01-04-2025
Knoxville may expand festival locations and get a better handle on traffic - here's how to have a say
Local leaders will make decisions related to summer fun this week, but let's start with some inside-baseball politics news.
There's an effort from some Knoxville Democrats to encourage Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon to run for term-limited Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs' seat in 2026. Democratic donor Phil Lawson and Tennessee Democratic Party Executive Committee member Dana Moran are promoting a petition to draft Kincannon and plan to present it to her.
Moran told me she hasn't spoken to Kincannon about the petition, and a spokesperson for Kincannon told me while the mayor is flattered, she isn't pursuing the office. The effort is interesting because it's such a public effort to encourage a candidate.
"I think it has a lot to do with where we all are on every level (of government)," Moran told me. "We're trying to fight extremism and work in a bipartisan way and we're trying to lead by example from the ground up."
In the meantime, two Republican candidates are running for county mayor: Larsen Jay and Betsy Henderson.
Local government is where you can make a difference, and The Key is a weekly guide to having a say in decisions that shape your life.
In February, Knox News reported that a new K-8 school serving 1,600 students will be built on the site where Rule High School once stood west of downtown Knoxville. The school is for students in the Beaumont, Lonsdale and Mechanicsville communities.
Knox County Schools will close Beaumont Magnet Academy and Maynard Elementary School and turn those buildings over to Knox County in exchange for the vacant Rule High site. The Rule High School closed in 1991.
Tonight, the county will approve the property agreement with KCS. We don't know what the county will do with the Beaumont and Maynard buildings.
Important date: The commission will vote on the agreement at 5 p.m. March 31.
Where to go: The commission meets in the main assembly room at the City-County Building, 400 Main St.
What you can do: You can sign up to speak until 4 p.m. today on the commission's website, by emailing commission@ or calling the office at 865-215-2534.
Study up: The county commission agenda includes information about the deal. Click the "agendas" link on the commission's webpage at Choose the "COMMISSION" option for March 31. You can download the material for this decision, which is number 7 in the agenda.
If you love festivals, this one's for you!
City laws outline specific areas where festival hosts are allowed to request special event beer permits. They're limited to Market Square, the Old City, the Cumberland Avenue Corridor District and a few others.
The city council this week will consider a proposal to allow festivals anywhere in the city (pending approval, of course). Organizers must go through safety requirements and and a permitting process.
Important date: The council will discuss and vote on the changes at 6 p.m. April 1.
Where to go: The council meets in the main assembly room at the City-County Building, 400 Main St.
What you can do: Contact your council member or sign up to speak at council meetings.
Deadline: If you want to speak in front of the city council, make sure you sign up by 4 p.m. the day of the meeting by emailing wjohnson@ or by calling the office at 865-215-2075.
Study up: The city council agenda includes information about the application. Click the "agendas" link on the city council's webpage at Choose the "HTML" option for April 1. You can download the material for this decision, which is 9A in the agenda.
Opening Day for the Knoxville Smokies is April 15 in the Old City, and Kincannon will ask the council on Tuesday to approve a $75,000 contract with traffic control provider Superior Traffic Control.
The contractor will provide flaggers, electronic signs and barricades for special events.
"Effective traffic management is essential to ensure public safety, minimize disruptions for residents and businesses, and maintain efficient transportation flow throughout the City. Existing public resources are increasingly stretched during these high-impact events resulting in the need for additional specialized support, which this contract will provide," the resolution says.
Important date: The council will discuss and vote on the changes at 6 p.m. April 1.
Where to go: The council meets in the main assembly room at the City-County Building, 400 Main St.
What you can do: Contact your council member or sign up to speak at council meetings.
Deadline: If you want to speak in front of the city council, make sure you sign up by 4 p.m. the day of the meeting by emailing wjohnson@ or by calling the office at 865-215-2075.
Study up: The city council agenda includes information about the application. Click the "agendas" link on the city council's webpage at Choose the "HTML" option for April 1. You can download the material for this decision, which is 11B in the agenda.
Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville may expand festival locations and get a better handle on traffic
