Memphis City Council Regular Meeting - January 9, 2024

The Memphis City Council held its regular meeting on January 9, 2024, at 10:30 AM. The meeting included prayer, approval of prior minutes, several zoning and consent items, public comments, and discussions on police reform, MLGW operations, and city appointments. Several decisions were made, including a hold on a rezoning request and a vote to set a public hearing for a controversial biomass project.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of December 19, 2023, Minutes: A public commenter requested that the minutes be tabled due to lack of notice for a document regarding the Brooks management agreement. Council clarified the vote authorized the city to execute the agreement only after litigation is resolved. The minutes were approved with one abstention (Councilmember Cooper Sutton).
• Consent Agenda Items 5–11: Items 7–11 (fiscal consent) were approved. Item 5 (public hearing date for Memphis Urban Wood Plan Development) was removed from consent by Councilmember Easter Thomas, who expressed opposition to the biomass project. After discussion, the motion to remove was withdrawn, and the item was set for a public hearing on February 6, 2024.
• MLGW Fiscal Consent (Items 12–18): Approved collectively after a brief explanation by MLGW President Doug McGowan.
• Appointments (Items 22–24): Approved: Nara Gibson as City Attorney, Gina Sweat as Fire Services Director, and Eric King as IT Director. Public comment was heard on the IT appointment.
• Resolution for Blue Suede Networks (Item 25): Approved to develop a citywide fiber-to-the-premises network.

Public Comments & Testimony

• On Item 43 (Brooks Management Agreement): Virginia McLean (3838 Poplar) requested the minutes be tabled because the document voted on in December was not publicly noticed. Council clarified the vote was for authorization to execute after litigation.
• On Item 5 (Biomass Project): Lenora Pipkin (1328 North Willette) and Stephanie Walker (786 North MacNeil) spoke against the Memphis Urban Wood biomass project, citing lack of community notice and environmental concerns. They urged the council to reject the project.
• On Item 21 (Mud Island/Tom Lee Park Funds): Joe Kent (511 Flamingo) opposed the $3 million transfer, citing lack of financial transparency and unresolved issues with Riverfront projects.
• On MLGW: Joe Kent criticized MLGW for excess cash, large contracts, and lack of transparency.
• On Police Chief Reappointment: Multiple speakers (Sharon Morning, Joshua Adams, Adam Nelson, Richard Massey, Brandon Washington, Amber Sherman) called for the removal of Chief CJ Davis, citing lack of data transparency, failure to implement traffic ordinances, and prior incidents. One speaker, Walter Brody, offered prayer and support for all leaders.
• On Street Blight: Marciano Pigram (439 Bill) requested help with blight clean-up in the 38127 area.
• On Health Care Benefits for Council: Dennis Ostrich (719 Hotland) and Felicia Boyd (5258 Quince) opposed lifetime health benefits for two-term council members, arguing it was a misuse of public funds.
• On MTA (Memphis Transit Authority): Jalisa Monroe (4628 Bentwood) raised concerns about lack of warming stations in Orange Mound and broken heaters on trolleys.

Discussion Items

• Item 3 – Zoning Reclassification at 5516 Rains Road: A request to rezone 1.6 acres from single-family residential to employment use. DPD staff recommended approval as consistent with Memphis 3.0. No opposition. Approved unanimously.
• Item 4 – Zoning Reclassification at 3549–3561 Fuller Road: A request to rezone three parcels from residential to employment. DPD recommended rejection, citing inconsistency with Memphis 3.0 and encroachment on a residential street. The applicant had already converted one house to an office and built a parking lot without permits. Councilmembers Carlisle and Cooper Sutton expressed concerns about process and impact on neighbors. The item was held for two weeks for further community input.
• Item 5 – Public Hearing Date for PD 23-25 (Memphis Urban Wood Plan): Councilmember Easter Thomas initially moved to remove from consent and later requested a hold to allow the applicant to present. After legal advice, the council set the public hearing for February 6, 2024, allowing time for notice and community input.
• Item 20 – Fleet Task Force Resolution: Approved to create a task force to recommend best practices for fleet maintenance and procurement.
• Item 21 – Transfer of $3M from Mud Island River Park to Tom Lee Park: The resolution was tabled after discussion that the original funding source (geobonds) was no longer available and the resolution was in improper form.

Key Outcomes

• Approved: Minutes of December 19, 2023 (with one abstention).
• Approved: Zoning reclassification for 5516 Rains Road (Item 3) – unanimous.
• Held for two weeks: Zoning reclassification for Fuller Road (Item 4) – to allow community outreach.
• Set public hearing: February 6, 2024 for Memphis Urban Wood Plan (Item 5).
• Approved: Fiscal consent agenda (Items 7–11) – all granted with same-night minutes.
• Approved: MLGW fiscal consent (Items 12–18) – all granted.
• Approved: Appointments of Nara Gibson (City Attorney), Gina Sweat (Fire Services Director), and Eric King (IT Director) – all with public comment heard.
• Approved: Blue Suede Networks fiber network resolution (Item 25).
• Approved: Fleet Task Force resolution (Item 20).
• Tabled: $3M transfer from Mud Island to Tom Lee Park (Item 21) – due to funding issues and improper form.
• Same-night minutes approved for Items 6, 7–11, 22–25.
• Adjourned at [time not specified].