Speaker numbers apply only to this recording.
The Chattanooga City Council met Tuesday, October 27, 2026, for an agenda session, a Planning, Zoning, and Housing Committee review, a recess for an attorney-client session, a formal voting session after returning at 5:30 p.m., and public comment. The council adopted final-reading ordinances, advanced budget ordinances on first reading, adopted resolutions, approved 13 purchases, and heard one public speaker.
Good afternoon, everyone. I'll call to order the Tuesday, October twenty-seventh meeting of the Chattanooga City Council and recognize Councilwoman Burrs to lead us in our pledge of allegiance. And then finally, items that are coming up three weeks or later on our upcoming agendas, so that we're well prepared. And so council will have that discussion amongst itself about our agenda items. And then as we sometimes do during this first session, we also have committee or department reports tonight. We do have a planning, zoning, and housing committee meeting that we will have that councilwoman Burrs will chair for us. And after we've done all of that, we'll take a recess, and as we normally do during our recess, we will have an attorney client meeting with our city attorney. And so when we get to that point in the meeting, I'll announce the time at which we will return after our recess. When we get back then from our recesses, when we'll vote on all the items that are on our agenda for this evening. And once we've done that, at the at the very end, there is a period as we always have for public comment where we're happy to recognize members from the public who are here to address council on on any topic. And when the time comes for that, we'll have folks come to the podium down front, and our attorney will read some rules for that public comment period. So with that, uh we'll get into our agenda session. Council, could I get a motion on the minutes from our last meeting? Do have a motion properly seconded on the minutes from our October 20th meeting, and those minutes will stand as published. Council, look with me if you would at the items on our agenda for this evening. Starting with our ordinances, um, and hit your lights as you have questions. I see councilwoman burrs, you are recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Um, I wanted to make some remarks about planning item number 2026 0113. It's under final reading. It's to reason properties located at Olee Highway. And um, council members, I mentioned last week that um as we reviewed that item last week and voted on it for for under first reading that I had received some last minute calls that um caused me some pause for this matter, and I wanted to share the rec for the record my findings. Um there was an overwhelming concern for safety as it relates to traffic, and I'm sure we all experience that in this day and age when development comes around. One of the first a lot of the times, one of the first questions we get is how is trap traffic going to be addressed, and as I thought about this leading up to today's meeting and the conversations that I had with transportation and with the community, that that's always going to be an issue, and it's not that we don't do development, it's how do we do development that's smart and helps keep our streets safe, pedestrians straight, pedestrians safe, and keeps our city moving because we have to do that. You know, we've got to continue to keep our city moving. And so I think that was the key issue that had come up at the last minute that I wanted to address, and so I just wanted to bring you all up to speed and then I'll move on with pass it on to the next item on the agenda. Um I first wanted to thank the community again for all of its input. There's been a lot of concern about the the success of this project, and so I've appreciated the the community's input, and they've asked a lot of good questions, and it there's been just a lot of neat people that want to see this project succeed and um have a lot of care for people thriving in their community, and they've done a lot of work. This is this is in the area of Summit, which is um right outside of Utawa and Collegedale, and that community, a lot of people have grown up in that community, and they spent a lot of time really working hard to um to make that community better, and so it's been great working with them, and they really do care about the people who live there, and they want the people who live there to thrive. So I appreciate all of their input. But traffic and safety, that's been the topic at hand. I had several conversations with transportation, and I want to thank them for their thoughtful analysis on how we ensure going back to development, being smart and making sure that we keep our city safe and our city moving. Um the look this location is tricky because it's because it's a city road, old league highway is also a state road, so they're gonna have to meet lots of requirements along with uh Ashdow Guidelines, which is the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. So a traffic impact study will be required for this project, and that's really what the community wanted. And so I had again great conversations with transportation. Um they're gonna help to ensure, like they will have with a lot of projects that are coming up in all of our districts, and I think we'll hear more about that. That the applicant is creating a smart development that protects the roads and pedestrian safety and keeps our city moving, which is kind of the overlying theme. So again, I wanted to bring you all up to speed on that. And um, again, it's on tonight's agenda for a final reading, and I just wanted to make every make sure everybody knew what those concerns were before they voted for they voted today. So thank you, Mr. Chair. Sure. Thank you.