We'll start with the invocation led by Councilmember Grant, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilmember Thomas.

Please rise as you're able.

Let us bow our heads.

Let's take a moment to pause and reflect together.

Let's acknowledge the responsibility placed before us here tonight to serve the people of Knoxville with integrity, humility, and care.

Our city is made up many voices, backgrounds, beliefs, and lived experiences.

It is in this diversity that our strength is found.

As we begin this meeting tonight, may we be guided by wisdom and clarity.

May our conversations be grounded in respect.

Our decisions shaped by fairness and our actions driven by the common good.

Help us to listen openly, speak honestly, and govern with transparency, knowing that trust is built through openness and accountability.

May we approach our work tonight with open minds, steady hearts, the willingness to learn from one another, and a commitment of collaboration, even when we may disagree.

Let us remember that progress comes not from the vision, but from a shared commitment to the well-being of this community.

Allow our decisions tonight to reflect the values of service, compassion, and responsibility, and may the choices we make tonight move Knoxville forward more just, inclusive, and a hopeful future for all the people who call the city home.

Amen.

Thank you.

Would you please call roll, Mr.

Johnson?

Councilman Adams.

Here.

Councilman Debar Laban.

Here.

Vice Mayor Fugit.

Here.

Councilman Grant.

Here.

Councilman Helsley.

Here.

Councilman Honeycutt.

Here.

Councilman Lloyd.

Here.

Councilwoman Parker.

Here.

And Councilman Thomas.

All members are present, Mayor.

Thank you.

Is there a motion on the minutes from the February 3rd meeting?

Moved to approve.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

Vice Mayor Fugit, did you have a question?

Or no?

Okay.

Gotcha.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Are there any items to be withdrawn from tonight's agenda?

Okay.

Are there any items to be postponed?

Are there any items to be added by motion?

Councilmember Parker.

Yes, Mayor.

I have an item that I hope that we can add to tonight's agenda.

All council members should have a resolution in front of you.

Um that appoints Angela Dennis to the board of directors of community television of Knoxville.

Um that's interesting that that says that because we have changed our name to Knoxville Community Media.

But that aside, uh this item uh was scheduled to appear on our March 3rd agenda.

However, the board has already approved uh Miss Dennis's appointment.

Uh and we have a meeting this week uh where we will be voting on finances and potential bylaw changes.

Uh so I wanted to bring this to you today in hopes that we could add it to the agenda and approve her appointment so that she can participate uh in this month's um board meeting.

Uh her term uh that we approved as a board begins February 1st, so it would be good if we could go ahead and approve her appointment.

Okay.

Motion is made to add this item to second.

Um okay.

I is there any objection?

Uh council member, and this will be item nine, as in Mary's what Mr.

Johnson suggests.

Okay, any objections?

Okay, seeing none.

I I don't think this requires a vote.

Or yeah, so then we'll just add it on as item nine.

Wonderful.

Thank you all.

Okay, any other items to be added by motion.

Okay.

Um memorials.

Is there a motion on the consent agenda?

I move to approve the consent agenda.

Motion made to approve.

Is there a second?

Second.

Thank you.

Is any questions or discussion?

Seeing uh seeing none.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

The consent agenda is passed.

Um for my mayor's report.

Um, first I wanted to start by thanking all of you for uh spending um most of the day Friday on the budget retreat.

Uh I want to thank uh Boyce Evans and the finance team and all the members of my administration for the preparation and uh council for just being so engaged and listening and asking great questions.

Uh it was a good conversation.

Uh we um even had a few jokes at certain people's expense.

Uh but anyhow, really appreciate it.

I appreciate Knoxville Community Media for uh being there to record it and share that online for those of us who couldn't watch or chose not to watch on the during the when it was happening in person.

Um those presentations and the mid-year budget report are now online at the city website.

Just search for budget.

Umcoming events that I want to make sure council members and community members are aware of.

We have a KFD graduation for our newest class of firefighters uh after 18 weeks of intensive recruit training.

Uh, they will begin service next week after graduating uh 6 p.m.

this Friday at Fulton High School.

Um so I hope you all can join us for that special event.

It's always uh really wonderful to see the results of all their hard work, and they're you know so proud to be joining our department.

So we're looking forward to welcoming them.

And the recruitment never stops.

We are gonna have uh another last year.

It was very successful, and so we're doing it again, and I think it's always the hardest one is the is the first one, so I think this one will be easier.

We're gonna have a recruitment fair for the Knoxville Fire Department uh at the Expo Center next Wednesday, the 25th at from 3 to 6 p.m.

And that's the Knoxville Expo Center on Clinton Highway.

It's a family friendly event.

Everyone's invited to attend, especially those of you who know people who are or are people who might want to join the Knoxville Fire Department.

It's a great career.

And um at that expo center, there'll be all the information you might need to enter and join a department and be a recruit.

So that's Friday.

Uh next week on our week when we don't have a council meeting, is something I uh I'm been looking forward to, and I know others have not just for a couple months or a couple years, but maybe for even decades.

But we are celebrating the Sono Rail to Trail.

The celebration will start at 1 p.m.

behind Kern's Food Hall.

You can park in the parking lot there, and the event will be along the old rail line.

We're so excited to partner with Gulf and Ohio Railways and Legacy Parks to convert this old rail line into a 3.8 mile connector stretching from Chapman Highway to IMS Nature Center.

Um that's next Thursday, the 26th at 1 p.m.

at the Kerns Food Hall side of the rail line.

This Saturday, uh, some of the young people who you met at our last council meeting because they helped uh review the grant applications, they're having their annual summit, and the topic that they chose that they feel is really important, and I agree with them is youth mental health.

So Saturday the 28th, but that's this Saturday.

No, it's next Saturday.

Next Saturday, sorry.

Next Saturday, the 28th, um Youth Mental Health Summit.

The event goes from 10 a.m.

to 3 p.m.

It's being held at the Emerald Youth Haslam Sansum Complex, that's in Lonsdale.

The summit brings together young people, parents, and families to learn, connect, and take action for stronger mental well-being.

The mayor's youth council will lead the teen track and mental health providers will lead our parent and family track.

There's still spots available.

Please register to learn more.

Go to our website and search Empower Knox.

And just last reminder about our rules of decorum.

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

Those who wish to speak, either to specific agenda item or during public forum, need to sign up with the city recorder, Mr.

Johnson, before 4 p.m.

Do not use profanity.

And when speaking to a specific agenda item, 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 note if you disrupt a public meeting, you will be asked to leave or escorted out.

Thank you in advance for respecting these rules.

And that's it for my mayor's report.

So we'll move on to reports of committees or council members serving on committees or boards.

Vice Mayor Fugit.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, first announcement is that tomorrow is the first meeting of 2026 of the audit committee.

It will be at 3 p.m.

Uh, it's on the fourth floor in the city council um conference room.

And um if you need any other information, you can uh talk to the city recorder.

But it was 3 p.m.

tomorrow.

And then the other announcement I have is that city council will be having a workshop next Thursday.

We'll go cut a ribbon at one o'clock, and then at six o'clock, we have a city council workshop here in the main assembly room.

And the agenda, have you already posted that?

Okay, it'll be posted next week.

Okay, thank you.

Uh Councilmember Honeycutt.

Yes, thank you.

Uh was honored last week to take uh Vice Mayor Fugit's place on the pension board and uh and attend the first committee meeting.

Uh I'm happy to report that obviously the staff uh and and the committee are doing a wonderful job and managing uh a great benefit uh to to city employees.

So I look forward to serving further in that capacity and reporting in the future.

Okay, thank you.

Any other reports from council?

Okay, um general council member announcements.

Uh councilmember Grant.

Yeah, I want to uh send my condolences out to uh former commissioner uh Diane Jordan's family.

Um she she passed away last week.

Uh I want to send my condolence out to her.

Also want to make an announcement that this Saturday at uh overcome a relievous church, uh friends and family are going to be welcoming the community from 11 a.m.

to 1 p.m.

Um funeral services are going to be starting at 1 p.m.

Um Diane Jordan um from what I've heard and the the number of instances I was able to uh be around her.

Um I don't think you can uh put into words uh the impact that she had on his community, and so if you do have time Saturday, uh I'm sure her close friends and family would appreciate if you stop by and pay to visit.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh councilmember Parker.

Oh you want to go first?

Were you for I'm not sure Councilmember Honeycoat?

Yeah, we'll be going first.

Okay.

Uh and I I promise to keep this quick, Debbie.

Don't worry.

Um so just a few few things.

One uh the just a reminder to everyone that the parks and recreation department is looking for feedback on their master plan, uh, which is due now at uh the first of March.

So you have a few weeks to go to I think it's play, Knoxville Tn.com and offer your feedback.

This is a chance for you to have a voice in shaping the future of our parks and recreation.

So please take advantage of that and don't miss this window of opportunity.

Uh I'd like to welcome the uh UT Baker School students who are a lot of them are sitting right here.

Thank you all for coming tonight uh and taking part in local government and understanding that this is important and and and and engaging in the future.

So thank you all.

Last but not least, very quickly, uh I would like to thank my wife Amy.

Tonight is our wedding anniversary.

And uh not only did she give me the grace to yes, absolutely that 100% reserves around the clause.

Not only did she give me the grace to obviously come to city council, she's here in support.

So uh thank you, Amy.

Love you.

Many happy returns.

Um councilmember Parker.

Uh thank you, Mayor.

Uh quickly wanted to say at the last meeting.

I mentioned a few resolutions that we're working on around uh warming centers and and how Knox will respond to provide services during extreme weather events.

Um conversations continue.

I just want to let you all know I had announced that that would be on tonight's agenda, and you all can see that it's not, but it is scheduled for the March 3rd agenda.

Uh and I'm incorporating um uh the input that I'm hearing and and plan to share that back out, uh, especially with my colleagues, of course.

And uh the administration has provided input into it, and so I hope uh the the final result that comes on March 3rd represents uh really um um the the larger conversation that our community is hoping that we will have and and I just wanted to emphasize that uh what I'm bringing before city council is not a policy uh for us to adopt, but it's a suggestion that we start a conversation about a potential policy.

So just wanted to clarify that.

Thank you.

Okay, any other announcements?

Okay, seeing none, um Mr.

Johnson, if you could please take us to the next item.

9M.

Yeah.

Uh we'll start with 9B.

Oh, okay.

Sorry.

9B is a resolution uh reappointing Ellen Lee and George Anna Yarbrough to the Knox County Board of Equalization.

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.

9M is a resolution confirming the appointment of Angela Dennis to the board of directors of community television of Knoxville.

Motion made to approve and second it.

Any questions or discussions?

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

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12 C is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute any and all documents to award a total amounts not to exceed 140,000 in community safety and empowerment grants to support programming to 11 community-based organizations in the city.

Second.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Council members, there are uh three people signed up to speak in favor of this item.

First is Tanisha Baker.

Ms.

Baker.

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

Great.

I'll and I won't need that long.

Um but my name is Tanisha Baker, 1036 Pleasant O'Lane, Knoxville, Tennessee, 37915.

And I really wanted to stand before you today and publicly say I'm really proud of the intentional and thorough process used to identify grant recipients, and our funding kind of limited us, so we couldn't award all that we wanted to.

But I want to thank every organization that applied and more importantly, thank them for the work they do every single day to remove barriers and make Knoxville stronger.

What I want to emphasize to you, however, is that restoring equity is not about equalizing outcomes overnight.

It's about ensuring access to systems that create pathways to progress.

So at its core, this work is about ensuring that opportunities in Knoxville is not determined by zip code.

I also want to make sure we set the stage, and I've said this over and over, it's what I do talking about equality versus equity.

When we talk about equality and giving everyone the same thing, and there's a place for that.

But equity really causes us to attend to the needs of the individuals and really look across the city, the demographics, the communities, those that we serve, and say, what do you need, not just to live in Knoxville, but to thrive in Knoxville.

Approving these grant recommendations is not just an endorsement of specific projects or programs.

It's affirming the values that we say we want in Knoxville.

It's about a commitment to the values of equity and community empowerment and targeted investment based on documented gaps in access.

It's a vote of appreciation to the people who wake up every day.

Some doing work we never see.

And they're building stronger families, stronger neighborhoods, stronger communities, and overall a stronger city.

So it's about the belief that every citizen in Knoxville should be able to thrive.

These are not short-term charity models.

These are long-term community stabilization strategies.

So I wanted to thank you for your time and consideration.

And if need be, I'm happy to answer any questions about the process.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next person signed up to speak is Cynthia Finch.

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

Cynthia Finch 201 Delta Road, Knoxville, Tennessee.

I'm here to say thank you to the city and to the committees that reviewed all of the grants.

But I want to come and tell you about our project because I thought it was so innovative that I thought you need to know.

And I do have a copy of this project that I'd like to have passed out to all the council members.

It's in regards to our health career expansion initiative.

That is the name of our project.

And this, as you know, I am a clinician, and I have been trying to encourage citizens, young and old, to become interested in the field of health care beyond a doctor and a nurse.

Just recently we participated in a career fair at Austin East, and we partnered with the Genesis Neuroscience Memory Loss Initiative, and they bought their memory loss robot.

And so I have that on the list.

It talks about this robot that was built by students at the University of Tennessee in biomedical engineering.

And the young people were so interested in it, and we begin to talk about more than a nurse, more than a doctor.

We talked about being medical equipment inventors.

We had uh equipment there so they could see that those are made by the the bus center where they uh invent items for when you break your leg or so forth and so on.

And we um got a lot of interest, and our intent is to go across the city with this particular initiative called Health Care Career Expansions Initiative and share with young people, old people, anybody that uh there's more than just being a doctor or a nurse in health care.

You can be an engineer, you can be a tech, a technology wizard, you can be an inventor, you could be a dentist, you can work in medical billing, you could work in all kinds of fields of medicine and health care.

So we wanted to just uh share that with you and thank you, Ms.

Kenya, and your department and all the work that you're doing in regards to making sure that organizations that's doing the heavy lifting in this city in regards to programs and initiatives.

We thank you so very much.

Thank you.

Next person signed up uh to speak in favor of item 12 C is Sam Brown.

Reverend Brown, 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 council.

Sam Brown, 2744 Selma Avenue.

Thank you, Mayor and Council for this opportunity to speak tonight regarding agenda item 12C, and thank you for your time and your service.

Uh, if you would allow me to begin with just a little context.

In Knox County, turnout during presidential election years can exceed 65 to 70 percent of registered voters.

In contrast, municipal and off-cycle elections often see turnout closer to 20 or 30 percent.

And in some district level contests, participation can even be lower.

In elections where approximately 25,000 residents vote, a difference of just 2,000 to 5,000 ballots can shape ballots can shape representation.

Those numbers are not partisan, they simply illustrate the scale at which local democracy operates.

The Knoxville NAACP has consistently worked to strengthen civic participation and equity in this city.

Our branch played an active role in advocating for the establishment of the Affordable Housing Trust Fund, pushing for a policy tool that supports stability, equitable development, and long-term affordability.

We also advocated for the establishment of the equity and restoration task force, recognizing that data informed conversations about disparities are essential to responsible governments, governance.

These efforts demonstrate that when the Knoxville NAACP engages with city government, we do so constructively and with policy focus.

And importantly, the city council has shown a willingness to listen to to partner and to create a space for dialogue.

The spirit of allyship matters compared to the other levels of government that we work with here in this area.

It has fostered trust and it has made community partnership possible.

This voting era initiative builds on that foundation.

Knoxville is home to more than 30,000 college students.

Empowering the Knoxville NAACP to carry out this initiative means investing in civic literacy, helping residents verify registration, understand local government, when participation barriers are reduced through education and access, not rhetoric, but practical support.

Simply put, please vote to support the awarding of these grants so that our community can continue to build itself stronger and more resilient.

Thank you.

Thank you.

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

Um and just as a point of information, Mr.

Johnson had the clock running, but took a minute to get it up on the screen.

Still working through the some technical bugs, but thank you, Mr.

Johnson.

Any further questions or discussion?

Councilmember Parker.

No, Councilmember Grant.

Yes.

I actually have a couple questions for a few of the speakers before I go into my statement.

Ms.

Tanisha Baker.

First and foremost, I want to I want to say thank you for your effort on the task force.

You've been there since the very beginning.

Also want people to know that this is not a paid position.

Mrs.

Baker definitely volunteers uh to chair this task force.

Um but I just had a couple questions.

My first question being, um I remember when this resolution was put together in 2020.

Um obviously it was during COVID, uh rough year, but it was also during uh a time where African Americans in our community, you know, in our country uh were at odds.

And so a question that I have for you, um how much of the hundred million dollar commitment uh has this has we has this fund paid out year to date?

All right, so I wanted to kind of explain a little bit because that question gets asked and misunderstood a lot.

Originally, what the resolution says is that the city would commit to investing a hundred million dollars toward restoring equity through grants and other funding sources.

So, of course, that's been directed by disrupted by a few things.

Yes, COVID was one, but also administration changes and pots that we can pull that money from.

Um as far as uh one large sizable grant that a portion was going to go toward reconnectivity and landscapes and um access pathways in East Knoxville, that was pulled as well.

As far as the actual total number, I don't know.

But what we chosen to do is take what we have and reinvest it into grassroots organizations that are on the ground, as I mentioned, doing work every day.

But the 100 million wasn't a pot that was already established, it was one that we would work toward building, and the city said pretty much yes, if you can garner, if we can get grants um up to that amount, we are willing to reinvest that in these particular initiatives.

So it's a lot of it is dependent on the funding that's available, if that makes sense.

Okay, it it does.

So year to date, we don't have an exact number that we that in terms of funds that has gone through that task force.

We don't have an exact we do have a number.

I just don't have that number in front of me, but there is an impact report, and there's a report um that's on the city's website, and we and we can get that to you uh pretty quickly.

I just don't have the number memorized, but we do have an impact report that accounts for every dollar.

Like you said, I don't get paid, none of us do.

So our goal is to redirect or reinvest any funding that comes our way back into the community.

Okay, thank you.

That's that's that's all I have.

Thank you.

Um next question is for uh Reverend Sam Brown.

Would he mind coming up for me?

Yes, sir.

So I had a chance to review the applications.

I had a chance to review uh the resolution as it was given to us last week.

And and I just want to make sure I'm I'm getting it clear.

Um you guys have a physical sponsor?

Yes.

Okay, and your physical sponsor is um who's your physical sponsor?

Directions.

New direction health solutions.

Yes.

And new direction health solutions is actually a grant recipient themselves, correct?

I believe so.

I haven't seen the entire list of those that were awarded, but they are a fiscal sponsor, yes.

Okay, and and so they are a recipient.

Um who sits on the the board of the NAACP.

Well, because of our internal policies, the only thing I'm privy to share is our uh president, who our president is, and that is me, Sam Brown.

But as far as divulging publicly, our membership and our leadership, we've been advised to not do that uh for security purposes, and that is as as most as recent as our uh 2025 national convention.

Okay, so you can't disclose who your board members are, is what you're saying.

We've been we've been advised not to for security reasons for safety reasons.

Okay, thank you.

Now, is there a pointed question you'd like to ask?

Well, I I know a couple members who sit on your board, right?

And so just for clarification and for the record, I would just like to know who your board members are.

But if if if you can't disclose who those people are, and it's a security reason, I wouldn't want you exposing that person's safety for that matter.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Um councilmember Grant.

Umless uh are there other that is five minutes?

Council's rules says you have up to five minutes to have your questions.

Well, I like to make a statement.

Um I want to postpone this resolution.

And I have a number of reasons why that I would like for us as a community behind the scenes to get together and have open discussion.

Um so I would like to ask Ms.

Tanisha Baker, would she be open to hosting a public meeting with myself and the African American Equity Task Force to give the community and give board members and council members an opportunity to partake in the process.

Um if that can't happen, I will I would like to vote to postpone this resolution.

All right, so I just want to make sure I'm understanding the request.

We're always open to meet with the public with city council, with anyone who's interested in the work of the task force, we're happy to do that.

The goal of this particular meeting that you're requesting is to get input on the grants or to clarification, input on the grants, input on the process.

I would like to know how much has been spent through this fund.

I mean, for us not to have an answer, right?

And we're talking about public dollars.

I would like for us to have a ballpark figure on how much has gone through this fund since 2020.

All right.

Absolutely.

So I want to share a little bit.

Yes, I'm always willing to meet.

Um as far as the process, I believe the last time that we came, councilwoman Parker made a suggestion about transparency.

So when I mentioned I'm very proud of it, it and I've said on many grant review committees.

It is one of the most thorough that I've seen.

I believe you have in your packet the process that we provide a video, a guide, you can have a pre-review.

We have the criteria in which you're actually uh measured.

We have an investment committee, and so I'm not on that committee as chair, but I trust their recommendations.

In addition to that, um, as they came through for recommendations for us, we looked through and said, hey, does this actually align with the goals of the task force?

If it did not, we asked for amendments, and so budgets were amended, programs were amended to make sure everything met the integrity of the design.

However, if we need to have a meeting to reinforce that, I would be open if that's necessary.

But if there is a particular question about the integrity of the process, we do have people here that can address that.

Okay.

Well, I would like to address that before we move forward as I and I'll be able to do that.

Council member actually gets you that number now.

Like I said, I didn't have it written down, but I can look it up and give it to you.

It's public record.

Okay.

Okay, I get that.

Councilmember Grant has a motion on the floor to postpone.

Did you have a date or just March 17th?

Postpone to March 17th, uh item 12 C, is there a second to the motion to postpone?

Second.

Okay.

Motion's been made and seconded.

Um council members, just to as a point of uh clarification.

I know uh four of you were here uh December 4th in 2020 when this resolution was adopted by council that helped establish this task force.

Um, and just so you know, and I re recently reread the resolution to make sure I had not gotten foggy about it.

Um, it was not for the city to single-handedly do a hundred million dollars.

There's no way we could afford to do that.

Uh, it was to have the support of the city to help apply for grants, seek grant funding um to complement investments that the city's been making um in this part of town towards people who've been affected by urban renewal, um, which is disproportionately the African American community.

So uh we celebrated uh of the biggest single federal grant that was ever received by the city of Knoxville was the reconnecting communities grants.

It was 46.2 million dollars.

It was gonna do a lot of um infrastructure improvements on the east side of town, which was uh greatly impacted by um urban renewal, and it was you know gonna also augment the ability to connect from East Knoxville to other parts of town, downtown, South Knoxville, and so forth.

It was a very happy occasion, and we applied once and didn't get it, and we applied the second time and got it as I recall.

Um and then the current administration in Washington rescinded that grant program.

So that's what um Ms.

Baker was alluding to.

The city's local contributions have been towards staffing of the task force, a grant writing role that has helped write grants and also some appropriations to the task force too, so they can have the ability to review grant proposals consistent with the buckets of investment towards homeownership, uh, job training, what is it?

Education, health equity, education and health.

So, anyhow, uh that those those funds, I mean, I can't quote you the exact amounts, but I think it might be up on the website.

We'll get it, we can get that to you.

I would encourage you, I mean, a postponement, I don't think is a you know a big deal one way or the other, but I'd also say that uh it might be helpful to move forward with this, you know, with these rounds of grants, uh, and then work on um you know more meetings and stuff as we prepare the budget for the next year.

Just one one thought.

I mean, you guys can postpone it if you wish, but I just think that the there has been a very robust grant review process.

Ms.

Middlebrook, did you have some information to add to that?

Um I was just going to uh clarify that this will be uh the third grant cycle for the task force.

Um and so to date with regards to grants, uh, right at $300,000 have gone out in grants, and if these grants were approved, that would put us at $440,000 in local city dollars that have gone out to community-based organizations through the grant process.

Uh, and then the task force also has a process where organizations uh can request sponsorship of events or activities.

I know that there have been several events and activities that the task force has helped to uh been a sponsor of uh in the community um that also uh results in support of community-based uh organizations and activities, but in terms of our grant making process, this would be the third cycle, and approval of these grants will put us at 440,000 council member council member Parker.

I thank you, Mayor.

Um the questions I wanted to ask, and they're uh really for um Miss Middlebrook, but I did not um reach out to the administration with these questions beforehand.

So I was not planning to raise them tonight because we have an audit committee uh meeting tomorrow, and I plan to attend that meeting.

Um but there were you know some some concerns raised in our audit about uh the processes we're using for um uh uh uh awarding grants to nonprofits, and uh we have had nonprofits uh come before us with you know some concerns or some feelings of the process not being fair or um you know having certain requirements in place um in one instance but not having those requirements in place in another.

So I there's a I feel that there is a conversation to have but um I I don't feel comfortable um potentially requiring this grant process to be redone.

Um but I am interested in hearing what conversations have taken place since we've received that audit and what the plans are to ensure uh that our process is moving forward for those grants not only meet our standards but uh you know put a system in place that the public can have trust in and and feel is a fair process.

So I'm in I'm in favor of a conversation movement for, but I don't really see the need for a postponement tonight.

Councilmember Adams.

Um Ms.

Middlebrook you noted that this is the third cycle.

When would the fourth cycle be taking place?

Um so the we recently uh within I think the last two years uh aligned all of the Office of Community Safety and Empowerment uh grant processes with the exception of the Office of Neighborhoods uh because they work with a different uh population of of organizations uh to open all at the same time, and that typically happens in the late fall, so usually around early November, and that process is open for about a month.

Um, and so it's an annual process.

Okay.

Um I I share uh reservations as well about slowing this process that has already gone so very far.

Um, but I also very much appreciate councilman grant's request to have dialogue and make sure that there is transparency and communication about the process moving forward.

Um I appreciate your openness uh to doing that and the leadership that you've provided.

Uh so I I I don't think that I will be supporting a postponement, but I want to explain that that is uh not because I don't welcome the dialogue and engaging in the process to make the fourth cycle um something that everyone uh is on board with, uh, but I do want to uh honor the process that has led us to uh the grants in front of us right now.

Vice Mayor Fugit.

Thank you.

Um I was just going to ask a question and and say I I won't be supporting postponement either because these nonprofits have gone through the process and they're expecting the money.

And some of it looks like it is to help people with FAFSA applications and some other things that are very time sensitive.

So unless we're gonna break it apart and grant by grant, so I'm just gonna say I uh like everybody else, welcome the discussion for a better process in the future, but I don't want to um hurt the young people who are trying to um apply for FAFSA and some other organizations that probably need the money sooner rather than later.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember DeBarteleman.

Um yeah, I would like to thank Councilman Grant uh for the reminder of the commitment that we made uh through this task force, and I would also like to thank um the Office of Safety and Empowerment for sharing the number where it stands today at 300,000, and that this would take us to 400,000 uh when we've made a hundred million dollar commitment to seek funds, and so thank you for the reminder, uh, both to us new counselors and the council members who are who are part of that decision.

Um I also trust the work um that has been put into this um selecting the grant awardees, the work done by the community, safety and empowerment office and the task force.

And so uh additionally, I'm in favor of a further conversation.

Let's keep going deeper with this conversation and not be satisfied with where we are today.

Okay, councilmember Grant.

Yeah.

Well, I definitely want to say thank you to my constituents up here.

I I definitely understand um the hesitation.

Um I do feel like I mean the same thing was said last council meeting, right?

We know it's not perfect, but we're gonna eventually have a conversation about the process.

In the meantime, in the meantime, it seems funds still continue to be dispersed.

Um, and I have no issues with the organizations, I have no issues with the funds.

Um, but I do ex I need clarity, right?

In terms of us how much we've spent through this fund, we're saying $300,000, right?

Yes, there's also I think a couple outside grants that were awarded National League of Cities that we helped write a grant they got for I think $8,000.

But that federal grant was the big the big one that we you know had, and then it was taken away.

Okay.

So most most just for clarity, most of the funds that are coming through the African American Equity Restoration Fund or grants.

No, no.

So so for oh, yeah.

Well, there are appropriations through the city's general fund, 300,000.

Is that right, Ms.

Middlebrook?

And or that's my understanding.

So far, and this would also be.

The funding that has been distributed to date, uh, with the exception of the um uh uh Tennessee Arts Pathway grant are local dollars.

So it's investments that the city is making.

Okay, so the vast majority is general fund local dollars, and then the federal grant that was the bulk of it that we had won what is gone.

Okay, is there any development?

The development is there any development projects being counted towards the African American Equity Restoration Fund?

Development projects, you know, like well, we're we're doing a lot of investment in your district, and I think the task force has um had some discussion about what counts as towards that hundred million.

We're building a new fire station, um, we're making investments in Shahwe Park.

Do those count?

That's something the task force has sort of uh had conversation about, and those task force meetings are all open to the public.

I'm not sure when the next one is, but um that'd be a question the task force has um I'm not sure what the discussion is.

Maybe Ms.

Baker can illuminate us further on that.

Okay, so potentially any development in Shahawi Park and any development in terms of the fire station will count towards that commitment towards the African committee.

Ms.

Baker has actually.

So a part of our process is saying that those investment dollars go to toward restoring equity as identified by our bucket.

So if we think about Chihuahua Park, we would have to ask ourselves is that going to increase access and opportunities to education, to health, to home ownership, to entrepreneurship, to economic development.

And as it goes through those filters, then we would say yes.

However, we would have to make a recommendation.

So I don't think that there's a blanket award of those dollars just because it's in East Knoxville.

I think it has to go through the process.

We have not had a discussion or recommendation of counting those dollars towards this investment.

And to be honest, as a task force, our job is to provide strategic recommendations.

That's what we do.

So as the dollars come in, we look and say, how can we make the most use of what we have?

Unfortunately, we don't have a lot.

But our job as far as the task force is to see what we can do with those as far as reinvestments.

But I'm pretty sure we will not count like the fire department, right?

That is a city service that doesn't necessarily restore equity unless that whole area was void access of get if they had a fire, no one would get to them, right?

So that wasn't the case.

But we haven't had any discussions about that.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, the motion, Mr.

Grant, uh, you still have a minute if you have more to comment on.

Well, I just wanted to get it on the record that what you're saying is at some point there's going to be a conversation to determine I guarantee it.

Okay.

I don't want to wake up, right?

We're six years into this fund.

I don't want to wake up one day and we have an announcement that we've touched a hundred million dollars in restoration.

And if I if I may add that we have meetings um that are publicly announced, and we invite often, we really want people to come.

But what we also did to capture more community voices is create subcommittees.

So people who were aligned or had expertise in a particular bucket, if it's real estate homeownership, we have a whole group of educators going from elementary to post-secondary to help inform those conversations.

So that brought in more voices.

Then we asked them, well, what are two or three things we can actually do?

Because we can talk a lot and we can think a lot.

We've got a lot of data, but now it's time for action.

So each subcommittee, each bucket has two or three action items that we would love to share with everyone.

Um it'll soon be on the website.

They just identified those in December to move us forward and eat and capture even more voices.

But we're always open to anyone joining us in the meetings, and if we need to have an extra meeting to get community, and that's what I consider all of you, all of us, we are a community that's wanting everyone in Knoxville to be able, as my kids will say, live their best lives.

And in order to do that, we have to be intentional about all the process.

I don't have a problem at all with transparency.

I don't even have a problem with the questions.

Things should be questioned.

But we are happy to provide those answers.

And I do believe in the integrity of this process for this grant.

As far as past dollars, sure, we can talk about it, but this 140,000 to the 11 um organizations, I think was fair.

Thank you, uh, Ms.

Baker.

Councilmember, uh, just as a point of information, the next next scheduled task force meeting.

There, I mean, you there might be one that could be scheduled before then.

Yeah, is April 13th, 5 30 p.m.

at the um Magnolia Avenue campus of Pelissippi State.

So um uh members of the public and council are welcome to attend as all of as all those meetings have also been open to the public.

Councilmember Thomas.

Uh yes, uh Ms.

Baker, just for clarification for me.

Um you've expressed some assurances that you would be open to having further meetings and public meetings and all that.

Uh how likely is that that you can do that before this next cycle?

Um, so we're sunshine as well, but as far as let's say I wanted to just host a public meeting um and get input and get some of your questions, concern, whatever you need clarity on, I would have to check, but I believe I'm able to do that.

Um April 13th is just the scheduled time.

I'm happy to do it before.

So if that's the request, we we can definitely look and see how we can schedule that.

Okay.

Yeah, the the reason I I want to hear some assurances that um some meetings will take place before the next cycle.

Uh we've got a vote, we've got a motion right now to postpone.

Uh without those assurances, I'm reluctant to go forward.

Uh but uh Mr.

Grant um Well, the next cycle won't be till November.

So we have yeah, some time to flush it out.

I understand that.

So okay, yes.

You I got you.

Yeah, okay.

Mr.

Grant, um, how do you feel about um the postponement now or are these assurances that they will be reviewed uh and public um access and discussion before the next cycle?

Is that uh sufficient, or do you think you still would like a postponement or no?

Um like I said, I I appreciate all the input from yourself, Mrs.

Baker, uh, and those individuals who came up to speak, the mayor.

Um just wanted to get some things on record, but I appreciate the clarity, and so I'll I'll I'll remove my my motion to postpone.

Okay.

Okay, the motion to postpone has been withdrawn.

We're back to the original motion to approve as uh doesn't it has a second.

The original motion was already made and seconded.

Uh council member Parker, your lights on.

Well, I just wanted to clarify since I brought this up during this agenda item, but um the note that that that's in the um the audit about uh grants to nonprofits, uh the states that the and I don't know if the finance department wants to speak on this.

I'm not asking them to, but but um but the finance department's plan to speak to all departments about grants to nonprofits, so I didn't want to single this program out as if it's the problem program, but uh I'll know more tomorrow after I attend the audit committee meeting.

But that's the reason I'm interested in having these conversations.

I didn't want to seem like I'm singling out this one program.

Thank you.

Um I was reminded by the law director that a withdrawal of a motion needs a second.

So Denzel Grant has withdrawn the motion to postpone.

The second of the motion to postpone microphones.

He made a motion to postpone you have to have not only the withdrawal of the motion, but the withdrawal of the second.

So whoever seconded that motion needs to withdraw the second.

Who do you Mr.

Lloyd?

Do you are you uh willing to withdraw your second of his motion to postpone?

I suppose so.

Although I must say um I feel like that we really need to investigate this thing before we spend the money.

At this time, it looks like I don't have enough votes anyway, so I'll withdraw my second.

Okay.

So the motion to withdraw uh to postpone this item has been withdrawn.

Okay.

Um any other questions or discussion by council members.

Mr.

Evans, no, your lights off.

Okay, council member Thomas.

Yes, uh, just very briefly.

Um I was inclined actually to want to postpone this just for to get these questions that were addressed.

Um, you know, the counterbalancing thing is we've gotten this far and we've got these organizations that have been approved, and I they're expecting, I think, to in some sense have this money available to them at a certain time, although that wouldn't completely keep me from postponing it.

So what I'm thinking is uh let's get ahead of the next cycle, you know, and uh councilman grant and all of us can get better footing, and uh that way we won't be kind of setting up organizations to where um at the time they're expecting it to get uh approved that you know we kind of jerk it out from under them.

So uh so I think that's the prudent thing to do.

I'm gonna vote to approve this, but for the next round, I want us to get ahead of it and have these discussions, and um that way I think more transparency for everybody, including the applicants.

So I'll of course be voting for um the thank you.

Thank you.

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

Aye any opposed motion carries eight one.

Uh council member Helsey, your lights on.

Okay.

Uh just uh I'll just uh mention that if if Vice Mayor Fugit, as you plan the workshops per, you know, if if there's one in the past there'd been a request to do one on grants.

Obviously, if the council wishes, we can do one on obviously not just this grant programs, but other grant programs that the city gives out, how we what the processes are, council's ideas on how we can improve those processes.

Um just understanding them and improving them.

I'm talking to the chief of staff about that.

Okay.

Let's thank you.

Get it on the schedule, we're happy to do it.

Uh next item, please.

Oh, just before we move on, I just want to thank the members of the task force who've been working volunteering their time the last five years and putting these structures in place and trying to um do you're doing really good work and and we appreciate it.

Thank you.

Uh next item, please.

Nine D is resolution authorizing the mayor to execute any law documents to award a total amounts not to exceed 23,950 in youth violence prevention week microgrants program grants to support programming to eight community-based organizations in the city.

Move to approve.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

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

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

90 is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with CDM Smith Incorporated to provide professional engineering consulting services for the East Greenway Drive Bridge Replacement Project in an amount not to exceed 419,400.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

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

Any opposed?

Motion carries 9F is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Rogers Group Incorporated in an amount not to exceed $5 million $20,000 for the 2026 resurfacing phase one project.

Move to approve.

Second.

Motion made to approve.

It's been made and seconded.

Any questions or discussion, Vice Mayor?

Okay.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

9G is a resolution authorizing the mayor to amend the contract with Whaley Construction LLC for the 2024 sidewalk replacement project, increasing the contract amount by 62,685 60 cents for a new total of contract amounts not to exceed 1,055,180.60 cents and extending the date of completion to February 28, 2026.

Second.

Motion made to approve.

Motion has been made and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

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

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

9H is the resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Goodwill Industries to lease property housing.

The city's four recycling drop-off centers for an annual amount of $50,000.

Second.

Motion made and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

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

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

All right.

Uh now we're moving on to public forum.

We have two people signed up to speak at public forum.

First is Ms.

Vivian Scheife.

Ms.

Scheif, if you could come to the podium, please state your name and address for the record.

You'll have up to three minutes to address council.

Good evening, Vivian Scheit, Knoxville 37914.

As I come before you, the temperature is about 70 degrees.

Now there is a temptation because of the weather being warm to look past the issue that we will have to deal with on March 3rd.

Just because it's warm today does not mean we won't be having snow and ice in another couple of weeks.

We need to look at the fact that we are not taking care of our most vulnerable.

We have forgotten the least of us because right now everything is good and everybody wants to move here, but we're not doing anything to help the people that are they don't have a place to stay, that are freezing to death.

So as we get ready for the March 3rd meeting, I ask you to consider the fact that there must be recurring dollars in that budget that's coming up, that there must be a concentrated intentionality that we're going to help everybody, all the districts.

There are homeless in every district.

So at this point, as we get ready to make some solid decisions, I'm asking you to look around your district to look into your heart to look at what you were put, you put your hand on that Bible to do which was to help everybody.

You took a covenant with the Lord and you're going to help everybody.

And so now this is the time to do it.

This is the time to say, yeah, we got everybody else we're taking care of is good.

But the least of us, right now, while you have an opportunity to make a difference and make some life-saving changes.

Now I'm asking you that when we come back in here on March 3rd, that you walk the talk, that you put your hand on the Bible to say you're gonna do for everybody.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next person signed up to speak for public forum is Joe Cronick.

Mr.

Cronick, if you could come to the podium, say it's your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes to address counsel.

Hi, I'm Joe Cronick.

Um 2045 Staff Drive Mascott.

Um what I wanted to talk about is um the uh homeless and unemployment situation, especially unemployment amongst the homeless.

Um I'm a member of um a labor union called the industrial workers of the world.

And uh 116 years ago, they tried to organize homeless and um especially uh day laborers.

Um they were who are getting exploited uh terribly.

Um by the grace of God, things have changed, and we now have uh clear thinking um people in government.

And um what I've I'm hoping to do is uh I want to uh start with a small group that I want to organize day labors, uh the unemployed um live in carm and under the bridge.

My wife and I feed down there, we feed on Magnolia at the Methodist Church, and uh we provided rides for homing uh for the warming centers.

Um my clock didn't start.

That's good.

Unfortunately, the clock's not there.

I get a I get a freebie.

He's been measuring it, so you have about two minutes to go.

Um the difference between organizing um a group of laborers uh in a union as opposed to um nonprofit as I'm not asking for any money from anybody.

I'm just asking to uh uh search your hearts.

There's plenty of community projects that could put people to work.

Um I'm trying to trying to help right now a few guys um to find work in private uh sector, and I haven't approached anybody in government yet, but I there's a clean street cleaning, park cleaning.

Um it would give uh plenty of young homeless men in karm and under the bridge some dignity uh to be a part of a union, to be workers, um, to take care of themselves.

There's no way to get out of the hole that some of them are in if they can't make money.

We we could give and uh feed, but uh you know the old saying about teaching someone to fish, you know.

Um I'm a recovered addict and alcoholic, so um, my heart goes out to them.

And um this is just my passion.

I hope you uh search your your hearts for uh to to bring some hope for some some of these people.

And like I said, I want to start small.

Um it's just me and my wife, and uh I have a pickup truck and I can drive some of them around and uh and we'll just I'd like to see where it goes someday.

You know, uh it's kind of ironic um with the passing of Jesse Jackson today that I'm speaking about the poor and labor, and he's done so much for those uh us working people.

But uh I see I'm out of time.

Thank you, Mr.

Cronick.

Thank you.

Council members, uh, that concludes people signed up for public forum and without objection.