Local Politics
  1. Home
  2. US
  3. Tennessee
  4. Memphis
  5. Meetings

2026-04-14 - Memphis City Council

Summary

Built from the official City Council minutes. No video or transcript is posted for this meeting. The minutes record agenda items, motions and votes, not the debate. Vote lists are as printed, including the minutes' practice of listing members as "did not cast a vote".

  • Regular meeting 4:14 to 6:54 PM; Easter-Thomas and Warren absent, 11 members present.
  • Quince Liquor 2 alcohol commission appeal: the motion failed 4-5 with one abstention.
  • A motion to remove item 16 from the March 24 minutes failed 5-5; the March 24 minutes were then approved 7-3.
  • Held: Small Business Enterprise ordinance (a seventh hold), Liberty Park Phase Two ($500,000) and the fairgrounds redevelopment ($300,000) to April 28, and the Melrose School 50-year ground lease to July 7.
  • Land use approvals: Ikea Way planned development, Litty Place alley closure and two special use permits (Emerald Street and Elliston Road), plus second reading of the Tully Street rezoning.
  • $6,000,000 moved from the Harbor Docks project to Monroe Plaza (9-0); $375,980 for fire station seismic design changes; $500,000 for Tonto and Third drainage.
  • MATA interlocal agreement approved 7-0 with four members not voting; Council rules amended again, 6-0 with five not voting.
  • Twenty public speaker cards are archived with Council Records; the minutes do not list the speakers or topics.

Small Business Enterprise Program Ordinance

  • Ordinance 5959 on third and final reading held until April 28.

Liberty Park Phase Two Funding

  • Resolution appropriating $500,000 in general obligation bonds from the FY2026 CIP for Liberty Park Phase Two (CD01106; District 4) held from 3/24 until April 28.

Fairgrounds Redevelopment Funding

  • Resolution appropriating $300,000 in general obligation bonds from the FY2026 CIP for fairgrounds redevelopment (CD01107; District 4) held from 3/24 until April 28.

Decatur Street Honorary Name

  • Resolution approving an honorary street name on Decatur Street between Vollintine Avenue and Jackson Avenue for Gladys Ann Hunter Sawyer (District 7; sponsor Walker). Approved 10-0.
    • Motion Walker, second Ford. Ayes (10): Canale, Carlisle, Cooper-Sutton, Ford, Green, Smiley, Spinosa, Walker, White, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Logan. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.

Quince Liquor Appeal

  • Appeal of Quince Liquor 2, LLC, Memphis Alcohol Commission matter T36413, required by ordinance and held from 3/24. Casio Montez spoke from the audience. The motion (its effect is not stated in the minutes) failed 4-5 with one abstention.
    • Motion Spinosa, second Green. Ayes (4): Cooper-Sutton, Ford, Walker, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Nays (5): Carlisle, Green, Logan, Spinosa, White. Abstained: Canale. Did not cast a vote: Smiley. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.

Memphis Area Transit Authority Funding

  • Resolution approving an interlocal agreement between the City and the Memphis Area Transit Authority (all districts; same-night minutes requested). Approved 7-0 with four members not voting.
    • Motion Ford, second Spinosa. Ayes (7): Canale, Cooper-Sutton, Ford, Green, Spinosa, Walker, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Carlisle, Logan, Smiley, White. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.

Ikea Way Planned Development

  • Resolution approving a planned development at the property at 0 Ikea Way (case PD 26-01). Approved 8-0.
    • Motion Spinosa, second Green. Ayes (8): Canale, Carlisle, Ford, Green, Logan, Spinosa, Walker, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Cooper-Sutton, Smiley, White. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.

Litty Place Alley Closure

  • Resolution closing and vacating the public right-of-way of the north-south alley known as Litty Place, which has an east-west stub at its midpoint heading east (case SAC 25-06). Approved 8-0.
    • Motion Spinosa, second Carlisle. Ayes (8): Canale, Carlisle, Ford, Green, Logan, Spinosa, Walker, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Cooper-Sutton, Smiley, White. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.

Emerald Street Special Use Permit

  • Special use permit at 3575 Emerald Street (case SUP 26-01). Approved 7-0.
    • Motion Spinosa, second Carlisle. Ayes (7): Canale, Carlisle, Ford, Logan, Spinosa, Walker, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Cooper-Sutton, Green, Smiley, White. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.

Elliston Road Special Use Permit

  • Special use permit at 4180 Elliston Road (case SUP 26-05). Approved 7-0.
    • Motion Spinosa, second Carlisle. Ayes (7): Canale, Carlisle, Ford, Logan, Spinosa, Walker, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Cooper-Sutton, Green, Smiley, White. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.

Tully Street Rezoning

  • Ordinance 5970 (case Z 26-01) reclassifying land on Tully Street and Woodlawn Street from Residential Urban-1 to Mixed Use, approved on second reading on the consent agenda, 7-0.
    • Motion Carlisle, second Spinosa. Ayes (7): Canale, Carlisle, Ford, Green, Spinosa, Smiley, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Cooper-Sutton, Logan, Walker, White. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.

Council Board Appointments

  • Memphis Convention Center Commission: appointment of Kyle Veazey and Calvin Anderson approved 8-0.
    • Motion White, second Green. Ayes (8): Canale, Carlisle, Ford, Green, Spinosa, Walker, White, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Cooper-Sutton, Logan, Smiley. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.
  • Economic Development Growth Engine: appointment of Ed Stephens III approved 9-0.
    • Motion White, second Carlisle. Ayes (9): Canale, Carlisle, Ford, Green, Logan, Smiley, Walker, White, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Cooper-Sutton, Spinosa. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.

Melrose School Ground Lease

  • Resolution approving an option for a 50-year ground lease with Melrose Housing Partners, LLC for apartments on the upper two floors of the historic Melrose School building and affordable townhomes and apartments on 1.03 additional acres (District 4; held from 3/3 and 3/24). White moved to hold it, without objection, until July 7.

Fire Station Seismic Repair Funding

  • Resolution transferring and appropriating $375,980 from contract construction to architecture and engineering in the Fire S & L Building seismic repair project (PW17302; District 6) for required additional design modifications. Approved 8-0.
    • Motion Smiley, second Canale. Ayes (8): Canale, Ford, Green, Logan, Smiley, Walker, White, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Carlisle, Cooper-Sutton, Spinosa. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.

Drainage Coverline Fund Transfers

  • Resolution transferring $500,000 from Drainage - St Coverline (ST03205) to Tonto and Third Drainage (ST03234) for construction funds to upgrade the drainage system at Tonto and Third (District 6). Approved 8-0.
    • Motion Smiley, second Spinosa. Ayes (8): Canale, Ford, Green, Logan, Spinosa, Walker, White, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Carlisle, Cooper-Sutton, Smiley. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren. (The minutes list Smiley as not casting a vote although he or she made or seconded the motion; recorded as printed.)

Monroe Plaza Infrastructure Funding

  • Resolution amending the Capital Improvement Plan to move $6,000,000 from the Harbor Docks project (PW04123) to the Monroe Plaza Infrastructure project (PK-TBD) (District 7; all Council districts). Approved 9-0.
    • Motion Canale, second Spinosa. Ayes (9): Canale, Ford, Green, Logan, Smiley, Spinosa, Walker, White, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Carlisle, Cooper-Sutton. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.

Council Rules of Procedure Amendments

  • Resolution amending the Council Rules of Procedure (sponsor Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington; same-night minutes requested). Approved 6-0 with five members not voting.
    • Motion Canale, second Spinosa. Ayes (6): Canale, Ford, Green, Smiley, White, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Carlisle, Cooper-Sutton, Logan, Spinosa, Walker. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren. (The minutes list Spinosa as not casting a vote although he or she made or seconded the motion; recorded as printed.)

Other business

  • Special item 1, a motion to remove item 16 from the previous (March 24) minutes, failed 5-5 with one member not voting.
    • Motion Canale, second Cooper-Sutton. Ayes (5): Canale, Carlisle, Cooper-Sutton, Ford, White. Nays (5): Green, Smiley, Spinosa, Walker, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Logan. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.
  • Minutes of the March 24 regular meeting approved 7-3.
    • Motion Ford, second Smiley. Ayes (7): Carlisle, Ford, Green, Smiley, Spinosa, Walker, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Nays (3): Canale, Cooper-Sutton, White. Did not cast a vote: Logan. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.
  • FY2026 operating budget amendments on the fiscal consent agenda (item 8, sponsor Walker; item 20, sponsor Cooper-Sutton, added on for same-night minutes) approved 8-0.
    • Motion Canale, second Logan. Ayes (8): Canale, Carlisle, Ford, Green, Spinosa, Walker, White, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Cooper-Sutton, Logan, Smiley. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren. (The minutes list Logan as not casting a vote although he or she made or seconded the motion; recorded as printed.)
  • Same-night minutes approved for items 8, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 and 19.
    • Motion Canale, second Spinosa. Ayes (8): Canale, Ford, Green, Logan, Smiley, Spinosa, White, Chairwoman Swearengen-Washington. Did not cast a vote: Carlisle, Cooper-Sutton, Walker. Absent: Easter-Thomas, Warren.

Sources