Germantown BMA Regular Meeting – November 10, 2025: Cable Issues, Land Use Amendments, Ordinance Updates
Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen Regular Meeting – November 10, 2025
The Board of Mayor and Aldermen met on Monday, November 10, 2025, at 6:00 PM in the Council Chambers. The meeting included citizen comments about a recurring internet cable issue, approval of a consent agenda with 13 items, a first amendment to a land use agreement with the school district, and third/final readings of two ordinances. The board also held a first reading of an alcoholic beverage ordinance and set a public hearing for December 8, 2025.
Consent Calendar
- Change Order No. 3 – Miller Farms Ditch Improvements: $194,400
- Change Order No. 3 – Riverdale Park Reinvestment Phase II: $129,459
- Contract Extension – Michael’s Tree and Loader – Tree Removal and Mitigation: No dollar amount specified
- Donation – Parks and Recreation: $2,500 from Germantown Legends
- Donation – Scholarship Funds: $757 from the Police Chiefs Association for Germantown Police Department
- Donations – Germantown Neighborhood Preservation Commission: $4,350 from multiple sponsors
- PSA – Somerset Area Detention Project: $90,305
- Purchase – Playground at C.O. Franklin Park: $350,000
- Purchase – GPAC Orchestra Lift Elevator Modification: $57,351
- Purchase – Jail & Dispatch HVAC Replacements: Approximately $160,000
- Purchase – Portable Dimmer Rack: $52,845 (stated as "almost $53,000")
- Purchase – Sewer Combination Truck: $663,000
- Renewal – Property & Casualty Insurance: No dollar amount specified
All items were approved unanimously on a single motion without separate discussion.
Public Comments & Testimony
- John Wetzel (2598 Overlook Drive) and Carrie Walsh (8247 Scruggs Drive) both spoke about an Xfinity cable line that was laid across Scruggs Road approximately 45 days ago. Mr. Wetzel stated that the cable is repeatedly run over, requiring replacement every 8–10 days, causing internet outages that disrupt his work-from-home and his children’s homeschool. He reported that Xfinity said they are waiting for city approval to bury the cable. Ms. Walsh added that the cable is covered by plastic speed bumps that come loose, creating a noise hazard ("thump thump thump") and a tripping hazard on sidewalks. She said she opened two city cases that were closed as completed but the issue remains. The Mayor apologized and stated that staff would follow up after the Veterans Day holiday (Wednesday, November 12).
Discussion Items
- First Amendment to Land Use Agreement (Item 8): City Administrator Jason Heisman presented the amendment, which revises the 2020 agreement between the City and Germantown Municipal School District (GMSD). The original agreement gave the city primary use of two southernmost softball fields behind Houston High School. GMSD plans to redevelop those fields into a multipurpose synthetic turf field with a track, stadium lighting, and seating. The amendment removes the city’s ongoing right to use those fields after construction begins, with 120 days’ notice required. The city will relocate programs to alternative sites, including Cameron Brown Park. The school board approved the amendment. The board voted unanimously to approve.
- Ordinance 2025-7 – Germantown Education Commission (Third and Final Reading): Chief Communications Officer Ms. Crockett presented the update to the commission’s purpose statement, last revised in 2002. The new language broadens the focus to include all education sources in Germantown and aligns with the Germantown Forward 2035 strategic plan. The Education Commission and the board approved it on first and second readings. Alderman Hicks noted upcoming events: Battle of the Brains at Houston High School on Saturday, November 15, from 9 a.m. to noon (50 teams competing), and American Education Week starting November 17. The board voted unanimously to approve.
- Ordinance 2025-8 – Stormwater Advisory Commission (Third and Final Reading): Director of Engineering Jennifer Allen presented changes to the commission’s membership structure: replacing the Engineering Director as voting chair with a citizen appointee, making the Alderman liaison non-voting, and adding a non-voting liaison from the Technology Commission. The ordinance was approved on first and second readings without changes. The board voted unanimously to approve.
- Ordinance 2025-10 – Alcoholic Beverages (First Reading and Set Public Hearing): City Attorney Goodman outlined changes to Chapter 3, Articles III and IV, including: removing newspaper publication requirement for beer permits, clarifying background checks for publicly traded companies, strengthening temporary beer permit requirements for city property, requiring liquor stores to provide a copy of any proposed lease and have a local manager within 100 miles, allowing liquor stores to be open on Sundays (consistent with state code change), and aligning retail food store (grocery) wine hours with liquor store hours. He noted that Section 3-81-B4 (one-year citizenship requirement for beer permit applicants) was not included in the ordinance but should be struck based on a Tennessee Attorney General opinion. The board voted unanimously to approve on first reading and set the public hearing for December 8, 2025.
Key Outcomes
- Consent Agenda: Approved unanimously.
- First Amendment to Land Use Agreement (Item 8): Approved unanimously.
- Ordinance 2025-7 (Education Commission): Approved on third and final reading unanimously.
- Ordinance 2025-8 (Stormwater Advisory Commission): Approved on third and final reading unanimously.
- Ordinance 2025-10 (Alcoholic Beverages): Approved on first reading and public hearing set for December 8, 2025, unanimously. City Attorney will add a strike of the unconstitutional citizenship requirement before the next reading.
- Citizen Cable Issue: City staff (Alderman Sanders) will follow up on Wednesday, November 12, to address the Xfinity cable problem.
Announcements
- Deadline to apply for boards and commissions is November 30, 2025. Applications online at germantown-tn.gov. Appointments are made in late December for January start.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening, folks. Welcome to the Board of Mayor at Alderman meeting, the regularly scheduled meeting for Monday, November the 10th. We welcome those that are here with us this evening, those that are watching on Germantown Municipal TV as well. A few highlights about our meeting this evening. We do have a feature on each and every board meeting known as citizens to be heard. So if you'd like to speak to the community and to your neighbor and to elected folks and staff as well, you have the opportunity to do that at uh item six on the agenda. We have a couple people that have filled out uh sheets. Uh there's time to do that until we get to that item. If you want to speak to the board during citizens to be held or heard uh right outside the doors of uh on People Street, we have sheets you can fill out. You get it to one of the officers and they'll present that to the clerk, and we'll acknowledge you as item six. We also have several readings of ordinances this evening, which are on our regular agenda, and we also have an amended land use agreement as well. Those are really the highlights of the meeting this evening. Our invocation will be led by City Administrator Jason Heisman, and our Pledge of Allegiance will be led by Alderman Salvaggio. Please rise. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the opportunity to come together once again to serve and do meaningful work for the city of Germantown. We are truly blessed to live and work in such a special community. Help us recognize and appreciate the many gifts you've given us each day. As we prepare to observe Veterans Day tomorrow, we pause to honor and give thanks for the men and women who have served our nation in the armed forces. We are deeply grateful for their courage, sacrifice, and devotion to protecting the freedoms that we enjoy. Bless all our veterans and their families with your peace, strength, and continued care. We also lift up members of our Germantown family who have recently lost loved ones. Surround them with your comfort and peace and remind them frequently that they are not alone, that their community is here to support them, and that your love sustains them. We pray for our county, our state, and our nation. Grant wisdom and discernment to all those in positions of leadership, including our city leaders gathered here this evening. May every decision we make bring honor to you and serve the greater good. In your son's name we pray. Amen. Through the flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation under God, individual with liberty and justice for all. Please be seated. Thank you, Mr. Heisman, for leading us in the invocation this evening, and thank you, Alderman Salvaggio, for leading us in the pledge. That takes us to item four on the agenda this evening, adopting and setting the agenda. The agenda was presented to the community on Wednesday and sent to the board as well. At this time, administration has no recommendations for any added items. Any items that need to be adjusted. Seeing no one come forward. Is there a motion to approve the November 10th, 2025 agenda as presented to the community? Move to approve. There's a motion by the Vice Mayor. Is there a second? Second. Second by Alderman Sanders. Any discussion on the item? Clerk, please call the roll. Alderman Sanders. Yes. Vice Mayor Gibson. Yes.
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