It's 601.

I'd like to call this meeting to order.

601, I'd like to call this meeting to order.

I know there's a lot of special uh things to celebrate tonight, so I appreciate those of us who are here for regular business and um more ceremonial business.

A lot of a lot of good things on the agenda tonight.

So we're gonna start uh by having the invocation led by Councilmember Roberto, and then the Pledge of Allegiance led by Vice Mayor Smith.

Please rise as you're able.

We gathered together tonight, grateful for your blessings and your promise of every new brew every new day brings.

While we reflect on our blessings, let us remember those who are in need and let your grace inspire us to reach out in compassion.

Lead us to turn away from division and plant the seeds of your peace in each of us.

Open our hearts and our hands to seek solutions together and give us the courage to find paths of collaboration, not separation.

We ask you grant us wisdom, patience, and understanding in our deliberations tonight so that our actions may be worthy of your continued blessings.

Amen.

Please face the flag.

Pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for the nation under God and liberty and justice for all okay, thank you.

Um Mr.

Johnson, would you please call roll?

Councilman Fugit.

Councilman Helsley.

Here.

Councilman McKenzie?

Councilwoman Parker.

Here.

Councilman Ryder.

Here.

Councilman Roberto.

Here.

Vice Mayor Smith?

Here.

Councilman Singh.

And Councilman Thomas.

All members present, Mayor.

Okay.

Is there a motion on the minutes from the last meeting?

Second.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

Yes.

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Are there any items to be withdrawn?

Are there any items to be postponed?

Are there any items to be added by motion?

Memorials.

Okay.

We have two uh memorials.

Okay.

Excuse me, just a minute.

Okay.

Okay.

Resolutions.

Okay, memorials.

Okay.

We need to change them.

Yes, okay.

That's what confused me a little bit.

Okay, resolutions 12 F and 12G.

So we'll start with um resolution 12F.

12F is a resolution honoring Fred D.

Tony Thompson II for over 29 years of effective service to the city as a legislative advocate, thanking him for those many years of successful service and congratulating congratulating him upon his retirement.

Second.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Please, if you could um turn the microphone on.

We have had in the last 30 years uh some technical improvements, hopefully.

So if and you can also rate elevate it up.

It's if you want, uh there's a button.

Actually, it should work fine.

It should work fine.

Yeah.

So I know council members are are so grateful for your many decades of service, and we just wanted to give you an opportunity to say a few words and share any wisdom you have uh to share with us.

Well, if you're in the state legislature, you might want to get out.

You know, that'd be the wisdom though.

Um, thank you, Mayor.

Um, it's quite an honor uh uh for you all to bring this resolution forth, and I'm very grateful for that.

Um I'll just say uh that it's been you know one of the highlights of my career.

Actually, um, I was thinking back, I started lobbying in 1995, and uh was with a law firm at the time, and they had a few clients that I registered for and began to learn how to do this, um this line of work.

And uh it was my second year, I believe, when uh uh Mayor Ash gave me a call and uh gave me a chance to come and represent the city, and uh want to give a special thank you to him for that.

But I'll just say that uh you know it's I've made a lot of friends and uh and a lot of built a lot of relationships over the years through I guess it's five mayors now, and uh I'm very grateful to each one of those mayors to uh to uh I'll give a special mention of Tom Barlin.

Um he was a law director when I first started.

Uh as you all know, he's the judge down the street, and just entered uh senior status himself.

Uh I read about, but uh I just want to say too that Charles, you and your staff and your team, Ron Mills, everybody has been such a pleasure to work with over the years, and uh I've learned a lot about local government.

Excuse me.

I've I've always had an interest in politics and government, and uh and uh that's where I landed was was doing the state state level lobbying and uh was able to uh to do that for 30 31 years.

And I don't know that I have any wisdom.

Um you all will be in good hands going forward, but uh I'm just very grateful and very honored.

Well, thank you.

Uh Tony, if you I uh just wanted to share that uh I first um worked with Tony when he was representing uh some school boards and working with the Knox County Board of Education, and we were partnering with other large area school systems across the state, and he represented um either Memphis or Shelby County, Shelby County.

Shelby County.

Um and then I had the pleasure of working with you.

And I I want to give another shout out to you know Fiona Mackinali is here tonight.

She recently retired from the city.

Um Rafion, if you could raise your hand, you know, she worked very closely with Tony during my tenure and also under Mayor Rohero, um, helping us navigate from the city's perspective.

Um, you know, the the rough, sometimes occasionally rough waters in in the General Assembly.

But I I just want to say that uh you're a consummate professional.

The issues evolve and and sometimes uh change, but your professional demeanor, your relationships, your ability to work uh across the aisle with urban representatives, suburban representatives, rural representatives, and just sort of find that common ground.

And even when we're playing defense or or trying to, and we we don't come out on the way that we prefer, um, you always give us hope that there's uh uh another path or there's uh you know ways to move forward and and make some changes as we can in future sessions.

So that was what I valued most about your calm demeanor uh experience, and uh I would sometimes it would be new to me, but you'd be like, oh no, we've we've we've gone through this, it's gonna be okay.

Um, and I I think that uh council members had similar interactions with you as well.

So um we really appreciate your service and and want to thank you for and it's I know that I'm just your fifth mayor, you know.

So on behalf of previous council's uh previous mayors, the last 30 plus years.

Um we just want to thank you.

So thank you so much.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, Charles.

Thank you.

I guess we I'm sorry, there's been a motion and a second.

Um I I've I should have probably put the comments after that.

But is there any further discussion uh of count by council?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries unanimously again.

Uh Tony, thank you so much.

Uh Fiona, thank you for your service and partnership with Tony, and um enjoy your next adventures.

Thank you.

Next item, please.

12G is a resolution honoring and and congratulating one Knox SC on winning the 2025 USL League One championship.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Um do we want to have a discussion now or vote first, council?

Okay.

Okay, we'll we'll vote and then we'll welcome the team and team representative to come say a few words.

All those in favor, please say aye.

It's a discussion.

What?

Anybody they already said they wanted to vote first.

Okay.

Oh any opposed.

Okay.

Motion carries unanimously.

Would would members of the team please come to the podium and uh let us honor you uh with with the award?

Well undefeated at home.

USL one champion.

Thank you, Mayor.

Well, we'll come around this side so we can uh you wanna okay well uh on behalf of the city of Knoxville and City Council.

We are so proud that you are that we have a professional soccer team and that you are the champions.

Uh and it couldn't happen in a better year to a better team in our first year at Covenant Health Park.

We built the stadium.

You are it's your home stadium, and we we love having you there.

And uh I'm a proud season ticket holder, and um you brought so much joy to the people of this city.

I know other council members and countless community members were able to attend games, and it just was uh you brought a lot of the the beautiful game is here in Knoxville, and you brought a lot of joy and beauty to our city.

So, Vice Mayor Smith, I know you're a big soccer fan and came to many of the games.

Please say if I wanted you to share a few words too.

Um, just to not to say everything that uh the mayor said, but to just say I know a number of council members were at most of the games, and uh it was it really brought a joy to my face to just see our entire community there to celebrate the miracle of the of it of it of what it is that it's your first year in this league and in this stadium and uh and the Rexum uh the Rexham documentary, I think could uh could take some notes from one knock.

So I'm really uh really proud of you guys.

It means a lot, and it means a lot to our community.

So congratulations.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Please say a few words and then maybe we can grab a photo with any council with council.

Uh I'll keep it short.

Uh the the one uh feeling we have to share is a feeling of gratitude.

Um, you know uh four years ago we played our first game ever uh at Austin East High School, and for those who were there, that was a really really special night.

And four years later, we played the first uh championship game in Covenant Health Park, and that night was equally special, neither more special than the other.

Um but the path between was filled with moments where Mary Kincanon, your office, and this city council have supported us in such a strong way, uh, and we're so grateful for that.

And uh, I guess if we have one hope, uh that hope would be that you guys feel um fulfilled or rewarded for the um the strength and the confidence you had in making this stadium a reality because it's always a good time to win, but it was never a better time to win than this year.

To do it in this stadium with that crowd was a really special moment, and that wasn't possible without this body.

So thank you very much.

Uh we're glad for what we've accomplished, but we know we have much much more to do.

Thanks.

Can I say say something first?

On behalf of all of us, first game season holders and soccer moms.

Thank you.

It's been wonderful.

Mayor, yes.

I have one technical amendment to make that I meant to make earlier.

Okay.

So this resolution just so it reflects what the team reflects what the team was given.

Mr.

Johnson, is that okay?

Yes.

All right.

Just a quick amendment to uh to move to add the following sentence to the section three of the resolution.

The city recorder is directed to omit this clause from such copy copy and to renumber section four as section three for such copy.

Okay, motion to amend made and seconded.

Does everyone uh have know what they need to know about that?

Enough to know, yeah.

Good.

Ms.

Parker, did you have a question about the amendment?

No, I was gonna make a motion to reconsider, but since we are moving forward, I am fine with it.

Okay.

All those in favor of this amendment, please say aye.

Any opposed, the motion to amend carries and back to the original motion.

Do we have to be here?

Sure.

There's one more correction.

Okay, Mr.

Vice Mayor.

Uh yeah.

Um apparently we're better winning uh championships than spelling.

Um so uh we need to correct the spelling of the word congratulating in the caption.

For real.

That's my motion.

Okay, motion to make correct the typo and the caption has been made and seconded.

Any further questions or discussions?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed motion to make that correction carries.

I think we can move on.

Yeah, okay.

Um, all right.

Bureaucracy and action right here.

Um next, uh, we have our consent agenda.

Are there um is there a motion on the consent agenda?

Vice Mayor Smith.

I need to remove one item from the consent agenda.

13 AF is our 202 funds.

The detail um for those two o two funds missed the deadline, so council members have that.

I'd just like to add it to the regular portion of the agenda.

Can you repeat the number?

13 AF.

13 AF.

Oh, okay.

Uh that's removed from consent.

The motion is to remove that from consent.

I don't think we need to vote on that, just one person request.

Okay.

Consider it done.

Any other um discussion on the consent agenda?

Motion made to approved and seconded, saying uh no further questions or discussion.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Okay.

Okay.

Um so I just want to start by uh I know you need no reminder, but for those of you who may be watching from home or in the audience, uh tonight is the last meeting of five of our city council members, Vice Mayor Smith, Councilman Roberto, Councilwoman Singh, Councilwoman Ryder, and Councilwoman McKenzie.

Um I have a small token of my appreciation and the city's appreciation at your seats, and we're gonna discuss a little more towards at the end of the meeting.

Um, all of the amazing things that you all have accomplished in the last eight years.

So I'll just uh preface this by saying thank you and look forward to uh further comments at the end um after public forum.

So for those of you who want to um help celebrate the service of these five outgoing council members, uh please stick around after public forum and we'll be um having some more discussions of that.

Uh speaking of the outgoing council members leads me to remind everybody that our new council members will be sworn in on December 20th at 10 a.m.

at the convention center lecture hall.

Everyone's invited, and at that meeting will be a specially called council meeting to elect a new vice mayor and a few other positions, and that will happen immediately following the swearing in.

And that's a very, you know, typically a pretty short meeting.

There's no other items on the agenda except those uh um council elections.

And uh for those of us who will continue to be serving, um we are not having another meeting in December.

I know everyone's uh probably okay with that.

Uh you set this uh thing, this uh calendar.

So no our next meeting after the swearing in is Tuesday, January 6, 2026.

Um before I move on, you might have heard uh especially um enthusiastic members of the audience reciting the Pledge of Allegiance.

I heard them loud and clear, and I want to just welcome Brownie Troop 22175.

They're here, they visited me in the mayor's office before um the meeting, and they're in the meeting tonight.

They're third and fourth grade girls.

Some are homeschooled, some go to Dogwood Elementary, Rocky Hill, and Beard and Elementary.

And tonight they're earning their democracy badge.

So could all of you please raise your hands?

Yes.

Thank you all for being here.

Round of applause.

We're so glad that you're here to learn about democracy and action.

And in 10 years, don't forget to register to vote.

And then vote.

Welcome.

Now I'd like to just remind everybody about our rules of decorum.

We are here to do the city's official business.

Those who wish to speak, either to a specific agenda item or during public forum, need to sign up with the city recorder before 4 p.m.

Do not use profanity.

And when speaking to specific agenda items, you must stay on topic.

Remarks must be germane to the question ahead of the assembly.

That is statements must have bearing on whether the pending motion should be adopted.

Those who fail to adhere to these rules will be ruled out of order.

For those who are listening, please know if you disrupt a public meeting, you will be asked to leave or escorted out.

Thank you in advance for everyone's respect for these rules.

That does it for my mayor's report.

And now we are moving on to reports of committees.

Are there any reports of committees?

Council member Ryder.

I don't well, for the audit committee, I just want to remind everyone one more time that we will be meeting on December 17th.

Since uh want everybody know I'm not done tonight.

Um so if anybody would like to join us for that, the meeting is at uh 3 p.m.

Uh uh on December 17th upstairs on the fourth floor.

Okay, thank you.

Uh Councilmember Parker, reports of committees.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, the Knoxville Community Media Board met recently um and received some financial updates.

We are adjusting to um uh larger income this year.

We folks are still moving from their cable TV services to their streaming services, so we're seeing less income coming in and have had to make some changes and uh staff reductions over at Knoxville Community Media.

So some of the plans uh that we had in place to expand some of our community programs we've had to pull back on, and there's gonna be a lot more uh focus on the government um um broadcasting.

But we're hoping that we can see a turnaround with Knoxville Comedian Media soon and and a change in the funding and landscape uh for community media because it is so important, and we can return to those expanded services of community events.

But for right now, it's gonna be a bit paired back and wanted to let the community know about that.

Thank you.

All right, seeing no further lights.

Uh next item is General Council member announcements.

Vice Mayor Smith.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, given this is our last meeting, I want to say a few words.

Um it's been a real privilege to join you all in public service.

Um, I want to make sure I start by saying thank you to my family who's here.

Uh this is a team sport, and you all have been along the whole ride.

So thank you for that.

Um much love to you.

Um the second is I would like to say, just my colleagues, I've learned from each of you different uh things.

Um the city is measurably better than it was eight years ago.

There's plenty of work to be done, but I can see the fruits of our work all over the community.

And so uh you've each taught me something.

Some of you all helped uh get me into this uh the situation.

Um and I'm grateful for for that.

I'm also want to say to the people of the first district um who uh elected me that um it means the world that you would trust me to to represent the first district.

I tried to preserve what's special about South Knoxville and Fort Sanders and add new exciting things that help with the quality of life.

Um and for us five, we were elected citywide, and so to the rest of the city, um uh I honor your uh respect and um have done everything I can to listen well, uh, particularly to parts of the community where I don't live.

And so it's uh it's really important to me that um we represent the whole city, and I can assure you that the five of us who are rolling off tried our really best at that.

So it's been an honor for all of you.

Uh particularly the Fab Five who who went through some special uh things together.

Um, but uh and and I'll end by saying to the city staff, mayor, and and all the city employees.

Um it's really special to see behind the curtain and uh to see how well our city is run.

Uh we will know the depths of that more than most.

And so I'm really grateful for those of you who work every day thoughtfully to turn uh complaints and critiques into something special.

So uh it's been a real privilege uh to serve with all of you.

Thank you.

Um thank you.

Uh council members, just reminder to please speak into your mics.

We some people are listening uh from home have asked us to remind you of that.

Ms.

Parker.

Okay.

Mine's uh on a different topic.

Um but we have had uh some concerns raised in the community about um notices that have been shared about uh missing children in our community.

And uh particularly for um members of the black community when when members of the black community go missing, um too often there can be not as much uh coverage of those um cases, and and sometimes the the coverage uh can be biased, and there you know, our national organizations that have been developed to try to draw attention to this issue.

And so, as I noticed, um the reports that I was seeing come out, it was uh referring to folks who you know children have potentially run away, or um uh uh another um reason given and and when you look at the national reports, uh they indicate that a lot of times these cases do not receive the attention needed because of some of the assumptions behind the identity of of these individuals, like that they're running away or that they're coming from poverty stricken uh communities or crime-ridden uh uh areas um and this is you know just uh a norm in their lives.

So I wanted to give uh some light uh to this issue in our community because I've seen multiple uh cases now, and I also wanted to give an opportunity for our chief of police to also speak to it and let us inform us on anything uh uh patterns that uh KPD might be seeing, or um any anything to address the concerns of the public at the moment.

Are you hearing reports about missing children?

How is KPD responding?

Um Ms.

Parker, thank you so much for that announcement.

Um I just want to say that as a point of order, I believe council's intention for announcements by council is not the opportunity for um questions of my staff.

Um just uh so if there's a particular questions you have for uh KPD or if council as a whole, um Chief Noel is available, but now during council announcements is not that time.

Just know that we do uh take all uh counts of crimes and runaways uh and treat them all with as much diligence and responsibility and uh action as possible.

We have no control over how the media responds to that, but um I'm not want to move forward to if you have further announcements, but not going to use this time for uh you know, talking asking questions of staff.

I I can ask the question later during an agenda item if that would make you more comfortable.

My announcement is that this is a concern of the community, and we would love to hear from KPD or the administration and be assured that you're taking it seriously.

Rest assured we're taking it seriously.

Thank you very much.

Mr.

Thomas.

Uh yes, um neighborhood news out of the 5th district.

Um a partnership of Trees Knoxville and Keep Knoxville Beautiful has bestowed an annual orchid award to uh Oakwood Lincoln Park Group for their project of planting more oak trees in Oakwood Lincoln Park.

The reok project was highlighted for its creativity, sustainability, and positive neighborhood impact, recognizing it as a model for community-led reforestation efforts across the city.

And by restoring the oak canopy uh re oak helps reduce heat, improve air quality, and hence walkability, strengthen community pride.

Native oak trees also provide critical habitat for wildlife and long-term environmental benefits for future generations.

So congratulations to Reoke, uh, Oakwood Lincoln Park, and a special thanks to Rebecca Harman, Michelle Ivester, and Melissa Hinton of Trees Knoxville.

And that concludes my council report.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Roberto.

Thank you, Mayor.

Tomorrow, Wednesday, December the 10th, from 5 30 till 7.

Our school board representative Cat Bike, uh, County Commissioner Shane Jackson and I are going to host uh Meet Your Reps.

We will be at Middlebrook Pike United Methodist Church, which is located at 7234 Middleburg Pike.

This uh will be my last Meet Your Reps uh with my colleagues from uh school board and from county commission, but I hope that that continues so you can have a one-stop shop for uh meeting your local representatives from these three different branches of government uh in if you live in the West Knoxville or Beard and communities.

Um we're hosting this.

You might see that we're doing it in a different spot.

We're having this at the Middleburg Pike United Methodist Church this time because we're gonna be supporting the church's food pantry.

And so we're asking neighbors who are joining us to bring canned vegetables, peanut butter, jelly, and canned soup to help us restock the shelves of the food pantry.

This particular food pantry last month distributed 152 bags to families, served a hundred served 804 people.

Of those, 151 were children and 153 were seniors.

If you can't make the meeting, uh you can drop by donations at the blessing box any time, and I would encourage folks to do that because we've seen an increased need for food in the community, and uh restocking the shelves is a has been a priority for council here and uh hopefully the community can help as well.

So we wanted to highlight that.

Um I didn't want to take up a lot of time.

I appreciate Vice Mayor Smith's uh comments.

It's been a pleasure to serve with everybody.

Uh it's been a pleasure to serve uh with Mayor O'Hero, Mayor Kincannon.

Uh I wanted to make a mention that I have very much so enjoyed um the openness to which all of the directors have had to uh to council and to answering our questions and to being um resources for us.

Uh if I start naming anyone, I'll forget somebody, so I'm gonna just leave it at that.

But I do appreciate you all and I'll say more about this later, but uh I really do appreciate um the opportunity to serve uh the second district representative as the second district of representative and uh appreciate the um support from the city um to sit in the seat and then to uh serve for for eight years.

So I really do appreciate that.

But I I really have to highlight that uh the biggest thanks I have is to my family.

I want to thank uh my wife Sarah for you know dealing with the late nights, the meetings, uh, me being away as often I have been.

Um, and I just want to uh tell her how much I love her and how much I appreciate her hanging in there with with me through this service and I recognize all that she has sacrificed for me to be here.

I also want to recognize um my daughter Hannah, who um has likewise uh seen sacrifices because of uh me being here, and I look forward to continuing to try to do more work for the Kylie Roberto Foundation in support of uh my daughter who passed away.

And I want to also thank all the community members here.

I've heard from many of you in the audience tonight, and I just want to appreciate say how much I appreciate my colleagues on council as well as um members of the community for reaching out in that in that very difficult time.

But I just really appreciate the opportunity to be here.

And uh I I've uh enjoyed it, and I'll talk more about it later tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember McKenzie.

Thank you, Mayor.

Just a couple of announcements on Saturday, uh, December the 13th from 6 to 9.

Uh the Overcoming Believers Church is going to be having their annual blessings on Bell Street toy giveaway for children in the community and across the city.

They are still taking donations of new unwrapped uh toys or monetary donations if anyone still wants to uh participate in that.

They need volunteers and just spread the word.

If there's families that you know could benefit from this, please let them know.

And then also on Saturday, December the 20th, I is the annual uh Burlington Christmas event, and that will be held from 12 to 3.

That's hosted by the Burlington Resident and Business Association in conjunction with new direction, Cynthia Finch, who leads that effort.

Uh, that's a lot of free stuff and resources and toys and fun.

And Santa Claus actually comes.

Yeah, I wish the brownies hadn't left before we told them that.

Uh, and so everyone is welcome to uh participate in that.

And then also I'd like to briefly say um just thank you to my colleagues, to uh the mayor and the administration, uh, and just to the community and the city as a whole.

Uh, this has been quite a journey.

I represent the uh sixth district, and in 2017, uh, when being elected, did not realize at the time that I would become the first African American female to ever serve on city council uh and just really what that meant, not just to my family and my community, but to the city.

And so uh I have led through this journey some of the best of times and also some of the worst of times when we saw a rash and increasing gun violence, specifically in the 6th district where children were murdered, um, and how the community and the city came together uh through healing and moving forward and just really wrapping our arms around those families uh and children in the 6th district.

And so um I want to thank my family for their support.

We got I've actually had several additions to my family since serving on council.

I've got three of them in the audience today, and the newest member back in the very back.

I think you guys remember that little one.

Uh and so uh again, as uh Vice Mayor Smith said, when we ran the five of us that are leaving, we had to run citywide, and that was a wonderful experience getting to learn the other districts and just connecting with the residents there.

Uh I still to this day believe that that is so important, so important that we don't just stay stuck in our districts and that we are actually engaging and we're uh being really vested in all the districts across the city uh in our votes and everything else.

And so uh bittersweet day.

But I really myself and I do believe that my other council members that just because we're not sitting around these seats, we're still gonna be boots on the ground and we're gonna be engaged and continue the fight to make sure that our city continues to move in the right direction in the right direction of trajectory.

Um, and again, I've learned so much from the our first female mayor and also from our second female mayor as well.

And so just uh thank you all and best wishes and everyone out there, you know, happy holidays and best wishes and God bless.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Parker.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

I didn't get to finish my announcements before you moved on.

My apologies.

Uh my last announcements was to wish my mother a happy birthday this evening.

So thank you.

Okay.

Thank you so much.

It's my dad's birthday today, too.

I mean, he's passed, but it's a good happy day.

All right, moving right along.

Uh, let's move to the next item, please.

Nine via the resolution confirming the mayor's nomination of Kathy Shook contingent on state approval to the Knoxville Knox County Planning Commission, formerly known as the Metropolitan Planning Commission.

Move to approve second.

Motion made to approve and second it.

Any questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Nine C is resolution electing Pierce Pete Pearson to the Knoxville Utilities Board of Commissioners.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Uh Councilmember Parker.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

I I reached out earlier to Chief Ball and raised some concerns and received a very thorough and response, which I really appreciated.

Um but my concern is kind of an over-representation of the business community.

Um if we have a uh a um you know, a healthy number of representatives on the board of commissioners from the business community, then at least our community advisory panel.

Um should have fewer, should have have more community representatives so that we can balance that out.

And we have community voices who are advising uh the board of commissioners.

So I'm not planning on voting against this tonight, but I just wanted to lift up that the to that we need to be aware of commitments that we made in 2020, uh that the community lifted up quite um strongly, and and the the community panel uh was the compromised uh solution that moved forward.

Uh but with that in mind, the the the business community we can't move in a direction where the community business community is overrepresentative on the KUB board.

That's what I wanted to lift up.

Thank you.

All right, thank you for your comment.

Any further questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

10 D is an ordinance amending the fiscal year 2025-2026 operating and capital budgets.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

Uh there's one person here signed up to speak in favor.

Mary Ellis Richardson, if you could come to the podium, please state your name and address for the record, and you have up to three minutes to address council.

Thank you.

My name is Mary Ellis Richardson, and I live at 7023 Sheffield Drive here in Knoxville.

First, I want to begin by thanking you, Mayor Kinkanan, for your leadership and commitment to improving transportation in Knoxville.

Also want to thank each of our city council members for your thoughtful engagement and for this body voting yes on the budget amendment supporting microtransit.

Your decisions have already begun to move this work forward.

As many of you know, Justice Knox has been faithfully committed for more than six years to ensuring that Knoxville builds a transportation system that truly serves everyone in our community.

And during that time, we have heard story after story from our neighbors, people who cannot get to work, to the doctor, to the grocery store, or to care for loved ones, because our current system simply does not meet their needs.

Tonight I'm grateful to share that because of your commitment, the microtransit implementation team has officially met, including Councilman Helsley, several Justice Knox leaders, as well as staff from CAT, the mayor's office, and our regional transportation planning organization.

We held a strong and productive preliminary meeting just last week.

We're looking forward to setting goals, thinking about program design, and developing the scope of work.

We look forward to continuing this process, including engagement of key stakeholders, some of whom were mentioned during the last city council meeting, along with others who will play a vital role in planning and implementation.

We are dedicated to seeing this through, and we are hopeful that Knoxville will see a microtransit rollout in 2026.

As we move forward, we ask for your continued support, including a yes vote on this second reading, so that this work can proceed without delay.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council that concludes people who signed up to speak to this item.

Um we we sort of we discussed this uh last time, and uh Kitron Smith is here to represent the finance department if you have other questions as I am as well.

Council Member Parker.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I do not plan to support this tonight, and I ask as the planning moves forward, um that we don't create a program that turns union jobs into lower wage jobs, that we don't uh create staff positions that previously would have had uh benefits and uh create positions that have fewer benefits.

Um as we are uh determining how we can have the staffing needed and the buses and the routes needed to serve our community, uh let's work to address those root causes that are keeping us uh from being able to hire the drivers that we need rather than putting a band aid on the situation.

That's that's what I hope moving forward that we see a plan that comes out that address uh these long-term issues uh that have been ongoing that are that are impacting uh our bus services, and that we continue to grow um uh CAT, uh, our Knoxville area transit services, um, and that we don't invest in something substandard.

That's my hope.

Thank you.

Any further questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries eight one.

And I want to thank council.

I'm really excited to move forward with the projects of Burlington and uh Lonsdale, among other things.

So thank you very much for the support.

Next item, please.

10 E is an ordinance to amend ordinance number 0-107-2019, known and cited as the City of Knoxville zoning code to remove a previously approved planned district designation from property located at 962 North Gallagher View Road, mainland MCA Knoxville applicant second district.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Um there are some people who've signed up to speak.

Um, we'll start with the one signed up to speak in favor.

First is James Lennon.

Mr.

Lennon, if you could state your name and address for the rec and you'll have up to three minutes to address counsel.

Thank you.

Uh, my name is James Lennon.

Uh, I'm the owner of the property.

My uh company address is 1905 Ackland Avenue in Nashville, Tennessee.

Um good evening, and thank you for hosting me again.

Um, and I do want to say I really appreciate all the time and accessibility you've all um provided um to me um over these last few weeks in working through this.

Um I've really enjoyed speaking with many of you, and and it's honestly I've enjoyed speaking with all the all the parties in Knoxville, and I look forward to continuing to work um work through our project as it as it moves forward.

Um, we had a thorough discussion last week, so I will try and keep it brief and keep it under three.

Oh my goodness.

Um our choice is this.

On the one hand, we have um we have the designation could be removed and the process will be clear.

Um our development plans for townhomes will be subject to the special use process with public input.

No one is unclear about what that path entails.

On the other hand, we have an unclear process with conflicting legal opinions about which sector plan should guide the planning commission utilizing the planned residential process of the old code.

Our reason for putting the plan designation in place is no longer valid or relevant.

Um, and so I would like to take the clear path, removing the plan designation and follow the current codes and policies.

So I'll stick around if for questions, if any.

Thank you.

Next person signed up to speak in favor of this is Ellen Zaviska.

Ms.

Viska, if you could come to the podium, you'll have up to three minutes to address council.

Good evening, Ellen Zaviska, 3118 Fairview Street.

Uh, speaking tonight on behalf of Yes Noxville, which is a nonprofit that supports more housing choices and transportation opportunities in our city.

And I spoke in favor of this item at the last council meeting where there was, of course, a lengthy discussion as part of an even lengthier meeting.

So I will try to keep this short.

As I said last meeting, and as council member Smith uh graciously uh reiterated, if this isn't an appropriate location for multifamily housing, uh I don't think there is one in the city.

It's along two major corridors, a bus route, a greenway, and has nearby commercial development.

Um the developer has told us a little bit uh last meeting about the price point for these homes.

Um they're not um super affordable, but compared with West Hills, uh where homes are routinely listed for twice uh what these homes will sell for.

It's uh a good addition to this part of the city.

It offers entry into a very desirable neighborhood for folks who would otherwise not be able to afford it, and I think that's a good thing.

Um there was discussion in the last meeting, um, as Mr.

Lennon just said about other routes this development could go through.

It was suggested it could go back to planning commission, it could be subdivided, it could be someone could sacrifice a chicken at midnight while doing incantations.

Um that last one I just made up, but as my point is that there's a clear path to allowing this development to occur and a very convoluted path, and I hope you will support the clear path.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um signed up to speak in opposition to this item.

We'll start with Larry Silverstein.

Mr.

Silverstein, you'll have up to three minutes to address counsel.

If you could start by stating your name and address for the record, Larry Silverstein, 7808 Sheffield Drive, Knoxville 37909.

I am speaking on behalf of the West Hills Community Association and the adjacent homeowners to the property at 962 North Gallagher View Road.

We ask that you deny the request to remove the previously approved Planned District C map designation.

What our community wants is a seat at the table to provide input on the development of this property through the special use process.

Removing the C designation removes the ability to develop the property under planned residential zoning.

If the C is removed, the property can be developed under RN4, but the developer requires a variance from the RN4 regulations.

Planned residential and RN4 allow the same uses.

The difference is public process.

Planned residential requires special use review and public input for all development.

R and four requires special use review and public input for some development.

Special use review is required in RN4 only if there are nine or more dwelling units on a lot.

If this owner or any future owner subdivides this four-acre lot into four lots, each lot can be developed with eight dwelling units for a total of 32 dwelling units without any public input through special use review.

The planned districts, including planned residential, were designed for prominent or sensitive properties.

This property is exactly that.

The description of the planned residential development states that it is intended to provide optional methods of land development, which encourages more imaginative solutions to environmental design problems, and that the quote development be compatible with the surrounding and adjacent districts.

When this property was rezoned in September 2024, from RN1 to RN4, both the Planning Commission and this city council kept the C designation in place to make good on the promise of careful planning and public input made in 2016 when the property was rezoned to planned residential.

Please keep the C designation in place so that we have a seat at the table during the development process.

And I thank you for your consideration, and I thank the outgoing city council members for their service to the city of Knoxville.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next is Sergey Zayets.

If you could uh come to the podium, state your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes to address counsel.

Good evening.

I am Sergey Zayatz, 1552 Robinson Road.

Uh I'm speaking on behalf of my parents and my brother William, who live at 1556 Robinson Road, immediately adjacent to the property.

My family lives just across the well my parents' house.

Our family lived there for 27 years because of their close proximity to our house of our house to the property.

We are concerned about how this property would be developed, either by this owner or in the future.

We understand that this property will be developed, and we and our neighbors uh we and our neighbors are willing to work together and share our concerns with the owner through the public special use provided uh process provided for all development plans under the planned residential.

We discussed that with Mr.

Lennon in our community meeting um September 15th.

We would hope that future discussions regarding development plans would include an appropriate setbacks and buffer between our house and the development.

We ask that the designation C remains to ensure that the special use public process is used during development.

This is the only way we will pro we will be provided a seat at the table, like it was mentioned before.

Um when development decisions are being considered, RN4 does not provide that opportunity.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

And the last person on this item is Leland Hume.

Mr.

Hume, if you could come to the podium, state your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes to address counsel on this item.

Excuse me.

Good evening.

Uh, my name is Lee Hume.

I live at 6902, Haverhill Trough, Knoxville, Tennessee.

And I'm the current president of the West Hills Community Association.

On behalf of the West Hills Community Association and our friends and neighbors adjacent to and in close proximity to the property at 962 North Gallagher View Road, we respectfully ask that you retain the existing Plan C residential map designation.

The planned residential process allows public input during the development process and gives our community and our neighbors an opportunity who to present our perspective on the property and have a seat at the table during the planning process.

The planned residential process provides the opportunity for public input for all development plans, unlike the R and 4, which allows for only some development plans depending on the number of dwelling units on the lot.

The C designation keeps the planned residential development process in place for this owner and any future owner of the property.

Proposed development plans can come and go, as we have seen several times on this property.

Our community has been involved with the development plans for different ideas that have come since 2016.

And we bring to the table a long-term perspective as well as understanding the property will be developed at some point.

But we bring perspectives long-term and also to experiences and concerns that may be unaware of the developer.

And we would like to work with the developer to end up with a positive win-win situation.

Planned residential was adopted by the City of Knoxville about 60 years ago.

Many properties have been developed under that process since.

The transition rules adopted in 2020 through RECO to continue the development process for these previously approved planned districts, including planned residential.

We believe the process should remain in place for this property, and therefore we respectfully ask that you deny the application of the removal of the C designation.

Thank you.

Council, that concludes people who have signed up to speak on this item.

Council member Roberto.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I know we had a lengthy conversation last time, so I'm not gonna try to repeat the lengthy conversation, but um I had a couple questions that I think will help clear things up.

Um Mr.

Frost, it's my understanding, I know you've gonna talked about this, but there are two legally viable paths at present for the developer to achieve his proposal to build 32 townhomes on this property.

One of those paths is to develop under planned residential by using the transition rules, and the other path is to develop under R and four.

Is that correct?

Uh yes, I believe that's correct.

Thank you.

Um does planned residential require special use approval for all developments.

No, not for all developments.

Okay.

Uh does planned residential require special use approval for all developments.

Yeah, for previously approved planned residential properties that have that C designation, yes, they have to go to the special use process.

Okay.

And then isn't it true that no special use approval is required in R and four unless the development has nine or more dwelling units in one or more townhouse buildings on a lot.

That's correct for townhomes.

There are additional special use requirements for multi- other multifamily types.

So just trying to clear up the confusion from last meeting with these answers.

Um I think these are two very important points.

One, planned residential is a zoning is in our zoning ordinance and is a viable legal path to develop 32 townhomes on this property.

Two, the neighbors are not asking council to prevent townhouses being developed on this property.

What we heard from them tonight was the neighbors know that this will be developed.

Rather, they're asking council to give them a process where the neighbors have a seat at the table.

And the only way to guarantee that public process is for this development to proceed under planned residential based on the answers we just got.

So rather than deny the request, which I don't think is the right approve.

Uh I don't approve of doing that.

If we deny it, then that sets this uh uh Mr.

Lennon back in that sense that he would um have limitations on being able to bring this back in case planned residential doesn't work.

What I'm gonna suggest is that we I'm gonna make a motion to withdraw this.

If we withdraw it, then he doesn't have that limitation in case it doesn't work.

But we've heard from both planning and from law uh for Mr.

from Mr.

Frost, that is, that this is a viable path, that it's in our zoning ordinance to develop 32 units on this property of townhouses today, and the neighbors are not asking for anything other than a seat at the table.

And so my request is that we I hope you'll support the motion to withdraw.

Thank you.

I will second.

Okay, there's a motion to withdraw and a second.

Uh council member Rider.

Um, so I am only to speak on the motion to withdraw.

Yes.

Yeah, that can cover or I can say why I would or wouldn't support the motion to withdraw.

You got you need to start the clock over for her, please.

I mean, because I mean sure.

New person just I'm a new person.

I get five minutes.

So I've done this motion to withdraw.

Okay.

Um, Mr.

Lennon, could you um are you supportive of withdrawing this?

Um to reiterate it is your understanding that there is a clear path forward with the R and four zoning and not as clear a path forward with the C designation plan residential in place.

That is correct.

Um, I'm not an attorney.

Um I also want to reiterate that in the with the plan designation removed, there is a public process that we will go through with the neighborhood.

So when Mr.

Silverstein says I don't have a seat at the table, he does.

Did you meet with Mr.

Hume or someone else from the neighborhood today?

I did.

Okay.

Thank you.

Um I'm supposed I'm treading water here, I guess.

I'm supposed to be talking about the withdrawal.

So I am not going to support the withdrawal.

I helped vote to put the transition rules in our ordinance when we passed RECAP.

It was not my understanding at that time that the transition rules, the the purpose of the transition rules for being voted in and why we needed them and why we added them, was because there are developments out there that might have changes.

Or let's say that there's a development out there and they demolish a building or it had a fire, or something needs to happen.

There needs to be a path forward for redevelopment, new development changes within parcels that were developed under planned residential.

And that was the reason my understanding of why we put those into the transition rules.

The transition rules is a multi-part section.

It applies to more than just planned residential, that's just part G.

There are other things in the transition rules, and they have time limitations on them, some of them.

What is interesting and where I feel we failed was there's no time limitation on an unbuilt, unused parcel.

And to tell someone you can't use your land, we're gonna devalue your land because you went through a process nine years ago and that partner went bankrupt.

And we're gonna tie you and bind you to something because we have these transition rules.

I think that is bad policy.

And I think that we have to look at it from all sides.

And I understand and I urge, and I will be on Mr.

Lennon's back to listen and work with you.

And if the setback for the plans that they have set out are not what you want, uh what I asked a couple of times in the last meeting was what do you want differently?

Not what the transition rules say.

How would you like the 32 unit townhouses that he has shown us a plan for set out?

And I am not supporting with the withdrawal because the seat at the table is there and the special use process happens.

Ms.

Brooks, that's correct.

If they continue forward with the plan of putting 32 units on the one parcel of the whole four acres stays on one parcel, they will come through for a special use review.

Yes, that is.

And that will be a publicly noticed process.

Yes.

Okay.

So when they don't use the special use process, is when they subdivide it, and then they wouldn't need the variance that they applied for.

Is that correct, Miss Brooks?

If they were to subdivide the parcel and do eight or less units on multi-parcels, it changes the process, the special use process, but I can't speak to the variance as they would need or not need.

Okay.

Well, part of the email that we got today from concerned citizens was that if they move forward, they have a variance, and that process that they've already started down for 32 units on the full one parcel as one parcel does take them through special use process.

So on all of those notes, I will not support the withdrawal.

Thank you.

Councilmember Thomas.

Yes.

And the emails in Mr.

Silverstein and Mr.

Hume's comments.

And I do want to talk about affordability because as the applicant said, he's looking at probably about 400,000 per unit.

And that's not affordable to the people who had really needed.

It's none of the units are set aside as affordable with any of the city affordability programs.

And it's not really going to house people that need it.

And so I don't think it's worth a zoning change in a in an established neighborhood if we're really not going to make a den in the affordability problem.

People really need it are going to be priced out by these units.

And I'm not sure the path that's proposed by the applicant is really that clear just from some of the comments that have already been made.

But I think we should actually look for the best path forward.

And I think that the best pass forward is developed under planned residential because it involves much more public process, and I agree with some of the concerns that we've studied.

And another comment I'll make is I try to air some of my constituents' concerns from what they heard at the last meeting.

And that the and I had a very uh enjoyable complication uh conversation with the applicant and we we spent some time on the phone.

But all the the applicant is from Nashville, and all the examples he gave of um units that he had done or developed he had done are in Nashville.

And what my constituents are saying is that we don't want to see Knoxville turn into Nashville, and that they would likely think that this is going to be a step in the right direction.

So again, I think that the best path is the planned residential and allow the neighbors who aren't opposed to development, but give them much more of an opportunity to be involved than what they would get than what RN4 requires.

So I'll be supporting the motion to withdraw.

Okay, uh, thank you, Councilmember Parker.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

I just wanted to uh I guess maybe remind our my colleagues that on today's agenda, we just approved on the consent agenda removing uh uh a planned district C designation.

And the reason I want to bring it up is because when I when I read this agenda item, that's 13 AA, I considered taking it off of the consent agenda so that we could discuss it because it's in an established neighborhood, and this lot of land is right next to million dollar houses.

Um but we just we don't get pushback in East Knoxville.

And uh as council members, we don't push back in East Knoxville.

We'll change the zoning left and right.

But even on a major thoroughfare in West Knoxville, we will question it.

Um so I just wanted to lift that up.

Um we uh that may pass uh uh at our next meeting without any discussion, but I would hope that we apply the same standards throughout the city.

If we feel like established neighborhoods and West Knoxville shouldn't have their zoning changed because the project going in there is not affordable housing, then let's apply that as standard everywhere.

That's all I ask.

Uh Councilmember Roberto?

Thank you, Mayor.

Um the transition rules provide an opportunity for the C to be removed as well as the process to be followed.

So there have been plenty of examples of properties removing their their previously planned district, just like tonight.

There wasn't any opposition to remove it.

I don't know the particulars of that specific uh uh development.

I know the particulars of this one, but there's nothing that because there's a process to remove it means that it has to be removed.

In this particular case, there are reasons to develop this under planned residential.

What we heard, and I appreciate my colleague uh councilmember Ryder reminding us about our work on um making sure the transition rules were in the code and also putting a very fine point on the fact that in R and four you may be provided a public process, but only in planned residential, you are required a public process, and that gives the neighbors a seat at the table, and that's what they're asking for uh tonight.

Um I hope that you will support this.

I went back and looked at some of the um letters that we had gotten during the uh recode process back in the in 2020, and um director Brooks had talked about and in her letter to us in August of 2020 that the intent of these amendments is to ensure the review of these previously planned district properties is consistent with the process under which they were previously approved, process process, and also a letter from uh deputy of the mayor, Stephanie Welch, uh, where she sent us a letter, and in that she says the proposed amendment allows a clear path forward in the event that a property owner wants to remove the planned district designation and requirements entirely, or to modify those requirements.

It was always about you can remove them if you want to, you can follow them if you want to.

What I'm asking is that we clarify this for this developer that he can develop this under planned residential.

We've already heard the answers today, and the neighborhood would appreciate that, and that's why I made the motion to withdraw.

Thank you.

Councilmember Ryder, um, still on the motion to withdraw.

Yeah, I'd like to clarify one of the comments that was made.

Um I appreciate councilwoman Parker's comments, um, two parts there.

Um, the other um C's designation that's on consent, that is the homeowners applying for it.

It is a built home, it is R and two zoning, so it's uh low density residential, which is our uh single family houses and our duplexes.

Um and and you're right, there's tons of places that we don't hear from neighbors because they aren't organized.

Um that one is the applicants are the owners, um, and it's a small parcel of land.

Um, but on the note that you brought up, um, you're bringing up the equity issue, and on that note, Miss Brooks.

Doesn't that tie to why we removed plan residential as a tool?

So if I own a piece of property, I can't apply to put planned residential on a new piece of property because it's not in our code.

There are transition rules for the ones that got zoned and and have the seed designation from days of old.

But I can't walk into your office and have a new piece of property zone planned residential, can I?

No, you cannot.

I cannot.

And what was the reason why we went to the in the recode we changed from that model to the current zoning that we have?

I believe the intent was to provide more certainty in the code for property owners as well as community members by being very clear about what could be built and how property could be subdivided because there is more details about setbacks, design standards, dimensional standards, height.

Yes.

So that answers into councilwoman Parker's question.

The idea was that there's a more level playing field built into the zoning code, so you don't necessarily for the because it should be the same in East Knoxville and South and West and everywhere else, and a more level playing field in the zoning code, and that was the purpose.

So just wanted to touch on that.

Combined Mayor Smith.

Thank you, Mayor.

I wanted to thank Councilman Roberto for clearing up some of the discussion from last time.

With that said, I won't be able to support the withdrawal.

I do think that there will be, I'm convinced that there will be public input process in this, even if the C designation is removed.

So based on everything I've heard, I think the neighborhood uh will have a seat at the table.

So uh for that reason I'll be supporting the rezoning or the C designation removal and not the withdrawal.

Thank you.

Any further discussion on the motion to withdraw?

Seeing none, all those in favor of the motion to withdraw, please say aye.

Any opposed motion to withdraw fails.

Back to the original motion.

Do we need a roll call?

Uh I think it's just two.

More than that.

Four for okay, I guess we'll do a roll call vote.

Sorry.

Councilman Roberto.

Um we're voting on the I'm just a roll call vote on the your motion to withdraw.

To withdraw, I vote yes to withdraw.

Boss Mayor Smith.

Councilman Singh.

Councilman Thomas.

Yes.

Councilwoman Fugit.

Yes.

Councilman Hesley.

Councilwoman McKinsey.

Yes.

Councilwoman Parker.

Councilwoman Ryder.

No.

Mayor, the vote is four in favor, five opposed.

Okay, the motion fails five four.

Back to the original motion.

Was there was an original motion to approve to approve to approve the agenda item as written.

Councilmember Singh.

Thank you, Mayor.

Mr.

Lennon, do you mind coming back up?

Yeah.

Uh thank you.

I agree with uh councilmember Smith that there will be public at the table and they'll be involved, and that you will continue your conversations.

But uh Councilmember Thomas brought up a point that's really important.

We do need affordable housing.

Because of state laws, we are not allowed to require it from developers.

But I would like to make that request of you to consider maybe different price points on some of that housing.

Yes.

Um we are a for-profit developer.

You don't have to have all of the um and we have looked at the market and we have sought part of the reason that it's 32 units and not the the West Hills Community Association has advocated for fewer higher priced units.

Yes.

We are looking at 32 units because it allows us to hit a lower price point.

That's that's why it worked.

Let's keep on doing the math.

Yeah.

Thank you.

Councilmember Fugit.

Thank you.

Um, the only thing I want to say is I think the discussion that we've had about this for the last two weeks highlights the difficulty and the unease and concern about rezonings that neighbors have, as the West Hills Associ uh Homeowners Association brought forward, community association, excuse me, brought forward.

This is the third time we've talked about this piece of property, probably in the last couple of years.

So one of the things that I and I don't have an answer for this, but I just have to say it because I think it's something we need to think about.

Planning needs to think about, council needs to think about is everybody wants certainty.

People who invested in a neighborhood want certainty that their investment is still gonna be good.

A developer, I've loaned money too many of them.

They need certainty in time frame, what's expected, and how things will go.

I think where neighbors get very concerned is when this person asking for it actually owns the property.

But many times people come before this body asking for a rezoning with an option to purchase a property.

And the plan all sounds good, and everybody can be for it.

And then when they walk away from it, if it's been rezoned and people don't build what they were promised, it would build, there's a breach of trust with neighbors.

So I think it is it is incumbent on all of us not to be smug about this, not to be not to take it lightly when no neighbors object or have concerns about a rezoning in their community, because what the person asking for the rezoning promises may or may not happen, and it is rezoned until another council rezon it again.

So I just would like for us to understand the implications of all these.

I know we do, those of us that sit around here do, but I think sometimes to the community it looks like much ado about nothing, and it is not nothing on the developer side, and it's not nothing on the neighborhood side.

So I just felt like I had to say that because oftentimes we up what we hear is well, we feel confident this developer is gonna do what he said he will do.

And he owns the property, so that gives me a lot more comfort.

But when it's an option to purchase and you can't get financing and your deal falls through, then what a neighbor agreed to probably won't happen.

So I'm sorry, that's just I had to put that out there in the record.

Councilmember Rider.

Yeah.

And we're in a lot of ways bound where we can't tell them what they can and can't do.

I will say, Councilwoman Singh and I recently had a conversation, not on this agenda item, uh, about our friends, her, you know, people we know moving to Austin, which I thought was really weird because I've always heard of people coming here because Austin is too this, too, that too expensive.

Well, it turns out, and please do not mishear me, I am not advocating for this, but it turns out I learned from councilwoman Singh that they built, and I I just looked it up because I have to do that, 54 new housing units between 2018 and 2013, 23.

And that is because, and and so I I believe they weren't all income restricted or low income.

It's just the huge influx of new housing pushed it down to where my friend's kids are leaving because the rents there and going there because the rents there are $600 a month cheaper.

So we can say, Mr.

Lennon, we don't approve of your plan to build 400,000 units, but the people that are gonna buy those 400,000 units, they're not gonna buy the 400,000 house in our community or the 150,000 house and McMansion it up, I'm sorry, but and make it a 400,000 house, which is what's been happening in our neighborhoods off Broadway, is where it gets decked out to the point where it's a 400,000, 300 a square foot house.

So, yes, we would love to see more affordable things.

I think the thing is is when we allow some more housing units, we're going to see some more of that, and it's gonna the supply-demand thing is real, and we keep saying no to it in so many places, and I support this as it is on Gallagher and Middlebrook.

It is not in the neighborhood, the entrance and the exits.

Yes, it is near one piece of property, but I've measured out and I sent Mr.

Lennon questions about the distancing to the property behind it.

And if there's a way to shift to create more distance, but the setbacks are like 20 feet plus, and I believe there was some conversation floating about that it was 10 feet from your house, but that's not allowed.

So I don't know where the truth lies, but I perceive that that is going to happen in the special use process and the conversations that are going to happen to make sure that it gets buffered correctly, and the setbacks are as our zoning code.

And if we don't have the right setbacks in the zoning code, then that's where that needs to be modified, is in the zoning code that is supposed to level the playing field.

Councilmember Parker, then say just one thing I wanted to lift up is that uh tonight we are voting on whether to remove the C designation from this property.

But what I'm hearing is there's been a variance applied for, and there are other steps that have to take place.

Um developers' plans to be realized.

Um there's a possibility, and I'm curious.

Actually, I would like to ask the developer if you don't mind coming up.

Um lawyers, you tell me if I cross the line, but I don't know how to broach this conversation.

Um there's a possibility that we could vote to remove uh the C designation, making that no longer an option for you, that process.

And now you've got additional steps to go through for that R and four designation.

Is that a question?

Which includes variances.

Um we already bought the property.

We bought it nine years ago, right?

We're gonna build something.

I I'm just trying to look through my way to to go through this.

Um the process to build the 32 townhomes will go through the special use process.

That was calendared for months ago.

I delayed it for a long time to engage in this conversation.

We have been kicking that can down the road.

It is currently calendared for um January 8th to go before the planning commission.

The planning commission or the planning staff requested that the standard about front setbacks, or it's not front setbacks.

The front width of the lot.

When it's townhomes, there needs to be 20 feet of lot frontage per unit.

We have my belief is a hardship property in that it is irregularly shaped with slope and had and is actually has no frontage.

So we went to the BZ.

Excuse me, just a minute and got a bearings.

Just one second.

Mr.

Frost wanted to have a point of legal order.

Sorry.

Thank you.

And I appreciate Councilmember Parker recognizing the situation.

It's about what this gentleman just discussed.

I mean, council's not here to hear about that particular issue coming up.

It is a public forum.

Or excuse me, it is a public meeting.

Thank you.

Sorry.

So I don't want to litigate that issue tonight, but I just wanted to lift up that there are additional issues for council to potentially consider if something were to come back before us in January, as mentioned.

And then you wouldn't have access to the uh um concept plan.

Plan residential process.

Right.

And it but that was a risk you were willing to take.

That is a risk I'm willing to take.

And I do just want to speak to one thing, if I might, Councilwoman Fugit.

The reason when this property came before this council last year to be zoned to RN4 and the sector plan changed.

If the designation is not removed, it's like that never happened, as I understand it.

We will be operating under the old code.

So these issues that got debated by this council a year ago are the same issues that are being debated here.

So it's not that I want to keep coming back.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um Councilmember Singh, Mr.

Lennon, you're getting get all your steps in and everything today.

Sorry.

Uh if you do not get the variance, what changes in the plans?

I know this is all hypothetical.

Mr.

Frost, I'm not putting the process.

You can come back and observe your future council member debate that in January.

Just wonder about plan B.

All right.

Uh okay.

Vice Mayor Smith.

Uh I have an instinct that this will be back before council a couple more times.

So with that said, I'd like to call the question.

There's there's no one else with their lights on, so um we'll just go ahead and if it's okay with uh Vice Mayor.

There are no more lights on, so uh we're voting on the motion to approve this item.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed roll call, please.

Councilwoman Singh.

Yes, Councilman Thomas.

No.

Councilman Fugit.

Councilman Helsley.

Councilwoman McKenzie.

Councilwoman Parker.

Councilman Ryder.

Yes.

Councilman Roberto.

No.

Vice Mayor Smith.

Mayor, the vote is five in favor, four opposed.

Okay, motion carries.

Okay.

Next item, please.

12H.

12H is an resolution authorizing the mayor to award a total of $5,000 in neighborhood small grants program grants in support of community building activities planned by the old Severe Community Group.

This award will be made to the East Tennessee Community Design Center, which will serve as fiscal sponsor for old severe community group.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Councilmember Parker.

I'm curious about the process for this grant fund.

Usually we see more awardees through the neighborhood small grants program, but only one this time.

I'm curious why.

You previously approved the others.

This one still had some tweaks to be made uh and some do things to be worked out between with the neighborhood on the project.

And so it was not ready to come before you when the others came, but the others came, I think about two or three meetings ago.

Yep.

Awesome.

Thank you.

Absolutely.

Any further questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12 I is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Whaley Construction LLC in an amount not to exceed $621,633.50 for construction of the old city streetscapes phase two project.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12J is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Pipkin and Associates LLC in an amounts not to exceed $35,250 to provide a right-of-way appraisal services for the Chapman Highway Multimodal Project.

Motion made to approve and second.

Any questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12K is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute a quit claim deed to East Tennessee Housing Development Corporation for one parcel of property located at 707 Ben Hur Avenue.

Parcel ID number 082 NL001 within the limits of the city of Knoxville pursuant to the homemakers program for a contract sales price of $15,100.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12L is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute a quick claim deed to East Tennessee Housing Development Corporation for one process of property located at 1509 North Fourth Avenue, parcel ID number 082 IA010 within the limits of the City of Knoxville pursuant to the homemakers program for a contract sales price of $15,100.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Yeah.

I just wanted to say I don't know if Kathy Ellis is here.

Yes, she is.

Oh, okay.

Miss Ellis, it sounds like you might need to come to the podium to answer a question.

And Director Kevin DuBose is here as well.

Okay.

So I'm excited to see this happen for anybody that remembers we voted on this property before.

This was a vacant property where the heirs passed away and the heirs to the heirs passed away.

And so after digging and finding many obituaries after a fire, I was getting text messages about this property almost nightly prior to the fire.

So the house was long abandoned.

And on a this is a very strange anecdotal fact.

A friend's the neighbor's friend was over and they went into the home and there was actually an urn of ashes from deceased that used to own the home, I guess.

Anyway, they took that and they buried it properly because no one claimed them, so it didn't end up going away to the DOM when the house was torn down.

So very sad and strange thing.

But I'm very excited to see.

So is there what is the plan exactly?

Um the next steps.

Ms.

Ellis, if you could just identify yourself for those who for the record.

Sure.

Kathy Ellis, um, City of Knoxville 400 Gay Street.

Um the property, of course, is now a vacant parcel of land uh on a formerly very, very dilapidated um chronic problem property.

And it will have a three-bedroom, two bath, 1180 square foot, single family home, one and a half story.

Uh it'll be ADA visitable and energy stars certified.

And it will also go to a family with income at or below 80% of the household area medium, so we'll be affordable for the families.

Okay.

Thank you so much, and I appreciate all your work through the years.

Oh, thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thank you.

Um Councilmember Ryder and Miss Ellis.

Uh Councilmember Parker.

Uh it was already mentioned uh uh in the description provided by Miss Ellis, and I appreciate that, but I just wanted to lift up and applaud that both of these uh properties uh being sold through the homemakers program will go to a household with an income at or below 80% of the area median income.

And I'm super happy to see it.

Thank you.

It's not exclusive to affordable housing, but the great majority of the ones that will come to council will be for affordable projects.

I'd like for them all to be.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Seeing no further discussion, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12 M is the resolution authorizing the mayor to execute any and all documents necessary to award an amount not to exceed $1,500,000 from the Affordable Rental Development Fund to Beaman Lake 2 LP for the development of 30 affordable rental housing to be located at 1213 Beaman Lake Road, as more specifically described here in motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

Councilmember Parker.

Yes, Mayor, thank you.

Um when this property came before us for a rezoning, I believe it was.

There were concerns about the size of the street.

Um and the the uh cat bus traffic on the street.

And I know um uh councilmember McKenzie had had some discussions to address the bus traffic.

And I believe in our meeting there was discussion uh maybe even a commitment made by the administration to look at what road improvements could be made.

And so I was wondering if we had were able to look into that and if we should expect any uh commitments to beam in lake for future road improvements.

Mr.

Claybone.

Uh Tom Club Injunior Director.

So we've had a pre-submittal meeting with the developer with the the number of units.

It doesn't really meet the threshold for a traffic impact analysis, but uh we have indicated that we would uh we we try to be equitable as far as the impact to the infrastructure with what's being developed.

So we've asked for the road to be widened to 20 feet through the length of the property about 700 feet.

So that'll be back down toward McDonald Road.

Uh the remainder of the road about 450 feet is 18 feet wide.

So we think that's adequate for the number of trips it's going to generate.

That's something.

We got some.

Okay.

Um I think that's that's um good that it was looked into because uh you know, perhaps a traffic study isn't warranted, but from experience, you know, many in the community can tell you that it is a cut through street and it does get a lot of traffic.

Um and it uh now has uh two uh you know significant facilities uh on this road.

And so as we um expand density and and and growth in that area because of a need in the city and a willing property owner uh able and and and uh excited to bring this project forward.

Um I'm hearing the community say to us, okay, but we also have to make those infrastructure investments.

So I'm glad to hear that at least part of the road will be widened as this project comes in.

Thanks.

Councilmember McKenzie.

Thank you, Mayor.

And I will say that yes, I am.

I use that cut through, been using it since I was I learned how to drive.

Uh, and so I'm excited to hear that as well.

But also just want to say that uh I'm really happy about this uh development.

There's such a great need that I think sometimes we take for granted for senior housing for low-income senior housing.

Uh and golden age one is a prime example of beautiful facility.

The seniors uh thrive are thriving there, have had the opportunity to know some folks who live there.

Uh, and so again, I'm glad to see this development of being able to hopefully get off the road.

Do we have a a date in mind when construction would start, Mr.

Nance?

Would do you mind do you I don't know if you have that information, but if you do, if you could just maybe let us know.

Mr.

Nance, if you come to the podium and uh state your name and connection to this project for us and uh answer the council's question.

Yes, thank you, Mayor.

Alvin Nance uh with LHP Development.

We are serving as a developer for this particular project.

Uh we are planning to start construction in April.

Okay, good.

And we anticipate a 16 to 18 month construction period.

Okay.

Awesome.

Thank you.

That's all needs now.

Thank you.

Any further uh council member Thomas?

Yes, um, just simply some cheerleading here.

I appreciate everybody that's uh put out effort to make this happen.

This is the kind of uh low-income housing we need, and it's in a good location.

And uh thank you.

Any further questions or discussions?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Thank you, council, for supporting this project.

This is just what the affordable rental development fund exists for.

So very grateful to be moving forward.

Next item, please.

12 end is the resolution further amending resolution R-326-2024, which authorized the mayor to execute any and all documents necessary to award a total amount not to exceed $1,768,642 in youth homelessness demonstration program grant funds by modifying allocation designated for my or designated to rather my daughter's journey and Knoxville Knox County Community Action Committee.

Motion made to approve and seconded any questions or discussion, Councilmember Parker.

Uh yes, uh I have some serious concerns about this agenda item uh that to me is at minimum uh premature uh but uh quite concerning.

Um so the um the executive director of my uh uh my daughter's journey was not able to be here tonight because of car trouble.

Uh but she has shared um information with council about uh what her experience has been uh as a grantee through this program.

Um and I'm concerned about this proposal coming before council uh to transfer their funding um to another organization and not recognize the outstanding request for a reimbursement that's been issued uh by this organization that has um expended uh uh resources, um incurred cost, uh, and has submitted receipts and documentation uh because they've followed up with me to let me know what they've submitted.

So I have uh a record of the that submission as well.

So I'm I'm failing to understand.

Um first of all, uh why the city was not able to uh work uh with this partner, this valued partner uh who serves a portion of our community that that CAC does not serve um and does not serve in the same way.

Um I'm very concerned why we weren't able to address these issues before it came to this.

And then secondly, uh I'm concerned that this is coming before city council to reallocate their funding before the past six months of work has been reimbursed.

So I would like to get a better understanding from the city of why this has to come before city council tonight.

Uh thank you, Ms.

Parker.

Um Mr.

DeBoes, I know that uh you and other members of the staff have worked with this grant recipient and and the federal HUD grant recipient guidelines are um very particular.

So if you could explain uh the efforts we've made to support this and other grantees and and explain why this agenda items here before council tonight, please.

Yes.

Thank you, Mayor.

Kevin DeBo's housing and neighborhood development.

Um I think the key thing to point out is that um the organization, my daughter's journey pulled out of the contract.

They ended the contract on their own.

They weren't um asked to end the contract.

There was not a desire for them to end.

And in fact, there were a lot of um folks who tried to intervene and bring them into compliance.

Um, the compliance uh issue was there from the start, and we were never uh in the short time that they were in, able to bring them into compliance.

And as a result, you know, the expenses that were presented did not have the documentation required to meet the bar for us to, you know, to make reimbursement.

And to can you answer what specific documentation was missing?

Well, um, I want to be careful in respect to the organization.

Um, but I I will say that uh the way we need to proceed is is to follow our procurement process, our uh reimbursement process that were outlined, and any special um caveats to that need need to be in writing, and there were some you know ways that um contractors were paid that were inconsistent with the with you know the way we spelled out how to do um business with the city.

Um that confuses me because in May 2025, uh the director of the organization received an email from Ariel Benson, Knox Tennessee Housing, outlining all of the uh documentation requirements, including what needed to be submitted for time sheets and payments made through uh PayPal, which is how they pay their contractors.

Councilmember Parker, I'll let Mr.

DeBoze answer your question, and then uh since your time is up, I'll move on to the next council member and come back to you as needed.

Yeah, Mr.

DeBose, can you speak?

Yeah, in order for us to reimburse like that, the city would have to have a policy that we would use Cash App and PayPal to make those reimbursements, and we would also need to, you know, because the expenditure was for salaries, and so you you need a real pay stub and you need time, you know, those sorts those those sorts of sorts of things.

And so um, and this is the advice we've been given by the the consultant um from HUD.

Um, and what they've said is yes, if those uh alternative ways are established, then it needs to be a part of your policies.

So well, Ms.

Parker, I'll uh come back to you and just trying to follow council's roles here.

Um council member McKenzie.

Thank you, Mayor.

So um kind of off off topic, but uh this question is regarding this particular organization, they are listed as under for 202 funds, and we've made designations.

This this particular item has nothing, does not impact our ability to be able to provide them with 202 funds, and I'm not sure if you can answer that.

Yeah, I believe that's correct.

It's the difference is the HUD requirements, not the city of the city.

We just heard it was a city policy issue.

That's not what was just shared.

We would have to have a city policy to put them on that specific example you said.

Is it HUD makes sure we follow our own policies?

Yeah.

So we already grant to them, and that's their payment.

Councilmember McKenzie, you still have the floor.

We'll come back to you, Ms.

Parker when Councilmember McKenzie's done.

So I think my question has been answered that this conversation, this agenda item has does not impact our ability from council to give allocate funds to them.

Yes.

That's all I needed to know.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember Parker.

And Councilmember Singh after that.

So since my time on council, I I've had multiple black-led organizations come to me with concerns about their treatment by city staff when they receive funding from the city.

And the moving of the bar about what is required for them to submit.

And the impact that this has not only on them as an individual organization, but on black-led organizations in general in Knoxville.

Because I continue to see it happen.

And I continue to see the language used with those organizations.

Now, um, everything that's been shared with me, I see no reason that they shouldn't have been reimbursed.

And in fact, the reason that they pulled out uh voluntarily from this grant agreement is because they weren't being reimbursed.

So as a small grassroots organization, after you expend 20 something thousand dollars over six months, and now you have additional responsibilities to fulfill.

If you're not getting reimbursed, you're not able to fulfill your duties.

You're gonna have to pull out because otherwise you're you're you're risking your reputation, what you've promised to do.

So from what my understanding is, they have pulled out because the city did not uphold their end of the agreement, and they felt like they were getting discriminatory treatment.

They said, I'm sorry, it's still my time.

I'm sorry.

They they submitted all of their documents, they had conversations that did not indicate they could not uh you know get reimbursed uh for the uh pay already made to contractors.

Uh they have been awarded grants through the city previously, uh, have been a partner of the city on multiple uh grant opportunities, and so it's understandable from their perspective if they're reading through their documentation, and they see nothing in the documentation that outlines the requirements they're being told by the city, but now all of a sudden the city is relying on advice from a consultant that says they they have to have policies in a place that allow them to grant funds to this organization that the city has previously granted funds to, it's understandable why they would be confused and questioning the intentions of the city.

Um regardless of uh the conversations that need to take place moving forward.

I don't see how we can approve transferring their funding to another organization until this matter is resolved, and the matter is not resolved currently.

According to the uh housing and neighborhood development department, is this issue resolved in terms of their reimbursement?

Um I will say, let me assure you, we've we've taken every step we could.

You know, we want them and we wanted them to be involved, and we wanted to um bring them into compliance.

The these expenditures we ran by HUD and HUD told us no.

So it's there's we're not in position to reimburse any of those those at this time without further documentation.

We wish they would have stayed in and grown their capacity because you know, there would be the opportunity to do that.

Okay, but let me stop you right here.

Can I finish this?

No, because I only have one minute and you get as much time as you want to answer my questions.

Um I uh I just have to say this that you know, even what you said right there, HUD would not accept their their expenditures.

It's it's the document, you know, when when you reimbursed.

Is it the expenditures or is it the documentation?

It's both.

It's both.

It's you know, we're talking without saying what it is.

And for if you know what it is, you know, let's say um when you expend on on someone's time, you need to know what they're working on, that sort of things that we're gonna do.

And I see this, and right now we don't have all of that documentation.

And what was said in the timesheets, time sheets look great.

The only thing that we need you to do is on this 2024 time sheet, you say the person came in at 12.

They left at 6:30.

We need a total number of hours.

Council member Parker, uh, that is not misunderstanding what the money can be spent on.

That's not misunderstanding the documentation, and this is hurting reputation from our grassroots organizations in our community when we don't have real honest conversations here tonight.

I have all of the communications.

Thanks to being a good thing.

Thank you, Councilmember Parker.

Your time is up.

We have other people who've been uh waiting to speak.

Uh before I call on uh the next council member uh to speak, I just wanted to clarify uh a couple things.

We've been we applied for this grant for many consecutive years and didn't get it, and when we finally got it, we were very excited.

I remember we had a gathering of the sub-recipients at uh that coffee shop on um that's now closed on Chapman Highway.

Um maybe some council members were able to attend that.

There were several subrecipients there.

Um I think almost all of them.

It was their first time ever being a subrecipient for a federal grant.

So we provided um extra you know technical assistance and orientations because uh we have uh uh I I strongly um defend our track record of success of providing grant monies to small fledgling organizations, whether they're black run or white run.

Um and I think uh my daughter's journey is no exception.

We've funded them through city grants um and have great respect for their work.

The standards for federal grants are different and more strict, and we don't want to compromise excuse me, we do not want to compromise the uh grant as a whole by violating or getting in trouble with HUD.

We bent uh we we made every effort to um help all of the subrecipients be compliant, and and unfortunately in this particular subrecipient's case, it didn't work out.

We also have made an effort to help the subrecipient uh get some support from uh private philanthropy to uh cover the cost that they expended.

So uh we we want to we we want to support our nonprofits, whether they're um big established ones or small fledgling ones and to build their capacity.

Um being a HUD subrecipient is more complicated than being a city grant recipient.

I'll now uh call on the other council members in the order in which I saw their lights first is council member sing.

Thank you, Mayor.

I was going to bring that up about you.

I don't think it's I think it's small um agencies and organizations that have a really difficult time with this.

And I guess my point is is this repro this?

Are they eligible to to work on the paycheck issue that they it's my understanding that we tried to work with them and then they you know they withdrew from the relationship, Mr.

DeBose is that that's correct.

That's correct.

Uh the other question, Ms.

Ball, you and I spoke about it earlier today.

Were they reimbursed for the work that they did now through the private donor?

Uh hi.

Um the oh um this my daughter's journey was not directly reimbursed through the HUD grant.

However, there were philanthropic dollars uh that amounted to more than the original request for reimbursement that were obtained and provided um by a local philanthropist to support my daughter's journey during the time when we had hoped that they could get their paperwork.

We understood that there was a delay and that they're a small nonprofit, and that's very hard to stomach.

And it's very hard to um you know have that kind of a cash outlay.

And so philanthropic dollars were received by my daughter's journey to help provide them with uh a time frame to be able to get their paperwork in order.

However, that never happened, and the paperwork never actually manifested itself in then they my daughter's journey chose to sever the relationship, but they did receive the money from the philanthropic organization.

Are we still within any time frame where they can come back to the table and get some more assistance?

Um assistance might not be the exact correct word, but I'm gonna let um director De Beauz address another opportunity for my daughter's journey.

Yeah, you know, and what the expenses that are in question about 20,000, and um, you know, this is a 1.7 million dollar demonstration grant that if we perform well can be a sustainable source uh for us uh to you know eliminate youth homelessness.

My daughter's journey can still benefit from these dollars by housing individuals um at their location and being reimbursed by CAC, not as a direct you know, subrecipient, but as you know, a contractor of CAC.

So there's still ways that they can benefit.

You know, I want to consider this $20,000, which is less than one percent of um this total contract as a once again.

I'm gonna interrupt because I just have another minute.

Okay, sorry, go ahead.

Um so I guess I want a definitive answer on is it the federal grant, the the HUD that's saying you haven't done all of the paperwork that we need, therefore the city cannot release it, or is it the city saying yes, yes, it is it is you know, first of all, I have not been presented with uh an invoice to pay.

It is it is you know, first of all, I have not been presented with uh an invoice to pay, you know, our department because it has to follow these um procedures, and it needs to, you know be approved by OHS and HUD, and then it will come to to my department to approve.

So I don't I don't have anything to pay.

And uh so, but you know, the to answer your question definitively is that we've been told that you know, no, that these are not uh sufficiently um doc you know from a documentation standpoint ready for reimbursement.

I guess I'm going back to where I was.

Is there still within it?

Are we still within a time frame where they could do because the problem that they're having?

I have been working on a grant where I had the same exact problem, and you have to come back and work on it over and over.

It's just maddening.

But um, people were willing to work with me to get me to that point.

What I'm hearing is that she Simone has not been coming back to figure this out.

Yes, she has.

She she severed the relationship.

We there were a period of at least four months where there was back and forth of working with her between Kevin staff, the Office of Housing Stability staff to try to help get this um situation rectified.

And at the in June, I I don't hold me exactly to the date, but I believe it was June 23rd is the date of the communication we received that where she severed the relationship.

And because she took herself out of that relationship, we can't put her back in that same way.

But there is another path, as Dray Treau's just mentioned.

Okay, Councilmember Singh.

Um moving on to the next uh council member Vice Mayor Smith and then Councilmember Ryder.

Thank you.

I just want to make sure I'm understanding.

So the um the city has already funded this organization through other means, non-HUD related grants.

I will mention that Aaron Reed uh through the Office of Housing Stability went out and found some non-federal support to help with the startup expenses.

Okay, it was expressed by the organization that they would have difficulty operating on a reimbursement level.

So, you know, there were some monies paid um and this remaining balances is so the city is already by way of OHS provided funding to this organization before they qualify for the 202 funds that uh met requirements at the city council.

It's only these HUD funds that have these specific requirements that say you can't play pay people with the Cash App.

Um, and therefore they're not and then the city funded or had a partner fund to get them in compliance with the requirements of HUD reasonably.

The applicant had already spent enough money and they said I don't want to do this anymore.

Uh and kind of receded from the opportunity, and now the city's moving on, but there's still another opportunity.

Did I get all that?

Without reimbursement.

Yeah, I'm without reimbursement.

Did I get all that right?

Yeah, for the most part, and I do think that Aaron Aaron Reid has done an amazing job of trying to find ways.

Even this last solution was something that she came came up with today in our conversation.

Okay.

So the desire is to want this organization to be successful.

There's specific HUD requirements that they haven't met.

The city tried to get them in compliance.

They decided not to for good reason or gener their own reasons.

Um just as a point of information, my daughter's attorney has also been uh recipient of city community safety and empowerment funding as well.

So is we don't we we uh don't have any issue with the organization.

It's HUD's requirements that are making this difficult, and then they withdrew before we could rectify it.

Council member uh writer, uh you're not you with okay.

Uh council member McKenzie.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

And I really appreciate this conversation.

However, it it's a little uncomfortable to me for us to be having this in-depth of a conversation about an organization and a person, and they are not here to speak for themselves on what their experience was, and that they had full understanding uh of that.

So I I'd like to propose maybe uh there's a meeting that's set up if you don't mind to set that up with her and any council members that are interested in being at the table to make sure that she fully understands.

Uh I just think that we're having we're getting really in depth.

And I just and I don't know that it's uh that's not gonna, it's not gonna change this because it's it's HUD.

They're HUD requirement, and they're different.

And I do appreciate the fact that philanthropist dollars were found that were able to support because she now has to pay back because the city went to that philanthropist and said, Oh, well, she dropped out of the program, so now they wanted to pay it back.

Well, I mean, it's like y'all want to shut down this program.

I I think that's maybe not correct.

Yeah, um the loss and family foundation the the the philanthropic organization has not requested they could.

I saw the email of them asking for their money back.

We're not talking about the case.

Council member McKenzie has the floor.

Council member McKenzie.

At this point, I would like for us to set up the case.

Well, let's postpone this item.

What's the point of setting up the meeting?

Council member McKenzie has the floor.

Councilmember Parker, please.

She would call me directly to me.

Thank you, ma'am.

I'm just talking in general, but at the end of the day, that's not gonna change the outcome of this if it's HUD.

If the HUD requirement says that they're not meeting all of the requirements, he didn't say that requirements.

Councilmember McKenzie, you have the floor and uh you have another three minutes if you like.

I think we must have heard different things then.

So um Mr.

DuBose.

Yes.

HUD requirements are preventing us from paying these these.

You said that you didn't receive an invoice, but the monies that this organization has spent out.

Yes.

No, no one in the line of of processing has felt comfortable enough.

And in fact, there have been additional requests for information.

And you know, again, I would love for an fully documented invoice to land on my desk, but it to the state is not.

I would ask that we consider this a separate issue.

Um, you know, from because I don't want the 20,000 to threaten our 1.7 million dollars.

And our 1.7, I will say that we have uh 64 youth that are in the YHDP program right now.

28 have exited into permanent housing.

Zero have returned to homelessness.

So it's an effective program, and HUD's gonna want us, you know, to to utilize these fundings, all of our funding, uh, to demonstrate that you know we're we're we're a good partner in this.

And so, you know, we will continue separately working on that.

And this is like year one of a three-year grant sounds.

In the first year, we've had this success, yes.

Yeah, I remember we're very excited to have that department.

Council member McKenzie, anything further before I move on.

No, again, like I said, I just I just don't I feel like we're we're really getting into an in-depth conversation and talking about the organization and the director of the organization without that person being here.

I just don't know that it's and it sounds like there's some disconnects somewhere.

So it sounds like we've we've done some due diligence in helping this person, but again, if people around this this table are not all comfortable with that, I think setting up a meeting and inviting council members who would like to attend and sunshine it might be appropriate to maybe even help her understand further.

Thank you.

And also uh, you know, she's welcome.

The organization's welcome to apply to other city locally funded project uh grant opportunities, like she already has and been awarded.

Uh so that could uh be another avenue for her.

Councilmember Hugot.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, Mr.

DeBose, I want to make sure I understand one thing.

I believe what I heard you say is that um HUD requirement says if someone wants to use a cash app, then the procurement policies of the um HUD grant recipient, which would be the city of Knoxville, must have as its fiduciary rules a policy allowing cash apps for any and all um payment that's strategies, which is what the city does not have, which I think is a very wise decision because um that is prudent.

So with that, I'm gonna call the question.

Okay, motions to call for the question.

It's not debatable.

All those in favor of the motion to call for the question, please say aye.

Any opposed?

I'm opposed.

I've had my light on.

I had another call for the question carries.

Uh so now we're voting on the original motion on the floor, which was uh in favor of item 12 and 12 and all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

No.

Motion carries seven one one.

Oh seven two one.

Oh no, seven one.

Seven one.

And it will be better for our HUD chances if we don't get rid of the justice impacted led groups, the black-led groups.

We include them in the description in the proposal, but then we get rid of them when they don't perform how we that's not gonna help us to get through funding.

This motion has been as carried.

We'll move on to the next item, please.

12-0 is a resolution authorizing the acquisition by condemnation if necessary of a fee simple interest and certain property located at 3910 Carnation Drive, believed to be owned by Joanne Bruce, deceased at the estimated cost of 36,000 as recommended by the abandoned blighted and vacant properties committee.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Uh council members, uh, I think that after two plus hours, it's uh time for a short recess.

Let's reconvene at 820, please.

Uh council members, it's 821.

We've had our 10 minute recess.

Let's move back to the meeting, please.

Reconvene.

Okay, I could find I see four.

I see five.

Okay, we can go.

We have a quorum.

12.0 is a resolution authorizing acquisition by condemnate.

Uh we've already approved this one.

Yes.

12P is a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a contract with Calyptus Consulting Group Incorporated to provide professional consulting services to Knoxville Area Transit in order to perform Title VI program review in an amounts not to exceed 60,140.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Uh Council Member Parker.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I had some questions about this process.

Um first off, I was worried about the timeline.

Um it seems that this Title VI program review, including a public input process and time to incorporate that public input into the final report, would all be wrapped up by February.

And I was a little concerned about that timeline.

Has there been a date set for the public input process?

Mr.

Thornton, if you could please uh come to the podium and thorne, director of knocks lawyer transit.

So uh I sent council on email.

I think you're referring to that council member uh regarding the public participation plan.

Uh there is not a public process for our Title VI program.

It's just a public participation plan that we have to be have documented inside of that plan.

Um I think in terms of timeline, uh we should be fine to be able to submit that February 1st to the FTA for review.

Um thing we do have to get accomplished between uh once the if council recommend or approves this, we have to get a um the writer survey done before February 1st.

A writer survey.

Okay, what I was um referring to is in the contract.

Uh let's see where is it.

Oh, it's gonna take me a minute to find it.

Okay, I'm not I'm I'm not finding the language.

I am finding the Title Six Plan, the public participation plan, and the limited English proficiency plan.

Oh, it was the timeline that I was looking at.

Uh I think that's at the end where it has mapped out what will happen when it's in the second okay.

Okay, project schedule.

Conduct any required public outreach and engagement for program development.

Conduct the cashless fare analysis on potential desperate impacts.

Incorporate any public fee back into the Title VI program and prepare a nearly finalized program for review and approval by the CAT committee and the board.

What is intended by this public outreach and engagement?

That's what's due.

So the first part of this contract is to review our current Title VI program by February 1st.

And then we would look at doing a uh going back out to the public to do a cashless fare analysis.

That's due on May 1st.

So there's two parts to this.

Okay, gotcha.

And the outreach that has to be completed by February 1st.

So that would the outreach should actually take place during the uh cashless fare analysis, basically.

That would be the second part of this contract.

The first part is just reviewing our current current Title VI program to make sure there are any areas for improvement and what we've already have done, and then also doing the writer survey, which will come up with the demographic information that we need to submit to FTA.

Okay, gotcha.

Um, one thing that I pulled from this is about disparate impacts, but um the words are escaping me, but um what I wanted to lift up is that um during some recent schedule changes from CAT.

Um I've received complaints that there have been passengers not informed of the new schedule riders that have been waiting on buses for more than 30 minutes, um, but not having someone on the platform to communicate to writers about schedule changes.

Have you heard these complaints as well?

I have not heard those complaints, but we just made this shift uh starting on Monday that we're having now our supervisors, our road supervisors actually go to the platform, but only at 15 and 45 minutes after the hour.

So they're still having a presence on the platform, but we're trying to efficiency efficiently use them, uh not only to support our operators but also our passengers.

So we're using our road supervisors, but also as platform supervisors.

So they're having a dual role.

Okay, thank you, Council Member Parker.

Thank you, Mr.

Tharn.

Any I don't see any other lights on.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12 Q is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Kim Atkins on behalf of the Capital Strategy Group LLC in an amount of 72,000 dollars to provide governmental relations services for the city of Knoxville.

Move to approve.

Motion made to approve and second it.

Any questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12R is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Cornerstone Government Affairs Incorporated in the amount of 180,000 to provide governmental relations services for the city of Knoxville.

Move to approve.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12 S is the resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an operating contract with the public building authority of the county of Knox and the City of Knoxville, Tennessee to provide development management, limited security and maintenance of city of Knoxville owned or leased property.

Uh motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12 T is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with John Bouchard and Sons Co.

for the Knoxville Municipal Golf Course Irrigation Project for an amounts not to exceed 244,735.47 cents.

Second.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12U is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Knoxville, Knox County Planning to provide an amounts not to exceed $700,000 to fund an update to the comprehensive plan for the city of Knoxville.

Move to approve.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Councilmember Rider.

Nothing lengthy.

So what exactly is the plan, the time frame?

And how will that be executed?

Well, thank you for that question, Councilmember Ryder.

I'll let uh Director Brooks provide details, but just so you know, we uh plan to get this started and and you know take all due time to have a lot of community input on this.

This is um something that this council knows we very much need to update the comprehensive plan.

Um, and I met with Director Brooks yesterday to talk a little bit about timeline.

Um my understanding is we already have the you already have the RFP out for uh you know, some outside helpers to help us run the public process and so forth, and those re those are due January 7th or 8th, I believe.

The responses January 8th.

That's correct.

And then can you just uh you know share with council a little bit about the projected timeline?

Uh I'll obviously you know sometimes things hiccups happen and things take a little longer than we expect, but can you share with them the projected timeline for this process?

Yes.

For this particular process, we're hoping to have a draft plan by the end of next year, so this time next year to have a draft plan ready for uh uh adoption, adoption process to go through uh planning commission and city council.

Okay.

So it's not have everything voted on and moved all through all the bodies.

No, we really need to have a robust community engagement process, and so that that'll take a number of months.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

Okay, council member fugit.

Thank you.

Um Councilwoman Ryder asked my questions.

My my overarching concern about this is based on the amount of time we spend on land use.

And yes, we want this done quickly, but it has to be done correctly.

And uh the uh I look forward to a very detailed public process plan from the consultant and um probably would suggest that in future councils they might want some workshops with um planning commission about how this is going to work because um this is an opportunity to do public process very thoroughly again, like in recode, um, and it is important.

So that's I'm passionate about that.

Um, and glad to hear you answered the question that perhaps you already have um RFPs in place because I'm thinking there's no way this might not finish till I get off council.

So um I'm glad to hear that um that is already going forward and look forward to the actual timeline of the public process and how it's going to be publicized in a broad fashion.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Singh.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, there's this uh saying when's the best time to plant an apple tree 20 years ago?

When's the second best time now?

It's kind of how I feel about this comprehensive plan.

We should have been doing this a long time ago.

The the housing crisis has been around for few years now.

Um, but like I said, it's better that we are actually getting to this.

One of the things that really upsets me when I think about Knoxville now versus eight years ago when I got on council.

Um, I couldn't afford to move to the city right now.

I would not have chosen to come back from New York to live here because I can't afford it.

There's just not the amount of housing that we need.

So just think about the people that we're missing out on because of our housing costs.

So yeah, I'm glad we're working on it, but even though we need to be thorough, I do think we need to have a sense of urgency.

Thank you.

Council member Parker.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Um so we are voting on 700,000 to fund this process.

There's also 712,000 committed from TPL TPL dollars.

Uh so around 1.4 million.

One thing that I noticed in this process is that planning would hire the consultant.

I had a few questions about that.

That is different than how Recode was pursued.

Am I remembering that correctly?

Director Brooks, I was not here during Recode, so can you update us on that if you recall?

Nox and Ox County Planning manage the consultant for the update to the ordinance.

Okay.

So this will be similar to how planning pursued, hiring a consultant, developing a public process for Recode.

Yes.

And we did that in close coordination, of course, with City as well.

Okay, good to know.

And then when planning hires the consultant, does it come before city council for approval?

Or does that is that separate from no, it does not come before city council.

But obviously, we will keep you all informed along the way.

We would want you to meet the consultant team that is brought on.

Yeah.

Well, I one thing I wasn't on council during recode, but one thing that was noticed by the community and and raised as at times the concern was the you know, perceived expertise expertise of of certain consulting firms and different projects that they've worked on, and uh what ideas they might be bringing to Knoxville.

Um and recode's a little bit different than this comprehensive plan, but but but very similar.

Does planning already have a sense of what um criteria you have in mind for for a consultant to help lead this process?

The RFP is on the planning website.

Um Director Brooks.

Yes, we have um evaluation criteria associated.

We don't have like specific um, you know, in a project like this, uh the reason we do these RP is because we want to see who who actually submits and to be able to evaluate them and what they've done in the past.

So we'll be looking at their overall approach to the project.

Um, and we'll be looking at their timeline, what you know, what they anticipate, their uh the public and stakeholder engagement will play a large role.

So we'll want to see what they're proposing for that and a detailed description of any kind of key deliverables.

Obviously, consultants um who do this type of work have done, you know, they might have best practices that they'll want to bring to the table, and that will all be part of the discussion.

Um so we'll also be looking for a description of their firm and who we would be working with on a daily basis.

Awesome.

Yeah, thank you.

Uh Councilmember Fugit.

Thank you.

Just to point of clarification, I believe Recode, the contract was actually hired by the city, and planning managed it, but the contract did come back before the city, and the city actually hired the consultant.

This the city is not a party to that, and city council will not approve it like they did on Recode.

This is going solely through the Planning Commission, correct?

That's correct.

Thank you.

Vice Mayor Smith.

Thank you, Mayor.

I just want to say thank you, uh, Director Brooks for taking on this effort.

It was a priority of council for a couple of years now, particularly at the retreat in February.

We said this was at the top.

And Mayor, I want to thank you and uh Director Brooks for taking this on.

Um subsequent councils will thank you, or they should.

Uh thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um and council members, I just want you to know this is a huge priority for our community.

This council has said so uh the next, you know, the five new incoming council members, uh, if they're not already aware, are gonna be well aware that these land use issues uh require our attention and comprehensive update uh to the how we deal with land use and transportation and so forth.

So I'm um really um excited about this and committed to uh bringing council along uh as much time and energy as you can put into this and that we can engage the community, every sector, every part of the community across the city.

Uh the more voices we hear from the better, uh, because this is the kind of plan that can set the stage and tone for future land use decisions for you know the next 20, 40 years, and if we get it right, it'll be really good for our city.

So I'm committed to uh you know getting that input and uh keeping council uh involved and engaged and uh throughout the process, not just at the end, uh at every step of the way, um, as many uh meetings that we need for you know, council members, uh, but out in the community.

We want to get this right.

I want to get this right so that it's uh maybe a little boring at the end instead of contentious, you know, recode.

I wasn't um mayor at the time, but it seemed like it got really challenging at the end.

And um, if we do this right, hopefully at the end of the process, the adoption will be like everybody said, Yeah, this is consensus.

I don't agree with all of it, but I agree with 80% of it, and so I'm gonna support this.

That's the goal.

Um, there'll be nothing, no document that anybody agrees 100% with, but consensus does not mean unanimous alignment, it just means consensus.

So I'm that's that's the goal.

Thank you for putting this in the budget.

This was already in the budget, and we're very grateful that uh TPO is uh participating and is as well.

That's a that's a really big help for the transportation side of it.

Seeing no further lights on, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

13Y as a res ordinance, rather, to close a portion of Elinor Street adjacent to City Block 1162, lying immediately east of properties 911 and 917 Eleanor Street, 081 ML0009 and 081 ML007, and authorizing the mayor to execute quit claim deeds to the adjacent property owners.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

13Z is the ordinance to close a portion of Fort Dickerson Road adjacent to City Block 25310, lying immediately west of tax ID 109HA026 and authorizing the mayor to execute quit claim deeds to the adjacent property owners, first district.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

13 AF is an emergency ordinance of the Council of the City of Knoxville, appropriating the sum of blank dollars from the community improvement fund and donating the same to community agencies and organizations as set forth in the attachment.

Second.

Motion made to approve and second advice, Mayor Smith.

Thank you, Mayor.

As I mentioned, council, you should each have a copy of the 202 details in front of you.

Um hopefully you've had a chance to review your contributions.

Um there's no disagreement.

I'd like to make a motion to substitute the ordinance with the attachment in front of you being distributed in place of the pending ordinance.

Okay, motion made to substitute in the what you have on the original with the one that you have before you on paper has been made and seconded.

Is everyone understand the motion?

Uh all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

So the substitute motion, is there a motion on the substitute motion?

Motion made to approve the as substituted.

Any questions or discussion?

Seeing none, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Now we have um public forum.

First uh person signed up to speak at public forum is Kent Mano.

Start by stating your name and address for the record.

You'll have up to three minutes to address council.

Yeah, I'm Kent Minot.

I live at 311 West Glenwood Avenue in Knoxville.

And um good evening.

Mayor, City Council members.

Uh came down here tonight to say something nice.

I have no complaint in the world.

Um Mayor Kinkanan, thank you very much for inviting me to participate in the uh Breathe Knoxville uh advisory committee.

I work with Don Michelle Foster, Grace Levin, Ali Kitron, Amy Brooks, and uh especially the many community members who engaged in uh long and detailed conversations.

The process was serious and intense.

And the thing that impressed me the most was that um in the aftermath of a wrenching political change in our uh in our nation, nobody even thought about stopping or slowing down even.

Uh when the final breathe plan was launched on November 5th, our kind of new sustainability director, Patience Melnick, asked us all to spread the report far and wide.

So I'm gonna ask you to do two things tonight.

Read the report, read the rubber report, and talk about it.

Uh here's why.

The report pushes calmly against the storm of anti-climate executive orders and propaganda, trying to convince us that climate crisis is a hoax and that solar and wind don't work.

More reliable sources of information.

Tell us things like how widely deployed solar energy in California has caused a 25% drop in one year in methane consumption for grid electrification.

Or how new Perskabite solar panels are practically doubling panel efficiency.

Or the giant rows of batteries in the Southern California desert for four hours after sunset that regularly push electricity stored from the day's solar generation into Los Angeles to keep millions of homes, film studios, and ports all functioning smoothly.

That LA will likely meet its 100% clean energy goal even sooner than the 2035 deadline.

Now we're not LA.

But we have significant solar resources being built right now that promise to make Knoxville Utilities Board a solar leader in the Southeast.

This year, uh 3,000 homes in the KUB service area have been weatherized to help residents save on their utility bills.

Our city has free EV chargers in parks and public building public garages right now, 41 of them.

But the plan is not just a report on what we have, it's a plan for the future with specific numerical goals and deadlines.

The trick for us is to find ways to meet them, because as we know, uh a lot of the federal funding for green infrastructure has been cut.

We have to do it with local resources, sometimes individual resources.

Thank you so much.

That concludes your time.

Yeah, we appreciate it.

Next is Amber Okerson.

You have uh please state your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes to address counsel.

Yes, my name is Amber Okerson, 802 Airport Road, Oakdale, Tennessee.

First, I'd like to thank you, Mayor, for your time and the complete board, police officers, and everybody this evening.

I'd like to say happy holidays, and also give thanks to God for the courage to stand before you.

My name is Amber Okerson, and I'm a civil rights advocate.

I need to provide public notice to the city of Knoxville.

This is in accordance with the USCS rules of civil procedures, as well as Rule 17 and Rule 20 and the United States Supreme Court.

The Constitution of the United States has an overarching requirements that each state must follow.

States cannot enact their own alternative legislation, substitute for the guarantees of the Constitution of the United States.

That would mean that the states are more powerful than the Constitution.

And that is unlawful.

Clause one of Amendment 5 states states that no person shall be held to answer for a capital or otherwise infamous crime unless present presented by an indictment by a grand jury.

However, the state of Tennessee has enacted its own alternative legislation that permits prosecuting attorneys and police officers to change by the way of information and opposals to the indictment.

That is unconstitutional.

An emolument violation is when you pay a public official to break the law.

That constitution has two areas that enforce this.

Article 1, Section 10.

No state shall create any law that shall impair the obligation of contracts.

Police officers, prosecutors, judges are all under that contract, and a contract to perform based on the oath and affirmation that they took to support and defend the Constitution.

Contract parameters are defined within the Constitution of the United States.

And when a state enacts it an inferior law that directs the agents to disobey the Constitution of the United States, that is an eye violation of Article 1, Section 10.

The 14th Amendment is the other place that you will find the reinforcement of these issues.

And that is where it states no state shall create or force any law that shall abridge the privileges or immunities of the United States citizens.

The privileges and immunities of the United States citizens are at a minimum.

Those immonument with the Bill of Rights and the first Ten Amendments.

Unfortunately, the state of Tennessee has an enactment of law on its inferior constitution that permits public officials, judges, laws, law enforcement officers, and whom which you all pay to violate the Constitution of the United States.

As a result, there is an incoordinate amount of people currently imprisoned in the state of Tennessee, illegally and unconstitutionally.

Mr.

Downing is lighting this issue in the United States Supreme Court.

I am here to notify you that if you continue to pay public officials to break the law, criminal sanctions can come of that.

Thank you, Ms.

Okerson.

That concludes your time.

Thank you.

Next person is Kevin James.

Next person.

Kevin James.

Is Kevin James present?

Mr.

James, uh, you please have uh state your name and address for the record, and you have up to three minutes to address counsel.

Uh there's a little button near the base of the microphone to turn the microphone on.

No, it'll turn red now.

There we go.

You can hear me now.

Thank you.

Hello.

Hi guys, thank you very much, and thank you all for coming this evening, and thank you for having us here.

Thank you for allowing us to speak, too.

And also, too, I want to applaud the children that were here present before us, because it's necessary for a society to look after their children.

And, you know, greetings on this December 9th.

My name is Kevin James.

And I'm a civil rights advocate that I'm also here too to provide notice to for the accordance of USC rule of civil procedure as well as Rule 17 and Rule 20 from the United States Supreme Court.

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land.

No state, no county, and no court of the authority to create or enforce policies that contradict the Constitution or deprive citizens of their secured and protected rights.

Yes, that is a happening every day here in family and juvenile courts across our country and also in the state of Tennessee and in the county.

Across this nation, children are being removed from their um fit and loving parents, not for abuse and not for danger, but for the profit.

And it's due to the financial incentives associated to the Title IV DE money that's federally funded.

And that incentivizes communities to receive financial incentives to remove the children and to separate them and for adoption of children, too.

This means that the system profits when a family is torn apart.

Just like those children sitting over there, they could be future members of that, that this could happen to them.

And that's what we're here to be community advocates for that, to prevent that to happen to other children.

Um it is true that a portion of this uh budget of this city and county budget is contributes to the operation of the very courts participating in the unlawful removal of the children from fit, loving, and loyal, healthy parents, with um out due process and without jury trials and without uh procedure of evidence.

When governments, officials, and including judges, attorneys, the clerk of the court, law enforcement, and other in city funded um agencies knowingly and they negligently deprive citizens of their rights that which two or more agents operate in the color of the law deprived the children of the right, and it can be a credible conspiracy under 18 USC 241.

When states, cities, and counties, actors deprive individuals of rights in the exchange of the federal financials gains, which conducts constitution and unlawful um emoluments under Article 1, Section 10.

This is also a pattern right-based exploration, which many cases including kidnapping, bribery, extortion, and sometimes murder, otherwise known as RICO, racketeering and corruption.

Under Title 18, USC 4, misimprisonment of felony, whereas made aware of federal crimes and fails to report it to the um proper authority.

Thank you, Mr.

James.

That concludes your time.

Well, thank you, guys.

You'll have a good evening.

Okay.

Next is Tanawa Downing.

Good evening.

My name is Tanny Downing.

And I'm a civil rights advocate and litigator out of Washington, D.C.

Address is 152 Wayne Place, Southeast, Washington, D.C.

20032.

So I need to provide a little bit of clarification so we can understand what was just said and what we're actually asking from the body here.

So no state can create its own alternative legislation, substitute that for the guarantees constitution, then go out and enforce that.

That would obviously be a violation of the 14th Amendment, just as uh just they said.

So uh I have approximately 22,000 criminal affidavits on behalf of victims.

These are actual uh uh verifiable complaints from victims that have been charged by way of information as opposed to indictment from right here within the state of Tennessee.

Many are from within Knox County.

I'm not here to get anybody into trouble, but we need to make sure that we understand that when we pay people to abridge their constitutional obligations, a crime's been committed.

So these affidavits, they identify two crimes in particular.

The first is Title 18 USC subsection 242, which is deprivation of rights under color law.

What that statute states is that when any any person who, under the color of any state statute, ordinance, custom, or regulation deprives any person of any rights secured by the constitution commits that crime.

Now the second crime is Title 18 USC subsection 2.1, which is conspiracy to deprive of rights.

What that states is that when two or more persons conspire with the purpose of depriving any person of any rights cured by the Constitution commits that crime.

Now the laws of criminal conspiracy with regard to public officials, that's all of you.

That states that any person who, having knowledge of any of the wrongs conspired to be done, and who have the power to prevent or aid in the prevention of a commission of the same, neglects or refuses to do so, maybe join dispense the action.

So upon having been provided with this notice, letting you know that you guys are paying the police department to go out and execute uh warrants or arrests uh in violation of the Constitution of the United States by charging my way of information as opposed to indictment.

I'd ask you guys, please, let's work together to fix this problem.

Right?

We can do that.

We really can, but we got to work together to do to do that.

So I know that you're gonna go to the attorney as soon as we're done.

You're gonna ask that attorney whether or not what I'm saying is true.

And before, uh and that attorney is going to point you to a case from 1884 from the United States Supreme Court called her taught over California.

Before you choose to rely upon that as foundation, I must remind every single one of you that the Constitution of the United States of America is the foundation, not a judge-made ruling.

The Supreme Court of the United States has no constituted authority to be able to alter men or destroy any of the provisions or guarantees of the Constitution because that must be done by an authentic and explicit act people in accordance with the special mending procedure of Article 5.

So I know that this is a tough decision.

Soon as we're done here, you're gonna have to make a decision whether you're gonna go and follow a judge-made ruling, the lowest form of law or the Constitution United States of America, the object to which your Padeli is bound.

But I'm gonna pray that you guys make the right decision.

But I want to leave you with this, okay?

The United States Circuit Court has identified a two-part test used to determine abuse of discretion.

And it states that that an erroneous view of the law is an automatic abuse of discretion.

Our erroneous view of the law would be that in your legal contemplation and considering the merits of this of this discussion here, that you rely upon the lowest form of law instead of the Constitution of the United States of America.

That would be an obvious erroneous view of the law.

Therefore, if you continue to pay these public officials to abridge their constitutional obligations, that erroneous that an automatic abuse discretion will have occurred in accordance with the United States Circuit Court.

Thank you guys so much.

God bless.

Next is Audrey Buchanan.

Ms.

Buchanan, if you could state your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes to address counsel.

Good evening.

My name is Aubrey Buchanan.

I'm a U.S.

Navy veteran, a combat veteran.

Um I'm here to advocate for the citizens of Tennessee and also as a citizen of Arkansas as well.

Um my experience is the family fraud and um as a victim as others to the annihilation of the family structure.

There's no need for funds if if we don't have a family institution that's stable us.

And I'm advocating for the citizens because I took an oath, you know, through the under the Constitution of the United States to serve and protect against foreign domestic enemies.

And as of right now, that I see those enemies within the state, misappropriate funds that instead of supporting our families, annihilating and racketeering, trafficking, and kidnapping our children to be abused by predators.

And I'm also being a victim of that and survivor of that.

And all my years as a combat veteran, never have I seen the annihilation of a family structure in what I would consider the family genocide of the American people.

And so I would behoove you so that you know you take in these council seats to seem to care about your people and not brag about how much money you make or how much money they appropriate to different institutions that is the housing.

If you don't have a family structure, there's no way for you to do that.

There won't be no family for you to be able to supply generations to support the states.

And um it has to go back to caring.

If you care, it's gonna come forth and manifest in the way we treat our people, going back to allowing the people to have rights and freedoms to take care of their children and not be um orchestrated to um uh them being taken into different institutions and being injured and being hurt with generations that continue to be violated.

And so I just behoove you to look into what the reason why you have this seat, the reason why you decided to take your time and your energy and your livelihood and purpose to serve your community, because there's no honor in this.

We just had Veterans Day.

There's no honor.

I didn't take an oath for that.

For the families of the United States of America to be an American genocide on families and violating our rights continuously.

For my son was kidnapped and violated and assaulted and to predators and to a system where we have no voice.

And so I'm here to advocate for every every single American to rely on the fact that the United States Constitution has to be fulfilled, has to be applied.

Oh, there we have no rights, we have no voice, and we have no future for the children of America to be loved and cared for.

So I take you I take it in hand to everyone to look into the fact that if you care, it's gonna show in the proof the families and in healing the families and it's applying for them a future that makes sense to them.

Where instead of an alien them and to it to a predator system of the system.

Thank you that they're saying next person is Jessica Saxton.

Miss Saxon, if you could come to the podium, state your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes to address counsel.

Thank you so much.

My name is Jessica Saxon.

I'm an also a civil rights advocate out of Washington, D.C.

This shoe of this little toddler, it was found outside Blunt County Juvenile Court today.

This now represents the children who never make it home.

And unfortunately, in this city, you guys not only don't care about the smallest citizens, but you're profiting off of the smallest citizens.

You know, the majority of children who are kidnapped and go missing.

They're not kidnapped by people who are walking down the street in hoodies.

They're not kidnapped out of convenience stores or your local restaurants.

They're kidnapped by state agents who are working under the color of law.

Your CPS workers, your guardian lightums, your judges, your attorneys.

All of these people are complicit in these crimes.

The highest rate, some of the highest rates for foster care placements are right here in East Tennessee.

That's a national statistic.

Some of those counties include Knox, Anderson, Loudoun, Severe, Union, Granger, Jefferson, and Blunt.

Miss Parker, it is disgusting that this county shut you down, and this council shut you down when you started to question the missing and exploited children that are happening right here in this city.

And Ms.

Parker, I want to encourage you that you are on the right path.

That your questioning of where are these children is correct.

And please do not forego that feeling that you have that that needs to be investigated.

One of the former members that just spoke mentioned 18 USC subsection 242.

This deprivation of rights under the color of law.

In the event that your rights are deprived and kidnapping occurs, there's penal fines with that.

And there's three of them.

One is fines, one is prison, and the other is death.

These are not my laws.

These are the laws of the United States.

The law is hard, but it is the law.

I think that we the people are done with our rights being deprived as parents and our children being kidnapped through the system.

And I think there's some changes that need to be made.

This is absolutely Operation Greylord 2.0, and I pray that every single one of you choose to do the right thing.

Next person signed up for public forum is Rico Hopewell.

Had to leave.

Cynthia Finch.

Is Ms.

Finch present?

Miss Finch, uh, if you could come to the podium, state your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes to address counsel.

Good afternoon.

My name is Cynthia Finch.

I live at 201 Delta Road in Hoston Hills.

I am here representing several organizations.

One, the Faith Leaders Initiative, founded and designed along with uh representative Councilwoman Mackenzie, Keel Wyatt, and Dr.

Keith Gray.

The Burlington Business District Association, I serve as a president.

I am the executive director of New Directions.

I'm here with good news.

Thank you, those counselors that are rolling off this council.

To Mr.

Tommy Smith, to um Andrew Roboto, Lauren Ryder, Sima Sainz, and my own sixth district representative, Miss Gwen McKenzie.

Thank you so very much for your work, your commitment to the city of Knoxville.

I'm here to talk about the I love Burlington.

My intent is to make sure, Mr.

Tommy Smith, that you get your button.

I will leave this with you tonight.

I only have one, but every council member will receive a I love Burlington button.

We thank you for your uh vote on tonight about the streetscape.

I want to say uh thank you to Mr.

David Brace and his department, Mr.

Grant, Rosenberg, and Mr.

Kenya Middlebrook for all the work, the diligent work that you're doing for the Burlington community.

We are on, like the mayor says, this is our time.

We are so happy about the streetscape.

The dirt has is rolling right along with the fire fire home.

It's looking good, Mr.

Grant.

We thank you.

You give us a information that it will be finished by 2006 26.

We're excited about that.

But one or two other issues still exist in the Burlington community.

The Greyhound bus station.

We're looking forward to getting some type of report, a positive report because it is cold outside.

This past Monday, it was raining, and there were citizens sitting on the bus stop in the rain, very, very cold.

Very, very too cold.

I'm worried about that situation.

So I am anxiously awaiting a report.

I did receive as the president of the Burlington Business District a letter from the Greyhound bus station saying that they uh are in negotiations soon to be signed.

And we hope that they're not telling the LIE, the LIE on that.

So I'll be waiting, Mr.

David Bracey's uh watching to make sure that we get an answer for that.

Lastly, I'd like to invite you all personally to Christmas in Burlington, December the 20th.

I know it was announced earlier from 12 noon to 3 p.m.

There will be music, vendors, food, Santa Claus, food giveaways by second harvest, and we'll also be giving flu shots.

So we have good things going on in Burlington, and once again, you will be receiving your button.

Christmas in Burlington.

I love Burlington.

Lots of good things are going on in Burlington.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh council members, that concludes public forum.

And um I think uh now would be uh nice opportunity if council members have some parting words they wanted to say at their last official meeting, or those who are staying on wanted to say things uh to say, you know, yeah, I don't know that you this is uh I have some things I would like to say, but I don't need to go first.

I'm gonna go first before anybody makes me cry.

Okay.

Um I'm just gonna be very brief and thank my husband who hasn't had dinner for sitting back there all this time um and making their own dinners for nine years.

Um for those of us who are up here, we realize that we campaign for a year before we get here, and then we're here for eight years.

So thank you.

Um and it's been a pleasure to work with you all, and I will definitely miss the zoning discussions, and maybe not as much some of the other things.

Uh Councilmember Fugit.

No, you won't miss the zoning discussions because I'm calling you.

Um I I've told Councilwoman Ryder that um I it's really nice having her right here because as a librarian, she does lots of research, and I have benefited from that.

And it will not violate sunshine for me to call her about anything now.

So um, I look forward to that.

No, I just want to say that um it has been um a real privilege and it has enriched my life to know you and serve with you.

The beautiful thing about elective office is that you come together with people who love the community that you might not have met otherwise.

Day-to-day life keeps you in your profession or in your volunteer work or whatever it is you do.

But being on city council forces you to get out of that, actually doesn't force you, it allows you to get out of that and meet people all across the city, but the people I have met that I have enjoyed the most and appreciate the friendships that I will miss, but if we're intentional, we won't miss each other.

Um, serving with um you five.

And um, it is a reminder to me, the uh great trust that the community places in us.

I love, although sometimes I may not show it.

I do love rich debate.

Um, because in the end, we're still colleagues, and I think we are practicing what we want our young people to learn, which is respectful disagreement leads to better decisions and better governance.

And I appreciate getting to do that with you and look forward to bringing on five people and introducing them to this grand tradition that we have called City Council in Knoxville.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Uh well, I'll I'll take a moment to uh say uh I've had the opportunity to serve uh with you all side by side in this room and outside in the community the last six years.

And um we've been through a lot of a lot of challenging times.

Well, I'll I'll take a moment to uh say uh I've had the opportunity to serve uh with you all side by side in this room and outside in the community the last six years and um I we've been through a lot of a lot of challenging times um so I think you know sometimes you you uh remember the searing times uh a little more than the happy times but we've had both and I think it's important to to say that uh I really appreciate all of your work in the last uh you know eight years uh the two years before I took office I I was watching and paying attention.

Thank you for doing reco before I became mayor.

Thank you.

Uh but we all have our our um hard things to do, but you know, after the challenges of uh meeting remotely for 18 months, I think, uh, and then and dealing with the uh horrors of uh you know the increase in violence that we experienced in 2020 and 2021.

Um together, this council and our administration acted, you know, we we have a lot to be proud of.

Uh when I talk to community members, the things that I hear over and over again when I was running, and now in the last six years, and I know you have too is the two things on people's mind the most is you know, housing and public safety.

And you know, this council has responded uh to both of those crises, and we're making great strides.

I mean, this council, I can't I can't speak to I, you know, the whole eight years, but I know in the last six years we've helped create over three thousand new affordable homes, and that's not even to count all of the homes that have been created that aren't uh defined as affordable but are still more places for people to live that are freeing up uh rentals and affordable homes for other people.

When we had um you know, students at Austin's getting killed, this council passed a million dollars to be spent.

We weren't sure how.

But you were like, we're not gonna let money be the obstacle to saving the lives of the people in our community.

And we've used that money to start the Office of Community Safety, which has um been led so effectively by uh Le Kenny Middlebrook, and now is the Office of Community Safety and Empowerment.

There's just and now, like I don't know what we do without them.

Uh the uh Project TLCs, which has been so successful at providing some tender loving care in some of the neighborhoods that have the most violence is working.

And the trust levels in our community, thanks to the Office of Community Safety, thanks to the support that we've given the Knoxville Police Department, the Knoxville Fire Department.

When people call 911, um they know they're gonna get someone to respond.

And and something also to be proud of is we are gonna be at full authorized staff in the police department for the first time in decades, and we're one of the only cities in the nation that can say that.

And that's because you all insisted that we have high quality equipment, high quality competitive salaries, um, and that we you know train and and have great leadership for our department.

So I I just want to say that uh none of this would be possible without our partnership.

Um everything has to be passed through the budget and passed in with consensus building.

And I just want to uh say it's been it's been a pleasure working with all of you.

I'm looking forward to working with the four of you who are returning uh for the rest of the two years, and we got five new people.

Um it's gonna be it's gonna be nothing constant but change, but uh we won't be strangers, and I look forward to staying in touch.

And all of you are welcome to come to all the community meetings on the comprehensive plan.

And all the council meetings.

Um Mr.

Frost.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Um when each of y'all came on city council, whether you were elected or appointed, we went to lunch and we went to a working lunch.

And I would bring with me city council agenda and a beer board agenda and plop them down on the table and go over them.

And most of the time, just like I'm getting with the people who are getting ready to replace you, I'd get this wide odd look.

And I was like, you know, the the agenda that I'm showing the incoming people was a mere 600 pages.

And I was like, oh, it's nothing to have an agenda that's not over a thousand pages.

And it it hits you.

Uh, you know, like, okay, this is becoming real.

There's a fire hose, it's getting ready to get turned on me.

But one thing I mentioned uh to everyone is is public service is a baton passing the exercise.

Your predecessors handed you their baton, and you're supposed to take it and run with it and do what you think is best for the city.

Now you're getting ready to hand it off to five new people.

Counted it up.

If you're here for two terms, you had combined 290 city council and beer board meetings.

That's a lot of time.

That doesn't get into workshops, audit committee, cat, public property naming committee, and all the other things, pension board uh, and all those other exciting things.

Um just think about the phone calls, the emails, the DMs, bumping into people in the store, and how many hours you've spent trying to help somebody out, trying to help somebody uh listen to their situation, trying to understand somebody's situation, and trying to advocate uh for them.

Uh their businesses, their neighborhoods, their people, their organizations that come and they need help or they want to help the city, and you all listen to them.

You obviously don't always all agree.

Remember, I also told you you're everybody's friend until you cast your first vote, then it's downhill from there.

And that that's uh that's the truth.

So when I was looking at the five people leaving tonight, we're saying goodbye to three vice mayors, two beer board chairs, and my good friend Seema, who actually might be the smartest of them all.

Right.

I know you had golf.

But the important thing with council that's important, it's not the title, it's the role, it's the effort, it's the hard work that each and every one of you all have put in.

And I have no doubt talking with people that each and every one of you have worked very, very hard, very long hours, often not being thanked, often being beat upon, often being blamed for things that you've had nothing to do with and not complimented enough.

I mean, Tommy came to city council uh as an appointee, and he was basically dropped on a buzzsaw of a land use uh dispute, and he probably wondered what in the blue blazes have I got myself in.

Uh that was, I mean, that was a tough one to get involved in, thrown into the middle of the fire.

But you know, you worked hard.

On occasion, you went out of town for business, but people couldn't tell that because you were so in touch with the community.

And now you get the chance to go uh coach more of your kids' games, see more of their events.

Andrew, man, love to roll up his sleeves and try to find a compromise on a land use issue.

Going out uh uh with that, uh being up to the task on recode, I swear.

I how many times was recode brought up tonight?

Uh too many times.

Uh that was uh flashback.

Laura and I were talking about the group photo that she said was at 1 a.m.

when we were everybody was here uh working on uh recode.

Umrew was great.

He was the one who kept me on the phone the longest time about zoning issues, and today was just the same.

SEMA.

SEMA, I tell you what, I'm really gonna miss our phone calls together.

What people probably don't know, Seema and I really would have good conversation about what's going on in the city, what's going on in the community.

Uh CEMA helped me understand her perspective, where she came from far better uh than I could by myself.

I'll miss those phone calls.

I don't, I can't think of a member of city council, past or present, that hasn't worked harder on the scourge of domestic violence and trying to address it uh than SEMA.

Now, Lauren, here's another good lover of zoning.

Uh another good lover of the process of recode who appreciates committees who would sign up to be on any committee that you asked her uh to be on.

All I mean, Lauren's going uh 900 miles an hour all the time, whether it's community, it's city council, uh, it's trying to um uh uh renovate uh a house.

Uh I always appreciated talking to Lauren, like you know, she could be laying tile at the time, or you'd hear a table saw going in the background because she was at some uh uh house trying to get it renovated.

Uh Gwyn, uh uh Gwen appropriately appointed uh out that she was the uh first African uh member female, uh sixth district representative on city council.

Uh what a lot of people don't realize is that the sixth district is the largest geographic district in the city of Knoxville.

It's the only district that touches on the five other districts.

Gwen's got a lot of territory to cover, a lot of territory uh to represent, whether it's downtown, goes out to Sutherland Avenue, uh in West Knoxville, uh goes out uh Burlington, part of Holston Hills, and uh Gwen represented it well.

Uh Gwen would take on hard issues.

Uh I remember uh her uh not liking the idea of gun shows being at Chihuahua Park after that area had been uh uh unfortunately named a gun zone.

And Gwen saw that as like, okay, if the city, the city shouldn't be doing something like this, allowing these type of events, and I appreciated Gwen's uh leadership on that.

Um even though a little bit like what was said earlier, we're thanking the five of the party members tonight.

We're also thanking their family and their friends who have sacrificed time for all these years.

Uh finally, don't be strangers.

I'll miss y'all.

Um let us know how you feel.

We have public forum.

And remember, you you you have up to three minutes.

Thank you.

Councilmember Health League.

Well, since I was the new kid and I came in, I love them all because they pretty much save my bacon a lot.

Um seriously, I appreciate all the training.

I I was I abused everybody, and I probably abuse this guy more than any because but I meddle in everybody's district because I'm an at-large rep and I get to do that.

And so, like nobody really yells at me, so that's great, but I am very grateful to all of y'all, and hopefully y'all won't be strangers to us because we still need you to say.

Thank you.

I forgot one quick comment earlier.

Uh the council staff, Will, Savannah, Angela, you've been uh you know a great surprise um of uh friendship and also of resource and work and uh lots of unsaid bless your hearts to uh to questions and things you've already told at least me 45,000 times.

So you've been patient and kind and resourceful and uh the city's lucky to have you.

So thank you all for uh what you and will the city council staff tell the nicknames to us privately of all of the other people on council because I already know mine because it's on my card.

I mean, I knew it already, but maybe privately tell us.

Thank you.

Councilmember Singh.

Just you, Debbie.

I was just gonna say you're the only one with a nickname.

I was just saying that I hate long goodbyes and all day.

Well, actually, all week, month has felt like the longest goodbye ever.

So um bye.

I'm out of here.

Okay.

Will gave me this.

Whoa.

Will gave me this mic.

I don't know that we need this mic, but you know, this is like um, yeah, Debbie can be Banna.

Um we this is um, I'm really she's blonde.

So come on, come on.

So here's so you can't leave without a parting gift.

And thank you.

The first one goes to Tommy Smith.

So what this is is this is um look, let's be honest.

All of you who've been on council know that not one council member had a hand in getting this done.

That would be the staff that took care of us and did the usual parting gift, which is a proclamation or a certificate, along with your apparently duplicate nameplate.

Old nameplate.

Old nameplate.

Okay, there you go.

So there, Tommy, you came to me.

We didn't have to bring it.

Yeah.

Okay, I've been suggested that I move to the center.

So Debbie, come on, and then you can then you can shuffle.

And Savannah, you come too.

Anybody else want to come?

We just have a little party.

So uh next is another vice mayor, Andrew Roberto, who is my district rep.

And so I've come out here.

At some point, so uh we'll want you out here.

So eventually.

We can grab some photos after.

Yeah, we're gonna I'll feel a photo coming on.

Um next, who who did you unwrap next?

Oh.

My district.

SEMA, you're next.

Well, you should have told me.

I didn't know.

Okay, so SEMA.

Well, you're supposed to come get it from us.

And stay up here.

So apparently we're in order.

Okay.

That means Lauren, you're next.

You're the fourth district rep.

You're four.

Not alphabetical district.

Thank you.

How many Charlie, you want to come on up here?

No, I know, but I just thought you might want to come on up.

And we have the love annuity too.

All right.

Well, um, I'll remedy that for you.

And then uh Gwen, other our other third vice mayor in the this class.

Come on.

So Charlie and Amelia, y'all come up here.

We'll get a picture of just them and then all of us, all of council.

And then Mayor and all the other people that want to jump in, but we no, not us yet.

I'm not in.

I'm in my distinct.

I know, but we're moving out of the way.

Unless there are any objections, this meeting is adjourned.