Board of Mayor and Aldermen Meeting - 2026-03-09

On Monday, 2026-03-09, at 6:00 PM, the Germantown Board of Mayor and Aldermen held its regular meeting in Council Chambers at the Municipal Building. The board unanimously adopted the agenda and the February 23, 2026 minutes, recognized two education award recipients, approved the consent agenda and Ordinance 2026-6, and defeated Resolution 26R05 concerning The Standard TIFF on a 2-3 roll call after first approving an amendment.

Consent Calendar

The consent agenda was approved unanimously with no items pulled. It included the following items and stated amounts: public safety radio system maintenance, approximately $470,791; Wolf River Lateral Study, $187,500, described as a 50% Army Corps of Engineers match; rejection of the mast arm painting bid, approximately $35,000; Johnson Road Park asphalt recreation trail, $79,122; police office furniture donation, $4,200; Fiscal Year 2027 budget calendar; Germantown Community Theatre grant, $75,000; annual computer upgrades, $108,106; annual network switch replacements, $24,781; annual server upgrade, $30,648; Fire Station No. 2 bathroom replacement, $40,329; and security cameras, $30,000. The mayor announced the consent agenda total as $1,046,277, but the itemized amounts as read sum to $1,085,477, an unaddressed discrepancy in the transcript.

Public Comments & Testimony

Twelve citizens spoke during Citizens to be Heard.

• Patrick Green raised a ballot-language issue concerning the May 5 Charter Amendment, saying the city website and a taxpayer-funded mailer stated a yes vote would prohibit the mayor from holding outside employment even though the word prohibit is not in the ballot language. He said the website wording was removed after his notification, asked for a public clarification, and submitted a public records request; he also said developers with $35 million for an Arlington project do not need a TIF in Germantown.
• John Schultz expressed concern that the city property-tax increase was 25.89% over the last two years, roughly ten times the 2.59% increase he cited for the previous two years, and questioned whether controversial projects are being financed by the increase.
• Pauline Latham opposed the TIFF, saying smart-growth promises had not held because her taxes have almost tripled since 2014 while cumulative inflation was 37%. She criticized the proposed 20-year, 75/25 split in the developer's favor, said the IDB's composition tilts toward developer interests, and suggested that if the board approves it, the term should be five or ten years with 75% going to the city.
• Rusty Rucker said he is an advocate for the city rather than developers and opposed the TIFF, arguing it would set a precedent, take money from police, fire, schools, infrastructure, and parks, and noting Thornwood was developed without a TIF.
• Chris Kinley supported the TIFF, saying growing the economy and tax base is how the city funds fire, schools, and police, and the project would put more money into city coffers than without the TIFF; he said the developer would have to go back to the drawing board without it.
• Harold Byrd, president of Bank of Bartlett and the Shelby County Chamber Alliance, spoke 100% in support of the TIFF, describing the corner as dormant for 25-30 years and saying the tool would fund infrastructure; he cited a Bartlett TIF example.
• James Adams thanked volunteer board and commission members, urged citizens to participate in city meetings, and supported the Germantown Community Theatre consent-agenda grant, saying arts are vital to the community.
• Forrest Owens, former Germantown city planner and planning director, supported the TIFF, saying the corner needs a large investment and tax increment financing was created for this type of redevelopment; he urged holding the developers to a high standard.
• Janie Day, president of the Germantown Area Chamber of Commerce, supported the TIFF, describing the project as transformative and Thornwood on steroids, and arguing that mixed-use development is the future; she asked if not now, when, and if not this developer, who.
• Johnny Gross, CEO of the Shayer Clinic and former member of Germantown economic and financial advisory commissions, urged approval, citing the outdated Carrefour center and saying that something else would be built without the TIFF but not the project as presented; he said property taxes would double and sales tax revenue would add about $300,000, roughly five times current revenue.
• Mike Edwards, former first chairman of the Industrial Development Board and Economic Development Commission, expressed mixed feelings and said he had questions about TIF versus PILOT and about the $35 million figure, though he understood infrastructure costs; he voiced confidence in the local developer and in the board's homework.
• Richard Town, president of Pop Solutions Group and his local HOA, supported the project, noting commercial property is assessed at 40% of value versus 25% for homes, Germantown is landlocked, and commercial growth helps avoid residential tax increases; he noted the developer must invest before TIF funds are distributed.

The mayor added a point of clarity after one speaker that IDB members are appointed by the mayor and confirmed by the BMA. No one spoke during the public hearing on Ordinance 2026-6.

Special Recognition

• The Education Commission awarded the March 2026 Teacher of the Month to Patrick Gossett, a fifth-grade math teacher at Riverdale School, cited for creating an engaging classroom and building student confidence in math.
• The Education Commission awarded the March 2026 Youth Excellence Award to Billy Gates, a Houston High senior, AP Scholar with Distinction, Eagle Scout, three-time All-West violinist, four-year varsity lacrosse player, and student representative to the Germantown Municipal School District Board of Education.
• Alderman Hicks also highlighted a Battle of the Books event involving more than 36 third-through-fifth grade students who each read 20 books.

Discussion Items

Ordinance 2026-6 - Amendments to Division 2, Occupational Safety and Health Program

Director of Procurement and Risk Catherine Purdue presented the ordinance on second reading. The amendments designate the city administrator to appoint a safety director and allow the city administrator or safety director to recommend revisions to the occupational safety and health program for adoption by BMA resolution. She described the changes as minor housekeeping needed to maintain TOSHA compliance. The board approved the ordinance unanimously, with Alderman Ulicky noting it was a compliance issue; staff indicated the updated safety plan would come back as a resolution after final adoption on March 23, 2026.

Resolution 26R05 - Economic Impact Plan for The Standard

Director Ross presented the Economic Impact Plan for The Standard, a 10-acre mixed-use project by CRE DEVCO Germantown at the former Carrefour Shopping Center, including about 150,000 square feet of office, 88,000 square feet of retail, a hotel, 320 multifamily units, and civic space. It is the first TIFF application under the city's 2017 policy. The Industrial Development Board unanimously approved the TIFF application and economic impact plan on February 10. Key terms include a frozen 2025 base tax year, a 20-year term, an increment split of 75% to the developer and 25% to the city, and a cap of $35.5 million in incremental tax revenue; reimbursements begin only after phases are completed, appraised, and accepted. Staff's revenue impact model, requested by Alderman Ulicky, used a 40-year horizon, a 3-year construction delay with the TIFF and a 5-year delay without it, and found the TIFF scenario produced $10.1 million in net present value to the city; modeled lower-density alternatives produced $4.25 million, $2.1 million, and about $1.9 million less, and even a modeled high-impact alternative was still less.

Applicant representative Michael Fay described the project's evolution, said non-residential construction material costs rose 43% between 2022 and 2026, and stated the site generated only $60,000 a year in property tax and $216,000 in combined property and sales tax over five years. He said phase one was built with $7 million of developer funds, phases one and two would generate roughly $700,000 a year for the city, and projected 403 new jobs and $15.9 million in direct and indirect wages; he also said 42% of phase-two TIFF funding would come from Germantown and 58% from Shelby County. He asked the board to approve the TIFF so construction could start that summer.

Alderman Ulicky moved approval and Alderman Salvaggio seconded. Alderman Salvaggio then moved an amendment adding three conditions to the development agreement: the applicant would pay for an independent third-party CPA or consultant review of TIFF funding requests; all TIFF funding requests would be public record subject to IDB policy; and the applicant would provide Germantown Police Department with a minimum finished office space to be determined for $1 per year for the lease term, including a handicap-accessible restroom, changing area, room for two desks, located in phase two, with two dedicated parking spots. During the amendment discussion, Vice Mayor Gibson asked Director Ross how the conditions originated; Ross said they were brought through applicant representative Fay. The amendment passed 5-0.

During discussion, Alderman Ulicky supported the TIFF, saying the city gets more now and in the long run than from a lesser development and that the project still contributes in a recession. Vice Mayor Gibson supported it, emphasizing the cost of doing nothing and projecting nearly $12 million in property and sales tax revenue over 20 years from phases one and two. Alderman Sanders opposed, saying he believed the project would move forward without the TIFF, citing affidavit return figures including 1.35% without TIF on phase one and 9.45% without TIF on phase two versus 11.79% with TIF, and expressing concern about future city funding needs. Alderman Hicks opposed, saying projections are not guarantees and elastic sales tax revenue is not a substitute for stable property tax revenue; she said the question is whether public participation in financing is necessary in one of the region's strongest markets. Alderman Salvaggio, despite proposing the amendment, voted no, saying the TIFF was not part of the original discussion and that significant modifications and financing obligations should be the developer's responsibility.

Key Outcomes

• The agenda and February 23, 2026 minutes were approved unanimously.
• Teacher of the Month and Youth Excellence Award recognitions were presented.
• The 12-item consent agenda was approved unanimously, including the stated total/amount discrepancy noted above.
• Ordinance 2026-6 was approved unanimously on second reading and will proceed to a third/final reading; staff expects the safety program plan resolution after final adoption on March 23, 2026.
• The amendment adding three police/transparency conditions to Resolution 26R05 passed 5-0.
• The amended main motion to approve Resolution 26R05 failed on a roll call vote of 2-3. Voting yes: Vice Mayor Gibson and Alderman Ulicky. Voting no: Aldermen Salvaggio, Sanders, and Hicks. The Standard TIFF and Economic Impact Plan were not approved by the BMA.

The meeting was adjourned after the vote.