Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen Meeting – February 24, 2025
Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen Meeting – February 24, 2025
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen held its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday, February 24, 2025 (2025-02-24), beginning at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at the Municipal Building, 1930 S. Germantown Road. The agenda included a citizen-comment period, two special recognition items, and an 11-item consent agenda; there was no separate regular agenda. All votes were unanimous among the five board members present.
Consent Calendar
The consent agenda was approved as read, with no items pulled for separate discussion. Items included:
- Reappointment of Leslie Asara to the Shelby County Solid Waste Region Board for a six-year term.
- Contract Amendment & Extension No. 1 for herbicide, fertilizer, and lake maintenance treatment services, approximately $159,000.
- Contract extension for fireworks, approximately $30,500 over three years.
- Donation from the 100 Club of Memphis of $2,000 for Germantown Police Department first aid supplies.
- Grant to Germantown Community Theatre of $75,000, primarily for youth theater training and programming.
- Public, education, and government (PEG) disbursement to Germantown Municipal School District for the second quarter, approximately $24,000.
- Professional services agreement for engineering services for the Dogwood Grove 4th Addition drainage project, approximately $150,000.
- Purchase of network annual maintenance, approximately $79,000.
- Purchase of printing and mailing services for utilities, approximately $139,000.
- Purchase of public safety radios, approximately $131,000.
- Purchase of weather sirens, with approximately $47,000 in benefit from Shelby County government, noted as made available by Shelby County Commissioner Brandon Morrison.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Eric Delgado, a Germantown resident of more than 20 years, asked the board to amend or remove the sunset time-of-use hours for public parks. He cited seasonal inconsistency, high summer heat indexes, and the needs of residents with nonstandard work schedules, and said he and his wife have reported vandalism and assisted police on two occasions. The mayor referred him to Parks Director Natalie Ruffin, City Administrator Jason Heisman, and Vice Mayor Gibson for follow-up.
- Robin Sharp, president of the board of directors of Germantown Community Theatre, expressed gratitude for city support, saying the 98-seat nonprofit theater would not exist without the grant and the city's support. She noted GCT reached 10,000 people last year and is moving from season 53 into season 54.
Special Recognition & Proclamations
- The Germantown Education Commission presented the February 2025 Youth Excellence Award to Katie Carrionis, a senior at St. Agnes Academy, recognizing her academic leadership, tutoring, cheerleading, and volunteer service with organizations including Room in the Inn, Youth Villages, and Madonna Learning Center.
- Alderman Scott Sanders read a proclamation declaring Friday, March 7, 2025 as the 153rd anniversary celebration of Arbor Day. The proclamation noted that Arbor Day was first observed in 1872, that Germantown is in its 31st year as a Tree City USA and its third year as a Tree City of the World, and that a free dogwood tree giveaway will be held on March 7 from 9-11 a.m. at Germantown Crossing Shopping Center.
Key Outcomes
- Adopted the February 24, 2025 agenda by a unanimous 5-0 vote, after a motion by Vice Mayor Gibson seconded by Alderman Sanders.
- Approved the minutes of the February 10, 2025 regular meeting by a unanimous 5-0 vote, after a motion by Alderman Ulikey seconded by Alderman Hicks.
- Approved the entire consent agenda by a unanimous 5-0 vote, after a motion by Alderman Ulikey seconded by Alderman Sanders.
- Presented the Youth Excellence Award and the Arbor Day proclamation; referred the park-hours request to staff for follow-up.
- Adjourned after no further business.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, folks. Welcome to the Board of Mayor and Alderman meeting, the regularly scheduled meeting for Monday, February 24th. We welcome all those that are in attendance this evening. Thank you. We've got a lot of people here this evening. The overwhelming majority of those folks are part of our lead class. And so we welcome the lead class here this evening. We know you've had a full day, and I think you just had your pizza dinner, so please try to stay awake during the meeting here. Um you may be getting a little fatigued as it's been a long day. So thank you. A few highlights about our meeting this evening. We do have a portion of the agenda known as citizens to be heard. We encourage any citizen who would like to speak to their neighbor or their board member or any of the members of the community that are here and want to speak. You just have to fill out a sheet out in People Street that's through the double doors. Bring that sheet to one of the officers, they'll bring it to the court clerk, and we'll recognize you for item six on the agenda. Citizens to be heard. We have a couple already this evening. And so if anyone else who would like to speak this evening, please pick up a sheet very quickly and get those to one of the officers. Also, we have two special recognition agenda items this evening. We'll be honoring our education commission youth excellence award for February, and also we will have a pro proclamation on Arbor Day as well. We have uh no regular agenda this evening, and we have a fairly lengthy consent agenda. As such, those are the highlights for this evening's meeting. This evening, our invocation will be led by City Administrator Jason Heisman. Our Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Alderman Brian Ulikey. Please rise. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for yet another opportunity to gather and do meaningful work for the city of Germantown. We have so much to be thankful for as a residents and public servants of this special community. Remind us daily to appreciate the good you've afforded us. We are grateful. Lord, we pray for our county, our state, and our nation. We ask that you provide wise counsel and discernment to those currently in positions of authority. And we ask the same for our city leaders here this evening. May all we do be for your glory. In your name we pray. Amen. 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. Please be seated. Thank you for leading us in the invocation this evening, Mr. Heisman. Thank you, Alderman Ulike, for leading us in the pledge. That brings us to item number four on the agenda this evening. Setting and adopting the agenda. The agenda is sent to the board and to the community generally on the Wednesday prior to regularly scheduled board meeting for each second and fourth Monday of each month. That agenda goes out to the community and to the board. Administration at this time plans no adjustments to the agenda. Is there a motion to approve and adopt the February 24th, 2025 agenda as presented to the community? Move to approve. It's a motion by the vice mayor.
openpublica.com