09/24/2001

October Staff meetings CANCELLED - I have cancelled the staff meetings that were to be in Jackson on October 9; Nashville on October 10; and Knoxville on October 11.

TML Legislative meetings - We have started what is now a series of eight breakfasts, lunches, or dinners with Rae Bond and the TML lobbying staff and members of the General Assembly. Mike and I attended a breakfast in Maryville and a lunch in Decatur last Friday. One purpose is have an opportunity for the TML lobbyists to meet with city officials and their members of the General Assembly in their home towns. We had good discussions Friday about issues that are important to the cities in the districts. Several city officials also mentioned how important the funding of MTAS was to them and that is another purpose of the meetings.

Personnel - We have the interview with Tom Ballard and one of our new legal consultants scheduled for Tuesday (just before Tom and I drive to Sparta for a TML lunch). We have submitted the paperwork for our other vacancy and are waiting on approval from the Office of Equity and Diversity before scheduling an interview with Tom Ballard. We will know the start dates after we have completed the interviews with Tom.