Friday, 10/12/07

River group urges tipsters to contact state

FRANKLIN — As state environmental investigators scrutinize Franklin's wastewater treatment plant as a result of an anonymous tip, city officials and leaders of a local river preservation group are asking that future tips go directly to the state.

After having received two anonymous letters, one of which eventually launched the state Department of Environment and Conservation investigation, Harpeth River Watershed Association executive director Dorie Bolze said an unidentified woman called the association's office Friday to make more accusations about the city.

"These types of anonymous tips must be sent to TDEC and the state attorney general," Bolze said. "Our organization has no way of following up or validating these."

Anonymous letters sent separately to aldermen, city officials and the Harpeth River group this summer launched TDEC's investigation.

Among other accusations, the letters allege illegal dumping of sewage into the Harpeth.

Bolze said she's also passed the most recent anonymous information along to TDEC officials.

No problems found

City Administrator Jay Johnson expressed confidence in the city's examination of the matter, which found no evidence of wrongdoing.

"I think the potential issue would be if any individual employee . . . says one thing to city staff and says something else to TDEC. That would cause me concern," Johnson said.

Johnson said the Oct. 23 election might be a factor in the appearance of the anonymous information.

"My guess is it is either a former employee or a family member of a former employee," Johnson said.

Johnson said one former city employee contacted city officials after hearing about the investigation, but this person has not been interviewed yet.

Group, city are at odds

Meg Lockhart, TDEC spokeswoman, this week said the TDEC investigation is ongoing and no completion date has been given.

Relations between the city and HRWA have soured as TDEC continues its investigation. Johnson and Bolze traded barbs earlier this month in an exchange of letters about the investigation.

Johnson sought information from the group about the anonymous complaint under state Open Records Act
laws, but the association denied him.

The association "is not a governing body" and is therefore not held to those laws, Bolze wrote in response to the request.

"The management of the City of Franklin is not a group of thugs," Johnson wrote on Oct. 5.

"We simply want everyone to cooperate and tell the truth in the performance of their jobs."

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