County attorney did due diligence
This is in response to the recent article in the Times Free Press about my office’s response to an open records request about McDonald Farm.
The request sought communications from 17 county employees over an 18-month period on nine broad topics such as “McDonald Farm,” “economic development” and “chamber of commerce.” This generated more than 22,000 pages of emails, each of which had to be reviewed for redaction under the Tennessee Public Records Act.
The issues surrounding this request about labor fees predated my appointment to this position. Since then, I have sought guidance from the state’s Open Records Counsel and have devoted all necessary time and resources to fulfilling it. Because the request was for inspection rather than copies, the Times Free Press must review the records in person. Had copies been requested, the county would have been entitled to recover labor costs for the over 70 hours spent on this request, which would have amounted to multiple thousands of dollars.
Despite the volume of emails, I personally reviewed thousands of pages in order to comply with this request. What the article fails to mention is that reporter Joan McClane has been to my office multiple times to inspect thousands of pages of communications from over a dozen county employees, including multiple individuals from the mayor’s office. To my knowledge, her inspection of the voluminous amount of records is not complete.
The county is committed to transparency while ensuring compliance with state law and protection of confidential information.
Janie Varnell
County attorney
Student plea: Please restore Centerstone
In the last two weeks, I have emailed the entire Hamilton County school board twice. As a high school student, I felt my perspective on the board’s decision to cut Centerstone Mental Health Services needed to be heard. Out of the 11 members, two responded: Jill Black and Ben Connor, two people who are not my representatives. To Jill and Ben: thank you for your replies and words of kindness. My representative, Ben Daugherty, has kept mum. Given that, I am writing to you through the paper.
Your decision to cut mental health services was irresponsible. More than 2,500 students at 32 schools have been left without a plan; they have been left without support. This county, this state and this country have a mental health crisis. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among teens. Instead of trying to help students in the county, you have abandoned them. You have abdicated your responsibility to support all of our students.
Mental health providers are an essential service to combat this crisis. The greatest benefit of Centerstone’s services was that they could happen at school, during school hours, removing barriers to access for many students, who may have been unable to receive services outside of school hours.
Mental health services are life-saving. They address people in crisis and prevent them from harming themselves or others. All students, regardless of their identity, ideology, belief system or age, deserve access to these critical services.
I ask that you move with all possible expedience to rectify the gaping hole in school services — for the good of all Hamilton County students and families.
Reed Hampton