', but allowing chickens on their property in order to have a more holistic lifestyle. Typically, these residents might have an organic garden and would want a source of poultry or eggs they felt was free of hormones.

Mr. Pavlis: I have walked the streets from Colonial Village to Cumberland Avenue and have not heard a single word about chickens.

KnoxViews: Do you support the proposed homeless supportive housing project at the Flenniken School site?

Mr. Marlino: I do not. I believe the neighborhoods affected presented many well researched arguments against the project and were essentially ignored. If the scale was reduced, for instance, it seems like much of the opposition would have been neutralized.

Mr. Pavlis: No, I emphatically do not support a project of this size in South Knoxville or anywhere in Knoxville.

KnoxViews: What are your overall views of the Ten Year Plan to End Homelessness regarding its direction and effectiveness?

Mr. Marlino: I am a supporter of the Ten Year Plan, although it has gotten a black eye recently with the Flenniken proposal. In order to get it back on track, I believe an effort needs to be made to show residents that this will be a City/County effort and future housing will be spread to all districts.

Mr. Pavlis: I think it is time to stop and evaluate where we are. It is obvious there is not support from the people in the areas being chosen. We need to identify the sites in all parts of the city and assure everyone there will be an equal distribution. The stakeholders need to be brought to the table for discussion and to eliminate the "political fight" that will ensue until this occurs. I realize we are faced with discrimination issues but I firmly believe we can achieve the above without violating any laws.

KnoxViews: What are your overall views regarding development, zoning, and growth management?

Mr. Marlino: As discussed in question 6, I believe we should make a sincere effort to limit sprawl and bring investment back inside the city limits. I believe more areas of the City could benefit from higher density and form based codes. I think growth management shouldn't mean restricting development, rather redirecting development in locations where city services already exist.

Mr. Pavlis: We need to carefully manage our sites for the City has few left for quality development. You get one chance to do it right without significant challenges to go back and right wrongs. I believe in our Sector Plans as a guiding document for development that reflects future usage and trends of an area. I will not support development that infringes on neighborhoods.

We need to be respectful of our zoning ordinances and creative with new zoning. I believe proper zoning is a tool to manage growth.

KnoxViews: Has the city utilized TIF financing effectively? Would you prefer to see more, less, or about the same?

Mr. Marlino: I believe TIF financing has been used effectively, particularly as a catalyst in redevelopment areas. Some areas such as downtown have good development momentum and may not need as many TIFs going forward, although buildings suffering from severe deterioration should be eligible in order to make the project economically viable. Expansion of the program should always weigh the proposed economic benefits to the City. I'm hoping we see new applications soon on the South Waterfront.

Mr. Pavlis: I do believe the City has properly enacted TIF's. While I do believe it should be used as a last resort and only if that is the only way the project can happen. Usage should be limited to enhance a "master plan" such as Downtown revitalization, South Waterfront project, or the Broadway Central Avenue project.

KnoxViews: What are your thoughts about merging the County Housing Authority with KCDC?

Mr. Marlino: Any measure to make government more efficient by reducing duplication of services should be looked at, which could mean a merging or simply a sharing of certain efforts. I believe KCDC does a very good job with their mission and have not yet researched whether merging with the County is a viable option.

Mr. Pavlis: I think it is an outstanding idea and hopefully the first step towards a "Metro" form of government. It is likely long overdue.

KnoxViews: How satisfied are you with police and fire protection in the 1st District, and citywide? Are there any specific changes you would like to see?

Mr. Marlino: I am very satisfied with our police and fire protection - they do a great job. If the police budget could accommodate it, I would like to see an expansion of bicycle patrols on the greenways.

Mr. Pavlis: Let me start with the actual departments. In my discussions with the departments, excluding pay and benefit issues they are receiving the training and equipment necessary to serve and protect. I have heard some complaints regarding the police not following through with calls of service. There are always two sides of the story but that has been the most prevailing complaint I have heard.

I think we need to research the possibility of an additional fire station in South Knoxville.

KnoxViews: Where are the "hot spots" for crime in the 1st District and what needs to be done about it?

Mr. Marlino: I think the hot spots are scattered throughout the First District and each area or structure will need to be addressed as to the most effective means of crime mitigation. Usually solutions can be derived through close cooperation with police and neighborhood leaders.

Mr. Pavlis: I have attend homeowner meetings in the District for the last eighteen months. These meetings typically begin with the police reporting on crime in the respective areas. There seems to be an unfortunate equal distribution of crime, especially as it relates to theft.

KnoxViews: Are citizens in the 1st District and citywide adequately served by public transportation? And, have you ever ridden a KAT bus?

Mr. Marlino: Since most of the First District is in close proximity to a major arterial, I believe our district is adequately served by public transit. I have ridden bus #41 many times.

Mr. Pavlis: Adequate seems to be where we are. Do we need to get better, yes.

I do view public transportation to be a valuable asset to any community. In order for a community to be complete it must have adequate public transportation. Even with the recent completion of the construction to our interstate system Knoxville will still be faced with traffic gridlock as we grow. Public transportation can play a key role in relieving this gridlock. In the long term public transportation could play a role in determining if a business stays or relocates to Knoxville. Public transportation enables a business to make it assessable to customers and potential employees. Public transportation also helps reduce emissions which improves our air quality and helps to make our city a more beautiful area for tourists.

KnoxViews: How satisfied are you with City parks and green spaces in the 1st District? What opportunities do you see for improvement?

Mr. Marlino: I think the First District has great parks and green spaces, although many need investment to maximize their use. Fort Dickerson is an example of this: a fine park but underutilized. I believe the proposed Urban Wilderness and Historic Corridor is an opportunity that we cannot let slip away in any discussion about parks. If implemented, we will have a premier urban park system that will be unique in the country.

Mr. Pavlis: I think we have adequate facilities in the District. I do not see many folks utilizing the facilities, which tells me we need to work with Parks and Recreation department to highlight the assets. I would want continual attention to the expansion of our Greenway system throughout Knoxville for exercise and alternative mode of transportation.

KnoxViews: What challenges and opportunities will the next Mayor be facing, and what advice would you have for him or her?

Mr. Marlino: Fiscal challenges will be very pressing in the next couple of years, I would hope the next Mayor will continue the sound policies of the Haslam administration and hold the line on spending. More advice: take every opportunity to make Knoxville into the Next Great American City. It is completely within our grasp and your efforts will pay dividends for generations to come.

Mr. Pavlis: The current Mayor is faced with budget problems and so will the next Mayor. The challenge will be to not cut services and or personnel and do this without a tax increase. We must be diligent in our evaluation of each department’s budget. Through natural attrition let’s evaluate every open position and its importance to each departments end goal. Can we do more with less in other words? I applaud the City's recent hiring of the firm to save us substantial dollars on our energy bills and move us towards being a 'greener" City. We must challenge every department head with this outside of the box thinking. It is entirely possible the City’s budget situation could become acute. Virtually every aspect of government, Federal, state, and local, has seen a drop in revenues. After the "stimulus" money runs out, the City of Knoxville may well see little or no help coming from the State of Tennessee or the Federal government, so managing our resources will be a vital issue.

KnoxViews would like to thank Mr. Marlino and Mr. Pavlis for taking the time to respond to our questions and for helping to inform the voters of the First District.

For more information, visit the candidates' websites:

• Robert Marlino
• Nick Pavlis