Arp Abstains
County Headed To Court, Again

As a default member of the Tellico Reservoir Development Agency, TRDA,  Loudon County Mayor, Doyle Arp, is on the board to represent/protect the interest of Loudon County when it comes to matters concerning TRDA/TVA land in Loudon County but apparently Mr. Arp has more interest in representing/protecting TRDA.

Back in 2006, Loudon County passed legislation to implement building codes through out the county with the exception of land formerly managed by TRDA for the first year. This included Raraty Bay, Raraty Pointe, Foot Hills Pointe and others. All land including TRDA lands were to come under Loudon County Codes January 1, 2007 but it never happened. The matter has been back and forth for nearly a year now with no resolution. Last month Loudon County sent a notice to TRDA that the county would begin building codes inspections on TRDA land within Loudon County as of January 1, 2008.

The TRDA board voted at it's last meeting to “proceed as necessary” to stop Loudon County from issuing building permits on former TRDA property. TRDA's lawyers will likely file to stop Loudon County from issuing permits. If Loudon County does not perform inspections through out the county, then they should suspend all mandatory inspections until the jurisdictional matter is resolved. To enforce inspections in some parts of the county and exempt other areas is discriminatory enforcement and very unfair.

Loudon County's representative on the TRDA board, Loudon County Mayor, Doyle Arp, who is there to represent/protect the interest of Loudon County, abstained on the vote. In other words, Mr. Arp either didn't have the guts to vote for or against TRDA filing suit against the county or he was more interested in helping his buds at TRDA. Either way, the tax payers of Loudon County are again going to have to foot the bill of another unnecessary law suit involving Mr. Arp while his attorney will make another bundle.

Mr. Arp's one vote may not necessarily have changed the outcome of the vote but it's obvious Arp certainly did nothing to try to prevent the law suit by TRDA. In fact Mr. Arp's decision to abstain led other members to also abstain. Had Arp stepped up to the plate and represented the citizens of Loudon County as he should have, other TRDA board members may also have voted his way. 

It's more and more obvious that Mr. Arp has other interest to protect rather than the citizens of Loudon County.

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