Council.

And recognize Councilman Henderson to lead us in our Pledge of Allegiance and invocation.

To the flag of the United States of America.

And to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation.

Under God.

Indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

During this election season, I want to read from Daniel 221 and just remind us who's really in control.

And he changes the times and the seasons.

He removes kings and raises up kings.

He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.

Let's bow in prayer.

God, we thank you that you are in control of our lives of our country.

God, we just pray that your hand would be in everything that we do here this afternoon.

In your name we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, Councilman.

And as we get started this afternoon, I'd like to just remember and honor the memory memory of Kathy Papoy, who is a longtime and beloved member of our city attorney's uh staff who passed away recently and her services were today.

And so if you would please just join me in a moment of silence in her memory.

Thank you.

So welcome everyone to our city council meeting this afternoon.

I just want to remind everyone on the front end to please silence or turn off your cell phones so that we don't have any interruptions this afternoon.

And for those who may be new to council, I'll just give kind of an overview of how our meetings run.

So we kind of do things in two parts.

The first part of our meeting is uh called our agenda session, uh, which is when we'll have um from time to time some special presentations and uh committee or department reports.

That's also a time for council to go through um our agenda for this evening and for next week, and then looking ahead um for things coming on our agenda three weeks or more in the future.

Um, and that's a time for council to ask questions or make comments about any of those items.

Um, and so we'll do all of that in the first half of our meeting, and then we'll take a recess um where we normally have uh a meeting with our uh city attorney, which we will have today to cover a few items, and so we'll recess for a period of time and then come back for the business portion of our meeting, which is where we'll vote on all the items on our agenda for this evening.

Um at the very end of that business uh portion of our meeting at the end, there will be a time for public comment, and at that time we're happy to hear from any members of the public who are here and would like to wit uh address the council uh when the time comes for that.

We'll just ask you to line up at the podium down front here and we'll have some rules to read uh before that period.

Um so with that, we don't have any special presentations this evening.

Um so council, could I get a motion on the minutes from our last meeting?

So move.

All right, we do have a motion properly seconded on the meetings from our July 7th meeting, and those minutes will stand as published.

Um council, if you would look with me at the agenda for uh this week's tonight's meeting.

We do have a few items, ordinances on final reading, and please just as we go along, hit your lights if you have any questions or comments.

We also have some ordinances on first reading, including a few planning items for which we'll have a public hearing if necessary.

Councilwoman Noel, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I will it is my intention to defer item number 2026 006 until August 4th.

Okay, and that's item F on page three.

Is that right?

Yes, okay.

You said August 4th.

Yes.

Okay.

Okay.

Thank you.

Is that all?

Thank you.

Yes.

Okay.

Any other questions or comments on ordinances on tonight's agenda, Council?

We do have a handful of resolutions as well.

Any questions or comments on resolutions?

I will note on the um on resolution 9B on page four.

Um, the one regarding Parks and Outdoors Day.

We do have David Johnson, our new parks and outdoors administrator who will have a few words after we vote on that resolution.

Uh so we'll recognize him at that time.

Councilman Clark, your record.

Thanks, Chairman Davis.

I do have comment under resolutions under economic development regarding the uh memorandum of understanding with the Helmut County Department of Education regarding opportunity high at the Chris Ramsey Center in my district.

And I just want to say how exciting that is uh for that to be uh a hub of workforce development of young people who cannot attend classrooms or attend the traditional classroom um learning environment.

And this has been ongoing in our district for quite some about a couple years now.

Um and so kudos to uh the Department of Economic Development and Community Development uh for welcoming that cohort of individuals in our district uh that gives young people an opportunity to finish their high school diploma.

Um so that's something we should be proud of as a city that we are partnered with them in doing that.

So I didn't want that to just go um unrecognized as a memorandum of understanding, but to understand the impact um that affording additional educational opportunities for people in our city spaces and how important that is, especially in a time when we're seeing a tremendous amount of youth violence and death in the Brainerd uh high school educational corridor.

Um so this is very very important uh to the public.

Um, and I just want to note that that are very fortunate for those of you, uh Kevin and Darren who have worked on that memorandum of understanding to make sure they stay in my district and at that center.

So that's all.

Thank you, uh Mr.

Chair.

Okay.

Council, are there any other questions or comments on any items on tonight's agenda?

Uh one other.

Oh, yes.

Uh, this is regarding the resolution for the comprehensive safety action plan for road safety and the city of Chattanooga, the zero tolerance, the zero tolerance policy.

Have you all had a chance to review that or has it been sent to us?

I cannot remember.

Yes, okay.

Yeah, and we had a presentation on it last week of leave as well.

Awesome.

I'm getting it confused with a dashboard.

Sorry.

Okay, all right, thank you.

Okay.

All right, council.

Let's look then at next week's agenda.

And hit your lights as we go through here.

Um, our ordinances tonight will be on for final reading next week.

And we do have one ordinance on first reading next week.

And then we have also some resolutions.

Any questions or comments on any of those items?

I actually have a whole lot of resolutions for board appointments.

So all right.

Well, I don't see any lights here.

So we will take a look then at our purchasing items that are presented to us for this evening.

We do have four items presented for approval.

Are there any questions or comments on those items, council?

Councilwoman Hill, you're recognized.

Thank you very much, Mr.

Chair.

The first item, um, the Chattanooga transfer item related to um increased construction material being transported.

I'd like to better understand that.

Um, is it pick up at the street?

Is that we've got more people taking to our recycle centers dump spots?

Is it our city created construction material being transported?

Is there an income stream associated with this on the other side?

I just want to understand what we're really talking about here.

We have Way and Hines joining us at the podium.

Good evening.

We have noticed an increase in the construction material, but I'll need to get you more details to give you the specifics you're asking for.

Okay, because this is uh this is an additional 750,000.

I've been hearing how we've got more usage of our brush pickup, for example, um, and our bulky trash pickup.

But construction material is you know, that's a little bit of a red flag if we've got people taking advantage of something that should be put in a dumpster.

Um, so if we could have that information before our voting uh session, thank you very much.

That's all, Mr.

Chair.

Okay.

Any other questions or comments on the purchasing items on tonight's agenda, Council?

All right, seeing none, let's look at future considerations and please hit your lights if you have any questions or comments.

Councilwoman Dotley, you're recognized.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Chair.

On the public works, uh item, I believe it's item four, uh which is referencing uh clo closing and abandoning the an unopened alleyway as a mandatory referral.

Uh can I get more information on that?

Is recommended for denial by planning.

Um I don't believe I don't recall us were covering it, uh covering this in our planning committee and is on the agenda before our next planning committee, I believe.

So can I have just some general information about that one?

Uh, if y'all don't mind.

And I could just get that app, you know, just send it to me.

I just wanted to note that because I may need to move that one.

Sure.

Okay.

So thank you so much, Mr.

Chair.

I appreciate that.

Thank you, administration.

Okay.

Yeah, thank you.

Councilman Clark, you're recognized.

Yes, this is in regards to future consideration items.

I guess eight.

It's the federal funding totaling 3.5 million that's been directed to the Broad Street Improvement Project, and there's a local match of 875,000.

Can someone give an update?

Um I'm not familiar with what that how what's ongoing with that project and what that match would go towards.

Sure.

So uh thank you, Councilman Kevin Roy, Chief of Staff.

I I do have uh an update.

We were going to pull that one back for one more week to finalize a one pager that I wanted to distribute before we actually talked about it here.

But in in brief, we um we went and sought and were successful to obtain a federal earmark congressionally directed spending for the reimagining broad street project a few years ago.

We are approaching the the deadline by which the city needs to actually obligate that funding.

There were some rules in place that are in rule in general for these types of federal grants that require full funding for the entire project.

The reimagining broad street project runs from aquarium way all the way to MLK, and the total cost for the project is in excess of 20 million dollars, probably at this point.

We don't have that funding for the full project identified at this juncture.

And so we basically had to pivot our strategy.

Uh, we didn't want to lose that funding.

And so this uh resolution is going to be uh you guys basically approving of that rework strategy.

But again, I wanted to to have it in writing for you guys.

I apologize that it's on there today, but if if you could give me another week, we will get that in writing to you guys to see.

Well, since we're gonna have some additional questions, okay.

Um, one of those questions is in the reimagined, so it's from the aquarium way to MLK, but not any projects developed on Martin Luther King Boulevard.

Is that correct?

That is correct.

Um contemplates Broad Street only from Aquarium Way to NLK.

So the $875,000, what economic development fund is that coming from?

I do not know the answer to that, but I can find out for you.

It's a match.

Yeah, and I just don't know the specific source for that match, but I presume that there's a dedicated account for it.

Yes.

So we we the money is sitting in uh capital projects fund that we've put.

If it's on our future considerations for consideration, then in it's gonna be for question.

I would assume that you all would know what they're what cost center is coming from.

Yes.

Uh and and I think the future considerations, it has the specific project number C 1055 one, something along those lines, which is a specific project set up for this reimagining broad street that since as Kevin mentioned, we we've known that it was coming, we've put some money aside to that uh that will help cover that match.

That since, as Kevin mentioned, we we've known that it was coming, we've put some money aside to that uh that will help cover that match.

Got it.

Yeah.

I just don't remember saying it listed as a capital project when we approve the budget.

That that money was set aside in that project that particular project, just knowing that we were gonna have to match it at some point.

Cool.

Yep.

I'd like to learn more about the specifics of the project.

And I and I know I understand that this was some allocations from two years back, but I like to understand a little bit more as far as how we carry over money into what fund balance.

So I I no offense, a Weston, I don't know what that cost center is by number.

I don't think any of us do.

Um I appreciate it.

I think that was a request of Vice Chairman Elliott to associate those cost centers to these line items.

That's perfectly fine, but I like to know the name of it as well.

Sure.

Just to clarify, absolutely, we we should we should uh uh have information readily available for things on future considerations.

I I thought that we had some internal confusion, and I did not think that the printed version of future considerations that you have would contain that item.

So I I you one thing about you, Kevin, you're a very forthcoming information, uh, especially when it's in writing.

Uh, but I'm also watching downtown funds development like a hawk.

Um, and you know, some of us are concerned about the disproportionate funding or even the funding levels of sometimes what goes into our downtown in relation to other parts of the city.

And so I was just curious about where we found $875,000 and where it was carried over from.

Got it.

So, but I support this.

Sure, but I think for general public knowledge, I think we should know the specifics of a project that we've had on the books, I guess, for the last two years.

Absolutely.

All right, thank you.

Is that all, Councilman?

Uh yes, Mr.

Chair, that is it.

Okay.

Council, are there any other questions or comments on future considerations?

Okay.

Seeing none, we do have um committee meeting today.

Before we do that, though, I do want to recognize Erica Collins, who is our newly hired uh chief human resources officer, who is here today, I believe, for your first council meeting since you've started.

I know you were here when you were appointed, but just wanted to welcome you today.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

Yes.

All right.

And with that, I will turn over the chair here to Councilwoman Hill, lead us in our economic development committee meeting.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

I'd like to call our economic development committee to order.

Can I get a minute, uh motion on the minutes, please?

Well moved, sir.

Thank you.

The minutes will stand as recorded.

Okay, council.

Today we have one item to uh receive a presentation on.

Um the economic development department has been working for several months on a neighborhood retail corridor program.

Um I think connected to uh what Councilman Clark just mentioned.

Um, I want to point out to everyone that this is a program that does not include our downtown core.

Um this is expressly for other corridors of our community that are in need of revitalization.

So I'd like to welcome Winston Brooks to the podium.

Um he has a presentation for us, and then we will open the floor for questions afterward.

Welcome to thank you.

It's a great day to be in Chattanooga.

And uh good afternoon.

I'm Winston Brooks, Director of Economic Development and Entrepreneurship.

So pleasure to be before you today to launch the Chattanooga Commercial Corridor Revitalization Grant Program.

And before we dive into the details, I want to clarify a key point as Chair Member Hill just clarified.

This program is distinct from the River City Company CNX City Storefronts initiative, which is strictly focused on downtown.

Our program targets the other vital commercial corridors throughout our city that the economic development team has been identifying and assessing.

A corridor strategy was identified three years ago, and last year this body authorized 1.3 million dollars to the industrial development board to make this happen.

And today we're ready to begin deploying those funds directly to our small businesses.

This effort is a true team sport.

Uh, we could not do this without city council, the IDB, internal departments, and external organizations.

I'm grateful for all of their cooperation.

And I want to recognize our partners who are here with us tonight.

Lynn Chestnut.

He's the executive director of the Tennessee Small Business Development Center.

Lynn's team does the heavy lifting when it comes to small business technical assistance.

And I also want to thank Emily Porter, which our business development specialist from the Southeast Tennessee Development District, who unfortunately had a last minute conflict but remains an invaluable administrative partner.

Our commercial corridors are the gateways to Chattanooga's neighborhoods, well kept storefronts, stabilize neighborhoods, protect local tax revenues, and directly advance our one Chattanooga goals of economic vitality and responsive government.

Today we'll quickly walk through the data that drove this program, give you an overview of the grant tiers, explain eligibility, and preview our brand new application pipeline.

So we didn't design this program in a vacuum.

It's heavily backed by data, specifically the 2023 HRA study, economic development in Chattanooga, explicitly recommended that we activate our commercial corridors as the fastest way to support local entrepreneurs and build local neighborhood wealth.

So with that roadmap in hand, we are ready to help merchants breathe new life into their properties.

So the four grant tiers.

So the first one is signage and security cameras grant up to five thousand dollars.

And this covers updated exterior signage and places cameras that sync directly with the CPD's Dragonfly Network to boost public safety.

The next level is facade improvements, up to $10,000 for street facing structural cosmetic updates like windows, doors, and lighting.

The next was the next one is storefront activation up to $25,000, specifically designed to fill vacancies.

It uses a formula of $10 per square foot to get new businesses into empty spaces.

And then the next uh level is the business retention, which is up to $50,000, our highest tier, using a $15 per square foot formula to help our existing legacy merchants grow and expand right where they are.

The top tiers require more rigorous planning from the applicant because we want to ensure taxpayer dollars are invested wisely.

Once an applicant consults with our department and gets approved, they have a strict nine-month window to finish the project.

So every project will be evaluated on four clear standards.

Uh, location on identified corridors that have blight and vacancies.

Uh, street activation, uh, projects must visibly improve the public-facing facades.

Design standards, it must comply with city codes and use quality lasting materials and community impact.

So it must address an unmet neighborhood need or support overall corridor growth, and we encourage neighborhood association support.

And this is a map of um the priority corridors that we're looking at, and those green dots represent the center points of the corridors.

And then we can also drill down into more granular level detail to show you how this data is being used parcel by parcel, like this is the Glass Street corridor, and we know exactly which properties qualify.

However, to protect funds, we also have a strict guardwell guardrails on what we will not fund.

So, to be clear, certain properties and uses are explicitly explicitly ineligible.

We will not fund tax exempt properties, buildings and receivership, home-based businesses.

Additionally, grant funds cannot be used for national franchises, religious assemblies, fixed routine maintenance, or outstanding building code violations.

It also cannot be used to repair something that would be covered under insurance.

And then we want to make sure that everybody has a chance to use this funding.

So if you've received funding, you have to wait 12 months before you can apply again.

On slide 10, this is a really exciting.

We have a new economic development portal, so I'm pleased to announce that we are moving away from tracking these projects on manual spreadsheets.

Our new appreciate that.

Our new economic development portal, Civic Serve, will be live very soon.

Civic Serve will centralize our data, projects, and people into one secure digital hub through this portal.

Chattanooga businesses can seamlessly apply for grants, loans, other incentives like TIFFs and Pilots, track their application status in real time, and communicate directly with our team.

And then we also will have a partnership with the Southeast Tennessee Development District for administration.

We've used this model several times in other successful programs.

So once live, the Southeast Tennessee Development District will handle the third-party administration to keep the pipeline moving slowly.

So, what type of information are we looking at and to receive from the applicant to apply for this program?

And our checklist ensures accountability.

We're requiring itemized quotes from three independent licensed contractors, professional renderings, and an active city business license as well as other requirements.

So this program is about execution, holding investments to high standards, revitalizing revitalizing our neighborhoods that our families call home.

And thank you, and I'm happy to take any questions.

Thank you, Winston.

We do have a question on the board.

Vice Chair Elliott.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

Winston, thank you for this work.

And um, I know we've been working on this for some time.

Has this been approved by legal?

So it will be approved by legal before it goes out the door, yes, sir.

Okay.

When do we anticipating that?

Uh and so I plan to take it to the IDB in September.

Okay, but our legal department's already approved it.

Our legal department will approve it before it goes out the door.

I've seen it, yes.

Okay.

Um can you explain exactly how the funds are directly dispersed?

You know, sometimes we have these programs where business owners have to um be reimbursed.

Can you just make sure that's clarified for the public as a whole?

Sure.

Um Councilmember Elliott, that's a great question.

So based on um discussions and feedback that we received through developing this process, we felt like uh to have reimbursement barriers was not the best practice for these corridors that are in dire need of um development and uh revitalization.

So this is 100% grant money.

Okay, great.

Um, and I think that is all for now.

Any other questions I have, I'll reach off offline.

Okay.

Councilman Harvey.

Thank you, madam chair.

Um appreciate what you do.

Thank you.

Thanks for your work.

Um, this is important uh in taking, like you said, some of the blighted areas and areas where we can put some improvement and help businesses uh thrive there.

That's what we want uh in our city.

Um question when it comes to to the grants, where where do those dollar amounts come from?

Do we is that from like the general fund or is that through a partnership with the state?

Like, tell me where those grants come from.

Sure.

So um last fiscal year um the city council authorized 1.3 million dollars to be transferred to the IDB, and it's sitting in the renewing Chattanooga uh account at the IDB now.

Very good.

Okay.

And I apologize.

Um I thought I had a slide up here on the budget of let's back up for a second.

Sorry, uh, if you will um grant me a little bit of a waiver.

Uh this is the budget projection here, and again, this uh money is sitting in the IDB account, renewing Chattanooga.

So we if we anticipate 15 signed grants, it would um it'll be $37,000.

And you can look, I won't read this through here, but you can look at um what I think the projection will be as soon as we begin to market and announce this program with um the larger amount, five business retention ones at 250,000, a set D fee of uh $32,000 to administer.

So they're going to help us uh administer um uh monitor and then also write the checks, cut the checks to them, and then we will be using uh direct mail to market directly to the corridors, and we plan on sending uh information directly to the business and the property owner.

Very good.

Council, I'd like to add uh on this slide the 10 vacant sites, these are not um pop-up kind of grants the way that sometimes we'll see in our downtown corridor where there would be an art installation or something.

This is actually for a business to move into a site that is already vacant.

And the business retention grants are also something that um you might be interested to look into a little bit more.

Those are the larger grants, um, a max of $50,000, and they are for businesses that already exist that have been doing the the hard work of being in some of these um corridors that are a little more difficult to run a business on and encouraging them to grow their businesses and beautify their businesses.

Okay, we've got councilman Clark.

Uh thank you.

Councilwoman Hill.

Uh, could you go back to the previous slide where it shows the graphics?

Um keep going, please.

Thank you.

Oh, the overview.

There we go.

Uh quick question.

I think councilwoman heel may have just answered the question regarding the business retention funding.

Are there restrictions on like the age of the business?

But are there restrictions on like how much money they should bring in or what they're you know, what are some of the qualifications for that, like or restrictions that would disqualify business and existing business from accessing that type of money?

Sure.

Great question.

So the restrictions are uh built into the application.

So at that level of business retention, um, they uh will have to um meet with uh our um a counselor at the Tennessee Small Business Development Center, development business plans, provide financials, um, and if it's a new business, they have to provide you know uh projections because they wouldn't have that.

But there's no aids them.

Obviously, we want to uh incentivize those businesses uh that's council member Hill said that have been there uh all along and and give them uh assistance to to expand or grow their business.

If it's a um a business that's in a location that's new, we we'll work with them as well.

But we are trying to reduce those um barriers to again but to um stabilize these neighborhoods, and so um the the you know, as long as they're not an ineligible business or an ineligible use, we're going to work with um the property owner um and the business to to make sure that we can that's and chairwoman heal may I ask one more question, please.

I think that's what I wanted to hear that word barrier because when I look at some of these corridors, I think about historic African American businesses that may not have access to this type of capital.

Yes, sir.

And I guess my question to you would be what type of consideration is given to different minority groups, veterans, women, African Americans who have issues or barriers of access to capital.

Um would that be something to be considered and preserving?

Because you know, I'm into historic preservations, and you've got the historic ML King district, uh, which is registered as a historic district uh by the US government.

What are some ways that we are taking that into consideration when we think about those left out minority groups who typically historically do not have access to those capitals because most of the districts, and if you can go back to that your slide where it shows these the district overlays, um has little green dots, go back there.

You know, all of those green dots, two of which are in my district, actually.

I know councilman Elliott will probably debate me on the green dot between Brandon Road and Tom Boulevard, but either way, still in my district.

Uh those are some very economically depressed areas that's prime primarily uh comprised of African American residents.

What type of consideration or deference are we giving to that different population group to ensure that there's equity and distribution of these funds?

And if that is that something that you would take recommendations from the council on.

Well, uh of course I would take any recommendation from the council, and I'm I'm willing to look at that.

Uh right now, uh, the barrier, I mean the the application uh is requiring financial data, and they're they're not looking at any of that other uh demographic data to take into consideration.

So what we want to do is uh we've tried to identify um the areas that need revitalization, have vacancies that have blight, and then we've really reduced most of the barriers except for I mean 25,000, 50,000.

That's a lot of money.

So we want to make sure that we partner with people who can do the project and get the money invested into the corridor.

So in terms of adding any other types of uh requirements, we would need to take a look at that on the other hand.

I just don't want people left out that live in my in that live in that community.

I don't know how the simple way to say that.

Yes, it's to make sure that inclusivity.

I know we've tried to erase that language out of our ideology and lexicon of public policy, but on this council, we take that, I take that very serious.

That inclusivity with women, veterans and African Americans in these areas are included.

And oftentimes when we start looking at financial data, like, oh, you gotta make sure you bring in 20 million dollars of in of revenue to qualify for this.

So I'm having this conversation in advance as an expectation that you know, we would like for whatever entryway for access to these types of funding to make sure that it is uh commensurate to the type of neighborhoods you're looking to serve, meaning don't leave brown people out.

Yes, sir.

Or I will not vote for it.

Go ahead, sorry.

Councilman, council had to that when they work with us, they register with us and we can we can track all that uh demographic information to provide uh to people who who do reply so that we know which different uh ethnicities, uh women, veteran, whatever.

We track all that we're required to.

I'm with the Tennessee Small Business Development Center.

So we're we're a technical assistant provider.

I work with Councilman Elliott in his area, and that's why we're partnering so that we can help with that lift to make sure that um you all know who has applied.

Uh, and then we try to work with him on the front end, and then we work with them after to make sure that these money they use these money most wisely and then help them get beyond.

So that helps.

Okay, thank you.

Council, do we have any other questions?

Looks like the board is quiet.

Thank you very much.

Well, Mr.

Chair, when would you like to return?

Okay, we will recess until four forty five, and we do have a client uh attorney meeting, please, counsel.

We are back in session.

Madam Clerk, if you would please read item 7A.

An ordinance granting onto pipe properties, LLC of 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 associated associated infrastructure shown on the plans attached here to and made a part here of by reference subject to certain conditions.

Second.

Council, we 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.

Item 7B, please, Madam Clerk.

An ordinance amending Chattanooga City Code, part two, chapter 10, buildings, article three, technology and credit card fees, section 1031A through E.

Second.

Council, we 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.

And then item 7C, please, Madam Clerk.

An ordinance closing and abandoning an eight-inch PVC sanitary sewer main and subject easement located in the 6400 block of Middle Valley Road, beginning zero feet from manhold number S1091 M611 and ending at zero feet from manhole number 091 M050 for a total of 103 linear feet on tax map number 091 MC008, subject to continuity of flow for an existing service lines serving other properties.

Council, we have a motion properly seconded on this item.

Are there any questions or comments before we vote?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And the ordinance passes on final reading.

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

In ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, part two, chapter 38 zoning ordinance, so it's the reason property located at 518 East Manning Street from RN15 residential neighborhood zone to TRN3, traditional residential neighborhood zone, subject to certain conditions.

And this is planning item 2026-0086.

Is the applicant present?

Okay.

Is there any opposition present?

I don't see any opposition.

Um councilwoman Hill, this is in your district.

Second.

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

Are there any questions or comments before we vote?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And the ordinance passes on first reading.

Item 8B, please, Madam Clerk.

In ordinance to amend Chattanooga City Code, part two, chapter 38 zoning ordinance so as to rezon property located at 6340 Middle Valley Road from RN2 residential neighborhood zone to RN3 residential neighborhood zone, subject to certain conditions.

And this is planning item 2026-0084.

Is the applicant present?

Okay.

And is there any opposition present?

Okay.

I don't see any opposition.

Yes.

Yes, please.

Second.

All right.

Thank you.

We do have a motion properly seconded on this item.

Um are there any questions or comments, council?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And ordinance passes on first reading.

And then item 8C, please, Madam Clerk.

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

So as to reason part of property located at 3714 St.

Elmo Avenue and a property located at 3717 Tennessee Avenue from CC Commercial Corridor Zone and RN15 Residential Neighborhood Zone to IMU Industrial Mixed Use Zone.

And this is planning item 2026-0080.

Is the applicant present?

Okay.

Is there any opposition present?

All right.

Councilwoman Dotley, I don't see any opposition.

You're recognized.

Thank you so much, Mr.

Chair.

I move to approve.

Okay.

Second.

All right, Council.

We do have a motion properly seconded on this item.

Are there any questions or comments before we vote?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

An ordinance passes on first reading.

So item 8D, please, Madam Clerk.

And ordinance closing and abandoning a portion of an honorable on open alley in the 300 block of chamber street as detailed on the attached maps subject conditions.

Move to accrue.

Council, we don't have a motion properly seconded on this ordinance.

Are there any questions or comments?

All in favor?

Any opposed?

And ordinance passes on first reading.

Item 8E, please, Madam Clerk.

Andorne is closing and abandoning part of the unopened 6,000 block of the pre-roll as detailed on the attached maps subject conditions.

Move to approve the conditions.

All right, council.

We do have a motion properly seconded on this item.

Are there any questions or comments before we vote?

All in favor?

Any opposed?

And ordinance passes on first reading.

And item 8F, please, Madam Clerk.

An ordinance closing and abandoning a portion of the unopened right-of-way in the 3600 block of Divine Avenue plus two adjacent alleys as detailed on the attached maps subject to certain conditions.

Councilwoman Noel, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Uh I have a motion to defer until August the 4th.

All right, Council, we do have a motion properly seconded to defer this item until our August 4th meeting.

Are there any questions or comments before we vote?

All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed?

And this item be deferred until August 4th.

Yes, ma'am.

Item 9A, please, Madam Clerk.

A resolution authorizing the administrative for the Department of Economic Development to enter into a memorandum of understanding renewal agreement with the Hamilton County Department of Education and substantially the form attached to extend the term for an additional year beginning on May 23, 2026, and ending on May 22nd, 2027, with no monetary compensation by either party for the continued use of space at the Chris L.

Ramsey Senior Community Center for Opportunity High and Alternative Education Path for Students in Hamilton County.

Motion to approve.

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.

And item nine B, please.

A resolution request to make the third Friday in July Parks and Outdoors Day, July 17, 2026, following the national trend for this day as observance.

We approved.

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.

And at this time, I'd like to take a minute for David Johnson, our parks administrator, to make a few comments about this resolution.

Thank you, Council.

Appreciate it.

Let me put on my jacket just so nice.

We do dress up for you.

I'm honored to be here today.

Um, thank you for that.

Uh very intensive deliberation over Parks and Outdoors Day.

It's important for our city.

As you know, parks and outdoors is a critical part of what makes Chattanooga Chinooga.

And I'm joined here by a wonderful group of people, some of whom serve on our Parks and Outdoors Advisory Committee, including uh Miss Linda and Megan and Bob and Miss Zelma.

So we have four of our volunteers who lead that commission, and we appreciate their service.

They help keep us grounded.

They tell us our blind spots, they tell us things that we miss.

And I'm also joined today by our wonderful staff.

We have Gail, Jason, Greta, and Joanne, and previously we did have Morgan, who many of you know.

These are the people that every day do the wonderful work.

Um, I would love to take credit for some of that, and I can't.

They're they're spectacular.

I have been part of the parks and outdoors um community for almost 16 years.

Um, and so I I thought I had a good understanding of all the great work we do, and I was wrong.

Um, we do more, much more than I ever expected.

Um, many of you get our semi-annual activity guides, and you see all the great work that we do uh in each of your communities.

Um, we're the things that make your community special.

We hope you have the opportunity um to come and join us.

Um we have a lot of different divisions.

We do a lot of different activities.

We partner with a lot of different groups.

Um, I want to encourage each of you on Friday, if you can go out, experience a park space, maybe one you haven't been to.

We would love to go with you.

We'd love to introduce you to some of these spaces that we're familiar with that you might not be.

We'd love to invite you to programs we offer through the activity guide or ones you see on our social media.

Actually, this Thursday, we have our end of summer camp celebration at Warner Park.

It's Thursday morning.

If you're available, please stop by and you'll see the kids, the families who are impacted by our work who benefit from it.

That's in partnership with a lot of different organizations and agencies that I won't be able to list today.

To not do a presentation.

These were pulled together based on thank you.

We appreciate it.

These are just highlights from some of our work in spring and early summer.

And it talks about our impact on the Chattanooga community.

In the last three months, we hosted over 700 youth in city basketball leagues.

Many of those leagues are low or no cost to participants, which makes it as easy for you to participate as possible.

That's the service we provide to many of our youth.

Our golf courses had a record year last year.

They generated over three million dollars in revenue, and for the most part, they operate within that budget.

So they are typically low or no cost to the public.

We want as many people as possible to participate.

We want them to make those barriers as low as possible.

We can do we conducted cross-training with the forestry team at Warner Park in Chattanooga State.

Um and we added over 200 plants at Southside Community Park in District 7.

Um, one that I've worked on previously, one that the community advocated for, and we're continuing to invest in it.

And our volunteers gave us over 1,200 hours of their time during this period.

So those are things that they they perform activities that we are not able to accomplish.

They add quality, they plant, they clean up, they do many of the things that we rely on to make our perk system great.

That's just a few of the highlights.

I encourage you to look through these handouts.

If you have questions, please let me know.

Let our staff know.

We have um just so much experience here, and we are always looking to do more activities.

Um I came in.

I was amazed at all the new things, all the activities that we're asked to do, and the willingness of our staff to take those on and to do more for the public.

Um, it's typically not a question of can we do it?

It's how do we figure out what resources we need to do it?

So I'd love to keep working with you to make sure that we're investing in our park spaces, our recreation programs.

We're uh we hope to be great partner with you.

Do you have any questions?

I don't see any getting off easy tonight.

So thank you for them for you.

Thank you.

I appreciate it.

Um, and I appreciate your time.

Yes, sir.

Spoke too soon.

We have Councilman Harden.

No, no question, just on uh on behalf of myself as the uh public works and parks and outdoors chairman committee.

Um, thank you all for for what you do and to make Chad Noga and keep Chet Nica beautiful.

Um love enjoying our parks and uh excited to get another one in my district.

So um just congratulations.

Um look forward to celebrating this wonderful day with you all and uh thank you for your for your work and what you do.

Thank you.

That's all, Mr.

Chairman.

Okay.

Back to our regularly scheduled programming here with item nine C, please, Madam Clerk.

Resolution to adopt the comprehensive safety action plan, CSAP for role safety in the City of Chattanooga and a vision zero policy to reduce serious injury and or fatal crashes on or before 2050.

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, and that takes us to purchases.

Um do we have tonight for purchases?

We had Weston earlier, but I guess you left us.

Good evening, council.

Earlier, you asked a great but very specific set of questions on the initial purchase that I cannot adequately answer tonight.

So I would like to request to pull that purchase this evening until I can fully answer those questions.

Okay.

That's it first.

Okay.

Brian Smart, I'm gonna be reading the remainder of the purchases into the minutes.

We have three.

It's for additional lime kiln dust needed through September of this year.

Wastewater also is seeking council approval for a name change from NCO to Answer Net so that we can pay those bills.

ENCO was the company who does our billing for our sewer system.

And then the library has got a one-year contract they'd like approved with four additional one-year renewals to spend one million dollars.

There are five vendors listed, children, children's plus, fold it content solutions, Ingram Library Services, Library Ideas, and Midwest tape.

And this one million dollars is for uh reading material and audio visual material for the patrons.

Okay, approved.

Second just a point of order, Council.

I think what we need is a motion to amend the purchases to remove that first one.

Umend I'll make a motion to remove the public works item from the spreadsheet.

Okay.

So all right, council do have a motion properly seconded to remove that first item on our purchasing list this evening, which is a public works item.

Um any questions or comments about that motion.

All in favor, aye, any opposed?

Okay.

All right, we do have a motion properly seconded to approve the purchases as amended.

Um any questions or comments before we vote.

All in favor?

Aye, any opposed, and the purchases are approved.

We'll go around the dice now for committee reports.

We'll start with councilman Henderson.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

So uh our FY27 budget is in the books.

Uh, and I want to thank the administration and this council uh again for a smooth process and a unanimous passage.

We do have a few loose items that we need to address regarding the 27 budget.

Take your time.

No problem.

Chip does it all.

Yeah, it happens to me all the time, so I I sympathize with you.

I sympathize with you.

Uh all right.

Uh there are there are a couple uh loose ends that we need to address uh through the remainder of the year.

Uh first of all, the administration met with the 911 this week and will continue working in uh partnership with the emergency communication district and hopefully find a path to improve wage competitiveness for our 911 uh telecommunicators.

Uh we also expect to see a resolution uh soon that will reallocate $35,000 of available ARPA dollars for Arts build uh to make good on the commitment to bring Arts build total funding for FY27 uh to parity with uh FY26.

Uh also I'm working with the uh administration on two additional items that we will address later on in the year.

One will be a $250,000 one-time allocation for Chattanooga's PBS affiliate station, WTCI, to help uh create a legacy fund to help close a congressionally induced uh budget shortfall.

Uh and then finally, I'm working with the administration to provide a holiday bonus for all of our employees on top of the three percent pay increase that we were able to provide in this year's budget.

So that's my committee report.

Okay.

Thank you, councilman.

Councilwoman Hill.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

We had an economic development committee meeting today uh where we received a report on the way that the neighborhood retail corridor program will roll out.

Um so the public can be looking for that.

Also, I just like to take uh a moment of privilege to thank Ethan Collier, who for many years was the chairperson of the Chattanooga Regional Planning Committee.

Sorry, Regional Commission.

The planning commission, on which I sat and um and while he was chair.

Ethan Collier served on the planning commission for 12 years and was chairperson for many of those years.

And that public service requires an extraordinary amount of time and puts every one of those volunteers under a great deal of scrutiny and stress.

And I just want to say thank you very much to Ethan for his service and his leadership in our community.

He has uh been a person who consistently uh within his business has been willing to think creatively about problem solving, um, whether it's becoming the first uh residential builder in our area to figure out brownfield development for residential, um, to considering different ways to produce partnerships to build multifamily affordable housing in neighborhoods that otherwise would have have no affordable housing, um, and and that would be um you know potentially a dentrifier in a neighborhood.

I believe that he um is guided by um by the principle of loving one's neighbor, and he certainly loved the city of Chattanooga and Hamilton County as a whole through his service on the count on the uh planning body.

So thank you all.

That's all councilman Harvey.

Chairman, um, we are celebrating on the third Friday of July, now Parks and Outdoors Day.

Um, so excited to uh celebrate that with our parks folks, and again, thank you for what you do.

I do want to recognize Linda Moss Mines in the uh audience, my friend.

And if you've been in Chattanooga a while, then you know she is a dignitary.

Uh she is a celebrity and she is our official city of Chattanooga and Hill and County historian.

And she does many things, but uh glad to see you out about in uh here with us this evening.

So thanks for being here.

Yep.

All right, Councilman Clerk.

Thank you, Chairman Davies.

I too want to take no committee report, but I want to take some time for personal privilege to echo some of what Councilman Harvey has mentioned because today, if you guys drive past uh Macaulay Avenue, the medical arts builder, which was designed by historic uh architect R.

Hunt, is being demolished.

And I know that breaks your heart uh like it does for many of us who are on this journey through historic preservation.

So I just wanted to acknowledge your presence here today.

Um and knowing and also announcing that we did I did have a meeting today with Casey Klein.

Uh this council had a strategic planning meeting and a preservation town hall that you participated in as we figure out how to preserve buildings like that that are not being torn down as part of our history um and our heritage as a city amongst all of the urban renewal that's happening around us.

So I don't know.

I see the attorney informed me that you serve on the state historic board.

So we'll need you.

Um so thank you for your service um to the city.

Uh today my heart does break to see another historic structure that was designed by R.

H.

Hunt to be um demolished.

So anyway, I also have an announcement to make going back to parks and outdoors.

Thank you to our wonderful uh newly appointed um administrator uh David Johnson, who's joined by his team, his admin Joanne and Greta Hayes, um director of sports and recreations, somebody else.

I like an acknowledging all the staff when they're here because I don't get to see you guys on a daily basis, but uh the Brenner Golf Course uh that was built in 1926 again, historic preservation, it probably should be on the list, Linda.

Um is celebrating 100 years, which is located in my district um off Old Mission Road, which was designed thanks to David Telling, and I did not know this, was designed by the renowned golf course architect uh Donald Ross, who designed the nearby Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.

So all of you country club goers who want to spend all of that money to go over across the river in Virginia Hills district.

You can come to my district.

You can come to my district and golf at a substantially lower price with a golf course that's maintained and owned by the city of Chattanooga and our wonderful parks and outdoors department.

So kudos to all of you all who are preserving our parks and outdoor spaces and for historic preservation.

Oh, this is something that has become dear and near to my heart.

And I think Linda and David and Grandma, all of you all who inspire this council through a policy perspective on how to do that.

So anyway, I just want to take that personal privilege to make those acknowledgements while y'all are here, and thank you for helping us celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the golf course.

All right, thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Very good.

Councilwoman North.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Don't have a requirement, right?

Happy birthday to Deputy Chief Electro.

Am I correct?

Well, happy birthday to you.

Yes.

Um, your present here on this dice is greatly missed.

Yes, but anyway, we still have you, so enjoy your day.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Yes, mm-hmm.

Thank you.

I'm enjoying it.

Happy birthday to you.

Happy birthday.

Happy birthday today.

Councilwoman Duck.

No report.

Councilwoman Burns.

And Vice Chair Elliott.

Uh, thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Uh oh, I don't know.

Um, since we've been here, uh, Spain has made it into the World Cup.

Hey, right.

We're gonna be proud whole city of uh the World Cup winner this year.

So English.

They made it to the World Cup.

They made it to the World Cup.

The final, the final.

Yeah, they just beat France.

They beat France because they weren't Chatterer.

That's what they come on.

Yes, they made it to the World Cup.

Oh, that's it.

Okay.

Thank you for that sports interrupted.

We are now to that portion of the meeting where we're happy to hear from members of the public who are here to address the council.

And so if you're here for that purpose, please line up at the podium down front here while our attorney reads the rules, and we just ask that you listen and abide by those rules.

Yes, sir.

And at the end of each business business meeting by the council, the chair will recognize members of the public who wish to address the council up front.

Uh you have to be at the microphone up front, provided for that purpose.

You can't have more than three minutes to speak.

And you can address the council only upon matters within their legislative and quasi judicial authority and not on matters which are not under their authority or regulated by other governmental bodies or agencies, can engage in any vulgar or obscene language nor use the floor to personally attack or personally denigrate others and address the council as a whole and not make comments directed towards individual council members.

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

And a person 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, sir, please state your name and your district.

Chris Temple, uh, I live in East Ridge currently.

I'm from Chattanooga.

I'm not sure my district.

All right, sir.

Uh good afternoon, council members.

My name is Chris Temple, owner of Beacon Electrical Services and a licensed electrical contractor here in Chattanooga.

I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you tonight about an issue that directly affects the safety of our community.

I've lived in Chattanooga my entire life.

I'm now raising my family here.

I love this city, and I'm proud to see it grow.

But as it grows, I'm also seeing a glaring problem.

Many licensed electrical contractors in Chattanooga have gone through the rigorous process required to earn the proper credentials to perform electrical work.

That includes years of training, testing, and a commitment to doing things the right way.

Unfortunately, there is also a growing number of companies operating in our city without any license at all.

Performing electrical work that puts homeowners, tenants, and first responders at risk.

Electrical work cannot be done safely without proper training.

When unqualified individuals perform installations or repairs, the consequences can be severe.

Fires, equipment failures, electrocution hazards, and long-term damage that may not be discovered until it's too late.

As someone who works inside these homes every day, I can tell you the risks are real and they are increasing.

I'm here today to suggest a simple practical solution to help mitigate this risk.

A process that is already in place in many jurisdictions across the country, including our neighboring city of Cleveland, Tennessee.

In Chattanooga, we already have a permitting system designed to ensure that only licensed professionals perform electrical work.

The challenge is enforcement.

Whenever an electrician such as myself needs to perform certain types of work, they often must de-energize the home, meaning it must be taken off the utility grid.

This requires a utility worker to physically come to the property and disconnect power.

An effective step would be to require the power board whenever they disconnect or reconnect power to simply ask the electricians on site to show the electrical permit for the work that is being done.

It's a quick, straightforward check, and because you must have a license to obtain a permit, this one action would immediately reduce unlicensed activity.

This is about protecting the people who live in our city and ensuring that everyone performing electrical work is held to the same professional standard.

Licensed contractors follow codes, pull permits, and take responsibility for the safety of their work.

Unlicensed operators do not.

Thank you.

Thanks, Rob.

Hello, good evening, Councilman.

Appreciate your time.

And my name is Rodney Roach.

I just moved here from Denver, Colorado.

Was homeless in 2020.

I've got down here and I've seen the homeless and the disability of people and the mental health issues that are going on down here on East 11th Street.

The reason I'm here today is to talk to you about opening a 24 center access for the people in wheelchairs, mental health, and people that are struggling, they that have jobs or living out of their vehicles that don't have a safe place to go.

This actually this 24 hour center that I want here and I want help with, uh, I don't want no money.

I'm not looking for no money.

I want donations for help people with computers to access to get jobs.

Uh I've been beating these streets from day one since I've got here.

Uh I've got lined up with Buffalo Wild Wings, Pumpkins Barbecue, uh Gava Mexican restaurant, uh, and uh Giorgio's uh suits on Market Street have all volunteered their time to help me uh with food and to uh talk to Giorgio today about getting people uh some nice uh some outfits, a suit to go for a job interview.

So they look good, they feel good.

You know, and if you if you got if you look good and you got nice clothes on, you feel good, and you look like a million bucks, man.

And they're gonna they're gonna see that you're you're trying to survive.

I guess I'm gonna hurry up and make this short and sweet.

Uh a center, there's a building on 10th, their east 10th or east 11th, and and uh I say it Houston, but they call it Houston.

Um, there's an abandoned building there.

It's been sitting there for I don't know how long.

It's an eye store.

I've been I've been the last two weeks taking my time of going there and cleaning it up and making it presentable to turn into a 24-hour center where people have access to a psychiatrist, counseling, uh, whatever you need to get off the streets and get back up on your feet.

I see that you guys don't have that here.

Uh down at the chat center, they they're treating them like animals.

If you drive down there, you got about 10 people handicapped chairs living on the corner in front of the center.

Uh, they kick you out at three o'clock in the afternoon.

It's the hottest part of the day, 110 degrees, and you got handicapped mental health people running the streets, nowhere to go.

I feel like they don't care because at 3 o'clock, they're going home to their air conditioning and whatever.

And you know, they're there trying to do a little bit, but they're not doing what they can do.

I'm here to make a change because I've been through it.

I've been homeless in 2020 and a dent behind the Denver City Mission, dealing with 300 to 400 uh homeless people.

Uh, you guys have a drug problem here with methamphetamines and fentanyl, but the more I see it, you got more mental health people here that need help to get off the streets.

They don't have access.

They come in and get off the street, get set up with the counselor, get upset with a psychiatrist, maybe get put on disability just to help people get back on their feet and get out of the streets.

I ain't got time for people to come that want to do drugs and all that.

No, I we ain't got time for that.

I'm here to help people.

And I'm looking for your help and advice to what to do to move forward.

Yes, sir.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Oh.

Thank you.

That wasn't enough time.

Good evening, council.

Sorry.

Good evening, counsel.

My name is Jake Logan.

Um, this is my first time coming to a city council.

I didn't know what to expect or where it was even until I had to ask somebody across the street.

Um, so I appreciate your time and consideration.

Uh, the only thing I wanted to address was the look of religion into schools.

I've been noticing in Texas they're moving to incorporate the Ten Commandments into schools next to historical documents.

And I don't know if this can be a question or if it's just a comment on whether our schools are going to participate in that or not.

I don't know if I'm allowed to ask that as a question.

So this is a time for comments on about anything.

Yeah, okay.

Other than just a comment taken into consideration, either not placing those things or including more religions into those things.

Thank you.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

My name is Joshua David Capellish.

I am an advocate for uh veterans and a chaplain.

And uh making an announcement today uh for July 16th.

It is coming up on Thursday.

There is an official event at the Wreath of Honor for the Fallen Five.

It marks 11 years uh since the attack, so it's at 11 o'clock off Amnicola.

So I called Chattanooga home for many reasons and for many years.

They say home is where the heart is, and Chattanooga has been blessed by God's paintbrush and many years of history rewrite every day.

We enjoy a rich military heritage as well.

The most prominent example would be the civil war fought 163 years ago right here in Chattanooga.

There would be a hundred and fifty-two years of peace before another Purple Heart Medal was earned in Chattanooga.

July 16, 2015 was the day almost 11 years ago when a terrorist attack on our Marines and sailors in Chattanooga.

Peace is a delicate balance we humans eternally embrace.

I've thought a lot about the fallen five over the past 11 years.

I've put on an annual event each year to honor them in a meaningful way.

This year I'm running with the American flag for the fifth time from the wreath of honor across Veterans Bridge because they never became veterans.

Later this year, I'm driving four Chattanooga American flags coast to coast, and Lord willing, I'll fly another American flag off the Golden Gate Bridge on September 11th for the fourth time.

I've got one of y'all's flags uh from the count council here to fly, and I'll bring that back home and disperse it.

Y'all have been doing a great job in Chattanooga, so thank you for everything you're doing.

And so in the next 10 years, I'd like to see more uh permanent mom monuments set up, but also the upkeep of monuments that we currently have.

So that includes flags and different things, and I think we can involve and teach scouts, uh, different groups, little young people to take care of simple things like flags and lead them to you know what we embrace as Americans.

I think that's to love each other.

And I read this in a book recently too.

The love of Christ manifested into unselfish ministry will be more effective in reforming the evil doer than the will of the sword of court of justice.

And so I think what I've been trying to do is embrace public service and fitness, personal accountability, embodying the Marines, um, and action and doing something.

So this run started uh when when COVID happened, you know, you had to wear masks and we couldn't assemble, so I decided to just run uh with 18 hours notice.

And so, you know, for me it's an accountability thing all year long, but um, I've seen some of y'all at the event last year was a great showing.

The families were there.

I've gotten to meet a lot of folks across the country and in Chattanooga, but thank you all for everything that you're doing to keep this community safe every single day that maybe people don't appreciate.

But God bless all of you and our service providers, firefighters, police, and uh EMS.

And God bless y'all.

God bless Chattanooga.

Good evening.

I'm not able to make it very often, so I apologize if these remarks are a little bit dated.

Uh I'm Jacob from District 9, Menlo Park.

I'm here to speak about the proposed taxpayer-funded land trust and the existing state of housing in Chattanooga.

I understand the intention is to suppress property values in historically low-income communities.

Capping appreciation at 2% annually is a great way to, regardless of an influencer or other market forces, drag down property values across an entire neighborhood.

An admiral plan for an evil villain.

Using your wealthy constituents' property taxes to ensure low-income neighborhoods like Minlo Park and Brainerd can be the permanent home of the poor peasantry.

Council won't have to worry about those who live in these neighbors' neighborhoods ever being able to afford a home in a neighborhood like Missionary Ridge or creating generational wealth because creation creating generational wealth would require owning something.

I understand taxpayer dollars aren't actually supposed to help the poor people and are destined to the pockets of the wealthy slum lords this city plays host to.

So I ask, why do we need to further suppress property values?

We already permit slums funded by taxpayers through Section 8 housing vouchers and homelessness programs.

A great example in my community being the apartments at Tunnel in Germantown with glowing reviews like it's a step up from homelessness, but not by much.

Or there is a colony of rats living in the walls.

Or little Iraq.

And lastly, the homeless coalition of Chattanooga, Tennessee, gave me a voucher for rent for a year with an apartment that would accept the voucher.

This place did, and I was able to move in that very minute.

There is nothing good I can say about this place.

All I can say is I'm glad I'm not actually paying to live here, and I'll go homeless again before I do.

Just what the poor people deserve, and the perfect place to spend untold hundreds of thousands of dollars of our money.

The police have 21 times over the past 14 days.

You know, this is an assumption, but that's about 450 visits a year.

Maybe you guys could carpool with them.

No, no, no.

How about $600,000 on security for a European soccer team?

That's what Mayor Kelly, his business, and his old private school, I'm sorry, I mean, the city, that's what we really need right now.

FIFA makes 14 billion.

Spanish national team worth over 100 million for the taxpayers of Chattanooga, a city with a median income of 45,000 a year.

We're the ones that are paying for security.

I know it's from a tourism tax, but they can pay it themselves.

Use that anywhere else.

My point is, you're already doing more than enough to waste money and suppress quality of life and home values in your low-income neighborhoods.

The system is working perfectly as it was designed.

Please, no more.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilwoman Hill.

Thank you, Mr.

Chair.

Hey Jacob.

Will you please, uh, if you're if you're interested in understanding the Tennessee Valley Community Land Trust better, because what you introduced into the conversation was factually inaccurate.

If you'd like to understand it better, I'd love for you to email me at J Hill at Chattanooga.gov.

If you'd like to stay, I can give you that again.

Um, but I will get you connected with the community um outreach coordinator for the Tennessee Valley Land Trust, which is employed she is employed by Caleb.

That's Chattanooga's Chattanoogans in action for love, uh, equity and benevolence, I believe.

They've been active in our community for many years.

Um the land trust, community land trusts are actually by law something that helps maintain property values throughout a neighborhood while holding the cost of a home for a homeowner.

If you want to reach out, you're welcome to.

Thank you.

That's all, Mr.

Chair.

Council, it seems that that's all of the business in front of us this evening.

Okay.

I have a motion to adjourn.

Second.

All in favor?