Memphis City Council Regular Meeting - December 19, 2023
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Memphis City Council Regular Meeting – December 19, 2023
The Memphis City Council held its final meeting of 2023 on December 19, recognizing outgoing members and addressing several contentious items including street closures, the Brooks Museum management agreement, and the transfer of Liberty Bowl Stadium to the University of Memphis. The meeting included public testimony, committee reports, and votes on multiple resolutions and ordinances.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of December 5, 2023 meeting minutes (passed unanimously).
- Resolutions honoring Dr. Sammy Holloway (honorary street name), Wanda Taylor (Ladies in Need Can Survive), Bobby Austin (MUS coach), and outgoing council members Cheyenne Johnson, Patrice Robinson, Frank Colvet, Worth Morgan, and Chairman Martavius Jones (all approved by acclamation).
- Consent agenda items 14–18 (engineering plans and bonds) approved.
- MLGW fiscal consent agenda items 19–26 approved after public comments.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Joe Kent urged reconsideration of MLGW rate increase votes, alleging illegalities and lack of public notice.
- Glenda Hicks asked council to weigh citizen financial burdens when approving MLGW contracts.
- Pamela Moses complained about a false gas leak charge and threatened federal action if council continued funding MLGW.
- Richard Massey opposed the mayor’s salary increase, advocating for wage increases from the bottom up.
- Fred Jones (Southern Heritage Classic) and Steve Earhart (AutoZone Liberty Bowl) expressed concerns that the Liberty Bowl transfer documents were received too late and could harm their events; they requested time to negotiate.
- On Chickasaw Gardens street closures (Items 9 & 10), proponents (Cindy Reeves, Sue Clark, Jim Raines, Jarrett Wilder) cited 92% neighborhood support and pedestrian safety. Opponents (Lou Wardlaw, Julie Green, Michael Hoots, William Maroon, Lynn Joyner) argued the gates were exclusionary, would block public park access, and set a bad precedent.
- Virginia McLean and Stacy Greenway (Friends for Our Riverfront) asked to delay the Brooks Museum management agreement due to ongoing litigation and lack of public contract details.
Discussion Items
- Chickasaw Gardens Right-of-Way Vacation (Items 9 & 10): Staff presented the request to close two street segments to vehicles but allow pedestrians and bikes. Council debated safety, inclusivity, and data. A motion to hold until January 9, 2024 passed 6–5 (Ford, Logan, Smiley, Swearingin Washington, Warren, Jones in favor; Carlisle, Colvet, Johnson, Morgan, Robinson against).
- Plan Development – Self-Storage Facility (Item 11): Approved 8–1 (Warren opposed).
- Brooks Museum Management Agreement (Item 43): After removing same‑night minutes, the council approved the agreement with Vice Chairman Smiley abstaining. Public comments noted litigation over land ownership.
- Liberty Bowl Stadium Transfer (Item 38): The council voted 8–2 (Jones and Swearingin Washington opposed; Logan abstained) to approve the transfer to the University of Memphis without same‑night minutes, giving parties until January 9 to finalize terms. The LOI includes a three‑year firm term and five one‑year options for current events. Council members stressed that material changes must return for approval.
- Mayor and Council Salary Ordinance (Items 28 & 29): Ordinance 5892 (mayor’s salary increase) passed. Ordinance 5893 (referendum to allow council to set salaries independently of county commission) passed as a ballot item.
Key Outcomes
- Approved minutes and consent calendar.
- Held Chickasaw Gardens street closures to January 9, 2024.
- Approved self‑storage plan development (8‑1).
- Approved Brooks Museum management agreement (with one abstention).
- Approved Liberty Bowl stadium transfer to University of Memphis (8‑2, one abstention); parties to finalize agreements by January 9.
- Passed mayor salary increase and salary referendum.
- All remaining add‑on items (40–44) and regular agenda items approved.
- Meeting adjourned after closing remarks and prayer.
Meeting Transcript
Okay. I'm gonna hang out. Yeah, If you're gonna talk about it, we all need to go back to the same thing. I'll share that. All right, well, it's all right. I got playing like reading. Yeah, that was great. Yeah, maybe it's my speech. Yeah, there's something trying to keep it. Oh, you couldn't. Um give you something to try. Oh, just in case she wants to try to help me keep it. Okay, I'll try to see. Mr. Sergeant at Arms, will you please call our December nineteenth twenty twenty-three council meeting to order? I would like to recognize our chaplain of the day, Reverend Dr. Wayne Williams is the pastor of Pleasant Grove, CME Church in CME Church, New Door, Mississippi, and presiding elder of the Olive Branch Sardis District. Lord, in a world where violence is raging in general, and in the city of Memphis in particular, you are still God. You are still Jehovah Rafa, the God of healing. Please heal this wonderful city of Memphis, Tennessee. Lord, thank you for the vision and the outstanding leadership of our outgoing mayor, Mayor Strickland, for his two terms, and we look forward to the visionary leadership of our new mayor, Paul Young. Give him all he needs to move this city in a positive direction. And Lord, bless the old and the new members of this council. Give them grace, give them love, give them honor, and may they earn the respect, integrity, and character to govern the affairs of the city of Memphis without any hesitation, mental reservation, or secret evasion within them. Please give them the wisdom and knowledge to enact laws and legislation that will benefit the citizens of Memphis. And as we as we close this prayer, let us be mindful of the real reason of this Advent season, Jesus Christ. May we have hope, peace, joy, and love this Christmas and throughout the new year. It is in the name of Mary's first baby, Jesus Christ, amen. Amen. One nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all. Come on, please. Council members, it is an honor for me to recognize the Reverend Dr. Wayne Williams for the invocation that he provided for us today. I've known Mr. Williams for a very, very long time, and I can assure you his words came from the heart and a very sincere message that was sent up on our behalf today. Mr. Reverend Dr. Wayne Williams, in recognition of a life of exemplary qualities, outstanding service to the city, meritor's involvement and humanitarian affairs, and demonstrated concerns for governmental processes, has been appointed chaplain of the day of the Memphis City Council, and is hereby entitled to all the honors, rights, privileges, and prerogatives pertaining to the office and to be displayed of this certificate given under this seal this 19th day of December 2023. Mark Tavis Jones is the chairman and is presented by Shine Johnson, member of the City Council Super District. Hey, position two. And I so move. Thank you so very much. And I just want to know we do go by quite a bit. I hate that this person is going out of here, but I can tell you this one thing. She is certainly one that believes in doing the right thing. I appreciate her, and words cannot express how much I appreciate this honor, and it will always be engraved upon the tablets of my heart. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you. Hey, these pictures are really good.
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