Nicholas Bradshaw, the public officer designated by the mayor, on March 28 postponed action on boarding charges tied to 524 Victory Street after a property representative disputed the city's evidence that the city boarded that address.

Bradshaw said the hearing would be delayed so city staff and the owner could investigate the facts and encouraged the parties to work with city codes staff before the next monthly hearing.

The dispute arose after Victor Jernigan, who gave his address as 229 Sherway Road, told the public officer the city boarded 522 Victory Street, not 524. Jernigan said the property he and his team secure is 524 and that, in his view, the city had boarded the adjoining house in error. "You all have gone out and done work," Jernigan said, adding that he was not refusing to cooperate but wanted to know the boarding charges and to clarify which address had been secured. "I'd like to know how much money you spent boarding up the house."

City staff presented a photograph taken on the day of the boarding that they said showed fresh plywood with a city stamp. Scott Elder, neighborhood codes enforcement manager for the City of Knoxville, was identified in the hearing as the primary witness for the city's report. Elder indicated the city crew's photo was the city's evidence that the work had been performed. Jernigan countered that the plywood visible on 524 in the pictures appeared weathered and older and said the stamped boards were on 522.

Bradshaw said the dispute required additional investigation. He directed the parties to work with Elder to resolve the discrepancy and removed the item from the agenda, postponing it to the next monthly hearing so the city could research whether both properties were boarded or whether an error occurred. The public officer set no new hearing date during the session; he said the parties would have until the next hearing to sort the matter.

The hearing record shows the matter was raised during the boarding-approval portion of the March 28 public officer hearing. The city did not announce a dollar amount for the claimed boarding charge at the hearing.

Next steps: city codes staff will review the photographic evidence and crew records and follow up with the property representative before the next scheduled public officer hearing.