Memphis City Council Regular Meeting - November 7, 2023

The Memphis City Council held its regular meeting on November 7, 2023 at 9:15 AM. The meeting was called to order with a prayer by Reverend Ronnie C. King of Grace Missionary Baptist Church, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance. The council approved the minutes from the October 24, 2023 meeting and conducted a full agenda including resolutions, ordinances, consent items, and public comments. Key themes included workforce development, community celebrations, land use approvals, transit funding, towing fee updates, and public concerns about utility rates.

Consent Calendar

• Item 2: Resolution declaring November 13–19, 2023 as National Apprenticeship Week in Memphis. Approved by acclamation.
• Item 29: Resolution celebrating the Church of God in Christ’s 115th Holy Convocation and declaring November 7, 2023 as COGIC Day. Approved by acclamation. Bishop Brandon Porter spoke and invited council members to Civic Night at the Renaissance.
• Item 1: Resolution to rename Marcandell Street between Park Avenue and Spotswood Avenue as Bishop E. Lynn Brown Street. Approved by acclamation. Elder Tracy Jackson accepted on behalf of the CME Church.
• Item 3: Planned development (PD 23-20) at 7057 Shelby Drive. Approved unanimously.
• Item 5: Alley closure west of Bellevue Boulevard between Madison and Munro Avenues. Approved unanimously.
• Consent Agenda (Items 8–12): Included ordinances, zoning amendments, and public improvements. Approved unanimously.
• Fiscal Consent Agenda (Items 13–14): Included grant funds from Tennessee Commission on Aging and Disability ($40,000) and wastewater facilities financing ($39,636,000). Approved unanimously.
• MLGW Fiscal Consent Agenda (Items 15–21): Included natural gas supply agreement amendment, change orders for generator maintenance, substation engineering services, and purchase orders for connectors ($264,220) and fire hydrants ($2,055,725.28). Approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

Six members of the public spoke during the public comments section, all addressing concerns about MLGW’s proposed 12% rate increase and calling for a forensic audit:

• Glenda Hicks (21st Century Memphis or Bust) asked where previous rate increases (especially 7.5% in 2020) had gone, noting poor outage restoration performance and requesting a forensic audit.
• Dennis Lynch (347 N. McLean) opposed MLGW’s purchase of aeroturbines, arguing MLGW had not proven need and should instead explore solar, wind, storage, and peak reduction strategies.
• Dr. Ray Bauer (2000 North Parkway, co-founder of 21st Century Memphis or Bust) requested an independent forensic audit of MLGW from January 2020 onward, citing deteriorating service and questioned whether the 12% increase was a bargaining tactic. He noted Shelby County’s high energy burden.
• John Schompert Jr. (2356 Hawkhurst Street) supported the audit call, questioning how much of the $800 million allocated for infrastructure had been spent and insisting on accurate bills before any rate increase.
• Joe Kent (511 Flamingo, Tax Prepared Justice Institute) cited MLGW Commissioner Mitch Graves implying the budget was not grounded in reality, pointed out discrepancies in capital spending figures ($296.6 million vs. $520 million), and argued for a rate decrease instead of an increase.
• Walter Brody (4256 Net Bedicov) offered a prayer and noted Councilwoman Easter Thomas’s 75th birthday.

Discussion Items

• Item 4 – Planned Development (PD 23-21) at 511 Sanderland Avenue: Councilwoman Johnson moved approval. Councilman Carlisle recused due to a financial conflict of interest. Two public speakers (Robert Dinkelspiel, William Hagerman) supported the development but requested continued work on the landscape buffer. A substitute resolution added a class three buffer along the eastern property line. Passed unanimously (with Carlisle excused).
• Item 26 – Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Funding: Resolution to appropriate $5,000,750 from FY24 CIP funds for the Memphis Innovation Corridor BRT (project GA03028). Moved by Councilman Canale. Public comment by Joe Kent questioned the project’s timeline (two years behind schedule) and spending pattern. Passed unanimously.
• Item 27 – Transit Vision Bus Shelters: Resolution to appropriate $750,000 for transit vision (project GA03029). Moved by Councilman Canale. MATA CEO Gary Rosenfeld presented maps of existing and planned shelters. Council discussion focused on Poplar Avenue safety challenges, ADA compliance, and the need for innovative shelter designs. Councilwoman Logan expressed concern about service reductions in her district. Rosenfeld noted $7.2 million would fund all needed shelters. Passed unanimously.
• Item 28 – Stormwater Revenue Bonds for South Cypress Creek: Resolution to approve a $3.5 million MOU with Shelby County for the Resilience Grant. Moved by Vice Chair Smiley. Explanation: the lowest bid for the flood control project came in $3.5 million over budget; same-night minutes were needed to avoid losing the bid. Passed unanimously.
• Item 24 – Police Advisory and Review Committee Ordinance: Third reading of Ordinance 5885 to create a police advisory and review committee. Moved by Councilwoman Logan. Passed unanimously.
• Item 25 – Towing Fees Ordinance: Third reading of Ordinance 5876 (held from October 24) to update towing fees for Class A, B, and C records. Extensive debate: Councilman Canale introduced the substitute to align with state law and THP rates. Public testimony from Angela Inman, Evan Miller, and others supported the increase, citing 16 years without a raise, rising insurance and equipment costs. Councilman Jones expressed concerns about the impact on low-income residents given high poverty rates. Councilman Carlisle argued it was a public safety issue. Councilman Morgan questioned why the council regulates non-consent tows only. Passed 11-1 (Chairman Jones voted no).
• Same Night Minutes: Items 12, 13, 14, 25, 26, 27, and 28 were approved for same-night adoption.

Key Outcomes

• All routine consent items and resolutions were approved, most unanimously.
• The towing fee ordinance (Item 25) passed with one dissenting vote (Chairman Jones).
• The council approved $5,000,750 for BRT and $750,000 for bus shelters, with MATA committing to ongoing shelter deployment.
• The council approved $3.5 million in stormwater funds for the South Cypress Creek flood resilience project.
• The council passed the third reading of the police advisory and review committee ordinance.
• Public comments highlighted strong opposition to MLGW’s proposed 12% rate increase, with multiple speakers demanding a forensic audit before any rate action.