Good afternoon, everybody.

Welcome to City Council.

I call to order the Chattanooga City Council business meeting for Tuesday, January 20th, 2026.

Um our esteemed councilman Harvey is not with us today, so what?

We have Councilman Harvey.

Would you like to give the invitation?

You're on for next week.

Go for it.

We're gonna ask Councilman Clark to uh lead our high allegiance and advocation.

The United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation on the God is indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

Of course it is.

If you would join me in prayer, please dear gracious God, we thank you for the opportunity to gather service to the city and its people.

We pray for our mayor and for all those entrusted with leadership that they may be guided by wisdom, courage, and discernment.

Lord, we also pray for the safety of our law enforcement officers and all of our first responders asking for protection as they serve and for peace in the communities they safeguard Lord.

Grant us wisdom as we deliberate, clarity as we decide, and humility as we lead, help us to listen with open hearts, speak with integrity and act with fairness and compassion.

May our work today promote peace, justice, and the common good for all who call this community home.

Amen.

Thank you, Councilman.

We do not have any special presentations today.

Council, can I get a motion on approving the minutes?

All right, Council.

We have a motion on the floor to approve the minutes with the proper second.

I'm gonna have the minutes stand unless I have any objections.

All right, minutes will stand.

Okay, council.

Let's take a look at uh today's proposed agenda items.

Um we have one uh wastewater item on final reading, and we have several planning items on final reading.

These are items B through H.

Um Districts Nine, 7, 4, um, and a couple of changes to section 38.

I intend to take those as a package unless anybody has an issue and needs me to pull any of those.

Looks like right now our board is clear, so I will take that as we are good to go, taking that as a package.

For ordinances under first reading, we have two planning items in district six.

Councilman Burrs.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Um, item A, I don't see the applicant here.

Um, we're still working on a special exception with regard to this uh planning item, so I'd like to defer it, defer this one.

Um let's defer it to um see where what's the date today?

Sorry, today's the 20th.

Um already.

I don't know what uh no, uh I need a little more time.

Um I'd like to defer it for 60 days, please.

Okay, so that would be in lieu of counting to 60, I'm gonna say March 17th.

That sounds great.

Okay, and then item B.

I'm gonna make a motion to approve it.

We have some conditions for that matter, and I'll be reading those conditions.

Is the is the applicant here?

Okay, the applicant was going to be here.

If the applicant is not at the meeting, then I will want them here to approve those conditions.

We've already discussed it, but I'd also like to get their verbal okay.

So provided that the applicant is here, we'll have some conditions that um that I'll be reading at the time that we put this for a vote.

Okay.

And does um does our attorney have a copy of those conditions already?

Uh he yes, we he helped me uh make a little couple tweaks, and I'll make sure that he has the final copy for the file.

Great record.

That's terrific for the record.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Council, we do not have any resolutions on the agenda for today.

Um, if you want to jump over and take a look at purchases, we have three purchases on our agenda requested for today.

And we also have one uh sole source purchase.

Hit your light if you've got any questions about any of the purchases.

All right, seeing none, we're gonna jump back over to next week's agenda.

Next week we will have a parks, public works, and wastewater committee.

We will also have an education committee.

Um we are going to move the uh discussion of the landscape architects ordinance out of um the parks and public works agenda because it's in section 38, which is uh a planning uh planning and zoning item.

However, it has not been heard by legislative, and I've gotten word from legislative chairwoman Knoll that we can do a legislative meeting on February 3rd.

So Madam Clerk, if you'll please adjust our uh schedule accordingly and add that uh committee, please for legislative.

Um we will also have the education committee meeting with a head start program update and 311 update.

Um we will have some items potentially on final reading, and we have some ordinances under first reading.

Please hit your light if you've got any questions or comments about those.

The item in district two is still uh pending some consideration from RPA.

Um so I'll just wait to hear from you guys on that.

Okay, um moving into resolutions.

We have a resolution council um for an economic development uh allocation to the Chattanooga Airport, and this is um something that we haven't seen in the last several years, and so I'd like to invite um representatives from the airport up to speak to this briefly, please.

And please state your name for the record.

Good afternoon, uh Madam Chair.

My name is Kristen Beam.

I'm the Vice President of Air Service Development and Public Relations for the Chattanooga Airport, and this is my colleague, Tina Keith, the vice president of finance.

We'd like to thank you for having us today, and our representative Jenny Burrs from District 6.

Um, so this is a a new item for us to for the city to be giving money to help fund a uh particular air service.

Can you please speak to the the what and why of this?

Absolutely.

So um in cities um that are needing particular service or hunting particular service, we can apply as an airport for a federal grant.

This is known as a SCASDI, a small community air service development grant.

This was applied for prior to 2023.

We were awarded the grant in 2023, and often communities will seek additional funds from their community to not only to support the um the onboarding costs of securing this flight uh that may or may not have been planned by the airline or airlines to come and serve the route.

But thank you.

But also to show a support from the community to the airlines that all the factors in the city and the county and the and the chamber and all of our friends here in Chattanooga that um that there's support behind the flights.

So if you've got community smart support that um kind of shows the story that you're gonna have the planes be full, which is the name of the game with the airlines.

You want the planes full.

Okay, council, do you have any questions?

Councilwoman Burris, yep.

Thank you all for being here.

I think I had the um I had the opportunity to hear a presentation.

Uh, Councilman Clark and I were at a um a community meeting, it was an education session, not an opportunity to deliberate, but um uh where the head of the airport did provide uh some information on I think this particular flight, I think it's it would uh be important to understand why Houston maybe, just if you could just enlighten everyone just a little bit on why Houston and how does the how does the funding work because that that was an education for me when April Cameron explained how that funding source works.

We're really not paying the airport to be here, we're just it's more of a subsidy if I understand it correctly.

You are correct, absolutely go just a little further into that, that might be helpful.

Um the SCASDI um was was earmarked either for Houston service or Denver service, and we've met regularly with many airlines on our speed dates that we go to these conventions throughout the year, and um really felt like United was a strong you know uh win for Denver.

Um, but they expressed interest in Houston, and Houston is a great market for us for Volkswagen and people um in in the in the automotive industries needing to get down to Mexico to visit the plants for this different parts and things that are made for the cars that are manufactured here in Chattanooga.

And so they felt like that was a good business case.

Uh we had Houston service years and years ago, um, and it did well, and it just felt like the right time for them to do that.

Perfect.

And then, yes, so the subsidies kind of offset the risk of them coming back and renewing that service for us.

So the hope is that we don't need it.

Correct, but that the flights are filled and we meet the threshold each quarter.

Yes.

That in the event that we don't until the flight expands and grows and people get accustomed to us having that available, it helps to kind of push it along for a certain period of time.

Yes, and they're starting out gangbusters, it's two times a day every day of the week.

Perfect.

Yeah.

Okay.

That's all I have.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Councilman Clark.

Uh thank you, Madam Chair.

I want to echo the sentiments from a colleague, Councilwoman Burns.

I too was in that meeting uh where we received education, and let me tell you it was an education.

Um, and you have an amazing CEO in April Cameron.

Oh my god.

She's amazing.

Madam Chair.

And one of the things I learned that I'll probably yield some time back to our economic development chair, Councilman Elliott, because this is just not about a subsidy.

Uh this is about skin in the game for Chattanooga economic development and how we recruit employers.

Uh 150,000 is actually a drop in the bucket, as you know, what other cities are paying to recruit and retain air service, so that not only can we, as Chattanoogans, go to these places without having to go to a busy hub like Charlotte or Atlanta, but so also it promotes tourism.

I saw and I see your tourism partners who just came in there.

And so this is an ecosystem, madam chair, where we're attracting employers, where we're helping Chattanoogaans get out of the city to do some tourism at some other places, and maybe some Houstonians coming to Chattanooga, uh, which I'd be curious to learn more about from that session.

We asked how are you all working with our Chattanooga Tourism Company and our chamber, which we also support financially on how to make that a full circle.

Um I would like to encourage this council and the city to start thinking about how to create such fund.

We're the only city from what I understand in our state that's not playing this game and helping airlines come here, and then when we don't fill the seats, this is a subsidy that helps them stay here for the convenience of our citizens.

Is that correct?

That's correct.

Okay.

So my plea to Chattanoogans is that please use our local airport.

It's just more economically feasible for not only for your pockets, but also for our tax base as we're welcoming new tax revenue opportunities into the city.

So thank you for your work.

Thank you for the time.

Yes, every ticket is a vote.

So that's right.

It is tells the airlines if you want to go fly out of Atlanta, you were telling them that you want more planes in Atlanta.

And if you fly out of Chattanooga, you're telling them you want more planes here.

And it's just simple math.

So we're really excited for this new service.

Thank you so much for all you do for our city.

So I have I have a couple of questions.

Um we currently have a Dallas flight, so I was sort of surprised to see Houston.

Do we anticipate any cannibalization of the Dallas flight in trade for the Houston flight?

We do not.

In fact, we you know currently we United um serves um ORD Chicago and American came in with four flights a day already with United and added two flights a day, and we've not seen any cannibalism to the act to the same city.

So we feel that um Dallas will be safe.

There's great news coming from American.

There are um two of our flights a day to Dallas will be now mainline aircraft.

Okay.

And so we feel that Houston is going to be stand strong on its own, and we just need our community to get on board.

And I don't know if Charles has anything to add as to the you know businesses that they're working with that this route will open up.

So we we had an announcement recently that Denver is now a destination.

Yes.

Looks like that's a once-a-week.

So for now it is that it if you'll kind of excuse the story, it's like they're putting a toe in the pool.

So an airline will give you Saturday service because that plane generally isn't working, you know, Monday through Friday for a business route.

They'll send it over here to try out a Saturday.

And if Saturday does well, then they'll go to Daily, and if daily does well, then they'll go to yearly.

And if that keeps going well, then you'll get two times a day or three times a day.

And so it's their way, they know how much our community wants Denver.

Um, and so for them to award us, award that flight to us is the result of a lot of a lot of work and and partnership, and uh we're excited for that and hope that the community embraces the Saturdays.

And if you're going out on a Saturday, you don't want to stay a whole week, you can always connect back through United through one of their hubs, and then that will show them that there's a specific day of the week that they need to do a return flight because then you'll be cannibalizing their connections.

Okay.

That makes sense.

Um other question and then a comment.

Um, so this hundred and fifty thousand dollars that is going to be available to use as subsidy as these planes get filled.

Um, how long do we anticipate that that will last?

So we are hoping, like Miss Spurs said that we don't have to use a lot of that.

Um we're gonna reconcile it every quarter.

Okay.

So every quarter reconciliation will know more and more, but it only is uh good up until two years until it's gone.

Okay, and then at the end of the two years, if we haven't had to use it, it will be returned to the donors pro retail on the amount that was invested.

Okay.

Thank you all for coming and discussing this with us.

Um, as it's uh something new, it's it's helpful.

Um, it sounds to me like Councilman Clark and Councilwoman Burr learned a lot of that education session.

I might be set like if someone would email me, I'd like to talk about the potential of doing maybe a luncheon learn for the council as a whole.

Certainly, um I think we could probably learn a lot.

Okay, and uh councilwoman burst has one other comment.

Yeah, uh, just to clarify the county matches this as well.

You did you get funding so the city and the county are contributing that that same amount of money, which I think is uh is a big deal.

It is as well as the case.

Okay, and some private donors you've got some donors, some business uh and businesses in the community that are contributing to that fund.

So it's not just the city council members that are fronting the money, there's other monies that are coming in, county and private business.

So okay.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Looks like that answers all our questions.

Thank you all.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, ladies.

Okay, council.

Uh remaining items on the agenda for next week include um an item about record collection and and retention and some public works items, wastewater.

Councilman Clark.

Uh, I have a question about a public works item related to the waterways.

Uh just item C.

I'm sorry, yes, ma'am.

Um, item C under public works.

And is Jay here?

He's not here.

Okay, perfect.

Uh Madam Chair, my question is related to the enforcement.

Um we we did a presentation in city council on this, and I have raised concerns regarding not issues with waterway program or uh with the agreement with waterways, but just the enforcement portion of this and what is enforceable in accordance with our current city code uh that allows participants in this program to allow their native grasses to go over 10 inches.

Um and I just needed clarity to make sure that in that enforcement mechanism that when we're voting on this, I guess next week.

Is that correct?

That not only are we voting for the hundred ninety-two thousand dollars to go to waterways program, which I think is a great uh I think it's a great program, but are we also adopting the enforcement mechanism in that as well?

Because that's not in the language of the resolution.

Uh the the enforcement language is is actually already included in in the in the section of city code.

Um and so that that portion because um the the city code section regarding overgrowth includes an exemption for properties that are participating and are compliant with this program, and so um and so it basically uh a homeowner must comply with city code um as it's written with the 10-inch standard, unless they are they are in compliance with this separate program specific to their individual property, and so that that particular section, that's the reason why there's no enforcement language.

This agreement with waterways is a is an administrative and project management or uh program management of the overall program to recruit and educate um and and bring the participating uh residents that want to into the program and then to go through and do the evaluations and to work through what that what that looks like, and if they become non-compliant, then we would then at that point if they're not compliant with the with the rain smart yards program, then they would be subject to the ordinary uh city code statute.

There were new code enforcement processes adopted in this process that goes out with the homeowners agreement.

Does that have to be approved by city council, or is that something no sir?

That's that's just a that's just an administrative it's a it's part of the agreement that the that each each owner signs um as they participate in the program.

So I want to be clear, I was told something different that we simultaneously had to approve the waterways contract along with the new enforcement guidelines that will be sent out to participants in the rain smart program.

I will I will double check on that with the administrator, please, because I was told that the reason that we are waiting to enforce those new guidelines is that it needed to be brought before city council.

Okay, and again, I want to be on the record and saying that my issues with the equity and those of us who choose not to be a part of Rain Smart, which is not a knock on Range Smart.

I think if you want to do that, it's a great program that helps mitigate flooding on how those native plants absorb some of our storm water.

But if you are a resident who chooses not to, you have to be in compliance with the tenant's growth, and the exemption has been made for rain smart programs, and I think that that raises an equity issue.

And in some cases where there's not proper enforcement, it could also cause an eyesore, which is what some of the complaints have been in my district regarding rain smart program, which is why we had to implement some new uh guidelines with enforcement because we had people who were doing the the native plants, but we were not properly enforcing it.

So my concern is, and there might be some remedy uh madam chair and to the rest of the councils that how do we bring that program back into compliance with our city code with the rest of our residents.

So sort of say that uh on the record in our discussion agenda session today.

I would have to give Mr.

Wood about that.

Okay, thank you so much.

Yes, sir.

Stick with us for a sec, Bill.

Uh councilman Elliott.

No, um, I think mine's a little bit shorter and broader.

Uh this is I've got a lot of emails, a lot of emails about this one and calls.

I I want my folks to hear this over the next week so it can kind of put you at ease.

Yeah, but it doesn't I am supportive of this.

So you don't have to stress out as quite as much.

This is a great program.

I'm looking forward to being continuing.

Councilman Clark made up some good points about what is this larger enforcement look like, and if it's something we're just working on a general police district nine residents, we're okay on this one.

So I'm just gonna point that out.

It's great programs.

Okay, Council.

That brings us to the end of that three week agenda.

Please take a look at our future considerations.

So if you are here from the air pollution control board, please come on up and talk to us about your items.

Could you connect me?

I absolutely will.

As this comes up, R just like trying to get my head wrapped around it, but if you wouldn't mind, I'll not a problem at all.

Okay.

Okay, council is back in session.

Um, and before we get to the business of the day, we have uh some really sad news that we'd like to acknowledge.

Uh I'm gonna hand the floor to Councilman Elliott.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Uh I have the unfortunate um task of announcing that we have lost Dr.

Tommy Brown.

If you do not know Dr.

Brown, she was a giant for this community.

You see four black elected officials on this dais representing the more than thirty percent um folks who make up our community.

This was not possible without her offering her name or energy uh and likeness to fight for true representation of this community.

Before that, we just had one.

It was wapsided and representation really didn't exist.

Um it's heavy for our community.

We have lost my truly special.

Um I hope that we can truly use this uh opportunity to continue her legacy and what she meant to truly caring for our community, fighting for justice and truly showing go, folks.

Amen.

Madam Chair, if you wouldn't mind, I would like to ask for a short moment of silence.

Absolutely.

Madam Clerk, will you please read item seven A, ordinance under final reading?

And earnest closing and abandoned sanitary sewer easement record number one two oh four fifteen being a ten foot wide sort of easement per plat book seventy, page one twenty-nine, R O H C beginning at northwest corner of tax map number one five six K E zero zero eight point zero one, then southwest along the west line of said property approximately fifty feet to a point, then it's northwest, approximately one hundred forty-seven feet to a point in the eastern right away of the twenty four hundred block of fifteenth Avenue as detailed on the attached maps.

Thank you.

Council, we have a motion on the floor to approve with a proper second.

Do we have any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Motion passes.

Madam Clerk, I'd like to take planning items B through H as a package, please.

Item B.

An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code Part 2, Chap 38 zoning ordinance.

So as the rezoned property located at 2420 East 12th Street from RN2 residential neighborhood zone to R and 3 residential neighborhood zone, sub to certain conditions.

Item C, in ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, part two, chapter 38 zoning ordinance.

So it's the rezone property located at 5601 Tennessee Avenue from IH Heavy Industrial Zone to RN13 Residential Neighborhood Zone.

Item D, an ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code Part 2, Chap 38 zoning ordinance.

So as a rezoned property located at 1513 Chamberlain Avenue, Mar N15 Residential Neighborhood Zone to RN13 Residential Neighborhood Zone.

Item E, in order to amend Chattanooga City Code Part 2, Chap 38 zoning ordinance.

So it's the lift condition number one from ordinance number 14048 of previous case number 2023 0130 on property located at 2409 East Main Street sub to certain conditions.

Item F, an ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, part two, chapter 38 zoning ordinance.

So as to live conditions from ordinance numbers 89439649 and 10108 of previous case numbers 19 1988 0121 1991 0198 and 1994 0170 on properties located at 1747 Gumbarrel Road and 7233 Crane Road.

Item G an ordinance amending Chattanooga City Code Part 2 Chap3 Day zoning ordinance adopted by ordinance number 14137 on July 23rd, 2024 to amend Article 15 application process section 3873 best into align with recent state law changes per Tennessee co-annotated section 134310 item H and ordinance amending Chattanooga City Code Part 2 Chap 38 zoning ordinance as adopted by orders number 14137 on July 23, 2024 to amend Article 2 Definition Section 3810 rules of measurement to add graphics for irregular shape lots and to amend chapter 38 article six downtown forum based code division three rules for all zones section 38698 measurements and exceptions for height and mass a building height to replace the graphic for item two.

Thank you very much, Madam Clerk.

Council, can I get a motion?

Move approval.

Second.

Thank you.

We have a motion on the floor to approve with a proper second.

Do I've got do I have any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Opposed?

Motion passes.

Ordinance is under first reading.

Item 8A, please.

In ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code Part 2, Chap 38 zoning ordinance.

So as the rezone property located at 5813 Lee Highway from C Cop Commercial Corridor Zone to CR Regional Commercial Zone.

Thank you.

This is planning case 2025 0119.

Is the applicant present?

Do we have any opposition present?

Councilwoman Burrs.

This is in your district.

Yes, uh, thank you, Madam Chair.

I'd like to we're we're working on a special exception for this uh that has to do with this zoning request.

So I'd like to defer this until March 17th or sooner if we're able to get the issue with the special exception passed.

Okay.

Um so for now we want to defer till March 17th, yes.

Thank you.

Um we have a that is in the form of a motion, a motion on the floor to defer until March 17th.

Can I get a second?

Second.

Thank you.

We have a proper second.

Do we have any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Aye, opposed.

Motion passes.

Item B, please.

An ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, part two, chapter 38 zoning ordinance.

So as the rezone property located at 5920 Pine Grove Trail from RN3 residential neighborhood zone to IL industrial light zone, subject to certain conditions.

This is planning case 2025 0186.

Do we have an applicant present?

Thank you.

Do we have any opposition present?

We have none.

Councilman versus in your district.

Yes, madam chair.

Uh I'd like to make a motion to approve with uh four conditions.

I'd like to read those into the record, please.

I have reviewed this with the applicant, and he is he's agreeable to it.

Okay.

Um, so the first condition is the planned parking lot will use an honest street address.

The rear access on Pine Grove Trail will be limited to cars only for the planned parking area.

Pine Grove Trail access will be limited to cars exiting the property only unless otherwise required by the fire marshal, and the property owner will install a gate uh at the pine grove trail access with exit only signage.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Clerk.

Uh Mr.

Attorney, you have that.

Yes, ma'am.

Okay.

Can I get a second on that?

Sorry.

Thank you, Council.

We have a motion on the floor to approve with the conditions which have been read into the record, and our city attorney has them for our clerk.

Do we have any questions or comments?

And Councilwoman Burrs, would you like the applicant to come for the record and agree to those conditions at the end?

That'd be fine if you wouldn't mind just so we have on the record a yes.

Thank you.

And uh as you come to the podium, please state your name for the record.

Matthew Stratton and I approve those.

Okay with that.

Okay, thank you.

You go you good yes, yes, I am.

Thank you.

Councilwoman, yes, chairwoman of planning and zoning.

Yes.

Um okay, council.

It looks like we are good.

All in favor?

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

All right.

We do not have any resolutions tonight.

Let's take a look at purchase requests, please.

Read them into the record.

Good evening, council.

Hello.

I have uh three purchases recommended for approval this evening.

The first one is for technology services.

This is a three-month extension to agreement 556671 through April 30th, 2026, to include a 300,000 dollar increase to coincide with the state of Tennessee contract.

The new estimated annual spend will be $2,063,200.

Number two is for human resources.

Human resources has requested an increase of 287,000 to agreement PA 100769 for the remainder of this fiscal year.

The new estimated annual spend will be $887,000.

Number three is for the fire department.

This is a new blanket agreement for firefighter uniforms.

This will be a four-year agreement not to exceed $90,000 annually.

The award will go to North America fire equipment as the best bid.

Thank you.

Council, can I get a motion?

Second.

Thank you.

We have a motion on the floor to approve with a proper second.

Do I have any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Aye.

Opposed.

Motion passes.

I have one sole source to report.

This is for wastewater.

This is a sole source purchase for a drive assembly with Drew Prawn in the amount of $31,841.26 cents.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Council, we now are going to do committee reports.

I'd like to start with uh councilman Elliott.

No report.

Councilman Burrs.

Yeah, report manager.

Thank you.

Councilman Henderson.

Madam Chair, I don't I don't really have a report, but I would like to just confirm with Chief of Staff.

I know this weekend has been over public safety uh this weekend.

We're looking at maybe a potential for heavy snow, uh significant winter storm.

I'm a I'm sure that our public works teams are ready and will start brinning maybe on Friday afternoon.

Thank you, Councilman Henderson.

Kevin Roy, Chief of Staff from Mayor Kelly.

Yes, we are tracking the developing weather um event that is anticipated for this weekend.

There's an emergency operations briefing that's going to be happening that of course we will have a present side and and that's going to largely inform, but generally speaking, our public works department will be will be ready.

Okay.

And I expected that they would be.

I just want to make sure that we had that out for the public.

Yes, sir.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Davis.

Thank you.

Um, so next Tuesday we will have a meeting of the Parks Public Works and Wastewater Committee.

Um, and at that time, the administrator for parks and outdoors, April 1st, will be giving us uh presentation of the annual report from the parks and outdoors department.

So we look forward to that.

Thank you very much.

Councilman Clark.

Thank you.

Um I don't have a committee uh meeting but uh regarding community development.

We will be suspending our committee meetings for February for February, and we'll resume in March.

But I am hosting a community meeting on the topic of North Brainerd zoning and land development on February the second, which you can see on the flyer above you.

Uh, if you have any questions or would like to attend, you're more than welcome to email me, which is on the screen.

And I welcome my fellow council members to join me.

If you'd like to talk about some amazing zoning cases that we have resolved and that we're working on in the North Brennan area.

Terrific.

Thank you.

Vice Chairwoman Noel.

Thank you, madam chair.

I don't actually have a report, but I do like to try to give um a shout out to those that do great things in the Great District 8.

So I wanted to say thank you to Kevin Robertson, who is the owner of Worldwide Protect the Agency for the donation to the Avondale Center for the water, the chips, the cookies, and the snacks that he does on a regular basis.

They are just so happy to receive.

So thank you, Mr.

Kevin Robinson.

Thank you very much.

Lovely note to end to end the meeting on.

We have now reached the point in our meeting where we are happy to recognize people who are here that would like to speak to the council.

If you're here and you'd like to speak, please uh line up at the podium and listen while our attorney reads the rules, include the district members.

Yes.

At the end of each council business meeting, the chair will recognize members of the public who wish to address the council, and here's your rules.

Each speaker wishing to address the council shall be recognized only at the microphone up front, provided for that purpose.

Can't have more than three minutes to speak, and you can address the council only upon matters within their legislative and quasi judicial authority and not on matters which are not under the authority of the council and regulated by other governmental bodies or agencies.

Do not engage in vulgar obscene language nor use the floor to personally attack or personally denigrate others and address the council as a whole and not make comments towards individual council members.

And lastly, do not engage in disorderly conduct or disrupting a public meeting, which is prohibited by Tennessee law.

When someone commits that offense, if a person 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, sir, and please state your name and your council district, please.

Yes, sir.

Um Josh Branham, governmental affairs director.

Um I actually live on Signal Mountain, but I am representing the Greater Channel Realtors and our district is all of those in the surrounding area.

All 3,000 of our members uh who serve in the Greater Channel area.

Um I bring greetings from our 2026 governmental affairs chair, James Myers.

Uh you know, our volunteers do a great job, and occasionally they even sell real estate.

Uh so that's what James is doing this afternoon, but wanted me to send his greetings.

Uh I left you all on your desk uh on the podium um housing data for City of Chattanooga for 2025.

Uh just some quick highlights uh for the year 2025.

There were just shy of 4700 listings in the Greater Chattanooga in the city of Chattanooga, which is a four and a half percent increase.

Uh closed sales, the uh the amount of homes that were sold for 2025 uh were 2,780.

That's a 5% decrease uh over 2024.

Uh the median sales price was $340,000, uh, which is a 3% increase over 2024.

Uh so that is uh a manageable, not a huge spike uh as we saw during COVID times.

Uh and then days on market, which is the amount of time that it takes for a property to go under contract once it's uh listed was 45 days as opposed to 37 days.

That's an eight-day increase.

Uh so uh part of that is the uh interest rates that are still slowing up real estate activity, but the uh the chief economist for the National Association Realtors uh projects that lower interest rates will help uh increase uh sales activity in uh and around the country.

So uh it goes into a little bit more in depth for you there on that report.

Um, as always, if you would like more uh specific data, reach out to me.

Um we would be happy to help however we can and thank you all for everything you do.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else who'd like to address the council?

Uh Marshall Bowser.

Um I live in District 8, and uh a lot of us came out here today to support waterways um and native plants.

Um there was some discussion about a 10-inch height requirement, um, and I think that maybe an education upon about why that would be kind of restricting towards native programs would be fruitful outside of that.

Waterways has done amazing things.

My own yard has gone through the smart rain smart program.

Um I've had plenty of neighbors come over and strike up conversations.

Um I've had community members come up and ask for cut flowers so that they could take them and use them at church.

Um, just a lot of positive impact, as well as all the educational programs that are going on through waterways.

So just wanted to come out and kind of represent a lot of the people out here as small business owners.

A handful of us are here representing dozens of houses that I know of that have taken part in not only that program, but um just native plantings in general, and um any restrictions that were put upon native plants would kind of diminish the value of native plantings as a whole.

Um, and I think that's something really important that we should take away today, looking towards the future.

Okay.

Thank you very much.

What'd you say at the end?

Madam Chair, members of the council, Helen Vern Sharp, District 7 representing accountability for taxpayer money.

Good to see you all again.

It's been a while since I've been here.

I want to begin by thanking you for your efforts to improve the Northgate TIFF, especially by encouraging stronger language in the development agreement that better aligns the public interest with the developer's goals.

I've been following Chattanooga's use of tax increment financing for about 14 years as a citizen.

Tonight I'm not here to talk about one project.

I'm here to talk about what comes next.

Chattanooga currently has a strong mayor form of government.

In practice, that often means that the council is asked to react to proposals that arrive largely fully formed.

While the mayor proposes projects, this council sets policy, and policy is where lasting change begins.

When public dollars are committed through a TIFF for 20 years, you are not just deciding for today's budget, you're making promises on behalf of future councils and future taxpayers.

That's something worth taking a little extra care with.

Thank you for your time, your service, and for this.

Thank you, Helen.

Good afternoon.

My name is Jason Hood.

I'm in District 9, and I have a small uh nursery operation.

I'm here to speak in favor of uh uh waterways and the rain smart program.

Uh I'm not just a uh a user, I'm also a pusher.

And I've had the pleasure of working with them both in my home and uh Madam Chairwoman's district and now in uh district nine uh in 2025-2026.

And I've seen very clear instruction on following code, making sure that we are doing the right thing, not getting our our lawns uh out of uh line with what uh what's been uh put down in the code.

Uh I would not have known details of that code otherwise, been told in writing and in person, it's been very, very clear to me and to the clients that I've worked with and helped uh navigate this.

It was a great way to help our community be uh uh healthy, uh ecologically healthy, and uh uh just a great opportunity to make sure that we're not doing things with invasive species that um are really uh all too common still uh in the nursery industry, and uh doesn't take you uh very long to go down the street and see something in someone's yard that could be a real problem in our uh in our forests and and the like.

So um really encouraged by this uh program.

I think good things are happening with it, and would encourage you all to support it.

Thank you.

I recently had a near run-in with Mexican sage.

Very interesting.

But a near run-in?

How close was it?

Well, I had a bucket of it, but I decided not to plant it.

Okay, okay.

Yeah, all right.

I do believe that something that shows a neighborhood is healthy is when you see plants shared from neighbor to neighbor, the way that you can with natives, but don't do Mexican sage, y'all.

Well, there's other ways to share, and uh, you know, I've done uh my fare of sharing uh with uh flower arrangements and all kinds of things for neighbors, but uh we we do try to avoid passing on a base of species of species good to hear thank you very much.

All right, do we have anybody else here who'd like to address the council?

Good afternoon.

My name's Nathaniel Bankett.

I don't live in any of the districts, um, but I've worked in I think just about all of them.

And I'm going to speak about the um necessity of plant height, and just wanted to provide some context for why that's important.

Um with the warming climate, warm air holds more moisture.

So rain events will get bigger and runoff will be more severe.

Um these gardens, I don't like calling them infrastructure because infrastructure degrades over time.

But these gardens, when cared for, improve over time and hold more and more of that runoff.

And we've also got a combined sewer system in the county.

And when big flushes of runoff happen, we'll see raw sewage pop up in public parks where kids play, and these gardens can measurably turn a net five-inch rain event into a three-inch or a two-inch rain event in terms of runoff.

So multiply that out across a city or a county, and this is a pretty large impact that we're talking about.

And also we're all embroiled in the political opinion game.

So I don't like love the idea of National Park City getting the internet reputation for not supporting native plants in this community when we do have a lot of really good momentum and some cool projects happening.

So just to reiterate, the the height requirement um precludes a majority of the native species that really make these gardens do what they do.

Um that's all I have to say.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Ned at Powella, and I'm in District 9.

Um I am wanting to speak in support of waterways programs.

I moved here because of the great outdoors.

Um so when we became part of the national parks, that was one of the things I was excited about.

Oh, I'm gonna be part of that.

I initially got into the rain smart program through the yards, and went on to go ahead and do two rain gardens that during the six-inch rain held, and I could look out at my neighbors and see flooding, and I didn't have any flooding, and my rain gardens held for that whole rain.

I was in the area where the highway flooded, so it was definitely in the thick of it.

Um my neighbors now.

I have wildflowers in the front.

Um my neighbors stop and comment about the yard and saying how lovely it looks.

I had people going out taking photos of all the bees.

Um I definitely have plants that are over 10 inches because the native plants are taller than 10 inches.

And also, when I initially moved in, I had gotten a citation on my lawn.

Even though it was not over 10 inches, a neighbor called it in.

When you went out and measured it, I'm on a hill.

But when you look at it from the road, it looks like it's over 10 inches.

So if you're on a hill, if something that is not as tall will look even taller.

Um I think it's a great program.

And the rainwater, as far as catching another in my yard, it made a huge difference.

So I encourage it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Hello, my name is Katie Curtis.

I'm in District 4.

I'm here to speak in support of Waterways, the Tennessee Smart Yard Program and Chattanooga's own equity programs for native plants.

I'm just a humble parks employee who has used the city's support skate program without which I would not be able to afford my garden, which I take great pride and joy in every day.

In the spring and summer, I will see a new bug or critter that I've never seen before because I planted my garden.

I will also say that these programs give power to the people to make positive change in their environment and their community.

Um I want to also make the point that the installation and maintenance of these native plant gardens gives uh job opportunities for these very highly skilled um the very high level of skill it takes to maintain these gardens.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Is there anyone else who'd like to speak to the council?

If so, please hop up.

Okay, council.

I'm seeing no other folks.

Oh, okay.

Hello.

Hello, good evening.

This is my first time um doing this, but yeah, I am the owner and lead researcher at the Button Bush Farm and Nursery.

We are also in support of the waterways um native plant program.

Could you change your name and your district also, please?

Yes, I'm in I'm in district five.

My name is Lotus.

Lotus, okay, thank you.

Yes, and as a native plant supplier, we've seen firsthand how this program has been beneficial.

Um we actually had our first sale with the Hamilton County Master Gardeners in 2025, and we sold out in the first two hours on both days.

So this just goes to show how important native plants are, excuse me, to the city of Chattanooga and to the residents, how um how big the market is, um, which I think this also makes it an economic stimulus opportunity for small businesses and small growers like myself.

Um I have my four-year-old here, my husband's at work, but we love being able to plant native plants at home too.

We got to see the ruby throated hummingbird for the very first time on our balcony every single morning all summer long.

And so we know how important native plants are to the environment.

We know how important they are to children who are learning about biodiversity and the importance of um keeping green spaces in our cities.

So, yes, this program is um is wonderful because it also gives people agency, right?

It allows people to up the opportunity to protect their home's value to prevent flooding instead of waiting for others to solve that problem for them.

And it's also another great learning opportunity.

I will become a master gardener this year, so I get to support that educational piece of native plants and how important they are.

So, yeah, we also support the program and we see every day how it's beneficial to us and to the beautiful city of Chattanooga.

Thank you.

Uh quick question.

Does Button Bush Farm grow native trees?

Yeah, we grow flowers, trees, grasses.

Okay, thank you.

Council, do we have uh is there anybody else?

Hop up quick.

Okay, I think I think we've got everybody that wants to talk, has gotten to talk.

We thank you very much for being here.

Council, I'm seeing no one else.

Um, can I get a motion to adjourn?

Okay, we have a motion on the floor to adjourn with the proper second.

All in favor?

Opposed, we are adjourned.

Thank you.