Memphis City Council Meeting - January 23, 2024: Chief Davis Appointment Tabled, Multiple Appointments Approved
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Memphis City Council Meeting - January 23, 2024
The Memphis City Council held its regular meeting on January 23, 2024, at 9:45 AM. The meeting included the tabling of Chief CJ Davis's permanent appointment (she will serve as interim), the approval of multiple director reappointments, recognition of retirees and a marine scientist, and public comments focusing on police transparency, animal services, and MLGW accountability. All votes were unanimous unless noted.
Consent Calendar
- Items 6–10 and 30: Approved (land use control board notations, engineering bond releases, supplemental agreements, and a first-reading ordinance for council meeting dates).
- Items 11–13: Accepted grant funds from Hyde Family Foundation ($48,752 for data software), Blue Cross Blue Shield ($38,160.05 for Carnes Park repairs), and Hollywood Feed ($20,000 for Mud Island Dog Park). Councilwoman Easter Thomas recused from item 13.
- Items 14–16 (MLGW): Awarded contracts for Allen Avenue rehabilitation ($2,886,242.22), McCord DPC installation ($474,875), and Lichterman pumping station enclosure ($440,331.06).
- Items 25–29: Accepted grants for Project Diabetes ($118,000), bridge repairs ($2,756,574.40); reappointed directors of Solid Waste (Philip Davis) and Parks & Neighborhoods (Carrie Walker); and approved a resolution for permit office rules on record owners/operators.
- Item 31: Overrode Mayor's veto of Ordinance 5893.
- Same-night minutes for items 7–31 were approved unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Josh Adams (Memphis for All, 1000 S. Cooper St.) urged the council to reject Chief Davis's appointment, citing a 700% disparity in drug violations and lack of institutional change. He called for direct financial support to youth rather than more policing.
- Joe Kent (511 Flamingo) criticized MLGW's high cash reserves and requested rescinding 2025-26 rate increases, more contract transparency, and public comment on MLGW consent agenda.
- Riesel Catron (Memphis resident) defended Chief Davis and County Clerk Wanda Halbert, asking the council to assist rather than remove them. She also questioned the placement of refineries near communities and MLGW's performance after receiving funds.
- Richard Massey (3615 Central Ave.) opposed Chief Davis's reappointment, citing lack of transparency, DOJ scrutiny, and deaths of Tyre Nichols, Courtney Ross, and Jalen McKenzie.
- Trinity Williams (2000 North Pkwy) representing Black youth, urged rejection of Chief Davis, emphasizing accountability and community representation.
- Amber Sherman (6070 Northville Grove Cove) clarified that a required traffic stop report due October 1, 2023, does not exist, and the dashboard referenced by Councilwoman Cooper Sutton is not due until March. She argued Chief Davis failed to provide basic data.
- Joan Harp (178 S. Growth Park Rd.) spoke in support of Ty Coleman (Animal Services director), citing 1,176 dogs euthanized for space in 2023 and praising his proposals like heat maps. She also criticized the current communications director.
Discussion Items
- Item 24 – Appointment of Chief CJ Davis: Chairman Smiley explained that after conversations with Mayor Young and community leaders, the council voted to table the permanent appointment. Mayor Young confirmed Chief Davis will serve as interim police chief until the council brings the item back for a vote. Chief Davis thanked the body for the opportunity to continue work.
- Item 17 – Appointment of Ty Coleman (Animal Services): Motion to approve made by Easter Thomas after committee did not recommend approval or disapproval. Public comment supported Coleman. Passed unanimously.
- Item 19 – Reappointment of Ashley Cash (Housing & Community Development): Committee did not recommend approval or disapproval; motion to approve passed.
- Item 20 – Reappointment of Keenan McCoy (Libraries): Committee did not recommend approval; motion to approve (Spinoza/Warren) passed unanimously.
- Item 22 – Appointment of Penelope Houston (Chief Communications Officer): Received favorable committee recommendation; passed.
- Item 23 – Appointment of Fonda Foucher (Chief HR Officer): Received favorable committee recommendation; passed.
- Item 28 – Reappointment of Carrie Walker (Parks & Neighborhoods): Councilwoman Easter Thomas recused; item sent down without recommendation. Motion to approve by Warren/Warren passed unanimously.
- Items 4 (Zoning) and 1,2 (Resolutions recognizing Lt. Hawkins and Natalyn Jones): Approved with 12-1 vote on Item 4 (Logan dissented); others by acclamation.
Key Outcomes
- Chief CJ Davis appointment tabled; she remains interim chief until further council action.
- All appointments approved: Chief HR Officer Fonda Foucher, Chief Communications Officer Penelope Houston, Director of Planning John Zena, Director of Libraries Keenan McCoy, Director of Housing & Community Development Ashley Cash, City Engineer Manny Bielan, Director of Animal Services Ty Coleman, Director of Solid Waste Philip Davis, Director of Parks & Neighborhoods Carrie Walker.
- Consent agendas for engineering, MLGW, fiscal items passed unanimously.
- Same-night minutes approved for items 7–31.
- Public comment emphasized ongoing concerns about police transparency, animal shelter operations, and MLGW accountability.
Meeting Transcript
Council members, take your seat. Well, I can't. It's on your call. Council members, please come to your seats. Council members, please come to your seat. We're about to begin. Y'all ready? Is my mic on? Is my mic on? Yes, sir. All right. It's not even sounding good. Can you get it up? Okay. Tell me when we turn something like that. We got too many people. We got too many people on that front room. Sergeant at Arms, please call our January twenty-third, two thousand twenty-four council meeting order. I would like to recognize our chaplain of the day, Pastor James Bodicks of Embassy of Faith Ministries, invited by Councilwoman Logan. Pastor Brodix, please lead us in prayer. All hearts clear. Father God, we thank you for allowing us to be here today. God, we thank you for your grace and your mercy that has brought all of us here to do your bidding. God, we thank you for allowing us to cooperate with what you are doing in the earth. We pray today, God, that this day will mark as a day of healing for our city, and that God, we will look back in the days to come and say that you have done a great work. God, we thank you that every dark place is being illuminated, even right now with your grace. God, we pray even right now, God, that our motives will be pure and our hearts will be pure concerning you and your people. God, we pray for our city that as much as we can see that's wrong, God, that you will begin to show us how you see our city, and we give your name the glory for it. God, we just pray today that as we witness the healing and revitalization of our city, that we will see progress in the days to come, that we will see success in the days to come. For we understand that we know the thoughts that you have for us. Thoughts of good and not of evil, to give Memphis a hope in a future. God, we just want to celebrate you for being God, and we want to celebrate you for being good. God, we want to thank you for our new mayor. God, that even as he has taken on this job, God, that you will constantly walk with him, constantly talk with him, constantly lead and guide him, and we thank you for it right now. God, we thank you for keeping our city for your word declares, unless the Lord watches the city, the white, the watchman waking in vain. So God, we thank you even now for watching our city. And God, we pray that your Holy Spirit, that the Holy Spirit will begin to resonate through our cities, from our churches to our nonprofits. God, we pray even right now that we will be led by you and your guidance and your unction, that we will see a change within the next 12 months in our city. We give your name the glory, we give your name the honor, for it is happening even now. For you are doing a new thing. Shall we not perceive it? Shall we not know it? And we tell you, thank you. For you are God and you are good. In the marvelous master's name of Jesus, we pray. Amen and amen. Thank you, uh, Pastor Broad next. I hope I did not butcher your name. I am known to butcher a name or two. Um thank you for your prayer.
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