Good afternoon, ma'am.

How are you today?

Council members, will you please take your seats?

The usual.

All right, please.

I would like to recognize our chaplain of the day.

Colleagues, uh, it's a great pleasure for me to invite my high school classmate, Reverend Joel Nichols from Redeemed Church, uh, for our prayer this afternoon.

So, Reverend Nichols, will you please lead us in prayer?

Good afternoon, everyone.

Thank you, Chairman Jones for the invitation today, and to everyone present, if you will please join me and bow your heads in a word of prayer.

Dear Lord, our Heavenly Father, we thank you, and we praise you for your goodness and your mercy.

We thank you for being a God of love, and we thank you for being with us and present in this city council meeting today.

Dear Lord, as this meeting gets underway, we ask that you grant all of our leaders with wisdom and direction.

Give them grace as they tackle what is no doubt a difficult job.

Enable them to make the best decisions for our community.

God, we pray for a productive meeting today and that the solutions and policies crafted today will honor you and benefit the citizens of Memphis.

We pray for togetherness as solutions and are discussed that will not just meet the needs but will exceed the needs of this community.

Lord, we pray for all of the employees, those in the offices and those in the field, the first responders, police, fire safety workers, health care workers, and educators, and everyone who works to serve and protect the Memphis community.

Give our officials and city leaders the discernment needed to rule and judge wisely.

And God, we ask that you would enable us as citizens to do what you've instructed us to do, which is to pray for our leaders and for those in authority, so that we may all live peaceful lives.

And finally, dear Lord, we pray for grace, mercy, and peace throughout our entire city, our county, and our entire nation.

And we pray that your spirit would rest, rule, and abide within each of one of us, both now and forever.

In Jesus' name we pray, thank God.

Let us all say Amen.

And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty, justice for all.

Thank you, sir.

Good to see you.

Chairman Jones, you are recognized.

Thank you.

Colleagues, greetings.

Be it therefore known that Reverend Joel Nichols, in recognition of a life of exemplary qualities, outstanding service to the city, meritorious involvement in humanitarian affairs, and demonstrated concern for governmental processes, has been appointed the chaplain of the day of the Memphis City Council and is hereby entitled to all of the honors, rights, privileges, and prerogatives appertaining to the office and to the display of the certificate.

Given under seal this 26th day of September 2023, signed by Martavius Jones, Chairman of Memphis City Council.

Thank you, sir.

And here's a token of our appreciation for your opening up our meeting with prayer.

Good to see you, sir.

Madam Comptroller, will you please call the roll?

Thank you, Mr.

Chairman.

Council members Canale.

Carlisle.

Easter Thomas.

Johnson.

Logan.

Morgan.

Robinson.

Vice Chairman Smiley.

Swearing Jen Washington.

Present.

Warren?

Present.

Chairman Jones.

Here.

Mr.

Chairman, you have a quorum.

Thank you.

Chairman you have a quorum thank you I believe Vice Chair Smiley has reviewed our minutes from our September 12th meeting I have reviewed the minutes uh find them to be in order uh move the adoption of September 12th meeting minutes and if you do so electronically please one thing at a time chairman council Carlisle Thank you Mr.

Chairman uh colleagues I need to pull uh hold uh or pull off the minutes item number eight the council grant program uh I'd like to do so without objection okay if there's no objection the council grant program or item number eight in our minutes from the last meeting will be removed and we will consider the minutes excluding item number eight thank you mr.

chairman yes ma'am I'm gonna make an amendment to them if I may Mr.

Chair okay I'm gonna make a two amendments to them for Councilman Easter Thomas and I and then we're gonna put it back on and ratify them okay so colleagues it has been moved by councilwoman Logan seconded by councilwoman swear in Washington to approve our minutes from our previous meeting X item number eight which is the council grant program so the screens have been prepared for your vote canale yes Carlisle yes call that yes Ford yes Johnson yes Logan yes Morgan yes Robinson yes vice chairman smiley yes swearing washington yes chairman jones yes our minutes from the previous meeting have have been approved councilman carlisle uh thank you mr chairman colleagues I would move to amend item number eight a resolution allocate and appropriate three point two five million dollars in city council community grant funds to nonprofit agencies for fiscal year 24 there will be uh spreadsheet passed out it is councilwoman easter thomas and eyes uh allocations uh in all honesty I uh I actually did get 187 out but I left it on my desk upstairs so it's not on Brianna it's on me uh but the following allocations be entered into the record and dispersed and I will get the situation rectified immediately to get in compliance with the grant program thank you uh and I so move Mr.

Chairman okay um item number eight from our previous meeting has five council trial second will you please prepare the screens for the vote um sure that'll be fine okay I can I do the last time motion and second move by Carlisle seconded by Swedge and Washington certainly colleagues please vote on item number eight from our previous meeting which is item number seventeen yeah yeah yes Carlisle yes colvet yes Johnson yes Logan yes Morgan yes Robinson yes vice chairman smiley yes swearing washington yes chairman jones yes that item passes welcome to the September 26th regular meeting of the Memphis city council meetings of the council shall be conducted in an orderly manner to ensure that the public has the full opportunity to be heard and the deliberative process of the council is retained at all times the sergeant at arms has meeting agendas available up front as well as comment cards from members of the public wishing to speak on a specific item all those wishing to speak on an item must turn in their comment card to the sergeant at arms before the item is read if you are not here to speak on a specific item you can note your request to give general comments at the end of the meeting as chair will only recognize citizens that properly register to speak by submitting a completed comment request card to the sergeant at arms members of the audience and member and persons addressing the council will not be permitted to engage in gossip make make defamatory personal slanderous or profane comments or use abusive or vogal language the chairperson of the council may maintain order by giving any person who are in violations any persons who are in violations of the stated rules of decorum a warning to cease any violative conduct in order to leave the council chambers or by giving an order for security personnel to remove any disruptive person in the council's chambers who refuses to leave voluntarily madam comptroller items number one four and thirteen will be held until our October 10th meeting thank you Mr Chairman