Memphis City Council Regular Meeting – September 9, 2025
Memphis City Council Regular Meeting – September 9, 2025
The Memphis City Council met in regular session on September 9, 2025, at approximately 10:45 AM to consider a range of resolutions, consent items, and public comments. The meeting opened with a prayer by Assistant Pastor Amisha Alice Perry, invited by Councilwoman Cooper Sutton, followed by roll call establishing a quorum. Several resolutions were adopted, including honors for organizations and individuals, approval of land use appeals, and funding allocations for city projects. Public comment included testimony from library workers seeking civil service status, a community member grieving police conduct, and advocates for stray animal control.
Consent Calendar
- Adoption of the August 19, 2025 meeting minutes (moved by Vice Chair JSW, seconded by Carlisle; unanimous vote).
- Consent agenda (items 6-7): Final plat approvals for Wartford Industrial Park Phase 2 and St. Jude Advanced Research Center, accepting bonds as security. Passed unanimously.
- Fiscal consent (items 8-11 plus 39): Acceptance and appropriation of grant funds for police training, financial empowerment, and other purposes. All passed unanimously.
- MLGW fiscal consent (items 12-21): Approval of contracts for painting, payment processing, cable, lighting, auditing, retirement audits, paper supplies, and insurance. Item 20 (new hire salary) requested same-night minutes. All passed unanimously.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Item 4 (Land Use Appeal): Dr. Lynette Williams (Acklena Lakeview Garden CDC), Winnie Hardaway, and Dr. Kimberly Pearson spoke in support of an agreement to prohibit a gas station and oil change facility at 4696 South Third Street, allowing only EV stations and other uses. They thanked the council for community collaboration.
- Item 38 (Advisory Board on AI Funds): Sarah Gladney, Winnie Hardaway, Dr. Kimberly Pearson, and Keyshaw Pearson questioned the 25% allocation to impacted communities and urged inclusion of community members in the new advisory board. All expressed cautious support for the board but stressed the need for ongoing community engagement.
- General Public Comment (end of meeting):
- Emilon Rogers, Alexandra Farmer, and Laura Bontrager (Memphis Public Libraries Workers United) requested reclassification from appointed to civil service status and the right to collective bargaining, urging council to put a charter referendum on the 2026 ballot.
- Lamichael Wilson described a Memphis police officer taking unauthorized photos of his deceased mother and called for strict policies against misuse of deceased persons’ property.
- LD Thompson Sr. and Ms. Davis Thompson asked for a longer application window for nonprofit grants.
- Dr. Tara Tungpun and Alexis Agnew advocated for increased funding for spay/neuter services and stray animal control.
- Glenda Hicks urged council to prioritize citizens over corporate interests.
Discussion Items
- Item 1: Resolution recognizing Kids in Technology for STEM education contributions, including development of the Summer Link app saving $100,000. Passed by acclamation.
- Item 2: Resolution approving honorary street name change of Scott Street to Noble H. Owens Street (between Broad and Nathan) in Binghampton. Passed.
- Item 3: Resolution honoring Edge for receiving the 2024 CDFA Distinguished Development Finance Agency Award. President Jo Ann Massey and team recognized. Passed by acclamation.
- Item 4 (Appeal of Dr. Lynette Williams): After public comment, the council voted to approve the resolution, which included an agreement to restrict the development to exclude gas stations and oil change facilities. Unanimous vote.
- Item 25: Resolution appropriating PILOT proceeds (up to $1 million) to affordable housing. Passed.
- Item 26: Resolution accepting $1,548,900 from Shelby County for Southwest Twin Redevelopment. Passed.
- Item 27: Resolution appropriating bond proceeds ($1,412,836.69) for Fairgrounds Tourism Development Zone. Passed.
- Item 28: Resolution allocating $200,000 to Shelby County Environmental Court's indigent fund for blight reduction. Passed.
- Item 29: Resolution allocating funding for neighborhood associations' anti-blight and beautification efforts. Passed.
- Item 30: Resolution establishing the Memphis City Council Community Grant Program for FY26. Passed as amended.
- Item 31: Resolution to amend rules of procedure. Passed.
- Items 32-36: Various funding resolutions for Brooks Museum, animal shelter, sewer rehabilitation, drainage improvements, and insurance proceeds. All passed unanimously.
- Item 37: Resolution allocating $15,000 annually for five years to Clean Memphis was held until September 22, 2025, after Councilwoman Logan noted potential duplication with City Beautiful.
- Item 38: Resolution to create an advisory board for public funds from AI properties. Passed with amendment to include community members on the board.
- Item 40: Resolution exempting Division of Finance employees from civil service rules. Passed (Smiley abstained).
- Item 41: Resolution approving transportation trustee agreement. Passed (Easter Thomas abstained).
- Item 24 (withdrawn): Originally announced as held until October, later withdrawn by sponsor Councilman Spinoza.
Key Outcomes
- All resolutions on the consent and fiscal consent agendas were approved unanimously.
- The appeal (Item 4) was resolved with a negotiated restriction on gas station/oil change use; approved unanimously.
- Item 37 was held until September 22, 2025, without objection.
- Item 38 passed with amendments to the advisory board composition.
- Same-night minutes were approved for items 2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 20, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, and 41.
- The meeting adjourned after public comment.
Meeting Transcript
Sergeant Arms, would you please call our September 9th, 2025 meeting to order? All right. I would like to recognize our chaplain of the day, assistant Pastor Amisha Alice Perry of Dominion Transformation Center Church, invited by Councilwoman Cooper Sutton. Pastor Perry, would you please lead us in prayer? Amen. Matthew, the 12th chapter, the 21st verse, 25th verse says, and Jesus knew their heart thoughts and said unto them, every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand. Let us pray. So Father, first of all, we tell you thank you. We thank you for your grace. We thank you for your mercy, God, and we thank you just for being good to us. God, we thank you, Lord God, that you've allowed us to see another day. God, we thank you that you've allowed us, Lord God, to remain and even assume our positions in the earth, Father. God, we praise you, we magnify you, and we lift you up, God. We thank you for being a God that sits high and look low. God, we thank you for being sovereign in all your ways and your glory shall be revealed in this earth. God, so now we're asking you, Father, to look upon our city, Father, and even our gatekeepers, God. God, we ask you right now that you touch minds, hearts, father, regulate minds and hearts. God, you touch their spirits, Father, that they do what you've called them to do. God, I ask you right now that you just have your way, Father, and anything that's not like you, Father. We ask you right now that you, God, cast it down and cast it out right now, Father, that your will shall be done, Father. I speak unity right now over our city. God, I thank you right now that we'll be unified. That how must we walk together unless we agree, Father? So God, we thank you, Lord God, for what you're getting ready to do. We thank you for what you've already done, Father. And God, we thank you for what you've already getting ready to do in the next couple of minutes, Father. God, we praise you, we magnify you, and we lift you up, Father. God, your glory shall be revealed, Father, and we just give you the glory. We bless your name, God, and all things, Father, you shall be revealed, God. Your glory shall be revealed in the earth, God, even in the city, God. We thank you for redeeming our city, God. We thank you for sending on the right path of righteousness, God, that your righteousness shall be revealed in the earth. So we praise you, we magnify you, we lift you up, God, and we give you all the glory, God. We believe that you will show your hand in a mighty way. God, we believe that you're not like man that shall change your mind, or God, or even go the other way concerning us. So, God, we thank you, and we believe and will stand on your word, God, that what you're about to do, you will do it, God, and your son Jesus' name, Father, because it is done, Father, and it is so, and these things we do ask, and we say, Hallelujah, and amen. Councilwoman Cooper Sutton, you're recognized. Thank you for that powerful and spiritual prayer, and I pray that it touches every heart and every mind. Thank you so much. The city of Memphis, Tennessee, by the city council, greetings. Be it hereby known that assistant pastor Perry and recognition of a life of exemplarity qualities under standing service to the city, involvement in humanitarian affairs, and demonstrate concern of governmental process, has been appointed the chaplain of the day of the Memphis City Council, and is hereby entitled to all of the honors, the rights, the privileges obtaining to the office and to display of this certificate given under the seal this ninth day of September 25. Our chairman Jay Ford Canale, presented by the member of the council, Yolanda Cooper Sutton. Thank you. Madam Countroller, please call the roll. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Council members Carlisle, Cooper Sutton, Easter Thomas, Ford, Green, President Logan, Smiley, Spinoza, Swearing, Washington, President, Walker, Warren, White, Chairman Canale. Here. Mr. Chairman, you have a quorum.
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