Memphis City Council Regular Meeting - June 13, 2023

The Memphis City Council held its regular meeting on June 13, 2023, at 9:15 AM. The meeting included approvals of minutes, consent agenda items, presentations, public comments, and several votes on ordinances and resolutions. Key topics included redistricting, budget allocations, MLGW call center contracting, and street naming honors.

Consent Calendar

• Minutes: Approved unanimously from the previous meeting.
• Consent Agenda (Items 5-17): Passed unanimously after hearing public comments on items 6, 7, 8, and 9. Included ordinances on tire business regulation, towing fees, deadly weapons (first reading), and various engineering and plat approvals.
• Fiscal Consent Agenda (Items 18-24, 51, 63): Passed unanimously (Councilwoman Easter Thomas recused on item 56). Included donations, grants, and budget transfers.
• MLGW Fiscal Consent Agenda (Items 25-36): Passed 12-0 (Councilwoman Colvett present). Included a contract with DIRAD Technologies Inc. for a managed residential contact center (up to $18,391,600 over five years) and other procurement items.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Budget and Police Funding: Several speakers from the Moral Budget Coalition and community organizations urged the council to increase the property tax rate by 29 cents to generate $40 million for transit, housing, youth programs, and parks, and to reduce police funding. They argued the police budget already receives 40% of city funds and called for reallocating $28 million from the disbanded Scorpion unit.
• Transit Funding: Representatives from Micah Transit Equity, Sierra Club, Bus Riders Union, and Citizens for Better Service advocated for $15.4 million in additional operational funding for MATA, citing long wait times, aging buses, and lack of shelters. They also requested a joint accountability task force.
• Gun Safety: A speaker urged the council to enact safe storage laws and red flag laws, referencing the CDC's declaration of gun violence as a national health emergency.
• MLGW Contract: A union representative opposed the $18.4 million contract with a New York-based firm for call center services, arguing the money should stay in Memphis to hire local workers.
• Other Comments: Speakers addressed paper tag fraud, police accountability, and the need for a rental registry. One resident shared a personal experience of car theft and criticized MPD's response.

Discussion Items

• Item 38 – Redistricting Ordinance (Ordinance 5869): This ordinance proposed revising council district boundaries based on the 2020 census. After extensive debate, the ordinance initially failed on a 3-8 vote (Councilmembers Easter Thomas, Johnson, Logan in favor; others opposed). Later, a motion to suspend the rules and add the item to same night minutes passed, and the ordinance was approved as part of the same night minutes vote.
  • Proponents (Chairman Jones, Councilwoman Logan) argued the map consolidates downtown and Cordova into single districts, giving residents one voice, and that the process was transparent with community meetings.
  • Opponents (Councilmembers Morgan, Swearingin Washington, Canale, Carlisle, Colvett, Ford, Warren, Chairman Jones? Actually Chairman Jones voted no on the initial vote, but then supported the same night minutes addition) argued the changes would stifle dissent, remove core historic areas from District 4, and were not properly communicated to citizens.
• Item 40 – City Property Exterior Modifications (Ordinance 5863): A motion to table this ordinance (which would require council approval for contracts over $3 million for city-owned property leased to nonprofits) passed 8-3 (Councilmembers Johnson, Logan, Swearingin Washington voting no; Chairman Jones no? Actually vote: Canale yes, Carlisle yes, Colvett yes, Easter Thomas recused, Ford yes, Johnson no, Logan no, Morgan yes, Smiley yes, Swearingin Washington no, Warren yes, Chairman Jones no. So 7 yes, 4 no? Wait count: yes: Canale, Carlisle, Colvett, Ford, Morgan, Smiley, Warren = 7; no: Johnson, Logan, Swearingin Washington, Jones = 4; Easter Thomas recused. So motion to table passed 7-4. The item was tabled indefinitely.
• Item 42 – Monthly Litigation Reports: Passed unanimously. Requires the city attorney to provide a monthly litigation report to the council.
• MLGW Call Center Contract: Council debated the $18.4 million, five-year contract with DIRAD Technologies. MLGW leadership explained it would handle peak call volumes, allowing full-time employees to focus on training and complex issues. Councilwoman Johnson and others expressed concern about sending jobs out of state, but the contract passed unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Consent Agenda and Fiscal Consent Items: All passed, including the MLGW contract and multiple budget transfers.
• Redistricting Ordinance (Item 38): Initially defeated, but later passed as part of the same night minutes approval. The new district map will take effect for the next election.
• Item 40 (City Property Modifications): Tabled indefinitely.
• Item 42 (Litigation Reports): Approved unanimously.
• Honorary Street Names: Approved for Firefighter David Pleasant (Mississippi Blvd) and State Representative Barbara Cooper (N. & S. Second St).
• Juneteenth Resolution: Approved by acclamation, honoring 10 Memphians.
• Minority Business Owner Recognition: Resolution honoring Glennelle Smith approved.
• Coast Guard Captain Retirement: Resolution honoring Captain Ryan Rhodes approved.
• Same Night Minutes: Approved for numerous items, including redistricting, grant acceptances, and budget amendments.
• General Comments: Heard from several citizens on budget priorities, police accountability, and paper tag fraud.