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MLGW consent agenda approvals

At a glance

Based on auto-generated captions; names and details may be misheard.

  • What: Memphis Light, Gas and Water asked the council for about $4.9 million of multi-year contract approvals on its consent agenda.
  • Where it stands: after committee discussion the full council approved items 11 to 16 on 10/20/2026 on a roll call with no opposing votes.
  • Next: MLGW also expects to seek a rate increase from its own board.

The approvals

  • Partial funding of the pollution control groundwater quality program run by the Shelby County Health Department (55 cents per meter, paid by all county water systems; it covers sampling and monitoring of wells, including private wells). MLGW separately funds a two-phase groundwater study and a U.S. Geological Survey well-placement contract.
  • Replacement of a 12-inch and an 8-inch water main near South 2nd Street and Union Avenue (north and west of the Peabody Hotel), where repeated breaks have torn up streets and flooded the hotel basement. Work starts this winter and takes about a year.
  • A five-year contract with LBMC for analysis of 30-minute smart-meter data, used to forecast peaks and decide when to dispatch batteries for peak shaving.
  • Purchase of 320 concrete post-tops and 661 high-power flood light fixtures for the street light inventory (new areas and replacement of damaged units).
  • $1.7 million over 24 months for about 405,000 linear feet (76 miles) of high-voltage distribution wire, part of an roughly $11 million wire budget.

Earlier approvals (10/8/2026)

  • Items 9 to 16 on the recessed October 6 meeting's MLGW fiscal consent agenda: Lamar Avenue relocation payment to the Tennessee Department of Transportation ($1,488,978.78), utility relocation, corrosion assessment, payment center and meter testing contract renewals, a $1,686,234 bucket truck purchase, $616,601.30 of water meter parts and a $1,087,500 external auditing contract (CLA). Walker moved and Vice Chair Carlisle seconded; all 13 members voted yes, with no questions.

Questions

  • Why only two blocks? Smith (acting manager, water engineering) said that stretch has had the most breaks and the pipes date to about the 1940s; many downtown pipes are of that age.
  • McGowan said predicting water main failure is hard, so replacement is about prioritization within a budget; data center revenue was raised as a possible source.
  • Damage recovery: MLGW's claims department recovers roughly $1 million a year from drivers who knock down poles.

Council action

  • Items 11 to 16 were read together on 10/20/2026; Walker moved the committee's favorable recommendation and Warren seconded. No questions came from the floor.
  • Items as read: payment to the groundwater quality control program with the Shelby County Health Department, the South 2nd Street and Union Avenue water main replacement (Magnolia Underground Construction), a meter interval data analysis contract, concrete street light post-tops, LED flood light luminaires, and ratification of a purchase order with Brighter Days and Nights, Inc.

Earlier approvals (official minutes, January to February 2026)

The Council approved MLGW fiscal consent agendas in a single roll-call vote at each meeting; there were no recorded questions in the minutes.

  • January 27, 2026 (items 8 to 17, 13-0): voltage instrument transformers (Ritz Instrument Transformers and Trench Limited, up to $1,600,000), AT&T internet service renewal ($84,000), TDW (US) survey increase ($35,186), ATG Supply brackets and transformers ($179,308.70), Engineered Sealing Components ratification ($92,626.18), Allen Pumping Station aerator re-roof ($305,550.30), 12-month cable extension with Universal Scaffold and Equipment ($5,000,000), Howard Industries regulators ($208,794), courier services ($158,427.01) and Korn Ferry survey administration ($76,608).
  • February 3, 2026 (items 6 to 10, 10-0): $227,000 TVA Community Care matching funds for utility bill assistance, data historian replacement ($710,857), Quest Toad licenses ($461,065.29), janitorial renewal ($360,484.38) and on-call consulting renewal ($500,000).
  • February 24, 2026 (items 8 to 15, 11-0): WorkOtter software scope change ($20,020), LED luminaires ($361,038.08) and concrete post tops ($190,838.60), utility bill insertion system ($734,820), control cable extension ($1,643,300), Bridgewater Consulting emergency support ($350,000), Leap Five education campaign ($475,000) and the $171,204.80 salary for a new Director of Internal Audit.
  • Separately, the Council limited the MLGW contracts and salaries it must approve; see MLGW Contract Authority Limits.
  • 2026-09-15 - Memphis City Council - MLGW fiscal consent items 16 to 24 (about $1 million substation engineering renewal, $420,000 GDS Associates increase, $740,600 transformers, state relocation invoices) passed on a roll call with all yes.

Sources

Discussion time

About 24 minutes across 3 meetings (from transcript timestamps; approximate).

Meeting Minutes
2026-10-20 - Memphis City Council 3
2026-10-20 - City Council Committees 16
2026-10-08 - Memphis City Council 5

Log

2026-02-24 - Memphis City Council

  • MLGW fiscal consent items 8 to 15 approved 11-0: WorkOtter project portfolio software scope change (contract 12390, $20,020); Engineered Sealing Components purchase orders for horizontal LED luminaires ($361,038.08) and concrete post tops ($190,838.60); Bell and Howell utility bill insertion system and lease (contract 12599, $734,820); 12-month extension of ATG Supply control cable purchase order ($1,643,300); Bridgewater Consulting Group revenue and meter services support, emergency scope increase (contract 12594, $350,000); Leap Five dba Matter public and employee education campaign (contract 12596, $475,000); annual salary of $171,204.80 for the new Director of Internal Audit.
    • Motion Walker, second Cooper-Sutton. Ayes (11): Canale, Carlisle, Cooper-Sutton, Ford, Green, Logan, Spinosa, Walker, Warren, White, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Easter-Thomas. Absent: Smiley.

2026-02-03 - Memphis City Council

  • MLGW fiscal consent items 6 to 10 approved 10-0: $227,000 in matching funds with TVA Community Care funds for utility bill assistance through a local nonprofit; Open Systems International data historian replacement, contract 12606 ($710,857); Quest Toad software licenses from TechnologyX ($461,065.29); renewal of janitorial contract 12298 with Mason's Professional Cleaning Services ($360,484.38); renewal of on-call consulting contract 12253 with Allen & Hoshall ($500,000).
    • Motion Walker, second Warren. Ayes (10): Canale, Carlisle, Easter-Thomas, Ford, Green, Spinosa, Smiley, Walker, Warren, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Cooper-Sutton. Absent: Logan, White.

2026-01-27 - Memphis City Council

  • MLGW fiscal consent items 8 to 17 approved 13-0: voltage instrument transformers (Ritz Instrument Transformers and Trench Limited, 60-month purchase orders, not to exceed $1,600,000); AT&T internet service renewal ($84,000); TDW (US) ILI survey increase ($35,186); ATG Supply brackets and transformers ($179,308.70); ratification of a purchase order with Engineered Sealing Components for concrete standards ($92,626.18); B-Four Plied for the Allen Pumping Station aerator re-roof ($305,550.30); 12-month extension of a purchase order with Universal Scaffold and Equipment for medium-voltage EPR cable ($5,000,000); Howard Industries regulators ($208,794); Texenn dba Diligent Delivery Systems courier services ($158,427.01); Korn Ferry survey administration increase ($76,608).
    • Motion Walker, second Warren. Ayes (13): Canale, Carlisle, Cooper-Sutton, Easter-Thomas, Ford, Green, Logan, Smiley, Spinosa, Walker, Warren, White, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington.
  • 2026-10-06 - City Council Committees - MLGW committee discussed about $5.7 million of requested approvals; no vote.
  • 2026-09-15 - City Council Committees - Committee briefing on consent items ($420,000 battery storage study, substation transformers, broker contracts); no vote shown.
  • 2026-11-07 - 2026-11-10 - City Council Full Meeting - New consents on the agenda: $4,000,000 water well drilling; renewals of $9,000,000 and $10,000,000 and a third of $1,750,000; IS/IT staffing increases; TEKsystems $2,011,814; Microsoft 365 $729,412. Winter preparation is before the MLGW committee (2026-11-10 - City Council Committees).