Earlier this week we did a quick informational post about the late-in-the-game Hail Mary location change for our annual photo. As usual, much speculation was made on the subject and we wanted to make sure that all of you were well informed on the matter. Being that this is our longest-standing event, we could not take it lightly. With that being said, here are the facts of the matter:
We are the first car group that wanted to use the space under newly released guidelines and in doing so have seemingly laid the path through the minefield of who/how/what/where/why in order to move through the process.
The TVA has new policies in place as of 2018 that dictate minimum levels of event amenities for ANY event held on one of their properties. This includes things like:
- A non-refundable application fee
- Porta-potties
- Certified and approved security services
- Insurance
- No parking on unpaved areas or blocking traffic
- Drone regulations
We learned in late spring that permit applications need to be submitted 45 days prior to the event to even be considered and had issues contacting TVA to discuss the matters in person. Being the “Unofficial” event that we tout ourselves as, it was imperative that we could be provided with some idea that our application fee wouldn’t be for naught. Part of the conversation was to address these policies and how they apply to something as simple as an organized group photo.
In the meantime, we started looking into the costs and logistics of what we knew. Porta-poos are not cheap, apparently. Neither is providing an umbrella insurance policy. When it comes to security we had a feeling that we would be under a very watchful eye of TVA security since we are the quintessential guinea pigs for the new policy. This also meant that trying to skirt the system and still park on the grass as we have in years past was a no-go; so we would be severely limited space wise for 300+ cars on the roadway and in the turnaround. Logistically speaking it was shaping up to be one hell of a headache.
This brings us to a final issue; the proverbial straw breaking the camel’s back: drones. As anyone who has been seen the last couple of years’ photos we’ve been working with our friend Killboy (www.killboy.com) to make the group photo the best it can be. Previously, we just used a bucket truck, think electric company repair truck, to take the picture from a single perspective. The advent of drones and their capabilities allowed Killboy to crush the photo and take it to a level five times better than previous years. Well the TVA is a federal agency… and with that comes a certain amount (read: mountain) of red tape in order to follow no-exceptions policies. The TVA has a standing, strict order about drones, and it is essentially “No way, No how” in regards to developed properties without a heaping pile of red tape we faced, not to mention an equally hard to swallow dose of bureaucracy and liability for the drone operator himself. Now as we start tying it all together, we don’t want to put one of our friends in danger of fines or equipment confiscations.
We finally received word late last month to “send in the needed materials” with no indication if it would be accepted, especially since it wouldn’t be completed within their specified time frame.
In finally discussing the matter with what feels like a small army and feeling like we were herding drunken cats, the decision, not lightly, was made to move the photo to Fontana Village. The location is well suited for a good number of vehicles, easy ingress/egress, the ability to leave vehicles, and the fact that you will be closer to the free lunch.