Please stand.

Under God.

Indivisible.

Um we've had a lot of tragedy uh in and around our communities last few days.

Around a time that is supposed to be something special where we are celebrating our country's two hundred and fifty anniversary.

Whether that is the loss of life of young people, people now displaced from their homes from tragic fires.

And I hope all of our thoughts and prayers are with the families are affected across our city and across the rest of the country who are heard of right now.

So if you please could join me in a brief moment of silence and take whatever time you may need.

And we do have several topics to discuss with our city attorney this evening.

And so our recess might be a bit longer than normal.

And when we come back, then we'll vote on all of the items that are on our agenda to be voted on tonight.

All the ordinances and resolutions that are before us.

So with that being said, I'd like to turn to Councilman Harvey for our first special presentation.

He is newly returned from Germany and has, I believe, um uh a plaque or some sort of a presentation as well to share with us on behalf of our sister city of Wolfsburg as I trip over that word.

So I'll turn it over to you, Councilman.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Uh, I'd like to invite the rest of our delegation to stand with me if they will.

Um I think we've got everyone except is Andrew Hudson.

I might have missed him come in.

Um he was also with us.

But if they would come forward as we uh go through some of these um photos.

Uh like uh Mr.

Chairman said, uh, we've just returned uh from a sister city visit in Wolfsburg, Germany, or otherwise Wolfsburg.

Am I saying that right, Karen?

Yes, okay, there you go.

That's how you pronounce it in in Germany.

Um, you know, I I never would have dreamed of something like this when I ran for office um last year.

Uh you know, if you'd told uh Cody Harvey who was pulling 12 hour ships at Erlanger 10 years ago uh that I'd get to represent my city in a foreign country, I'd have thought you were crazy.

Um but um uh I was able to do that, and what an honor it was uh being born and raised here in Chattanooga to be able to represent um the city that I love so much uh in another country.

It was truly an honor.

So thank you all for giving me that honor.

Uh Mayor Kelly was scheduled to uh join us on this trip, but he was pulled to Washington, DC uh to meet with our federal delegation on some important work.

And so uh they named me the head of the delegation.

I don't know if that's good or bad, but um anyway, it was a wonderful time.

So we wanted to show you some uh photos from our trip, and then also uh the city of Wolfsburg uh gave us a plaque that we will present at the end of the presentation.

Um so uh, you know, as I walked through uh Germany, I thought, you know, it's really not a whole lot different than uh than here.

Uh even the people uh, you know, we're all human beings, and that that's what it gets down to.

But I thought this was uh a beautiful area here uh next to what they call the Autostadt, uh, which I'll be sharing more about here in just a minute.

But this is their version of the river walk.

Um so just a beautiful little area there that they they can enjoy um around the Autostadt.

Rick.

There we go.

Okay.

Um one of the highlights of the trip was uh Wolfsburg is the uh world headquarters of Volkswagen.

And why is that significant?

Well, we have a Volkswagen plant right here in Chattanooga, Tennessee.

Um so this was super neat.

Um photos were limited.

Uh they didn't want a whole lot getting uh getting out, so uh we took just uh a few photos, but there you can see us um in that little trolley there, which was pulled by a live-size Volkswagen vehicle.

Uh so that was really neat.

Uh there in the middle uh and on the right, you can see us uh with our tour guide.

His name was Giacomo, and he was a hoot.

He was a lot of fun uh and was really proud of the work that they do there at Wolf uh Volkswagen.

Uh we presented him with uh a rock city bag.

There you see he's got some Chattanooga goodies in there.

He's got a lookouts hat and uh just a few uh things from Chattanooga to enjoy.

Uh after our Volkswagen uh tour, we went over to what's called the Autostadt.

And uh this is a huge place.

It's beautiful, as you can see, the landscaping there is is very nice.

Um but at the Outer Stadt, uh they have many different uh buildings that showcase uh the uh sub-brands of Volkswagen.

So, for example, uh that's their main Volkswagen building inside that you would see many of the Volkswagen brand cars.

Um, and there is my uh counterpart, Andrew Crockett there standing um with me.

And as you can see, Crockett really took our diplomatic relations seriously and uh really really had a great time.

Um also had to have some playtime there.

Um, but you can see as we walk through the outer start, there were a lot of uh Volkswagen cars um new to old, uh, even that dated back to 1912 and then some of the Beatles there.

So Andrew, you got some great skill there, my friend, climbing skill.

Uh, this is some political blackmail uh that our opponents may or may not use against us with these hats that we're wearing.

Uh but just uh we got these hats at the Skoda uh building, which is a Skoda is a European-made vehicle, um, and they would not let us leave without ice hockey hats uh because they uh sponsored the ice hockey tournament last year.

Um here are some of the uh government uh representatives.

So on the left, our first night there, um, the vice mayor of the city of Wolfsburg was wearing a Chattanooga Mox shirt, and he and I were matching.

I had my Chattanooga Mox hat.

So naturally, uh, if you know me, um uh Chattanooga Mox graduate and big fan, so uh had to snap a picture with him.

Um on the right, this very tall gentleman is the uh mayor of the city of Sarajevo, which is the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Um that may be familiar to you because we just played them in the World Cup a few days ago.

Uh they were very excited about the World Cup.

Everything revolves around the World Cup, much like uh here we talk a lot about college football.

Uh but this uh gentleman was there on behalf of the city of uh Sarajevo.

Uh they uh he brought with him a uh delegation from Bosnia and uh Herzegovina.

Um so that was an unexpected thing for me.

I didn't uh expect another uh city representative to be there, but it was uh very interesting to spend some time with he and his uh uh city council members that he brought with him uh from Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Um they were there uh to sign a sister cities partnership, much like we did 15 years ago.

Uh here you can see this was Chattanooga night.

Um so we sat down uh with the dinner and uh had dinner with uh the mayor of Wolfsburg, his name is Dennis Wowman, and super nice guy, and also the uh the mayor of Sarajevo and his um counterparts joined us as well.

On the right, uh you can see the gentleman standing on the very far right, is the former mayor of Wolfsburg, and uh he signed the original agreement, the sister city agreement between Chattanooga and Wolfsburg 15 years ago uh with Mayor Ron Littlefield.

Um so he was very excited to be there and celebrate 15 years uh of our partnership, and he was such a nice guy.

Um the guy standing next to him is their chamber of commerce CEO.

Uh he too was also very excited uh to have us there.

Um in the middle there, the mayor had presented us uh with a plaque, and so we uh in turn gave him some gifts um for the Chattanooga t-shirt and then some lookouts memorabilia and things of that nature.

Some more pictures here with their uh delegation.

Uh Andrew Hudson, uh, who works with us here at the city of Chattanooga in workforce development, um, joined us and had many good conversations with some Volkswagen executives there in the middle.

Um the other tall gentleman is one of their uh city council representatives there in the city of Wolfsburg.

Uh on the right is uh the very right with me and the mayor is uh Christian Vollmer, and he is uh one of the top world executives with Volkswagen, who is in charge of manufacturing.

So uh to have uh be able to sit down with him and talk for a few moments about the importance of our relationship with Volkswagen uh was a highlight for me as well since we um we have such an important economic development um tool here in our backyard, which is Volkswagen.

All right, uh grand opening of uh the new Wolfsburg Fire Hall.

Uh this was a huge complex.

It's a brand new complex.

Um it was a fire hall, it's a 911 call center, it uh it has EMS there.

Um it was just a huge place.

Um, but what was different was here we have many small fire departments uh around our city.

They have just one that operates out of one building.

So there on the right, uh I'm there with their uh fire chief.

Um and then in the middle, uh this guy obviously attended Croatia Bike Week, and I I couldn't help but take a picture of him because I felt like he also could live in Grundy County.

Um he just he just had the look, super nice guy.

Uh, but one of their firemen there you could easily run into a twin up in Grundy County.

I mean, um so this was uh this is one of their bays.

Um this is uh one of where they had two or three bays, I think, uh, where their ambulance uh services and their fire trucks would live.

But this you know you can't even see the rest of the the bays there because it was so large, but this was one of there's 11 bays there uh for their uh fire trucks and EMS vehicles.

All right, uh this is the city council chamber uh it at City Hall.

And uh unlike our nine-member city council, they have 47 city council members.

Can you imagine having to work with 47 different city council members?

Wow.

Um their mayor also gets a vote, uh, which was interesting.

So he's included in that number.

Um, but 47.

And they they meet once a month.

So they have it made in the shade uh once a month when we work uh once a week.

Uh there were signing the guest book, and then here is Karen Claypool and uh Andrew Crockett signing the the guest book.

Um I want to do want to take a moment to recognize the rest of our delegation.

Um Karen Claypool is here, and she's the chairman or chairwoman of the City Sister Cities uh organization, correct?

And you served as president for many, many years.

Um Karen, I believe went on the uh Chinese China trip as well, and has been so integral uh in our sister city relationships across the world.

So thank you for your work that you've done on behalf of the city of Chattanooga.

It's very important that we have this kind of dialogue between our other cities.

Uh everybody knows Andrew Crockett here, and then uh Bonnie Mumpower joined us as well and uh has been uh very important in coordinating this trip.

So thank you all for what you did to make this such a memorable trip.

And then Andrew Hudson couldn't be here today, but he also joined us.

Uh here's a quick snapshot of the official signing of the uh partnership between Wolfsburg and uh Sarah Haveau.

They're in the city council chamber.

This is one of the highlights for me.

Um as I walked up the steps of uh Wolfsburg City Hall, um I noticed all of these plaques on the wall.

My eye obviously caught one right there, this the seal, the great city of Chattanooga, and what pride I felt when I climbed the stairs and I saw our seal uh on the wall next to uh several other sister cities throughout the world.

Um was just uh a pretty cool moment for me uh to walk upstairs and see the seal of the city of Chattanooga.

Uh but you can see that uh on the right there is uh their city hall, and in the floor is the inlay of their actual their city um inner workings, which I thought was pretty cool.

Another neat thing that they had in one of their display cases was some Chattanooga memorabilia.

Uh so to see that from 15 years ago was was pretty cool.

They're displayed uh at their city hall.

What a what a pretty picture there of uh the Walnut Street Bridge and uh Volkswagen.

I thought that was pretty cool.

One of the last nights we were there, uh we got to celebrate with the city of Wolfsburg with their 88th anniversary, the founding of their city.

Um so that was uh a neat um opportunity.

So there I'm standing with three other of their city council members, um, and they were so proud to to host us uh there in Wolfsburg.

Um on the right, uh, this was during the uh birthday celebration, which uh another really cool highlight was at the end of their uh show.

It was like a it was like a concert.

I mean, it was really neat.

They brought out all these children out and they sing uh We Are the World.

Um you might remember that that song.

So it was uh it was really touching, it was really emotional.

Um it was just a cool moment.

Um on the left here, this is my friend Dennis.

Um Dennis uh he and I got to know each other just uh for a little while, and uh he was asking all sorts of questions about the American political climate.

So we made light of that and uh we had a little fun and uh we ended up connecting uh at the end, and uh I learned that he's actually not German.

Um he was one of the servers at the the birthday party uh for the event.

Um he's actually from Ukraine.

And as he told me his story, um I found out he's he's a refugee uh during the Ukraine war.

The only reason he was able to get out of Ukraine um was he has three children.

Um so to me it brought a little humanity.

Um, you know, sitting over here and we watch the news, and it can kind of feel like that's oh that's real far away.

That doesn't affect me.

But when you meet somebody like that, really puts things into perspective, uh, makes you think uh thinking and feel for these folks a little bit more.

Um so that's my friend Dennis.

All right.

Uh my wife got to attend uh with us as well, and and she and I are standing here at the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin.

Um it was about 105 degrees in this temperature.

So we were there at the uh hottest recorded time in the history of the city of Berlin.

Uh but the Brandenburg Gate, super cool, uh, super historic.

So if you're ever uh looking for a trip to Europe, I highly recommend that.

Um on the left, I'm standing in the spot where Ronald Reagan uh said those famous words, Mr.

Gorbachev tear down this wall.

Mr.

Gorbachev open this gate.

Um they've got a plaque there in the ground that commemorates that uh which was really neat.

Not many people know one of the men responsible for those lines is Tom Griskell, who is a Chattanoogan.

He walks among us, and you never know looking at him that he had an incredible influence over those words.

Mr.

Gorbachev tear down this wall.

So try and meet Tom sometime if you can.

On the right is the Reichstag building, has amazing history.

All right.

Everybody asked us about the food.

You know, they want to know how was the food good.

Well, yes, it was very good.

Um in the top, this was something that uh I learned about the first night we were there.

And Karen, you may have to help me, but it was Apfelhuken.

Is that right?

Apfelhuken.

Okay.

This was uh basically an apple cake, and it was awesome.

Um, but lots of schnitzel, and then there's some white asparagus that was uh in season, and it was really good.

Um so that was a treat for us to have.

And then uh, I saw this sign, snapped a quick picture, but um basically it's uh Duncan, or it's uh thank you for your visit.

And so um that was uh that's what we had in Wolfsburg, Germany.

And so at this time I'm gonna ask um Mr.

Chairman if you'll come down, and then a uh representative from the mayor's office.

If you will come down and we will present you both with this award.

This award commemorates uh the relationship between uh the city of Wolfsburg, City of Chattanooga for our 15 year anniversary.

And this was presented to us by the mayor of Wolfsburg, Dennis, Dennis Wallman.

So if you two uh if you guys want to come here and we get a quick photo up, Bobby would be great.

Turn this way.

Yeah, can we get this in the background?

Get out of the way.

Awesome.

All right.

Just to move sister cities things.

Yeah, that's fine.

Feel a dank for shen.

If you say so.

Yeah, God bless you.

Yeah, gazoon tight.

Yeah.

Well, thank you all again for uh it was a great honor to represent the city of Chattanooga in Germany.

So thank you for the for the great honor.

Thank you, counselor.

Before we move on, I did want to recognize um here today.

We have former uh city councilman Gilbert with us, and we thank you, sir, for for being here.

And then I just wanted to take a minute to um to recognize all of our uh city employees who have worked so hard over this past month on so many big events that Chattanooga has had.

Um, you know, those of us on on council and in the administration, of course, we we see um you know frequently the value that all of our employees provide uh to our city and our our citizens.

Um but this past month, whether it be hosting the Spanish soccer team or the Juneteenth uh celebrations or our celebrations this past week for July 4th.

Um I also think about the the major fire events that we had this weekend.

Um, you know, I think that's just an opportunity for the the wider world, right, to see um just how um excellent uh service and um and how dedicated our city employees are uh to all of us here.

Um and so I just wanted to take a minute to to recognize that and um and you know that the value is there, but what I saw also in particular this past week is the joy that that our city working together can bring to folks, right?

Um so as I was leaving the the drone show um walking back, um we parked on the other side of the river, so we walked across the the market bridge there, and as we were walking, um just hearing the comments from folks that you know how cool was it that they represented all the branches of the military um in the drone show, or it was really awesome that they had the walking bridge and um and the aquarium in the drone show, and just to see that joy um was uh I think a really special uh moment.

Um, and then when we got back to the walking street bridge, our our uh police chief was there along with fire officials and public works officials working as quick as they could to um to make that bridge safe for us to walk back across because of course there was that pyro waterfall, I think they called it that that took place across the bridge.

Um, and just to see how quickly and effectively they worked together across departments um to get us all safely back across.

Um that was just a really awesome moment as well.

So if you would just join me in a round of applause for all of our seniors.

Okay, and with that, we'll get down to some business here.

We have um, I believe Karen Rennick to present the comprehensive safety action plan for us.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Um, I'll be presenting on the comprehensive safety action plan, and I believe that is in front of council is a special presentation because it really does involve um all the um city departments.

So I'm kind of a little bit of a spokesperson today.

It does build the um comprehensive safety action plan, does build off the work of the MPO.

So spend a little time talking about the MPO, the plan itself, and then um work through the items on the resolution.

I have about 15 slides.

I'll try to move um quickly through them, and then Mr.

Chair, you can tell me if you'd like me to take questions as we go along or wait till the end.

Okay.

Yeah, we can wait till the end.

Okay.

On your uh agenda next week is a resolution to adopt the comprehensive safety action plan for road safety in the city of Chattanooga and a vision zero policy to reduce serious injury and or fatal crashes on or before 2050.

And I'll split these up and walk through them as two um separate but connected items.

So the comprehensive safety action plan was um developed by um the MPO.

So just could give a brief refresher on the MPO.

The MPO federal government requires urbanized areas with population over 50,000 to have a metropolitan planning organization.

Our MPO is the Chattanooga Hampton County, North Georgia Metropolitan Planning Organization.

I believe it's been around since the late 70s.

Um it is staffed by the RPA.

It's um the MPO coordinators, Melissa Taylor, our long-standing director of transportation planning.

Our MPO board chair is Darren Ledford, um representing the mayor, the vice chair is um County Commissioner, Hamlet County Commissioner Um Steve Highlander, and then the work of the MPO is funded through um contracts with T Dot and GDOT and local match funds.

And so it is a granting program, but that is the same granting funding stream of PL dollars that we've received for decades.

Um, and just to note that Councilwoman Jenny Hill is a new representative on the MPO.

We're appreciative of her time.

The MPO is 19 jurisdictions in four counties.

So it's all of Hamilton County and its jurisdictions, all of Catusa County, um, the northern portion of Walker, and then with the last census, the Dayd County portion um shrunk from small to very small.

It's just a little bit of um on the top of Lookout Mountain.

So the MBO has a long history of addressing safety.

And so I um as we're moving through the slides, because there's a lot to talk about, I tried to put a series of links in there.

So there's several links moving through the slides, and it ends with a series of links if you want to learn more about the MPO.

Um but recent safety efforts um really we have a 2022, the board passed a resolution endorsing safety planning planning and programming towards the um goal of um zero death and supporting safe systems approach, and we'll talk about that here in a minute.

And that was really um due to um due to a death of uh um someone who is here from a planning conference that really triggered that action.

And then in 2022, the MPO applied for and received a grant to develop the comprehensive safety action plan for the MPO region.

Uh we are required under federal regulation to have a regional transportation plan, a new developed regional or updated regional transportation plan every uh five years.

The last one was adopted in 2024, and safety is the um top priority of the MPO, and you see that um integrated in the plan.

And lastly, the um MPO staff and consultants developed the comprehensive action plan, the action plan, and a vision zero policy, and that was adopted by the board.

There's a link to the action plan on this slide.

Just wanted to notify um um lead uh give your attention to that was led by Melissa Taylor with a team of staff and consultant support.

But the plan is a foundation for understanding safety challenges unique to the MPO region in its cities, identifying ways to address those challenges, and then providing recommendations to local jurisdictions to making streets safer and reducing crashes.

So the plan is pretty robust.

There is a as we get through it, this a part about nine pages dedicated to the city of Chattanooga.

But overall, the plan established the baseline for safety in the region, determine where crashers are most prominent and severe.

You can see those maps in the plan.

It identifies and assesses recommendations to make roads safer for pedestrians, cyclists, drivers, and other road users.

It develops Vision Zero policies for the region and actually has three different vision zero policies that member jurisdiction can choose to adopt, and it creates specialized action plans.

So when the plan was being developed, we reached out and said, is anyone interested?

And more specifically digging down on safety.

City of Chattanooga was one of the first jurisdictions to step up.

East Ridge, Red Bank, and Signal are also have kind of a mini plan.

And the plan includes recommendations to crease safety really under three categories infrastructure, behavior, and policy.

So it seems like I'm going to pivot a little bit, and this might be a little out of place, but the plan was developed following USDOT and what we call Safe Streets for All program guidelines.

And so having this plan in place allows the city to apply for SS4A implementation funding.

The city, so the MPO received that 2022 grant to develop the action plan.

The city has been awarded a 24 and 25 grant, and you recently gave permission for the CIO to apply for a 17 million dollar implementation grant.

Just as a note, as a shout out to one of our MPO jurisdictions, Red Bank was awarded a 4.16 million dollar federal grant for bike lane and roundabout safety.

It's a major initiative on Red Bank's part to improve roadway safety and their outreach materials noted they relied on the regional safety action plan as key supporting documents for that grant application.

So the system, the plan uses federal highway USDOT safe system approach.

And this approach starts with the idea that humans make mistakes.

The safe system approach is built on six ideas.

I'll just mention two of those.

Shared responsibility, safety isn't just on the driver, it's a shared job between the people who use the roads and the planners and engineers who design them and be proactive.

Rather than waiting for a tragedy to address a known problem, data is used to identify risk and solve them early.

You'll see several other principles there.

And then ways to achieve that.

Focus areas include safer people, encouraging responsible behavior, and ensuring everyone, drivers, walkers, and cyclists understand how to use the roads safely and safer roads, designing streets that naturally encourage slower seat speeds, and provide physical protection for vulnerable users.

When we talk about vulnerable users, we're talking about people who don't have something surrounding them to protect them like a car.

So these would be pedestrians, bicyclists, someone who's using some sort of mobility aid.

So mentioned in the plan, there is a section dedicated to the city of Chattanooga.

It's about nine pages.

It's pretty easy to go through.

The plan is specific to the city, it reviews city-specific plans and policies, conducted a safety analysis, enlists policies and program recommendations.

An example of a policy, well, there's two policy examples on this screen, prohibiting vehicles, parking, and stopping in bicycle lanes, sidewalks and trails, and identifying intersections where right turns on red should be prohibited.

So there's a list in there.

I just pulled two out.

It also has projects, examples.

There are 74 projects identified for the city of Chattanooga.

One here is using green paint to note entrance and conflict points along Broad Street.

And then the link on the screen will take you to a map that's a kind of zooming in on the City of Chattanooga projects.

And if you click on those lines and dots, it'll tell what type of project it is and where it is in the system.

Kind of have to scroll down on that page.

So if you click the link, you might have to scroll to the bottom for that.

So moving on, the second part of that resolution before you is to adopt a vision zero policy to reduce serious injury and/or fatal crashes on or before 2050.

Later in the resolution, it says now, therefore be it resolved that the city council hereby adopts the action plan and commits to a goal of zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2050 within the city of Chattanooga.

And we're really doing it because of this.

There were 93 fatal crashes between 2023 and 2025.

And I do appreciate Chief Chambers for just noting we should have data that was shared by the police department and others.

So we have a number to work from.

So Vision Zero is a the zero, excuse me, the zero death vision acknowledges that even one death on our transportation system is unacceptable and focuses on safety mobility for all road users.

So there's some resources regarding that.

This commitment to vision zero is a statement that we are setting an aspirational long-term goal of zero road deaths and serious injuries by 2050.

We're doing that using a combination of policies, plans, and programs to help reach that goal.

And then we'll talk about some of the efforts already underway.

And so this is where we're transitioning a little bit more to the implementation work underway.

But just want you know that they're here.

If you have any questions, they can follow up or respond to questions more specifically.

But we are working to implement um safer streets already.

A commitment to vision zero is just a continuation of the work that we're already doing.

We're dedicated to continual comprehensive strategy to eliminate traffic fatalities.

And due to the importance of this work, it's it's never ending something we'll always have to stay focused on.

So just to move through some of the projects is the information is on the slide.

There's lots of information there for you to reference.

I'll just be pulling out um a few that I felt um were a little bit more, they're certainly all applicable, but just um highlighting some today.

So from DTS, um, there's multiple grant investments in the range of 15 million dollars using technology to protect vulnerable road users.

And so it did talk about the vulnerable road users.

Anyone that has advocacy protecting them.

Um, and I can certainly come back to this.

I think you all have the presentation.

I don't want to rush through, but just we do have several things here.

And then also for DTS, um, a capital investment school zone safety to automate um notice, excuse me, manage and automate required driver notifications of active school zone times for those 34 Hemba County schools in the city of Chattanooga, and it supports photo enforced speed reductions to better protect students in active school zones.

There's quite a bit of other information on that slide, also.

Moving along to the police department, uh speed enforcement, focused traffic operations and patrol enforcement and education.

You'll note um when we talked about programs, projects, and policies, um, education is involved in that, and you'll see that in the action plan too.

And then public works.

Uh Ms.

Highlight the 2024 Safe Streets for All demonstration demonstration grant.

Again, this plan was developed with the um support of um safe streets for all.

It focuses on platforms, um, technology platforms that identify high-risk locations and collect intersection data on vehicular and pedestrian movement.

Um, and us, and then it notes it allows proactive measures to mitigate those risk.

And if you remember back at the safe system slides where it talks about the principles and how to how to get us there, be proactive.

It's one of those, um, one of those principles.

And I think that that speaks to that.

And the neighborhood speed watch program.

So these are kind of all different scales.

It's a program between Chattanoogans, neighbor associations, and public works to report um speed concerns and track speeds on um for reporting.

And so, next steps.

Um my um last slide is to continue internal coordination, public works, DTS, fire, police, RPA, neighborhood services with support of the administration, continue to work together on a shared responsibility for safer streets.

So, kind of mentioned it's a little bit of an outlier to me to present with so much information from our partners.

This is getting back to that kind of that shared responsibility.

Um, we'll continue to share data and coordinate activities.

Um, you uh may know that we already have monthly transportation coordination meetings.

Those are very robust meetings where we cover a lot of activity.

We also have a monthly ongoing pedestrian safety meeting.

That's an internal group meeting where we review um input from uh residents, discuss current safety initiatives, and then also there's after action reviews.

We also this um we'll take uh this link next link takes you to a city of Chattanooga Safer Streets website.

That is will need to be updated.

As you can tell, there's a lot of emphasis on data to um try to predict and solve problems ahead of time.

Um that is it's it'll be important for us to share data.

We will be updating the website.

We were not yet able to do in time for this meeting.

And then also um we believe the action of adopting the plan and and um stating the importance of um vision zero for our city, positions the city for future funding for these type of projects.

Um on the resolution language, and the next slide does have some more MPA resources mentioned, but I will end here and see if there are any questions.

Council.

Do we have any questions for Karen on the comprehensive safety action plan?

Okay, no questions.

Thank you.

I'm sure we'll have some for you though during planning and zoning.

Okay, all right.

Thank you, Karen.

Uh next on our agenda is a public hearing regarding the franchise ordinance for pipe properties, and this is in reference um to the first item at the top of page two item 8a.

Um is there anyone in the audience who's here to speak with the council about that ordinance?

That's the purpose of the public hearing is to hear about this particular ordinance.

So is anyone here for that purpose?

Okay.

I don't see anybody.

Nonetheless, we're required by law to open a public hearing on this type of ordinance, similar council.

When we have our budget ordinances, we have to have a public hearing for that.

Um I missed anything there, Mr.

Attorney.

No, sir.

We'll have a presentation.

Okay, right.

And so for everyone's benefit, um council and the public.

We do have a presentation on um this issue from Bill Payne, our city attorney.

So I'll turn it over to Bill.

I will leave the uh city attorney designation for Mr.

Knoblett, but I will happily be your city engineer.

Did I say engineer?

I'm sorry.

That's quite all right.

I didn't want anybody watching online to be confused.

So I I appreciate the opportunity uh to be able to uh to present this information to you.

Uh franchises are not a regular thing that comes before the city council, but they do occur from time to time.

I've uh we've had several in my in my time here at the city.

Um so with that, uh just uh uh brief outline of uh the information that we'll cover today.

Uh I've I have a section on franchise background, which Mr.

Knoblin and I have discussed, which will just help you understand sort of the overall background of franchises, what they can and can't do, um, how long they can last and that sort of thing, as well as um a grouping of some similar existing franchises uh that would be comparable to this one.

Um then we'll talk about uh this uh specific case uh that is that has been submitted that's uh related to Erlinger Park and the new development that surrounds that at the U.S.

Pike property.

Uh, we'll talk about maintenance and liability and how those are divided in this uh specific instance, and then we'll we'll close out with recommendations that come from the staff, the planning commission, and public works.

So starting off with franchise background, um the city charter in section 7.1 uh stipulates that franchises uh can be granted uh and authorized by the city council.

Uh the maximum franchise term is for 40 years.

There's not necessarily a minimum.

Um so I think I've seen them anywhere from five to 40 uh years in my time, so it just sort of varies depending on uh you know what the issues are at hand.

Uh that 40-year limit is capped by uh state law.

Um there have been in the past, and there are presently in Chattanooga is a perpetual franchise that was granted prior to that cap uh existing.

So uh there are some in some instances where franchises do exceed that, but it's because they precede when that cap was put into place.

Uh section 7.2 of the city charter uh requires uh that those franchises be uh granted uh and approved by ordinance.

Uh so that's the reason why you see this listed under first reading.

Uh so there'll be a first reading followed by a second reading later at another meeting, just which is as typical uh with all ordinances that the city council has.

There is a stipulation in uh section 7.2 that those readings can only be held at regular meetings, so it's not possible to have a special called meeting in order to be able to have any of those readings uh at any point in time.

Um, and and it is limited to no more than one reading per meeting.

Uh that's I think some language at one point in time there were three readings required uh for ordinances, and two of those could occur at the same meeting, uh, but that's no longer the case uh in the way that the city handles those.

Um and then uh as the chair mentioned, there is a public hearing that's required.

That public hearing has to be advertised in a local newspaper uh at least five days prior to the final reading uh of that uh of the vote.

Obviously, we're if council votes tonight on first reading, second reading is it is at least a week away, so it has already been advertised prior to the day's date.

Um a couple of other terms that I wanted uh on the right side that I wanted to make sure the council was aware of.

Uh you'll see terms uh such as an effective date and an operative date.

Uh those are there because most ordinances all have the language, or not most, all ordinances have the language in them uh with an effective date.

Sometimes that's effective immediately, typically they're within two weeks.

Occasionally they get pushed out to some future date, which is necessary for implementation purposes.

Um based on the ordinance languages, and but what that effective date does is it allows the franchise to become operational and become operative.

The operative date is different than the effective date, and so I've highlighted that here.

Um, and so that is the date that all those terms and conditions within the franchise itself actually become operational.

It can be the same date, uh, but it can also be a later date.

It is uh, but it does not require any additional action by the city council.

It is an administrative step that is handled by the city court clerk, I mean by the city council clerk as well as the public work staff in some cases in order to aid and assist.

But that is things like making sure the proper insurance or any other documents that are necessary that have to be signed, depending on uh the specifics of the franchise that's in question, and then there has to be an acceptance, so there's an acceptance signature that's included in the draft of the ordinance that you have before you today.

And so that that acceptance signature will come after that effective date, but it doesn't really matter exactly when that happens as long as it's afterwards, uh, so that in order to be able to make that uh that operative date, which is when everything actually begins in place.

I don't know if Mr.

Knoblet wants to add anything to any of that uh that we may not have covered here, but I'll give him the opportunity.

No, sir.

Normally you have an effective date, this is usually just two weeks afterwards here, and then the operative date could be off in the future, depending on when something is built.

That's the reason for it.

Very good.

Um other piece that I'll mention uh here as we're going into this next uh section, similar existing franchises, um, franchises uh exist.

So uh all of the uh uh all of the utility work that you see that it that occurs on rights of way throughout the city, those are all covered by franchises.

So whether it's EPB, it's Chetnica Gas, Comcast, all of those are covered.

Um, a few like ATT are covered under a statewide franchise.

Um Tennessee American also has a franchise.

Uh they are the perpetual franchise that I mentioned earlier because theirs was granted uh before the CAP was put into place.

Um but those are those are different and they tend to encompass uh all rights of way, for example.

Uh, there are also a lot of fiber optic ones as well.

Uh but for uh this specific franchise and and the examples that I'll show here uh through here, these are for specific crossings or for structures and things that are are beyond the the norm, but they're necessary or are advantageous uh for the applicant, and so they have requested the franchise.

Um this is uh just a quick listing.

I have some photographs on the following slides.

Umion square, uh, if you're on the 100 block of West 10th Street, there's a cross, there's uh an overhead pedestrian crossing from a parking garage over to the Union Square buildings there at the Talon Building.

Um actually has in the 500 block of Walnut Street and in uh on East Fifth Street.

Uh there are two bridge pedestrian crossings.

Some of the paperwork indicates there is a uh a tunnel underneath East Fifth Street as well.

Theirs is in the process of being renewed, they've reached their their 40-year term and are in the process of reapplying.

Actually, they have reapplied and and it's at the point where we need to continue moving that one forward.

Uh Liberty Tower is a pedestrian overhead crossing in the 200 block of West 6th Street, and uh First Centenary United Methodist Church also has an overhead pedestrian bridge crossing in the 400 block of Oak Street.

Uh this is just uh these are just some quick Google screen captures.

Uh, this is the West 10th Street that connects Union Square and the Town Parking on the left to the to the Union Square buildings office buildings on the right.

This is the uh this is the walnut stream uh overhead crossing for Unum's office.

Uh that's I only showed one just for uh sake of uh brevity here.

Uh this is on West 6th Street.

This is the Liberty Tower crossing where they have a parking garage on the right side of your uh on the right side of your screen uh and on the left, um, but they also have the have the office uh buildings that are uh to the left as well.

And then uh this is Oak Street where First Sentenary United Methodist has facilities on both sides, and they also have an overhead connection.

So the case that's on your agenda for today is uh case uh MR 2026-0053.

Uh this was submitted by Pipe Properties.

They are the uh owners and redevelopment.

Uh they are the owners that are redeveloping the former U.S.

pipe property.

So this uh this gives you the specific location, right?

So this does not give them a right to do this anywhere but in the footprint that they have applied for.

Um this is uh shows you where their zoning is, they are in a form-based code zone that applies to their overall development.

Uh this uh is the same location, same area, and you can see where that building uh comes comes through that particular location.

Um, and part of what was uh discussed and reviewed throughout the Erlanger Park development and and all of the negotiations that occurred was West 26th Street would be extended and it would be extended uh to the up and to the left of your screen.

And so this is prior to any of that work being done, but because that building was there, one of the visions that they had was that they're the building columns actually align in such a way that it it was possible to be able to sort of go through the building uh so to speak.

So I have some photographs that I'll show of that as well.

Um of the things that I'll highlight this is a is a construction drawing that they submitted as part of the application.

This is an excerpt from a larger plan uh that was included in the council's packet.

The red circles uh I have added in order to demonstrate where the structural steel columns um are located in those areas.

That they also each of those columns has also had some uh concrete encasement uh that's been put around them throughout this uh throughout the process of developing what's there.

So this photograph is an existing photograph that was taken yesterday of that location.

You can see they've they've all of the the outer skin, brick veneer, and the roofing has been removed off of it, and what remains is is an overhead is essentially the structural steel uh skeleton.

So from the developer standpoint, it's a nod to the industrial past of this particular property.

Uh you can see there's some signage.

So it's it everything is uh sort of channelized within the different column areas.

So as you go from left to right, uh the left side includes a sidewalk and uh two-way bike path.

Um the center left section is for oncoming traffic, the right center section is for traffic headed towards Erlanger Park, and the far right section is another uh is uh sidewalk area specific to that area.

Pipe property still owns uh the building.

This was the old valve and hydrant building of U.S.

Pipe.

They still own that building and are uh have intentions to repurpose it and leave it in place.

And so uh what you see essentially will, other than being uh being redeveloped and and and being cleaned up as as that redevelopment goes along, the building and the structure will will continue to look the same.

Uh got a few aerial photographs just to help give you some context.

So this is a uh this is a drone shot, uh, which was actually taken closer to the interstate.

So that last photograph, you had Broad Street to the to your back, and you were looking towards the interstate.

This is more or less over the interstate, looking towards Broad Street in this location.

So you can see um where that valve and hydrant building on the left uh continues down through there, and again, all of that, all of that uh skin, so to speak, has been has been peeled back, and what's left is the is the structural elements that remain.

Uh this shot is taken from directly over the top of the valve and hydrant building, really gives you more of that overhead view down at the bottom center to be able in order to be able to see that context of what's actually in place.

This was uh the day before um Erlanger Park opened just to be able to sort of give it to you in that context.

It was I felt like it was helped helped you visualize more of what was on some of these other some of these other maps and drawings.

So when we talk about uh maintenance and liability, uh the the documents um that are that are before the council basically uh divide that maintenance and liability so that uh all of the standard roadway elements, paving, sidewalks, bike paths, signage, striping, those just like any other uh built and dedicated uh city uh public street are the city's responsibility to maintain those, and we would continue to have liability just like we would have for any other street inside the city.

Um however, all those structural elements that we talked about, which includes uh the structural columns, the structural beams.

There is some brick veneer around a couple of those columns as well, just for the aesthetics, uh those brick veneers and and sort of that facade that goes with it, um, as well as the protective concrete around that around those posts uh themselves.

Uh all of the maintenance of that uh is the responsibility of pipe property.

So if there's any damage for any reason, then that's their responsibility to correct it and repair it.

Um and if there is any liability that's associated with that as well, that is pipe properties liability for those elements.

Um then uh this this one I did not include it on the slide.

Um, but this franchise term is for a 40-year term uh as well.

So I'll wrap up with recommendations.

Uh this uh this does come with recommendations to approve from the planning staff from the planning commission as well as from public works, and with that, I'm happy to take any questions uh about this that the council may have.

Okay.

I think at this time, what I'll do um, since as we mentioned, we have to have a public hearing on this.

Um I'll open the podium.

If anyone from the public in the audience is here and wants to talk to us about this particular ordinance, um if you would just come to the podium.

Oh, do you have a question about the hearing or yeah, for Bill, but okay we probably yeah, okay.

And so I don't see anyone at the podium, and so with that, I will close the public hearing portion.

Um there will be just for the audiences um edification, there will be a period at the end of our meeting at the end of our voting meeting after the recess uh for public comment on any issue, um, not just limited to this issue.

There will be that period at the end of our meeting as we typically have.

So with that, we will close the public hearing and yeah, we'll go ahead and take council questions on this ordinance, and I'll recognize councilman Harvey.

Mr.

Chairman, um, if we go back to the slide before this one.

There you go, right there.

Um, under the city uh responsibilities, sidewalks is under there, but it in my understanding of some of the the developments, once a development is put in, sidewalks then go to the developer.

Is that uh I've often been told that in a lot of my neighborhoods that'll have uh deteriorating sidewalks that well, sorry, it's it's actually a developer's responsibility, and it's not cities.

Um this fall to pipe properties as well.

Well, so this one, this one is is a little bit split, uh partially because the property to the left is actually the former trailhead.

Um, and so there is there is uh an easement for the for the river walk or for what used to be there.

So I think those are some those are some elements that we need to we need to work through.

The other the other component of that is where's the sidewalk relative to where the bike paths are and the roadway um as well.

But but for this one section within this piece, the way that it's currently defined is that this franchise would have this segment, which is within that square, that the city is responsible for the surface elements and the and the and the developer is there.

So um city code in a different section does stipulate that the that the adjacent property owner does have some responsibility for sidewalk maintenance.

Okay, all right, cool.

Thank you.

And there are specifically nine different uh requirements here in the franchise for them to be responsible for in connection with this, and that also includes in this case uh insurance, uh, where if anyone has a problem with the sidewalks in there in connection with this, uh they uh would be responsible for any damage that occurs to the center part of the design or the roof that comes down in connection with this, and they would protect the city from any liability for that.

So that's included in the uh terms and conditions that are part of this franchise ordinance.

Very good.

Thank you.

Okay.

Is that all councilman?

That's okay.

Councilwoman Hill, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Well, this thing is built.

Yes.

So if we vote against it, they'll tear it down.

I think I think we would have we would certainly have to figure that out, yes.

So part of part of uh part of the reason why this was built is because the funds that paid for this actually were city funds that move forward in order to be able to build the road.

So the city made a 10 million dollar appropriation to the sports authority.

The the construction as you see it today was uh effectively uh done underneath the temporary use permit um that was done in order to be able to get here.

We needed the franchise for the long-term benefits, but from a from a timing perspective, um it did proceed because it was moving forward.

So it was done under a temporary use permit.

Yes, that makes perfect sense.

Thank you very much.

Certainly.

That's all, Mr.

Chair.

Okay.

My apologies for not including that on my slide.

That would have made a lot of sense for me to have included that.

So any other questions on this item, council?

All right, thank you, Bill.

Certainly.

Our next item will be to approve the minutes from our last meeting.

All right, and the minutes will stand as published.

Um council, um, look with me if you would at the items on tonight's agenda.

We'll start with ordinances on final reading, and please hit your lights if you have any questions or comments.

One ordinance on final reading.

And we have a handful on first reading as well.

Um, councilwoman Hill, you're recognized.

Uh, I actually jumped all the way to resolutions, sir, so I will wait until my colleagues have finished with first reading.

I'll probably apologize.

Any questions on ordinances on tonight's agenda?

All right, and now we're to resolutions.

Um hit your hitter line.

There are two uh resolutions under Mayus Mayor's office that I um wanted to understand a little bit better.

Um the first item B, this is a resolution to apply for a grant.

Um as I was looking at that, it said that there would it would require two staff for oversight.

And so a couple questions that I had was uh because it also funds two staff.

Um the question I had was if this comes through, where will this be householded?

Will it be in community development with our gun violence prevention team?

Can I get some clarity on the vision for this?

And then who are the two, what are the two positions that already exist that will be supervising this?

Excuse me.

Sorry.

Good afternoon, Council Darren Ledford, deputy chief of staff.

Um the questions were based on where they will the two members will be housed.

Yes, so where in our org structure will be whole thing be housed.

I I will double check with that before we go into our business meeting with Dylan Riviera on the specifics of that particular question as we apply for the grant, but this is in relation to Carver Park in District 8.

So I am going to assume that some of that work will be coming from not only um I want to say community development, but also parks and outdoors.

And but if you'll allow me to define the scope of work that the grant is specifically addressing, and what those two particular individuals will be in charge of, I will have us answer for you.

Well, so it's it's actually not what the the two grant funded individuals would be in charge of, but as I read the document, one of the requirements from the Bloomberg grant maker is the city has to have two staff assigned to this like managing the managing the grant, yeah.

Managing the grant that sounded like they weren't the people in the grant, so I wanted to understand.

I will get that information from our grants team.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you for the clarification.

Yeah, thank you for the question.

Um and then the other question that I had was um looking over this interlocal agreement um related to the MPO and the RPA.

Let me let me get it here in front of me.

Um there's the franchise.

There's our tech fee.

Okay.

Um so this interlocal agreement.

This is defining the funding and administrative responsibility for this split with the um Hamilton County planning um agency.

So I wanted to understand, first of all, and this is page three of the document, page two of the interlocal agreement item two.

Um so we're still going to have a regional planning commission that is made up of city and county representatives.

That is correct.

And they will hear city and county cases just that is correct.

How does that meet the objective of the Hamilton County Commission?

Because I thought that so much of the pushback from the community was that the regional planning commission didn't reflect the desires of the county rural population.

Let's let's back up a minute and talk about a little bit of history when the conversation was first drawn about separating the regional planning commission into two separate bodies.

Okay.

That I've of course we've seen the documents related to that.

It's a lengthy process.

The first step of that process is to have five um local governing bodies vote to do that, one of those being the uh regional planning commission itself and the county and the city, and then uh a couple of other municipalities.

Um in actual conversations, and I'm gathering this from watching the county commission when this vote was taken.

Um, it was understood that the majority or the members who voted um in favor to keep the planning commission intact.

That was the intent, but to divide and create two recommendation bodies, one coming from and geared towards county initiatives and desires, and then obviously the RPA staying in with city directives.

So the thought was that the professional staff could better interpret county only zoning, the new Hamilton, and and I and I would would like for them to be able to answer those questions themselves.

I would not be a spokesperson for the right.

So everybody's everybody's okay with city folk and county folk.

Never mind the fact that city people live in the county, but so we'll all we'll all be together on a board.

Yes, the meeting will have to split the meeting, right?

Yes, ma'am.

That's exactly right.

Uh um, okay.

Um the next question I had, and I know this is this is a change.

I don't want to bring it as an uh an alternate version, it's just a text change, Phil.

Okay.

Um, on item four.

Right.

Let's remove the gendered language, please, and not assume that our um county mayor and city mayor will always be male.

All right, we could do it.

Thank you.

Um, you know, we've been working through removing the gendered language from all of our ordinances over time, and I think that's been a wise, a wise choice.

Um, and the final question I had, and this just maybe the way it goes.

Um the Metropolitan Planning Organization funding, I understand that it's paid by process of reimbursement.

Um, but the closeout at the closeout, the MPO will send a request for reimbursement for the county's local match.

So the city of Chattanooga will be employing staff who share MPO responsibility and other work.

And we will the City of Chattanooga will be paying them all year long, and then we'll have to file for reimbursement for them to be paid for us to be paid back.

That is my understanding because the RPA is the MPO oversight.

And so is that a standard for just the way that MPOs are reimbursed on an annual basis?

Do you have to carry that kind of debt for a year?

It is.

I want to look over my shoulder at Karen, but yes, it is.

Uh, and for our other municipalities that rely on MPO services, we bill them at the end of the year of the of the year, and they are reimbursed and sent an invoice for those services.

Okay, so this is a standard operating procedure.

This is not abnormal.

Okay.

So great when you don't have to pay for a whole year, and then you pay.

That's a good it's a good deal if you can get it, Matt.

It's a good deal if you can get it.

Okay, that's all my questions.

Thank you.

And we will make that one uh clerical change here in the case.

I appreciate that.

Thank you.

Yes, thank you.

Thanks, Darren.

First step.

Councilwoman Hill.

Um, just some clarity on that Bloomberg grant.

So it is going to be housed under neighborhood services, which is part of the mayor's office of constituent services, and then the two staffers that will be assigned to those two funded positions by the grant um would be Dylan in the mayor's office, and then um Stephen Lamb is the neighborhood services representative who would oversee it as well.

And the logic behind that is it's it's going the oversight, primarily is going to be driven by neighborhood services.

constituent services and then the two staffers um that will be assigned to those two funded positions by the grant um would be Dylan in the mayor's office and then um Stephen Lamb is the neighborhood services representative who would oversee it as well and the logic behind that is it's it's going the oversight primarily it's going to be driven by neighborhoods services so Steven's gonna be point but the grant also requires there to be a mayor's office liaison to ensure coordination and communication all that stuff okay you bet okay councilman clerk you're recognized thank you chairman davis uh kevin this might be another question for you in regards to the uh love your block fellows is it two grants is one for 70 000 or it's one grant um but I think that there are multiple funding paths that you can pursue what's the city's contribute is when it says in the amount of 200,000 it do we have is there a matching I don't believe that there's a match with this grant okay I just I see 70,000 and then in it the end it says in the amount of 200,000 so the first part of it is the volunteer led mini grants project in the amount of 7000 that we would be voting to accept for the love your block fellows and then the second part unless I'm reading this wrong maybe someone can help me we need to get clearer on the details of how we're structuring our application this okay this information is what Bloomberg put out about the funding opportunity and I apologize that the person who's run appointment I just thought it was 70200 there's two numbers listed in the resolution.

We'll create that clarity.

Okay thank you yep okay is that all council thank you Mr.

Chairman okay council any other questions about anything on the agenda for this evening seeing none we'll turn then to next week's agenda and please hit your lights as we go through have a handful of ordinances on final reading and several on first reading as well are there any questions about any of those and then at the end we have a few resolutions as well on the agenda next week any questions on those okay seeing none um let's look at our purchasing items for tonight we do have four purchases presented for approval and please hit your lights if you have any questions or comments about those seeing none we will turn to future considerations vice chairman illi you're recognized um thank you mr chair sorry my thought I'm in y'all as soon as I started talking um I have a question regarding item three under finance this is I don't know if it's a question this may be just a larger so I may not have much on this one this may be a larger conversation I want to raise with my council colleagues I understand the premise of what we're trying to do here of really allowing uh subject matter experts to lean in to provide some insight on RFQs and uh RFP processes my concern is um some of the standards we have uh around our boards and commissions um you know we have good people serving on our boards of commissions and I and I think any and everybody who steps up into these seats and lends their uh their time to help the city but you know we don't really have a lot of ethics or conflict of interest uh standards outlined for some of these boards some of them do uh but not all of them and so um this could be something that um may not be needed but you know I would like to know more about which boards do we see tapping into this or using non-city employees to um serve on these RP committees and I will also like to know um what type of conflict of interest uh are we documenting for these board members and any other type of ethics guidelines that they have as they're looking um and making decisions on behalf of the people yes we can definitely pull that unless I'm not sure if if Chris or somebody would know that offhand but we can pull it if not as far as who would use it I don't imagine a ton of them will because these processes these election committees are pretty can be pretty intensive and you got to be at all the meetings and you've got to score everything and so you it's easy for city employees because we're here as part of our job so I don't imagine there'd be a ton of people lining up to do it um and I'm not sure that we've had a few that if expressed interest is just wanting to be involved in the process and they feel like

Yes, we can definitely pull that unless I'm not sure if if Chris or somebody would know that offhand, but we can pull it.

If not, as far as who would use it, I don't imagine a ton of them will because these processes, these election committees are pretty can be pretty intensive, and you gotta be at all the meetings and you've got to score everything.

And so you it's easy for city employees because we're here as part of our job.

So I don't imagine there'd be a ton of people lining up to do it.

Um I'm not sure that we've had a few that have expressed interest is just wanting to be involved in the process, and they feel like they're taken out of the process just by not being allowed to do it at all.

And so I don't I don't anticipate we'll have a ton that would actually take us up on it, but um it gives you the flexibility.

That's right.

And then but we'll and then another piece we'll run it down because I'm absolutely good, good point.

I'll take it.

Yeah, okay, quick.

Vice Chairman, to your point.

We discussed this actual issue yesterday.

Uh I'm not surprised you thought the same thing I did about this when this first came up about we have subject matter experts on boards who may work for employers who are bidding on contracts, et cetera, especially professional services contracts.

Uh we are well aware of this and already planning to safeguard against it.

I'll be happy to share that with you as soon as we have something for discussion.

If y'all uh uh send me what y'all have, data give me a lot more peace of mind about this, and I'm glad you guys are already thinking of that.

So you got it.

That's it.

Uh I'm that's all I got, Mr.

Short Clear.

Councilman Harvey, you're recognized.

Mr.

Chairman, um, under economic development item A.

If I could get a little more information on this, it looks to me like I it's in regards to uh the part in in my district on Gray Road.

And is this some sort of that's correct, Councilman?

So um I'll get you more information on that.

David Johnson with parts will be able to provide some additional information for you.

I'll get with them, okay?

Okay, all right, thank you.

Appreciate it.

Total you had, councilman.

All right, any other questions or comments on items on future consideration, council.

All right, that takes us to our planning and zoning committee.

And so I'm happy to turn the chair over to councilwoman burrs to meet that committee move.

Okay, uh council members, I'd like to call the planning and zoning committee meeting to order and may get a motion to improve the minutes from our June meeting.

Oh second.

Second, okay.

Um thank you.

Uh the minutes shall stand as recorded.

So, real quickly, the flow of our meeting.

We have several things to cover.

Um, some of the things Karen has already gone over that were towards the front of the meeting, so we can check those off our list, but we'll be reviewing and discussing the few upcoming zoning cases that we have.

We will also be reviewing an abandonment that's on our agenda for vote tonight at the request special request of Chairman Davis.

And then we will re be reviewing one zoning case that's on our agenda for the 21st.

And then the last item on the agenda we will review our access uh accessory dwelling ordinance.

It if you go in a lot of our ordinances, as you all know, have a clause in there that says that we will review those ordinances as needed, and this is supposed to have an annual review.

Um, so occasionally, as we're doing now, we'll review it to see how we're doing.

I think Brian Schultz is gonna provide a presentation on the trends we've been seeing since the ordinance was adopted in June of 2022.

We have had one amendment, I believe, which he'll go over um in 2024 relative to square footage and and we'll let him take it from there.

So I think we'll start with Karen uh Karen Rennick, who is gonna go over the planning or the zoning issues that are on our agenda for next week.

Council, there were just a few items that were on the agenda.

And um let's see, let me pull up my outline.

Okay, so there are one, two, three items, uh zoning matters.

One in district two, which there was no over uh no no overall opposition, but uh Karen flagged it to make a presentation today on that, and then I know uh councilwoman Dotley, you wanted to hear a presentation on the item in your district as well.

And then I know uh councilwoman Dotley, you wanted to hear a presentation on the item in your district as well.

And then the other item is in district three, which is um a rezone.

Councilman Davis, did you need anything on that one?

I do have some questions.

Okay.

Okay.

So Karen, I think let's just start at the top of the list and go through those, and sounds like some of them will be pretty quick.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um, case 2026 on East Manning is also um has frontage on Tremont.

Um I flagged this just because we did get um quite a bit of input in the applicant had a public meeting.

So again, go to the end and then back up if needed.

So staff um this is to bring an existing structure into compliance and allow two additional units to be constructed on Tremont Street.

Staff recommended um approval with conditions.

Um the applicant had a public meeting, spoke with the neighbors, and the planning commission had um some revised conditions.

So I just wanted to note this did have um some input and quite a bit of a discussion.

And the applicant revised, I believe, of the original four conditions.

The applicant kept the um two of them recommended by staff and then tweaked two others recommended by staff um after speaking with the neighbors.

And so this comes with a recommendation to approve the TRN3 zone with conditions uh with the four conditions as shown.

Now happy to go into more detail if needed.

Um thank you very much.

Thank you, Karen.

I've been following this case um all the way through, so I'm comfortable with it.

Just wanna uh be certain that the version that we have as planning item A on our agenda for next week, the recommended for approval by planning commission, that that does reflect these um resident um and developer agreed to conditions.

We will double check, but um I believe um I will double check.

Okay.

Um it looks to me like it does when I read the language, but I just wanna be certain that we vote on the correct version next week.

Yeah, because the act the change uh planning commission was what type of units, the language about the two units, and then the parking, um, working in um them talking to the neighbor about not using um the alley.

And so but I will double check the lens.

We just yeah, double check.

Thank you.

That's all.

All right, I see no other lights, so we'll move on to item B, please.

Okay, uh Middle Valley Road, 6340 Middle Valley Road has had a has had a long history of zoning cases.

Um, and so the most recent case was a 2023 case that um unified the site into an RT1 um zoning um designation with conditions.

Uh it is it's been a series, I don't know, there's five or six cases, I believe, at the site.

At that um time, the applicant um had a site plan that showed this, and the conditions were intended to um enforce this site plan configuration.

The applicant wants to develop under a horizontal property regime to allow a condominium form of ownership.

So the this is really kind of a technical rezoning to enable that to happen.

So the 2023 site plan is shown.

It was codified in a series of conditions in the ordinance at that time.

This is the 2026 site plan, just comparing those to show um staff did support the rezoning with the conditions from um and I double check them.

So let me I'm gonna I don't believe we had it elsewhere.

So if you give me a moment, I'm gonna pull up the um the language from those conditions.

I'm sorry, I thought I had here we go.

Um that was ordinance number one three nine six one at the time of the 2023 rezoning.

Um and staff recommended approval of the zoning change, but keeping those conditions in place and just noted that the site plans are subs um are substantially the same.

There's no opposition president planning commission.

There were some questions.

Um a lot of times um people come to planning commission just to understand the process or what is going on.

So some discussion about stormwater planning commission's recommending approval with the same conditions, and again, I checked them.

They're um the exact same conditions found in the ordinance from 2023.

Chairman Davis.

And so I think you just answered my question.

I just wanted to clarify and make sure that the plan and the conditions were still the same.

They are, but I'm happy to send them to you too for your review.

Because I we didn't do a good job, I think, in the staff rec of highlighting that ordinance number, then comparing them again.

Okay, all right.

And so it's just a matter of kind of matching the plan to the current um zoning code.

That's correct.

And it was uh the for the rezoning the uh rezoning that that 2023 one they noted they wanted to do uh horizontal property regime and had said that during the process, but for some reason did get picked up that the um they were not in the correct zone for that.

So that had been noted as an attent since that time, but I will share the um conditions in the current ordinance in the 2023 Austin.

Okay, thank you.

That's all I had.

Okay, I see no other lights for that that item.

All right, Karen.

Uh item C, please.

Um, so um I was glad that Councilman Dotley wanted to talk about this one.

So um this is using one of our new zones, and so the requesters rezone from um CC Commercial and RN15 residential neighborhood zone to the IL Light Industrial Zone.

The applicant is um Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Chatham Chemicals, and so the Chatham plan is across St.

Omo Avenue.

Um, this is right when you come under the tunnel entering St.

Elmo on the right.

The proposed use is to continue the current use of one property as a manufacturing lab for pharmaceuticals and for the proposed building expansion onto the other property.

There's no um recent zoning history um on the site, so I'm just gonna move through some of their um uh materials and just hit some highlights.

Staff does support the extension um and the proposed use.

We um did recommend a new zone, the IM IMU industrial mixed use zone.

It's intended to accommodate kind of a mix of light industrial uses and commercial retail.

It allows residential and the plan for the areas for CNOMO recommends a village center, which is a pedestrian or oriented cluster of um buildings with a mixture of commercial and residential uses.

So the IL zone is a pretty typical uh industrial zone.

The IMU zone um allows the reuse of industrial buildings, allows residential, allows that mix of uses.

Um staff felt it's a better zoning tool to implement the village center and pedestrian-oriented cluster um and feel for Saint Omo.

It does allow the uses requested by the applicant.

We did confirm that with LDO.

Um, and then the IMU zone has additional development standards that apply to new construction and are intended to help integrate these uses into mixed-use walkable environment.

And we felt that's important because the Tennessee River Walk runs along the front edge of the property, and so we felt that was a good match.

Um staff, uh, there was no opposition president planning commission.

Planning commission um asked the applicant if they were uh essentially comfortable with the new zone.

The applicant um I think gave a thumbs up perhaps, or somehow um nodded their um approval, and so this comes with a planning commission recommendation to approve the IMU industrial mixed use zone to enable them to um expand the use that they're requesting, and then um with that kind of that um zoning mix that um helps implement St.

Elmo's village center.

Councilwoman Dotley.

Uh thank you, madam chair.

Thank you so much, Karen, for their presentation.

When I was going through the documents, I noticed this was very different from what I'm used to.

Use like a scan through them, but this was a lot of.

There's a little excitement.

Yeah, I've got to tell us a bug.

I'm like, okay.

Then I went by the property and I thought I need a presentation to understand what's really happening there.

Uh okay.

So I plan to uh next week was it is off of next week is to actually uh approve the staff version of this, and as long as the applicant's okay.

Yes, and that's what we'll move forward with.

Great.

Thank you all so much for your research, and thank you, madam chair.

Okay, I see no other lights.

Um that's all that I show on review for next week.

Before we move on to the last item and then the ADU review, did anybody have any other cases?

Okay.

Um take that back.

So we've got two more cases.

We've got the Connor Street case, and then the the abandoned the mandatory abandonment.

And I um am apologize.

I'm not familiar with presenting on that case.

I heard you say that, and I'm not prepped for that.

Okay, so if it was a case under public works, perhaps um I apologize and I can coordinate on that.

Chairman Davis, um was this this is an item on today's agenda.

Is that correct?

It is you may have to help me locate 2026.065, the paper on Middle Valley Road.

The closing the abandoned oh, for wastewater.

Okay.

Um, is there anybody here from wastewater?

I may come back to it.

Okay.

I know that the applicant is here.

Uh, do you want to talk at the break to see?

Or how would you like to proceed?

Uh Mr.

Chair.

Yeah, I can talk.

Um the applicant is here.

Mr.

Floyd, I believe is here.

Okay.

Okay.

Um, yeah, I can just talk with him at the break.

That could be fine.

All right.

Sounds good.

And Mr.

Chair, we can help answer questions too, since it came through planning commission if you'd like to.

Okay.

All right.

So then the last case before we move to the ADU review is the 20260057.

I think this, I think it's a good issue to just review because of the legal non-conforming.

I I was educated on it.

It really helped me, so hopefully it'll help some other folks as well and answer some questions before it comes on the agenda on the 21st.

Yes.

And so this is coming up on the 21st.

Um, due to kind of the applicant action, it's a little bit delayed, but just wanted to have the opportunity to present it here.

So this is at 6808 Connor Lane.

It's a rezoning from CC Commercial Corridor, which is kind of the older C2, a lot of our commercial quarters are zoned CC commercial corridor to IH Heavy Industrial Zone.

Um the proposed use is for a towing company.

The current use is also a towing company.

Um the site was equivalent, C map to CC during the uh the development of the new zoning.

And at that time, that property um became non-conforming.

More recently, uh also excuse me, in 2021, there was a special permit for residential PUD that's immediately to the right, the Carnell Way.

You can see that residential, um, the hatching is the PUD mark, uh, excuse me, the kind of the putt overlay for that property.

That's the most recent um activity in the area.

The sites just off Lee Highway, so you can kind of see that commercial pattern along Lee Highway, and as it transitions to Connorway east um eastward along Connor Lane, it becomes uh residential, kind of moderate density, and then single family residential.

Sites just off Lee Highway, south of Shaliford Road.

Those uh uses are similar to uh reflect the zoning pattern.

There's kind of the commercial uses along Lee Highway.

There's a multi-use residential, there's actually a warehouse recording business across um the um Connor Lane from this site, and then the single unit residential under construction uh just to the southeast.

So LDO noted that the site received record permits um for record service dating back to 2017, where there doesn't appear to be a current permit on file, the company's operated there consistently since that time.

So just north of the site, south of the site.

This is that new residential development, east of the site, and then west of the site.

At the time the um this case went in, it was had a deferral at Planning Commission.

Plan Chattanooga had not been adopted by planning commission and was not on their agenda yet.

So we're referencing an older plan, um, which had a medium business mix recommendation for the site.

Plan Chattanooga recommends a mixed-use corridor, which is a mix of um, it's kind of transitioning it to take advantage of some um transit.

So mix of commercial office residential does not have heavy industrial as part of that mix.

So um so after some discussion and and going to planning commission, staff is recommending denial and was encouraging the applicant, saying it's really more of a transitional commercial use site at best.

Um, and so uh planning commission, the applicant was encouraged to submit a request for a zoning verification letter.

LDO determined the property's illegal non-conforming use and is allowed to continue as that record service under um the current zoning, and LDO issued a letter to the applicant.

The applicant does have that letter and is aware of it.

A discussion with planning commission.

Planning commission said you can continue to do that.

Use is a record service in perpetuity.

Um you have your zoning record on file, it's an um the city system which says if anyone pulls up the address, it's there on file.

So planning commission recommended denial.

The applicant had see if I made a note to myself.

The applicant at that point request a withdrawal heading to council.

We took it off, so it wouldn't be on your agenda.

Then the applicant asked to have it placed back on the agenda.

So it comes with a planning commission recommendation to deny, but the use, the desired record service can continue there, and there's a letter on file for that.

Okay, thank you, Karen.

I think the the message there, which I had several conversations and O'Brien did too with the applicant, just to verify that his interest was to continue as a record service, and by denying that it still allows him to operate as a record service.

So it does not have a negative impact on the business that he's planning for that use.

That's correct.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you for for going over that.

I appreciate that.

All right.

The only caveat I would give you on that is a legal non-conforming use.

If he ceases to use that for a period, I believe of 100 consecutive days, then he would have to comply with the new zoning order.

We do have language.

I think I will double check the language, yes.

Because um with the but it is um currently illegal um non-conforming.

But yes, we've got to be able to do that.

Um needed follow-up with Mr.

Macaulay.

Brian's talked to him several times.

Yeah, me too.

And I did explain that to him as well.

And he had, I think he just signed a lease with the a new company to run it as a record service.

So yes, yeah, and he understands, and well, it was explained to him.

Okay, yeah.

That will work.

Yeah, okay.

Uh I see no other lights.

So um, I think that is all we have for our zoning matters.

If um thank you, Karen.

As always, we do the ADU presentation.

All right, Brian.

You are part.

Thank you, madam chair.

Um, before I start this report, uh, let me recognize Lee Bissinger in our office.

He's the one prepared most of the I'm just the messenger.

He's done all the hard work, him and Darrell Epstein are office.

So they do take they need to have credit for this.

So we're here to talk about ADUs, accessory dwelling units.

Sometimes they're called granny flats or mother-in-law suites, but primarily they're called ADUs.

We're talking about distribution.

Where are AD ADUs being built?

What are some of the trends we're seeing, and then examples of ADUs that are being built today.

Historically, ADUs have been around or been built since the early 1900s, and probably even prior to that.

Just driving around St.

Elmo, uh North Chattanooga, you can see remnants of these ADUs that were built back in 1900s.

So they they existed.

Then for whatever reason, I don't know what was happening back in 1961.

Uh the city of Chattanooga adopted a new zoning code.

And as part of that new zoning code or revised code, they prohibited ADUs at that time.

So from 1961 for 55 years up into 2016, you could not legally do an ADU in a zoning code.

In 2016, City Council at that time adopted uh a downtown form-based code, which is primarily downtown.

And as part of that new code, it allowed ADUs for the first time since 1961.

Some six years later, in 2022, previous council adopted the ADU or ADU ordinance we have in file today.

And that was the purpose of that was to support a range of housing options with the city of Chattanooga.

So today in the city of Chattanooga citywide, you can have an ADU anywhere you can have a single family dwelling.

ADU ordinance has been amended twice since 2022.

Uh once was 2024 to change the minimum size from 700, or I sorry, that's maximum from 700 square feet to 800 square feet.

And then in 2025, uh, we added a graphic on terms of setbacks to help support LDO.

So it's been amended twice since its original adoption.

Uh here's the link to the ADU code.

You can click we'll share this presentation with the council, but you can click that link and it takes you to the ADU ordinance on in the Muni code.

So where are ADUs being built and how many do we have?

Since 2022, uh actually, it's probably July 2022 until May of 2026.

There's been 206 permits issued for ADUs in the city of Chattanooga.

No, this map's hard to see, but it comes off our dashboard, and it's something the Lee Bissinger maintains in our office.

You click that link and it takes you to our dashboard, and that map is on our dashboard, and those little white dots indicate where ADUs have been permitted in the city of Chattanooga.

You can see on that map, it's pretty much happening citywide, but there are some areas of the city where it's more concentrated, like St.

Elmo, North Chattanooga in the urban core and Eastdale and Woodmore neighborhoods, which is what you'd expect to see.

Here's a closer view or closer image of that same map, just showing what you what it would look like when you go to that dashboard.

If you click one of those dots, it pulls up another uh option to the left and it tells you everything you need to know about that property in terms of the building permit for the ADU, what council district is located in, when the permit was issued, and who uh was the applicant.

So one of the things we looked at too is who's been pulling permits for ADUs, uh in terms of uh the number of permits.

We see one individual, which is most likely a contractor or construction company.

They pulled um 12 plus permits for ADUs, which indicates probably construction company doing most of the permitting for ADUs, which makes sense.

In that range of two to twelve permits, we see 18 individuals, which again is probably more again of individual contractors or construction companies.

And in terms of one permit being pulled, we have 83 individuals pulling those permits.

So there's four overall trends we can take away.

One is geographic concentration.

Uh majority of the ADUs have been built in uh three districts, council districts.

That's seven, eight, and nine.

Uh number two is a district concentration.

I'm on borrow if it's okay.

Councilwoman Knowles.

Um Great District Eight leads the way with 58 completed units.

So they're taking the lead.

Uh, the number three uh trend we're seeing is detached ADUs.

89% of the ADUs being constructed have been detached structures.

And then four, go back to that map.

65% of all ADUs are being constructed within the urban overlay zone, which again makes sense where you expect to see those.

Looking at this map here, a graph shows uh where um building permits have been issued in all the council districts for some ADU.

Again, you can see every council district has an ADU in it in their district, but again, majority of them lines seven, eight, and nine.

And again, detached ADUs dominate with 89% of those being constructed.

Uh there are some key trends from this as well.

Uh basically two.

Uh, there is a significant growth in ADU popularity since the adoption in 2022.

In 2022, when this is adopted, there was only eight permits granted.

But I have to clarify that ordinance did not take effect until August.

So it was only for three month period or four months from August to December.

That's why it numbers a little lower.

And it was brand new at the time.

Then it jumped up to 62 permits in 2024 and 2025.

I think I don't have it on here, but in 2023, there were 43 permits issued for ADUs.

2026 also shows a strong start so far for the first five months of the year with 31 permits being issued.

Uh, the second trend is size and valuation.

Uh, the average ADU valuation, regardless if it's inside or outside the urban overlay, is roughly 98,000, and that's what the applicant puts on the permit application.

And then the average size of ADU is roughly 625 square feet in either inside or outside the urban overlay.

So it's fairly standard.

Uh, this graph just shows a trend in permits, it's been very cyclical.

Um, starting within your game in 2022 with eight permits, that's since it's steadily increased.

It's right now in May of 31 permits for 2026.

We're guessed guessing that this will probably exceed uh this year the number of permits that we've seen the past couple years for ADUs because it's just there's growing in popularity and provides housing for folks.

So I'm gonna show you some examples now that we're seeing.

Uh this is 24 Sawyer Street.

Uh this is in Council District 2.

It's a detached ADU.

Uh the detached ADU is the in the circle in red, and the primary dwellings on the right hand side.

Uh, this is 1801 Long Street.

Uh, this is a detached accessory building with living space on the upper level, it's in district seven.

Uh, the picture in the bottom behind that tree, that's the primary dwelling, and behind that dwelling in the top is the is the detached ADU.

Can't see it in the picture.

I apologize for some of these pictures, they're hard to see and get back there, just where they're simply located.

Uh, this is 1311 Bailey Street.

Uh, this is a first floor garage and the exterior stairs to access upstairs living space in the ADU.

It's located to the rear of the primary residence.

It's 550 square feet in size.

It's in council district nine.

Uh, that structure on the left is the primary structure.

I can't we can't show you a picture of the ADU because it's behind it, but the aerial view to the right, you can see the little dot, that's the primary dwelling, and then behind that, what looks like the garage is the detached uh dwelling.

Uh, this is 1611 South Orchard Knob Avenue.

Uh, this is a detached uh ADU located at the rear of the property, it's 264 square feet.

It's one bedroom, one bath.

It's a council district eight.

Uh the blue structure there is the is the dwelling, and then behind that you can barely see it is the ADU.

Uh, this is 705 Woodmore Lane.

This is an attached ADU.

See, it's one structure.

This is the one that it's not detached, it's attached.

It's hard to tell in this image where the ADU starts, roughly 648 square feet.

This is new construction, and this is a council district five.

Uh, this is 409 Isabelle, District 1.

Uh this is a detached ADU, some along the driveways, how you get back to the single family dwelling, and the ADU is behind it, and you can see it more clearly in the image on the top.

Uh, this is new construction, it's roughly 780 square feet in size.

Uh, this is lower 1400 lower lower mill road.

Uh, this is again another detached ADU.

It's roughly 725 square feet in size.

It's in Council District 3.

Another one that's hard to see.

This is the driveway going back to the ADU, and you can see the ADU just the back of that image.

This is 8,005 batters place.

This is another detached ADU.

It's 800 square feet, which is the maximum.

It's in Council District 4.

This is another one hard to see in the bottom right.

That wide house or the garage, that's the primary structure.

And just behind that, you can see a car.

That's where the ADU is located.

So all these ADUs are well screened from the primary structure.

Well, that is there any questions on the address.

I know what's thank you, Brian.

Yep, the councilwoman Hill.

Thank you.

I'm excited that we have ADUs becoming more and more common across the city.

And it looks like going to 800 square feet was the right choice.

It would be really interesting to know, Brian, if there's a way that we might be able to survey folks just for our knowledge to understand how people plan to use their ADUs because we have you know concepts of how they might for granny flat or a short-term rental or a long-term rental.

Um so that that would be interesting, or are they both being long-term rented, right?

I believe we did that in last time we gave council an update uh was in 2023, and I think it's part of that update.

We did reach out to the applicants through a survey and ask them what basically what was their rent they were going to charge, or are they using 04?

So that's something we can look at again is to update that if you're gonna do that.

I think it would be interesting to know.

Um, because you know, we we did anticipate there would be a lot of different ways people would use and work from home studio, etc.

Um, the other question I had was uh we were provided with another document.

Um it's called ADU status update 2026 draft, and there's one accessory dwelling unit photographed on 106 North Moss Avenue that looks to me as if it's flouting the rules for ADUs that I feel like we need to look at and and discuss the adjustment of that.

Um Rick, is that something you could pull up?

It's that uh it's in our folder, so I'd hope you would have it.

One of the things that uh we're seeing sort of a I don't know if it's a concern or not, but the maximum size is 800 square feet.

Sometimes people are building a because these are supposed to be accessory, they're building a primary dwelling at 801 or 802 square feet.

So it is meeting legally the term accessory dwelling group based on size.

Sometimes they look very similar when you look at them.

Well, and this one at 106 North Moss, um, council, you'll note that the the setbacks um on the side.

Let me get to that.

Um ADUs are not permitted in the front yard.

Um they have they have setbacks.

Well, this one provided to us at 106 North Moss Avenue.

If that's not the front yard, y'all, I don't know what it is.

It's two houses side by side.

Yeah, it's um and that is not what we intended with this ADU.

Um that's interesting, Brian.

That we've also got folks building at 801 and 800, which if you can't see it from the front and they're stacked in there, then that to me is not quite flating it.

But I just wonder um what uh what are we looking at for how to not have two houses built side by side with two driveways right off the front?

There's in that same packet, and I we don't have page numbers, which is trilate.

No, it's it's a different file.

Right.

There is a different file because we thought it would be simple to go out and take pictures to give you all an example of here's the ADU.

Some of them are hard to see.

Um, and so um we are gonna we did the best we could with um, but we need to update it.

If you look down, if you look through that packet, there's a 21 Delano Street, and there's two white homes.

Um, it's about halfway through that have um a similar, I think something similar to what you're talking about, also, where you have um two structures.

Um, and just um and again, I apologize for not having pain.

Well, I suppose since we can't all look at the same file, um, I'm looking for Delano.

I haven't found it yet.

Um the moss one was the one that seemed the most egregious to me, though I do question what's happening at Woodmore Lane with that giant parking pad in the front.

Um, yeah, I don't see Delano in this document.

Um, I will we can find it to see it, just needs to be looked at because it was not the intent of this council for it to become a way to split a lot in the front yard.

Yes.

Right.

Okay, that's all thank you.

And we did look at the average size of the ADUs versus the primary dwelling, and most of them are in that 50 and uh percentage and less.

So they're building roughly around 600 square feet.

If you look at the size of the home as intended, yeah, which is what it was intended to do.

Yeah, and we always expect people to kind of fake feel around the edges, and how can I how can I use this to the best of my bottom line?

But and I would say we had one that was permitted and didn't either understand the rules or was a mistake, they had the front doors on both uh facing the front street, and he since corrected that.

So that was an issue.

Great.

Okay, thank you.

That's all.

Thank you.

Okay, madam chair.

Councilwoman Dotley.

Okay, thank you so much, uh, Madam Chair.

Thank you for the presentation.

This was fantastic.

So I had a question about uh as we kind of look as you showed several of the pictures of those uh ADUs.

I was wondering how important are public right-aways, particularly alleyways to ADUs.

Uh is there is there much use um with them?

And maybe I don't know if you know if I'm I missed anything, but it's five feet is to set back off an alley.

Alpha alley, okay.

So are they you are the ADUs?

Do you find that with the 206 ADUs?

Do you on average know how many of them are using those alleyways?

And are we maintaining?

What's up?

Uh maybe we can reach out and figure that out.

Okay.

A great person, lead bushers.

You can probably figure that out pretty quick.

Okay, that's that'd be uh I guess I'm just interested to know as as I know in some areas, especially like St.

Elmo, they like to abandon alleyways.

Uh, but it's it's important to note, or especially downtown and uh the kind of downtown core.

Uh it'd be important to know if there's an ADU there and if there's an alleyway there, not to abandon you know what I mean.

If it has act if it has that that much active use.

That's one of the things we've looked at as staff from RPA.

It's when we have uh man covered referrals to close some alleys.

Do we look and see, you know, is it providing potential for ADUs for some adjoining property owners.

We've taken a harder look at that now.

Okay, okay, that works.

Thank you, Brian.

Thank you, madam chair.

Councilwoman Clark.

Thank you.

Um, I want to make sure I'm referencing the um Jenny, you said uh Councilwoman Hill, you mentioned something that I so there are two documents, regional classes folder.

And I'm looking at the one that says Chattanooga ADU updates, and the one that you referenced was 705 Woodmore Lane.

Uh no, it's moss.

Well, I guess one on what the Woodmore one is in both documents.

The second document is ADU status update July 2026 underscore draft.

Gotcha.

Okay, so Karen, my you know, there's oh sorry, I looked up the Karen's gone.

But it's fine.

Either way, well, she put the other document together.

She may have to answer it anyway.

Well, I team it.

We're so tired.

So my apologies.

Um there's been a lot of robust conversations regarding the design of architectural design of ADUs in my district.

Um, as you know, and the over in the Washington Hill area.

I can't see over the thing.

Russell was still they had delete.

They have left.

But he was staying to have that conversation.

And to councilwoman Hill's point is that, and I I was not aware until she just mentioned it.

So you're telling me that the accessory dwelling units are supposed to be designed in the back of the property.

Located to the side and rear of the property.

You cannot be in the front.

So the side, but I don't I don't know.

And please help me with this.

It's just so my lack of information.

You gotta if you have a builder.

Can I see your cell phone?

We go back.

Here's a building.

And if it's in the side, it's that side is still in the front, right?

It's gotta be pushed back from that structure.

Is it regulated how much it has to be pushed back?

It does not.

So but it's still in the front, it's just pushed back.

Yeah, it's in the side yard basically, though, but it's not in the we didn't want any of the extra front of the dwelling.

It's gonna be set behind.

Now, these regulations, you know, they're four or five years old.

There's things we need to look at.

Gotcha.

And that's the point because we're having that issue to where the designs are starting to look like duplexes in single family, you know, zones.

And it's it happened in my district, and we had to go back and looks there were two doors and it looks like duplexes, but one of them side by side was I guess pushed slightly back, but still in the front, and it was 800 square foot with two two bedrooms.

And so my question to the council and to you all is you know, the the purpose of it was not to be a single family home with two bedrooms.

You know, is that something that we need to update in the language only to reduce the square footage to only include one bedroom?

That's something this council can direct us to look at.

Okay.

That's why we want to bring this to your attention, just to give you an update where we are, where we've been, uh things you guys are hearing from your constituents, things to look at to direct us to do something to do something.

Gotcha.

If you so choose.

Yeah, I'm good.

I just I wanted to, as we're we're learning the language or the vagueness of the language.

And this is so helpful to see these images to see what's happening in other parts of the district.

It gives us a call to action to clean up the language.

Because our fear is is that those they're finding loopholes to create two story duplexes in single family zones and it's causing it's causing heavy conversation in our districts to the fact that people think we are approving zoning or rezoning and we're not.

So uh just FYI.

Sure.

If yep, this council directs us to do something, we'll be glad to look into that.

Okay, thank you so much.

Councilman Harvey.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Uh, to add on what Councilman Clark was talking about in regards to like uh architecture, is that something we would need to address in form-based code?

Architecture's hard.

That's more design.

I don't believe state law allows us to regulate design of uh single family dwellings or ADUs.

That's more of a commercial historic aspect.

Now, design, you're talking about types of materials, that type of things.

I don't think we can do that.

Maybe feel concrete.

You can within the form-based code.

Form is code, but outside form based code, no.

That's what I was thinking is we would have to we would have to ch amend form-based code in regards to ADUs, correct?

Um it would only apply in the form-based code areas of the city.

They're not the entire city is not formed-based code.

Right.

Right.

Okay.

Okay.

Just thinking out loud here.

Sure.

Okay.

Thank you.

I see no other lights.

I think that you do it.

I guess uh I'm gonna defer to our attorney.

Yes.

Yeah, I just wondered uh reviewing all of these uh pictures that you've got on here.

It looks like the uh impervious services area of the city is growing.

And we have roofs now that where we had yards before, and we have driveways connecting those where we had uh nothing before.

Have we done any studies about the increase in impervious surfaces here as a result of the form-based of the accessory dwelling?

Yeah, it has not.

Now, in the zoning code, the new zoning code that was adopted, it does include it does include a percentage that you cannot exceed in previous services in these zones.

So that is looked at by LDO.

Okay, you can't not exceed that threshold.

What that number is, I can't remember off the top of my head, but each zone has a different threshold.

But each each roof that you add here is an impervious surface, right?

And that water drainage has to go somewhere.

And living in an area where we have a lot of flooding issues, one would think that we need to sort of keep up with that.

We can look at that as far as our review, perhaps good.

Thank you.

Okay, you're welcome.

Um thank you all for the comments.

I think it uh it's really helpful to open up the conversation.

I think this is going to be continued conversation.

I made some notes.

I have uh a couple of questions, and then I made some notes of some things that I think would be good to um to send back to you all to come up with some maybe amended language to address some of these things because I think the positive is the ADUs.

I mean, we need to continue to work with folks that want to build them, just making sure that we um update the language to match the intent of some of the things that I think were assumptions or a little loose from what I've gathered.

Um if it's if it's a new construction, does the distance between existing residents change um if it's if like in your case in councilman um Clark's district, it was a brand new construction, so it was a primary residence and an ADU.

Does the distance between the existing property differ if I otherwise I'm not seeing this really well is the distance between the existing property differ between me already have a house and I'm just adding an ADU to my property?

Uh you have setbacks from the property line.

There's also fire codes that it requires separation, uh, but it won't look at the adjacent property.

It more likes the setbacks is that lot you're building on.

Okay.

So I was just looking at the I was looking at the ordinance, and I'm not sure that that's clear between brand new construction and just adding to existing construction or existing residence.

Okay, attached ADU.

It could be an attached or detached attached, you have to meet the setbacks of that zone, whether it's 10 foot in the rear and five on the side.

Same thing with detach.

It has to meet the setbacks of that zone.

Okay.

All right.

Because I I've heard several comments, and I think it's in the same neighborhood with Councilman Clark that if I've lived there for years and all of a sudden somebody puts brand new construction next door to me and puts an ADU, then I've got five feet from my existing residence and ADU.

Well, also probably news that those zoning code had a 10-foot side setback.

This new zoning code is relaxed though.

So even if you were building a primary dwelling, it would still be closer to that adjacent property.

So I would just is that something we can look at.

We can.

Okay.

Um I also heard uh councilwoman Hill say both long term rented.

And I'm not sure if you meant by that that the primary residency and the ADU were both rentals.

So the law allows for uh one unit to be rented short term.

Okay.

Or both units to be rented long term.

But you you can't have a it needs to be an owner occupied parcel that would be allowed to so if you have a home and you have an ADU in the backyard and you live in the primary home, you can have a short-term vacation role in the proper district in the proper district.

Yes, okay.

But however, you cannot make both of them short-term rentals.

Okay.

So but you could have both of them be long-term rentals.

And when I look at some of these, and consider Jenny, or consider council members.

These are not separate parcels.

So if you purchase one, you're purchasing two, right?

So I have a feeling that a lot of these that are being built to look a certain way, like I mean, this one on Moss, I'd uh it'd be interesting to hear about it.

But then there's one that's like these two little guys, like that's absolutely going to be sold to be a rental.

Right.

Because now will an individual buy it and rent it?

I don't know, but when you look at some of these things.

No.

No.

Okay.

You can't you cannot subdivide them.

Okay.

All right.

And the utilities are one utility.

You know, you can they get one main there's ways you could consider it.

Because it's clearly accessory to the primary unit, which is your primary single family home.

But you as the owner can choose which one to live in.

Okay.

But you don't have to live in either.

No.

Okay.

Um, the other thing that I think would be uh interesting to address or look at is something you brought up that I built uh a primary residence at 801 square feet, and then I built an ADU at 800.

And maybe that's maybe if they're attached, that comes across more like a duplex.

If they're detached, maybe it's not as big a deal, but it would be interesting to see if we want to look at that as maybe it's a percentage, 800 or a percentage.

Some places do percentages, and when I I had the slide here, I thought, and it was uh looking at that, it's roughly the percentage numbers roughly anywhere from 40 to 50 percent for the ADU versus the primary dwelling.

There's some that's right at 800 and the primary dwellings 801, right?

Because to me, that's a loophole, and that gets to what councilman Clark said that folks might be building duplexes, even if the doors aren't both in the front.

So that might be something interesting to look at.

Okay.

Um I see no other lights.

Does anybody else have anything else they want to add just to the list for them to address before we close this topic out?

All right.

Yeah, let's do that.

Let's do that.

Um you all let me know when you're ready.

I think it's just an ongoing conversation.

Sure.

Okay, thank you.

Um to close us out as a reminder, council members, the planning commission meeting is this coming Monday, July 13th.

And you all received a packet as to what cases will be up for conversation.

You received that.

Let's see, I made a note.

Uh you received that about a month ago from Brian.

So I'll just I'll just say that.

So please review that.

I'll be happy to forward that to you again if you need to review that.

And then you also just received a packet for August planning commission applications on July 1st.

So if I see no other lights, I will ask Mr.

Chair what time we shall reconvene.

Okay, we will convene at uh reconvene at 6 15, and we do have an aton attorney client meeting.

And we're not in Chat in every city called Part 2, Chapter 26 Parks and Playgrounds.

An ordinance amending Chattanooga City Code Part 2, Chapter 26, Parks and Playgrounds, Section 2617 of the Acts Prohibited.

Second.

Council, we do have a motion properly seconded on this ordinance on final reading.

Are there any questions or comments before we vote?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And the ordinance passes on final reading.

Madam Clerk, if you would please read item 8A, please.

LLC, a Tennessee limited liability company, a franchise to construct and maintain a roadway that enters through the existing building located at 2501 Chestnut Street in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and any associated infrastructure as shown on the plans attached here to and made a part hereof by reference subject to certain conditions.

Motion second.

Council, we do have a motion properly seconded on this ordinance on first reading.

Are there any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And ordinance passes on first reading.

Item 8B, please, Madam Clerk.

In ordinance amending Chattanooga City Code Part 2, Chapter 10, Buildings, Article 3, Technology and Credit Card Fee, Section 1031A through E.

Second.

Council have a motion properly seconded on this ordinance.

Are there any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And ordinance passes on first reading.

Item 8C, please.

And orders closing and abandoning an 8 inch PVC sanitary sewer main and subject easement located in the 6400 block of Middle Valley Road begin beginning zero feet for manhole number S1091 M611 and ending at zero feet for manhole number 091 M050 for a total of 103 linear feet on text map number 091 MC00A.

Subject continuity of flow for any existing service lines serving other properties.

Council, we do have a motion properly seconded on this ordinance.

Are there any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And the ordinance passes on first reading.

Would please read item 9A, Madam Clark.

A resolution authorizing the mayor, his there's a need to award up to 40,000 to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga area to construct a house at 2211 Davenport Street for affordable home ownership.

Second council, we do have a motion properly seconded on this resolution.

Are there any questions or comments before we vote?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And the resolution is adopted.

Item 9B, please.

A resolution to apply for and if awarded accepted an award for funding the program implementation and volunteer led many grant projects in the amount of $70,000 and to accept funding to support up to two love your block fellows to address youth involved violent crime infrastructure decay and a lack of safe recreational spaces rooted in historical disenfranchisement within the George Washington Carver Park footprint in the amount of 200,000 dollars.

Second council, we do have a motion properly seconded on this resolution.

Are there any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And the resolution is adopted.

Item nine C, please.

A resolution authorizing Mayor Kelly to enter into an interlocal agreement with Hamilton County, Tennessee, which defines the framework for planning services within the city and the county and establishes the funding and administrative responsibility for the Chattanooga Hamilton County North Georgia Metropolitan Planning Organization.

Council, we do have a motion properly seconded on this resolution.

Are there any questions or comments?

And uh there was a request for a clerical change on the paragraph four of this document for the uh his and hers on there.

I will add that to it.

This is just a gender clerical change.

I'll make that one change.

All right, thank you, Mr.

Attorney.

Um any other questions or comments, council.

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed.

And the resolution is adopted.

Item nine D, please.

A resolution approving a new special exceptions permit for a new liquor store located at 3208 M.

Nicola Highway, suite B.

Oh, I'm sorry, yes, Councilwoman Noel, you're recognized.

Okay, so uh Mr.

Turney.

Yes, ma'am.

In reference to the email that you see, Mrs.

Ranning.

Um, if you can do some uh clarification on it, please.

Uh yes, ma'am.

Uh this is a request for uh, I guess a special exceptions permit uh here for a new liquor store.

Uh this liquor store location meets all of the requirements for a business uh under our ordinance here.

The distance restrictions are met and the applicants have complied with any local law or resolution uh adopted by the city at this point in time.

I believe the uh folks in the RPA have done a certification that it meets our requirements in the code and uh could be allowed in that location.

Okay, yes, ma'am.

With that being said, I move to approve.

Council, we do have a motion properly seconded on this resolution.

Are there any other questions or comments before we vote?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

No.

And the resolution is adopted with the one no vote.

Um, item nine E, please.

A resolution authorizing administrative for the Department of Public Works to award contract number R2506201, Riverside Drive Soil Slope to Kane Industries LLC in the amount of 155,570 dollars and authorizing a contingency in the amount of fifteen thousand five hundred seventy-seven dollars for a total total amount not to exceed one hundred seventy-one thousand one hundred twenty-seven dollars.

Second council, we do have a motion properly seconded on this resolution.

Are there any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And the resolution is adopted.

Uh item nine F, please, Madam Clerk.

A resolution authorizing Mayor Kelly to execute an agreement with Hamilton County for the course community service program to schedule workers to conduct litter pickup on city streets during fiscal year 2027 in the amount of sixty thousand dollars.

Council, we do have a motion properly seconded on this item.

Are there any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And the resolution is adopted.

Item nine G, please.

A resolution to renew consent decree program management contract for year five of five to Jacobs Engineering Group with contract begin being re-advertised next year for next year.

Move approved.

Council, we do have a motion properly seconded on this item.

Are there any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And the resolution is adopted.

Item 9H, please.

A resolution authorizing the wastewater department to award an agreement for construction manager at risk.

CMAR pre-construction services to Braceville and Gorye LLC relative to project number W2207201 South Chickamauga Creek pump station improvements in the amount of 280,000 dollars with a contingency in the amount of 20,000 for additional services for a total amount not to exceed 300,000 dollars.

Move for approved.

Council, we do have a motion properly seconded on this resolution.

Are there any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Any opposed?

The resolution is adopted.

And item nine I, please.

A resolution authorizing the Chattanooga Police Department along with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office to apply for and if awarded, accept the FY26 Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant, JAG from the Department of Justice Department DOG to award a four-year grant beginning October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2030 to the Chattanooga Police Department in the amount of 118,999 to purchase equipment and training and to award the Hammond County Sheriff's Office in the amount of $51,000 for a total amount awarded not to exceed 169,999.

Move to approve.

We have a motion properly seconded on this resolution.

Are there any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And the resolution is adopted.

That takes us to purchases, and we'll welcome Weston to the podium.

Good evening, Council.

We have four purchases recommended for approval this evening.

The first is with public works.

This is a new agreement for elevator and lift maintenance inspection testing and repair services.

This will be a four-year agreement with an annual limit of $350,000.

The award will go to United Elevated Service Elevator Services as the best bid.

Item number two is with Parks and Outdoors.

This is a new agreement for turf maintenance chemicals and fertilizer.

This will be a four-year agreement with an annual amount limit of 150,000.

The award will go to Harrels as the best bid.

Item number three is with public works.

Council approval is requested to rescind agreement PA 100943 with excellent lawn care and award to James Works, the next lowest bidder for grounds maintenance for city right of ways area three.

And then item number four is with DTS.

They're requesting increase of $70,000 to PUR145580 for specialized engineering and development services to support the city's SMART 2023 grant traffic and transit safety systems.

The new amount will be 406,750.

Move for approval.

Council, we have a motion properly seconded on these purchase requests.

Are there any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And there is the purchases are approved.

Thank you, Weston.

We'll go around the dias now for committee reports.

We'll start with Councilwoman Noel.

No report.

Councilwoman Dotley.

Councilwoman Burrs.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

We had planning and zoning committee meeting and really good discussion about the um really good discussion about our accessory dwelling units, which the RPA is gonna go back and make some recommendations back to us of how we might beef up that ordinance and make it a little more solid.

Otherwise, the the ADU ordinance is working really well, and we will meet again in a month.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Hill.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

We will have an economic development committee meeting next week, the 14th of July.

Um we'll be receiving a presentation on the progress on the storefront program.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilman Harvey.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Uh no committee report, but I was pleased to present uh our Germany trip to Wolfsburg, Germany.

And again, it was uh an honor of a lifetime for me to represent the city of Chattanooga over there in Wolfsburg.

So thank you again to the constituents and to the council and the mayor's office for that great honor.

It was uh great honor of mine.

Thank you.

Councilman Clark.

No report, sir.

And Vice Chair Elliott.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I don't have a report, but um, Chief Knowles, I do want to thank your um your firefighters.

You we had a tool, I think it was a two alarm fire, three alarm fire at uh Shepherd Apartments uh some time ago.

No, no, no, no, no, no.

No, I'm talking about my district.

Yeah, there's a couple of I don't know about y'all gentlemen out.

I'm talking about district nine.

So once again, I said right, shepherd apartments.

Oh it was all too long.

See, I was right.

All y'all gotta be questioning.

Um, but please thank your firefighters um on behalf of myself and the rest of District 9.

Uh everyone left uh unscathed, I believe, from that one.

Um, but I do thank you guys so much for everything you do.

So please pass that on to your your officers you can.

That's it.

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Yeah, and I would just echo that for the integra vistas fire, which is it's in Hickson.

It's technically in Councilman Um Henderson's district.

Um, and I know he was out there on the scene.

Um, but that was just an incredible response.

21 out of 27 units from across the city and running um fire hose for over a mile, right?

To um to respond to that.

And there were no no injuries.

Um we can replace things, but we can't replace people.

So um that was just outstanding.

So thank you.

Um okay.

That takes us to other business.

Uh yes, sir.

Um, during other business, I would like to announce that there has been a settlement at this point in time of a litigation matter in uh the circuit court here in Hamilton County, filed by Donna Snell and Bill Snell versus the city.

Uh it's case number 24 C 104, and as a result of a judicial settlement conference, uh, there was an agreement to settle this case for 175,000, and that was resolved this past week.

Beyond the settlement, I would also like to announce that there is a certificate of compliance that has now been uh uh passed around to the council members involving Snapdragon Ventures LLC, DBA UNCS.

It's a 3208 Amnicola Highway Suite B, Chattanooga, Tennessee.

It's in District 8, but that particular establishment does meet the requirements for a liquor store under Tennessee law, and that's where that establishment will be operating here.

And it has been approved by the special exceptions permit in accordance with our current state law here and what uh the folks with the uh Tennessee Alcohol Beverage Commission require us to do.

Thank you, Mr.

Attorney.

Yes.

We're now to that portion of our meeting where we're happy to hear from uh members of the public who are here to address council.

Um so if you are here for that purpose, if you would please line up at the podium down front and listen while the attorney reads the rules.

Yes, sir.

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

Each speaker wishing to address the council can only be recognized at the microphone up front for that purpose, can't have more than three minutes to speak, and each speaker can address the council only upon matters within uh the council's legislative and judicial authority and not upon matters which are not under the authority of the council but are regulated by other governmental bodies or agencies.

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

Lastly, do not engage in disorderly conduct or disrupting a public meeting, which is prohibited by Tennessee law, and 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, ma'am, would you please state your name and your district?

Cheyenne Bedell, I'm actually a Hamilton County resident.

Okay, not within the city of Chattanooga.

All right.

I appreciate the opportunity to speak to you again, um, bringing the matter of funding to complete the telecommunicator pay raises.

There were questions raised during the last meeting where the information available at the time was either incomplete or inaccurate.

And I would like to help clarify those points.

It was stated that the city of Chattanooga was not made aware of the funding request until April of this year.

Hamilton County 911 notified the city in December of 2024 that additional funding from our client agencies would be necessary to support telecommunicator pay increases.

During the salary study, it became clear that implementing the raises immediately would have resulted in starting pay for our telecommunicators to exceed that of Chattanooga Police and Fire.

Out of respect for our public safety partners, our board agreed to delay the implementation until the much deserved raises for police officers and firefighters were addressed.

However, the city was informed at that time that the funding for telecommunicator raises would still be needed once the adjustments were made.

While we are called Hamilton County Emergency Communications District, we are not Hamilton County employees.

Telecommunicator salaries are funded through payments made by the public safety agencies that we serve.

The costs are calculated based on the volume of emergency and non-emergency calls that our center answers and processes for each agency.

Another point that was mentioned was that this was a contract that was going to be costing in excess of $2 million.

The total for the city of Chattanooga over four years is under two million.

I would also like to say that this is not a contract for new services.

This is a is simply the cost of the emergency communication services that are already being provided.

The proposed increase was spread over four years, not five, to minimize the financial impact of each client agency.

Hamilton County Emergency Communications District would be covering 75% of the total cost for the first year, 50% in the second year, 25% in year three, and then in year four, the client agencies would cover 100% of the cost.

Finally, I would like to provide an update.

Since the last council meeting, Hamilton County 911 has now become the lowest paid communication center in our area.

Bradley County, which was lower than Hamilton County, has approved its budget recently, and their starting pay has surpassed us.

We continue to lose ground in recruiting and retaining the professionals who answer every call and coordinate every emergency response.

This need is about maintaining stable emergency communications for the citizens of Chattanooga.

We're simply asking that the essential service that we provide every day be funded at a level that will allow us to recruit, retain, and support the citizens and first responders that Chattanooga depends on.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Okay.

Krista Gillalian with uh Hamilton County 911.

I've been there for nine and a half years.

When most people think of public safety, they picture the police officer, fire or paramedic arriving on the scene.

But every one of those responses begins with us with this much.

We are the calm voice, people here, what is often their worst day.

We gather critical information, coordinate responders, monitor officer safety, provide life-saving instructions, make split second decisions, and can directly impact the outcome of the emergency.

We are the first first responders.

Yet much of what we do happens behind closed doors out of the public eye.

Because of that, it is very easy to underestimate the complexity, responsibility, and emotional weight of this profession that it carries.

Today I'm asking you to reconsider an increase in dispatcher pay that reflects the vital role that we each play in the daily operations of the city and the county.

Recruiting and retaining qualified dispatchers has become increasingly difficult, as Cheyenne said.

And competitive wages are essential if we want to continue providing the level of service our community deserves.

I was here at the last city council meeting, and it seemed like there was some confusion like Shay and Santa what we did, and it just was very disheartening to all of us.

It seemed like some, if not all of the council members had a misconception about what we do on a daily roll and have no idea what we do.

I'd like to extend an invitation to each of you to come and spend a shift, a half a shift, heck, two hours of any of us.

Well sit, you can sit with me.

They call me Gilly, that's my nickname.

Um, and sit with us for two hours on any, even city channels.

City channels are the most busy channels.

Listen to the radio traffic, hear the 911 calls, watch us multitask and rock our jobs.

We are um that responsibility never stops.

I believe seeing what happens behind the headset will provide a perspective that no report or budget presentation ever could.

We aren't asking for recognition simply because our job is difficult.

We're just asking for compensation that reflects the value, responsibility, and indispensable role each of our dispatchers have in protecting our officers, firefighters, EMS personnel, and every single citizen within Hamilton County.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

I'm gonna be brief.

Um, I appreciate you guys coming.

And I want you guys to understand, I don't think there's anybody on this dais who doesn't absolutely appreciate and support our first responders.

You've heard us talk about this today, about incidents that happen in our districts.

And oftentimes all those calls begin with you, and then they eventually make their way to some police officer or firefighter continuing that work.

I I just want to be clear.

I think hearing what you all are saying, and also understanding some of the realities that could be bureaucratical.

I think there's some misalignment on where does who actually make a decision on your pay increases?

Right.

From what I understand, your board gives all these agencies uh invoice and say, based on your call volume from previous year, this is how much you owe.

All right.

And then we pay that.

Somebody nod if I'm saying in the right, okay.

I see that.

If your board comes to us and say, hey, we're gonna put a percentage increase because we need to pay our employees on that, or rate increase.

I don't think there's gonna be anybody who's gonna push back against that.

Uh from what I understand, the holdup between your leadership and the mayor's office is their they don't want a long-term contract going into another mayoral term.

Is that incorrect?

Is that what y'all told me?

Part of it.

That's part of it.

Well, I would like to know the rest of it.

Well, right, if that's something else.

But uh, one second, please.

Um and so I want you to understand your your rates and what we send you all.

It is your your pay's not based on what we vote on here.

We'll we'll pay what it needs to pay to make sure we have that service.

I just don't want you guys to keep having to spin your wheels.

And I want to make sure advocacy is landing in the right spot.

And I'm just not certain that it is here.

I'm not sure this is the right place who can actually change the the contract to make sure that you are actually getting the raises that you need.

We just voted for fire and police raises.

We just got everybody else's cost of living adjustments.

I don't think this council or this mayor has been shy about taking care of city employees, especially first responders.

I just think there's a disconnect as to who actually makes that decision.

That's all I want to say.

I just don't want y'all to keep spinning our wheels.

Yeah, we're not getting anywhere, okay.

That's it, Mr.

Chair.

Okay.

And I just wanted everybody to know that we do have the executive director coming in to one of our upcoming strategic planning meetings to talk to us so that we can better understand the situation and ask all the questions we need.

Um the mayor will be in there as well.

And I think if I'm reading the name on the shirt correct, um that is the that's me.

Yes, sir.

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Um not to preempt that meeting, but I thought there might be questions I needed to answer.

Well, and and this isn't really the forum for a question.

I agree a hundred.

Right.

And so um, but we are looking forward to that discussion.

Yes, sir.

In September.

Yes, sir.

Uh if I may, uh to the vice uh vice chair's question.

Uh you've got it exactly right.

We come up with uh with the salaries for the telecommunicators, and I want to emphasize it's the telecommunicators only.

So the district pays for supervision for technology for the tech staff, for the administrative staff, etc.

We only charge the client agencies, those seven client agencies for the actual telecommunicators, the ones who answer the calls and uh dispatch the responders.

So we did a study uh in 2023 using comparables, probably similar to what I heard uh the city of Chattanooga used.

Our board did not like seeing out of state comparables.

Oh they gave about the same information, but they did not like seeing out of state, so they wanted to come in state.

In state, it's hard for me to find comparables.

So I took the the top 11 uh counties by population in the state of Tennessee.

And I was shocked.

I was shocked when we were at the bottom of it.

Uh only Bradley County was below us, and as uh you just heard Bradley County has now passed us.

We're at the absolute bottom.

Uh and it was actually this year, and we just lost a telecommunicator today who's going to Walker County, Georgia for an $8,000 raise.

Walking in the door.

Uh I just want to take care of your citizens.

I know y'all do too.

And to do that, I have to pay for the quality people that I have.

And I know salaries are going up and I know budgets are tight, but uh that's the situation we find ourselves in.

911 dollars from the state come nowhere close to paying for this.

Um, and I think you may have heard that we got vetoed on our our last request to uh increase the 911 fee on the cell phones.

Uh, Governor Lee vetoed that.

Uh so we're basically on a fixed income from the state, but that's what pays for the supervisors and the tech staff and the admin staff, et cetera.

Let me give you one statistic that I think will be interesting.

Uh out of the seven client agencies, out of the total funding, uh 12 million six hundred and eighty-nine thousand.

Chattanooga pays 59% of that by far the most.

The next highest is the county at 25%.

However, the percent of call volume for Chattanooga is 66%.

So you're just over half of our uh funding, but you're two-thirds of our workload out of the total funding, which you've got a 22 million dollar emergency communications center.

That's my total budget is 22 million.

The portion that Chattanooga's funding of that is 33%.

So for one third of the cost, you've got a 22 million dollar comm center that is accredited.

Uh our training program certified, and it is well known throughout the country as one of the best.

Okay.

And if you would just give us your your name for the record.

My name's Jeff Carney.

I'm the executive director at 3404 Amnicola.

Right next to the new liquor store.

Okay.

Well, thank you very much.

We look forward to the conversation.

Yes, sir.

Council, that concludes the business in front of us this evening.

Move to approve.

I mean, move to all in favor.

All right.