Chattanooga City Council Meeting – September 16, 2025
Chattanooga City Council Meeting – September 16, 2025
The meeting began with a public hearing on a budget ordinance related to dismantling the DEI department, which had no public speakers. The council then proceeded to final readings of zoning ordinances, first readings of budget amendments, resolutions, purchases, committee reports, and an affordable housing committee presentation on a pilot project at 702 Manufacturers Road.
Consent Calendar
- Final readings of zoning ordinances (items A–F) were approved unanimously without objection.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public speakers testified during the budget ordinance public hearing.
- Councilman Harvey, speaking during the later public comment period, reflected on the week's tragedies (a school shooting, the assassination of Charlie Kirk, and the anniversary of September 11th) and urged unity and grace, recalling the spirit of September 12, 2001.
Discussion Items
- Budget Ordinance (DEI Dismantling): Councilman Henderson questioned the disposition of the chief equity officer position's salary (vacancy savings) and noted a discrepancy between budget worksheets and the ordinance. Administration promised to follow up. Councilman Elliott sought assurance that no jobs would be lost, which was confirmed.
- Affordable Housing Pilot (702 Manufacturers Road): Nicole and Frank Reese of Atlantic Companies presented a 278-unit development including 42 affordable units (15% of total): 32 at 60% AMI (13 studios ~$1,000/month, 15 one-bedrooms ~$1,075, 4 two-bedrooms ~$1,290) and 10 at 80% AMI (7 one-bedrooms ~$1,433, 3 two-bedrooms ~$1,720). The project is eligible for a 69% tax abatement (first year) under the pilot program, with a 15-year term. Councilman Henderson raised concerns about stress on city services (fire, etc.) and suggested a tool to evaluate impacts. Councilwoman Hill praised the 60% AMI units and the creative approach. Councilman Clark expressed initial skepticism but commended the mixed-income model and called it "opportunity housing." Questions about fuel tanks at an adjacent site were addressed. The item was moved to the two-week agenda.
- Senior Tax Freeze: Councilman Burrs proposed a resolution to tie income limits to the state's cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), allowing automatic increases. Discussion included adding an annual reporting requirement. The item will be added to next week's agenda.
Key Outcomes
- Approved final readings of zoning ordinances (items A–F) unanimously.
- Approved first reading of ordinance (Item A) amending city code to comply with state laws (public chapters 494 and 458) via roll call (8 yeses).
- Approved first reading of budget ordinance (Item B) reallocating appropriations due to dismantling DEI department via roll call (8 yeses).
- Approved Resolution A (alternate version 4) waiving permit fees for properties damaged by the August 12, 2025 flood, effective through May 12, 2026.
- Approved Resolution B confirming Mayor Kelly's restructuring of government functions to comply with state laws.
- Approved all five purchases as presented (fleet, fire, wastewater, technology services).
- The affordable housing pilot at 702 Manufacturers Road was moved to the two-week agenda for a vote.
- The senior tax freeze resolution will be prepared for the next meeting.
Meeting Transcript
To order the city council meeting for Chattanooga, Tennessee for Tuesday, September 16th, 2025. I'd like to invite Councilwoman Burrs to lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation. Okay, thank you. We are going to start our meeting with a public hearing related to the budget ordinance changes. And so we're going to place the musical chairs. Councilwoman Doctor. All right. Good afternoon, everybody. Hello? Are y'all out there? People here? Y'all better get up. We hear it. You get better get up too. All right. So this will be our public hearing for a budget ordinance regarding community development. This mantling DEI department's act. So with that, I call this public hearing supporter. Um we'll give two minutes to speak with a maximum of an hour, and we can assess the hour at the end of that. And Mr. Tarney, could you read our rules please? Yes, ma'am. As soon as I get it on the screen. I didn't do that quickly enough. Yes, and if you plan to speak, please go ahead and line up behind this podium. All right, hold on. Okay. All right. And today's meeting or a public hearing uh the chair has recognized that this will have a different set of time than uh normal, but you have two minutes to speak for each one. And so each speaker wishing to address the council can only be recognized up front at the microphone provided for that purpose, can't have more than two minutes to speak and address the council only upon matters that are within uh the legislative and quasi judicial authority and not on matters which are not under their authority or regulated by other governmental bodies or agencies if you can keep to the items that are before the council on this particular item here today since this is the public hearing on an ordinance change. Uh do not engage in any vulgar obscene language and are used to Florida personally attack or personally attacked denigrate others and address your comments to the council as a whole and not towards individual council members and do not engage in disorderly conduct or disrupting a public meeting, which is prohibited by Tennessee law. Someone commits that offense if the person obstructs, substantially obstructs or interferes with the meeting by physical action or verbal utterance with the intent to prevent or disrupt a lawful meeting or gathering. Having stated those rules, please go ahead if anyone wishes to speak. All right, going once, twice, three times. Thank you so much for these public hearings of today. We appreciate you so much. So with that, city attorney, I think anyone willing to speak. So I close this public hearing of budget ordinance, re-community development dismantling the EI department's eggs. That is it. Turn it over back to Madame Chick. All right, Council. Can I please get a motion on the minutes? Oh move. Thank you. Motion to approve the minutes will stand without objection. All right, council. Let's take a look at our agenda for today, please. We have items under final reading, several planning items. My intent is to take those as a group. If you have a uh reason why we shouldn't do that, please hit your light.
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