Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen Meeting – January 12, 2026
Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen Meeting – January 12, 2026
The Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen met on Monday, January 12, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers at 1930 S. Germantown Road. The board convened as the Germantown Beer Board for two temporary beer permit hearings, then approved the consent calendar, an alcoholic-beverages ordinance on third reading, and a city code amendments ordinance on first reading. All recorded votes were unanimous.
Public Comments & Testimony
- The mayor acknowledged three residents who spoke under Citizens to Be Heard. One speaker, identified as Miss Mosteller, described longstanding speeding and safety problems in her neighborhood bordering Memphis, citing a city traffic study placing the neighborhood in the 85th percentile for speeding and recent vehicle break-ins and police activity. She argued that a proposed three-to-five-year plan of painted traffic markings is not enough to prevent a child from being struck by a vehicle and asked that child safety in Germantown be treated seriously.
- The mayor responded by encouraging residents to attend transportation open houses later in the month and referenced a safe-streets grant of about $1.6 million. The approved consent agenda later listed the USDOT Safe Streets for All contract at $1,518,000.
Beer Board – Temporary Beer Permits
- No public comments were received at either hearing.
- Grand Krewe of Ramet Coronation: The board approved a temporary on-premises beer permit for Friday, February 13, 2026, from 5 p.m. to midnight at the Great Hall and Conference Center, 1900 S. Germantown Road. Approved unanimously on a motion by Alderman Sanders, seconded by Alderman Ulicky.
- Grand Krewe of Ramet Clubroom: The board approved a temporary on-premises beer permit for Sunday, May 31, 2026, from 5 p.m. to midnight at the Carnival Memphis Clubroom at the Great Hall and Conference Center. Approved unanimously on a motion by Alderman Sanders, seconded by Alderman Salvaggio.
- Alderman Sanders supported both applications, citing proof of 501(c)(3) status, state recognition as a nonprofit special-occasion licensee, licensed servers, and no prior issues with Krewe events in Germantown.
Consent Calendar
- The consent calendar was approved unanimously on a motion by Vice Mayor Gibson, seconded by Alderman Hicks. It included:
- Memphis Shelby County Schools facility usage agreement.
- Bid rejection for Poplar Avenue Culvert Replacement Project Phase V (PIN 129992); the mayor stated the bid was approximately $700,000 over budget.
- Change Order No. 4 for Riverdale Park Reinvestment Phase II, approximately $16,000 for ADA adjustments.
- USDOT Safe Streets for All grant contract, $1,518,000 for traffic calming and safety.
- Development Contract No. 1264 for Starbucks at Exeter Village.
- Development Contract No. 1266 for Wildwood Farm and the UT Martin Education Building.
- Parks and Recreation donations of approximately $26,000 from Bobby Lanier Farm Park, Inc., including a memorial in honor of Dr. Jimmy Davis.
- PSA for sanitary sewer lift station generator design and easement agreement, approximately $61,000.
- PSA Amendment No. 2 for the Stormwater Design Manual, $90,000.
- PSA for Greenway Trail Improvements, approximately $51,000.
- Vice Mayor Gibson and Alderman Hicks praised the Farm Park donation; Alderman Hicks also praised the safe-streets grant and the UT Martin and Starbucks projects.
Discussion Items
- Ordinance 2025-10 (third and final reading): Amendments to Chapter 3, Alcoholic Beverages, Articles III and IV. The city attorney said the changes would allow permit publications on the city website rather than in newspapers, make background checks less onerous, require lease copies for beer applications, add a hold-harmless provision for temporary permits, align liquor and wine sales hours with state law, require managers for licensed locations to be within 100 miles, and strike the U.S. citizenship one-year clause. Approved unanimously on a motion by Alderman Sanders, seconded by Vice Mayor Gibson.
- Ordinance 2026-5 (first reading): Amendments to Chapters 2, 6, 17, and 23 of the Municipal Code. Director Ross presented a 134-page package focused on clarity, consistency, and efficiency. Highlights included a consolidated use and bulk table, a 10 percent administrative site-plan approval cap, conditional use permits, accessory structure limits tied to the principal structure, accessory dwelling unit provisions, removal of unused RE-10 and OT zoning districts, fence-height measurement graphics, residential electric vehicle charging rules, and smart-code updates including cottages and removal of liquor stores from the T5R district. Approved unanimously on a motion by Alderman Salvaggio, seconded by Alderman Hicks, with the public hearing set for February 9, 2026. Alderman Salvaggio requested a further staff conversation on accessory structures and accessory dwelling units; Vice Mayor Gibson requested discussion on porches.
Key Outcomes
- All votes were unanimous: two beer permits, the consent calendar, Ordinance 2025-10 on third reading, and Ordinance 2026-5 on first reading.
- The public hearing for Ordinance 2026-5 is scheduled for February 9, 2026.
- The beer permit events are scheduled for February 13, 2026, and May 31, 2026.
- The mayor announced an Industrial Development Board public hearing on January 20, 2026, at 5:30 p.m. in Council Chambers regarding a TIF review on People Street.
- Residents were encouraged to attend city transportation open houses later in January to discuss safe streets planning.
Meeting Transcript
21 and 22 to 4 and 23, 5 and 25 and 6, or I'm sorry, 5 and 24, 6 and 25. That trajectory matters. As a neighborhood bordering Memphis, we have raised concerns about speeding and safety for years. A traffic study conducted by the city placed our neighborhood in the 85th percentile for speeding. For a time, enforcement and and an assigned inspector led to improvement. Two weeks ago, the donut drivers returned, and this past week there were multiple vehicle break-ins and a large police presence searching for suspects. One solution currently proposed is a three to five year plan involving painted traffic markings. While visual cues may play a role, we do not have three to five years, and paint is not a sufficient deterrent given what is taking place in this neighborhood. A shoplifter is an episodic event. It is disruptive, but there are protocols to address it. A child being struck by a vehicle is fundamentally different. These two things are not comparable. I am here tonight to ask the child safety in Germantown Park be treated with the seriousness it deserves. Thank you. Who do I need to give this to give us to the walk it up to the clerk here or to the officer and they'll bring it to the clerk? Thank you, Miss Mosteller, for speaking this evening. I would just make note that later this month, I believe on the 20 or the week of the 26th. We have a couple of transportation open houses that we're looking at. I think we have a grant um 1.6 million dollars or something to that effect that is for safe streets in neighborhoods. Um and so I would encourage uh any resident and all residents to look at the city calendar and to be in attendance because I think this is one of the topics for that specific grant. So there's uh there's an ability to to get some relief on that and some planning for it. So thank you. Plus, um, I know um if needed, um chief, if you can make note of these things and if need be follow up with Miss Musteller, if that would be great. Is there anyone else who'd like to speak to the community? All right. That concludes citizens to be heard for this evening. We appreciate all three speakers coming forward. And we will take all of your um recommendations and suggestions into account. This time I will uh bring the board of mayor and alderman into recess, and I will call the Germantown Beer Board open and uh at this time we will entertain a couple of applications before the beer board. The first being agenda item 8A, which is a public hearing for temporary beer permit for on-premise application for the grand crew of Romette Coronation, and both of those applicants, if you're here this evening, um, if you could be uh come down here to the front row because you may be requested to speak to the board. This time I recognize uh clerk Betty Thank you, Mayor and Board. A temporary beer sales permit application has been submitted by the grand crew of Ramet seeking authorization to serve beer at their coronation to be held on Friday, February the 13th from 5 p.m. to 12 midnight at the Great Hall and Conference Center. A copy of the permit application, proof of not-for-profit status, and the public hearing noted notice have been included in the board's packet. Thank you. Thank you, Clerk Betty, for your presentation this evening. At this time at this time, I will declare a public hearing now open. Anyone who would like to come forward and speak specifically on this item on the agenda, please do so at this time. If there's anyone who would like to come forward and speak on the temporary beer permit for on-premise application for the grand crew of Ramette coronation, please come forward. This is third and final call. See no one come forward that concludes the public hearing portion of this meeting in this hearing. At this time, I will now entertain a motion to approve the request of the grand crew of Romette for a permit to sell beer for on-premise consumption on Friday, February 13th, 2026 from 5 p.m. to midnight at the Great Hall and Conference Center located at 1900 South Germantown Road. Is there a motion? Move to approve. Motion by Alderman Sanders. Is there a second? Second by Alderman Ulike. Alderman Sanders, would you like to be recognized at this time, sir? Just for a brief comment.
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