Good evening.

It's 611 PM, and I'd like to call this meeting to order.

We'll begin with an invocation led by Councilmember Parker, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Council Member Fugit.

Please rise as you're able.

Mr.

Johnson, would you please call roll?

Councilman Adams.

Here.

Councilman Debart Laban.

Here.

Voss Mayor Fugit.

Here.

Councilman Grant.

Here.

Councilman Helsley.

Here.

Councilman Honeycutt here.

Councilman Lloyd.

Here.

Councilman Parker.

Here.

And Councilman Thomas.

All members present, Mayor.

Okay, thank you.

Is there a motion on the minutes from the February 26th workshop?

Move to approve.

Motion made to approve.

Second.

Seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

I see a lot of lights on.

Is that for questions or discussion?

No.

Mr.

Grant, your light is on.

No.

Okay.

All right.

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

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Are there is there a motion on the minutes of the March 3rd regular meeting?

Motion to approve.

Second.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

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

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

On to our agenda for tonight.

Are there any items to be withdrawn?

Are there any items to be postponed?

Are there any items to be added by motion?

Okay, and under item uh five D, it has been suggested that we do the uh commemorative resolution for honor air at this item.

Is there a motion to move that item to 5D?

I'll make a motion that we move that to uh item 5D.

Second.

Okay, motion made and seconded.

Does everyone understand the motion before them?

Uh any questions or discussions seeing none.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

So let's go ahead and um hear that resolution, please.

12B is resolution expressing gratitude and appreciation to Honor Air Knoxville for its many years of service to the veteran community of East Tennessee.

Is there a motion?

Taking motion to approve.

Okay, motion made and seconded.

Councilmember Honeycutt.

Thank you.

Uh colleagues and and fellow community members.

Thank you all for being here tonight.

Uh tonight we have the privilege of presenting a res a resolution uh recognizing Honor Air Knoxville for their extraordinary service to the veterans of East Tennessee.

Since 2007, Honor Air has flown more than 4,700 local veterans to Washington, D.C., giving them the opportunity to visit memorials built in their honor of service.

These are veterans from our own neighborhoods, men and women who served during World War II, the Korean War, and Vietnam.

For many of them, this is the first time standing before these memorials.

Seeing their service remembered, reflecting on their sacrifice, and knowing that their community is grateful.

If we have any veterans with us tonight, I think we'd all on City Council like to pause for a moment to just simply say thank you.

Thank you for your service.

Thank you for your sacrifice.

Thank you for the freedoms we enjoy because of you.

Honor Air represents the very best of East Tennessee, neighbors stepping up, volunteers giving their time, and communities coming together.

With their 38th and final flight, unfortunately, uh scheduled for April 8th.

It's especially fitting that that we on the City Council, and that's the City of Knoxville, pause tonight as a community to recognize this extraordinary legacy.

For me personally, and I think for all of us, it reminds us of something important that honoring our veterans is not just something that happens in Washington, D.C., but something that we do here at home.

And it's more important to do here at home.

Please remind uh join me and City Council in thanking Honor Air Knoxville for nearly two decades of service to our East Tennessee veterans.

Let's give them a round of applause.

So at this time, I know Eddie Manis, who is the founder and uh chair of Honor Air couldn't be here tonight.

Uh but he has sent Joe Sutter and a group of uh veterans and people from the Honor Air team to uh to be recognized this evening.

So I'll join you guys ask you guys to come to the stage for a photo op uh with City Council and the administration.

Uh if you'll come up right here on the on the stage and we can should we do the vote first just as a matter of ranking?

I have a feeling it's gonna pass.

We should do the votes.

Oh, and there's a few other council members who'd like to share their comments and speak, yes.

Um then we'll do the we'll invite you up on the stage to receive the um proclamation.

Uh Vice Mayor Fugit.

Thank you.

I would not be a very good military wife if I did not ask those veterans in the audience to please stand so that we can uh thank you and acknowledge you.

Yes, and Councilman Grant.

You didn't stand.

Oh, you said no, I know, but okay, the voice you need to stand here.

Okay, thank you.

Um Councilmember Parker Thank you, Mayor.

Um generally when we uh bring resolutions like this forward, it is uh supported by the full council, and I'm sure that the full council supports this resolution, but just to be clear, I want to to make sure and add my name as a co-sponsor.

Thank you.

Okay.

Are there any council members who do not want their names to be added?

Okay, let's uh make sure all of the names are on there, please, for the record, unanimous uh support.

And I'll just say before um I had the honor and privilege to be a volunteer on one of the flights uh a couple years ago, and it was just such a privilege to be with those veterans as they visited the memorials in our nation's capital that are in their honor, and some were able-bodied and some were um in wheelchairs, and and they were all just so moved by the whole experience.

Um and I I know a highlight for many was the letters that they received and got to read on the on the ride home, because sometimes our veterans are very modest and humble about their service.

Um and so to be recognized in that way was incredibly meaningful.

So to all the many volunteers over the many year 20 some years that this has been happening, to Eddie Manis, who um has been a leader of this group, and to the people who are going to be receiving this resolution on behalf of Honor Air, uh the city of Knoxville thanks you, the city council.

We're we're very very grateful, and we look forward to one last send-off uh and welcome home on April 8th.

So any further questions or comments?

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed by acclamation, it passes.

Um, if if we could if the individuals here representing Honor Air could please come just to come to the stage.

If you wanted to say anything before we take pictures, we'd welcome a few comments from you.

We we really appreciate all that you've done.

Well, thank you, Mayor, and and in city council.

On behalf of any man, us our founder and chairman, uh a great amount of support made this happen from the East uh Tennessee community, Knoxville, and many, many, many volunteers.

It touched, you said over 4,000 veterans, uh, the volunteers, their family members, and the community at large.

If you were ever at a welcome home at the Knoxville Airport, it's pretty moving.

And on behalf of all of us, and certainly Eddie Manis, thank you so much.

Thank you.

Um let's welcome them up on the stage for a quick photo.

And if there's any veterans in the audience that would like to come up and attend and be and be presented as well, please join us.

Okay, thank you very much to our veterans and to the honor air folks who've helped um run those honorair flights for the last 20 years.

It's been amazing.

Uh next item is our consent agenda.

Is there a motion on the consent agenda?

Uh mayor I would like to remove one item twelve Q.

Item twelve Q.

And I'll go ahead and move to approve the consent agenda minus twelve Q.

Okay, is there a second to that motion?

Anyone?

Second.

Okay.

Okay.

So the motion is to approve the consent ag agenda.

Um with we're adding twelve Q.

Oh, I don't we don't need it.

Right.

Well no, but she made the motion to approve the consent as adjusted.

That's okay.

So the motion's been made and seconded.

Any questions or discussions?

Seeing none, all those in favor say aye.

Any opposed?

The consent agenda is approved.

Um, we'll move along to uh the mayor's report.

First, I want to wish everyone uh happy Saint Patrick's Day to all who celebrate.

I sort of feel like with the orange and the green, we have a Irish flag thing going here in the audience.

So um I hope um appreciate all the folks who came out for the various parades and so forth over the weekend.

Um we also had a very busy weekend.

It was the home opener for one knock soccer.

There were thousands of people here for the Bassmaster Classic, which we had a winner from Tennessee.

Very exciting.

The Ice Bears had a home game.

There was a 5K, there was a Jerry Seinfeld show.

It was a very, very busy weekend, and that's a lot of fun for residents and visitors, but it's also a testament to our public service crews, our transportation engineers, our police and fire, uh, people who pick up the trash, uh, who keep everything running smoothly.

When you have a busy weekend like that and you don't hear anything bad happening, that means the city employees did their job.

So I want to thank um all the city folks who make those fun activities stay safe and stay fun.

Uh with that said, we have another big weekend around coming up around the corner.

Big Ears Festival runs from March twenty-sixth to twenty-ninth.

This festival attracts people from all over the world and is another great opportunity for us to showcase our beautiful city.

Uh there are lots of ticketed events, but there's also lots of free events that are open to the general public.

I invite you all to check it out.

It's uh filled with fun and surprises, and I always enjoy the uh music that they share.

On a sadder note, I want to take a moment to publicly send our condolences to the friends and family of Juanita Usher Cannon.

Miss Cannon died at the age of eighty-six.

She was a longtime educator in Knoxville and served 18 years as a KC DC board member.

So please keep her family and friends in your thoughts and prayers.

Uh 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, Mr.

Johnson, 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 note 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 concludes my mayor's report.

Now are there any reports of committees or council members serving on committees or boards?

I'll just uh report that you know uh attended the recent pension board and investment committee meetings.

Um both were routine in nature.

Uh the board approved standard items like new enrollments, retirements, and invoices, all of which passed unanimously.

So overall, the system remains stable and is performing well.

So thank you.

Thank you.

Um any other reports from council members.

Uh how about announcements from council members?

Councilmember Adams.

Thank you.

Um agreed the weekend that just passed was uh fantastic, then it got cold.

Uh but the weekend ahead uh also looks promising, and there were three events that I wanted to just bring to folks' attention.

Uh the first one is Iams River Rescue.

It's an annual event that works to clean up our rivers, and it's a great thing to volunteer with.

You can find more information about that at Iams and sign up to volunteer.

That's on Saturday the 21st.

Also on Saturday the 21st is Equinox.

That is a special celebration that's happening in the old Severe neighborhood in South Knoxville.

And it will be a free all-day event with lots of activities going on, including a community bike ride, uh Tai Chi down by the river, um, and a fun run and many, many other things, including vendor markets.

So if you're looking for fun stuff to do on Saturday, that'd be a great place to go.

Um, and then one other event that I wanted to make note of is on Sunday in the South Haven neighborhood by the Maynard Glen ball uh baseball field.

There is a community tree planting and free tree adoption that Trees Knoxville is putting on.

It's uh on McClung Avenue, and the tree planting is from two to four, and tree adoption, which that means you can get a free tree, is from four to five thirty p.m.

Thank you.

Um Vice Mayor Fugit.

Thank you.

I just want to announce that next that March 26th, that Thursday, we will be having City Council will have a workshop and get an update on our our affordable housing or our housing programs and the work that um the city is doing with homelessness.

And so that is that will uh be at 6 p.m.

in this room, and we'll also be um live stream.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Honeycutt.

Thank you.

Just two quick things.

One, I would like sort of piggyback on what a great weekend we had with the Bassmaster Classic uh last week.

And I don't know if anyone out there actually was able to attend, but tens of thousands of people came into Knoxville.

Uh, you know, great for local businesses, great for our community.

Uh it was fantastic.

And uh and a thank you to visit Knoxville, KPD, all the city staff that made it possible.

The logistics behind it is incredible.

Uh and and it for it to go off as well as it did and for our city to be represented as well as it is a testament to all of their hard work behind the scenes.

So thank you.

Second quick uh announcement this Friday, uh, March 20th at noon at Camp Honey Coffee.

Uh we are doing uh coffee with city council members.

So as many of us as possible, not all of us can be there because of schedules, we'll will be there Friday just to have an informal meet and greet and conversations with people.

So Camp Hunties near Lakeshore Park for those that don't know.

If you can't make it, there will be future opportunities.

Uh so stay at uh tuned for those.

But hopefully, hopefully some people can come out and join us just uh so you're aware we can't talk about agenda items because of the sunshine law, but we can talk about the city as a whole.

So please join us uh and and we look forward to it.

Okay, thank you.

Moving right along.

Um next item, please.

11D is a resolution of the council of the City of Knoxville approving an appeal filed by David Hamilton for the Norwood Homeowners Group.

Humberto Rodriguez for HM Clinton Highway LLC, Morris Chasseau of Fort Clinton, Tennessee LLC, and Jason Sorrell for Knoxville Combatives LLC, thereby overturning the decision of the Knoxville Knox County Planning Commission to grant a special use application filed by CARECUS for a social service provider in the CH1 district for probably located at 5200 Clinton Highway 5th District.

Okay, thank you.

Mr.

Johnson, um I would like the appellant to please approach the podium.

Thank you.

You're already there.

Just before you uh start, I want to just make sure council understands what the rules that you have are that I'm gonna be enforcing here.

The appellant will have up to 15 minutes to present their case.

Uh they can use as many or as few speakers as they wish.

I would ask that each time there's a change in speaker, they um say their name and address for the record.

Once that 15 minutes is up, I will call upon the appell.

And they will have up to 15 minutes to state their case with as many as few speakers as they wish.

And then the uh once that 15 minutes has finished, the original party will have up to two minutes for rebuttal.

Uh then at the conclusion of these steps, council will deliberate and make a decision.

Okay.

Any questions?

Seeing none.

We'll have the appellant go ahead and start.

If you could start by saying your name and address for the record, and Mr.

Johnson's going to run the 15-minute clock.

Thank you.

My name is David Hamilton.

I'm an attorney.

I'm at 1810 Merchant Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee, within about approximately a half mile of this facility that is seeking change that we are appealing.

I've been directed to the presentation, and I wanted to uh say a thank you before I begin to uh Mr.

Swanson.

Mr.

Swanson uh sent me an email this morning addressing an issue, and his uh uh his action helped to avoid uh unnecessary friction, and he deserved the commendation.

And I don't give those away free.

This is a difficult application of both law and virtue.

I think it is an example of the corruption of virtue.

And let me go through why this body should reverse the planning commission.

Knoxville Ordinance is hard fought and recently installed to replace a more let's say less flexible zoning opportunity for the city to grow.

But it didn't stop the responsibility of this body or the planning commission from considering the different aspects of that hard fought ordinance as of as a beginning issue under Article 16.1B, page 372 of the ordinance, which is different from the PDF version if you're using the PDF paging system because the pages are individually numbered.

CareCuts was not an owner of the property.

They did not provide a lease.

They were not properly abhor uh before the Planning Commission to seek either a special use or any zoning.

Mandatory consideration of the commercial site design is set out in Article 51A3 at page 56.

And that the site must be designed.

Now I'm quoting now.

Sites must be designed to ensure safe pedestrian access from the public right-of-way and safe pedestrian circulation within the development.

That's Article 5, Table 5-2, page 62.

This project fails.

There are no sidewalks.

There are no crosswalks.

This is an arterial commercial road, Clinton Highway.

Most of you are familiar with this.

And for this facility, which is pedestrian-centric at a highway auto-centric location, inappropriate.

Sufficient on-site parking had to be established.

This is required under various applications of Article 11.

And also 1141 Table 11-2.

I know that's kind of technical, but it drives home the point.

That is Article 11.8 at page 325 and was not complied with.

So this entity is left, and the underlying entity is left with an application of six parking slots available and ignored the requirement for having city law department review the lease and approve it.

The spot zoning is an illegal use of zoning to the owner's benefit, but it's a very antithesis of planned zoning.

This is an exception to create a pedestrian-centric location in an auto-centric area because it's virtuous.

I've met with some of those individuals.

I would say that they are very honest in their concern for the persons that they want to provide this service to.

Redevelopment of vacant or largely vacant shopping centers.

Within 200 feet of this building is a brand new fire stone that was constructed for obviously several million dollars.

In his appeal laid out that he did not appreciate that his uh Clinton Plaza is designated as a vacant or largely vacant shopping center.

It's vibrant, it's healthy, but it does have problems created in part by the individuals who are willing to go into the food city and steal to such an extent they have an officer therey evening.

Under the code, the special uh the evidence presented, they were supposed to evaluate actual evidence.

None of that is attached to any of this application.

There is no development uh consideration, and this is the virtual signaling that I'm talking about.

The application for a special service center.

The application for the special service center is telling us that it's supposed to be consistent with adopted plans, will not annure to any or distract from the environment, congestion, other impacts.

All of this is set out in Article 16-2-F-2, page 376.

And more important, underline how this is the corruption of virtue, is that there were applications for permits that have been reviewed and approved already in violation of Section 1612 B6.

There is an active appeal.

There are no permits that are authorized to be re issued out, and the city has done it.

CO was issued on 30th of January.

That's a certificate of occupancy.

Is not allowed under the provisions of this code in Chapter 16.

There is no doubt that they might be doing right, but there's also no doubt that every single part of the ordinance designed to protect the public and the pedestrian traffic of that facility are ignored for virtuous reasons.

This body needs to revoke return it back to the Planning Commission.

But in the doing of good, you can destroy the law.

In other words, they filter through my residential community to wherever they might have been drawn from.

And according to their own analysis, they're looking at 80 people on Sundays, right?

And we do not know what the traffic is going to be, but the point being that all of it is auto-centric area, it's going to be pedestrian centric with no transportation.

I would like to reserve the remainder of my time to be able to respond to anything from that might be raised in a.

Mr.

Hamilton, you can use the rest of your time now, but at the rebuttal, it'll just be two minutes.

Thank you.

This body has a responsibility to uphold the law it enacted.

You start making exceptions to the degree that I've laid out, then your ordinance has no real value as long as we have a virtuous reason.

This body is not going to be picking up the people that might be hit on that road in the middle of the night because they're hanging out and around a place where they dance sidewalks.

They're going to be on the street.

There are no crosswalks.

Morris, who's an appellant in this project or in this matter, was not discussed with.

It was always signed off by several different individuals in the proper sequence.

That is so disrespectful of the ability for us to go to uh to this body.

And yet it was done.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um I'd like to invite uh representatives from the appellate to please approach the podium.

And as you come to the podium and start speaking, please state your name and address for the record.

Um just wait till we get the uh clock restarted.

There we go.

Okay.

Please proceed.

Thanks.

Mary Catherine Wormsley, 128 North North Shore Drive, Knoxville, Tennessee.

I'm a current advisory board member of Care Cuts and the previous board president, and I also serve as a COO and broker of the company who owns 5200 Clinton Highway.

I am here respectfully requesting counsel, deny the appeal to overturn the unanimous decision made by Knoxville Knox County Planning to grant a special use application for care cuts to operate as a social service provider on Clinton Highway.

Thank you, Mayor and City Council members for allowing me to speak, and thank you to the attendees who are here in respect to this agenda item.

I want to address the comments by our opposition that this location is not suitable for this use based on concerns for vehicular and pedestrian safety.

This location is approximately 100 steps from a bus stop.

On top of its proximity to public transportation, we serve a transient population who know how to navigate the situation.

Our intention is to serve those who are already in this area, the people who regularly walk up and down these streets through and around this property, and who are receiving limited to new help from this community.

I hear continuous concerns and statements that this will be a homeless shel shelter or will turn into a homeless camp.

This is not a correct description of this faith-based nonprofit.

This is a day center that provides resources to help clients move forward from their current situation.

This facility will receive clients during the day on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, and is staffed primarily by volunteers between four and eight people and two full-time staff members.

We estimate a maximum amount of 28 people inside the building at any given time.

No individuals will stay the night.

We are moving from William Street, located in the mission district to Clinton Highway to not only tailor our services, but to serve the large population of unhoused already in that community.

Our intention on Clinton Highway is to act as a hub to reduce homelessness, not to promote or to add to it.

This facility is modeled after the day center in Johnson City, which is operated by ETSU'ds College of Nursing and has been in existence since 1981.

CareCuts assist clients with obtaining Tennessee State IDs, birth certificates, both in and out of state.

We act as a safe and secure mailing address for our clients.

Haircuts, clean clothing, and laundry facilities are offered to those in need.

If we were offering the same service to people that were not labeled as unhoused.

Please consider this for a moment.

This definition comes with a certain stigma attached to it.

If that is not a pure form of discrimination, I do not know what is.

Some struggle with addiction, some struggle with mental illness, some may have missed a paycheck and lost their place to live.

But these are human beings.

The reality is that homelessness doesn't just exist within a one block radius of CARM, Salvation Army, or other service providers.

The reality is that it affects every part of our community, including Clinton Highway.

None of our opposition denied that there was a large population of unhoused already in that area.

Limiting resources in outlying areas because of a not in my backyard mindset is illogical.

The only way to help the situation is to meet those experiencing the struggle where they are, both in location and by creating trust.

This opposition is built on fear.

Fear of the attraction and increasing the already existing problem.

Doing nothing because we are fearful is not the right approach.

Limiting outreach efforts will result in watching the existing situation multiply.

As a community, we should not fear doing the humane thing by taking care of our underserved and unhoused neighbors, especially when those caring for them have a decade of experience, a multitude of community support and partnerships, and countless success stories behind them.

I will not ask my friends to stand out of privacy that are here today.

But I have many here in support that care cuts has helped move forward from homelessness.

While so many see fear, let's change our mindset to see opportunity.

Let's change our actions to alter the course of another human being's life.

Thank you for your time and attention.

I respectfully request that you deny this appeal and uphold Knoxville Knox County's unanimous decision of support.

Good evening.

I'm Chuck Cerney.

I'm a Knox County General Sessions judge.

I'm the recovery court judge at Knox County.

I started the Veterans Treatment Court, and I recently started with the help of other stakeholders, our mental health court in Knox County.

Let me take a second to say howdy to so many friends that I have known on this board and say howdy, even to the folks who are opposing this.

They're out there already.

They're there.

To be honest with you, I might run over one of them when I head down west to my house.

And I'm really sorry about that.

But I don't think we're going to be able to chase these folks by doing something draconian and punitive to force them to relocate to somewhere else.

The way to help folks who are experiencing homelessness is to take one human being who has dignity and worth and help them not be homeless.

And once you do that, then you have the opportunity to try and repeat the experiment.

I don't want to admit this, but I guess I have to.

The folks at Care Cuts have done some wonderful things in the past, and they're gonna do wonderful things for this community with your support.

Marty Baker is one of the most unselfish and compassionate persons I have ever met.

She has the support of law enforcement in this community as the chief.

And she has the support of many other nonprofits and agencies across this city.

I'm proud to say that our mental health court, which I started, has worked with Care Cuts and some of our folks are doing so well.

They're even volunteering at Care Cuts to help homeless folks when they're participants in the mental health court.

Listen, don't make this decision based on the fact that Marty is such a sweetheart.

Do this because allow Care Cuts to use this facility in the way that they're planning.

Because care cuts will help the unhoused to find housing.

They'll help the unemployed to get jobs, and care cuts will make this area safer, better, more compassionate for everybody in the community.

It's the right thing to do.

Thank you for listening to me.

Thank you.

Ben Mullins, 550 West Street.

I represent uh Care Cuts.

Uh, there's no procedural defects in this.

The owner signed the application.

The planning staff requires the owner to sign every application.

Um he cited the design centers of Table 5.2.

The design standards that he cited apply to a different zone.

They apply to the CH2 zoning, which is different than the CH1 zoning.

There's different design standards.

That's that was just an inaccurate quote.

Um there's been a lot of talk about this not being, you know, this being an auto-centric area and versus a pedestrian area.

When this new zoning ordinance was adopted in 2020, there are only two zones this was allowed in, the social services, CH1 and Institutional.

From so from the very beginning, it was allowed for and specifically called for in the highway commercial zone.

Uh but beside the fact, and I said some pictures today, this is 170 feet away from where the sidewalk currently ends.

It's there at the CAT bus station.

Um we are leasing that space from Bob Monday.

There are 20 parking spaces.

That lease was submitted, you know, through Peter Ahrens to the law department.

That's not part of the special use application, but we do have the parking that's required there.

And I understand I spoke to Director Brooks this morning that there is contemplated future sidewalks in this area.

So that meets the uh the requirements of the MUCC.

Um talked about this vacant uh shopping center, and what staff was really saying is this is an in fill location because this bank has been underutilized for years, and now it can be put to good use instead of a green field development, and that's was what was called out in policy 8.1 of the general plan.

Um I know this is the boring stuff, um, but I need to get out in the record and make sure that that you know we make it clear that planning staff did this right.

They met, they demonstrate how it meets all the applications.

This is not spot zoning, this isn't even a zoning application.

Zoning's a legislative action where you're changing the zoning.

This is CH1, we're not changing CH1.

A special use is allowed in that zone.

It just has to go through the extra process, which we've already pointed out, is a bit unfair because the only reason we're going through the extra process is because the people we serve are unhoused.

Everybody else getting these services who have a home who are not suffering from some type of uh disability or addiction can get these services at this location permitted, go get their permit.

And speaking of getting the permit, that was done because uh there was a permit issued conditional upon you know the appeal process to the Board of Zoning Appeals because the law department and the director of uh zoning determined that this was actually exempt from zoning because of the religious uh uh freedom act of Tennessee and the Reloup of the federal counterpart that's not before us today, that just went through the BZA earlier today, and the BZA upheld the planning uh directors uh or the zoning director's decision on that.

It may be before you in the future, but we can't do anything until this whole process is concluded.

So there's not anything nefarious or underhanded.

We followed the rules every step of the way.

Staff laid out in detail why this meets all the requirements of the special use application.

I expounded upon that in my letter that I sent to you all, and I'm and I do appreciate the opportunity to meet with the neighbors.

We met with them for about two hours, and I think that there were some things that were addressed that that you know were beneficial.

And the biggest thing is with regard to the safety.

Safety is our number one priority.

We care about these people more than anybody.

CareCuts cares about these people more than anybody.

They want to keep them safe.

They know how they, you know, where they are.

They know they help provide them rides when needed.

They help, you know, make sure they can get there safely.

And they have a tremendous track record in their current location, which is right across from one of the most popular pizza restaurants in town, and it hasn't affected their business one bit.

It's not going to affect these businesses one bit.

Mr.

Hamilton's anecdotes only go to show that these people that need this help are already in the area, and we're willing to help them.

And we're willing to help them within the confines of the law.

And we've met the use special use of application.

Staff laid it out.

You can rely on staff's recommendation, has material evidence to support your decision.

There's case law on that.

So I'd ask that you uphold this decision.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mullins.

Mr.

Hamilton, you can come back to the podium.

And you may have up to two minutes for rebuttal.

The question of fear.

Stabbing at Motel 6 just a couple of weeks ago, right there on Merchants Drive, again another homeless.

A takeover of Waffle House, where the police had to come and uh clear the area, take it back from one of the homeless people.

There is an epidemic of crime.

We have to deal with that.

It is this claim that there's going to be a uh 28 people a day, and how they're going to park.

Well, we know there's six parking spots.

I've counted it, and I don't count 20.

This issue of fear is real.

It's not helpful when the city refuses to follow its own rules.

Doesn't change the analysis.

No CO should have been issued because no permit should have been accepted according to 1612 B6, which quote, no building permit should be issued until city council acted on the appeal.

How are we supposed to trust any of the system if the system is not paying attention to its own rules?

Thank you for the opportunity.

Okay, thank you.

Um council members, that concludes uh the first part of this hearing.

Now you may discuss it as you wish.

Uh Councilmember Thomas.

Yes.

Um if I understand our attorney Frost Wright, uh, our charge today is to apply the special use standards to this application.

And uh I've gone through the packet as best I could and um I will say um CareCuts does great work, and I've been a supporter of them for a long time.

I've attended their site on Williams, I've attended their luncheons uh if my memory uh serves me well.

Uh I've uh dispersed some uh city funds to them when I had an opportunity.

So this is not about uh the good work that that CareCut does, and I know a lot of them on first basis, first name basis.

Um the issue here is whether or not this particular site meets the criteria of a special use.

And um I've gone through, I've read everything in the packet.

Um I've tried to analyze the lawyers agreements as best as possible, and looking at the six criteria under 16.2F2.

Uh there's four that really give me pause and uh huge questions about whether or not they are actually met.

Um the first one is uh whether the use is consistent with the adopted plans and policies, including the general and the one-year plan.

And the that classification is to promote redevelopment of vacant or largely vacant shopping centers.

And this is not a vacant or largely vacant shopping center.

It has ongoing businesses.

So under section one, which would be trying to promote redevelopment of a vacant shopping center or largely vacant, this should not apply.

So that criteria was not met.

Whether it has the use in harmony with general purposes and intent of the zoning code, says the CH1 district is intended to accommodate high intensity commercial uses of a predominantly auto-oriented character.

And that is the situation there on merchants road.

And me being someone who promotes pedestrianism and loves pedestrianism, the use of this would be primarily pedestrian.

And so as much as I wish that wasn't the case, that's what the code requires or the code talks about is about an auto-centric, auto-oriented character.

And so the fact that the proposed use here is not an auto-centric proposal, does not fit number two either.

Number four, the use will not significantly injure the value of adjacent property owners, et cetera.

And the planning staff just issued one sentence on their findings.

It says the proposed is not expected to significantly injure the value of any adjacent properties.

That was their total findings.

It had no substance to it, it had no evaluation about why, just a blanket statement.

Like my council, I've got a packet of 80 over 80 comments, and I think only two were in support of this location for its intended use.

Mr.

Thomas.

Your time is up.

Okay, I will yield to my colleagues and I'll come back.

Thank you, Mayor.

Are there comments or questions or motions from other council members?

Councilmember Parker?

Well, in our rules, we can also request additional time.

And I would really like to hear your full arguments if you don't mind continuing.

It doesn't seem like anybody else is ready to speak.

I'll second that.

Mr.

Thomas, we'll go back to you if you'd put the clock back at another three five minutes.

Okay.

So, you know, I talked about how the this would injure the businesses and the property values.

That's substantiate in the record, and these are people who are observers of that area, and they own businesses there, and they're talking about how this is going to impact them and about how already it is.

But it was when black stock, the housing area and around Black Stock was they did a sweep, and it forced all the homeless out of black stock because of complaints from neighbors there.

And so where did they go?

They went north.

And so that's when I started hearing complaints about these issues that have been spoken from from the podium, and I've heard them consistently, you know, and this happened after the uh black stock camp was cleaned out.

And so what I'm concerned about is we're gonna start another mission disk district in Merchants Road where people will be going there even more where the services aren't centralized.

So I don't meet it.

I don't think it meets the criteria of not significantly injuring the value of adjacent properties based on what the people and business owners in that area have said.

Number six, uh the nature of development and surrounding area is not such as to pose a potential hazard.

Uh and we've heard about how there's a lack of infrastructure there.

This is a pedestrian community that will be using the space, and that is a very auto-centric area, and we don't have the infrastructure there to accommodate this type of foot traffic, and it's going to be dangerous for the people who are using this facility.

And um a lot of the comments that are in our packet was people who were talking about this.

They were talking about the care of the um the uh the users of this facility and how dangerous this is going to be, and we're gonna allow this use there without us taking care of the underlying infrastructure that would need to be put in place there.

So um uh based upon that, I am going to move to approve the appeal, which is one of the tough ones I've had to do, but my analysis anyway of this particular situation to the criteria for a special use is that the criteria are not granted or not um met.

Thank you.

Okay, motions been made to grant the appeals.

There's second to this motion.

Hearing none, the motion fails for lack of a second.

Is there a motion to deny the appeal?

I would like to make a motion to deny.

Second.

Okay, there's been a motion made and second to deny the appeal.

Any questions or discussion?

I'd like to make a short discussion.

Please I you know, I would like to begin that uh planning, you know, made this uh this was what they recommended uh to um to a planning commission, and it passed panic permission nine zero.

I went back and watched the meeting, and I feel like they they read through these five merits.

Um so that that was my starting point.

Um, and then I went and read through the five merits myself and began to understand some things, and um looking at many of the things that uh Councilman Thomas just outlined.

I see uh differently.

Um I see that a sidewalk ends at Arby's, which is on the same block as this place.

It's just to the northwest of that, so it's it's on the same block, it just hasn't been continued.

Um, but it's literally less than a hundred feet away.

Um I also feel that uh with the bus stop nearby um it makes sense um for people to be coming and going.

Um I think of where Carecut's currently is right now, and the I'm in commercial real estate, the value of that property.

Um because of all the businesses there, the the MAC building sold for over uh 250 dollars a square foot, which is an insane amount.

Uh it's right there on that block.

So I they did not see their property uh things go down, and then as a track record, thinking about whether this would bring a harm to the neighborhood.

I feel like William Street and what what the business that is there right now, the services they provide actually make it part of the safest part of that district.

And I I have the confidence that um property values will not drop and that it will increase uh the safety of what is already a problem up there.

So thank you, Councilmember Parker.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I also wanted to share a few of my thoughts ahead of the vote.

I um appreciate uh the thoughts shared by uh councilmember Thomas and also by the uh appellants uh attorney.

Um I think there are definitely some compelling arguments being made.

Uh however, for me, the arguments applied more to the uh commercial highway zoning rather than uh the the uh standards for evaluating the the sp special use.

The comments that I've been provided about this location have been very thoughtful.

And I I believe they are deserving of uh consideration.

But for me, they were not convincing enough for me to move in that direction.

Um to council member Thomas's point, there is a growing mission district in this area, and it's not one that has happened on accident.

Um it's an area that has been that was previously used or maybe continues to be used by the county for you know, hotels and motel space for those recovering from you know infectious diseases, and it was certainly used uh during the pandemic, and that's why we have uh this growing population of folks in the area that weren't there previously, or at least one of the reasons why.

And so it is something that we have to acknowledge as a city.

If if if we have leaned on the hotel motel services in that area to service a certain community that we know need other services, um it is our responsibility to ensure that those services are then provided, and care cuts is one of those services, in my opinion.

Uh, like the other speakers have said, I I don't believe this um a service with lower property values in the area or hurt the neighborhood, but would only bring a much needed service that uh hopefully would help to improve the area, help to provide some uh structure and and a place for folks to go so that they're not lingering in that situation, but they're actually moving forward towards housing.

That's the purpose of a service like care cuts is to provide those needed services, but also help move folks forward in life forward towards housing forward.

Um so I'm in support of this.

I am also devastated to see care cuts leave downtown, though.

Um absolutely devastated.

Um you will serve a new population that needs you, um, but I know there were gonna be people sad to see you go as well.

We need you in both places, uh, is how I feel.

But I do believe that this meets the standards for a special use, but I think that these issues of how we're using our highway commercial zoning should be considered, you know, in future discussions because these services do make more sense in these walkable communities that we are developing throughout the city, and we don't want to uh only zone them for highway commercial, regional commercial uh five-acre large institutional plots.

Like that is our responsibility to to relook at our uh zoning code.

We're gonna be going through it soon uh and take into consideration uh what is best uh for these services moving forward, and I do believe they need to be in walkable communities, but for this issue today I do believe that it does meet the standards uh plan to vote in favor.

Thank you, Councilmember Thomas.

Yes.

Um thank you, Councilmember, for your thoughtful comments.

I I appreciate that.

Um general comment, uh and I will be very brief.

One general comment is that there's kind of two schools of thought about where the unhoused should be located and how they should be uh administered to and helped, and and one of them is to disperse the different uh helping agencies into different parts of the city, and that's that's a valid school of thought.

Uh there another school of thought is that you keep it kind of um where they have access to services and the services are in such a proximity that they can actually serve each other better because you have since that's kind of what we've had uh I think uh up on Broadway.

So you would have CARM, you have Salvation Army, etc.

So those are two valid schools of thought.

What's happening here is because of the closing of black stock, as I mentioned, is that population went from downtown north to merchants road in my district, and the neighbors and the businesses up there have been confronted with this um situation that they weren't used to, and uh there's lots of valid concerns.

And the neighbors and the businesses up there have been confronted with this situation that they weren't used to.

And there's lots of valid concerns.

So I just wanted to kind of make that general statement about how there are two schools of thought, and both of them have legitimacy about, you know, you want to disperse services throughout the city where things will be fair, and no particular neighborhood will have to bear the brunt of a large unhoused population.

And the other one is have more central locations to where you can actually provide these services more effectively.

What is happening here is that Merchants Road and the 5th district, my district has been taking the brunt of this relocation of unhoused people.

And what I want to ask my colleagues to do for my district, this is your this is not your district.

But I am really going to need your help.

And this my district is bearing the brunt of this movement of unhoused individuals and to the extent of any other district.

And so it's not fair to allow this situation to happen in one particular district without offering as much help as you can.

So if this passes, I'm going to encourage my colleagues to do whatever they can to have that understanding, even if it's not in your district.

You know, we are going to need help from law enforcement, from social services, from the homeless entities, Aaron Reed, everybody, anybody we can, because this is happening up there, and the neighbors can see it, and they can see the ambience and circumstances and I guess the nature of their communities and their business is changing because of a larger influx of very needy citizens.

So I just want to, I guess, put that on the record that uh since the fifth district is now going to start, has been taking the brunt of this situation.

I'm gonna be asking for everybody's help.

And uh, you know, I'll just make some personal notes here.

I mean, just quick because different people up here have shared different things, you know.

Um I worked in Guatemala City for over two years in the garbage dump, and these were people who were making their living out of the out of the garbage dump.

And I saw people who were searching for food uh in the midst of buzzards.

There was hundreds of people and hundreds of buzzards actually trash picking and competing to live.

So I don't want every anybody to think that I was born on city council or born as a lawyer, but I I know this community, you know, so anything I'm advocating is not at all calloused.

I I totally get it.

What I'm trying to do is do something fair uh for the community, and also uh lessen the impact uh on healthy communities and healthy businesses, which is unfairly being levied.

Thank you.

Councilmember Husley.

Uh yeah, thank you, Mayor.

I just like to say I don't know how we know where homeless people came from, like if they came from black stock, maybe they did.

Um but I think all parts of town have issues with homeless people.

I live in South Knoxville, and there's a lot of homeless people in South Knoxville.

Um I think in the meantime, I think the criteria has been met for this appeal.

However, I feel like as a city, we just have to do something.

It's not just in one part of town.

So they do have the mission district downtown, which does serve people, but the ones in the other parts don't have service, and they're still there.

I mean, for God's sake, Cokesbury Methodist Church down near.

I mean, they're way down deep west in the county.

And they're they there's homeless people all over down there.

So I just think we have a problem we need to rectify at some point, but I don't think any part of town is exempt, and I will wholeheartedly support haircuts.

Okay, the motion before council is uh to deny this appeal.

Councilmember Thomas.

Yeah, very quickly in response to Ms.

LB.

I know that there's a homeless problem all over the city.

I get that.

But what we're seeing in this particular area, and I know it was when I know when it started happening.

It's when we cleaned out the camps under Blackstock.

Anybody in Merchants Road can tell you.

And I don't think there's any other part of the city that is taking as many unhoused individuals and has a need for the city to help the situation than there is in North Knoxville.

Thank you.

Okay, any further questions or discussion?

Seeing none, just as a reminder, a yes vote is to deny the appeal.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

The motion to deny carries.

Um council members, uh, there's been uh a couple requests for a brief recess, so uh we'll reconvene at 735.

And uh those of you who are leaving, please take this opportunity to um leave quietly and stay if you're you're welcome to stay if you wish.

Okay, Mr.

Johnson, if you could proceed with item 12 F.

12F is the resolution authorizing the mayor to execute any law documents necessary to award a total amount, not to exceed 213,499 71 cents in opportunity youth program grants to 13 community-based organizations to support programming for youth and young adults in the city.

Okay.

Motion made to approve.

Is there a second and seconded?

Uh, there are several people who signed up to speak on this item.

We'll start with the three who signed up to speak in favor.

First is Matthew Zing.

Matthew Zing.

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.

Hi, my name is Matthew Singh, 118 South Central Street, Knoxville, Tennessee.

Um thank you for having us here today.

Mayor, council members.

Um, I am Matthew Zing, as I already said.

I am the co-founder and executive director of two bikes.

We are one of the proposed nonprofit recipients for the opportunity youth grant, uh, and I'm here to speak in favor of our organization and specifically our bike school program.

Since its inception in 2022, the bike school has provided paid internships for over 70 Knox area teenagers for a total of 6200 hours of workforce training.

We help young people build job skills, independence, and relationships that last long after they leave the program.

Our dedicated instructors, instructors teach our interns how to work on bikes, of course, but it goes deeper than that.

At two bikes, we've always believed that bicycles are more than just a means of exercise or transportation.

Um, they're a tool for exploration, for change, and for community.

They have the power to open up the world, and our bike school program reflects that belief.

When we teach a kid how to change a flat tire or just a break, or give them them confidence to speak to customers, we're uplifting them in ways that echo beyond our shop doors.

One of the truest unexpected lessons of working with your hands is realizing that you are more capable of taking care of yourself than you think you are, and that you have the skill set to tackle whatever problems arise.

Our students come from different corners of the city, different schools, different walks of life, and they each bring different perspectives to the program.

They learn from us, but they also learn from each other too, that Knoxville is a city of diverse voices, and we work hard to foster that collaboration and a sense of stewardship in our students, and we are constantly pushing them to engage and participate in our community.

During the course of the program, students refurbish bicycles, which are then donated to folks in need.

Um of them in this room.

Um, and demonstrating that the even the smallest act um can have a profound impact on the lives of our neighbors.

Um again, I thank you for having me here.

I'm very proud of the work we've done at Two Bikes.

I'm grateful for the city's support in the past, and I'm appreciative of the consideration for this grant.

And regardless of the decision tonight, I'd like to extend an invitation to each and one of you to come down to our shop, visit our students, and see the hard work that we've done.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh next person signed up to speak in favor of item 12F is Khalil White.

Khalil White come to the podium.

Please state your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes to address council.

Hi, my name is Khalil White, 2340 East Magnolia Avenue.

And I am speaking on behalf of the bottom.

We are Black Affirmment Bookstore and Community Arts Base based in East Knoxville.

And we are one of the uh nonprofits that applied for the Opportunity Youth Grant for our Sol It Sell It program.

That has been a program that we have been running for the past seven years now, providing youth in our community with opportunities to take their creative avenues into businesses.

So we provide them with resources, sewing machines, a sewing kits, and opportunities to connect with creatives, business leaders to understand how they can be the next business leaders in that community.

Um with this program, we've been we've seen over 50 students that's come through this space that have taken their dreams and their ideas and turned them into products off these sewing machines.

Um and it's something that we want to continue to do in our space.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh the third person signed up to speak in favor of item 12F is Carrie Cannon.

Carrie Cannon.

When you get to the podium, if you could please state your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes to address council.

Hello, friends.

My name is Carrie Cannon Smitty, um 2247 Western Avenue, Knoxville.

Um I'm with the Community Action Committee, and we are at Western Heights.

Um I'd like to briefly highlight the impact of the Opportunity Youth Engagement Grant and why continuing funding uh for programs like this Pathways Grant is so important for young people in our inner city communities.

Through this grant, uh the CAC last year provided two cohorts of 15 hours of career readiness and workforce development programming to the youth in the Western Heights neighborhood.

Over the course of several sessions, 20 students completed that program and graduated with new skills, confidence, and a clear vision for their future.

Participants were introduced to college and trade schools, workforce opportunities through partnerships with organizations here in Knoxville and local employers, and they learned how to build resumes, practice interviews, develop professional skills that prepare them for real job opportunities.

The funding also helped remove barriers by providing meals during sessions, professional interview attire, mentorship, and a completion stipend.

Those supports ensure that students from underserved neighborhoods can participate fully and feel confident pursuing education and employment.

For programming for 2026, we're gonna build on what we've already done for the 2025 programming, and we're gonna with the introduction of trades in colleges.

The um in 2026 will further the agenda on trade specifics, like what can one do with an electrician license?

What can you do with a welding certificate?

Um, what can you do with a cosmetology license?

And so we will we want to career to create career sustainability and to bring entrepreneurs and businesses back to Knoxville, especially in the urban areas by helping children become passionate about their work because we know when there's passion in your work or you don't really go to work every day.

I'm very passionate about my work, and I love going to work every single day.

Um we want these kids to come back and work in the areas to create sustainability and longevity in the workforce.

Most importantly, this program helps young people see what is possible for their future, whether that's college or a skilled trade, entrepreneurship, or entering the workforce, and this next cohort will teach them how to make their ideas a reality.

Continued investment in excuse me, continued investment in programs like the Pathways program helps us build a stronger workforce and safer communities and broader future for Knoxville's youth.

Thank you for your support.

Thank you.

Um there's one person signed up to speak in opposition to item 12F, Matthew Robinson.

Mr.

Robinson, 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.

Hello, my name is Matthew Robinson.

I am executive director of Turn-Up Knox.

Um my address is 4820 Fountain View Way 37918.

And um to start off, I really didn't know I signed up to speak in opposition, so apologies.

But um, I would like to start off by saying that I don't have any objections to these organizations getting this grant.

I just want to know if there's a system that can be implemented by to better notify nonprofits that have already contributed and are currently contributing to violence interruption and that have proven track records and success in this line of work.

I understand that these things are are posted on the city's websites, but there's also no indication to my knowledge when that is until it happens.

I also know that long not too long ago, um, there was tensions between our previous executive director.

And um, although we we we appreciate his efforts and contributions to turn up Knox, we are under new management, so he no longer has any involvement with our endeavors.

We also know that there are certain nonprofits that gets a heads up when the grant process opens, and we just wanted to know we just wanted to know if the organizations that are still active and well known in this kind of work in particular could be included when that happens.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh council members, that concludes people who've signed up to speak to this item.

Uh Councilmember Adams.

Thank you.

I want to say uh special thanks to the folks who came to speak.

Um I've had direct experience with the two bikes program.

Um several youth that I know have gone through that, and it truly is a changing uh changing force to provide that kind of confidence in all the ways that Matthew Zing spoke to.

Um, I see the transformation that happens there, and it's a group that I think that does excellent work with that support money.

Um I also want to say thank you to the bottom.

Um, you've got the best newsletter out there.

Um you you do really amazing things uh with the bookshop, and um I'm I'm really excited about um what you can do with these funds.

Um there's so many good organizations here.

Um I get to enjoy the drums up, guns down.

Uh, most recently at uh the YMYWCA's uh race against racism, you know, bringing all these people who just run a race back to their feet uh and really bringing community together.

There's so many good things here, and uh I I want to say thank you to all the organizations doing this work to try to help youth and show youth different ways.

Um, and would like to make a motion to approve.

Second.

Okay.

Um we did have that already, and now we have it again.

Uh thank you.

Um Councilmember Thomas.

Yes, um, I wanted to give a shout out to my friends at two bikes as well.

Uh I'm a frequenter of their office down in the old city.

Um, it's been a place where any time I'm downtown and my tires need airing up a little bit, there they will do it just right to the T.

And also they've given given me a good venue for spare parts.

Like occasionally I run into bicycles that aren't used.

I had about four at one time.

I donated two of them to uh to two bikes for parts, and and they do a really good service.

And one thing I've tried to think what is maybe the best invention of humankind.

And it would hard to it'd be hard to think that a bicycle is not, it would definitely be in the running.

You think about a bicycle, it's all good, you know.

Low cost, transportation, exercise, clean for the environment, and um two bikes is doing all that stuff, and they're training people to work on their bikes, they're giving low-cost bikes to people.

So uh I just wanted to give them a shout out and let them know that they were really appreciated.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember Grant.

Thank you, Mayor.

I don't think I will be myself if I didn't speak to some things that I feel like a few of us up here thinking.

I want to start by saying last Thursday, I had an opportunity to meet with Crosslin, who is the audit committee that the city has entrusted to do the city's audit.

Um, our first audit committee meeting was February 18th.

And um, there were some findings, obviously, some findings and some things that we need to fix.

Uh but after having that conversation uh with uh Mr.

Hunter last Thursday, um I have to be honest.

Um the fact that we're sitting here today and we're trying to approve another round of grants after auditors said that you know, and I'm quoted, right?

That money awarded to organizations did not meet one or more established eligibility requirements due to insufficient verification and documentation review procedures.

Uh they were also quoted saying that there was a lot of gatekeeping with both our grant and procurement process.

I don't have much time, only have about three minutes, but I want to encourage uh the public to go to Knoxville Community Media's YouTube and watch the section of the February 17th meeting, 37 minutes and 38 seconds to 57 minutes and two seconds, and it's about a 15-minute window, but it tells you everything we need to know about the base of my argument here tonight.

During that meeting, both councilwoman uh Adams and Amelia Parker, um, you know, they raised very serious and valid concerns about the grant process.

Um, it was also stated by Miss Middlebrook and also interpreted that we wouldn't see grants in front of us until November.

Um I believe Karen Adams, you you know, you raised you you mentioned making sure that we can support these organizations now due to the time constraint, and it was I was under the impression that we would have until November to fix our grant process when we actually look at the applications before us today, they're dated for November and December of last year.

When we go back to that February 17th meeting, ask ourselves, why wasn't it mentioned that in 30 more days we would have another round of grant grants in front of us?

Why wasn't that mentioned during that time?

Nobody up here mentioned it, right?

Um, I know a lot of us we didn't know.

That would have been the perfect time to say, hey, by the way, we are gonna have another round of grants in front of you guys in 30 days.

That wasn't mentioned.

We can't ask questions about things if we don't know they're coming.

We can't ask questions about things because we don't get these things until the Wednesday before, right?

We're not included in the grant process until after the fact, and oftentimes it feels like these things are bundled up because two bikes, amazing bottom amazing.

I can agree with all the organizations, but not every organization on here is great, and I have personal experience, the community has experience, and oftentimes there's these these silent private conversations that we want to have behind the scenes, but when we get on front street, we don't want to have them, right?

In order for things to change, the same conversations and backdoor conversations that we're having, we need to be able to have them in front of the community, and that's gonna that's gonna create some type of uncomfort at times.

But we have to understand that we have to have these conversations.

If you're thinking about the long-term impact and engaging with the youth and engaging with high-risk youth, right, we have to do this the right way.

We've been here.

The last council has been here.

And instead of sitting everybody down, not pending the different organizations against each other and creating a real process that includes all the great organizations that are out here doing the work.

We continue to pick and choose.

We continue to isolate the different organizations and not include them in the process.

I was given the grant committee list, which I definitely appreciate um receiving that today, and there's four members who who make the decision.

Janet Patterson, who's uh with Knoxville Utility Board, former director of the education and youth services for the Knoxville Urban League, Michael Johnson, who's with Emirate U Foundation, Raimi Amir, the University of Tennessee student, and Samantha Riddick, who is the executive assistant for the Office of Community and Safety and Empowerment.

These are the four individuals who sit on the grant committee for this process.

Mr.

Grant, um, I'm gonna move on to one of your colleagues, and you can return to your comments um after I've thank you.

Your time is up.

Uh I think council uh Vicemar Fugit move them next.

Thank you.

Um just to respond to what Councilman um Grant said, yes, there were findings, and yes, there are things that um have to be dealt with, and I appreciate the fact that you are speaking to to that tonight.

I will say that tonight, and you did not say you don't want to approve these, but I will say that tonight um all these people have been in the grant process before the findings came out and before the audit committee um heard them, and there is a process in place to um address those issues, and the audit committee will audit the new processes as we go forward the next round.

But I I do plan to support the ones tonight because those folks were following the process, whether we agree with the process or not, these nonprofits were following the process that the city had in place.

And um I appreciate the concern about making more effort for everybody to know about them.

I I also run a nonprofit, you know, unless we check a lot of places, we don't know what grants are being offered.

Um, so I under I understand that concern, but um I just was gonna say that I intend to support these because these are worthwhile organizations as are others who did not get grants or did not apply, but I don't want us to um somehow not feel comfortable doing these.

Like a finding was that somebody's um some of it is a paperwork timing thing, and it should not happen.

It should not happen.

But I don't want to punish these people tonight for doing the process that the city laid out before it, and it went through the current grant process.

We may or may not like the people that sit on the grant review committee, but city council has never had a part in being on knowing who the evaluators were.

That's up for discussion as well.

Mr.

Grant, if you want to have that.

But tonight I just plan to go ahead and support these as presented.

Um just as a point of information, uh, we were not waiting for future grant cycles to take corrective action.

We've already taken corrective action, and um, these grantees have of the corrective action has been done.

They they qualify or meet the criteria per the state for the legal law and all the things.

So we we're not waiting to take corrective action.

We've already done that.

Um, and also we are very committed to having an open transparent process, and this was publicly noticed, these dollars were approved in the current fiscal year.

Um, we also are gonna be at your uh suggestion having a workshop all about grants on April 23rd, I believe, and um welcome your input on how we can streamline.

I agree, I'd rather have all the grants uh you know not spread out necessarily.

I think there's a lot of suggestions that we can hear from you all that can help us improve the process.

I do hope you'll prove this tonight because uh our processes may need improvements and then and tweaking, but um you know these people have followed the rules as we set forth and happened before many of you uh became you know joined council, and so uh we want to hear your thoughts on how to keep improving them on April 23rd, and you know, before that as well.

But uh I'll turn it back over to Councilmember Helsley who are lots of.

Oh, Councilmember Parker.

Um thank you, Mayor.

I I I did want to echo um some issues raised by uh councilman Grant.

Um, because I was also at that audit committee meeting, and not only concerned about the findings in the audit, but the discussion around the type of culture that we need to build in our city.

Uh to address these issues, and it wasn't just about having new policies in place, but it about the willingness to truly be transparent about those policies.

And even in that meeting, um, you know, when we were discussing um, you know, the city's current policies around uh grants for nonprofits and whether you know the uh cash app could be used as a payment.

Those policies were not you know uh given over uh immediately.

And that was raised as an as a concern of the auditors.

We must get to a point to councilman grants uh a point where we can discuss these issues openly and transparently uh and have a clear understanding of what policies we have in place for these uh grants and how uh different organizations are learning about them, what how much notice are they given?

Uh is it the same time of year every year that the grants are made available?

Um I still have questions around those, and uh I believe those are concerns that that should be addressed.

I also had another question though about how the funds can be used, and this is a question I raised at the budget retreat, but still have not got an answer to it.

But I'm concerned about this identifier for opportunity youth that says must you know must be a member of or associated with an active crew group or gang.

And for me, that can mean so many things.

So I'm hoping to get a clarity from the city on how you are defining an active crew group or gang.

Ms.

Middlebrook.

Yeah, and um I think uh law enforcement partners can give a little more uh definition around uh the definition of the of the farm definition of a crew group or gang, but I want to clarify that that is not a requirement for uh um identification as an opportunity youth.

There are several indicators that can be uh indicators for opportunity youth.

One of them is association uh with their current with a crew group or gang, um, and some folks self-identify uh that way.

Uh another is disconnection from uh school or work, um having been uh a crime victim or from your member friend, and so it's only one indicator.

Right, uh, but I'll pass it off to the member to just because I have limited time about it.

Chief Noel, um, could you speak to how uh law enforcement defines those things if or I apologize, could you repeat the question?

How do you define an active crew group or gang?

So uh how I would define a gang as a group of people that um operate together to commit commit crimes or engage in criminal activity.

And what's an active crew?

A group of people who collectively work together, a crew, a crew gang, it's all the same thing.

It's a group of people who collectively work together to commit a criminal criminal activity.

So the the group or uh gang would have been found uh criminally connected to a crime.

That actual gang would be connected to a crime in our city for for what purpose?

I don't understand what what you're asking.

For the purpose of this grant program, but also for Project TLC.

We are TLC has nothing to do with with gang activity.

For I will follow up with you with the budget retreat conversation.

That's when this first came up was around discussion of Project TLZ zones and the um discussion of uh how these opportunity youth were being identified.

And in our grant packet, we have this definition of member of or associated with an active crew group or gang.

TLC though, TLC is a place-based strategy.

We may be able to look confused with some of the nomenclature here, but TLC is a place-based strategy, and it's nothing to do with individual gangs or conducting individual gang members to crimes.

Okay, thank you.

Ms.

Parker, we'll go to some of your colleagues whose lights are on and can come back to you.

Yeah, my time is up, but uh I just need an answer to the question.

Um it doesn't have to happen at this time.

If it is simply a group of individuals engaged in criminal activity, my next question would be is how do you know they're engaged in criminal activity?

Okay, have they been convicted of a crime?

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Parker.

And and just as a just a point of information, as Ms.

Middlebrook said, uh that is not uh the only factor in how they decide how to which is the item before you is the grants to help these youth.

Uh okay.

So I think uh council member Helsley was next.

Or did you think Council Member Adams?

Sorry.

Thanks.

Uh I wanted to uh speak to Councilman Grant's um comments mainly about the idea that we expected not to see any more grants come before us until a much later date, which we were told at that February meeting.

Um seeing what has happened since then to now, I think there have been this is the third round of grants that we've seen.

So I I'm left to assume that my question and comment at that point was about that specific um, and I cannot remember the name of it at this point, but that specific opportunity and not these successive ones.

I'm agreeing with you in the sense that there are multiple opportunities that it gets very confusing in terms of how much money has been allocated to a particular entity, when are the opportunities, when will there be future opportunities?

And I think that um I would like to make a request now for our April 23rd workshop that is focused on grants, if it is at all possible to have a calendar that tells us or a list that shows all of the opportunities that become available to help us navigate this.

I feel like that that would be a good tool to have.

Um other thing, and this is uh because of uh what Mr.

Robinson said who spoke uh not against, but um, and that is uh uh to help alert the um the nonprofits and the agencies that can be uh eligible for these opportunities.

Uh there are are probably many easy ways, like a quick text alert, like this is coming, and if you are an interested entity to be uh on that list, you know, you get your your phone in there, and it's an alert, not just an email that you have to go, put a push technology that is sending something there so people are more aware.

I I think those are the kinds of things that we do have the opportunity for.

I just wanted to speak to your concern.

Councilmember Adams, I've got good news.

Um the grant calendar is already on the website.

Great.

Um you can Google City of Knoxville grant opportunities.

It lists all the grants through all the different departments.

And um, you know, we do our best to get these out.

There's a lot of channels, a lot of noise, a lot of slop out there, and sometimes it just gets lost in the shuffle.

But um council members could be great.

Um, you know, to amplify those messages, we'll get them to you and then you get them out, and that's nine more ways to to hear those voices heard.

But we do have a calendar, it is on also on the website.

Um we'll send um we also send news releases, so the media and anyone who gets our news releases is aware of every grant opportunity in time for you know when the applications are due, when there's opportunities to meet with staff to understand how to apply, what the criteria are.

And just so you know, um uh at one point we had all the grants in one one, you know, the community agency grants were the main thing, and it was all one time of year.

But one of the reasons that at the time it seemed like a good idea to have more opportunities, people would come up in March or July and be like, hey, we really we have this great program to you know help engage kids during the summer, but we didn't we didn't apply back in January.

We didn't know about it because we're new or fledgling or whatever.

Um and they we had no grant programs that were available in those mid middle, you know, besides that one annual calendar.

So it's a it's a classic, like today's solutions can be tomorrow's uh not sure.

Problems, but just sort of areas of confusion.

So we we we want to keep improving and getting the word out, and maybe consolidating that some would be better.

I'm not sure if consolidating is the right thing, uh if it's amplification, uh it may be all of the above, but I I recognize that there are people who are not getting the word that need to get the word, and that there is some uh blurriness around all the different opportunities.

I didn't know about that particular list, so whoever can text it to me immediately, I'll I'll get it.

We'll send it out to all council members uh on an email or something.

But but I would like that to be part of our um part of our workshop, just some education there in terms of what those opportunities are.

Yeah, Ms.

Farley's gonna send you guys the links.

Thank you.

Um I don't know who was next, Mr.

Thomas or Mr.

Grant.

Mr.

Thomas, you haven't spoken yet on this item, so I don't want to go back to Mr.

Grant.

It's simply uh great news about the the calendar.

That's good.

And I simply wanted to say that um councilperson Grant's got a lot of experience in the nonprofit world and his points are well taken, and I think we will have a really good opportunity at this workshop, which we did a poll among the council people, and this one uh got uh a priority of of uh uh action.

So uh I'm hoping that we can really get um a lot of these issues discussed and addressed at that workshop.

But I just want to say I appreciate your your bringing this to our attention, and you make some really good points, and we look forward to kind of um digging into this.

Thank you.

Councilmember Grant.

Yeah, I mean, I I just want to take note.

I mean, when you look at the 13 grants, 10 of them are in my district.

I I want us to be mindful of that.

Ten of these organizations are in district six.

And so you know, I'm not up here, you know, making statements just based off my own accord, right?

There's community members who have these concerns.

There's community members who don't have the voices or the platforms, or or maybe even tired of showing up to council if they feel like it's gonna be passed anyway.

Um those are the unspoken truths that aren't said.

And so we have to do better.

I know I I mean we we keep saying, you know, we know we gotta fix this, we know we gotta fix this.

And and I know we do gotta fix this.

Um but it's not fair to the organizations who are on this applic, you know, on these applications who are receiving the funding to have to feel like they're being criticized because our processes aren't what they need to be.

So to say you know, they expect it.

I mean, I that's another thing that I'm confused.

It's like, well, we need to approve this because they're expecting it.

Well, how they're expecting it, and as council members, we haven't voted on it.

Um what are we up here for?

If if we don't have our our our own opinions and and we can't take the the feedback from our constituents and and bring it here.

Um we have to do better.

I mean, I'm I'm not opposing them.

I just want to make note that we understand that we have to do better, and I would like to ask right now on the record are there any grants coming before us before April 23rd.

Um Ms.

Middlebrook, I think this is the last from your department for this season.

Is that can you clarify?

So to clarify, uh, I believe in the February meeting, um, the question was about our grant making process and whether or not there was another application period being opened, and the answer to that was no, not until next year, because as has been noted, uh, the application for these came in uh between November and December, which was the block time period for those applications.

The review process is staggered because we have multiple uh committees reviewing different applications, and so it's based on when those can meet, uh, and then also considering other items on the agenda and when it's best to bring items.

And so all of these applications across uh our the OCSC uh grant programs were opened and closed at the same time.

In terms of other items that may be coming before council, the only things uh that remain that currently to my knowledge remain open are the uh event grants that the Empower Knox Initiative does, which is a similar to our microgrant programs for other programs uh that can folks can apply for on a rolling basis as their events come.

If council does not want to see those grants at this time, we can go ahead and close that application for the event grant so that we don't bring anything else, but in terms of our larger grants, this is the last one.

But they all opened and closed at the same time and were received at the same time.

Well, let's uh Mr.

Grant, I mean, I think it's easy unless there's some uh unless someone on my staff can tell me that there's a pending grant that's time sensitive between now and April 23rd.

I think we can say uh that there's not gonna be any more between now and April 23rd coming to council for your review and approval.

And and let me know now if that's uh Mayor that's not yes.

Uh we do have uh, I believe challenge grants connect neighborhood challenge grants neighborhoods think or I'm sorry, neighborhoods from um from parks and recreation coming before us on March the 31st.

Okay, so there will be the neighborhood parks and rack challenge grants coming for your review.

Those are again, those have been around a long time and they're pretty small dollar amounts.

And I guess the total is is um uh if I believe I'm correct, I think it's less than 25,000 in total across a number of different organizations.

Any others that you know of off the top of your head?

I don't think so.

Okay, but again, um, you know, I there sometimes we um stretch them out just to uh you know have shorter agendas, but maybe that's not a good idea.

Um, anyhow, we want to hear more about how we can improve uh on April 23rd and also continue the conversation tonight as you want.

Council uh Vice Mayor Fuga.

Thank you.

I would uh just respectfully request that if you find after you get in your offices tomorrow, and what you did not know off the top of your head tonight, you find that there is another one coming to us before April, please let us know.

Um otherwise, I look forward to a very robust workshop on April 23rd, because this is new to it's a lot.

A lot of grants.

The city gives away a lot of community grant money, and so look forward to discussing all our processes.

And with that, um, okay.

No other lights on.

Um the motion on the floor is to approve this item 12 F.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Opposed.

Motion carries eight one.

Next item, please.

12G is resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Connect Ministries to provide individual case management, wraparound social services and emergency relocation support to individuals at high risk for being involved in community-based violence for an annual amounts not to exceed 186,100.

Okay, council.

There's uh a couple people signed up to speak on item 12G.

Uh, we'll start with those in favor.

First is Monica Reid.

Ms.

Reed.

Thank you.

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

Monica Reed, uh 3615, Martin Luther King, June Avenue Connect Ministries.

Connect Ministries has been in East Knoxville for nearly 20 years.

We have reviewed the proposed contract for the office from the Office of Community Safety and Empower, and Miss Lakinga has the Connect has the capacity to execute the terms of the proposed contact tract and the scope of work.

Connect is a community-based resource where people come to find some hope.

We are excited about the possibility of being a part of this team violence reduction in an effort to stabilize our streets here in Knoxville, knowing that the participants that are enrolling are those who have voluntarily come to say that I want to change my life and the promise for a better life for me and my family.

Proverbs 23 and 7 says, For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he.

We want to provide a f a space for participants to think for change.

Destabilizing our streets program and partnerships formed with various organizations, um, including the MANAB Center and others to make this program successful, thanks to the structure laid out by Ms.

McKinney, Miss Middlebrook and her office designed to allow participants to change their thinking in order to change their lives and the lives of their families.

Any programs that are going to be successful must have dollars allocated for support services necessary for the participants and their families to include intense case management, intense case management, and with a lot of walking alongside and a lot of hand holding through every phase of this uh program that they enter for a new life, the new way of life.

And I just want to say that Connect Ministries was doing this in the city, and we are trusted messengers, one of the trusted messengers of the city, and I just think that the structure that's laid out for the weekly reporting and the weekly gatherings to have uh all of the partners come together to share what's happening and share participants' work that we do.

Every department needs case management because you case manage for Connect.

You can't do my case management.

I have to do my own.

And so every entity that's a part of this have to have all the pieces in their organization to hand walk these people through this process.

And so we just thank you for the opportunity for Connect to be a part of it and come to speak today in favor of this uh contract.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next person signed up to speak in favor of this item is Jen Comiskey.

Miss Kamiski, 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.

Hey, uh, my name is Jen Comiskey.

I live at 504 Irwin, 37849.

Um, I'm the executive director of community mediation center here in Knoxville, and we work with uh courts, families, and community partners to help people resolve conflict in a constructive and accessible way, and we've been doing so since 1994.

Uh but I'm not here tonight to speak about my organization.

I'm here to speak in support of Connect Ministries.

Uh I've gotten to know their work through my involvement in the violence reduction provider network, uh, where organizations meet uh weekly to brainstorm ways to provide wraparound services to individuals and families who are facing serious challenges.

Uh and week after week I see Connect Ministries showing up in very real and uh and practical ways.

They're not just talking about solutions, they're actively helping people navigate housing instability, uh find employment and rebuild their lives uh post-incarceration.

Uh, they really do meet people where they are and provide support that seems really grounded and really responsive.

And so, what has really stood out to me is the way that their team approaches this work.

Uh, they're a thoughtful creative problem solvers and they're willing to step into complex situations and help people move forward.

They're doing the kinds of hands-on relationship-based work that makes a real difference, uh, even when it's not always easy to measure.

Uh, they seem to understand the real barriers that people are facing as well as understanding the systems that people need to navigate and are willing to walk with people through that.

Uh, so from my perspective, they're a strong and reliable partner in this community, and their work contributes directly to stability, safety, and better long-term outcomes for people here in our community.

So, I just wanted to take this moment to show up in support of their work and just share what I've seen firsthand from them.

So, I hope they're able to secure uh this funding so that they can continue to uh expand the good work that they do.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Council, there's one person who signed up to speak against us.

That's what he's categorized on my sheet.

Uh Mr.

Robinson, Matthew Robinson.

You're not speaking in this.

Okay.

That concludes people who've signed up to speak to this item.

Councilmember Grant.

Thank you, Mayor.

Deja vu.

There's a few council members up here who was in this very position last year when the city decided to move forward with NICJR.

You know, NICJR has done good things.

But now I'm finding ourselves in the same position where we're not creating a process that's instrumental to the community.

They do more than what they just say.

But that doesn't mean that what we have in place has benefit to the community in terms of providing case management to high-risk individuals.

Again, I think the process needs to be better.

I think we can do a much better job in terms of creating an ecosystem where you have different violence prevention organizations where you have different wraparound services at the table and controlling that table for the matter.

These are things that I I can recall at the at the meeting last May that the current organization that we're contracted with is supposed to be doing.

So here it is again.

Yet it seems like we're just trying to disperse funds rapidly, it feels like to be able to address the issue.

When I can speak firsthand that you can't throw money at the problem.

It needs to be had very, very soon.

If not, we will have a problem on our hands.

And so we have to stop putting band-aids on gun wounds.

A 15-year-old just shot themselves about 30 minutes ago.

I got a text message at stop and go, a 15-year-old.

Shootings, violence in our community.

And I just don't feel like the way the city is going about it is the right way.

One aspect of the program that was just described though, did raise some concerns for me.

It depends on what these conversations look like.

So one teacher may have an experience, may have some disciplinary issues with the child.

What we want to avoid is a situation where that teacher then is a third grade teacher, now they're gossiping with the fourth grade teacher.

Now when that child goes off to fourth grade, that teacher is expecting certain behavior.

And it almost creates this stigma or you know, the student gets labeled and potentially doesn't get that fair chance.

And I'm worried about that happening in this situation with how we're defining the youth.

Um and what kind of confidentiality and privacy are we adhering to as they are given access to various services and forms of therapy.

I think these are much needed.

Um but I am a little concerned about uh how a more collective approach might give great support to the adults who are leading these efforts, but I worry about the privacy concerns for that child, the stigma that can surround that child, especially in a small community like Knoxville.

Um if you wouldn't mind sharing more about that aspect of the work, I'd love hearing it.

Yeah, so for clarity uh with regards to this service contract uh and the nets that you will hear, um, they are uh contracts for for direct services as um most of us know the city doesn't do a lot of direct services, and so we connect with organizations who are doing that work in our community.

Uh primarily the uh participants in these services are not young people.

Uh most of them are young adults, middle adults, um, older adults sometimes.

Uh so it is not specific to young people.

Um, all of the providers that are currently in our provider network, and it is a growing ecosystem uh of uh providers who can engage and effectively support uh the populations that we are looking to serve.

Um all of them uh are um uh uh in agreement with our confidentiality policies, um, where the discussions that happen uh in the coordination meetings are for the group and do not extend beyond that.

Uh and as individuals uh enroll in participation with uh different providers, um they each provider has their own releases of information uh that allow them to coordinate services or care amongst other providers that they may be working with.

And so we are very thoughtful to adhering to the privacy concerns for individuals that are participating, but it allows an opportunity for folks who may be serving these individuals to identify gaps in services and coordinate with other providers to ensure that care is coordinated, um, that we are not missing opportunities to serve or sometimes even double serving in places and then leaving gaps in others.

And so a lot of the folks who uh these organizations are engaging with are actually adults who can make those determinations and sign those releases for themselves.

And they can talk more.

The organizations are here that can talk more about what their processes are for ensuring confidentiality and privacy for their clients.

And then as a follow-up question, um, none of the individuals who receive these services and end up being clients of Connect Ministries, none of that information is shared with KPD, correct?

Correct.

Their private information is retained as private information by the organization, it's shared with provider networks.

The law enforcement does not participate in the service provider network.

It's solely for service providers and City of Knoxville staff.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Okay, uh thank you.

Uh just a just a little context for those of you who are newer to council is um you know, when we had uh surge in violence in 2020 and 2021, uh we at the time had limited tools, mostly law enforcement, and we realized that we needed uh community-based interventions, not just law enforcement to reduce the violence in our city.

So we started the Office of Community Safety.

Later that was consolidated with the Office of Community Safety and Empowerment, and then we worked on the various uh group violence reduction strategies with uh street violence interruption teams and uh community-based services that project TLC.

But but the one thing that has been um you know taking some time to develop and mature is the you know, the sticks are the easy part.

You know, you know, we catch you, we you prosecute, put you in jail if you're if you're guilty of a crime.

Uh you know, so when we bring when we know identify people who are at risk of committing violence or being a victim of violence, we want them to not just have a stick but a carrot.

And these item 12 G and H are those carrots.

So we can say you want to get out of a life of crime, um, but you need a safe place to go because you feel vulnerable in your current house, or maybe you're unhoused.

Uh can I, you know, this this provider can help you with that.

You're you've been involved in illegal activities because you're short on money.

Uh Connect can maybe get you house uh, you know, help with rent, help with uh job training to you know, those sorts of things.

So it's it's not just like stop doing this or or else you know you're either gonna you know face criminal prosecution.

We wanted to offer those carrots.

So the item 12G is the Connect Ministry case case management to help people with these wraparound social services, and then the next item is help with um you know cognitive behavioral therapy and other things, and they're both contracts that are invoiced and you know they're up to amount that you're approving tonight.

So it's not like we just hand them over the money, they'll uh receive referrals and then build the city based on on the amount of money available per these agreements that you're considering tonight.

Councilmember Grant got a question uh and a couple statements.

Um for Director Middlebrook.

Can you define case management for me?

Um and then we can you define life coaching and what and can you distinguish the difference between the two?

So life coaching involves directed services that could mirror in some regards uh case management, but it's much more broad.

So your life coaches are typically engaging with individuals multiple times a week, having at least one in-person contact with them, and they are helping to connect them uh to resources and services um that they may need.

Um, but sometimes it is not even connecting to resources and services.

Sometimes it's just being a listening ear, it's being a safe place, it's being somewhere um that they can build relationship and connection uh in a meaningful way uh that helps them feel more comfortable engaging services, and a lot of times the life coaches actually walk alongside them to engage with other service providers.

So, one example that I can give is that uh life coaches um for Knoxville Peace, this has been mentioned earlier, have actually taken individuals to connect ministries to engage in services that connect ministries may have because they know that those individuals may not necessarily walk through the door on their own.

The case managers really help to assess what the needs are, identify kind of a holistic approach uh to their needs, and then connect help them engage the services that they may need.

So it may be employment services, it may be housing, et cetera.

And so the two things work together.

Uh, and then as I mentioned, the third piece that will come before you in just a few minutes also works with that uh in allowing in opportunities for individuals to engage the therapeutic and mental health services that they may need to be um supported and effective uh in participating in some of the other services.

And so the life coaches kind of walk alongside them in all of those aspects, uh, whereas the case managers through Connect would be hyper focused on meeting some of those needs that are identified uh that their services can address.

So that's pretty much the same thing.

A case manager and a life coach when you're talking about working with high-risk individuals is the same thing.

The point I'm making is we already have funding out here for life coaches that are working with high-risk individuals who are already doing the work.

And so here it is, we're looking to duplicate the same thing, right?

I don't know if we're just looking to disperse the funds for whatever reason, but it's it's just not making sense for us to duplicate services when I'm looking at the contract with NICJR, and we have 225,000 out there already for five life coaches.

There ain't enough high-risk individuals out there.

There isn't.

And so it's not making sense.

And I and I hope, you know, I I don't want to be the one to you know come off as you know, trying to say that Connect Ministries isn't doing the work.

Like I said, I don't think there's anything we can say about the program.

Um just be careful.

Be careful Connect Ministries.

Um it's difficult work, it's challenging.

Uh when you're working with high-risk individuals, you do have to walk that fine line.

Um, you know, when it when it comes to the safety of these individuals providing certain information uh to law enforcement or to the city can be detrimental for those individuals.

So as you're doing the work and you're working with these hobbies individuals, just be mindful of that.

Um but we have to do a better job of dispersing and spending our funds.

Uh Vice Mayor, if you get I think Ms.

Parker had her line on first.

Councilmember Parker?

Sure.

Um two things.

The reason I'm asking these questions is because both in terms of who we're identifying for uh financial support, but then also who we are uh targeting for uh what the mayor described as the stick, not the carrot.

Um it just sounds like predictive policing.

So I'm trying to get a sense of uh are we doing predictive policing and how are we um you know identifying people who could potentially be a victim of a crime or who could potentially um commit a crime, and so that's why I keep asking those questions.

Uh councilmember Grant just stated that there are not that many high-risk individuals in our community, but when we have such broad definitions, a lot of people can fit into that definition of who might be considered um a high-risk individual, and then you know what stigma then is attached, not only to that individual, but to a community.

Um for the the Knoxville Peace Group was was brought up in the um ICJR contract.

And I wanted to ask, I thought that was a short six-month contract.

Was it a year-long contract?

Is that contract not expired?

It's a year contract.

So it has a few more months on the contract now.

Uh uh yes.

Do we have any idea what uh comes next?

Because my understanding was that Knoxville Peace Yeah, I believe the NICJR is as they as we asked them is coming to offer training to anyone who's willing to um get more training.

I can't remember, it's like B well, what's the name of it?

Anyhow, to other entities.

Again, we're trying to have an ecosystem of um community supportive services to to stop people from being violent.

And let's say we serve someone who instead of uh 99% uh likely to commit violence, they're at 95%.

That would still be helpful.

Maybe someone gets access to job training to mental health services or housing, um, and then they're at less risk of being a victim or committing uh violence.

I I think that's it's a good problem to have that we are a less violent city today than we were five years ago, and I think that's a credit to the Office of Community Safety and all the many people who've been part of developing this ecosystem of community services.

I think for every dollar we invest in community organizations like Connect Ministry and some of the grants that you all approved uh last agenda item helps us be a safer city.

Um I I think you know, you can look at our crime statistics.

I think that's credit to KPD, but I also think it's credit to these community-based organizations that we we don't just have an absence of violence, we have a presence of peace.

And that's that's what this is about.

Well, my um assessing what the outcomes of these efforts should be an ongoing process, and um I do not believe we've talked about the data really since uh a lot of these programs and efforts began.

Um and since then I've heard you know, the uh um we're starting to see different victims of gun violence in our community uh rather than the than the demographics that we were largely seeing uh five years ago.

And so that tells me you know, uh that it's time to reassess and to see um where the needs are currently.

But if we simply just keep doing the same thing and we just assume certain neighborhoods are where the violence is going to happen, and certain people are going to be the people who commit the violence, even though we're seeing those numbers shift and we're seeing other demographics committing the violence.

That's when we start to see a bias form, and we start to see the um you know racial profiling, and we start to see the stigma forming.

So that's why I'm asking these questions.

If we see data shifting, we see violence is down, we see other demographics committing the violence.

Um needing those supports as well.

It's you know, it's time to have a conversation about where we're focusing our efforts.

Vice Mayor Fugit.

Thank you.

I move that we approve.

Is there a second?

Okay, motion to approve has been made and seconded.

Did you have any further discussion?

Council Vice Mayor.

Okay, no lights are on.

All those in favor.

I would I oh like to ask for individual roll call for this particular line item, please.

Okay, roll call vote's been requested.

If you could please uh do the roll call vote.

Yes, Councilman Grant.

No.

Councilman Helsley.

Yes.

Councilman Honeycutt.

Yes.

Councilman Lloyd.

No.

Councilwoman Parker.

Yes.

Councilman Thomas.

I'm going to abstain on this one.

Councilman Adams.

Councilwoman Adams.

Yes.

Councilman Debart Laban.

Yes.

Mayor, the vote is six in favor, two opposed with one abstention.

Okay, the motion carries.

Next item, please.

Eleven H is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with the Helen Ross McNabb Center Incorporated to provide individual and group therapy to individuals identified as being at high risk for involvement in community-based violence and enrolled in outreach and or life coaching for an annual amounts not to exceed 121,000.

Okay, council.

We have uh two people signed up, one in favor, one against.

I will start with the person signed up in favor of item 12H, Candice Allen.

Ms.

Allen, uh, if you could approach the podium, state your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes to address council.

Mayor Candice Allen, um, address 200 Tech Center Drive Knoxville, Tennessee.

Um, I'm here tonight to support um the um project that is in front of you.

Um we were involved initially with the training in 2022 that was provided to us through the violence reduction center.

And during that time, it was very apparent to us that one of the things that they had carved out that was very one of the components of the model was that individuals needed individual and group therapy.

And not only did they recommend that, they also cited CBT, which is cognitive behavioral therapy, as the most um successful model that they had um you know, that they had experienced in all their success with their other models that they'd put in different cities.

So just to give you a brief idea of what that entails, CBT as it is called, um, is a evidence-based structured therapy model.

It is um provided specifically for individuals that have a pattern of negative thinking, which turns into negative behaviors, and this helps them to identify and to move forward and and and you know experience some positive goals, and so this really is is pertinent towards a group therapy kind of model, for example.

It it could be something that they attend several weeks that would involve making better decisions, identifying purpose, working through trauma and pain because we know that the majority of the individuals that we come across that are referred to this initiative, they have a lot of trauma.

And then finally, it would be a the final week might be life skills and um financial literacy.

So that's just an example of that.

The master's level person, the therapist would also be providing individual therapy to the participants, and this would be a wider range of evidence-based um uh modalities and treatment that they're specifically trained in.

So, in summary, I'm here to support that a dedicated therapist uh be assigned to be able to conduct these type of group and individual sessions for individuals.

What we know is is that individuals need a holistic approach and mental health is paramount in helping them establish a foundation and maintain that foundation so they can make positive changes in their lives.

Thank you for your time and attention.

Appreciate it.

Okay, thank you.

Uh next person signed up to speak to this item.

Uh signed up against it, maybe inadvertently, Mr.

Robinson.

This is the one I'll make to.

Okay.

Well, please come to the podium, set your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes to address counsel.

Yes, ma'am.

My name is Matthew Robinson, executive director of Turdup Knox, and my address is 4820 Fountain View Way, 37918.

Um, if I'm not mistaken, Helen Ross McNabb already gets millions of millions of funding.

And um, to my knowledge, they've been around for decades and not really had any specific interest in violence interruption specifically.

I may be wrong, but I understand that understand that I'm not opposed to anybody doing this work.

We need all the help we can get.

But I've also said before, understanding that taking these job descriptions and positions and then putting them systematically in a process takes away the personal aspect of all situations pertaining and will likely adopt the wedge that already exists between professionals in that world and the people in the real world dealing with the real life issues.

Creating these new job descriptions and positions in companies that have already been around forever also negates opportunities for other organizations and new violence reduction models to receive appropriate funding.

Because if the city puts X amount of dollars on in this line of work already, then why would it want to keep investing more especially um more specifically after it's reached its cap?

I also personally think that that this specific line gives premise to a perception that the city's current model is not working and is successful as is as successful as was promised.

Because if so, why would they feel the need to implement all these new different job positions in these companies that have already been around for decades?

Again, part of the reasons that certain organizations are successful in this line of work is because they come from and most still live in the same environments that the work is needed and being done in.

And believe it or not, there's still many qualified individuals in those areas waiting for a chance to make a difference in the places that they grew up in and currently live.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh council members, that concludes people have signed up to speak to item 12H.

Uh Councilmember Grant and then Vice Mayor Fugin.

Oh I mean, I have to echo uh some of the things that Mr.

Robinson said.

Um, some of these some of these things uh we're trying, you know, they there were attempts to implement these things, you know, while I was doing the work uh in the community.

And um again, can't say nothing about Helen Ross McNabb.

Um Ms.

Candace, I've had the opportunity just you know working alongside her, the VRC meetings, uh just being able to engage with her and her staff, and they have made the commitment to you know to show up to these things.

Um, but that doesn't take away the truth.

Um, and to me, it's it's it's understanding that the president that we're setting uh when I look at the the agenda uh the documents that came with this resolution, and I look at the 121,000 breakdown, 86,000 is for salary, benefits, and taxes.

86,000 is going to be going towards hiring an employee for Helen Ross McNab.

Supplies, 2900, travel conferences and meetings, 400 telephone, a thousand.

RPC including equipment, rental maintenance, software licenses, 5,000, insurance, professional general and employment, 1,061 dollars.

And then you have an approved federal indirect cost of 28.65% apply to the salaries and benefits.

That's over a hundred and ten thousand dollars is just going towards the person, not the services that they're gonna be renting.

The person who's funding this next year, right?

Or is voting today?

Are we making a commitment to continue this position?

What if it works?

Right?

Is Helm Ross McNabb taking on the accountability after the first year?

Or will the city be obligated to fill this void?

We're creating another position for an organization that's highly funded already.

It makes no sense.

And so a year from now, whether it works or doesn't work, as a council, we're gonna have to make a decision.

Do we want to commit another hundred and twenty-one dollars to keep this position filled?

It's not a smart investment.

Um it doesn't take away the work that Helen Ross McNabb does, but it doesn't make sense to make this investment at this time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um I make a motion to approve uh because we aren't supposed to enter into debate on items until there's a motion on the floor.

So I make a motion to approve.

Is there a second?

Second.

Okay, motion's been made and seconded.

Okay, thank you.

Vice Mayor.

Thank you.

I would just say that um I I understand your concerns.

Um I would just say that if the if the service is therapy, then the therapist is the service.

So that would be my understanding of the rationale that Helen Ross McNabb would bring on a different staff member because they probably already have existing staff.

I can't speak to exactly their application.

I see a nod from you, but it would be a different therapist with a master's level social worker to do this work.

Um so that is I understand that, and I understand that you that that's the that's the cost.

If it's a people business to help people, a therapist is the service.

So um I intend to support this.

Councilmember Parker and then Debar de Laban.

Thank you.

Um previously we had funded mental health services provided by organizations in the targeted communities.

Um, but it seems like we haven't invited those groups to apply for additional funding.

How was this um uh grant agreement developed?

Did they apply for an open grant process or um Ms.

Miller?

It's not a it's not an aggrand, it's an agreement.

So Ms.

Millerbook, could you speak to that, please?

Yes, um, so for uh this particular uh contract for service uh for directed services for mental health uh services as um excuse me, Miss Allen um mentioned in her remarks uh Helen Ross McNabb has been a partner uh with us in this work and has um kind of walked through uh the um development of a plan and understanding the initiatives um and has worked alongside uh existing partners in the space uh for quite some time.

Um so that was uh the determining factor that uh they were already in the space and existing and working well with partners in the space and have the capacity uh to manage um the contract uh and provide the supports and services surrounding uh the individual that would be needed to effectively serve them.

Um our other some of our other uh providers, so council approved uh a little while ago, uh, a provider that was providing mental health services, but those services are specific to victims uh and their families, and so this provides us a more expansive um resource to provide uh directed mental health services, both individual and as um Candace mentioned the cognitive behavioral therapy sessions uh for individuals um who are uh participating in life coaching uh that we don't currently have the capacity for well, one thing that stood out to me in this agreement is that the individual hired um must understand the culture of the targeted community, and I don't believe that's enough, honestly, especially for cognitive behavioral therapy.

Um and I'm not saying that I'm an expert, but just what was described to me of individuals who are experiencing uh challenges in life.

Well, I'm state it that way.

And who we're already talking about who who the targeted community is in these grants.

We don't say it, but we know who the targeted community is.

And now the therapy is working with individuals with a uh uh uh a negative you know outlook on life.

And how can we shift that to more positive and productive?

I'm gonna tell you without being an expert in this, um you will have much more success with someone who is a part of the target in the community, not just someone who understands the culture of the target.

I'll let you speak.

What would you like to do?

No, I was gonna let you go ahead with your time and then I can answer.

I don't want to cut into your time.

Okay.

Um so that was one concern that I had because several years ago now, uh, there was a almost like a pitch competition that was held by the city to bring forward community organizations who are offering mental health services to compete for funding from the city and present on their various uh services, and I don't know if all of those have continued, uh especially without support, but I do know some of them have continued, and so we have those uh mental health services within the community.

And I imagine, especially for a uh contract like this, where we are fully uh paying for an additional staff member, many of these other organizations that are also engaged in mental health uh support but are already located in the targeted community, they don't have to understand the culture of they're already in the community.

Uh those are the ones who should be getting these funds uh to provide these services, in my opinion.

Ms.

uh council member DeBarde, they've been um Yeah, I want to thank Mr.

Robinson for his comments and also uh Councilman Grant.

I think that uh community work done by people within a community is invaluable.

Uh it's irreplaceable, it's important.

Um, but I also think that therapy is very important.

Change my own life.

Save my friends' life.

It it is uh it is health work, mental health work of a different sort.

And I think the fact that we just had these grant stuff come before us, which we're struggling with some process on for community groups, and then had this for this type of master's level professional group, demonstrates that it's not an either-or, but that we are trying to serve both ways.

And so uh I fully support having a professional therapist active in our community.

Um thank you.

Uh thank you, Councilmember Honeycutt, and then Grant.

I want uh Commissioner Grant to understand and appreciate that I'm in full support of his efforts over the next year to uh evaluate our grant process, uh evaluate the Office of Community Safety and Empowerment and how these funds are distributed in terms of uh violence interruption.

Uh I think you've started an important conversation and and I'm uh totally on board and excited to be part of that over the next year, and and so that this time next year uh we hopefully have an alternative structure or something, uh an alternative plan that uh that everyone can buy into and be on board with.

Uh I do think that similar to the last thing, and to to Councilman Debarladen's point, you know, until there is an alternative in place, uh it feels like that you know the these processes were started months ago and these organizations were already working in the space, and so you know, if supporting them tonight doesn't, in my mind, take away from the fact that the community the the the conversation that we have started because of you and that we are committed to.

Um and so I it's not an either-or situation to me, and and I'm I'm appreciative of the conversation that's happening tonight, uh, and I look forward to how this is going to evolve so that next November when you know these grants uh are applied for and whatever process that takes, uh, you know, it is does look different, uh, and it is more transparent and it is part of uh a new process, but that doesn't deter from the process that these people have gone through and the work they're doing currently.

Um and so I don't think it's an either-war situation, and I'll sort of plan to vote that way.

Councilmember Grant.

Yeah, I mean, and I and I appreciate the the feedback.

Um always open to it.

Um just kind of want to address some some of the things that Vice Mayor said in terms of the spending and actually hiring this person.

Um mental health definitely plays a role when you're working with high-risk individuals.

Um, mental health is definitely important.

Um being a military veteran, um being a person who's been shot himself, right?

I've I've gone through it.

And so uh to councilman Parker's point to Mr.

Robertson's point, it's it's different.

It's different.

And I'm I understand it.

I've been in it, I've lived it, I understand this work.

And so, you know, when you look at the 121,000, there's not 121,000 worth of mental health services with the needed for these high-risk individuals.

There isn't.

And I'll go on record and say that.

Because you already have organizations out here building the relationships with these high-risk individuals, and you have your East Tennessee mental health, right?

You have therapists who, you know, in my previous profession, I was able to build a relationship with and say, hey, can you sit down and work with this individual uh 60, 70 dollars a session, right?

That's that's why as an organization we had that type of service within our budget to create a whole nother position and to dish out 121,000 in 12 months.

What we're saying is is there 10,000 a month worth of mental health services that's gonna be put out there?

No.

There isn't.

And so I just want to be mindful of how we spend, right?

To Councilman Honeycutt's point.

We're gonna be right back here a year from now.

Uh Helen Ross McNabb is gonna come back and say, hey, this worked or didn't, or whatever it may be.

And we can say we can face that battle when we get there, but what position are we putting them in, right?

Are we are we already committing to a yearly commitment of 121,000 if this position works, or is Helen Ross McNabb gonna have to fit the bill to keep this going?

And so again, band-aid on a gun wound is what I feel like.

Um I'll stand on that, and I appreciate the open mind that's moving forward, and I hope we can apply that um while we're making decisions up here.

And and support comes with votes, right?

I hope we all understand that.

I I appreciate everything that we're doing up here, but support comes with votes, and votes are what create the change that we need to move forward so we can have better process.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh Councilmember Parker, then Vice Mayor Fuchin.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I just had to respond to what was raised earlier because I asked about the process for um developing this agreement because I wanted to highlight that this is not a grant, right?

So we have had concerns about grants that came before us, and uh have essentially decided we'll we'll wait for the next grant cycle to address these or we or make sure these issues are addressed.

This is an agreement that the city reached out one-on-one with an entity and decided you are the one I want to provide this service.

In these situations, we can provide a lot more scrutiny in my opinion.

Um because it's not a whole six-month process that has to be redone.

Uh, but we can ask questions about other organizations that might have been considered I don't think that council member de Bartoleta meant it in this way, but it kind of sounded like um there was some comfort with uh McNabb receiving these services because it would be professional mental health services.

And I just wanted to highlight that we have these professionals working at nonprofits within the community.

Um at the Shore Foundation, which has a location on MLK, uh they're working with uh Dr.

Bush who provides uh uh mental health services there through their pathways, um, mental health clinic, I think it is, and it's uh not just for youth, but for the whole family.

So they provide those services for the whole family.

Uh, because again, they're located in the community.

They're building those relationships already with individuals in the community, and they aren't getting the millions upon millions uh that other entities are having, and this would allow us to help grow these services outside of the much needed services provided by McNabb.

So that's another reason why I'm pushing um for us to uh uh partner with those entities within our community who uh have been a part of our uh grant making programs for years.

They're not new organizations, Shora Foundations, the well-respected long uh long been in the community.

They've been a part of these various uh programs that the city has started.

Um so we have these the the ability to bring these services into our community um and have individuals from the community um uh provide the services to help transition individuals out out of whatever crisis or whatever state that they're in.

Um what else did I want to highlight?

Um but yeah, no, that I just wanted to raise those those two points that this isn't a grant, so you know, not a six-month process will be messing up, and that we do have these professionals in our community, uh, but we need more.

And and these small nonprofits who are doing all they can uh to provide these services, need that support uh to grow their services.

So seeing no further lights on, all those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Okay, six three motion carries.

Okay, uh next item, please.

12i is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute any law documents necessary to accept proposals to provide excess liability insurance coverage, vehicle and equipment damage insurance coverage, and inland marine insurance coverage for mobile equipment, all as part of the city's and K Trans Management Incorporated's self-insurance liability program for an estimated annual premium of 772,192.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussions?

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

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12J is a resolution authorizing the mayor to amend the contract with the design and construction services incorporated for the Knoxville Urban Wilderness Gateway Park, James White Pavilion Project, increasing the contract amount by $19,821.13 cents for a new total contract amounts not to exceed $4,779,022.

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.

12K is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with ALTA Planning Design Incorporated to provide professional consulting services for the 2026 Vision Zero Action Plan update in an amount not to exceed 158,596 dollars.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

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

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

12 L is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Canon and Canon and Canon and Canon LLC to provide professional design services for the Taswell Park and Beverly Road Intersection Improvements Project in an amount not to exceed 153,240 dollars.

Motion to approve.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Mary Ann Garner, if you would come to the podium, state your name and address for the record, you'll have up to three minutes to address council.

Yes, thank you, Mayor and Councilman.

Mary Ann Garner, 925 Cherokee Boulevard.

I obviously am not against safety.

And state Taswell Park is a state road, and Beverly Road is a city road.

Safety on any road, city, county, state, or federal, is what we all want.

However, I'm opposed to approve this resolution tonight, as I have spoken with the um director of T Dot and the region that includes Knott's County, and she has not been approached about the state helping with this project.

I oppose 158,000 or 153,000 being spent for a study that has until December 31st, 2017, uh 2027 to uh be completed when this obviously has been a problem, according to everybody I've spoken with, including Matthew and Nathan for over 20 years.

I really don't see the urgency in having this study started when state, county, city, feds can sit down together and go over this.

And as far this isn't part of this, but as far as the grant money goes and all these other projects.

Well, thank you, Mayor.

You're welcome.

Okay, that concludes public forum on this.

I mean, that concludes the people who signed up to speak on this item.

Um there's a motion on the floor.

Councilmember Parker.

Can we get a quick overview of this project?

Mr.

Claybo.

Sure, I'd be happy to talk to that.

Uh Tom Cleveland Engineer Director.

So uh this project is it's a contract for a uh design for a traffic signal at Tazwell Pike at Beverley Road.

Um that intersection, um the city when we receive uh request for new traffic signals, uh we have a traffic signal index that we look at.

So you got to keep in mind not every intersection uh meets the criteria for a traffic signal.

So it's got to meet certain criteria that are their standards out there that that's got to meet.

But if it does meet those, we analyze it for crash data and uh for uh traffic volumes, and then we have a system in place where we prioritize those based on on those.

Uh the list currently has 33 different signalized intersections on it.

Uh this intersections at the number five on that list.

It was one of the higher crash rates uh over the last three years.

We're 15 uh side angle crashes that could be prevented by a traffic signal.

So what we're seeing is with the volume on track on Taswell Pike, there's not a lot of opportunity for gaps coming off of Beverley Road.

So what this signal will do is allow for gaps for those folks coming off of Beverly.

Uh it'll also help with Briarclip, which is also near there as well with gaps.

So could you speak to the amount of time given for the study to be carried out?

So the the design itself, um we're looking at uh what's the best way to implement implement the project.

So the immediate need is the the traffic signal.

Uh we we've uh done some preliminary analysis and uh long term there needs to be a turn lanes on Beverly and Taswell Pike.

Much bigger project that we don't have funding for for construction, but we feel like it's really a more of a vision zero uh quick build initiative.

If we can get a signal in now, we can prevent some of these accidents.

Long term, we've got a corridor study on Taswell Pike that we're gonna be working with TPO on.

We will be talking to T DOT about those opportunities, and long term uh that intersection will need turn lanes at some point.

So the the signal we're putting in, we're gonna try to do that in such a way as we don't have to rip it out and rebuild it.

We'll we'll put the signal in at a location to where if the road is widened at some point in the future, those poles are in a good condition to where we don't have to remove them.

So, but for the sick just the signal, you think it'll take a year and a half for planning?

It it well that includes uh and and we don't know right now there's a lot of utilities we've got to work with.

Uh there could be some right-of-way if we have to set the polls wider than the existing right-of-ways we'll be requiring possibly roadway.

We don't know yet.

We're gonna get into that, but all this timing allows for that whole process.

Gotcha.

Okay, thank you.

Uh Councilmember Thomas.

Yes, I'm aware of problems in that uh that intersection for quite a long time.

And so I would defer to Director Claybo's expertise on it, and uh know that uh some improvements have been needed, so I see this as just a step in that direct direction.

Thank you.

Any further comments or questions?

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

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Okay.

Uh Council members, we have uh several people signed up to speak on this item.

Uh just we'll start with those signed up to speak in favor.

First is Jean Fitzou.

Mr.

Fitzhugh.

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

My name's Gene FitzU.

I live at 221 East Blunt.

I'm really looking forward to walking home tonight over our beautiful pedestrian bridge.

Um it's almost my bedtime.

I'm a retired professor at the University of Tennessee in kinesiology, recreation, and sports studies.

And over the past 25 years, a team of faculty and students, we've been engaged within the park system to study how people, how physically active are people at our parks and on our greenways.

Uh over that time we've learned about who's using the greenways, the parks, how are they using it, why are they using it.

Uh basically, if you named a park, one of your local parks, we could go in and tell you exactly what type of people are attracted to it, and possibly what could be done to improve it and make it more attractive.

Along that line, we've uh we've transitioned a little bit to where we're seeing interventions being developed in our parks.

But the research that we've done at UT is really limited because we're focusing strictly on physical activity.

We're not able to tell the fine staff with parks and recreation what they need to do, how they need to do it in order to improve the parks.

And that's where this master plan comes into play.

They've taken methodologies that are based in I say really good science and adopting GOD standards on how to approach to learn about how we in the city of Knoxville can improve our park system, what we need to improve, and the process that we need to follow to improve it.

And from an academic perspective, as a scholar who've studied all of the methodologies related to physical activity and parks and recreation in Greenways.

I think they've done a great job.

I think the master plan you have in your hands right now, uh I want to assure you it's it it's it's a case study on how to go about creating a master plan, a long-range plan for communities and metropolitan areas to improve these fine amenities that we have to uh that really increase our quality of life.

And that's what it's all about right now.

And as an epidemiologist, it's all about disease prevention too for me, because the more people we get to the parks, the more people are going to be living longer, uh, increasing their quality of life.

So I I really do uh ask you to consider this as a really good case study.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh next person signed up to speak in favor of this item is Jack Coker.

Mr.

Coker, 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.

Hi, good evening, uh mayor and members of council.

My name is Jack Coker, and I live at 2407 Coker Avenue.

I also have the honor of serving as president of the Belmores neighborhood.

Through that role, I became very familiar with the Parks and Recreation Master Plan update and its community engagement process.

When this update was first announced, there was a great deal of excitement in our neighborhood.

For decades, residents had talked about the potential for a greenway and park along the KUB owned parcels that bisect Belmores.

That opportunity was obvious to those who live there, but it never quite made its way into the broader city conversation.

During the public engagement period, our neighbors organized.

Many of us placed pins along that corridor on the interactive map provided by Parks and Recreation.

We attended public meetings and we even hosted a walkthrough of the corridor so staff could see the opportunity firsthand.

Several members of the parks and recreation team attended that visit.

Throughout this process, we felt very heard.

When the department asked for public input, our neighborhood gave it.

And the trail we envisioned is now included in the draft plan before you tonight.

That is exactly how public engagement is supposed to work.

Because of the depth of outreach and the thoughtful work that has gone into the plan, I encourage you to adopt it.

Over the past year, the Knoxville community has provided meaningful input, and the parks and recreation department have translated that engagement into a strong roadmap for the decades ahead.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Next person signed up to speak in favor of item 12 M is Carol Evans.

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

Short.

Carol Evans for 3505 Kesterwood Drive.

37918.

I'd like to start by really applauding you for investing in the in the city's master plan related to parks and recreation.

As Jean and Neverends mentioned, the process was very thorough and very well executed.

And I think the city staff and the consultants really went were very, very diligent in getting community input, and I think it reflects that in the plan.

I think the plan is important because it really helps all of us understand the wishes and priorities for those who live in Knoxville around parks and outdoors.

A plan like this really brings us together.

The public sector, the private sector, and then the nonprofit sector, so that we can all maximize our resources and collectively focus on the projects that the community has told us that they want.

From Lakes Park's perspective, I'm especially pleased to see that a very high value of those community input sessions was placed on conservation of our open space and the desire for more natural trails and outdoor programs.

Knoxville is absolutely blessed, as you know, with the gift of geography.

We have a river running through the heart of our city, forested ridges, rolling valleys, and spectacular views.

We have what other communities envy.

We have a vibrant downtown, we have strong neighborhoods, a robust business environment, and you can go for a paddle in the middle of the day or do a 10-mile hawk hike out of the back of your own outdoors.

So this plan really offers the path forward on how we can work together to expand and protect all of the great things that are about Knoxville, including our great parks and our outdoors.

Thank you.

Um we have two people signed up to speak in opposition to item 12 M.

We'll start with Vivian Scheipe.

Ms.

Schepe, 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.

Vivian Scheipe, 3615, MLK Knoxville 37914.

Ring ring, ring ring, ring ring.

Hello.

Hey, how you doing?

I'm good.

What's up?

I'm just calling to congratulate you.

Congratulate me for what?

You know, for getting appointed to the new highway park advisory group.

Who me?

Nobody called me.

What do you mean?

Are you telling me for such an important group?

You did not get a personal phone call asking you to serve.

No, I did not.

This is news to me.

Wow.

Maybe you need to check your email.

Maybe it's in spam.

Listen, I'm glad you're on the cag.

No one from the community or those who fought for that park were asked to serve.

Seriously?

Oh, yeah.

Seriously.

Listen up.

They got that big master park plan coming up at City Council meeting.

But like, where is Chihuahua Park in that mix?

Seems like a big rush to push a plan through that's going to last 10 years.

True, true, they should definitely delay it and make sure all the people are heard.

Yeah.

Chihuahua Park needs to be a part of that master plan.

Look, I just wanted to call and say congratulations.

Some of those on that list of 17 were for selling the park, and I do not understand how they were selected to serve on a visionary board.

Yeah, I can see why the community is upset and concerned, especially after that first list.

Look, I just want to say congratulations.

I'm not going to hold you up, but best believe we will be at the meeting on the 24th and every single meeting that's held thereafter.

Kind of like the word says, you know, watchmen on the wall.

As you guys talk, remember we need to be part of that master plan.

The park belongs to the people of Knoxville and Knox County.

And the people want open spaces, a public park, and they want those padlocks out the gate.

Okay, okay, I hear you.

I'll remember the people.

Thanks I'll see you the 24th.

Peace out.

Okay.

Next person signed up to speak in opposition to item 12M is Kent Minow.

Mr.

Mano, if you could state your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes to address council.

Yes, uh, thank you.

I'm Kent Minnow.

I live at 311 West Glenwood Avenue.

Good evening, Mayor, Council members.

Um first of all, I want to say that everything people said in favor of the master plan and the quality of the people who worked on it, I completely agree with.

Uh, speaking in opposition to approving it, despite the fact that there's a lot of great stuff in it.

The parts about tree canopy are fantastic.

But then again, it proposes putting astro turf on more acreage.

How could an administration committed to environmental goals put toxic heat absorbing plastic on fields where children play?

But the main reason for my objection is its length.

It's too long for our hardworking city council members to have command of all it says in time for an informed vote.

But there's an additional question about this practice of putting a big pile of paper in front of an elected official and then saying vote on it quick or you're not doing your job.

It goes back to our budget audit of last year, and I appreciate the remarks council members have made about that.

The auditor remarked that the deficiencies they uncovered, quote, hurt public trust and relationship with partners.

Auditor Jennifer McMahon Manternash said she felt it was pervasive.

Quotes from the report.

Now I know there's a lot of distrust for government right now all over our country, but we do well not to get used to it.

According to the World Happiness Report, which I always check out when it's published every few years, trust in government is one of the most crucial attributes of social well-being.

When people don't trust their government, the results show in increasing crime, mental health issues, even physical diseases.

The deficiencies cited by the auditing committee were well publicized.

Now I know the city has responded.

The city finance department has been meeting with cities audit committee about corrective actions, and that's great.

But you're the people we see.

The city, you city council members, many of you endorsed by my organization.

Need to make your votes with your with our happiness and our trust uppermost in your minds.

So back to the master plan.

I'm not saying it totally sucks or anything, but this habit of not giving this council adequate time to check out all the details and then expecting them to make a quick vote while pointing out a bunch of features they're likely to approve of.

That's part of the pervasive problem the auditors were talking about.

Simone Williams from My Daughter's Journey put it right.

What many community-based nonprofits are experiencing reflects a broader systemic issue in how minority-led organizations are resourced across the regions.

Their organizations often receive the bare minimum in funding while being asked to carry a disproportionate administrative and reporting burden.

Give it 60 days.

This would give council members a chance to comb through it for any potential problems and then discuss those things with their constituents.

Don't wait for the city's department heads to come back on April 23rd and report on the new processes.

Do the right thing now, get the budget and over stuff, oversight stuff right, and you take a big step forward.

Mr.

Munah's time, your time is up.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Council members, I I just wanted to uh first thank all the people who participated in this almost year-long process.

We've had a lot of meetings.

Uh, many of you were part of that.

Uh, we've had meetings in all parts of town and all different types of venues.

People could participate uh and give input and ideas electronically, in person, by email.

Um, I want to give a special note of gratitude to Cheryl Ely and Aaron Browning, our parks director and deputy director.

They've done an excellent job uh leading this effort.

They are both here to answer any questions you may have.

Also, our consultant uh Carlos Perez is here.

I believe he's had an opportunity to meet with council members.

Um, and I I just want to say that uh we needed this updated master plan for a bunch of reasons.

First, the last one we adopted in the city was 2008.

That's almost 20 years old.

Our needs have evolved, uh, and we wanted to touch space with our community.

What are they what's working well for our parks, what needs improvement, and more importantly, with all the things that we want to do, how do we prioritize those?

So that was an important thing to update it since it hadn't been done since 2008.

The second reason, this is time-sensitive.

Uh, we need to have an updated master plan to be eligible for certain grants, including some of which are due April 1st.

Uh, those community meetings uh for the Holston River Park and Ned McQuerter Park uh to make us eligible for those grants um are happening later this week.

Um and for last and and most important, it's a framework for the future of our parks.

It's not a sing a plan.

There's no single park plan in there.

Um it's consistent with the need to see it as a whole, holistic approach.

And we are also moving forward with a robust, very very well supported by staff and others uh vision to uh meet set of meetings that's start next week for the Chihuahua Park uh future next step.

So these are not mutually exclusive, we can do both and and I urge you to support this tonight.

Um I think council member Grant was first.

Oh, and we we do need a motion to have a debate.

Motion made to approve, has been made to approve and seconded.

Council member Grant.

Yes, I have actually I got a couple questions for our parks and rec director, Mrs.

Cheryl.

She doesn't mind coming up for me.

Good evening.

Thank you for taking the time uh to be here.

Um just have a couple questions.

First, first, I definitely want to say thank you.

I know this has been somewhat of a robust process.

Um there's been a lot going on throughout the city.

And so, you know, I do want to give credit to you and your department.

Um there was mention uh of a deadline.

Um can you can you go a little bit more in detail in terms of what that deadline is and um what exactly we're having to do as a council body here tonight so you so you can move forward with with that application?

Good afternoon.

Cheryl Ely, director of parks and recreation.

Thank you for that question.

Um the deadline really is one of the things that happens, the state has obligated us to do a master plan, and to do so, um, we have to have public input.

Um, and so we are doing that public input.

The biggest thing is we have to also have it authorized and approved legislatively by the governing body to basically have a qualified master plan of any kind.

And so the the deadline really was we've been working on this for a year, um, and it's time for the approval of it.

Um I think the mayor talked about us trying to apply for a couple of grants.

Um that is one of the deadlines.

Um, but the biggest thing is this plan has been out for about a for about a year.

Um it's been out for public comment since January.

So the the basically the meets of this kind of this plan has already been out for more than 30 days.

So there's been that opportunity for any and everyone to review that to review the document.

Thank you.

Uh Council Member De Barteleybon.

Um, I'm sorry, were you were you?

I thought you were done.

Were you done?

No, I mean I apologize.

No, that's fine.

Um, just wanted to speak to a couple things because I want us to take the time moving forward and consider the optics of things, right?

When you have a drawn out process like this, and two weeks before the deadline, it's kind of put in front of us.

It's almost kind of like we have no choice but to move forward, right?

Because we want to be able to meet this deadline.

And so um, you know, I'm excited about this master plan.

I have seen some things um that are questionable.

Obviously, Chihuahua Park being a topic.

Um we have to do better.

I mean, there's some things that I am questioning, there's some things that I am concerned about the master plan in it not including much of Chihuahua Park.

Now, this time last year, Chihuahua Park wasn't a topic because there were there was intentions to do something else with it.

Um that matters.

That matters when you're out here in the community asking for feedback.

Uh most people don't know, you know, up until actually uh until June 30th, it's still a special event space, right?

We'll be you know, hopefully transitioning it over to you.

Um but when you put a survey out and say, hey, what do you want us to do with our parks?

Chihuahua Park isn't considered.

Um and so I just kind of wish there was more of a campaign and let people know, like, hey, Chihuahua Park is now gonna be a part of our master plan back in January or back in September when it was realized that we weren't moving forward um with the other option.

And so um, yeah, that's water under the bridge right now, but uh you know I don't want to take away from the work that you put in and and Carlos.

Um, but I do want to make sure that we're mindful of this because we can't let our lack of effort in in doing things in a timely manner put us in a position as counsel to where here we are two weeks before a deadline, uh, and we're forced to pretty much vote.

If not, you know, we we won't get the support that we need in terms of grants.

So no, I appreciate your effort.

I just want you to know that.

Definitely appreciate your effort.

And um, I look forward to this to this process and seeing how it turns out.

Thank you.

Councilmember Debartal.

Um, yes, thank you.

Um, so at first glance I found the 224-page study overwhelming.

Uh, and then I dug into it, and um I'm impressed uh with the rigor with the organization, uh, and I'm excited about the future of Knox or Knoxville's indoor and outdoor spaces.

Um, this is a community roadmap for our active and passive public spaces, and really the next taster then taking this road work and setting priorities, allocating funds, applying for funds, and then competent execution.

And um, it is helpful to but it's been helpful to me to have conversations with my constituents that this is a framework for the next level of discussion to be a tool to help city staff come back to this council with what uh they hope the next steps would be.

Um the plan is a requirement by you know by TDEC to secure funding.

We need that funding.

The plan includes a list of private state federal grants that the city can apply for.

That's on page 204 through 2808, if you're wondering.

It includes criteria that uh city capital projects committee will use to make these decisions.

That's page 212 through 217.

Uh page 199 was mind-blowing to me.

It was it was a helpful framework to understand how to go back to the beginning and how to go to the end.

Um, and basically it recommended where basketball courts should be, where tennis courts would be, where square fields should be, where swimming pools should be, where walking trails.

Um there was an incredible thing where uh it's I've got a page here you can't see it, but basically it takes indoor centers, walking loops, natural areas, water access areas, parks, pools, all these different recreation opportunities, and it tells us the condition that those spaces are in and what the remn recommendation for those places are.

And uh I found that very helpful.

Um, a great inventory about deciding what we are gonna do next.

Um I would like to ask, uh, well, what so I was impressed with the public uh participation.

I participated myself both online and in going to meetings, and Fountain City happens to be very active when it comes to their community rec center, their their baseball fields, so they showed out in droves.

Um and so I went to two very well-attended meetings.

I heard that some were not well attended.

Um, but again, had the opportunity to go online uh and uh do these things.

So um question I have um well I'll begin with this.

I I think it's it is uh it's rightful to think about Chihuahua Park.

Um and I personally appreciate the manner in which this plan talks about Chihuahua Park, and it's it's very it's not very much there.

It's on page 175 under neighborhood park vision.

So it calls Chihuahua Park a neighborhood park, and it has a little arrow out that says discussions ongoing for Chahawi Park to be managed by PRD, so parks and rec departments starting in 2026.

Um discussions ongoing.

Uh I love that the plan does not prescribe what we do with the park except describes it as a neighborhood park, which is why I really want to ask two questions.

Um, uh will parks and recreation department be taking over the management of Chihuahua Park after the current legends contract expires this summer.

Mr.

Debartal, um, I'm gonna be proposing that in the budget, and so with that change will come, you know, money that need that Cheryl Ely's team will need to have that.

So, yes, that is the plan, uh, subject to your review and approval.

This body will have to, you know, make sure that we have the resources so Chihuahua Park can be managed at the same level as parks across the city.

Okay.

And then secondly, I have is this creation of the Chihuahua Park Advisory Group, which we've heard some feedback on.

First public meeting is next week.

And so my question, it's this is a statement from from you, Mayor Ken Cannon.

As promised, the city is moving forward collaboratively towards a community-driven future for Chawi Park.

So my question is how will the Chihuahua Park Advisory Group create a collaborative and community-driven process?

Well, I I would I'll ask, I'll try to answer this.

First is the the process is going to start next week, and the community advisory group, this group of people.

There's people who have a lot of different perspectives and backgrounds.

There were uh as someone said, there were some people on that group who were very um maybe supportive of the Emerald Initiative.

There was others who are not supportive of that.

Uh we're that's that's old news that we're moving beyond.

We have a clean slate, and we're gonna use the information we have collected from the 2019 vision program.

Uh the idea that this is going to be a park now, not just a park in name.

Obviously, the name Chihuahua Park's been around a hundred years, but it has been operated as an event space for I don't know, decades.

Um, so we're gonna have stakeholders from the current tenants, which is uh the you know, ACE Gym, the fair, the zoo, the meuse, also nearby neighborhoods, business folks, uh, and they're gonna convene and have uh a group of a set of meetings to talk about what the vision should be.

What does a neighborhood park look like to one person might be different from another person?

Some people the focus is on uh sports, other people it might be passive park and and trees and gardens.

Can we serve all of those?

Also, it's gonna be a way for people to have to be a funnel for information so they know what constraints we are as far as um you know underwater issues, hydrology, karst, and all of that, but also uh a funnel out, a spout or a spigot of information out to the community.

So the group receives information in and shares information out.

Um so I don't know if uh Miss Justice uh you you and your team are sort of leading this effort along with uh other staff.

So the there's a community, there's this the CPAG, the Chihuahua Park Advisory Group, but there's gonna be um a lot of staff there.

I'm you know very supportive of this process.

I'm not dictating, you know, we're not dictating the outcome.

We're just saying here we are to support this.

Barbara McMurray is gonna help facilitate it, similar to what we had uh outside facilitation for the South Waterfront.

Um Miss Justice, could you speak, maybe elaborate uh a little bit more?

Uh we're working very closely with the council member Grant and Councilmember Helsley on uh how this can move forward.

And Miss Justice, maybe you can elaborate a little.

So we will ask people to come together in these workshops to sit around the table and have conversations and do workshop activities where we share stories and memories of the park and also what's important to people to see as the park grows and takes shape to really be what Knoxville needs for the future.

So how we do that is we've asked people to be a member of this group and represent their community, but also share information back from the group.

So it's you know, the funnel of information works both ways, so we're really excited about bringing people together to learn those community insights and what people feel is important for the future.

I'm not sure who was next, maybe Councilmember Honeycutt.

I actually think councilwoman Adams or Parker West, but I'll defer to the code.

We'll go with Council Member Adams.

I think yours was next, it's sort of there's a lot of lights, so a lot of lights.

Um thank you.

I wanted to say thank you to uh Parks and Rec for all the work uh with the survey and certainly uh to Carlos Perez for all the work in putting the plan together.

Um I too got to attend some of the sessions.

Uh they were well attended where I where I went.

It was great to see the feedback that came back from people and uh just all the exercises to both help people understand how the information was to be collected, um, what would happen with it, and then to really engage with the different options there.

Um I also want to acknowledge that as a council member, I benefited greatly from being able to sit with uh Mr.

Perez and have him walk through a very robust study.

Um I got comments from the public about it's so long, like how do I go through this?

Um I shared those with him.

I I know that many people experience that.

Uh, but it having his walk through helped me see the highlights.

And at the end of that, I did ask you know, is there any way that we could have um sort of a summary deck that could have gone out to the public?

And that's where I really got educated on the time frame, the funding opportunities, and how important that is.

That is why I am not supporting postponing this tonight.

I want to make that clear.

I I see how this plan supports future good work that the city needs.

Um, but I would ask that for future processes of this kind of thing that we include in the scope.

When there's a great robust study, that is no dig on the study, the study is great, but that we do include a scope that has a summary deck that people can benefit from just to make it a little bit easier and build in a little bit of time for people to consume that summary deck and have all of us as ambassadors to go out.

Because I do think that helps.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Councilmember Parker.

Thank you, Mayor.

I've had concerns about this study that I've expressed with the consultant from day one.

The framing of the study I found quite problematic.

One aspect of it being that there's no differentiation between a resident's proximity to city managed amenities and privately managed amenities.

I find that very concerning.

And I told them, well, I know there's some renovations coming, but let me check into it.

They took the whole dock that the boat uh padders have been using ripped off of the side.

It's now floating down the river.

And now these new docks have been put in.

I guess maybe these are the improvements.

I'm gonna give someone a chance to explain it to me.

But these folks are prepared to go to Thursday's public meeting or maybe the one on the 20-something because no one communicated with them about this potential project that it seems like we're trying to rush ahead for because there's potential money that we can apply for.

But we're not working with the community that actually uses these spaces to give them a heads up about whether it's going to be a temporary interruption for the Bassmasters competition or whether this is going to be an ongoing long-term uh change.

And if that's the case, what they're telling me is that these new um uh uh motor boat style docks are not safe for them to use with their rowboat.

So why are we not having a conversation?

Um I'm more committed to a postponement when I see us rushing towards projects and we're not involving the community members who are using those amenities.

It goes back to what one of the public forum speakers said earlier.

Trust is uh something we have to value during these processes.

Maintaining trust of the community, building trust of the community, and it can't just be parts of the community.

It can't just be our hand-picked community members that we put on committees.

It can't be just the people we know and like and love.

It has to be all parts of our community that we are working to build trust with.

That means we have to listen to them.

That means we have to slow things down when the community tells us we're going too fast.

We can't just say, well, you know, the plan works for me.

Well, you know, over here in this part of the city, it'll be fine.

Y'all might be having some issues, but over here is gonna be fine.

Let's see how this is impacting our entire community and slow down when we need to.

I have no interest in rushing.

I'm also concerned to hear that the 2019 Chihalle plan is being used as a reference.

When I when there was a discussion of selling Chihuahua Park, and I was in a public fight with the city administration about whether the 2019 plan was the actual plan or not.

And what was continuing to be told publicly was that wasn't the plan.

So now the public doesn't think the 2019 plan is the plan.

They think there's an opportunity now to create a new plan.

But what they found out is the city has hand picked who they want at the table to create that plan.

I wish it were as obviously offensive to everyone else in this room as it is to me.

Because who else would stand for that to allow a hand picked?

Thank you, Councilmember Party.

Committee.

Vice Mayor Fugit.

Thank you, Mayor.

I I just want to speak to the Chihuahua Park situation too.

I I absolutely agree that there has to be robust public process.

I do not see a steering committee as the end-all be-all to decide that committee.

My hope would be for the record that that steering committee does gather information, gives information out, but also helps create a robust public process to get input from all stakeholders across the community that love Chilhoey Park and want to see it thriving.

We have two great anchor tenants there with the zoo and the Mews, and long desire to see Chilhawey Park be a thriving park back in East Knoxville.

So my hope is that it would be a true public process.

I did generations, refined, come back, present.

But there has to be a timeline in which you try to get that work done because dragging it out for a very long time won't satisfy people either.

So this has nothing to do with the vote.

I'm going to vote for this, but we talked about Chilhoey Park, and that would be my expectation is that it involved a robust public process as the designs for that are created.

And I will also say for those the four of us that have been on council back when this plan started, I did appreciate the one-on-one personal hour, hour and a half long conversations about three or four times during this process, updating us where we were on the plan and the feedback we've been getting.

So I don't see you here, Carlos.

But I'd like to do that.

Well, see, I can't see you because you're behind Tom's chair.

So it's nice to see you in person rather than over a screen.

So thank you very much.

Okay, um, Councilmember Thomas.

Uh yes, I had a question about um who chose the task force for Chihuahua Park.

Um Mr.

Grant and I met several times.

I also talked to Debbie Helsley.

It's um it's you know, an advisory group similar to the way we did the South Waterfront Advisory Group.

It's not uh written in stone and it's not it can evolve.

Sometimes people have a lot of time, and then their time of availability changes.

As I mentioned, it is open to the public.

Uh we want it to be transparent.

Uh you know, this is just a kicking off a process uh to do all the things that you know several members have said.

What you know, what is the community's vision and desire for this park, and what are the constraints we have to uh what are the opportunities and what are the constraints?

Uh we have some special assets in Chihuahua Park that are unique, the zoo, the Mews, um those sorts of things.

Uh, but it also is unique in that you know, it has uh Magnolia Avenue running through it.

It's uh in the middle of a more urban setting.

So um I'm not predetermining the outcome, but I do think that starting the meeting off and having those discussions and letting uh that advisory group um say do they need to be bigger, smaller, and have representation.

There's a lot of community members who are willing to participate and share information on an as-needed basis, like the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, Knox Heritage, others who might want to share information about um horticulture and hydrology, uh, but they don't necessarily need to be at all the meetings, but they could be there when the group wants more information.

Yeah, my question, thank you for all that.

My question mainly was just the makeup of the advisory group, how they were chosen, and what I hear from you, there's uh it's flexible that members can be added uh possibly, or I think there's some I'm hearing some concern in the community that the task force is not representative enough.

Um I don't want to be overly critical, but I am hearing that from the community.

Right.

Well, um, I think it'd be good to have this meeting.

Again, I these are not my picks, these are things that I worked on with Mr.

Grant.

Um I think that hopefully he would uh agree that most of these individuals are people that he uh and I discussed, and and Councilmember Hesley also discussed, but I'm um it's not it's not written in stone.

Let's see who comes to the first meeting and wants to be part of the discussion, whether they were um you know listed in a media article or not.

That's fine with me.

Uh and I I also just hope that you know the all of council supports this effort.

We want it to be transparent and inclusive.

Uh and also I hope that we don't hold the master plan hostage to what is happening in Chihuahua Park.

I think that's uh they're they're both interconnected, and we're very committed to trying to support the future uh analysis and vision for Chihuahua Park.

But this master plan is for the whole city.

It's Chihuahua Park is is mentioned.

It says basically we're gonna figure it out in 2026, and that's where we are right now.

But this pro this master plan process has been the hard work of many, many people, and that happened starting about a year ago when uh Chihuahua Park was still an advent space.

So that's that's why it's uh you know, you know that history.

Yeah.

Um so is there a process, suppose like a group in the community or a particular individual, could they apply or uh to the task force?

I guess how would someone have a lot of people.

Well, why don't we talk about that at the first meeting?

Right and see see what people say.

Okay, all right it's I don't want it to be like American Canon's exclusive decision.

Um I just I think in the in the South Waterfront Advisory Group, it was uh it was more fluid.

We had you know people who were very much uh critics, and then people who were you know neutral and people who had just different ideas, and then they all came together.

Some came to every meeting, some came to some meetings as their schedules allowed.

It was uh more of an ad hoc type of thing.

It wasn't like a an official appointment letter from city council or the mayor, it was a little more informal.

And maybe this advisory group thinks it needs to be more formal.

I'm happy to listen to their suggestions.

Well, thank you for that.

I just underline I am concerned and have heard concern about the that the makeup of the advisory uh council for Giorgia Park may possibly be a little bit too restrictive.

I don't know.

I haven't really surveyed who's on it.

I'm just getting those concerns, and so I would encourage you and Councilmember Grant to uh keep working together and make sure that it's inclusive and um you know, one of the problems with the GIA Park process was people who felt like they had been left out of the process, and uh I don't want to see that happen uh with the advisory committee.

I don't want them to feel like it's kind of a overly select group and not expansive enough in the community.

So thank you for your comments.

Understood.

Um council member Honeycutt I think you've had your light on uh a while.

I've been looking at not on this side, I'm sorry.

It's fine.

Uh and it's late, so I'll keep it uh keep my comments brief.

But I think I did just wanted to bring it back quickly to uh to the master plan, which we're voting on tonight, uh, and is part of the you know what's right before us today.

Uh, and just uh say to Miss Ely and the Parks and Rec department and Carlos that I think you guys did a fantastic job.

Uh I mean I've been involved with this for over a year now, first as a citizen uh and then as an elected official, and you've done a great job both engaging citizens uh uh because I was at a lot of the meetings last year uh and and keeping us abreast along the way.

So I definitely feel uh that you know you have you held a good transparent process.

And if people didn't participate, it wasn't from a lack of you trying to get them to participate.

Uh uh, because it was certainly uh you were doing everything within your power.

Is the plan perfect?

Absolutely not.

No plan is uh but it it's it's it's a great plan and it helps move the city forward in an important way.

And it leaves, I think in a good way, it leaves room uh to have a much more robust and in-depth discussion about the future of Chillawi Park very purposely uh so that this year we can all engage in the the important process we need to have regarding that park in particular.

But as a global master plan for our city, as a something to North Star for us to point and at least move the train forward, you've done a great job, and I look forward to supporting it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um Councilmember Hesley.

My last slide on.

Okay, so thank you, Mayor.

Um, kudos to y'all.

Y'all are great, like my buddy Carlos right there.

He's moving to Knoxville.

Did you know that?

We're getting him here.

Yeah, yeah, we're working on it, right, Carlos?

Yes.

His wife loves it here.

So that's all of us told.

I have a I have a Debbie Downer question, okay.

Why was the parks and rec master plan not included in our agenda?

What do you mean the back?

It wasn't the big packet was not included in our agenda.

The back and and so the community is a little bit nervous because it wasn't air, and so I'm sure your department, yeah, talk to you.

Mr.

Swanson.

It was primarily a matter of it's a really long document.

Uh, and it has it was difficult to attach by the computer program.

We've got new compete computer programs, and our people couldn't quite figure out how to attach that big a document uh to the to the packets.

Okay, and so we gave links to it rather than to print out the entire but not to start with, there was nothing on there.

So but y'all added it.

But there was a link to it as I recall.

No, there was not to start with.

No, but that's okay, it got added, which is fine.

I just there was some concern about why people couldn't see it.

And so I apologize.

That was uh I guess.

Yeah, we're sorry, it's too big.

My understanding is we're gonna be a link from the start.

So that didn't happen.

I was like, where is it?

But then I had it.

So I do think there's you know, community uh input, you know, it's happened uh long before it it got to the council's agenda all along the way, including the final master plan.

So some people look at council agendas, but I think a lot of us other people had other uh forums to find it.

So it is so I just was gonna just answer that question.

Support any anything else?

No, no, no.

I'm planning to support, I support I plan to support the plan.

I'm good.

Thank you.

Councilmember Grant.

Yeah, I just want to speak to a couple things.

Um process.

Um while I appreciate the commitment being made.

Um prior to me meeting with you.

So let me say this.

We met today.

Um I did meet with the mayor, and it was a good meeting.

Uh very productive.

Um, was able to get a lot of answers, a lot of questions answered that I didn't know previously uh to meeting with you.

Um I wasn't okay with how the process was in the very beginning.

Um giving the final um outcome of the list uh and how it was put out in the community.

Um I got calls and wasn't able to answer questions, right?

And as the district six representative where this park sits, um it's somewhat challenging and frustrating when your constituents call and you don't have the answers for them.

Uh you know, when when the communication there's a communication barrier, let me just put it that way.

Um but I would say it was a productive meeting.

I got a lot of things answered.

Um, you know, in terms of the list, um the list needs to be improved.

Um I would ask that when we have this meeting next week um that we're able to make additions.

That's something that as the district six representative, I would like to do.

Um, because there are community members out here who come from different backgrounds um who can provide a different uh expertise and and view of what we might need for this park.

Um you had a number of individuals who fought to keep this park.

Um and I and I think you know, optics matter, you know, when when you're when creating a group in terms of how we move forward, um, I think it's important that you allow the people who advocated uh to be a part of that process, not just invited, but actually at the table.

And so um, you know, I just want to say, you know, I I hope moving forward that the community will stay involved in this process.

It's going to be a drawn out process.

And we need community members to show up.

We need communities to give their input, right?

Even when you don't get what you want, right?

You you still show up and you put forth the effort um if it's that important to you.

And so uh, you know, I just wanted to get that on a record.

Um, you know, I do thank you for for making that adjustment and just being open-minded to realize that we do need more uh individuals uh on this group.

And so, and I want to invite council members.

You know, I know your schedules are stretched.

Um, I would like to see you guys participate as much as you can.

I would like to see this group not only centered on district six, but let's go out to the different districts.

Let's host meetings in different areas of the city to be able to get that feedback from you know different community members.

We want everybody coming and visiting Chihoue Park, not just those district six residents or people in adjacent neighborhoods.

We want to, it's a city thing, and we need as many people as we need as we should have at this table, um, not just within the group.

So thank you.

Councilmember Parker.

Thank you, Mayor.

A few thoughts.

One is um uh I will be at every meeting.

Y'all don't have to invite me for me to show up.

I will show up and I will be there.

Um, and I do find it unfortunate that uh the mayor keeps saying I I discussed this with Councilmember Grant and Councilmember Hellesley when I have fought to save Chihuahua Park for at least the last 18 months.

So not only is that offensive to me when you say that, whether you intend to or not, but it offends my constituents who um who see the work that I've put in and don't appreciate the continued disrespect.

I don't either.

Um the the this master plan went through a public input process that finalized at the end of February.

Uh once that process finalized, I wondered well, how will that input be incorporated into the final plan?

And so um it was noted that the master plan was not in our packet, but individuals have recently been exposed to the plan through the public input process.

But I imagine many of them, like I did, would assume we would actually incorporate some of that public input into that master plan.

So it would actually change following a public input process.

Did we make any changes to the plan following the public input process?

We we may um thank you, um, Councilwoman Parker.

We did make some corrections into it.

Um, if you look at it as is really relatively minor.

Um Carlos could probably, Carlos Perez could probably speak more to it and give you a true oversight of what happened as he incorporated that information.

A lot of the things that we came back with were around typos that need to happen because it was more of things that were um already in the plan and not additions to the plan.

And so I would I would probably lean to Carlos to probably explain just a little bit more about what that final plan is and why it um it was written the way it is.

I would love to hear from Mr.

Perez about the changes made.

Good evening, Mayor and Council, Carlos Perez, uh 878 Peace Street Street, uh Lana.

Uh, thank you for the opportunity to present to you this evening, and thank you for that question.

Um, as uh Director Ely mentioned, we did receive uh comments uh for the master plan, and as she mentioned, they were relatively minor.

Uh uh related to typos.

There were some park names that were um uh recommended uh were noted as needing to be updated.

Um there was uh a lot of support for uh the uh suggestions uh that were included uh in the master plan.

Um and those were really the the changes that we uh we received.

There was no major fundamental uh uh revisions or comments uh uh that we received.

Thank you.

Um there have been requests tonight that conversations continue and that this remains a somewhat flexible document.

I would echo those requests, but I would also challenge us to question some of the assumptions that that went into this uh plan and and understand that the community still has concerns and it's still uh at least making complaints to me.

Hopefully, I'm not the only one that they're making complaints to.

But about privately managed amenities versus publicly managed amenities.

I'm happy to see a proposal coming about shifting to Halle Park back to Parks and RAC.

But I'm worried about other proposals to outsource some of these services that we might see.

In my meeting with the Knoxville Zoo, there was discussion of the zoo potentially building a community center for that piece of property.

I'm interested in seeing public spaces developed.

If there is some sort of management shared, then we have to seriously improve our transparency and our sharing of policy so people know how to access these services.

Equitably.

Thank you, Councilmember Parker.

Just as a reminder, I have an open door for all council members.

Councilmember Parker, I enjoyed our most recent meeting where your focus was on the resolutions that you had presented to council.

Often when I meet with Councilmember Grant, you know, Chihuahua Park is the top of his list of things he wants to talk about.

Happy to talk about that with you or any other council members.

Please contact my office and set up a meeting.

Any uh further discussion on the master plan?

Seeing none.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries unanimously.

No.

Okay.

Motion carries eight one.

Thank you.

Parks and rec team and everyone who helped contribute to this plan.

We really appreciate it.

Next item, please.

12 N is resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with the Knoxville Civil War Roundtable for the installation of a cannon and monument at the Fort Dickerson Gateway Park.

Move to approve.

Motion made and seconded.

Um I believe I'm not sure if he's still here, but uh there was someone here from the Civil War Roundtable, Tom Wright, if anyone has any questions.

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

Any opposed?

Motion motion carries eight one.

120 is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with KMF3 services LLC for the maintenance of seven scattered landscape sites for an annual amounts not to exceed 72,550 dollars.

Move to approve.

Motion made to approve and seconded, Councilmember Grant.

Yeah, I just want to um highlight this particular resolution.

Um say thank you to our public service department and our procurement.

Um this is a small minority business.

Um, and so one of the things second to you know the Chihuahua Park issue that the mayor had mentioned uh for me is just making sure we're given small disadvantaged businesses these type of opportunities.

And so just want to say thank you to our public service department, the mayor, and um those who participated in this process and Mr.

Frazier with KMF uh lawn care services as well.

So thank you.

Any other questions or comments?

Seeing none, all those in favor please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries 12 P is a resolution authorizing the mayor to execute an agreement with Carmichael's Lawn Care LLC to provide ground maintenance at the Oddfellows Cemetery and Potter's Field for an annual amounts not to exceed 26,945.

Move to approve.

Motion made to approve and seconded, Councilmember Grant.

Yes, again, uh just want to say thank you to public service.

Um but also want to highlight um another cemetery that we have in our community, the Crestview West uh district, which is in District 3.

Uh myself and Councilman uh Doug Lloyd got to uh participate with uh a cleanup.

Um we keep Knoxville Beautiful, Knoxville Heritage, the Harden family.

I mean, it was over a hundred volunteers came out.

Uh I mean the city was able to provide uh you know help with trash pickup.

And so um while this is odd fellows, while this is in District 6, um it's a very historic cemetery.

Um, but I just wanted to get on a record for us to uh you know try to pay attention whether it's the state coming in or just figuring out how we can advocate for the Crestview uh cemetery district is the it's the largest African American cemetery that we have and the oldest cemetery that we have here uh in the city of Knoxville, actually county wide.

Um I'm hoping you know for help from my constituents and you know to try to help Councilman Doug Lloyd to try to shed some light on that particular cemetery.

So thank you.

Any other questions or comments?

Seeing none, all those in favor please say aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries 12th Q is a resolution authorizing the mayor to end to execute any and all documents necessary to apply for and accept a project safe neighborhoods grant from the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs in the amount of 47,608 dollars with no required matching funds to be used to purchase equipment and supplies used in programs designed to prevent, respond to and reduce violence and gun crimes.

Is there a motion?

I'll move to move to approve.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Uh council member Grant.

Yeah, I would just like to ask Chief Noel if you could take a moment and just kind of go into brief detail in terms of what this grant is.

Um the city, we aren't matching these dollars, right?

This is uh a grant from Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice program, so it's unmatched funds.

Um but could you briefly go into detail in terms of what we we utilizing these funds for?

Sure.

Yeah, this is a project safe neighborhood grant, which is a grant that is um traditionally used to um combat violence, particularly gun violence.

Um no local match.

Um we're gonna request to use this fund for DNA testing specifically on for on firearms, like to swab a firearm and uh get that um DNA testing done to help us either eliminate um potential suspects or confirm um suspects involved in violent crimes.

Thank you.

Councilmember Parker.

Um thank you.

Um so for this grant, you will use it for testing services.

No equipment will be purchased.

No, our intention is to use this for DNA testing for for firearms to get to get those those tests processed processed.

I'm sure I'm curious why it's can it's described as equipment and supplies.

I'm I'm not sure.

I but what we're gonna apply for is to do DNA testing through rapid DNA is what we're gonna do.

Okay.

Um is there a reason that those descriptions when you are applying for DNA testing, just don't just say DNA testing rather than equipment and supplies.

I'm not exactly sure how that that language was formulated up there.

I'm not trying to be evasive, I just don't know the answer to that.

That language doesn't come from KPD, it comes from the law.

It may have come from one of our staff, but I'm not saying it doesn't come from us.

I just I just don't know.

Yeah.

It just would be great for transparency purposes for the public.

It's probably just mirroring the um the probably the subject line of the grant.

I'm sure that's what it is.

Yeah.

Um any effort we can make to be in more transparent in that description.

Sure.

Because that's all these conversations are about.

That's the only reason we pull it off of the consent agenda is to know what equipment and services are you personally.

Some of the challenges that we're having with the grants right now is that you know, normally what happens with these grants is they they they drop in a set period every year and they have some time.

They're dropping really fast, and right now the turnaround time is really quick.

Um so the the deadline, this grant just dropped not long ago.

The deadline for us to apply is on Friday.

So our grant team is really scrambling.

So the the grant world over the last you know year or you know, two years or so has shifted, shifted dramatically.

So um that's why, like with the packet, there was not a lot of documents with it, because it like we I our grant team is not put it together yet.

We'll probably be filing this grant like probably like within hours before the deadline, and it'll it'll it'll get dropped.

Okay.

Thank you.

That's helpful.

All those in favor, please say oh, Councilmember Grant, sorry.

No, I was ready.

Okay.

All those in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

13 S is an ordinance to amend the Noxle City Code Depends B zoning code, Article 15, Section 15.2 point B, published notice to align noticing requirements with recent state law changes, city of Knoxville applicant, all districts.

Motion made to approve and seconded.

Any questions or discussion?

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

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

13 T is an ordinance to close an unnamed alley near 1902 Forest Avenue, lying within city block 10085, running between 19th Street and 20th Street, and authorizing the mayor to execute quit claimed deeds to the adjacent property owners, first district.

Move to approve.

Motion made to approve and second it.

Any questions or discuss Karen?

I mean, Councilmember Adams.

Yeah, I would like to make a few comments.

Um I know you're thrilled about that, everybody.

Um, but this is uh an important issue.

It's uh a big um proposal that will be coming through, even though it seems like a small thing because it's an alley.

Uh I just want to put on the record that I I am not for alley closures.

Uh they are very important for pedestrian right of ways and the fabric of uh the city, particularly the traditional grid.

And so I don't take these lightly.

I've had many conversations uh with Mr.

Mullins with planning uh and with others in the city trying to see is there any way around that we don't have to close this.

Um currently, if you went to the site, you would not say, oh, that's an alley.

You would say, oh, that's a surface parking lot.

Uh so it's not currently serving in the capacity that that I feel uh strongly about.

Um the other thing is that uh while this is just about an alley closure, looking at the entire case, the um the zoning by right allows for pretty pretty intense um buildings there, and um that is like I said, by right.

Um so I recognize the great need for housing, uh, particularly for students uh just in the past um two weeks, I've received messages from students saying, you know, I'm having to drive 20 or 30 minutes to get to campus because I can't afford to live there.

So I understand the housing needs and that this is an opportunity to help uh to help with those.

Um but again I just wanted to say that um I do have concerns about closing alleys.

I I wouldn't do this anyplace uh but understanding that this is a block and we did talk about other options um, but really didn't work out so well here.

Uh that's why I'm supporting this councilmember Thomas.

Yeah, I just want to add um I'm glad that you had that discussion about that because on the previous council we did have a discussion about how we were possibly rubber stamping to some degree, the alley closures, and then after some discussion, you know, there's some opportunity there on some of them, so we should scrutinize them.

I had a similar situation where um in Lawnsdale, it looked like an alley closure would actually impede the possibility of a future greenway.

And we went out and uh Miss Ely and the developer, and we spent a particular quite a bit of time on it, and we found out that actually the alley closure was justified because the potential for a greenway wasn't really there as it was on first blush.

So I had a sit particular situation where I scrutinized it and it found out, yeah, okay, this is we're not giving up city property, or we're not giving up a significant right to the public.

But uh I applaud you for discussing that because any time we close these alleys or things like that, we're actually giving up public property.

So they've got criteria, and most of the time they're right, but that doesn't mean as far as closing these alleys, but that doesn't mean that we shouldn't, you know, keep an eye on it because it is public property and we lose it if we don't um be mindful of it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

I have one other question.

This is for Mr.

Mullins or comment really.

Yeah.

Uh I I signed up to speak, but uh please ask the questions.

It's late.

Yeah, as fast as we can get through.

One of the things that we um exchanged uh when we were talking about this was um improvements to the sidewalks that would be made um to help with some of the pedestrian access that we'd be losing.

But another item was that there is proposed an interior green space for this potential development.

Yeah, and and we had some emails uh about that today, and I appreciate you know, we asked to postpone this for two weeks, give us more time.

Of course, that two weeks also includes spring break, and I had a three-day trial.

So we really haven't been able to engage on it quite as much as I'd hoped we we had.

Uh and so I would, you know, this is first reading.

I think there has to be a second reading on.

I think you know, between now and then, I think we'd want to have some more conversations to address that.

But that uh you'll see on the plans there's uh that western side where there's some some parking and there's some green area, and that's the area that's going to be kind of open more to the public.

It's central to the fact that it's kind of central to the building itself, but it's kind of off-center because it's on the western side.

It's not the interior courtyard area, that's where the pool is.

That's not going to be open to the public.

So that's what we propose.

But I've got Mr.

Mr.

Harris here.

He's the developer 908.

And uh, Mr.

Cone Top with you know, we're not set in concrete in all this.

We still have opportunities to tweak some things if there's things that you specifically have in mind.

We're open to continuing to have that conversation.

Yeah, I think just to say this for the period between now and next reading is that that public access is really important and making it be a part of the community, not a monolith that is saying you're not welcome here.

So that's that's all.

Okay.

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

Any opposed?

Motion carries.

Thank you all very much.

Uh now we'll move on to public forum.

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

They'll each have up to three minutes to address council.

First is Vivian Scheipe.

Ms.

Scheip.

Vivian Scheip, 3615 MLK, Knoxville 37914.

Some would say that winter is back.

But we know winter never left.

What has been left are the unhoused, left out of planning, left out of planning for safety and lodging against the elements.

Tonight, it will be a cold, cold 26 degrees.

Relaunch is gone.

And there's no room at the end.

Had we passed Parker's second resolution, we would at least be on our way to discussing a fix.

Instead, we are two years away from a solution.

How many will die in the next two years?

How many will we discuss and debate into early graves?

Bring back the Parker resolution.

Open temporary emergency shelters.

We say we are a sanctuary city.

Let's act like it.

Next person signed up to speak is Samika Elliott.

Samika Elliott, 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 council.

Hello, my name is Famika Elliott.

Um 2904 Taswell Pike, 37918.

Good evening, council.

My name is Famika Elliott.

I'm a dual community health worker, founder of the Lotus Program Experience.

I'm here alongside of my community partner in her absence, Alexis Alsip of Empowered Doula and Midwifery Services.

Together we have co-led the Knoxville Black Maternal Health Conference, an initiative for the past three years, a free community-centered event focused on advancing awareness, education, and action around maternal health care in East Tennessee.

With the official city proclamation locally recognizing the week in 2022.

What started as a one-day conference has now grown into something much bigger.

In 2026 this year, we are launching Knoxville's first official Black Maternal Health Week, taking place April 11th through the 17th, a full free week of programming that uplifts local birth workers, healthcare professionals, researchers, and families.

This expansion reflects both the urgency of the issue and the strength of community demand.

Over the past three years, we've created a space where honest conversations can happen in public health, where families share lived experiences, providers deepened their understanding of culturally compensate comprehensive care, and doolas, birth workers, and health professionals are recognized as essential leaders in improving health outcomes.

And this work is fairly critical.

Tennessee currently ranks 48th in the national in the nation, excuse me, for maternal mortality, with rates significantly higher than the national average as Tennessee has a C on our maternal health report card.

We also continue to see elevated rates of preterm birth and infant mortality outcomes that disproportionately impact black families and rural communities across our great state.

These are not just statistics, these are families in our communities that we serve.

What we are building through Black Maternal Health Week is a community-driven response.

We educate by making maternal health information accessible and culturally relevant.

We advocate by lifting the voices of families and birth workers, and we connect resources to ensure better outcomes for mothers, babies, and families.

Some of this work has been supported in part by my self-investment, mutual aid, and Knoxville's 202 funds, which we are deeply grateful for that investment.

Thank you, Councilwoman Parker, Councilman McKenzie, previous councilwoman Singh, Councilman Thomas, and Councilman Roberto.

However, as we expand into a full week of programming, we are seeking additional support to ensure this initiative remains free, accessible, and impactful for our community.

Because we invest in maternal health care that is community based, we also invest in the health care of our community.

Thank you for your time, leadership, and consideration.

I do have a couple of flyers.

If somebody could help me pass these out and around, I have emailed all of you a copy of them as well.

And you all are invited.

So please come and show up.

All of your constituents will be there.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Department Laban for sharing those documents.

Next is Alexis Also.

She's with you.

Okay.

And she doesn't want to speak or that's she's not here.

Okay.

Kent Minower.

Thanks.

Uh yeah, again, I'm uh Kent Minnow, uh 311 West Glenwood Avenue.

Um, I'm not going to read this whole thing here because of uh previous conversation about Chilhoey Park.

Uh I just want to remind you this uh CERA Club participated in the movement to save Shilhawee Park from being sold.

And um now there's a new process with uh community uh advisory group being formed.

But the group selection around this process had the mayor hand pick the members and bypass community of voices.

Now I know that's kind of been the usual practice in other areas, but this uh uh given the history, this is a really bad idea now.

The process is incomplete.

We need to add to the list.

Where are the advocates for rally for Chilhawi?

The City Council movement, Sierra Club, neighborhood groups like Town Hall East, other neighborhood groups around Chilhoey Park.

If we want to collaborate and create peace between former contenders, why wait the advisory group so heavily toward one side?

Councilman Grant asked for community members willing to participate.

I put myself forward.

I wanted to make sure the environmental principles, the community had originally advanced, had a proper place in the development process.

After all, this administration ran on an environmental program.

I didn't think the mayor needed necessarily to pick me, but I was shocked that practically none of the people who had spoken out had been selected.

Virtually to a person, those community members have insisted that the park doesn't belong to any one neighborhood or demographic or class.

It's for all of us, and it's to be shared with the world.

But to develop it right, we need to bring together the voices who have spoken out to protect the park without excluding those who work towards selling it.

So far, we haven't done so, and it needs to be fixed.

We need more than the voices of established insiders.

We need strong voices supporting environmental protection.

We need voices who are aware of the park's history.

We need people who understand the black community's fear of marginalization and displacement.

We need advocates for development who insist that it would be sustainable and economically just.

New city council members have already developed a reputation for independence of thought.

Please press the mayor and city council to create an advisory group, and I notice you already done this, that contains the contending elements from the debate and instructs them to develop trust and collaboration with each other so we get a plan the whole city can be proud of.

Thanks so much.

Okay.

Next person is Eddie DeBust.

She can state your name and address for the record, and you'll have up to three minutes.

Yes.

My name is Eddie DeBusque.

I live at 5812 Grove Drive here in Knoxville, Tennessee.

The essence of this message needs the following background information.

Before our attendance to the Knox County Commission meeting on Thursday, February the 25th, 2026, my brother and I witnessed a decorative hard hat and small backpack fall from a motorcycle at the intersection of Washington Park and North Mall Road as the cyclists proceeded west to the entrance ramp of I-640 westbound.

For the record, the cyclist had the green light at the westbound intersection and was not speeding, and we were stopped at the southbound red light at Washington Park.

Additionally, the cyclist proceeded on his or her journey and did not stop.

In a safe manner, we retrieved the fallen items from the street and found our way to the Knoxville City Council, City County building to attend the scheduled Knox County Commission meeting, at which time we met two city police officers that were stationed on the porch of the Knox County old courthouse as we approached the aforementioned officers.

As we approached the aforementioned officers, we told them that of our retrieval of the aforementioned items in question and asked for guidance as to how to surrender the found items to the proper authorities, at which time they told us to take the items to the public safety complex at Huron Street.

As we approached the aforementioned, as we attended the aforementioned County Commission meeting, we went to the public after the meeting, rather, we went to the public safety complex to surrender the stated items in question and learned that the items needed to be surrendered during the regular business hours.

As our schedules did not coincide with the regular business hours of the public safety complex on Friday, February the 26th, 2026, the items in question were not returned on February 26, 2026.

While running errands on Saturday, February the 27, 2026, I noticed two city police cars parked at the parking lot at the intersection of Middle Springs, Mineral Springs Road and Walker Boulevard, at which time I parked my car at the parking lot to speak to the officers about what I have conveyed herein.

In response to my story, they asked me about the current location of the following items, at which time I opened the trunk of my car and presented them with the articles in question.

In conjunction with our conversation, the officers carefully examined the items, at which time one of the officers linked the findings to the Madisonville Police Department.

At the conclusion of my time with these two officers, they took the items in question with them so that the items could be dispositioned accordingly.

In summary, my message via this communication to the Knoxville City Council and to Mayor Kincanon is simple.

I was impressed with Officer Ken Cannon and Officer Eubanks on February 27, 2026, at which time they conveyed in is conveyed in this message.

These two officers have excellent people skills in their interaction with the public and, in my opinion, are valuable assets to the Knoxville Police Department.

To that end, it is obvious to me that Knoxville Police Chief Knowle's selection process for police officers, providing officers that care about the public that they are protect and serve.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

DeBusque.

Last person signed up to speak is Mary Ann Garner.

Apparently she has no.

Okay.

Council members, that concludes public forum.

And without objection, this meeting is adjourned.