Chattanooga City Council Meeting – March 31, 2026
Chattanooga City Council Meeting – March 31, 2026
The Chattanooga City Council met on March 31, 2026, at 3:30 PM. The session included a presentation on updated historic preservation guidelines, discussion of a parking and booting ordinance, approval of routine consent items, and committee reports. The meeting recessed at approximately 4:45 PM and reconvened at 5:00 PM for the voting portion and adjournment.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes Approval: Motion to approve previous meeting minutes passed without objection.
- Purchases: Five purchase recommendations were approved as a block:
- Year three renewal with Vulcan Materials (annual limit $1,022,000; 4.2% increase).
- New four-year agreement with SPX Flow Technologies for mixer gear reducer services (annual limit $150,000).
- One-time purchase of a Peterbilt recycled truck for Solid Waste ($421,891).
- One-time purchase of an International hook hoist truck for Street Maintenance ($259,999.97).
- One-year extension with Pitney Bowes (annual limit $190,000).
Public Comments & Testimony
- No members of the public addressed the council; the public comment period was closed after no one lined up.
Discussion Items
- Historic Guidelines Update (Presentation by Cassie Klein, Preservation Planner):
- Overview of historic designations (Local Historic Districts/Landmarks vs. National Register). The city has four local historic districts (Fortwood, St. Elmo, Fergor Place, Battery Place) and one local landmark (Frank Lloyd Wright Shaven House).
- The updated guidelines consolidate five previous documents into one, reducing page count from over 350 to less than 200.
- Key changes: new “how-to-use” guide with graphic, added architectural styles chapter (including mid-century modern), removal of painting regulations (except for unpainted masonry), new staff review for small outbuildings and additions (≤120 sq ft), and increased front yard fence height from 36 to 42 inches.
- Unchanged elements: preservation best practices (window preservation, repair in kind), demolition criteria, and building maintenance guidance.
- Council members questioned the process for designating new landmarks and the relationship between guidelines and underlying zoning. Cassie Klein clarified that city council can initiate a landmark designation via resolution, and property owners would have a public process to voice opposition.
- Parking and Booting Ordinance (Items 7A, 8A):
- Mayor Kelly spoke in favor of the parking ordinance, describing it as part of a larger strategy to make downtown parking affordable, convenient, and enforceable. He noted that only serial offenders (three or more delinquent citations) would be affected.
- The council discussed an amendment requested by CARTA to clarify that the booting regulations apply to commercial lot owners who engage in booting, but not to those who do not. The amendment was made and the ordinance was approved as amended.
- Two-Week Agenda Review:
- Upcoming items include a resolution for park rental fee waiver for Nightfall and Three Sisters (math error noted but total correct).
- Administration expanded purchase descriptions on captions for future agendas.
- Committee Reports:
- Councilwoman Dotley reported a budget work session on financial policies; those policies will be on the two-week agenda.
- Councilman Elliott announced an Economic Development Committee meeting with an update on the bin project by Restorative Ventures.
- Councilman Burrs announced a Planning and Zoning Committee meeting.
- Tivoli Tour: Chairwoman Hill noted a tour of the Tivoli Theatre and expressed excitement about upcoming projects.
Key Outcomes
- Zoning Ordinance (Item 7A): Ordinance to rezone property at 3886 Agawella Drive from R-1 to R-3 (subject to conditions) passed unanimously.
- Booting Ordinance (Item 8A): Ordinance to amend parking and booting regulations was approved as amended (motion to amend passed, then motion to approve as amended passed unanimously).
- Resolution 9A (MOU with Stadium Corporation): Withdrawn by administration without objection.
- Resolution 9B (Riverfront Parks Interlocal Agreement): Approved.
- Resolution 9C (Revisions to Employee Information Guide): Approved.
- Purchases: All five items approved.
- Adjournment: Motion passed; meeting adjourned.
Meeting Transcript
Good afternoon. Welcome to the meeting of the Chattanooga City Council for March thirty first, twenty twenty-six. Um, to get us started, I'd like to welcome Councilman Park and ask him to lead us in our Pledge of Allegiance and the invocation. Good afternoon, everybody. Enjoying this beautiful day that the Lord has made. Keep focus, let love abide. No matter what happens in this council, no matter who you disagree or how you agree. Keep love as the main focus. Let us bow into the Lord. Father God in heaven, as we come to you as the Lord of hosts, the Lord of Lord, the King of Kings in this beautiful season of hope. God, we just want to come and thank you, God, for the power of your grace upon your people. Now, God, we ask your blessings in this meeting, God, that every decision will be made unselfishly, God, and made in the power of progress, made in the positiveness of resurrection, God, that we all can do greater things. God, I just ask you, God, to give power unto your leaders that they may be focused by faithfulness to know that you will do everything that you promise. God, I just thank you, Lord, for this meeting. Let your spirit abide. Bless us in our communities. Bless us in this city. Bless us, oh Lord, in this great country. And it's in Jesus Christ's holy name that we pray, no other name we know, and we say amen. Thank you, Minister Smith. Madam Chair, you're back. Thank you very much. Let's see. I'm looking for a special face in the audience. And I don't see him. Mayor Kelly was going to join us at 3:30. Madam Chair, he's held up about five minutes in a meeting with Mayor Wamp, but he'll be here very shortly. I'm sure we can proceed and just fit him in wherever is good for you. Okay, thank you very much. Councillor, can I get a motion on the minutes? So move. Thank you. Um by Cassie Klein on the historic guidelines. Cassie, could you uh join us up here and teach us many things, please? Yes, absolutely. All right. Great. Okay, good afternoon, Council members. Thank you so much for having me today. I'm excited to talk to you about our new historic guidelines. This project has been going on for approximately two years, and here we are in the final stretch. So today I am going to talk about types of historic designation, the timeline of the guidelines update, what's changed, unchanged elements, and then leave some time for questions at the end. So to get us started, I'm going to do a brief overview of the different types of historic designation in the city of Chattanooga. We currently have two types of historic designation in the city, our local historic districts and landmarks and the National Register of Historic Places. Our historic zoning ordinance allows community members, city council, or local nonprofits to apply for local historic landmark or district designations. This type of overlay protects historic properties from demolition and inappropriate alterations. The city currently has four local historic districts, one loc and one local historic landmark. This includes Fortwood, St. Elmo, Fergor Place, Battery Place, and the Frank Lloyd Wright Shaven House on Missionary Ridge. The National Register of Historic Places is a national designation, hence the name, that mostly functions as an honorary distinction.
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