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Debbie Poplin, law director RE: OPEN RECORDS ACT REQUEST 1 November 2009 Ms. Poplin, Pursuant to the Tennessee Open Records Act, TN Code 10-7-503, 10-7-512, 10-7-701 to 10-7-702, I request to inspect all public records regarding contracts, tax abatements, grants, financial agreements, Taxpayer Investment Fund (TIF), or similar proposed contracts between City of Knoxville Municipal Corporation and local, national or international media corporations, for the past 10 years. Contractors include Knoxville News-Sentinel, Scripps-Howard, Gannett, WBIR-TV, WATE-TV, WVLT-TV and their subsidiaries, parent corporations, foundations, public relations contractors, legal contractors, and current or former employees thereof. This request includes all public records relating to the agreements with News-Sentinel and Scripps-Howard regarding its abandonment and demolition of its downtown newspaper publishing facility, and subsequent relocation to Western Avenue, with reported value of $20-million grant or tax abatement. This request includes annual paycheck totals for WATE-TV employee Gene Patterson, previously employed by City of Knoxville as “deputy mayor”. If your department does not maintain any of these public records, please let me know the proper custodian’s name and address. I request a response within 14 business days. If you decide to deny this request please provide written explanation for the denial, including reference to the specific statutory exemption upon which you rely. Failure to comply with this request may result in litigation in Chancery Court or Circuit Court, pursuant to TN Code 10-7-505. Thank you, John D. Lee II |