2026-10-06 - City Council Committees

17:27testing. Thank you.

17:31>> Good morning, colleagues. Today is

17:33Tuesday, October 6, and it is 9:02 a.m.

17:37I hereby call the Memphis Light, Gas,

17:39and Water Committee of the Memphis City

17:41Council to order. Miss Dra, can you call

17:44the role, please?

17:46>> Councilwoman Swan Washington,

17:48>> present.

17:50>> Walker,

17:51>> present.

17:53Thank you.

17:57>> Good morning, President McGawan. So item

18:00number one, we have a discussion on the

18:02MLGW consent agenda. All council

18:06districts requested by MLGW.

18:09You have the floor.

18:11>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Doug McGallan,

18:12president, CEO of Memphis Lake Gastle

18:14Water. Um, today we have a requested

18:17amount of $5.7 million bringing this

18:19year's total to one $199 million of

18:22approvals.

18:24The first item we have up is for

18:25electric T DOT utility relocation. in

18:28the amount of $1,488,000.

18:31Uh you may or may not be aware anytime T

18:34DOT does a a road relocation, it

18:36requires the utilities to pay for the

18:38relocation of utilities in their right

18:40ofway to accommodate that change. This

18:43is for Lamar Avenue phase two. This is

18:45essentially uh from Shelby Drive to

18:48Reigns uh in that area for phase two and

18:51this relocates the electric

18:52infrastructure in that area. There is a

18:55reimbursement at the end of the project

18:56up to about 1 7 million, but that's the

18:59cap that we can get reimbursed at.

19:02The next is for electric utility

19:03relocation for street improvements. This

19:05is a $250,000 electric service contract

19:08that takes us through the end of 27.

19:10This is for an engineering firm to

19:12design those changes for us. These come

19:14up infrequently and our team is focused

19:17on electric distribution. So, this gives

19:19us some additional capacity for those

19:21designs.

19:23The next is a contract uh for $228,000

19:27with Integrity Solutions Field Services.

19:29This is for our external corrosion

19:31direct assessment, ECDA.

19:33This is a survey of of our gas

19:36transmission pipelines. Um it is very

19:38important that you understand the

19:40condition of your pipelines to prevent

19:42corrosion because corrosion weakens your

19:44pipelines and puts risk into your your

19:47transmission system. So, we have to do

19:50this to stay in compliance with FIMSA,

19:52which is the uh the uh federal agency

19:54that controls all of the pipelines.

19:59The next is an amount of $261,000.

20:01This is a a contract that will take us

20:03through the end of 2028 with First Tech

20:07for utility payment centers.

20:09As you are aware, there are more than

20:11200 locations around the city and the

20:13county that can take MLGW payments at

20:15your Kroger store, some other locations.

20:18Um, and First Tech uh facilitates that

20:21process for us. This is a convenience

20:23for our customers. Uh, and just so you

20:25know, a sense of scale, we collect more

20:27than hund00 million in payments through

20:29these remote locations, not in our

20:31community offices. So, this is something

20:33that our our customers really

20:34appreciate.

20:37The next item is uh for class 5 and

20:40class 8 bucket trucks. You can see some

20:42images of what those look like for the

20:44amount of 1.686 million. We're

20:47purchasing seven of these bucket trucks.

20:49We plan to purchase 17 in the year 2026.

20:52So, this is in line with what our budget

20:54is. We have more than 100 of these

20:56bucket trucks in our system. This is a

20:58routine replacement of bucket trucks

21:00that are out of service and our team

21:02says they are no longer able to be

21:04safely used. And so they will be uh

21:07auctioned off and the new bucket trucks

21:10put into service.

21:13The next is WECO electric meter testing

21:16application. The amount of 94,000. This

21:18is a contract that takes us through

21:192031. Essentially, this is the warranty

21:22on this piece of equipment that's called

21:24WCO. Uh it's what we use if somebody has

21:27an electric meter and we need to test it

21:29to make sure it's uh calibrated or if it

21:32has some kind of system fatal error and

21:33we repair it, we put it on the WCO test

21:35bed and we ensure that it's calibrated

21:38within industry standards. This makes

21:40sure that WECO takes care of that board

21:42to always make sure we're in compliance.

21:44So it's just a part of what we do in our

21:46electric meter integrity program.

21:50The next is the uh purchase of water

21:52meter parts in the amount of $616,000.

21:55This is about 2500 various water meter

21:58parts that we use as a part of putting

22:01new uh water service in or replacing uh

22:04parts that are broken as a a normal

22:06course of repairs in the distribution

22:08system. You can see some examples here

22:11of various meters and valves that we

22:13have in the system.

22:15This is planned and part of our uh 2026

22:17budget.

22:20The next is a contract for external

22:22auditing services uh with Clifton Larson

22:24Allen. This is a five-year contract for

22:27one million, a little over $1 million.

22:30This is our external auditors. Just like

22:31the city of Memphis, we have external

22:33auditors who come in and take a look at

22:36our finances and give the annual report.

22:38Um, and this is a wellestablished firm

22:41that has done great work across this

22:43community. And so, we're very pleased to

22:45have them coming aboard to be our

22:46external auditors.

22:50subject to your questions. That

22:51concludes the consent agenda items for

22:53today.

22:54>> Thank you for this. Um, let the record

22:56show that Councilman Warren has joined

22:58us. Good morning.

23:00>> Good morning.

23:02>> And you are recognized.

23:05>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, we're buying

23:0817 bucket trucks for the year and we're

23:10just buying seven now. Tell me why you

23:13just don't buy 17. It's just a function

23:15of what's in the inventory and what's

23:17available now. Excuse me. There are many

23:20people in the market for these bucket

23:21trucks and the manufacturer as they make

23:23them and make them available and put

23:24them on, we will go buy them off the

23:26source well contract. So if they had 17,

23:29we would have bought 17. The other thing

23:31I will tell you is that we do sometimes

23:33meter that because we don't want them

23:35sitting for a long time and our team

23:37when we take them in, we have to outfit

23:38them. We put the stickers and the lights

23:40and all the ancillary.

23:41>> It's got to do with us getting

23:42everything on them. availability plus

23:45our ability to make sure we put them in

23:46service and they're not just sitting

23:47there.

23:48>> And did you say the other trucks are not

23:50safe to use?

23:51>> See, we look at them to say, you know,

23:53what's the useful life left on them? So,

23:55they're safe today, but you know, the

23:57longer you go, the more chances you're

23:59going to have some fair wants to buy

24:01them at auction, they buy them knowing

24:02they're going to have to

24:03>> absolutely they're going to have to

24:04rehab them or use them for a lighter

24:07duty purpose.

24:07>> Okay. Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you,

24:09Mr. Thank you, Mr. McG.

24:11>> Thank you. and let the record show that

24:14Councilwoman Cooper Sutton has joined

24:16us. If there is nothing else on item

24:19one, we're going to move on to item

24:21number two, a discussion on the MLGW

24:25system capacity, all council districts

24:28requested by Cooper Sutton.

24:30>> Okay, very good. Oops. Let's see if I

24:32can get this to come. There it is. Good.

24:35All right. So, Councilwoman Cooper

24:36Sutton asked at the last meeting, well,

24:40if we're having growth in some things

24:41like data centers, uh, how is our

24:44capacity in the system? And so, I want

24:46to talk about, we've talked about this

24:48about two years ago, how we address not

24:50just reliability, and make sure we

24:52always have capacity to serve our new

24:54customers. And so, we do a five-year

24:56program called the electric distribution

24:58master plan. This is the update for

25:012026. About every two years we update

25:03this plan as we get progress in the

25:05system to make sure that we always have

25:07capacity. So it really does add

25:09capacity, strengthens reliability for

25:11our system. So how do we do this? Well,

25:14we are adding additional electric

25:15capacity where needed. Now I want to say

25:17here this is additional distribution

25:20capacity. We're not generating energy.

25:21This is just our ability to distribute

25:23the energy across the system. Uh so we

25:27reduce loading on individual substations

25:29and the way that we do that is by either

25:31number one we expand a substation by

25:34adding a transformer or circuit breaker

25:36where we are able and I'm not sure why

25:37that second where able is in there. I

25:39couldn't get it to come out. Sorry. Um

25:42or building new substations where they

25:44are needed. And when we build a new

25:45substation that relieves some load on

25:47existing substations. We also have uh

25:50some of the components in the system

25:52that we're changing out to make sure

25:53that we get the full use out of that

25:55substation. There are some limiting

25:57components. If a substation was built at

25:59a smaller scale early in its life, you

26:02know, all of the components are built to

26:04that capacity. When you expand it, you

26:06may need to add some additional

26:07components to get the full capacity out

26:09of it. So, that's our approach.

26:12Uh just to give you some sense uh we had

26:15in 2025 a peak demand of 3,436

26:19megawatts. That was the highest since

26:20the year 2011. Last this year so far

26:23it's been 3,100 megawws. We do have six

26:26major projects for system capacity

26:29expansions. And then also there's three

26:32projects here where there's essentially

26:34single points of failure where if a

26:35substation went down, we can't refeed it

26:38from some other place. So we're adding

26:39that redundancy in. It's about $109

26:42million worth of work.

26:45Okay. So, this is the map and

26:47Councilwoman Cooper Sutton had this is

26:49what I had talked about the map that

26:51shows uh the loading. Now, I want to

26:53call your attention to the colors here.

26:56If it is a tan color, that means that

26:58substation is less than 70% used. If it

27:02is green, that means that is being used

27:04at about 80%. And that's our first point

27:06where we start taking a look at it. If

27:09it's yellow, that means it's about n,

27:11you know, it's 85%. If it's n If it's

27:13red, that means it's more than 90% or

27:15over 90% used. You can see the chart

27:18that's in the upper upper left there.

27:21So, this is a planning tool and the

27:23little geometry, those are not city

27:25council districts. That's the area that

27:27that electric substation serves. Okay.

27:30Now, this is a very different map than I

27:32showed you just two years ago because if

27:34you look down in the bottom right where

27:36the number 83 is, that's the brand new

27:38Collierville substation. And that whole

27:41lower part of the southeastern part of

27:43the county was red. We put substation 83

27:46in and it made those other areas back to

27:49the tan because we shared the load

27:50across the system. So, this is a dynamic

27:54document. You can see the areas that are

27:56in red. We have to take action because

27:58those substations are reaching their

28:00capacity and we need to add some new

28:02capacity. Okay. So, that's what we're

28:04going to talk about in our five-year

28:05plan will address this. Well, I'm

28:08pleased to report that of two of these,

28:1168 out in Arlington and 76, which is

28:14right there in the middle of the city.

28:16Uh those projects will be done in 2026.

28:20We have a project in 2027 down at Shelby

28:23Drive where we're expanding capacity and

28:25adding a third transformer. Uh we're

28:27also doing that at an Onana substation.

28:30Again, we're uh improving resilience by

28:34taking out a single point of failure and

28:35adding some capacity. And you can see

28:37the other substations that we're adding.

28:39A brand new substation at Summer Avenue

28:41and a brand new substation in

28:43southeastern part of the county.

28:46This just shows the amount of money that

28:47we're spending on each. Sharington's 14

28:49million, 76 million at Dunlap. Shelby

28:52Drive is about nine. Noncon is about

28:54nine. Summer Avenue will be a brand new

28:56substation. So $32 million. That's about

28:59how much a big substation costs these

29:01days.

29:03And then this is the next five years. So

29:05our team is looking beyond this first

29:07five years to the next five years to

29:09make sure that we have other substations

29:11that are going to be built out to serve

29:13growing demand.

29:15This is the timeline. You can see we'll

29:17complete those first two this year. 27

29:19will get another one banked out is what

29:21we call that at Shelby Drive. Same thing

29:24with Sub61. And then the Summer Avenue

29:26will be being built at the end of this

29:28year all the way through about mid28 as

29:30will the southeastern part. Now the

29:32orange line is what we've talked about

29:34with renewal replacement or R2I where

29:36every year we are replacing transformers

29:39and circuit breakers just for

29:40reliability getting those old ones out

29:42and replacing them with new ones. And

29:44that's what that shows. That happens

29:45each and every year across our system to

29:48make sure we have reliability.

29:50Okay. So when we reach 2030, what will

29:53it look like? I showed you on the left,

29:55here's the map where it looks today with

29:57that loading. If you look on the right

29:59after we've done that work, you can see

30:02much less red, much more green, and much

30:04more tan, meaning we have lots of

30:06capacity available to serve. Notably,

30:09you'll see substation 47 down in the

30:12White Haven area where we make those

30:14system improvements that goes to green.

30:16That will be done this year. Uh you'll

30:18see in the areas uh right there in

30:20Midtown, you can see substation number

30:22one goes from red to tan. You can see

30:25substation 76 goes from orange to tan.

30:28Uh you'll see out in Arlington,

30:30substation 68 goes from red to tan. And

30:33out there at the far east, 79 goes from

30:36red to yellow. with those improvements.

30:38What's that mean? As soon as you do

30:40that, that means there's more capacity

30:42to serve new growing loads. So, there's

30:44plenty of room for lots of people. So,

30:46the message here is if people want to

30:47move to White Haven or Orange Mound or

30:49anywhere in our service territory, we

30:51have capacity for people to live. Now,

30:54you'll note that there are two red

30:55substations still on there. And the

30:57logical question is why? That is

31:00substation two and substation five.

31:02Substation two is right behind the old

31:05Firestone. For anybody who's been in

31:07that area, it's a very large substation.

31:10And substation five is in Midtown.

31:13We know that those need to be changed

31:15and we know that we need to add a

31:16substation. We have the budget to do

31:19that. What we are lacking is the real

31:21estate in order to locate another

31:23substation. You know, those areas,

31:25they're very heavily and densely

31:27populated. There's not a lot of

31:29available land in those areas for us to

31:31put another substation. So, our real

31:34estate team is hard at work trying to

31:36find a location and a property owner

31:38where we can put another substation to

31:40relieve that congestion.

31:42And obviously, it has to be the right

31:44spot so we can bring transmission to it

31:45and those kinds of things. So, it's an

31:47art to really try to find that. But it's

31:49very uh we're not ignoring that. It's

31:52just that we don't have

31:54the chart on the right that shows all

31:56the green and yellow. It's everything

31:57within our control. The chart where

31:59those two things are red, I don't have

32:01control of the land yet to get those

32:03substations built. As soon as we get the

32:05land, then we'll put those into the plan

32:07and they will turn the appropriate color

32:09to once we get those new substations.

32:11So, does that make sense? That's the

32:12only reason they're red because we're

32:14not ignoring. I just don't have a place

32:15to put a substation at the moment. So,

32:19Councilwoman Cooper Sutton requested I

32:21hope this answers the questions about we

32:24are staying ahead of the demand that

32:26people have. Now, other note I want to

32:29tell you is if you added up all of our

32:31substations,

32:33you noted that my maximum peak capacity

32:35is 3500 megawatts ever.

32:40With all of my substations together,

32:42it's more than 6,000 megawatts of

32:44capacity. The question is just where's

32:46the demand coming from? So we have lots

32:48of system capacity. It might just not be

32:50in the right spot if you think about it

32:52that way. So I have a lot of capacity.

32:54We just have to make sure we update it

32:56where we need it. So uh I'll stop here

32:59and ask answer any questions that you

33:01have. But our team does this about every

33:02two years. This drives our capital plan

33:05to make sure we're always keeping

33:06capacity available to serve new

33:08customers who come to our system.

33:12>> Thank you for your presentation and

33:15thank you for bringing this. I have two

33:16questions and it's about the load

33:18>> uh growth and capacity.

33:20>> Yes.

33:21>> Um

33:23will the new load uh cause voltage drops

33:27beyond MLG&W planning and criteras?

33:31>> So it really depends on what kind of

33:34voltage or what kind of uh load it's

33:36going to be. Um there are um it's a

33:41pretty detailed discussion here but uh

33:43I'll give two examples. Inverter-based

33:46resources like batteries can have a

33:48stabilizing impact on the system because

33:52they can help you ride through some

33:53outages. They can also be stabilizing.

33:56But a lot of inverterbased resources

33:58which are not spinning but they're

34:00static can cause some issues with

34:02voltage in your system and you want to

34:04make sure you're paying attention to

34:05that. That's why I've engineers before

34:07we integrate all the batteries to make

34:08sure that we do that the right way. the

34:11other kinds of systems in a load. A

34:13super high efficiency HVAC system is a

34:17great thing, but it also is super

34:19sensitive to voltage and it can also

34:21induce some voltage issues in your

34:23system. So, it really depends on the

34:25kind of load that we're talking about

34:28and whether it's a supply or a load um

34:31and how quickly it ramps up and comes

34:33onto the system. But that's why our team

34:36looks at anytime, as I've told you

34:38before, my job is to make sure I protect

34:40the availability, reliability, and

34:42affordability of power for my existing

34:44customer before I add a new customer.

34:46That's exactly the kinds of things that

34:48we look at. Uh so it's not just you

34:50can't just bring your company in and

34:52plug in and and we give you power. We

34:54have to know all the details about what

34:55you're putting on the system so that we

34:58avoid anything like that.

35:03exceed

35:09the break of duty ratings.

35:10>> No, we that is part of what the

35:12assessment of our uh engineers does is

35:15to make sure that we don't induce any

35:16fault current by anything that we're

35:18doing. And again, that depends

35:20particularly on the load. So when I say

35:23that um somebody's coming to our system

35:26and wants to add in and I do a system

35:28impact study, those are exactly the

35:31kinds of things that we're looking at.

35:32Not just can I add that amount of

35:35electricity to the system. Are there

35:37fault currents induced? Is there any

35:38potential damage, any risk of voltage

35:41drops? And if there is, then what kind

35:44of protection schemes do I need to have

35:46in there with relays and capa capacity

35:48banks and those capacitor banks, those

35:50kinds of things. So those are exactly

35:52the things that our team looks at to

35:54ensure that we do not induce by either

35:57any new energy source or any new load

35:59that we are serving. Could you explain

36:03that to Dr. Warren? He just asked him a

36:05question. So, I'm gonna let you explain

36:06it very in simple form, the duty rating,

36:08so he can fully understand what that is.

36:10>> Sure. What would you like to know, Dr.

36:11Warren?

36:12>> Just like how that would be affecting my

36:16average power at my house.

36:17>> Yeah. So, I got Quinton Clark here.

36:20Quinton's the expert and the engineer

36:21here, but um what would happen if you

36:24had a voltage drop at your house? you

36:26could see a your air conditioner could

36:28kick off if you had a highly technical

36:31piece of uh equipment. I'm going to give

36:33an example. Um about two years ago, we

36:38had um a a large string of lines that

36:42was hit by a truck and taken down and

36:45that caused a voltage dip in the system

36:48that kicked off. I just happened to have

36:50been at Park Avenue St. Francis Hospital

36:52and I felt a little what we feel is a

36:54blip and suddenly all of the machines

36:57started blinking and the alarm started

36:58going off. The lights never really went

37:00out but you felt like a little blip.

37:02That was that voltage drop that occurred

37:04because of that system. That was because

37:06of an accident that occurred. But that's

37:08the kind of thing you could see things

37:09temporarily kick off your computer

37:11restarts that kind of thing. So voltage

37:14protection is particularly important.

37:16Quinton, I get that about right?

37:18>> Okay. So that's the kind of indication

37:20you would see if you had a voltage drop

37:22in your system or some kind of fault

37:24current that came along and be a

37:25temporary blip. If you have very

37:27sensitive equipment and you don't have

37:29it protected, that can be a problem.

37:31That's why when I say the stakes are

37:32high, we can't just allow anybody to

37:34plug in without doing a system impact

37:36study. That's why we have to do those

37:38kinds of things.

37:39>> Right. And my last question is regards

37:41to a constituent concern. I think I sent

37:45you the email about Dexter Road between

37:47Applin Road and Chimmy Rock Boulevard

37:50and the Germantown Parkway corridor. The

37:52resident raised concerns about uh

37:55leaning utility poles in the amount of

37:57overhead wiring in these areas. While

38:01this area is outside my district has

38:03nothing to do with it's outside.

38:05However, I would appreciate if you all

38:08could help um in understanding how these

38:11conditions are evaluated. That's the

38:14first thing. And how does MLJW determine

38:17whether a leaning pole needs to be

38:19repaired or replaced? The second is how

38:22do you ensure existing poles can safely

38:25support additional lines including lines

38:29belonging to other utility companies?

38:31And the third question is, what is the

38:33best way for residents to report a

38:36potentially unsafe poll and how quickly

38:39are those reports reviewed? This was

38:42sent to all of us in an email. As I

38:46stated, it's not in my district, but it

38:47was sent to me for my attention and just

38:50wanted to get that constituent some

38:52answers and can we get someone out there

38:55to look at it for them.

38:57>> Is it possible for you all to follow up

39:00offline on this? possible to do that for

39:02that and you all

39:04>> absolutely and and I'll tell you that's

39:06one of the things that we do and and we

39:07do assess all polls. We have a a

39:09five-year program to assess all the

39:11polls and the loads. So, I'll give a

39:12full report of that and I'll send it to

39:14all of you about what we do and we'll

39:16certainly get out there to look at those

39:17individual ones.

39:19>> Okay, thank you for that. Let the record

39:21show that Councilwoman White and

39:23Councilwoman Logan have joined us. Good

39:25morning, ladies and Green.

39:29And thank you for those great questions,

39:31Councilwoman Cooper Sutton. So, um, if I

39:35may go back under the consent

39:39decree,

39:40>> consent agenda, I'm sorry. Um, page

39:43eight,

39:47>> page eight. Um, 200 payment locations.

39:50So, do you all identify them or do

39:53people reach out to be a payment

39:55location? And when they are a payment

39:58location and they're not in-house, do

40:01they receive a fee for collecting?

40:04>> Uh Timothy, do you know how we get those

40:06locations identified? Or Rod, I'm sorry.

40:08Rod, go. Rod, you want to talk about

40:11that real quick?

40:14Rod Clique, our VP of finance.

40:17>> Good morning.

40:17>> Good morning. Rod Clique, VP of Finance,

40:19CFO, Secretary Treasur. Yes, we work

40:21with the uh different third party

40:23vendors. if they want to be a part of

40:25our program, we will work with them and

40:27to enroll them. As uh President McGawan

40:30said, we have almost 233 of these third

40:34party locations where customers can pay

40:36uh their utility bill. Uh the fee is

40:39generally about $1.50 per transaction.

40:42There are some locations that are zero

40:45um and uh but the majority of those are

40:47$150 per transaction.

40:50>> Okay, thank you for that. That's um

40:52complete for me. And then finally, um,

40:54we have another item, item three.

40:57President, um, McGawan, can you speak to

41:00cons constituent concerns as it relates

41:04to customer billing, concerns over

41:07customer billing? Thank you.

41:08>> Thank you, Madam Chair. And we just

41:09talked about this briefly, so I just

41:10wanted to bring you some information.

41:12Um, I know I've we've we're sensitive to

41:15people uh, you know, who are number one

41:19online and emailing you, hey, I've had a

41:21high bill in September. Um, this is very

41:23similar to what happened in the fall or

41:25excuse me, in the winter when we had

41:27that very high gas bill from that uh,

41:30storm fern that came through. It was

41:31very cold for about 10 days.

41:34So, uh, we won't talk about everything

41:36today, but I do want to point out, um,

41:39that in this September when we had the

41:43heat dome, now remember, we set multiple

41:46records for temperature this September,

41:48it was the second longest heat dome that

41:50Memphis has ever had with temperatures

41:52over averaging over 95 degrees and broke

41:54records for the number of uh, days over

41:57100. comparing it to September of 2025,

42:01it was 47% hotter than 2025. Now, how do

42:05we measure that? It's by the number of

42:07degrees, by the number of hours for that

42:09day. It's called heating cooling degree

42:11days, and you measure that by its

42:13difference in temperature over 65. Um,

42:16so 47% hotter compared to September of

42:19last year. Now, that's reflected down at

42:22the bottom here. If you look at the

42:23average consumption, which is average

42:25cons in that little column there, in

42:29September of 2025, the average home used

42:32about 1,400 kilowatt hours of energy.

42:35Um, you'll compare that to September of

42:3826 where it's 1,851

42:40kilowatt hours of energy. That is 31%

42:43more. Now, we will assume that the

42:47customers all have the same habits. I

42:49put my thermostat where I want it in

42:50those two years, but I use 31% more

42:54energy. So, the rates are not

42:56substantially different from 25 to 26.

42:58We had a 4% rate increase in there. That

43:00does not account for that large of a

43:02bill. But you can see here that it's

43:04almost $70 more just for that average

43:07just because of the temperature. Now,

43:09cooling degrees, we use that as a

43:11measure uh to accurately portray exactly

43:15how much the impact is on residential

43:18and commercial cooling. And so that's

43:20what we're saying is that the 47% more

43:23cooling degree days were necessary in 26

43:26compared to 25. So a about 50% hotter

43:31and longer and b people's consumption

43:34was up by 31%. Uh because it was hotter

43:38for longer and so that's the primary

43:41contributing factor is the amount of

43:43consumption. Now there are others that

43:45you have seen there are some customers

43:47who got a lot of attention on social

43:48media. They have I have $1,000 bill.

43:52In many of those cases, two that I've

43:55looked at specifically, they were

43:56carrying balances forward because we did

43:58not cut people off during the heat dome.

44:00So many people didn't make a payment for

44:02a long time, though they would normally

44:05be required to, we just didn't cut them

44:07off. And um some customers had

44:09extraordinarily high amount of usage. I

44:13read about a a woman who said that she

44:16has a thousand square foot home, but we

44:18looked at her bill and she had consumed

44:204,800 kilwatt hours of energy in a

44:24month. Um that means either the

44:27thermostat is set very low and or her

44:30envelope of her house is not very

44:32secure. And so um we've reached out to

44:35customers like that to say, can we help

44:37you with the energy doctor? Can we get

44:39share the pennies to help insulate your

44:41home? because that is far too much

44:43consumption for a house of that size and

44:45is going to drive the bill significantly

44:48high. So, I just wanted to provide some

44:49context, some data that shows not only

44:53did you think it was hotter, it

44:55absolutely was 47% hotter this year than

44:58it was in 2025.

45:01I think we all I think we all know this.

45:03Yes. And so, this September was the

45:06hottest one in the last 15 years. It's

45:09in the top four hottest Septembers that

45:11we have in our records. So again, it's

45:14the heat and everybody's trying to cool

45:16themselves down that's driving that

45:18energy consumption. So just wanted to

45:20provide that for some context.

45:22>> Okay. And we do appreciate it. Thank you

45:25so much, Councilwoman

45:27Logan. You're recognized.

45:30>> Thank you, Chair. And good morning,

45:31everyone. Um considering that that it

45:34seems that the temperature is continuing

45:36to rise and stay warmer longer. Um and

45:41we have had constit

45:50check. Mic check. Okay, great. Okay. As

45:54I said, if we're looking at that as

45:57being the the new normal

46:00for us, can you all come back and talk

46:03about what constituents need to do?

46:06Because I I like to make the data make

46:08sense for, you know, um the average

46:10constituent. What can be done? It's

46:13getting ready to get cool now. So

46:15between now and next summer cons, you

46:19know, considering what what we just went

46:21past and what we've dealt with in the

46:22last few summers, what can be done for

46:26individuals who experience high uh rates

46:30just like you said, you reached out to

46:31the lady and you know asked her told her

46:34the resources and asked her what can you

46:36all help? There are a number of people

46:38that are in that position. Um, I know I

46:41did a a disaster preparedness event and

46:44people were very concerned and wanting

46:46to know what they could do. So, in terms

46:48of weatherization, in terms of

46:50installation, in terms of generators, if

46:53we're looking for it to continue to get

46:55warmer, um I would like for us to begin

46:58to put something together or offer

47:00something to constituents that they

47:02would be responsible for, you know,

47:04being involved and engaged with, but we

47:06could help with that and prepare for

47:09next summer.

47:10>> We'd be glad to do that. Now, this is

47:12the initial information our team is

47:14going to put together. There will be a

47:15video online and it's going to contain

47:16many of those things, but we can also

47:18put together kind of a one pager for all

47:20of you to say it aggregates all of the

47:23things. Here's where we recommend you

47:24set your thermostat. U we recommend you

47:27know caulking around the windows and and

47:30um you know other kinds of weather

47:31stripping, home insulation, request the

47:34energy doctor to look at your house so

47:35we can tell you what you need. Share the

47:37pennies program and home uplift which

47:39have been combined so we have more

47:41ability to help homeowners. But for

47:43those that don't qualify for the help

47:44because their income's too high, then we

47:46can tell you what other energy saving

47:47tips, we have Timothy Davis and his

47:50customer team do a great job and we have

47:52energy saving kits that we can provide

47:54to customers that give them a head start

47:56on this. So, we'd be more than happy to

47:58do that. Councilman to give everybody

48:00the tools and resources. And the other

48:02thing we'll do is as we get into the

48:04winter time, we'll also put some hints

48:05on there saying here's what you can do

48:07to get ready for this winter and the

48:09cooler temperatures and then here's what

48:10you should do to get ready for next

48:12year.

48:12>> I think it'd be great to to do that as

48:14well as a some type of toolkit for

48:17council members that you know we're

48:19doing our town hall meetings um we can

48:21always have a have that information to

48:23share or community meetings, send to

48:26churches, send to the senior citizen

48:28centers and things like that.

48:29>> We'd love to put that together for you.

48:31>> Thank you. I appreciate it.

48:31>> Yep.

48:34>> Thank you. All that sounds great. Um,

48:36Cooper Sutton. Councilwoman Cooper

48:38Sutton, you're recognized.

48:39>> Thank you. What I would like to see and

48:41to pick it back off of what Councilwoman

48:44Logan has stated is that big nice epic

48:47band that fuss with that we have.

48:50>> If we could go out to those that are

48:52less fortunate that can reach us. And I

48:54think um Tim and I, we talked about that

48:58and to see if we could um get the doctor

49:03and

49:05because we know here in this city, in

49:08our communities, in most of the

49:09communities that we serve, we know what

49:13most of their housing situation looks

49:15like. and you said put a this thermostat

49:19on a certain temperature and they

49:21probably do, but if they don't have the

49:22proper ceiling and their windows and if

49:26they're leaks,

49:28then you're going to have a problem. And

49:30so it doesn't matter where they put the

49:32thermostat, there's going to always be a

49:34problem. And so I think we need to

49:36create a program and in our districts

49:39where we are in the zip codes and where

49:41they're having the most difficult times

49:44and we take the doctor. What What do you

49:46call him?

49:47>> The energy doctor.

49:48>> The energy doctor.

49:49>> Yes.

49:49>> We take the energy doctor and we

49:51evaluate these homes and see what we can

49:53do. and maybe the council and upstairs

49:57can set up a certain funding that we can

50:00help seal these windows because I

50:03believe we're going to have a very very

50:04hard winter this year and we need to be

50:07prepared. Setting the thermostat at

50:09whatever level you say will not make a

50:12big difference in those homes that have

50:15been there for many, many years and not

50:17been properly prepared.

50:20We'll let you know what tools there are

50:22today between home uplift with TVA and

50:24share the pennies with us and the energy

50:26doctor and we'll let you know here's

50:27what we have today and then if you all

50:29have um some creative ideas about what

50:32we can do on top of that we'd love to

50:33hear them and certainly that's why Epic

50:35is here so we can get out to the

50:36community and share this information and

50:38you can bet we'll be at the community

50:40centers and bring it to the people so we

50:42can share information. So we appreciate

50:44the opportunity to be able to help serve

50:45in that way.

50:46>> Let's get that bus out there. Let's get

50:48it out there where the people can see it

50:49and know that you're out there. Let's

50:51get it moving. Thank you.

50:53>> Thank you.

50:54>> Thank you. So this concludes our ML

1:01:22animal services to do that and that it

1:01:25has to go through solid waste.

1:01:26>> It's um we can do it and that's why I

1:01:29think maybe this is something we look at

1:01:31on the weekends if if solid waste

1:01:33doesn't have the coverage. it's

1:01:34something that maybe we could assist

1:01:36with through the weekend so I can work

1:01:39with Solid Waste to see if if they have

1:01:41the staffing or if they you know if it's

1:01:43something that we can assist in that

1:01:44situation.

1:01:45>> That would help tremendously if you all

1:01:47would work together with that.

1:01:48>> Okay. Yeah, absolutely. I'll look into

1:01:50it and I'll I'll send you a response as

1:01:52to what their staffing looks like and

1:01:54how we can coordinate that.

1:01:56>> That's great. Thank you. Yeah.

1:01:58>> Also, let the record show we've been

1:01:59joined by Councilman uh Dr. Jeff Warren.

1:02:01Uh, director, did you have anything else

1:02:03you want to share with us this morning?

1:02:04>> I think that's it. I'm excited about our

1:02:06our staffing.

1:02:07>> Oh, chairwoman has some goodies for you.

1:02:09>> Oh,

1:02:11see what those

1:02:12>> We'll take it.

1:02:15>> Oh, that's so nice.

1:02:17>> I guess you answered the question right.

1:02:20>> Won a prize.

1:02:23>> Thank you.

1:02:27>> Perfect.

1:02:28>> We can absolutely share that. Well,

1:02:31director, we thank you that

1:02:33>> we thank you for your time and your dig.

1:07:14Chairwoman Swingen Washington

1:07:15>> present.

1:07:18>> Councilwoman Cooper Sutton,

1:07:20>> Councilwoman White,

1:07:23>> Councilwoman Logan,

1:07:24>> and Committee Chair Warren. Thank you

1:07:27very much. Uh, and I am also present. We

1:07:30have one item on our agenda today uh

1:07:33which is a discussion of the lease of

1:07:35the Pipping Building for uh Bluff City

1:07:37Pickle Ball. I know we've all been

1:07:39receiving information from our roller

1:07:41derby friends and we're going to have a

1:07:44discussion from our parks chairman and

1:07:47then we'll uh let them discuss it also.

1:07:50Go ahead, sir.

1:07:53>> Good morning. Uh, Justice Balden, parks

1:07:56director, 2599 Avery.

1:08:00So, we're here to discuss the Bluff City

1:08:03Pickle Ball, but I know also the

1:08:05followup was mainly uh the collaboration

1:08:08with Roller Derby,

1:08:09>> I think. Yeah. I think what most of us

1:08:11are looking at is we want to make sure

1:08:13that as we're moving, if they're moving

1:08:15out, we want to make sure that they're

1:08:17moving into some space that is similar

1:08:20and provides them with what they need to

1:08:22continue, you know, bringing people in

1:08:24and, you know, doing things along that

1:08:26line. Uh, and we also want to know how

1:08:30the the pickle ball is working and

1:08:32particularly I want to know what we've

1:08:34been receiving for that area as far as

1:08:38income going into Liberty Park that's

1:08:40going to be used for uh our TDZ income

1:08:45and compare that to what we had been

1:08:47receiving. so we can look and see why

1:08:50this is a reasonable thing for us to do

1:08:52financially to help with the TDZ

1:08:55and also uh what their options are for

1:09:00the roller derby so we make sure we

1:09:02don't damage something. It's also been a

1:09:05benefit to the community. So go right

1:09:06ahead.

1:09:07>> Okay, so uh first things first, I'll

1:09:09just talk about uh the past couple weeks

1:09:11in terms of our collaboration with

1:09:13roller derby. So, we have spent some

1:09:15time visiting our Memphis Parks uh

1:09:17community centers. In particular, we

1:09:18visited uh Davis Community Center as

1:09:20well as Orange Mound and Gaston. And uh

1:09:23as of now, parks has provided uh roller

1:09:26derby with the opportunity to utilize

1:09:28Davis Community Center on Mondays and

1:09:30Wednesdays from 5:30 to 9:00 p.m.

1:09:32through the end of 2027. Uh in addition

1:09:35to uh adult skate school which is for 18

1:09:38and up, we've provided uh roller derby

1:09:40the opportunity to host that skate

1:09:42school on Tuesdays and Thursdays at

1:09:45Davis Community Center. Um in addition,

1:09:47we'll be working with them on potential

1:09:49revenue opportunities for the bouts on

1:09:51Saturdays. Uh the first thing we did as

1:09:54it relates to that was just provide a

1:09:56layout of what the uh track looks like

1:09:58for games and we'll be working through

1:10:00that piece. Uh what is important to

1:10:02point out when it comes to the cost uh

1:10:05what we're essentially charging um or uh

1:10:08Bluff City or not Bluff City but uh

1:10:10roller derby is for the cost of 1 hour

1:10:13of usage when the facility is closed

1:10:15from 8 until 9:00. So in Davis Community

1:10:18Center or any of our community centers,

1:10:19they close at 8:00 p.m. So at at a

1:10:21normal rate of of 150 an hour, uh

1:10:24instead of in lie of that, we're only

1:10:26going to be charging them for the 1 hour

1:10:28from 8 until 9, which is the same rate

1:10:31that they were playing for 3 and a half

1:10:33hours at the Pipkin building.

1:10:35>> So what we're going to do, so what

1:10:37you're looking at is when they come in,

1:10:40since it's a public facility, we're

1:10:42going to let them use that as a public

1:10:44person. And the extra hour is what we're

1:10:47going to charge them. So that should

1:10:50that should help reduce their their

1:10:51fees. Is that correct?

1:10:52>> It does.

1:10:53>> Okay. All right.

1:10:56>> Yeah. And then uh

1:10:57>> what about you know I guess evidently

1:11:00there are people that come and watch

1:11:01this, right? So is do we have enough

1:11:04room in our community center for them to

1:11:07do the roller derby thing and still have

1:11:09an audience around it?

1:11:11>> Yeah. So each facility that we visit has

1:11:14different configurations. Of course, uh,

1:11:16one of the things that, um, I've asked

1:11:17us to go through is is to stage some

1:11:19matches. So that way we can invite the

1:11:21community in. U, we can also have roller

1:11:23derby stage what what a game or or a

1:11:26quote unquote bout would look like. Uh,

1:11:28if you're talking about Orange Mound,

1:11:29the uh, seating there is elevated. Uh,

1:11:32at Gaston Community Center, they they

1:11:34have uh, bleachers that are on the side

1:11:36of facility, and it's probably one of

1:11:38our wider facilities. This was uh

1:11:40constructed in 1934. And then Davis

1:11:42Community Center as well. So we do have

1:11:44space, but certainly what we want to do

1:11:46uh for bouts in particular is to stage

1:11:49it. That way we're able to kind of go

1:11:50through no different than if we were

1:11:51doing a scrimmage for a volleyball game,

1:11:53basketball game, etc.

1:11:55>> Okay. So yeah, let's make sure that we

1:11:58continue to be working with them to

1:12:00where what they have is they've got the

1:12:02ability to Could be that they're going

1:12:05to use more than one center. could be

1:12:07that, you know, we have to figure out

1:12:09how that works. But there may be one

1:12:11that they perform in, one that they

1:12:13practice in, one they teach skating in.

1:12:15But, uh, I I look forward to you

1:12:18bringing us something that's going to

1:12:19work to allow them to do that. Let's

1:12:21talk a little bit more about Blood City

1:12:23Pickle Ball. How much what's the

1:12:25difference in the income that we

1:12:27receive? So, we're getting 150 hour for

1:12:29three hours from the pickle ball. I

1:12:31mean, from the roller derby people.

1:12:33>> Yes.

1:12:33>> Okay. So 450 a session. How many

1:12:37sessions would there be a week?

1:12:40>> So for pickle ball, they would be

1:12:42utilizing the facility 364 days a year.

1:12:45Um with that in terms of saving on the

1:12:48utility side, we're looking at for the

1:12:49life of the term approximately $280,000

1:12:52in savings to the city. So currently we

1:12:55we pay utilities on the building. Uh

1:12:58that is a cost that Bluff City pickle

1:12:59ball would take upon upon first day of

1:13:02operation. Um in addition to uh the an

1:13:05annual base rent will be approximately

1:13:0748,000 and then in addition to uh per

1:13:11the terms of the contract that we will

1:13:12execute assuming we we receive the

1:13:15approval on the term uh 500,000 in

1:13:18tenant improvements that Bluff City

1:13:20Pickleball will make into the building.

1:13:22They'll also be responsible for routine

1:13:25maintenance, litter abatement in the

1:13:26building as well as um pest control. So

1:13:32that those are the routine costs that

1:13:33the city currently pays on the building.

1:13:36Those costs will be passed along to Left

1:13:38City Pickle Ball.

1:13:39>> Okay. Um I think that answers my

1:13:43question. So even with the rent, okay,

1:13:46with all the other partners that have

1:13:48been using the Pipkin, we've been

1:13:51because of the amount of money for our,

1:13:53you know, what we're paying to for

1:13:56utilities, we will actually save money

1:13:59while we're bringing people into the

1:14:01area. Is that correct?

1:14:02>> That is correct. But but the other

1:14:03>> What does that do with TDZ? Does how

1:14:06does that help us with TDZ? Well, so

1:14:08right now, uh, those those fees that are

1:14:11coming in, those reservation fees, those

1:14:13are not sales tax. Now, I will refer to,

1:14:16uh, either either Chief Gibson or Chief

1:14:18Davis when it comes to tourism

1:14:20development zone. Um, I'm just referring

1:14:22to

1:14:24>> Chief Gibson, can you talk about what

1:14:27this income will be as far as how it

1:14:30relates to TZD

1:14:33and our ability to help make that bond

1:14:35payment?

1:14:38Gibson, chief legal officer, 125 North

1:14:40Main. I can't speak to the revenue

1:14:43impact. Obviously, if they generate more

1:14:46taxes, we'll generate more revenue, but

1:14:48I don't have the numbers in front of me,

1:14:49but I'm happy to get with Chief Davis

1:14:51and have a conversation with him and

1:14:53give that back to you.

1:14:54>> I I think that would be good for us to

1:14:56know because as we're doing this, I

1:14:58think what we're trying to do is make

1:14:59sure this is a good deal for the city,

1:15:02also a good deal for the pickle ball,

1:15:04but also a good deal for the roller

1:15:05derby, too.

1:15:06Okay. Do I have any other council

1:15:08members and questions? Uh, Councilwoman

1:15:11Cooper, you have the form.

1:15:15>> Thank you. Thank you, Parks, for your

1:15:16presentation. There are some questions

1:15:19that came about by the group and I'm

1:15:22going to ask them and so there can be

1:15:24some clarity and some understanding.

1:15:28The first one says, "Doing your last

1:15:30presentation, Bluff City Pickle Ball

1:15:33said that Memphis had zero pickle ball

1:15:37courts." According to pickleheads.com,

1:15:45All right.

1:15:49Turn the volume down, please. Thank you

1:15:51so much. I appreciate you. Um, according

1:15:54to pickleheads.com,

1:15:57there are 93 courts across 22 locations

1:16:00in Memphis.

1:16:02Why did you say that there are zero

1:16:04pickle ball courts in Memphis? Did you

1:16:07know that the Croc located in Liberty

1:16:09Park offers pickle ball to non-members

1:16:12for $3?

1:16:14What about the four pickle ball courts

1:16:16at Tomley Park?

1:16:18They these are free to access have

1:16:21permanent lines painted net was already

1:16:24set up offers free rental gear with an

1:16:29ID at the pavilion. Were you all aware

1:16:31of that?

1:16:33>> Yes. So u important distinction what

1:16:36we're looking at in terms of the Memphis

1:16:37parks purview within the city of Memphis

1:16:40165 facilities roughly about 6,000 acres

1:16:42that we oversee. We do not have any

1:16:45permanent pickle ball courts under our

1:16:48purview. Uh in reference to the Croc

1:16:50Center and and Tom Lee Park, I think

1:16:52what we're talking about is a shared use

1:16:53facility. So let's imagine a gymnasium.

1:16:56You walk into a gym. The gymnasium may

1:16:58have uh basketball lines. We also have

1:17:00volleyball lines. We may have pickle

1:17:02ball. We may have badmitten. If you

1:17:04visit a tennis a tennis center in

1:17:06Memphis, we we we're unique in terms of

1:17:08we have seven uh dedicated tennis

1:17:10centers. Those tennis centers do not

1:17:12have pickle ball lines on the indoor

1:17:14courts or the outdoor courts. So, what

1:17:16we're looking to do under the city of

1:17:18Memphis's purview is for the first time

1:17:20bring pickle ball courts to the city of

1:17:24Memphis and our public facility.

1:17:27>> Thank you. The next one is and and I'll

1:17:30this will be uh very brief. Their

1:17:33question is if they mention this being

1:17:36public pickle ball courts, do they

1:17:39intend to charge for access at Bluff

1:17:42City Pickle Ball? A if yes for charging,

1:17:46then why do you consider your courts to

1:17:48be public but not the one at the Croc or

1:17:52Tom Lee? And their second one question

1:17:55is if

1:17:58no to charging then how do you intend to

1:18:03fulfill the profit sharing promises?

1:18:10>> Okay. So there were three questions. I I

1:18:12will try to answer that.

1:18:14>> If yes the charging and then if no the

1:18:16charging.

1:18:17>> Yes. So there will be membership fees.

1:18:19uh Bluff City when they talked about it

1:18:20in their previous uh presentation, um I

1:18:23believe the cost was as low as $2, uh

1:18:26during the uh daytime, but I also have

1:18:29Bluff City here. They can speak to the

1:18:31membership fee. So, um

1:18:40>> and you can just uh say your name. Thank

1:18:43you.

1:18:44>> John Daniel, Riverside Drive in Memphis.

1:18:53take that green light.

1:18:57>> So, when we talk about pickle ball

1:18:59courts, uh, at the Krux Center, a couple

1:19:01of days a week, they roll out a net on a

1:19:04wood floor and you can play pickle ball.

1:19:07We're talking about pickle ball courts

1:19:08that are on on cement with a special

1:19:11kind of coating lines that are drawn

1:19:14nets fencing around it. A first rate

1:19:17highquality professional pickle ball.

1:19:19Not that pickle ball at a gym or uh at a

1:19:22church basement. Not that that's not

1:19:24good and fun, but what we're creating is

1:19:27a very special facility. We have uh we

1:19:30will have at Bluff City uh we will have

1:19:33leagues, tournaments, clinics. will

1:19:36provide thousands of hours of

1:19:38programming for youth at no cost. We'll

1:19:40find that out of our own uh Leslie and I

1:19:43our own contributions to the community.

1:19:46Um

1:19:47this is a very you know there when we

1:19:50say no uh we're talking in terms of the

1:19:53idea of having a pickleball court that

1:19:56is a professional concrete permanent

1:19:59nets, permanent lines, special coating

1:20:02on the floor, special fencing that does

1:20:04not exist. You can roll out a you can

1:20:06roll out a a a net anywhere. Pickle ball

1:20:09on a wood floor is not the same thing as

1:20:11pickle ball on a cement court. Most

1:20:13pickle ball players won't play. It's

1:20:16great for seniors. It's fun to get out.

1:20:18It's a good thing for the city that

1:20:19people do pickle ball, but ours is a

1:20:21very different experience. There are

1:20:22membership fees. Um the the point I want

1:20:26I I would make is that Leslie and I

1:20:29built the pickle ball club with our own

1:20:30money. We take no salary. We've take no

1:20:33profit. We work 30 to 40 hours a week to

1:20:37improve the lives of we're a

1:20:38missiondriven organization. I'm a heart

1:20:41transplant survivor. I serve on five

1:20:43nonprofit boards in Memphis. Senior

1:20:45Success, First Aid, United Way, uh

1:20:49Center for Transforming Communities, and

1:20:50River City Capital. But I decided in my

1:20:53life that I just didn't that board work

1:20:55is really important, but how can we do

1:20:57something tangible to change the lives

1:20:58of people? I have a newsletter every

1:21:00week that tells stories about our

1:21:02members who've lost weight, who've

1:21:04connected with people. If you know in

1:21:06this country we're we're struggling with

1:21:08polarization, we're struggling with

1:21:10people that have isol that are isolated

1:21:12and lonely.

1:21:14There was an article in New York called

1:21:15can pickle ball save America some time

1:21:17ago. That's what gave me the idea to

1:21:18start pickle ball. The idea is that

1:21:20pickle ball is a unique opportunity to

1:21:22bring people together. If you come to

1:21:24our club in Bartlett, you know, Bartlett

1:21:25is a Trump land. 60% of the people voted

1:21:28for President Trump. We have people, we

1:21:30have Asian people, we have a Filipino

1:21:33community, we have an African-American

1:21:34community mixing together with all

1:21:36different kinds of people, creating a

1:21:38community that would surprise you if you

1:21:40came and visit. And that's what we want

1:21:41to do at Pipkin. It's a very unique

1:21:43experience. We will take no money out of

1:21:45it. Leslie and I work 30, 40 hours a

1:21:47week the club. We will take no salary.

1:21:49We will make no money. And if we do make

1:21:51money, we'll probably generate $50 to

1:21:54$60,000 in sales tax revenue. That's

1:21:57what we generate in Bartlett. So that

1:21:59would be a good thing for Tipkin. U but

1:22:03you know, we we are here in a

1:22:05missiondriven way. We have a business.

1:22:07It's structured as an LLC. I serve on

1:22:09five boards. I know foundations don't

1:22:11have the money to with all the needs in

1:22:13our city. Nobody's going to fund pickle

1:22:15ball. Leslie and John are funding pickle

1:22:17ball.

1:22:20Thank you. That was the number that I

1:22:22wanted to hear. You know, if we're

1:22:24lucky, $56,000, that'll be profit that

1:22:27goes into DDC and that'll be what we're

1:22:29looking at.

1:22:31>> All right. Uh, let the record show

1:22:32Councilwoman Walker has joined us.

1:22:35Counciloman Cubert Sutton, you still

1:22:36have the floor.

1:22:37>> Thank you. Well, thank you. And um these

1:22:40were the concerns of the constituents

1:22:43and they just wanted me to ask. And I

1:22:46must concur with you that playing on the

1:22:47wood floor pickle ball at Croc and on

1:22:50Concrete is totally different. You're

1:22:52exactly right because I've played pickle

1:22:55ball before. But these are just concerns

1:22:58with those young people back there. Just

1:23:00wanting to make sure that they are heard

1:23:02and their voice is heard. And that was

1:23:05just a question. And so I hope this uh

1:23:09clarifies because with all you're

1:23:11getting get a good understanding on both

1:23:13sides so we can get a clear

1:23:15understanding. But there's one more.

1:23:16What review has been completed to

1:23:18confirm that this lease preserves the

1:23:21fairground public use requirements and

1:23:24TDZ zone tax status?

1:23:30Is that a question for someone else?

1:23:40And then that's my last question after

1:23:41Chief can answer and if you can't we can

1:23:43talk offline if we need to.

1:23:49>> I apologize councilwoman. Could you

1:23:51repeat your question? The question is,

1:23:52what review has been completed to

1:23:55confirm that this lease preserves the

1:23:58fairgrounds public use requirements and

1:24:02the tourism development zone tax status?

1:24:06>> A legal one. I I think the citizenry can

1:24:09rest assured that our legal division is

1:24:11real lawyers every day, all day. We

1:24:14don't let things slip through the

1:24:15cracks.

1:24:16>> Thank you, Chief.

1:24:17>> Thank you, Councilwoman.

1:24:18>> You're very welcome. And thank you.

1:24:20Thank you, chairman.

1:24:21>> You're very welcome. Uh we have one

1:24:23other uh question and then we are nine

1:24:26minutes behind schedule, but it's not

1:24:28too bad. Uh Councilwoman Easter Thomas,

1:24:30you have the floor.

1:24:31>> Thank you, Chair. Uh since we're behind

1:24:33schedule, I guess we'll get a quick

1:24:34answer. Um what did we decide as far as

1:24:38the um helping the roller derby folks

1:24:42secure actually a location that was

1:24:45affordable at around the same price of

1:24:48what they were using the Pipkin building

1:24:49for? like what's the status on that?

1:24:52>> We had a little bit of discussion on

1:24:53that initially from Chief Bolton. I

1:24:56think that is still in flux and they're

1:24:58still working on it, but I have his, you

1:25:02know, word that he's going to make sure

1:25:04that they try to get them a spot that's

1:25:06going to be appropriate and affordable

1:25:10and hopefully he's going to make them

1:25:12grow and make their league grow.

1:25:14>> When is that?

1:25:14>> And and you may have missed it so I'll

1:25:16just repeat. So, Davis Community Center,

1:25:18Mondays and Wednesdays, 5:30 to 9:00

1:25:20p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, adult skate

1:25:23school. Uh, right now, we provided dates

1:25:25through the end of 2027. So, we're not

1:25:28only seeking to um allow for practices

1:25:31and and also they were going into sports

1:25:33uh entertainment complex.

1:25:35>> No. So, there there's been that's that's

1:25:37what I was providing the update. So, we

1:25:39were mainly focused with making sure

1:25:41that we could keep the cost the same.

1:25:43Also with the sports and event center on

1:25:45the event side, there was a a question

1:25:47about uh the purchase of protective

1:25:49flooring for the court. So that facility

1:25:52is certainly uh it's it's designed and

1:25:55built for for Memphis, but also we need

1:25:56to continue to generate revenue on that.

1:25:59But uh in particular, we wanted to work

1:26:01to make sure we could expand

1:26:02opportunities for skating in our Memphis

1:26:04parks. So if you're in the Davis

1:26:06Community Center, if you're in that

1:26:07neighborhood,

1:26:08>> where's the Davis Community Center? I'm

1:26:09sorry.

1:26:09>> It's going to be on Spotswood in the

1:26:11University District. It's near the old

1:26:13Messi High School in the Messik Buntton

1:26:16neighborhood.

1:26:16>> Okay.

1:26:17>> Yeah. So, right off of of Highland

1:26:18Highland and Park.

1:26:19>> Um, in the interest of time, uh, chair,

1:26:22when does this actual vote on the lease

1:26:25of the Pipkin building come to us?

1:26:28>> I I think it is on the agenda for voting

1:26:31tonight.

1:26:34um on this would it be too much

1:26:37if I ask that the vote is held until we

1:26:40get a actual plan for the folks that are

1:26:43coming out of the Pipkin building?

1:26:44>> You know, I think we could do that.

1:26:48>> I think just looking at how working with

1:26:51them,

1:26:52>> I think it's going to be a plan that

1:26:55still needs a little bit more work.

1:26:57Yeah,

1:26:57>> I think they may be too mutually things

1:27:00because us getting them a good spot

1:27:04doesn't mean that we don't necessarily

1:27:05want to move ahead with the plus city.

1:27:07>> Yeah, I think they're mut mutually

1:27:09exclusive, but I also think they're

1:27:10aligned and because we deal with so many

1:27:12things. I don't want us to forget about

1:27:14one while getting done with the other.

1:27:16>> I'm not going to forget about the pickle

1:27:18ball. I guarantee.

1:27:19>> Not about the pick. I'm talking about

1:27:20forget. See, I already forgot. I'm

1:27:22talking about the roller derby.

1:27:22>> I mean, I'm not going to forget about

1:27:25the roller derby either. Okay. But the

1:27:27the thing is I grew up loving roller

1:27:30derby. I remember watching it on TV.

1:27:32It's it's like really exciting. Yeah.

1:27:34And you know having it here and bringing

1:27:36people from all over the place is a

1:27:38great

1:27:39>> I think this whatever we come up with

1:27:41now.

1:27:41>> Can we put it on agenda for two weeks to

1:27:44talk about

1:27:46what we're doing with roller derby in

1:27:47two weeks so we know that we've got it

1:27:49set. But I think this is going to be a

1:27:52temporary

1:27:53>> set fix for them because I think we've

1:27:56got to find a more permanent thing

1:27:58that's going to really work for them

1:28:00long term.

1:28:00>> Well, judge on their faces back there. I

1:28:02don't know how, but if we can put it on

1:28:04the agenda in two weeks and um

1:28:07>> yeah, we'll bring we'll bring the roller

1:28:09derby agreement back in two weeks.

1:28:11>> And we're voting on the lease tonight.

1:28:13>> Vote on the lease tonight. So, if we

1:28:14vote on a lease tonight, how long does

1:28:16the roller derby have before they have

1:28:18to stop using the premises?

1:28:20>> So, um when we last spoke to roller

1:28:23derby and provided the uh opportunity

1:28:26for Davis, they may use some dates later

1:28:29this year, otherwise they would start

1:28:31in, uh February with practices. Uh we'll

1:28:33continue to work with them. The only and

1:28:36that's all I have.

1:28:37>> So, the the question is, and I think

1:28:40this is a great question, Councilwoman.

1:28:42So, we bring this back, the roller derby

1:28:44agreement back next time and with the

1:28:47idea that when they pickle ball is not

1:28:50really going to start taking this thing

1:28:52over until we've got this roller derby

1:28:54thing settled and we'll have that

1:28:57settled hopefully next week for what I

1:28:59think is the first year or so of their

1:29:01agreement. But as we go forward, I think

1:29:03we need to give them a little bit more

1:29:06like time to where they've they're

1:29:08they're happy with what we got and then

1:29:10they say they want a five-year agreement

1:29:12or six year agreement. We come and give

1:29:14them something similar to what we just

1:29:16gave the Blood City pickle ball. You

1:29:19okay with that?

1:29:20>> Yeah. I I just wanted to add so when we

1:29:23permit with a group that's utilizing a

1:29:25sports field, I mean typically it's an

1:29:27annual thing. what we wanted to do with

1:29:29uh pick with roller derby was ensure

1:29:31that they had an opportunity to use the

1:29:34facility moving forward and so

1:29:36>> annual with you know renewals and annual

1:29:38with you know five year renewals you

1:29:40know one year each year for five years

1:29:42so that way they stay there and they

1:29:44know they've got a spot.

1:29:46>> Okay,

1:29:49we're not going to hold on the lease,

1:29:50but I think we're going to bring this

1:29:51back. So bring this to us next week and

1:29:54and see you. We're not the contracting

1:29:56agent. They are they have to do the

1:29:58contracts. We can give our suggestions

1:30:01and they bring us the contracts.

1:30:03>> So two weeks

1:30:04>> two weeks

1:30:04>> we're here

1:30:05>> or next meeting.

1:30:06>> Okay.

1:30:07>> Next meeting.

1:30:08>> Okay.

1:30:08>> By by that's everybody's good. Thank you

1:30:12very much. Great presentation. Thank you

1:30:14for working with these guys and getting

1:30:16them where they need to be. With that,

1:30:17we're adjourned.

1:39:59uh on the wages through Younger and

1:40:00Associates and um I believe that's part

1:40:02of the report somewhere.

1:40:05>> And you said over 299

1:40:07I I thought I said did I hear 299?

1:40:10>> I think those were construction jobs.

1:40:11>> Construction's jobs.

1:40:14>> What percentage of that will be given to

1:40:15the people here in Memphis?

1:40:17>> Uh most likely 100%.

1:40:19>> 100%.

1:40:22Will there be any given to minority

1:40:25contractors?

1:40:26>> Absolutely. Absolutely.

1:40:27>> How much percentage of that will be

1:40:28given to them? I

1:40:29>> I don't know the exact percentage, but I

1:40:31can tell you I've uh pride myself on

1:40:34minority uh uh projects and I had a

1:40:39extensive amount of projects through the

1:40:42DMC uh when we were developing downtown

1:40:44and we always exceeded our 30% goal. uh

1:40:48in some cases uh at one specific project

1:40:50we were over 50%.

1:40:53>> Thank you.

1:40:56>> You yield. Okay. Any other council

1:41:00members in the Q? Councilwoman Walker.

1:41:05>> Thank you, Chairwoman. Um thank you all

1:41:07for coming today. I enjoyed the

1:41:09presentation

1:41:10and Cooper Sutton. I think you asked

1:41:13just about everything that um

1:41:17that I had. Just looking back here. So

1:41:20So

1:41:22you you said you had a local management

1:41:25company and they do what exactly?

1:41:28>> They'll actually be the hotel manager.

1:41:30While I'm a developer and I know how to

1:41:33develop a property and construct a

1:41:35property, I don't actually manage the

1:41:37properties. So uh in multif family I

1:41:40have a different manager. In hotels we

1:41:42have different managers. So it is a

1:41:44local management company.

1:41:46>> Okay. And I may have missed that. Who's

1:41:48who's the owner or owner? I

1:41:50>> I'm I represent the ownership group.

1:41:52It's 3535 partners and I am the uh

1:41:56president of 3535. I've been developing

1:41:59real estate in Memphis since 94.

1:42:02>> Okay. Um like um Councilwoman Cooper

1:42:05Sutton said, I am concerned about who

1:42:07gets the jobs, who gets hired and you

1:42:10know that part. But I do think it's a

1:42:12good project. And first and foremost, I

1:42:14think about how it will support um

1:42:17Liberty Park and the things going on

1:42:19there. And as we look forward to the

1:42:23future amenities to that area, um, a lot

1:42:27of people it will, um, a lot of people

1:42:30will come and participate if they have

1:42:32the option to spend the night somewhere

1:42:35relatively close. So, I'm I'm thinking

1:42:37about all that as well.

1:42:38>> We we feel like it will be a

1:42:40transformative project for the

1:42:42neighborhood and for that corner. It's

1:42:44going to be a very attractive building

1:42:46uh that we hope uh spurs a little more

1:42:49development in the neighborhood and it

1:42:51does create a tremendous amount of sales

1:42:52tax. We are not in the TDZ. Uh maybe

1:42:56that border can be extended. Currently,

1:42:58we're not uh but it does create a

1:43:01tremendous amount of sales tax.

1:43:03>> Okay. Thank you. This is complete for

1:43:05me. I yield the floor.

1:43:07>> Thank you, Councilwoman. Um, yeah. I

1:43:10think I used to live over there in East

1:43:12Bunton, so I know that area well. And I

1:43:17know that theiversities

1:43:20hotel has closed, right?

1:43:24So, um, there's plenty of people are

1:43:27doing college visits. There's plenty of,

1:43:29um, other people visiting in that area.

1:43:32And then, of course, all those

1:43:34restaurants up and down the Highland

1:43:35strip and Brother Junipers and all of

1:43:37that. um will hopefully

1:43:40increase some taxes as well. All right.

1:43:43Uh Council Councilman Warren,

1:43:47>> thank you. Um I just was wondering um

1:43:51I'm not I don't understand why the

1:43:53University Hotel closed. Okay. And I'm

1:43:56wondering was that lack of demand? Was

1:43:57that a COVID issue? And you know, in

1:44:00your market research for how this works,

1:44:03why is this going to work when that one

1:44:04didn't?

1:44:05>> So Dr. Warren, we actually, believe it

1:44:07or not, started this project when the ho

1:44:10Holiday Inn on campus was still open and

1:44:13our market studies still supported this

1:44:15hotel. And so I I can't speak for the

1:44:18university.

1:44:18>> That's the answer. That's the answer I

1:44:20wanted. Thank you very much.

1:44:23>> Thank you. Uh, chairwoman, you're

1:44:25recognized.

1:44:27>> I just want to say that I've seen the

1:44:28renderings of this project and it's

1:44:30going to be something phenomenal. We're

1:44:32excited and can't wait for it to be

1:44:33built. Are there any additional plans?

1:44:35We need plenty of hotels in the Memphis

1:44:37area.

1:44:38>> Not Not today.

1:44:39>> Okay.

1:44:41All right. Just wanted to plant a seed.

1:44:44>> Well,

1:44:46yes, ma'am. Uh, we love it. Are there

1:44:49Oh, I'm sorry. Councilwoman Cooper

1:44:51Sutton, you're back in the queue.

1:44:53>> I just have one more question. I think

1:44:54this will be a good question for you.

1:44:56When will you start moving dirt?

1:45:01>> The plans are are almost complete. So,

1:45:03we would like to start in the first

1:45:05quarter of 27. Uh, that may be pushing

1:45:07it a little bit, but it'll be close

1:45:09there. So, soon.

1:45:12>> Thank you. I yield.

1:45:15>> Thank you. Well, um, with that, let's

1:45:17take a vote. All those in favor say I.

1:45:20>> I.

1:45:21>> Chair is also an I. Um, any oppose? Nay.

1:45:26Looks like the eyes have it. This will

1:45:27go down with a favorable recommendation

1:45:29in two weeks.

1:45:30>> Thank you. Thank you.

1:45:31>> All right. Item number two is a

1:45:33presentation on battery energy for the

1:45:35city by Orion 9 Tech All Council

1:45:39Districts requested by Councilwoman

1:45:41Cooper Sutton.

1:45:43>> Who do we have here to speak on this

1:45:45item?

1:45:46>> It doesn't

1:45:51ask the present.

1:45:56>> You'll just uh state your name.

1:45:59>> Yes, ma'am. I'd be glad to. and we can

1:46:01begin.

1:46:03>> Good morning

1:46:05>> and thank you for welcoming me to the uh

1:46:07presentation. Um I'm Dr. Donna Harmon

1:46:10and I represent Orion 9X Technologies.

1:46:14We are a green energy company that uh

1:46:17actually I've been working on this

1:46:18project for quite a while. Um they have

1:46:22on the slide uh to recognize us as Ryan

1:46:26Nine Tech and I like Reginal. Most of

1:46:29you know Reginal. Would you introduce

1:46:30yourself, sir?

1:46:31>> Regginal Fentress, native Memphian,

1:46:33Douglas High School. Honored and

1:46:36privileged to be before y'all today and

1:46:37extending your greetings.

1:46:38>> Memphis when they tell you the high

1:46:40school

1:46:41>> and it's just extending your greetings

1:46:43from a ride. Thank you.

1:46:44>> Yeah. Yeah.

1:46:45>> Um I think I got the best representative

1:46:47to represent Memphis because I had no

1:46:50idea what I was getting into. Never seen

1:46:53contracts quite like this. Um, I do know

1:46:56that they that uh seven cities has

1:46:59released funds in a little over $429

1:47:02million that they can extend to

1:47:05batteries. I am not here to sell you

1:47:08electricity with your fence around your

1:47:11property in Memphis. Nobody can find can

1:47:14uh sell you anything. As you know, in

1:47:172019 80, u Memphis signed a contract, a

1:47:2220-year lease from um TVA, and that

1:47:28is not in effect now. You went to a

1:47:31five-year contract. interesting uh

1:47:34information on the five-year contract is

1:47:36that if you decided today that you were

1:47:38going to come out of the TVA

1:47:42fence property for electricity, it would

1:47:45start five years from right then. So,

1:47:47it's not a five-year contract that

1:47:49you're on now. It's a rolling five

1:47:51years. But what you can do is up on the

1:47:55screen, you'll see the peak hours. uh

1:47:58obviously is going to be when people get

1:48:00home from work um on holidays, on

1:48:04weekends. Uh as you know, MLG&W did the

1:48:08presentation this morning that it was

1:48:10the hottest September that we've had on

1:48:12record in a long, long time. What Orion

1:48:15can do is that at the peak of these

1:48:17hours, we can come in with either two

1:48:20systems. One is called a best system,

1:48:23which is the battery energy storage

1:48:25system. The mess, the mees, is the

1:48:30mobile energy. Just in case you have an

1:48:32outage at a hospital or a emergency, um

1:48:38say that FEMA was called in and your

1:48:40electric is down. That's what that's

1:48:42what we can do. Uh that's where our spe

1:48:45our specialty is to come in and bring

1:48:47turbines. As you know, we cannot bring

1:48:49turbines on any property that Memphis

1:48:52owns. So, what we're introducing to you

1:48:54is just the battery system.

1:48:58The um as as you probably know already,

1:49:01there's 428

1:49:03paying members in MLG&W.

1:49:07Um you already have 150 megawatt request

1:49:11from a data center to come in that you

1:49:13can't supply. Uh

1:49:17what we're promising you is to come in,

1:49:20take those peak hours, and put in a

1:49:22battery system to release the energy at

1:49:25those peak hours. Um that's about all

1:49:28you can do other than breaking a

1:49:30five-year contract and and working this

1:49:33out with MLG&W and seven cities and

1:49:40TVA. Um I've been doing this for about

1:49:4340 years.

1:49:45And I always my favorite phrase is there

1:49:48there's a grant for that because I'm a

1:49:50grant writer. As a matter of fact, I'll

1:49:52give you a little nugget for free uh

1:49:55with your pickle ball. There's a $25,000

1:49:58grant that you can write for to relocate

1:50:01your facility for your uh recreation.

1:50:04I'd be glad to give you any information

1:50:06on any other grants or programs that

1:50:08that I have found in the months that I

1:50:10have been doing this. The reason that I

1:50:12did Memphis unbuancely is that we have a

1:50:16contract in South Haven. Uh that as you

1:50:20know some of the turbines that come off

1:50:22line here in Memphis was trucked to

1:50:26South Haven and is there now that guys

1:50:29that is not the solution. You need to go

1:50:32green energy with this. There's no need.

1:50:34And you know we're supposed to redo the

1:50:36grid by 2030. There's no way. You need a

1:50:40out now. You need a safety net to carry

1:50:44you through these peak hours and for

1:50:46your emergency callings. Um if you'll go

1:50:51to the next slide, uh what we promise

1:50:54that we will do

1:50:56is that Orion at the same is that we do

1:51:00not walk away from a project. We we have

1:51:04died Moses. We uh we have uh people that

1:51:09stay on ground and take care of this.

1:51:11It's not something that's built on put

1:51:14on a slab and walk away from. We take

1:51:16ownership of this with Memphis. The

1:51:19penny that you the minute you uh sign

1:51:22with us, these batteries are yours.

1:51:25We don't own any of it. That way you're

1:51:28not crossing that electrical fence and

1:51:31breaking all the rules.

1:51:32This is the only solution that I I could

1:51:35possibly come up with and y'all already

1:51:37had it on the plate. You already have

1:51:39the funding. What I'm asking for is to

1:51:41be able to give you a presentation of

1:51:43what I think we can do with uh

1:51:47we can come in and bring the 150

1:51:49megawatts that the new data centers

1:51:51opening or I don't even know if you want

1:51:54a new data center. you know, you've got

1:51:56528 acres by Colossus One that you're

1:52:00going to do a project with. Um, you

1:52:04know, the the battery system, you've

1:52:06already got subsystem, substations that

1:52:09have been put in. Uh, interesting enough

1:52:11is that one of your substations was put

1:52:14in by

1:52:16Elon Musk and it cost 24,000 $24

1:52:21million.

1:52:22What Memphis is doing is that they're

1:52:25paying that $24 million back on their

1:52:29monthly payment for their electric bill.

1:52:33But what's interesting is that I

1:52:35requested

1:52:37this contract to see exactly what Elon

1:52:41was promised.

1:52:43And you either have to be a Memphis

1:52:45resident to apply for it or you can be

1:52:48with the Freedom of Information Act. I

1:52:51applied for it, but it's not here. So, I

1:52:53can't tell you exactly what is in your

1:52:56contract, but I will tell you this that

1:52:58we can definitely save you money and s

1:53:03and give you a support system for

1:53:06emergencies. Um, guys, it's exactly what

1:53:09it sounds like. We if the the battery is

1:53:12like a big thermos. At night, you fill

1:53:15up your thermos with cheaper

1:53:17electricity. During the day, it takes

1:53:19four hours to charge, takes two hours to

1:53:22release. So, the two hours that is

1:53:25released is going to be on your most

1:53:27money

1:53:29uh per kilowatt.

1:53:31>> So, that way you're saving your energy

1:53:35for the actual times that it will do

1:53:37good. It sits there and charges and then

1:53:40it's uh uh set it's self-contained.

1:53:43it if it happens for whatever reason

1:53:45catches on fire, it shuts down like a

1:53:48safety room. So, um people are are

1:53:51remote that handle this, they'll be

1:53:54remote in in in Memphis that take care

1:53:57of it. Um guys, I don't know what else I

1:54:00can tell you about a battery. I I want

1:54:02to I I don't want to cut you off, but we

1:54:04are running behind and I want to make

1:54:06sure we still have two more things and I

1:54:08know Cooper Sutton sponsored this and I

1:54:10want to have her have her chance to

1:54:12>> Dr. Warren go before me, please.

1:54:14>> Okay, I have Warren and Walker in the

1:54:16queue and then uh you

1:54:18>> Okay, thank you. Um how have have you

1:54:23spoken with MLG&W? How does it work with

1:54:25them? because we have to release that

1:54:28energy back into the MLG&W system at

1:54:32those peak times. Uh, how do we make

1:54:35that happen? This sounds like a great

1:54:36idea.

1:54:37>> Okay.

1:54:37>> I like it, but I need to know that MLG&W

1:54:40is on board.

1:54:41>> Absolutely.

1:54:41>> Have you spoken with them?

1:54:43>> I have not.

1:54:44>> What I wanted to do today was introduce

1:54:46myself to the committee. Okay.

1:54:48>> And I did not want to go to MLG&W

1:54:52um or TVA till

1:54:54>> until I crossed this bridge. Uh it is a

1:54:57bridge that needs to be crossed. Yes

1:54:58sir. And we would not do anything nor go

1:55:00forward.

1:55:01>> Okay. That was my question is thank you

1:55:03for coming to us first. Yes.

1:55:04>> Thank you for bringing here first. I

1:55:07would really like for us to explore this

1:55:09further. I'm excited. Thank you very

1:55:10much.

1:55:11>> Sure.

1:55:12>> Any other

1:55:13>> Thank you. Yes. Councilwoman Walker.

1:55:17>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um thank you all

1:55:19for coming. I am I do support clean,

1:55:22green, renewable energy. So, this could

1:55:25be something great for our city. Um, in

1:55:28the beginning of your presentation, just

1:55:30for clarity, did you say that we were

1:55:32under a five-year contract with TVA?

1:55:35>> Okay. If I may, we are not under a

1:55:37five-year contract. We are under an

1:55:40ongoing long-term agreement which states

1:55:42that if we ever choose to leave TVA, we

1:55:45have to give them a five-year notice.

1:55:47And so I just wanted to be clear on

1:55:49that.

1:55:50>> And I probably did not explain that

1:55:51right in that you you did not go with

1:55:54the 20-year contract, correct? Did not

1:55:56renew that. And you were one of what 148

1:55:59that did not

1:56:02>> 153 that stayed within that.

1:56:05>> 148.

1:56:06>> Yeah. 148 now.

1:56:09>> Yes.

1:56:10So we we we would definitely not uh uh

1:56:14it's a delicate situation and that y'all

1:56:17have three entities that are dealing

1:56:19with. We just want to be a small part.

1:56:22We know that we can come in and put the

1:56:26the estimated time for delivery on the

1:56:28battery system if it uh from us it would

1:56:31be 6 to 8 months that we can get it

1:56:33installed. once it's approved, all the

1:56:36paperwork is done that you could have

1:56:38emergency backup within eight months.

1:56:41So, we we buy we pre-by our systems. Uh

1:56:45they're they're oneoffs. They're they're

1:56:47made individually and we would actually

1:56:51go with MLG&W, TVA, seven cities,

1:56:55everybody that you want us to partner

1:56:57with to see how many megawws the battery

1:57:01needs to be. If I just put a battery

1:57:03there, it's not going to do any good.

1:57:04You know, you have to know what you're

1:57:07buying. So, uh, this was our first step

1:57:11um to go to the next step. Well, thank

1:57:14you. And I encourage you to reach out to

1:57:17MLGW and they can let you know what what

1:57:21your what the possibilities and um the

1:57:24options are. And when you said seven

1:57:26cities, are you referring to seven

1:57:28states?

1:57:28>> Seven states. Okay. No problem. Thank

1:57:31you. I yield the floor.

1:57:33>> Thank you, Councilwoman Councilwoman

1:57:34Cooper Sutton. Thank you. Thank you um

1:57:37for coming and thank you for um

1:57:40entertaining my

1:57:43my curiosity on a better way for us here

1:57:46in Memphis.

1:57:47>> It's very hard to break through the

1:57:49fence here in Memphis, but I'm very

1:57:51prayerful. And when I when you said

1:57:53green energy, it

1:57:56truly

1:57:58struck an interest that I knew my

1:57:59colleague, Councilwoman Walker, would

1:58:02love to hear about green energy.

1:58:04>> Yes.

1:58:04>> And we are in a very short window, a

1:58:07very short period that we need to make a

1:58:09decision. And so I hopefully that you

1:58:12would reach out to um President McGawan.

1:58:16MLG&W belongs to the constituents in the

1:58:18city and I think they need to hear about

1:58:20it and that's why you're here and if

1:58:22there's anything that I can do um please

1:58:25don't hesitate. My research, what I've

1:58:28read, what you all are presenting is a

1:58:31necessity. We don't want to be on the

1:58:33back burner like Memphis all at the last

1:58:36minute and then we're running trying to

1:58:38stay above the water. It's presented

1:58:40here now and we want to make wise

1:58:42choices. So, thank you again for

1:58:44presenting. Thank you. Thank you. I

1:58:47yield.

1:58:49>> All right. Well, thank you for that and

1:58:51thank you for the discussion. Um, we're

1:58:53going to move on to item number three,

1:58:56a resolution to conduct pre-development

1:58:58efforts for Midsouth Coliseum, all

1:59:02council districts. Again, sponsored by

1:59:04Councilwoman Cooper Sutton. Um, not sure

1:59:08who we have here to speak on this.

1:59:09Councilwoman, do you want to say a few

1:59:11words first?

1:59:13No, I'm good. We'll let Mr. Strong do

1:59:16his presentation and talk about it, then

1:59:18we'll go from there.

1:59:19>> Um, good morning council. Thank you for

1:59:22another opportunity to be here. Uh,

1:59:23Corey Strong, president of the Midsouth

1:59:25Coliseum Conservancy. U made the

1:59:27presentation a couple of weeks to uh

1:59:28like last month to you all. Uh, this is

1:59:30just a resolution uh to formalize the

1:59:32support from council for us to conduct

1:59:34it. Again, to review what we're

1:59:36attempting to do. It is a

1:59:37pre-development process uh to come up

1:59:40with a mixeduse development plan for the

1:59:42building. uh we will privately fund that

1:59:44with the caveat that if there are

1:59:47additional things and I think this is

1:59:48something that councilwoman um green you

1:59:50spoke to uh if there are additional

1:59:52desires beyond the scope of the free

1:59:54development plan like environmentals we

1:59:55can conduct those we'd ask the city to

1:59:57support the conducting of those outside

1:59:59of this the scope of actually executing

2:00:01the development plan because that's what

2:00:02we've contracted for. Um and so we're

2:00:04just asking for for your support to

2:00:06conduct that. Uh in addition, we've

2:00:08spoken to uh CEO win. He's received um

2:00:13um a um an agreement from us and so

2:00:15we'll continue to work with the

2:00:16administration to come up with that

2:00:18finalized agreement along with your

2:00:20support to us conduct this. Our goal is

2:00:22to start this in Q1 um 2027.

2:00:26>> Councilwoman, do you want to start?

2:00:29>> Is someone else in the queue?

2:00:31>> Okay. Thank you. Thank you for the

2:00:34resolution. I hopefully that the

2:00:37conversation that's going on between you

2:00:39and Chief Winston and the administration

2:00:41and those will end up in an agreement.

2:00:45The Midsouth Coliseum, I did a tour um

2:00:49of the Midsouth Coliseum

2:00:52and it is something that I think the

2:00:54city would be greatly appreciative to

2:00:57see the renovation started. It's so it's

2:01:00a historical building here. It belongs

2:01:02to Memphis. You know, it's yours. A lot

2:01:06of memories are there. I didn't have the

2:01:08opportunity to graduate from there

2:01:10because I'm, you know, but I hear a lot

2:01:13of things happened there. Got a few text

2:01:15messages on the concerts that people

2:01:18have gone to and um hopefully something

2:01:22can happen. It belongs to the city. And

2:01:24what I hate to see, it's been sitting

2:01:26there for 20 years. And I don't

2:01:28understand and I'm this is just a

2:01:30Yolanda thing. I'm taking off my council

2:01:32hat as a citizen. Poor investment in

2:01:35what the city owns and to have some type

2:01:38of revenue. When I look up at Mud

2:01:40Island, the same exact thing. And

2:01:43hopefully something will come out of

2:01:44this for you, Mr. Strong, because you do

2:01:46have my support and I think you have the

2:01:48support of many citizens. I yield.

2:01:51>> Can I um want to respond to what you

2:01:53said? Absolutely. Um I appreciate it. Um

2:01:56while you've received feedback from

2:01:58people about concerts they've attended,

2:02:00in just the initial conversation I had

2:02:01with city council since then, u we've

2:02:03had um close to a dozen different

2:02:05entities reach out to us that are also

2:02:07interested potentially in being

2:02:09developers or being anchors of some sort

2:02:10in the facility. And so we ain't really

2:02:13got started and their people and I would

2:02:15say the majority of these people are not

2:02:17in Memphis, right? So just a small

2:02:19amount of attention to this has

2:02:22attracted that. someone needs to hold it

2:02:24and do something with it and we're

2:02:25showing up to do that.

2:02:28>> Well, we appreciate that. Are there any

2:02:30other comments or questions in the

2:02:31queue? Oh, I'm sorry, Councilwoman

2:02:33Walker.

2:02:34>> Yes. Um, thank you again for coming and

2:02:36you already know where I am on this. Um,

2:02:40my tour was on the other side of the

2:02:42pandemic, but it's still, you know,

2:02:44fresh here. And my question is, I think

2:02:47I asked you this the last time. I'm

2:02:49sorry I didn't record it, but what was

2:02:50the current estimate on the um

2:02:53demolition

2:02:56of the coliseum?

2:02:57>> So, what we gave last night was a

2:02:59guesstimate. So, what I the last time

2:03:01that there was a conversation about

2:03:03demolition of the coliseum, the the

2:03:05number for the demolition was about 10

2:03:06million, but that's about 10 years ago

2:03:08that there was an honest conversation.

2:03:10And so, I said with just inflation,

2:03:13you're probably 15 to $20 million. We

2:03:15don't have a exact estimate on that. Um,

2:03:17but I can get that back to you.

2:03:20>> Okay. And I I do support restoring the

2:03:23facility, but you know, sometimes you

2:03:25just have to you should we should get

2:03:27information surrounding all options in

2:03:31order to move forward with with using

2:03:33the space, whether we're just going to

2:03:35tear down and use the property or if we

2:03:37can restore it. And I do support that

2:03:40first if that can be done. And as I said

2:03:42initially the do during our initial

2:03:46presentation whether you dis two things

2:03:49are true one is you need to be producing

2:03:52tax revenue on that footprint and two

2:03:54every day you wait nothing happens um if

2:03:57you're going to tear it down you need to

2:03:58do due diligence consider us that. So if

2:04:01you still want to tear it down you lose

2:04:03nothing by allow us to go through this

2:04:04process. I think you'll find out that

2:04:06there's a lot that could be done there,

2:04:08but if only just due diligence, consider

2:04:10us that.

2:04:11>> Yeah. So, what I remember back then was

2:04:14no one wanted to pick up the tab and

2:04:16that's why it was sitting there. The

2:04:17city didn't want to pick up the tab to

2:04:19tear it down and people who were

2:04:20interested in the property didn't want

2:04:22to pick up the tab to tear it down. So,

2:04:24it's just been sitting. So, yeah, that's

2:04:27really why I was asking about that. But

2:04:29once again, I would like to see it

2:04:31restored if possible. Thank you. I yield

2:04:33the floor.

2:04:35Thank you. And I should note that um

2:04:38Councilman Canali has joined us. All

2:04:40right. Seeing no other questions, let's

2:04:42take a vote. All those in favor say I.

2:04:45I. The chair is an I. Um those opposed,

2:04:49nay.

2:04:51All right. With that, the eyes have it

2:04:52and this will go down with a favorable

2:04:54recommendation.

2:04:56All right. Last item. An update from 311

2:05:00all council districts requested by

2:05:02Councilwoman Cooper Sutton.

2:05:05Please state your name and give us your

2:05:08update.

2:05:14Good morning.

2:05:18Karen Goss, special assistant to the

2:05:20mayor, 125 North Main. Um,

2:05:27you ready for me to move?

2:05:29>> Okay. Well, I will make this really

2:05:31quick. Uh, I am here to provide a update

2:05:35related to the 311 call center. This

2:05:37update is specifically geared around our

2:05:40overall call performance in the call

2:05:43center in which we can move on to the

2:05:44next slide. So, as you see right here on

2:05:47this slide, this is just a overview of

2:05:49our year-over-year performance. Um,

2:05:52going back to 2021, from 21 to about

2:05:562024,

2:05:58we see that our overall calls offered

2:06:01versus call answered rate is pretty

2:06:04steady. Um, we start to see that decline

2:06:07in the answer rate uh around August of

2:06:102024. Definitely see a drastic dip in

2:06:1425. uh and then we are continuing of

2:06:17course in 2026 to uh make strides to

2:06:21improve.

2:06:23So the top five call drivers of our call

2:06:26center um as of August this data is from

2:06:29August of this year. Um solid waste,

2:06:32bulk waste is the top driver. So these

2:06:35are the main reasons that residents are

2:06:37calling in. Next, we have garbage mist,

2:06:40which is just a notion of it's your

2:06:42collection day and for whatever reason,

2:06:45um, your cart was not collected. Uh,

2:06:48cart repairs, which is pretty

2:06:49self-explanatory. Recycling mist, and

2:06:52then weeds, um, or overgrown grass

2:06:55related to occupied properties. So,

2:06:57that's through our community enhancement

2:07:00division.

2:07:02And so in looking at the data, we really

2:07:04wanted to dive in on just what happened

2:07:08uh between 2024 and where we are today

2:07:12uh August 2026. Um we've heard

2:07:15residents, we've heard you all, you

2:07:17know, talk about the call center doesn't

2:07:20work. You know, calls are too long. I'm

2:07:23having to wait or I'm not getting

2:07:24through. Uh and so where the two circled

2:07:27areas are is where we really had to dive

2:07:30in and focus on. So looking at our

2:07:33answer rate, we see back in 2024 we were

2:07:36at a 90% answer rate, which meant calls

2:07:39coming in uh were answered. Uh this year

2:07:43we're at about 65%. So definitely uh we

2:07:47know that call volume drove some of

2:07:49that. We also had some personnel changes

2:07:52or lack thereof as far as staffing goes.

2:07:55Um and in looking at the data and diving

2:07:58even deeper to explain our answer rate,

2:08:02um the unique identifier was our total

2:08:05make busy time. And so what that is is a

2:08:09category within our phone system in

2:08:12which agents can um put themselves in

2:08:16that queue of make busy. So that

2:08:18typically encompasses lunchtime breaks,

2:08:22um after call follow-ups, things of that

2:08:25nature. And so we realized that agents

2:08:28compared to 2024,

2:08:31uh there was a drastic increase in usage

2:08:34of make busy time. Now, some of that

2:08:37came because we did make some policy

2:08:39changes within the call center. Um, one

2:08:42of the biggest pieces was previously we

2:08:44used to shut the call center down um

2:08:47from 1 to 2:00 p.m. during lunchtime and

2:08:49everyone just went to lunch at the same

2:08:51time which meant those phones were going

2:08:53down so there was no need to use uh the

2:08:56make busy code. Uh but now that we have

2:08:59staggered lunches in place and we keep

2:09:01the call center operating um 100%

2:09:05throughout business hours uh we are

2:09:08seeing more use in that. And of course

2:09:10going back to some of our top drivers,

2:09:13uh we know that with our bulk waste um

2:09:17service through solid waste um we were

2:09:20seeing where residents were constantly

2:09:22calling um getting status updates.

2:09:26And so what are we doing to improve

2:09:28that? So, one of the things like I

2:09:30stated in really doing our due diligence

2:09:33to dive deeper into the data to see how

2:09:36our call performance is being affected,

2:09:39we really took a look at that make busy

2:09:41code and we had a training with our team

2:09:43to ensure that that code is being used

2:09:47appropriately. Uh we also noticed that

2:09:49with that status make busy our 311

2:09:53leadership was also contributing to

2:09:56those high numbers. So that's the

2:09:57manager and our team lead who they do

2:10:00take calls as well, but because they are

2:10:03not the true front-facing 311 agent

2:10:07while they're logged into the queue,

2:10:09they will stay in that B make busy code.

2:10:12And as you can imagine, if you're in

2:10:14that code for, you know, five out of

2:10:17eight hours a day, that contributes to

2:10:19that overall number. Um and so in in in

2:10:23decreasing our make busy status, we want

2:10:26to make sure that we are increasing our

2:10:28logged in hours. And that's just simply

2:10:32ensuring that residents are truly logged

2:10:34in. I mean, not residents, our agents

2:10:36are truly logged in uh and able to

2:10:40answer calls. Uh we have also upped our

2:10:43staffing. So we do have a complement of

2:10:4610 uh and we are finally at a point

2:10:49where we are fully staffed. We just

2:10:50hired our final full-time uh employee

2:10:54who is slated to start in the middle of

2:10:57this month. And we are also working to

2:10:59bring on a part-time individual who will

2:11:02be starting um I'd say in the next 30

2:11:04days or so uh because we know we are

2:11:07about to approach fall which is leaf

2:11:10season. And so we anticipate uh that

2:11:12we'll see a steady um call volume and

2:11:15with a slight increase. We're also

2:11:18continuing to monitor uh and dig deep.

2:11:21So I am happy to say once we really

2:11:24looked at the data uh within 24 hours we

2:11:27saw a drastic change in our abandonment

2:11:29rate uh which just simply means that we

2:11:32had a high rate in which customers would

2:11:35hang up though they are in the queue

2:11:37they would hang up and largely that's

2:11:40just due to waiting for a long period of

2:11:43time. So, for example, last Thursday we

2:11:46had a total of 650 calls that came in

2:11:50that day and we had less than 10

2:11:52abandoned calls, which I think just

2:11:55attributes to that constant review of

2:11:57the data, talking with the team,

2:12:00ensuring we're use utilizing our codes

2:12:03uh appropriately. Um and then I'm happy

2:12:07in to report that in connection with our

2:12:10solid waste team, we are starting to see

2:12:13a reduction in bulk waste calls. Uh so

2:12:16over the last month, I would say uh

2:12:19starting mid August, um Director Jones

2:12:24has made a really targeted effort uh in

2:12:27addressing um those outstanding bulk

2:12:30waste uh tickets. And so in our area D

2:12:34which was our highest area for bulk

2:12:36waste um which includes Westwood Parkway

2:12:40Village um we have started to really see

2:12:42a significant decrease uh in those

2:12:45tickets which will help us again answer

2:12:48calls quickly and so I will con stop

2:12:52there and

2:12:53>> thank you Council Cooper Sutton is the

2:12:55sponsor. Did you want to start

2:12:58>> in the queue?

2:12:59>> Yes ma'am.

2:13:00>> They can go and I'll end. Thank you.

2:13:01Okay. Uh, chairwoman, you're recognized.

2:13:06>> It's one all the progress that has been

2:13:08made, but uh, for all the other council

2:13:12members, do you all receive a lot of

2:13:16concerns, emails, and calls regarding

2:13:18311.

2:13:20So, I would like to make a challenge to

2:13:22Chief Winton and your staff. We

2:13:24definitely need some support with 311.

2:13:27We've been talking about this for about

2:13:29three years.

2:13:31It's usually um heavily discussed when

2:13:35we have town hall meetings. They're

2:13:37calling. They're emailing. They're

2:13:39saying, "We're calling 311. We've shared

2:13:42the information, but some kind of way

2:13:44there is a break in the chain of of

2:13:47communication

2:13:49and we need some support in that area.

2:13:51We should not be talking about something

2:13:52for three and a half, four years. We

2:13:55need some help. So whatever we're doing,

2:13:59it needs to be strengthened even more

2:14:02because we should not be getting the

2:14:04same complaints

2:14:06about 311. I don't know if we need to

2:14:09just start from scratch,

2:14:11but there is a disconnect

2:14:15and it's embarrassing.

2:14:17It needs to be addressed.

2:14:20I yield the floor. Thank you.

2:14:22>> Thank you, Chairwoman. I echo your

2:14:24sentiments, Councilwoman Walker.

2:14:27Thank you

2:14:29and thank you for coming today. So, it's

2:14:33been a while, probably last year that

2:14:36our IT director, Chief King, um he

2:14:40brought over two people from FedEx to

2:14:42help him that he was here, they were

2:14:44here, and um I was under the impression

2:14:49to properly address what Madame Chair

2:14:53here has just described that 311 needed

2:14:57an IT update. So, can you speak to that?

2:15:01Yes. So, we are currently in the

2:15:04process. We have identified a new

2:15:06technology solution to do exactly what

2:15:09you just described. Um, one of the

2:15:11things we've heard in our new solution,

2:15:14it's request 311 through a vendor called

2:15:16Catalyst, is that from residents, uh,

2:15:20they really wanted a more streamlined,

2:15:23uh, solution that allowed them to do

2:15:25either, uh, web portal, app, or callin,

2:15:30uh, which we know we already have that,

2:15:31but currently it's a bit disjointed. um

2:15:34as far as there are multiple vendors

2:15:36that support those options whereas with

2:15:38this new solution it supports all three.

2:15:41Um we also heard from residents and of

2:15:44course you all and of course what we get

2:15:46at the administration level it's just

2:15:49the notion about uh the lack of

2:15:51communication and updates. So residents

2:15:54want to know that when I submit a ticket

2:15:57um I know it's coming in but I want to

2:15:59know what's happening and I want to know

2:16:01with each step uh is progress being made

2:16:04depending on the service request type

2:16:06that's submitted uh in which this new

2:16:08solution will help us uh better

2:16:10communicate with residents in regard to

2:16:14status updates. And then the last piece

2:16:16with this new tech solution, it just

2:16:18gives us a better ability to stay on top

2:16:22of reporting. Uh, and we also have the

2:16:25ability to um utilize surveys within the

2:16:28solution. So we can then assess what was

2:16:32that experience like for residents. And

2:16:34on the reporting piece, we have a more

2:16:36streamlined way in which when tickets do

2:16:39come in um and we recognize, okay, this

2:16:42ticket has not had any movement or any

2:16:44action um in x number of days, then

2:16:47we're able to receive reports in real

2:16:50time that will come to the call center

2:16:52and any other uh director or whoever the

2:16:56appropriate person may be for that

2:16:58service request type to notify them to

2:17:00say, "Hey, this ticket has not been

2:17:02touched." So we anticipate that we will

2:17:05have that rolled out in January of 27.

2:17:09Of course, we are actively in the in

2:17:12implementation stage in which catalyst

2:17:15we are having our um one-on-one meetings

2:17:19with each division that will be

2:17:21utilizing 311 uh to build out that

2:17:24system.

2:17:25>> Okay. One more question quickly. Is it

2:17:27possible to have a community dashboard

2:17:31to go with what you said is about to

2:17:34happen?

2:17:34>> Yes. So, it has that capability as well.

2:17:37And so, we will make sure that

2:17:39everything in relation to service

2:17:42delivery and our performance is public

2:17:44and I'm pretty sure it's going to be

2:17:46housed on our um main city website with

2:17:49all of our other dashboards.

2:17:51>> Okay. Thank you. I you have the floor.

2:17:54>> Thank you, Councilwoman Logan.

2:17:58Thank you, chair, and thank you for

2:18:02what's going on with my

2:18:14>> It was just Can y'all hear me now?

2:18:16>> Yes.

2:18:16>> Okay.

2:18:18But anyways, just thank you for the

2:18:20presentation. My concern, and this is

2:18:23for everyone here, um even with the

2:18:26changes that are being made in 311, what

2:18:29I'm finding is staffing,

2:18:32um the co the officers, the inspectors,

2:18:36the number of employees that we have in

2:18:40the division and in the different, you

2:18:42know, different divisions

2:18:44is it it is really is not going to get

2:18:48us where we're trying to go. I know like

2:18:51the um county

2:18:53what Corey um

2:18:56>> Cory Hills

2:18:57>> oh that's commercial code

2:18:58>> okay commercial

2:19:00>> community enhancement

2:19:00>> yeah um particularly and then even on

2:19:03the residential side we don't have

2:19:05enough employees if you have eight

2:19:09officers and you're talking about to

2:19:11cover this entire city I'm I'm very

2:19:14concerned that how we're structured and

2:19:18then there's a lot of I'm not going to

2:19:19say a there is some duplication in the

2:19:22different divisions and some don't know

2:19:24exactly who's doing what

2:19:26>> and um now they're out there working

2:19:28they might be out here working on a on a

2:19:30case and somebody else may be on the

2:19:32same thing so that's you know

2:19:34duplication of services and so that's

2:19:37what I'm noticing people are working

2:19:39hard they're they're out here you know

2:19:41trying to get it done but the way things

2:19:44are structured is a little bit um

2:19:49I don't you know, misaligned and so

2:19:50they're not able to be as um as

2:19:53productive as I think that could be and

2:19:55if you could speak to that and how we're

2:19:57going to change that. Is that going to

2:19:58be reflected in the next budget or I

2:20:02mean what's the priority for making

2:20:04certain that the number of um employees

2:20:08in a certain department matches the

2:20:11number of residents we have or issues

2:20:15that we're having. So if you could kind

2:20:17of explain that.

2:20:18>> Sure. So, Chris Winton, chief operating

2:20:20officer, I want to talk a little bit

2:20:21about the strategy that we're

2:20:23approaching. Obviously, when I stepped

2:20:25into the role, we're now about 11 weeks

2:20:27in. Um, in speaking with each of you and

2:20:30listening to stakeholders across the

2:20:31community, uh, the the feedback was

2:20:34clear. Number one, pick up the trash.

2:20:36Number two, cut the tall grass. Number

2:20:38three, fix the potholes. Number four,

2:20:41answer the phone. We heard you clearly.

2:20:43And then number five, finish what we

2:20:45started. So stepping back looking at

2:20:48that and you know when you're looking at

2:20:49the strategy first before we started

2:20:51looking at staffing changes what are the

2:20:54challenges underneath we realized as uh

2:20:57director G pointed out bulk trash was a

2:21:01high volume driver so I wouldn't want to

2:21:04look at staffing until we solve that

2:21:07issue and now we can normalize and see

2:21:10what's normal every day and so and I'm

2:21:12actually pretty confident and you'll see

2:21:15on the 1020 review, we'll give a full

2:21:18update on solid waste and bulk trash

2:21:21because it was driving a large call

2:21:23volume. I believe we now have that under

2:21:25control and now we're starting to look

2:21:28at the staffing. So, to the point that

2:21:30was made earlier, adding one additional

2:21:33staff to 311 was intentional because now

2:21:36we're looking at the math and we can

2:21:38handle the call volume that's there

2:21:40today. So you should start seeing 90%

2:21:43plus answer rates. Actually we were hit

2:21:46the team was hitting it last week. So

2:21:48that should start to normalize. So I

2:21:50expect your call volume, your emails to

2:21:52start coming down next month because

2:21:55we've taken the number one issue off the

2:21:56table. Now we're starting to look at

2:21:58what's number two and three and starting

2:22:00to resolve those. And then now we really

2:22:03start to build out the staffing model

2:22:05which you'll see in the business plan

2:22:07for what we feel is normal every day.

2:22:10But we did have to clean up. And so as

2:22:12we're cleaning up, that's what you'll

2:22:14see going forward,

2:22:16>> particularly the commercial quarters.

2:22:18>> That that's a lot of blight in the

2:22:20commercial quarters in our

2:22:21neighborhoods,

2:22:22>> you know, community and as well. So, if

2:22:25you all could bring that back, I' I'd

2:22:27appreciate a look at how you're going to

2:22:29ramp up the the blight in commercial

2:22:32quarters.

2:22:33>> Yes. Because the legal dumping is huge.

2:22:35So, that's the conversations we're

2:22:36having now. And we're working on a heat

2:22:38map across the city on where our code

2:22:41enforcements are going back to over and

2:22:43over that we're spending, you know, too

2:22:45much time and going, how do we solve the

2:22:47root problem? And even with that, if you

2:22:50have two people doing the same thing,

2:22:54you don't, you know, you don't have to

2:22:55look at all the other stuff. You just

2:22:57know you got two people doing the same

2:22:58thing. You don't necessarily need that

2:23:00two departments or you may. So, I just

2:23:03want to make if you can make it make

2:23:04sense for me in that regard. I know you

2:23:06got the five things, but if that's one

2:23:09of them.

2:23:10>> All right. Thank you. I hear back.

2:23:11Appreciate the work that y'all are

2:23:12doing.

2:23:13>> Thank you, Councilwoman Logan. I think

2:23:15they're all good points and we're glad

2:23:16that you're here, but at to the

2:23:18chairwoman's point at the beginning of

2:23:20this, we've heard that for three years

2:23:22now. So, I think we're all at our level

2:23:25of frustration. Um, Coun Councilman

2:23:28Carlau has joined us and he's in the

2:23:30queue. Do you want me to go to him

2:23:31before you? Okay, Councilman Carlau,

2:23:33you're recognized.

2:23:34>> Thank you. Good morning. Yeah, I mean,

2:23:36I'll pick you back on that. I I

2:23:37appreciate that it takes a minute to get

2:23:38into position. Um, you and I have not

2:23:40had a chance to sit down, so I'll

2:23:41acknowledge that on my end. Uh but in

2:23:46any city I mean it's like those are the

2:23:48issues right it's like it's always going

2:23:50to be you know trash here however in our

2:23:52municipality we have a proliferation of

2:23:54bulk trash and I would gather you we had

2:23:59a huge clip maybe because we studied the

2:24:01data better we we attributed it to COVID

2:24:06and the proliferation of Amazon and home

2:24:07delivery etc etc etc but the reality is

2:24:09is I think it probably is normalized out

2:24:11it's not going to change I'm just um

2:24:14until

2:24:15you have such active and and aggressive

2:24:18management and enforcement of a level

2:24:21that is of like the Memphis Safe Task

2:24:23Force where there was so much

2:24:24overwhelming support that costs so much

2:24:26money. We have to accept the reality.

2:24:29And so the question goes back to what

2:24:30Councilman Logan is really saying, which

2:24:32is and I hear you on the business plan.

2:24:34So when is that plan coming forth? I

2:24:35don't know that that ever got asked. She

2:24:37asked if it's coming in the next budget,

2:24:38if it's if it's coming prior to the

2:24:41budget with with an asked to increase

2:24:43staffing because I can tell you right

2:24:44now that you do not have the staffing

2:24:47level necessary or you're going to have

2:24:49to reaportion uh um labor from the

2:24:52police department to write code like so

2:24:54like sworn officers can write code

2:24:56enforcement or can write code code

2:24:58violations. I don't know if our PSTs

2:25:00can, but I sure as heck would look at

2:25:02that too. Um, but at the end of the day,

2:25:05it's it's it's going to be one one and

2:25:07of two things. We're going to have to

2:25:10look at our general labor guide, as in

2:25:12like our whole labor cost across the

2:25:14entire city of Memphis, and are we

2:25:15getting the most efficient and, you

2:25:18know, bang for our buck, which is a

2:25:19herculean effort since I've been here,

2:25:21and it it's going to take quite a bit of

2:25:23time. On the near term, you're going to

2:25:26have to money with it, and we don't have

2:25:27it. And so it's like I think we have to

2:25:29be honest about like what the

2:25:30expectations are and that's no like I'm

2:25:31actually trying to help do you a favor.

2:25:33I mean we just have to have an honest

2:25:35conversation of like we're doing the

2:25:37best we can with what we can and other

2:25:40than that like we're going to have to

2:25:41have a weekly conversation about like

2:25:42the small wins that you're having

2:25:44because like that's it. Other than that

2:25:46like we're throwing money away left,

2:25:47right, and center on all these other

2:25:49projects and that's why we don't have

2:25:50money to do these things.

2:25:52So, um I when are we going to see the

2:25:55business plan?

2:25:58>> You mean 30 days?

2:25:59>> You got it. And if you need more time,

2:26:01I'm cool with that. Like, let like like

2:26:02let's set the expectations. So, it's

2:26:04good. I know the work's there. But like

2:26:06to the point you got directors, I mean,

2:26:07uh your solid waste director's been here

2:26:09forever. So, like we've got the

2:26:10institutional knowledge. They need to

2:26:11import you. You know that. And then so

2:26:13with 30 days of the time, then we're

2:26:15ready. And if you need more time, let me

2:26:16know. But I think mainly to and actually

2:26:18it's not to my committee. It'll be to

2:26:20you to to public works. Who would that

2:26:21come to?

2:26:22>> Yeah, I would I was just about to say

2:26:23that maybe we can request in 30 days for

2:26:25it to be on public works.

2:26:27>> Got it. And I appreciate it. Look, it's

2:26:29a good dialogue. I just want to be fair

2:26:30with you and the public and us. Like,

2:26:32it's a money whip situation. Meaning, in

2:26:35order to hire people, you have to have

2:26:36the money to do it. It's a hard ass job

2:26:38to do. No one really wants to do it.

2:26:40Like, and it's hard to I mean, it's the

2:26:42reactive all the time. and we don't have

2:26:43to get on the back end of environmental

2:26:45court and like what that does to morale

2:26:46when you're in code or you're in illegal

2:26:48dumping. And then there is the

2:26:49commercial setout issue which is just

2:26:51like the wildest thing that we allow

2:26:54that to happen. So it's like if we want

2:26:56to have a real conversation like we're

2:26:58either going to have to start charging

2:26:59people and everybody for the waste they

2:27:01put out or not. We're going to have to

2:27:02go away from a model where we've got

2:27:04solid waste that doesn't require

2:27:06automated arms. We use five people on a

2:27:07truck even though no one else in the

2:27:08country does that or not. Like, let's

2:27:12stop beating around the bush. I mean,

2:27:13I'm happy to have I'm so happy that I've

2:27:15got like 15 months left and what I'm

2:27:17going through. Like, I' I've literally

2:27:18just I'm I'm here to help you, but I'm

2:27:20not going to beat around the bush

2:27:21anymore about like why these things

2:27:22aren't getting fixed. That's why our

2:27:24model is broken in solid waste. It's why

2:27:27our model is broken with bulk trash. I

2:27:29know you think you got it under control,

2:27:30my man. We are headed into the fall. You

2:27:32know what happens here in the fall

2:27:33season? It leaves fall. You know what

2:27:35happens after that? Christmas comes. You

2:27:36know what happens after that? Evictions.

2:27:38It stacks up more and more solid solid

2:27:40waste as you head in and it's the

2:27:42saddest cyclical scenario. As we get

2:27:45into this discussion later about data

2:27:46moratoriums, we're going to talk about

2:27:47how there is a once in four generation

2:27:49opportunity to change the outcome from

2:27:50an entire group of people and we better

2:27:52not miss the moment.

2:27:54>> Okay, council Carla, I'm

2:27:57sadly like 30 minutes behind. So, I'm

2:27:59going to turn it over to Cooper Sutton

2:28:01and then we're going to close down my

2:28:02committee.

2:28:02>> Sure.

2:28:03>> Thank you, Chairwoman. Thank each and

2:28:05every one of you for your comments, your

2:28:07concerns. I piggyback off everything

2:28:09that has been said. I've been sitting

2:28:10here for three years and we are reactive

2:28:12on everything. Everybody has a solution,

2:28:14but nothing is never implemented or

2:28:17done.

2:28:20What I would like to see, and let me be

2:28:22very clear, I'm going to propose this

2:28:24because I've been called crazy,

2:28:29but I got plenty of sense and I know

2:28:31what I know and I see what I see.

2:28:36And there is a behavior here in Memphis.

2:28:39And there is a loyalty here in Memphis.

2:28:42And you keep doing the same thing

2:28:44expecting a different result.

2:28:47Karen, thank you so much for all the

2:28:49hard work that you're trying talking to

2:28:50me. I've met with you.

2:28:54But until we change

2:28:56vendors, and I think you're on their way

2:28:59there, and holding on to people, it's

2:29:02okay. When you're out of touch, you're

2:29:04out of touch. Move on. We're constantly

2:29:07spinning our wheels and spinning our

2:29:09head. What I would like to propose and

2:29:11to see, I just looked at this 311

2:29:15message.

2:29:17Every week you all need to meet with

2:29:19every department.

2:29:22You just pointed out the highest volume

2:29:24of where the 311 calls are coming from.

2:29:29There is a breakdown in communication as

2:29:32they have said.

2:29:34I propose that you meet

2:29:37every week with every department head

2:29:39and to make sure that the transmental

2:29:42part where it's being transmitted

2:29:44through they're getting their

2:29:48311 calls.

2:29:51You express me that was a huge

2:29:52breakdown. Two years ago they told me

2:29:54that was a huge breakdown. So you all

2:29:57need to be communicating,

2:29:59not just depending on you to do it

2:30:00because right now we have a problem

2:30:02until January.

2:30:04I want you to come back in the next 30

2:30:06days and I want to hear about your

2:30:08meetings

2:30:09>> and I want to hear about that these

2:30:10calls are lessened and they are being

2:30:13directed and not only they being

2:30:15directed but you have met with every

2:30:16department head director and they know

2:30:18how many calls that have been sent to

2:30:20them in 311 and they are addressing them

2:30:22approp appropriately. We have to have an

2:30:24aggressive way of doing this. As

2:30:27Councilman uh Carile has just said,

2:30:30we're coming into another season. Fall,

2:30:33then winter, and then we'll be here in

2:30:35January. You need to meet.

2:30:39>> Yes,

2:30:39>> you may not like what I'm saying, but

2:30:41guess what? I'm tired. And I'm sure the

2:30:43people are too. And I'm sure you all

2:30:45are, too. So, meet with your directors

2:30:47every week. End of week. How many calls

2:30:50you got? these are the ones that you

2:30:51need to pri uh address. These are

2:30:53priorities and then maybe we'll see some

2:30:57lessened calls because these calls and

2:30:59emails are overwhelming.

2:31:02So I propose that suggestion to you so

2:31:05we can be on top of it and the emails

2:31:07won't come that I put a ticket in and no

2:31:10one my ticket is closed and no one has

2:31:12responded and this is still here and

2:31:15this is still happening. I'm not the

2:31:17smartest

2:31:19and I may be the slowest, but I promise

2:31:21you I'm worth waiting on cuz I'm

2:31:23watching, looking, and experiencing the

2:31:26same thing in my own as a citizen. I'll

2:31:29call 311 just to see.

2:31:33No response. I didn't tell them I was

2:31:35Councilwoman Cooper Sudden because I

2:31:37didn't want any special privileges. I

2:31:39just wanted to know what the other

2:31:40people were experiencing.

2:31:42And so

2:31:44>> that's my take on it.

2:31:45>> Yes, ma'am. Thank you.

2:31:46>> Definitely um we'll do that. We have

2:31:49started regular meetings but definitely

2:31:52not on a weekly cadence but we will

2:31:54definitely

2:32:03I don't know how you're going to get MPD

2:32:05pts. Everybody's just stretched all over

2:32:08this city and this city is just in a

2:32:09chaotic state. Just chaotic. Just a

2:32:12mess. Everybody mad. Everybody lying to

2:32:16each other and we don't even have a fix.

2:32:19Every time you look around, it's just

2:32:21lie after lie after lie and the same

2:32:24people going from one position to the

2:32:26next with no resolve and no solution.

2:32:29I I don't know. I don't know. For

2:32:32whatever reason, he got me here. But I

2:32:33sure be glad on God's green earth when

2:32:35he pulled me out

2:32:38because this is absolutely

2:32:41heart-wrenching and everybody needs

2:32:43something. Every community needs

2:32:44something. Every culture, every

2:32:46nationality, everybody wants something.

2:32:49Racism over here, discrimination over

2:32:51here. You ain't treating this community

2:32:53right. You ain't doing that community

2:32:54right. And it's Memphis. But the day you

2:32:57all killed King, it ain't been right

2:33:00since.

2:33:01I yield.

2:33:04>> Thank you, Councilwoman. And with that,

2:33:06I will close the Economic Development,

2:33:07Tourism, and Technology Committee. Thank

2:33:09you.

2:33:11I

2:33:12>> we're so far behind.

2:33:14>> Counciloman

2:33:20previous Thank you. the previous solid

2:33:24waste director moving him from interim

2:33:28to permanent.

2:33:31And um that union, some of those

2:33:34representatives and and we were talking

2:33:35to them and hearing things and

2:33:39I did not vote for him to become

2:33:41permanent

2:33:44and my colleague did not vote for him to

2:33:46become permanent either. And then here

2:33:50we are now. And I just wanted to share

2:33:53that and I yield the floor. Thank you.

2:38:56training reimbursement.

2:38:58>> Thank you, Chief Colle. Any questions?

2:39:02Any requests? You don't need this. You

2:39:04can wait for two weeks for this item to

2:39:06be passed.

2:39:07>> Actually, let me see. have to when is

2:39:10this due to be paid?

2:39:12>> Uh the 9th. October 9th

2:39:15>> is when the

2:39:16>> All right. Colleagues, without

2:39:17objection, I would like to make this uh

2:39:19same night minutes.

2:39:20>> Yeah. Thank you so much.

2:39:21>> All right. All those in favor of sending

2:39:23this item downstairs. Same night minutes

2:39:25with a positive recommendation. Signify

2:39:27by saying I.

2:39:28>> I.

2:39:28>> I'm also an I. Any opposed? That item

2:39:31passes. All right, colleagues. Back to

2:39:33item one. MPD monthly update. All

2:39:35council districts requested by myself AC

2:39:39Kula floor is yours.

2:39:46>> All right, let's start with part one

2:39:48part one crime overview.

2:39:52Uh so total this year up to this point

2:39:55October

2:39:574th we are decreased by 11,00011

2:40:03crimes this year. Uh

2:40:08so this deals with the part one crimes

2:40:09which is murder, aggravated assault,

2:40:12sexual assaults, robbery, lararseny,

2:40:15motor murder vehicle thefts and

2:40:17burglaries.

2:40:21So, so far we are at 11,00011

2:40:25crimes decrease.

2:40:27>> This is threeear comparison.

2:40:29>> Yes, three-year comparison.

2:40:33Our crime crime trends for a two-year

2:40:36comparison through October 4, 2006.

2:40:39These every major category is trending

2:40:42downward. murders. We have negative 58

2:40:47murders are down this year. That's a

2:40:50decrease of 36.94%.

2:40:54That our solve rate for homicides are

2:40:5789% for 2026.

2:41:00And just to give you a little reference

2:41:02for 2025, the solve rate was 57%.

2:41:07So so far that's a 32% increase in our

2:41:10salve rate.

2:41:13For aggravated assaults,

2:41:16we are a decrease of 1,25.

2:41:20That's a 25.9%

2:41:23decrease.

2:41:25Sexual assaults,

2:41:27there's a decrease of 129.

2:41:31That's a decrease of 25.39%.

2:41:37>> Robbery decrease of 525.

2:41:42That's a decrease of 41.11%.

2:41:48Burglaries,

2:41:50there's a decrease of 910. That's a

2:41:5326.94%.

2:41:56With lararsenies,

2:41:585,412,

2:42:01decrease of 31.83%.

2:42:06Motor vehicle thefts were decreased this

2:42:09year of 27.68.

2:42:13That is 55.37%

2:42:16decrease in our part one crimes.

2:42:21>> Calls for service. We've had a for a

2:42:25year-toend comparison from 2025 to 2026

2:42:29uh continually declining for us. That's

2:42:32approximately a 25% percent decrease for

2:42:36this year. That's over 9,000 or 94,642

2:42:43less calls for service we have this year

2:42:45alone.

2:42:49Sorry,

2:42:52don't have you as my clicker. Okay.

2:42:58>> Uh, citywide crime declined by stations,

2:43:01a 20 26 year to date part one crime

2:43:05reduction. Let me start with Austin P

2:43:08station. We're down 28.65%

2:43:11for Austin P. Um, one of the biggest

2:43:15decreases for that precinct and part one

2:43:17crimes is their murder. They're down a

2:43:20decrease of 64.52%

2:43:23for murders. U Rain Station, their

2:43:27overall crime has decreased to 32.08%.

2:43:33I was looking at third part one and I

2:43:35chose aggravated assaults, they're down

2:43:38by 32.63%.

2:43:42Mount Mariah Station, they're down by

2:43:4540.18%.

2:43:48And robbery was one of their biggest

2:43:49decrease for part one crimes at 56%.

2:43:55From station, they're down 25.81%.

2:44:00And looking at theirs, murders were down

2:44:03in that precinct by 62%.

2:44:07Hillman Station,

2:44:09they are down 38.21%

2:44:13and their robberies down 42.28%. 28% and

2:44:18they really in terms of property crimes,

2:44:20their motor vehicle thefts were down

2:44:2256.38%.

2:44:24Big decrease.

2:44:26North Main Station

2:44:29down 28.85%

2:44:33uh murder in North Main Station down

2:44:3666%.

2:44:39And their motor vehicle theft property

2:44:41crimes were 57.67%.

2:44:45Airways Station, they're down 36.83%

2:44:51and their robbery really took a decrease

2:44:55of 44.64%.

2:44:58Appan Farm Station,

2:45:01they're down by 41.80%.

2:45:04And their property crimes, motor vehicle

2:45:07theft, they're down almost 68% in motor

2:45:11vehicle thefts.

2:45:17Memphis Safe Task Force uh focus in

2:45:20enforcement has led to arrests and

2:45:22seizures of firearms, vehicles, currency

2:45:25and connected to the other criminal

2:45:27activities. Let's go over arrest. Total

2:45:30arrest total 21,996

2:45:35during this period. Uh total warrant

2:45:38arrest

2:45:39uh 5,586.

2:45:43warrant arrest

2:45:47firearms. There is recovered firearms of

2:45:505,135.

2:45:52That includes pistols, lawn guns, which

2:45:55is rifles and parts. Uh most of the

2:45:59firearms that were uh seized or

2:46:02recovered were handguns.

2:46:06Currency seized close to two million

2:46:101,973,46649.

2:46:18>> Hold on. Want to make sure what you have

2:46:21here is is the same that's on the slide.

2:46:24>> Yep.

2:46:24>> Okay. You're doing totals. Okay.

2:46:26>> Yeah.

2:46:27>> He's he's doing some aggregate totals.

2:46:29>> Yes.

2:46:30>> Just reading that.

2:46:32Uh traffic stops 1,999

2:46:37881

2:46:39traffic stops

2:46:41vehicles vehicles that are recovered

2:46:442,858

2:46:47and this was during the period of

2:46:48October 1st, 2025 through October 4th of

2:46:522026.

2:47:02Okay. Um, during the Memphis operation,

2:47:06the drug seizure marijuana confiscated

2:47:09is 3 3,448.33

2:47:14pounds.

2:47:16Fentanyl, we confiscated 61.30

2:47:20pounds.

2:47:22And methamphetamine, confiscated 306.65

2:47:2665 pounds.

2:47:33All right.

2:47:35Recruitment. The Memphis Police

2:47:37Department has 1,887

2:47:40commissioned officers.

2:47:421,00 or 125 police recruits are

2:47:46currently in the training academy. At

2:47:48this time,

2:47:50we nearly have 2,000 men and women

2:47:52committed every day to protecting and

2:47:54serving the city of Memphis. And

2:47:57currently, the 150 recruit class is in

2:47:59the academy. They started June 1st,

2:48:022026,

2:48:04and they are getting close to graduating

2:48:08in November. And they, like I said, they

2:48:10have 125 right now. We have an upcoming

2:48:13class starting in January of 2027

2:48:17and we're hoping and projecting that

2:48:19number to be over 150 recruits.

2:48:28>> Thank you, AC Kula. U Dr. Warren, you're

2:48:32up first.

2:48:34>> Thank you. I just wanted a general

2:48:36comment as we talk about the Memphis

2:48:39State project. Most of what we're

2:48:42talking about there is activity that

2:48:43have been done by our police department.

2:48:45Is that correct?

2:48:46>> Yes.

2:48:47>> Okay. And it's not arrests that have

2:48:49been made by the National Guard and it

2:48:52does not include anything that ICE has

2:48:54done. Correct?

2:48:56>> It does not.

2:48:56>> Okay. Thank you very much,

2:49:00>> Councilwoman Green, followed by

2:49:01Councilwoman Logan.

2:49:03>> Yeah. Can you go back to that slide that

2:49:05says Memphis safe operation?

2:49:14I don't know who's managing the

2:49:23sword.

2:49:35Oh my goodness. There you go. That one

2:49:39of these arrests over 21,000

2:49:44who made those, Chief Davis?

2:49:46>> Those are estimate by the Memphis Police

2:49:48Department.

2:49:49>> The firearms recovered. Who recovered

2:49:51those?

2:49:52>> Memphis Police Department.

2:49:54>> The traffic stops

2:49:56>> combination Memphis Police. These are

2:49:59actually just not THP numbers. They're

2:50:01part of Memphis Safe, but these are

2:50:03Memphis Police Department numbers. I'm

2:50:05just making sure because they're labeled

2:50:08as Memphis safees. The warrants were

2:50:10these served by Memphis police

2:50:11departments.

2:50:12>> Um, and council member, we we entitled

2:50:15it Memphis Safe because in these

2:50:18meetings it has been a concern to know

2:50:20exactly what was included in Memphis

2:50:23Safe numbers. So, uh, we wanted to just

2:50:26be more transparent as far as our work

2:50:28that's being counted under the Memphis

2:50:30Safe umbrella.

2:50:31>> These warrant numbers were these Memphis

2:50:33Police Department. Yeah. Sheriff

2:50:35Sheriff's Department and Memphis Police

2:50:36Department. Yes.

2:50:37>> So, to uh Councilman Warren's point,

2:50:41none of these vehicles recovered,

2:50:43currency recovered, um the drugs

2:50:46recovered on the following page. None of

2:50:49that was done by the National Guard or

2:50:53ICE.

2:50:54>> These are exclusively me Memphis Police

2:50:56Department officers cases and numbers.

2:51:00>> Thank you. I just I ask you this every

2:51:02time because um there are other people

2:51:06that get on the news that are elected

2:51:08officials and they continue to take

2:51:11credit for your good work and they

2:51:15continue to say that um the efforts that

2:51:19were added were

2:51:22what made this happen. Now, we've had

2:51:25this conversation before, but I want to

2:51:26say it again. What you have seen most

2:51:29beneficial to being able to actually

2:51:32present these kinds of numbers to us is

2:51:34adding the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

2:51:36Those additional supports have been the

2:51:38most helpful. Correct.

2:51:40>> Um that that is correct. If I if I say

2:51:42which ones have been most significant

2:51:44for the city, I believe THP uh

2:51:47definitely and our Marshall Service

2:51:49>> because they're able to take care of the

2:51:52wrecks and the speeding on the highways

2:51:54and then you're able to go into the

2:51:55communities and actually do the arrests.

2:51:58>> Absolutely. Um

2:52:00I have one other question on your

2:52:02recruitment. Um I'm excited to see these

2:52:06new classes coming through with 125

2:52:08about to graduate, 150 coming. uh

2:52:11starting in January and we're getting

2:52:14close to 2,00. What is the um preferred

2:52:18compliment at this point?

2:52:20>> Um I know that's a that that has been a

2:52:23a conversation over the last several

2:52:26years. Um my response is if the Memphis

2:52:29Police Department can reach to 2,300

2:52:31officers, we will be doing very well in

2:52:33the city of Memphis. be great to have

2:52:352500, but

2:52:36>> that uh

2:52:39next class that has uh 150 in it, I know

2:52:43there will be some attrition, but we'd

2:52:45be getting really close to that.

2:52:46>> And and that's what the plan is. We are

2:52:49we are focusing on the attrition rate,

2:52:51which has gone down considerably, but

2:52:53our goal always is to double the

2:52:55attrition rate with hiring. You hire

2:52:58100,

2:52:59>> then of course you may lose 50, but at

2:53:01least you have a 50 gain. just just as

2:53:04simple math, but we're always trying to

2:53:06double the attrition rate. That's why

2:53:08we're having bigger classes. Even after

2:53:10the 150 start, um we have approximately

2:53:14170 that are that have passed some very

2:53:17critical aspects of the recruitment

2:53:19process. So, we're looking really really

2:53:22uh good and positive for 2027.

2:53:25>> Getting really close in 2027 to that

2:53:272300 number.

2:53:28>> Yes.

2:53:29>> All right. Thank you, chair. I have

2:53:31nothing further. Thank you, uh,

2:53:33Councilwoman Logan.

2:53:35>> Thank you, Chair, and thank you for

2:53:37being here for your presentation. I

2:53:39asked the last time you all were here.

2:53:42What are we doing to shore up things so

2:53:46that when they leave, we will be in a

2:53:49better place than we have been in the

2:53:51past? And I asked about you all working

2:53:54with nonprofits and churches and

2:53:56different ones to um to offset them the

2:54:00safe task force leaving just to make

2:54:02sure that we're doing what we need to do

2:54:04in the community to um keep everyone

2:54:07healthy and safe um even as they leave

2:54:09because I'm I am beginning to see people

2:54:12kind of driving sporadically on the

2:54:13interstate again and I don't want to go

2:54:15there. Yeah.

2:54:16>> Um and uh we really need to get in and

2:54:19work with our young people, these

2:54:21children and youth. And so connecting

2:54:23with those nonprofits and getting some

2:54:25help out here for you all when they

2:54:27leave. Are we Have you started that yet?

2:54:29And I did mention that the last time. So

2:54:30I, you know, want to make sure that

2:54:32we're

2:54:33>> we we absolutely are not just in

2:54:35conversation, but in planning

2:54:37strategically. We are working with

2:54:39several um um clergy um groups and

2:54:43nonprofits. Um, our group violence

2:54:46intervention program is expanding. Uh,

2:54:49the help resources are there and we're

2:54:52working really closely to make sure that

2:54:55not only are they there, but they have

2:54:57the support and the resources that they

2:54:59need and even some of the funding from

2:55:01some of our grant funds to try to help

2:55:03support that work. Uh, in addition, we

2:55:06have we're meeting with the Tennessee

2:55:07Highway Patrol. We want to make sure

2:55:09that they remain good partners with us

2:55:11and and that they they continue to be

2:55:14visible because they they have been an

2:55:17attribute um over the last 365 days to

2:55:22helping to keep our interstates calm and

2:55:25um and yes, when they're not out there

2:55:28sometimes we may see a little bit of an

2:55:30uptick. Of course, we still have traffic

2:55:33enforcement as well, but with the 340

2:55:37square miles of the city of Memphis, we

2:55:39need the additional support, not just

2:55:41from them, but from also other law

2:55:42enforcement entities in in Shelby

2:55:45County.

2:55:46>> So, DARE and the

2:55:48>> DARE, they're great. That program

2:55:50continues.

2:55:51>> The other one, the one the like

2:55:53internship, the older one.

2:55:55>> Um, you you mean our our explorers? Yes,

2:55:58we still have explorers and our uh PST

2:56:02program continues to grow. Uh our PSTs

2:56:05that go to the police academy who may

2:56:08not make it in the police academy, we

2:56:10are now offering them an opportunity to

2:56:13return to a PST status so that we can

2:56:16continue to have PSTs um handling

2:56:19traffic accidents and other um types of

2:56:22of um activities that that we need

2:56:25support in. So, um, we're trying to to

2:56:28bring retired officers back in in

2:56:30different capacities. Um, they're doing

2:56:32all kinds of education and awareness in

2:56:35the community. Our neighborhood watches

2:56:37are growing um considerably and uh they

2:56:40meet regularly with community members uh

2:56:43as well.

2:56:46>> Thank you, Councilwoman. All right,

2:56:47colleagues. On to item two. Resolution

2:56:49calling for the removal of ICE and the

2:56:51National Guard as part of the Memphis

2:56:53Safe Task Force from the city of

2:56:54Memphis. All council districts sponsors

2:56:56are Easter Thomas and Cooper Sutton. I

2:56:58need a motion in a second.

2:57:01>> Moved by Warren.

2:57:03>> Second.

2:57:03>> Second by Easter Thomas. Um I'm going to

2:57:07go to either one of the sponsors.

2:57:10>> You you go. Okay.

2:57:11>> Yes, sir. Thank you, Chair.

2:57:12>> Mr. Thomas.

2:57:13>> Um thank you, Chair. uh colleagues. So

2:57:15this my colleague and I uh Councilwoman

2:57:18Cooper Sutton on last council meeting

2:57:21three weeks ago um we sat and we

2:57:26I guess were engaged in not just listen

2:57:29to but were engaged in

2:57:33different

2:57:36reports from a sector of our community

2:57:40that were

2:57:43horribly

2:57:44um treated and still dealing with the

2:57:48ramifications

2:57:49of that said raid one of two which some

2:57:54of those folks we had with us engaging

2:57:57us in what really happened. Bless you.

2:57:59Um and how they are trying or attempting

2:58:03to deal with it moving forward. Um, with

2:58:07that being brought

2:58:10to our current attention,

2:58:13um, and it also being upon one year

2:58:16since last council meeting, uh, made it

2:58:19one year since we had the task force

2:58:22operations entering the city of Memphis.

2:58:25Um, and then also following up from the

2:58:29MPD update of the good folks in our own

2:58:32police department making who were making

2:58:34gains prior to the entry of the task

2:58:37force and seem to be making gains on

2:58:39their own. Um, Council Member Cooper Sun

2:58:42and I thought it would be a

2:58:46very integral and

2:58:51important request that we call for the

2:58:54removal of ICE and the National Guard as

2:58:57the city in the last 12 months has seen

2:59:00nothing but strife issues,

2:59:05raids,

2:59:07killings

2:59:09since we've had them in our city. Um, I

2:59:12won't read out the resolution to you.

2:59:15Um, but I will say that included in the

2:59:18resolution

2:59:20in the last two um that the city council

2:59:25that we that within this resolution, we

2:59:27are calling upon the city of Memphis to

2:59:29partner with residents and community-

2:59:31based organizations to develop

2:59:34sustainable public safety strategies

2:59:36that reflect our community priorities

2:59:38and needs.

2:59:40In addition to calling for the removal

2:59:43of US Immigration and Customs

2:59:45Enforcement

2:59:46and Tennessee National Guard personnel

2:59:49participating in the Memphis Safe Task

2:59:51Force from operations within the city of

2:59:53Memphis. Um,

2:59:56as I said, our gains are being made

2:59:59otherwise with the work of our MPD

3:00:01department. Um, they've also mentioned

3:00:03that they've been working with the

3:00:04sheriff's department at the county,

3:00:05which is integral. um utilizing support

3:00:08from Tennessee Highway Patrol, which has

3:00:10been useful as well. And it's just about

3:00:13time that we're able to take control of

3:00:16our city back um from federal federally

3:00:19mandated state and federal occupation

3:00:22and that we need to ensure that we're

3:00:24just able to end this state of

3:00:26occupation that we have. Um

3:00:30we know that this resolution is not

3:00:36automatically ensuring that they will

3:00:39disappear tonight. However, uh the

3:00:42council has made

3:00:45very very strong sentiments and

3:00:47statements before and I think that this

3:00:50is aligning to the needs that we need to

3:00:52do. Um, I'll let my

3:00:57co-sponsor, colleague co-sponsoring also

3:00:59add to this. Um, but chair, we're also

3:01:01requesting that this be same night

3:01:04minutes for today.

3:01:07>> Um, without objection.

3:01:10>> No objection to same night minutes.

3:01:11>> All right.

3:01:12>> All right.

3:01:12>> Um, and my colleague would also like to

3:01:14speak to

3:01:15>> Councilwoman Cooper. Thank you. Thank uh

3:01:17Counciloman Cooper Sutton and then

3:01:18followed by Dr. Warren. Thank you,

3:01:21chairman.

3:01:23At the last council meeting, let me be

3:01:25very clear.

3:01:28Children came to the mic. As I was

3:01:32sitting there listening to the children,

3:01:35and then I reflect back to the

3:01:3725year-old who came to the mic, who is

3:01:41taking care now of her siblings.

3:01:45I reflect back to my 98-year-old

3:01:48grandmother who is still living and she

3:01:49grew up in the Jim Crow era. I reflect

3:01:52back to the trauma that when parents

3:01:57are being snatched away from their

3:01:59children

3:02:01that black and brown folk had suffered

3:02:04not just in 2026 but long before then.

3:02:07It's the same playbook.

3:02:10When I reflect and I hear the stories

3:02:15and those children don't know where

3:02:18their parents are at this time,

3:02:23when I reflect back

3:02:27in the 1920s,

3:02:32when I reflect back here now in 2026,

3:02:40I understand

3:02:44that as my colleague uh said and I

3:02:48concur.

3:02:50We know that

3:02:53this trumps on the local level. We

3:02:56understand that. But we also understand

3:02:58that there is a need

3:03:01that needs to be addressed

3:03:03wholeheartedly.

3:03:06not only just this resolution, but our

3:03:09black boys killing each other as well.

3:03:11So, all of this is traumatizing to our

3:03:14entire city.

3:03:17This month is recognized as Hispanic

3:03:19month.

3:03:22And so

3:03:27with the phone call I got, I'm not

3:03:28trying to piss the state of the federal

3:03:31off because this is where it came from,

3:03:34but this is our reality

3:03:38and this is what's happening.

3:03:42And most of you all that are sitting

3:03:43here, I'm sure have had relatives,

3:03:47black, brown, indigenous, whatever they

3:03:50want to call us right now,

3:03:51African-American. So many names

3:03:55somewhere down the line have experienced

3:04:00what our Hispanic brothers and sisters

3:04:01are experiencing now.

3:04:04And I'll say it again, same playbook,

3:04:07just different players. Same evil

3:04:09intent, same hearts.

3:04:13But I pray and I've been very prayerful

3:04:16because we have so many things that have

3:04:17come before us and are coming before us

3:04:19today

3:04:22that on the federal level and those that

3:04:25are there on the state lo level level

3:04:27and those that are there and the

3:04:29relationships that my colleagues have

3:04:31with the state and with the federal that

3:04:34they would hear our cry and have mercy.

3:04:40But if not, there is a day coming that

3:04:43each and every one of us will be

3:04:46accountable for our actions.

3:04:49Whether it's good, evil, bad, however

3:04:53you want to call it, but there is a day

3:04:55coming and it's coming very, very, very

3:04:57sooner than we think. And I

3:04:59prophetically speak this cow recompense.

3:05:05there's going to be a lot of regrets

3:05:06that has happened in this country.

3:05:11So, I stand with my colleague. I stand

3:05:13with the Hispanic community with this

3:05:17resolution. I stand with those babies

3:05:20that came, that 25 year old young lady,

3:05:24that 3:16 a.m. phone call I got on

3:05:27August 30th.

3:05:29I heard nothing but screaming through

3:05:31the phone line, screaming for help.

3:05:35asking for help. I had no idea what was

3:05:38going on in this city. I was out of

3:05:40town. 3:16 a.m. I will never forget the

3:05:43scream that I heard.

3:05:46So, this resolution is brought forth not

3:05:51with any mean intentions, but a

3:05:53heartfelt

3:05:56sincere act that someone

3:06:00will hear this plea. I yield.

3:06:05>> Thank you, Councilman. Uh, Dr. Warren,

3:06:07followed by Councilman Green.

3:06:09>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Uh, when the

3:06:11National Guard uh, and ICE were brought

3:06:14to the city, they were brought uh,

3:06:16National Guard was brought with the

3:06:18request from our governor. Uh, which is

3:06:21why I think our council did not do

3:06:24anything about it at the time. It was

3:06:26legal. It wasn't a thing that we thought

3:06:29we should do. We'd sworn to uphold the

3:06:31Constitution. This is not uh a request

3:06:34in my mind saying that we have the power

3:06:37to send them away. I think it's a

3:06:40request saying we appreciate whatever

3:06:43thought processes you had about the

3:06:44National Guard. Thank you very much. Uh

3:06:48I think we don't need them anymore. Our

3:06:50police and all the other federal

3:06:52agencies that you've given us have

3:06:54really helped. Please do not take away

3:06:56the highway patrol. Please do not take

3:06:58away the ATF. Please do not take away

3:07:01the marshals that have been helping us

3:07:03helping our police get the things under

3:07:05control. But we think the National Guard

3:07:08doesn't need to be here now.

3:07:10Particularly with an election coming up.

3:07:12We don't think that looks good. And I

3:07:14think that all of us are disappointed by

3:07:16what ICE has done to our Hispanic

3:07:18community here. And it's our statement

3:07:20on that. I think we as a council can

3:07:23make that statement uh respecting our

3:07:26other branches of government. and I'm

3:07:29going to back this because of that

3:07:31reason. I think it's what we feel uh as

3:07:34a community and we should be able to say

3:07:37that. So, thank you, Mr. Chair, and I'm

3:07:38going to vote in favor of this

3:07:40resolution.

3:07:40>> Thank you, Dr. Warren. Councilwoman

3:07:42Green.

3:07:44>> Thank you, Chair. And I um first would

3:07:47like to be added as a co-sponsor without

3:07:49objection.

3:07:52>> Um noted. I appreciate both uh

3:07:57Councilwoman Dr. Easter Thomas and

3:07:59Councilwoman Cooper Sutton for bringing

3:08:01this as this body knows and others when

3:08:05the National Guard actually before they

3:08:07came here um Councilman Smiley and I

3:08:10proposed a resolution to oppose it and

3:08:14we were told it wasn't worth the money

3:08:16or wasn't worth the paper it was written

3:08:18on. Um, we did the same thing with ICE,

3:08:22knowing that at that time the law said

3:08:25that all of us that were sponsors were

3:08:28subject to felony arrest and we were

3:08:32told we were grandstanding.

3:08:34I remain in solidarity because as a

3:08:39federal court has deemed the occupation

3:08:42by the National Guard is

3:08:43unconstitutional. While that remains on

3:08:45appeal, that is the current ruling. And

3:08:48ICE has been terrorizing our

3:08:50communities. People don't go to school,

3:08:53to work, to church,

3:08:56to doctor's appointments.

3:08:59I wasn't here for comments, um, public

3:09:03comments at the end of last council

3:09:05meeting, but I watched them and I

3:09:07watched that little girl and my heart

3:09:09breaks for them and for their family.

3:09:12I know that we have had four citizens

3:09:16die in our

3:09:19city since the safe task force got here.

3:09:24The last one was shot in the back.

3:09:27I believe deeply that Memphis is a

3:09:29testing ground for what America will

3:09:31tolerate.

3:09:33And if we will continue to tolerate

3:09:36soldiers on our streets, if we will

3:09:38continue to tolerate

3:09:40masked men with buses rounding up people

3:09:45because of how they look and their

3:09:47accents in the middle of the night

3:09:48indiscriminately without warrants for

3:09:50their arrest,

3:09:52taking them away from their families,

3:09:56then it is a sad state of affairs, not

3:09:58just for Memphis and not just for

3:09:59Tennessee, but for all of America.

3:10:03So, I am in full support of this. I

3:10:06concur. And that's one of the reasons,

3:10:07Chief Davis, I asked you about what has

3:10:10been helpful and who has made these

3:10:12arrests because we want to continue on

3:10:16the 20-year decline that you started

3:10:19before they arrived. That's why we've

3:10:21invested in more officers and more

3:10:23equipment. Um, that's why I've fought

3:10:26for pay increases ever since I got on

3:10:28this council.

3:10:30I know that we need to recruit and

3:10:32retain that talent. And I know that you

3:10:34need support, especially the highway

3:10:36patrol, but ICE and the National Guard

3:10:40are doing harmful things, not only to

3:10:43our community, but in my opinion, to

3:10:45what it means to be an American. So, I'm

3:10:48in full support of this resolution, and

3:10:51I'm happy to vote for it later tonight.

3:10:53Thank you.

3:10:54>> Thank you, Councilman. Councilman

3:10:56Warren.

3:10:57>> One of those men that was killed was one

3:11:01of the young men that I coached in

3:11:02soccer who graduated Catholic High

3:11:05School and was a an executive rising in

3:11:08Hollywood Beach sitting on the corner of

3:11:11Hollywood and Parkway when he was struck

3:11:14by someone who's being pursued at high

3:11:16speed by uh by ICE.

3:11:20Thank you.

3:11:21>> Thank you, Councilman. Uh colleagues,

3:11:23before we go to vote, I do want to make

3:11:25a couple of comments. Um one out of, you

3:11:28know, just to be abundantly clear, uh

3:11:31because sometimes the general public is

3:11:33misled. Um like, uh Councilwoman Green

3:11:38and Councilwoman Easter Thomas mentioned

3:11:41um sometimes when politicians open their

3:11:44mouth, people take it as being fact and

3:11:48um that's just not true.

3:11:50Um, Mayor Harris on his way out of

3:11:53office said that the National Guard was

3:11:54leaving Memphis. That's categorically

3:11:56false. They have not said if and when

3:11:59they are leaving Memphis and Shelby

3:12:01County.

3:12:03This resolution, which is why I've

3:12:05always been against these type of

3:12:07resolutions, carries no weight, has no

3:12:09legal authority. It can't do anything.

3:12:13Um,

3:12:14I'm a human and my home parish, St.

3:12:18Michael Catholic Church has one of the

3:12:19largest Hispanic and Latino communities

3:12:20in the city. Um, my heart breaks for

3:12:24those children that were removed from

3:12:27their parents.

3:12:29If I could change one thing about the

3:12:31United States, it would be our

3:12:32immigration process and how we get

3:12:34people here quicker and legally so that

3:12:39they can enjoy the nation of immigrants

3:12:42that we are.

3:12:44Um, I think that's one of the most uh

3:12:46broken

3:12:48things in our system.

3:12:51However, uh we're a nation of laws just

3:12:53like other nations are and um I do

3:12:57believe in the rule of law and I back

3:12:59law enforcement 100%.

3:13:01So I can be both and I can have a heart

3:13:06uh for those people and feel terribly

3:13:08for those children and want because I

3:13:10know personally go to church with serve

3:13:13with dine with some amazing and there's

3:13:17thousands of them that want to be here.

3:13:18They want to work here. They want to

3:13:19raise their families here and they want

3:13:21to enjoy the freedoms of America.

3:13:24But we also have some people here that

3:13:29are doing nefarious acts from drug

3:13:32dealing and much worse.

3:13:35So I think we need to

3:13:39remember the the facts of everything

3:13:41that's going on. We need to understand

3:13:44the reality of what's going on and uh

3:13:48we can have a heart for those that get

3:13:52torn away from their families while also

3:13:56standing with law enforcement and

3:13:58upholding the rule of law.

3:14:01So, with that being said, I'm a no vote

3:14:04on this uh just because I don't like

3:14:06these types of resolutions because I

3:14:07think it sends false hope and it creates

3:14:10a false narrative for the general

3:14:12public.

3:14:14With that being said, we'll go to a

3:14:16vote. All those in favor signify by

3:14:18saying I

3:14:21>> with same night minutes. Yes, ma'am.

3:14:23Council Walker.

3:14:23>> Yeah. Based on and thank you for that

3:14:25what you just said. So based on what you

3:14:27just said said based on what you just

3:14:30said,

3:14:31how do we remove them? How do we get

3:14:34them out of here?

3:14:35>> We can't we don't have that authority.

3:14:37Um just like I don't have the authority

3:14:39to change the immigration process. If I

3:14:41did, I promise you I would do it. I'd do

3:14:43it tomorrow because it means that much.

3:14:45And I think that we don't I don't think

3:14:48we are a nation of immigrants.

3:14:50But there should be a faster way, an

3:14:52easier way, easier process for those

3:14:54that truly want to be here because they

3:14:56love our country and they want to raise

3:14:58their families safely in our country and

3:15:01contribute to society.

3:15:03There should be an easier path.

3:15:05But for those that are not here for that

3:15:07reason, there also needs to be a path to

3:15:09get them out just like any other

3:15:11country. And some countries are much

3:15:13worse. I had friends that that were in

3:15:16the Middle East uh and got caught with

3:15:19one got caught with marijuana and the

3:15:21other one with ambient. They were in

3:15:23jail for 7 months. And if they hadn't

3:15:26had the financial resources to hire

3:15:29several lawyers, they had never gotten

3:15:31out.

3:15:33And I'm not trying to compare us to

3:15:34other countries. I'm just saying that we

3:15:36are a nation of laws. And as much as I

3:15:39long to change some of those laws to

3:15:41make it easier for our brothers and

3:15:42sisters to become United States

3:15:44citizens, we also have to uphold the

3:15:47rule of law that currently exists.

3:15:51>> Okay. Thank you.

3:15:54>> All those in favor signify by saying I.

3:15:56>> I.

3:15:56>> I'm a no. That item passes. We'll go

3:15:59downstairs this evening with same night

3:16:02minutes. Thank you colleagues for your

3:16:04time and your attention.

3:20:28October 6th, 2026, 12:05 p.m. And I

3:20:32hereby call our government our personnel

3:20:33and government affairs committee to

3:20:35order. Phoebe, please call the role.

3:21:04present. Thank you so much. First, you

3:21:06all we have a resolution um to for an

3:21:10appointment to the board of ethics and

3:21:12it's the appointment of Myrtle Winfield

3:21:14with the request for same night minutes.

3:21:16Can I get a motion and a second?

3:21:19>> Second. Got a motion from Councilman

3:21:20Warren and a second from Chairwoman

3:21:22Swearing Washington. Chief Gibson, thank

3:21:25you for joining us this afternoon. Good

3:21:27to see you always. Likewise. Thank you,

3:21:29Councilwoman White. So, Jera Gibson,

3:21:31chief legal officer of City of Memphis,

3:21:33125 North Maine. So, as we're working to

3:21:35shore up and and close the loop on the

3:21:38board of ethics and ensure we have a

3:21:40quorum and all of our seats filled, uh,

3:21:42Miss Winfield represents will represent

3:21:45um, Councilwoman Logan's district. As

3:21:47you know, each seat represents uh a

3:21:49district on the council. Um and so I'm

3:21:53happy to bring her here today. But

3:21:54before I get to Miss Winfield, I did

3:21:56want to announce that we have a new

3:21:57chief ethics officer behind us here. Um

3:22:03this is attorney Lquita Stokes. Uh Miss

3:22:06Stokes has been practicing for

3:22:09nearly 20 years at this point. Um former

3:22:12president of the National Ben Jones

3:22:13chapter of the National Bar Association.

3:22:16um does work with the board of

3:22:18professional responsibility which covers

3:22:20ethics for lawyers has been supremely

3:22:23helpful in getting the board of ethics

3:22:25on track this year and so you'll be

3:22:27hearing from her in a little bit when we

3:22:29um get to the chairwoman's nomination of

3:22:32the chair for the board of ethics but in

3:22:34the interim just want to talk a little

3:22:35bit about Miss Winfield and let her come

3:22:37talk about herself she's a strong

3:22:39community presence several years with

3:22:42the district working with the community

3:22:43and working with our children um appears

3:22:46that Miss Winfield will be a an integral

3:22:48ad to get us to where we need to be. Um

3:22:51and coming from Councilwoman Logan, I

3:22:53know she'll serve us well. So, I'll let

3:22:54Miss Winfield come up and speak a little

3:22:56bit about herself.

3:23:07>> Well, good afternoon uh everyone. Thank

3:23:09you for giving me the opportunity to

3:23:11introduce myself uh and share a little

3:23:14bit about my background. Uh my name and

3:23:16why I'm interested in being in serving

3:23:18on the board of ethics. So my name is

3:23:20Myrtle Winfield. I currently serve as

3:23:23the community school manager with

3:23:25Memphis Shelby County Schools. In this

3:23:27role, I support the community school

3:23:29initiative. So which brings schools,

3:23:32families, the community partners

3:23:35together to identify the needs of

3:23:36students uh to better uh help them to be

3:23:40successful. So we also look at

3:23:42identifying needs, removing barriers of

3:23:45those students, but we do it together

3:23:46with the community, the school staff and

3:23:49community partners. So that is the

3:23:50community school initiative that has

3:23:53been implemented in uh se several of

3:23:55MSCS schools. Okay. So I'm the manager

3:23:58of that work. So my role requires

3:24:00leadership, problem solving, and the

3:24:02ability to work with people who have

3:24:04made a difference, may have different

3:24:06perspectives to reach students. My

3:24:09professional background also includes

3:24:11serving as pre-trial counselor with

3:24:14Shelby County government. This

3:24:15experience taught me the importance of

3:24:18revering information carefully,

3:24:20maintaining confidentiality, following

3:24:23established procedures, and working with

3:24:25individuals from many different

3:24:27backgrounds. I also have earned a

3:24:29bachelor of arts in applied psychology

3:24:32in criminal justice uh from Christian

3:24:34Brothers University. I'm also very

3:24:36active in my community. I'm the founder

3:24:39of Wake Up 901 Memphis, a nonprofit

3:24:43focus focusing on encouraging residents

3:24:46to become more involved and take an

3:24:48active role in improving their

3:24:50community. I attend BPGA community

3:24:53meetings and regularly communicate with

3:24:55public agencies about concerns affecting

3:24:59the community. Not just the community

3:25:00that I live in, but all of the

3:25:02communities in Memphis. Through this

3:25:04work, I've learned the importance of

3:25:06listening to residents, following up

3:25:08with concerns, and working with the

3:25:11appropriate agencies to help find

3:25:13solutions. I'm interested in serving on

3:25:16the board of ethics. I believe in

3:25:18fairness, accountability, transparency,

3:25:21integrity, and public service. I believe

3:25:24citizens deserve to have their concerns

3:25:26heard and taken seriously. At the same

3:25:29time, I believe that public officers and

3:25:32employees deserve a fair process where

3:25:35they can also have an opportunity to be

3:25:37heard and where decisions are based on

3:25:40the facts. I understand that serving on

3:25:42the board of ethics requires being

3:25:45objective, maintaining confidentiality,

3:25:48listening to all sides, and not allowing

3:25:51personal opinion or assumptions to

3:25:53influence decisions. I believe that my

3:25:56professional experience, education,

3:25:58leadership, and the community

3:26:00involvement have prepared me to bring

3:26:02those qualities to the board. I care

3:26:05deeply about Memphis and I and it will

3:26:07be an honor for me to have the

3:26:09opportunity to give back and serve our

3:26:11community as a member of the board of

3:26:13ethics. Thank you.

3:26:17>> Thank you. No doubt about it that Miss

3:26:19Winfield will be prepared.

3:26:22>> She has already been prepared.

3:26:26Although her appointment hasn't been

3:26:28formally uh accepted by the council, I

3:26:31just wanted to let you all know that she

3:26:33has demonstrated her commitment. She has

3:26:35attended our informal meetings. She's

3:26:38met the other board members. Um she's

3:26:40learned about the responsibilities of

3:26:42this board as well as our procedures and

3:26:44she knows about the pending matters. So

3:26:46of course uh I fully support uh

3:26:49Councilwoman Logan's recommendation for

3:26:51this uh position.

3:26:54>> Thank you. Councilwoman Logan, you're

3:26:55recognized.

3:26:57>> Thank you, Chair, colleagues, I just

3:26:58wanted to add that um Miss Myrtle is a

3:27:01person of integrity and she's committed

3:27:04to carrying out what she said she's

3:27:06going to do and I really appreciate her

3:27:09um for accepting um this recommendation

3:27:13for her being in this role and I know

3:27:15she'll um be a great asset to this

3:27:18board. Thank you.

3:27:20>> Thank you. Thank you so much for your

3:27:21willingness to serve in this capacity.

3:27:23We can tell that you will be prepared

3:27:25and we appreciate the sacrifice of time

3:27:27to be able to serve in this capacity.

3:27:30Thank you so much, Attorney Stokes. Um,

3:27:33I've practiced along um side attorney

3:27:36Stokes and when I tell you she is one of

3:27:38the brilliant minds of our legal

3:27:39community and we are very fortunate to

3:27:42have her in this capacity as well. So,

3:27:44thank you both for your service.

3:27:47>> All right. So, my job and thank you

3:27:50Chief Gibson for my introduction. I am

3:27:53pleased to present to the board of uh

3:27:54ethics the board of ethics

3:27:56recommendation to the chairwoman

3:27:57position the honorable Loyce Lambert

3:27:59Ryan. Judge Ryan is a retired judge and

3:28:02an experienced member of the legal

3:28:04profession who brings substantial

3:28:06experience, judgment, and public service

3:28:09to this leadership role as evidenced by

3:28:11her resume. On a personal note, Judge

3:28:14Ryan's service to our legal uh legal

3:28:17perfection actually exceeds me as a

3:28:21lawyer. Well, it predates me as a

3:28:23lawyer. While I was in law school, I had

3:28:25the opportunity to intern in her

3:28:27courtroom. I therefore had the

3:28:29opportunity long before becoming the

3:28:31chief ethics officer to observe her

3:28:33firsthand uh her professionalism and her

3:28:37experience as it relates to public

3:28:39service. The board of ethics has

3:28:41recommended Judge Ryan to serve as its

3:28:44chairwoman, and we respectfully present

3:28:46her for your consideration and approval.

3:28:59Good afternoon.

3:29:00>> Uh, I can entertain questions or I can

3:29:03make a brief statement.

3:29:05>> You may make a brief statement, judge.

3:29:07>> I I have been practicing law since 1983,

3:29:13probably longer than some of you have

3:29:14been alive on this earth. But that has

3:29:17given me an opportunity to look at

3:29:20multigenerational growth, changes in the

3:29:22justice system and uh experience life in

3:29:26my hometown uh in a pivotal role. I've

3:29:31done complex litigation. I did

3:29:33litigation that no other woman in the

3:29:35state of Tennessee was certified to do.

3:29:38Uh and I just mentioned that because we

3:29:40are at a pivotal point in our justice

3:29:43system.

3:29:45The integrity of the organization is

3:29:48what the board of ethics is supposed to

3:29:51protect.

3:29:52The forwardfacing

3:29:55and the organization is the city of

3:29:56Memphis. The forwardfacing part of that

3:29:59is the board of ethics. I've dealt with

3:30:02persons from every strata, from the top

3:30:06to the bottom,

3:30:08uh every role. And I found that in my

3:30:12job as an attorney, in the litigation I

3:30:14did and as a judge for over 20 years

3:30:18that I believe I have the ability to

3:30:21instill confidence in those that stand

3:30:24before me or were sitting beside me to

3:30:27let them know that I'm going to do the

3:30:29best and figure out the best and

3:30:33recommend the best outcome that's

3:30:35possible. And I think it's really

3:30:38important to have had experience in

3:30:42dealing with both sides of the table,

3:30:44respondents and complaints,

3:30:48and making sure people feel that they've

3:30:50had their day in court. And I say that

3:30:53because a lot of times in the 20 years

3:30:55that I was on the bench, your day was

3:30:57really only 10 to 15 minutes,

3:31:00but showing that that was valuable to me

3:31:03and valuable to them.

3:31:06Thank you so much, Chairwoman Washington

3:31:10recognized.

3:31:11>> We're excited. We're so excited to have

3:31:14uh your caliber, your experience working

3:31:18with the city and I definitely approve

3:31:21this appointment. I think that you will

3:31:23be a great asset to the ethics committee

3:31:27and we are just honored to have you.

3:31:31>> Thank you. And you all let me do a

3:31:32housekeeping matter that's on me. We did

3:31:35a motion for the first one. We didn't do

3:31:37a motion for this one. So, I want to

3:31:38make sure that I um correct that in the

3:31:40record. Can I get a motion? All right. A

3:31:42motion from Dr. Warren and a second from

3:31:44um Canali. Um so, now we're in the same

3:31:48place and it's for a request for same

3:31:50night minutes. Okay. Thank you. I just

3:31:53want to say that um this is an excellent

3:31:56um excellent appointment. Thank you so

3:31:59much, Judge Lamboryan, for all that you

3:32:01have done in our legal community, our

3:32:03profession. and you have served as a

3:32:04mentor and I can say that I have come

3:32:07before you and surely everyone feels

3:32:10heard and had will felt heard in your

3:32:12courtroom always fair always prepared

3:32:15and you were the judge that we all knew

3:32:17to go to to learn the rules and we all

3:32:20knew that if you were going in front of

3:32:21judge Lamborghini you needed to know the

3:32:23rules and you needed to be prepared you

3:32:24were never prepared any other morning

3:32:25you need to prepare that morning um I

3:32:28was always prepared though you all the

3:32:31mornings but no thank Thank you so much

3:32:34for um just deciding to do this um in

3:32:37this time and space for you to be able

3:32:39to to to sacrifice your time and serve

3:32:42in this capacity. It is greatly

3:32:44appreciated and you are truly um a great

3:32:48b will be a great benefit um to the

3:32:51ethics board. That's thank you. Anyone

3:32:54else in the queue?

3:32:55>> Do we need to vote?

3:32:56>> Yep. All those in favor?

3:32:57>> I.

3:32:58>> Any opposed?

3:33:00The eyes have it. And I thought about

3:33:02that. Do we do it for the

3:33:05>> I actually was coming up here to ask

3:33:07about the vote for Miss Winfield.

3:33:08>> All those in favor for Miss Winfield say

3:33:10I.

3:33:11>> I.

3:33:11>> Any oppose? So both of those will go

3:33:14down uh this afternoon with the request

3:33:16for same night minutes. Thank you all so

3:33:18much.

3:33:19>> Thank you all.

3:33:21>> There are no other matters um in this

3:33:23committee and it's adjourned.

3:33:32Okay.

3:36:09him. Um,

3:36:12we have, colleagues, three items on

3:36:14today's agenda. Um,

3:36:17would you call the role?

3:36:19>> Yes, sir. Councilwoman Eser Thomas.

3:36:22Councilwoman Walker.

3:36:24>> Chairwoman Swagon Washington.

3:36:27>> Councilman Carl. Councilman Canali

3:36:30>> here.

3:36:31>> Councilman Warren.

3:36:33>> Chair Carile.

3:36:35>> Uh, Chair Canal is here. And Councilman

3:36:37Logan is

3:36:38>> Councilwoman Logan as well.

3:36:40>> The Councilwoman Rhonda Logan is here.

3:36:43All right, colleagues. It's going to be

3:36:44a heavy day, so we'll have a little bit

3:36:46of fun here. Uh, lighten the mood. Uh we

3:36:48have two three items on today's agenda.

3:36:50Um the first two look to be like we are

3:36:52going to clear up some uh amendments to

3:36:54our community uh grant program. So item

3:36:57number one, a resolution to amend the

3:36:58fiscal year council community grant

3:37:00program allocations all council

3:37:01districts sponsored by Councilman

3:37:02Smiley. I have a motion and second.

3:37:07Uh any discussion on this item? Seeing

3:37:10none, all those in favor of sending this

3:37:12down with a positive recommendation

3:37:13signify by saying I.

3:37:14>> I.

3:37:15>> Any oppose? Any rights and privileges?

3:37:16Seeing none, this item goes down with

3:37:18favorable recommendation. Item number

3:37:20two, also a resolution to amend the

3:37:22fiscal year community grant program

3:37:24allocations all council districts

3:37:25sponsored by man Spinosa.

3:37:27>> Moved by the chair, seconded by Easter

3:37:29Thomas and any discussion? Nope. All

3:37:33righty. Uh, all those in favor of seeing

3:37:35this down with positive recommendation

3:37:36signify by saying I.

3:37:39>> Any opposed? Seeing none, this goes down

3:37:41with a positive recommendation. All

3:37:43right. Item number three. This is this

3:37:46is going to be a lighter discussion I

3:37:47think based on where we are in the day

3:37:49and in general and I'm just going to go

3:37:51and take a little bit of ownership of

3:37:52this. I did not we went uh uh the chief

3:37:56financial officer was was traveling then

3:37:59he called me back and I was traveling

3:38:00and he called me back but he actually

3:38:02got the information which I really

3:38:03wanted which is the baseline without any

3:38:05finagling. Um uh so um and I think we

3:38:08have the assessor is is here as well.

3:38:11Yes sir. All right. Uh let's would you

3:38:13mind coming forward? So our new assessor

3:38:17new kind of are you do you guess you're

3:38:19considered the new assessor but I ain't

3:38:21new to the office. It's your first

3:38:22rodeo.

3:38:31So I'll I'll set this. Thank you for

3:38:32being here. Uh uh I think

3:38:36this is really was coming and then I'm

3:38:37glad you're here because I I really

3:38:39didn't get together what I probably

3:38:40wanted to get together but I don't know

3:38:42that it's necessary because ultimately I

3:38:45really don't have an angle as I said I

3:38:46think it's just important to present the

3:38:48the the you know just the facts as they

3:38:50are is just a party of the decision-m

3:38:51and just for the public to digest from

3:38:53the elected leaders. So, I'll turn the

3:38:55floor over to you if you if you'd like

3:38:56to take make some comments on the impact

3:38:59of data centers to uh both the appraise

3:39:02and assessed value and what that has

3:39:03downline from your your chair, sir.

3:39:05Welcome.

3:39:06>> Thank you.

3:39:11>> Okay, there we go.

3:39:12>> Can you hear me now?

3:39:13>> Yes, sir.

3:39:14>> Thank you again. Um

3:39:17I also have with me and I wanted to make

3:39:19the introduction because we come before

3:39:20you guys often in a year's time. from

3:39:23Miss Barbara Palmer who is the new chief

3:39:26administrative officer uh in our office.

3:39:28Uh she replaced she took my old job

3:39:33and she's been there some 37 years and

3:39:37uh quite worthy and quite capable of

3:39:39handling that job and I just wanted to

3:39:41make that introduction today. Uh

3:39:44over the last actually few months the

3:39:47assessor's office has been called upon

3:39:50by various parties um both the

3:39:53governmental uh the chamber of commerce

3:39:56and likewise uh private sector parties

3:39:59and this question has been raised about

3:40:02the fiscal impact of uh data centers and

3:40:06when I say data centers let me put my

3:40:09thumb there

3:40:10>> XAI is not the only data

3:40:13And it's not the only one that has

3:40:15planned has been planned. There is a

3:40:19site on Getwell,

3:40:22the old Fred's headquarters that has now

3:40:24been uh purchased and the development is

3:40:28underway. There's also uh a site on

3:40:31Sycamore View that we are aware of.

3:40:34Luckily, they have uh been contacting us

3:40:37ahead of time, so we're not being

3:40:38surprised.

3:40:40uh we were a little surprised by XAI uh

3:40:43but uh they are are contacting us and

3:40:47talking through uh certain issues with

3:40:50us. So we are aware that there there's

3:40:52more than one and I just wanted to make

3:40:53that uh that point the impact

3:40:58on data centers uh on the well let's

3:41:01look at the valuation first that issue

3:41:04um uh it all depends on where they're

3:41:07located. Um so the Colossus site which

3:41:11is a site uh that is in an industrial

3:41:15area. It has been an industrial area

3:41:17since the end of World War II and uh as

3:41:21a result of that uh it has not the

3:41:25existence of

3:41:27space XAI in that area has not had a it

3:41:31has been a negligible impact on the

3:41:34valuation of the properties nearby. The

3:41:37nearest home, we measured it recently,

3:41:40the nearest neighborhood, the nearest

3:41:42home is 1.57

3:41:44miles from the front door of that

3:41:48center.

3:41:49Now, that wouldn't be the case though if

3:41:52you were on Getwell. Uh there would be

3:41:55neighborhoods a little closer and there

3:41:58could in fact be uh an impact. We

3:42:01haven't been able to measure that yet

3:42:03because they have not actually opened

3:42:05and there has been no sales or um or

3:42:10demolitions or anything that has

3:42:12impacted the area over there. So, we're

3:42:14keeping an eye on it. But nationally,

3:42:17that's the case. If data centers are

3:42:20created, uh we also saw the same thing

3:42:23with cryp uh crypto mines. if they're

3:42:26created in an area very close to

3:42:30residential neighborhoods, it can have

3:42:33an impact. However, thus far in the city

3:42:36of Memphis, it has not. Uh, and I just

3:42:38wanted to make sure that I'm clear about

3:42:40that because when I say it has not had

3:42:42an impact, uh, that's because of where

3:42:45the current operating data center is

3:42:48located.

3:42:51In terms of the fiscal impact, I want to

3:42:54be real clear about this. Uh before I

3:42:56answer that question, I am not it is my

3:43:00position that there has to be some

3:43:02regulations. So I want to be clear. Uh I

3:43:05have I take no positions on whether a

3:43:07moratorium any of that. That's not my

3:43:09job. I will stay in my lane. But the

3:43:12fiscal impact has been that um the

3:43:15current operating data center which is

3:43:17XAI

3:43:19uh has had a sign has brought in

3:43:21significant revenue such that

3:43:25uh

3:43:28city and county taxes the first year was

3:43:31approximately

3:43:32uh $30 million

3:43:36uh city and county.

3:43:38We expect that to significantly increase

3:43:42in the next uh reappraisal cycle.

3:43:46Um,

3:43:48we are also involved in some discussions

3:43:51in Nashville through the assessors

3:43:54association

3:43:55uh in some new in bringing forth some

3:43:58new

3:43:59um statutory uh regulations that will

3:44:03allow us to right now it's just it's

3:44:05either commercial property or and

3:44:07personal property but they get about 1.4

3:44:111.2 1.4 4 billion dollar in actual lease

3:44:15revenue monthly and we believe that we

3:44:19ought be able to come up with a new

3:44:21assessment classification for that kind

3:44:24of uh uh intangible revenue.

3:44:27>> That was always going to be my question

3:44:28when you finish is how do you get to an

3:44:29income approach basis? You can't and

3:44:32that not under the current statutory

3:44:34schemes but we just

3:44:35>> because you could have self-deing and

3:44:36all these other things but like there

3:44:37has to be some sort of mechanism.

3:44:39>> Absolutely. And uh we just left a uh the

3:44:42controllers retreat with the department

3:44:44of property assessments. Was it a week

3:44:46ago? And uh that that came up. In fact,

3:44:49there was a training session on that.

3:44:52and and we are working on some potential

3:44:54legislation that will allow the

3:44:56assessors across the state of Tennessee

3:44:58to then have a new level of intangible

3:45:01property that we can assess so that

3:45:03cities like Memphis can um tap that

3:45:07revenue because it's a substantial

3:45:09amount of revenue coming in and you know

3:45:14I must say it doesn't significantly

3:45:16increase the workforce so we ought be

3:45:18able to t tap that revenue.

3:45:20>> No doubt about it. I mean, and here's

3:45:21the deal. You're talking about it. It's

3:45:23a reverse pilot, meaning like if you get

3:45:25whether whoever gets the control on that

3:45:27lever, right? Like you elect to take the

3:45:29income approach and then it's based on

3:45:32even if it's a special election, you're

3:45:34still allowing us the opportunity to

3:45:36make an economic development decision or

3:45:37the state can and other my point is

3:45:39other states will eventually follow

3:45:40suit. It will be modeled out because

3:45:42they won't be able to say no to that.

3:45:44>> I agree. I agree wholeheartedly. And um

3:45:48I must also say uh that uh that the

3:45:52other issues that were raised uh was

3:45:54with respect to

3:45:57um the valuation and uh the revenue. I'm

3:46:01missing something, forgive me. Uh, oh

3:46:04yeah, and the, uh, so we I I personally

3:46:08went through the the study of the

3:46:10Memphis Sands aquifer that the

3:46:13University of Memphis conducted around

3:46:162022, I believe.

3:46:18>> And I quote a lot from that in the

3:46:21report that I submitted to you all. Um,

3:46:24and of course, you know, I don't I don't

3:46:28I don't assess mineral rights, but I

3:46:31looked at it because it does have an

3:46:33effect on property rights and um and

3:46:37there does not seem at this time to be a

3:46:40significant effect on that. You got to

3:46:43understand something and I want to be

3:46:44clear about this. Uh according to that

3:46:46study and the diagrams that came with

3:46:49it, uh the aquifer goes from Memphis

3:46:52down through Mississippi, crosses under

3:46:54the Mississippi River, goes through

3:46:57Arkansas all the way to Texas, it is

3:47:01huge. And um you know uh

3:47:07most of and if you'll look in the the

3:47:09report that I submitted to you, I'm just

3:47:11summarizing most of the major cities

3:47:14that have had to address this have

3:47:17required graywater

3:47:20uh um processing plants to serve as the

3:47:24cooling mechanism for these types of

3:47:26centers. That's just that is the case. U

3:47:30other cities have addressed it and of

3:47:31course I I cite some of those cities in

3:47:33the report that I've submitted to you.

3:47:35>> I mean it makes sense. You can't build a

3:47:36can't build a heavy restaurant without a

3:47:37grease trap. Right.

3:47:38>> That is correct. Um I told one of my

3:47:41staff members that I was going to take

3:47:43credit for this, but he said to me,

3:47:45listen, uh a church's chicken has to be

3:47:49regulated.

3:47:51And he's right. You know, you have to

3:47:53have so much set off. You have to have

3:47:55you have to uh dispose of your grease.

3:47:58You have to There are regulations that

3:48:00surround any operating business. So

3:48:02certainly uh I'm I am not for banning

3:48:07data centers but there has to be some

3:48:09coordination of regulations and we

3:48:11believe we can be of help to you on that

3:48:14uh when called upon.

3:48:19>> All right we ready

3:48:26>> and I'm and I'm available for any

3:48:27questions. Thank I was going to make

3:48:28sure that you if there's anything else.

3:48:29So I've got if we recognize that we've

3:48:31got Cooper Sutton, White and Green uh

3:48:35are now joined us and then we've got

3:48:36Councilwoman Easter Thomas in the queue

3:48:38and then White and Dr. Warren.

3:48:40Councilwoman Easter Thomas floor is

3:48:41yours.

3:48:43>> I couldn't tell what order I was in

3:48:44because you was calling out everybody

3:48:45now. Uh thank you Shar.

3:48:47>> Um good to see you. You too. Um can you

3:48:52explain just uh the es and flows the

3:48:57increase and decrease we see in these

3:48:58project or you didn't give us this sheet

3:49:00who gave us this

3:49:01>> that one yeah sorry that

3:49:04good question there are two things in

3:49:05front of you in a red folder there's a

3:49:07report from the assessor okay there's a

3:49:10data center revenue I'm looking at the

3:49:11revenue impact

3:49:12>> our uh the chief financial officer put

3:49:14together on the fly for me um which we

3:49:17can go over here in a minute but yes

3:49:19this is my question on it so we can

3:49:21wait.

3:49:21>> Perfect.

3:49:24>> I'm sorry, Counciloman White.

3:49:29>> Thank you. Mine is not about the data

3:49:31center revenue. I just wanted to know if

3:49:33the assessor's office since we have you

3:49:35here if you have reviewed the potential

3:49:39DPD reszoning that we have before us

3:49:42later this afternoon and factored that

3:49:45into any potential impact in terms of

3:49:47reszoning commercial properties to

3:49:49residential being that they're assessed

3:49:51at a different

3:49:53>> yes so

3:49:54>> percentage

3:49:54>> I've talked to the lawyers some of the

3:49:56lawyers

3:49:56>> sorry brief answer since it's not

3:49:58germaine what we're doing here but yeah

3:50:00it's all right quick quick answer but

3:50:01yes I got it. I'm with you. I'm with

3:50:03you.

3:50:03>> I'll give you a briefing.

3:50:04>> Yes, sir. Please. And y'all can catch up

3:50:06afterward. But yeah,

3:50:07>> I have talked to the lawyers about that

3:50:09because it does affect how we do

3:50:11assessing. You know, we we we assess

3:50:14properties based on the use of the land,

3:50:16the highest and best use of the land. If

3:50:19a property goes from commercial to

3:50:22residential, you're going to lose 15% in

3:50:24the assessment valuation. That's that's

3:50:27the long and short of it.

3:50:28>> Thank you.

3:50:32All right, hold on. Wait, let me go to

3:50:34Dr. Warren and I got Councilwoman Logan

3:50:36and then Councilwoman Walker.

3:50:38>> I just want to make sure that I can uh

3:50:42take what you said and shorten it to

3:50:45where it makes sense. Essentially, what

3:50:48you're saying is we've been making money

3:50:50and we plan to get more money from the

3:50:53data centers that we can use as a tax

3:50:55revenue that is not coming out of

3:50:57people's property taxes. So that we've

3:51:00got and the other is what is happening

3:51:02to people's property that are near these

3:51:05data center. Are they losing property

3:51:08value? Has that changed? Has it remained

3:51:09the same?

3:51:10>> Well, I I thought I said that, but

3:51:12Councilman Warren, I I'll I'll try to be

3:51:14a be clearer.

3:51:15>> Yeah. I mean, just two sentences. You

3:51:17said it in two sentences.

3:51:19>> Accessories,

3:51:20>> but I can answer you and be clearer. Uh

3:51:23the bottom line is this. Currently, as

3:51:26it sits today, we have not measured any

3:51:30devaluation

3:51:32of the nearest neighborhoods to X ai.

3:51:36However,

3:51:39uh if a data center were to be located

3:51:44within four blocks of a neighborhood, I

3:51:49would suggest to you that it would it

3:51:51would diminish the desiraability of the

3:51:54neighborhood and thereby diminish the

3:51:56valuation of the properties there. We

3:51:59don't have that right now. And what I

3:52:02was asked to do and and and and we

3:52:04looked at the current situation and in

3:52:07the current situation there is no

3:52:09devaluation.

3:52:10>> So if we went and moved and regulated

3:52:14these data centers in such a way that

3:52:16they were not near neighborhoods and not

3:52:19near parks and not near schools, then

3:52:22their ability to lower the value of

3:52:25neighborhoods would be marketkedly

3:52:27diminished.

3:52:28>> Councilman, I'm a real estate guy.

3:52:29>> Yeah. I practiced law for almost 30

3:52:31years, but I'm a real estate guy.

3:52:33>> What do you think?

3:52:34>> Uh if if you're going to regulate these

3:52:37centers, put them in heavy industrial.

3:52:38>> They should not be anywhere near uh

3:52:40residential neighborhoods. They should

3:52:42be located in industrial areas that have

3:52:45already been zoned industrial. You

3:52:47should not change it to industrial. They

3:52:50should already be zoned industrial. The

3:52:53reason for that is the homes nearby,

3:52:56those homeowners would have already

3:52:58known that they were near an industrial

3:53:01area and assumed whatever risk when they

3:53:03bought those properties. But you should

3:53:05not allow such centers to be located in

3:53:09areas that are currently residential

3:53:12areas or even multif family because you

3:53:15do have children and you do have

3:53:16families. And what you also don't want

3:53:19to do is is to reduce your uh uh ability

3:53:23to develop further affordable housing in

3:53:26those areas and and and so I look at

3:53:28that. Okay. But as long as they're in

3:53:31industrial areas uh and you and there

3:53:34are other regulations that should go

3:53:35along with it, I think it would be okay.

3:53:38That's that's my answer.

3:53:39>> Thank you. That's that's what I was

3:53:41looking for. Thank you

3:53:43Logan.

3:53:44>> Thank you, Chair. Thank you so much for

3:53:46being here in your presentation. It's

3:53:47very informative. Uh two questions. one.

3:53:50You mentioned that going from commercial

3:53:53to residential, you're going to lose the

3:53:56money.

3:53:56>> A commercial or industrial valuation is

3:53:59assessed at 40%.

3:54:00>> They're the same. That's my question.

3:54:02Are they the same? Industrial and

3:54:03commercial are the same. So, when you go

3:54:05from industrial to commercial that

3:54:08>> No, commercial and industrial are the

3:54:10same. They're both 40% of the appraised

3:54:12value.

3:54:13>> 40%.

3:54:13>> But residential would be 25% of the

3:54:16appraised value.

3:54:17>> Okay. Now based on what you just said,

3:54:19if during this um UDC upgrade and

3:54:23change,

3:54:24if there is a new designation or um for

3:54:30data centers or hypers scale centers, um

3:54:34can we would you be able to evaluate

3:54:40certain if if we put them if they're if

3:54:42it requires them to be a certain uh

3:54:45distance from residential

3:54:47churches and all of that and they're set

3:54:49throughout the the city. How can we

3:54:52benefit or how can the neighborhood

3:54:54still benefit even if um if they are,

3:54:59you know, a ways away from a

3:55:01neighborhood, can we can we put language

3:55:03or can language be put in there to where

3:55:06that's the new distance and if it's 25

3:55:10miles away, we still can obtain, you

3:55:13know, funds from that. So most of the

3:55:15most of the industrial areas with the

3:55:17exception of the Douglas community which

3:55:20is a phenomenon in and of itself

3:55:24uh but most of the industrial sites

3:55:27throughout the city of Memphis are going

3:55:30to be at least a mile from the nearest

3:55:33neighborhood. Most of them, not all. I

3:55:36just talked to you about Douglas. That's

3:55:38one that is an exception to that rule

3:55:40and so was Firestone.

3:55:42Okay. But the other sites that I'm aware

3:55:46of, and we do go out to these sites, we

3:55:48have we have people who specialize in

3:55:49that, and they literally go out to these

3:55:51sites, are going to be uh a good

3:55:53distance from the nearest neighborhood.

3:55:55And that's why I suggest that if you're

3:55:57looking at the uh regulations with

3:56:01regards to location that they ought be

3:56:04required to be located in an a currently

3:56:08zoned industrial area

3:56:12>> able to because of where they're located

3:56:14now like XAI you're not able to evaluate

3:56:17whether or not the homes have gone up or

3:56:19down or

3:56:20>> for the XAI site we have and I think in

3:56:22my report we show no devaluation Okay.

3:56:26But the reason is is that with the XAI

3:56:28site, it's 1.57 miles uh from the site

3:56:32itself to the next neighborhood, but

3:56:34there also is a a bluff, a barrier that

3:56:38goes literally the full length of Paul

3:56:41Lowry Road. Uh that and and it has

3:56:44that's why you don't have the sound

3:56:45problem right there,

3:56:46>> right?

3:56:47>> And uh because that bluff sits there.

3:56:50>> We looked at it uh knowing we had to

3:56:52come here. Last last question. There are

3:56:55there are industrial

3:56:58uh zones in in communities throughout

3:57:02our city,

3:57:03>> unfortunately. And

3:57:05>> based on what you said, you all go out

3:57:08and take a look at those sites. Um

3:57:10>> for what purpose?

3:57:12>> Because we're required to assess them

3:57:14number one.

3:57:15>> We're also required to classify them.

3:57:17Okay. And that classification

3:57:20uh is going to affect its valuation, not

3:57:24assessment, but valuation. Right?

3:57:26>> So, we have uh we're down to about two

3:57:29or three people, but we have uh some of

3:57:31our commercial appraisers who have spent

3:57:34the last 30 years doing nothing but

3:57:36industrial properties, warehouses,

3:57:38factories, so forth and so on. And so,

3:57:42we we know where they are. I mean

3:57:44there's no you know there's not any

3:57:46around that we aren't aware of. I will

3:57:48say this that when Xai came in we you

3:57:52know the um

3:57:55we were we were contacted but when we

3:57:58first spoke with them they were already

3:57:59there. You know they didn't talk to us

3:58:02before they got there. We we found out

3:58:04that they were there. I did not know

3:58:05that they were there prior to then. But

3:58:09but once we found out that they were

3:58:11there, we we did have a series of

3:58:14meetings with them. We talked to them.

3:58:15They did work with us. And I got to say

3:58:18that they've been pretty forthcoming. Um

3:58:21uh that's why they don't have a pilot. U

3:58:23they've been pretty forthcoming and and

3:58:26uh we've tried to to to be uh available

3:58:29to them um throughout their process.

3:58:33>> Thank you. Thank you. I appreciate that.

3:58:37All right, Councilwoman Walker, the

3:58:39floor is yours. And Councilwoman Cooper,

3:58:40>> thank you.

3:58:41>> Thank you, Mr. Chair. Thank you for

3:58:42coming today.

3:58:45>> And um congratulations again.

3:58:47>> Yeah. So, if you don't mind me asking,

3:58:50first, when did you receive the invite

3:58:53to appear before this committee today?

3:58:57>> Yesterday, I believe.

3:59:00>> Okay. Thank you for that. Um, so I just

3:59:02want the record to show that the Gwell

3:59:04location is in district three and the

3:59:07two-lane location

3:59:10is it backs up to district 3. And I just

3:59:13want everyone to know that if you didn't

3:59:15know that already. And in terms of the

3:59:18potential revenue that can be generated,

3:59:22um, that is great, but we're sitting on

3:59:25revenue now that we can't vote on. I

3:59:30know we're going to vote on it

3:59:31eventually. I hope so. The community

3:59:33benefits. Yeah.

3:59:34>> But to me, it just seems like a

3:59:36contradiction to be voting on a on a

3:59:39moratorum and we haven't voted on the

3:59:41community benefits. And then in terms of

3:59:43the revenue that you're saying that can

3:59:46be generated, how does that make it

3:59:49through

3:59:51the process of how it gets to us or to

3:59:54administration where we can appropriate

3:59:56those funds? Because you're talking

3:59:57about tax dollars. Yeah, I'm talking

3:59:59about tax dollars.

4:00:00>> So, we are already sitting on 3.2 soon

4:00:03to be seven additional, which would make

4:00:0510.2

4:00:07total tax dollars, 25% from the first

4:00:12from the first two years, and we can't

4:00:15vote on it. So,

4:00:15>> that's my understanding. I'm sorry,

4:00:17council.

4:00:18>> So,

4:00:19I hear what you're saying, and that's

4:00:21great, but what does it mean if we can't

4:00:24vote on it? Thank you, and I yield the

4:00:26floor.

4:00:29I know you don't have an answer to that,

4:00:31so you will.

4:00:33>> Okay. Thank you, Councilwoman.

4:00:35Counciloman Cooper Sutton.

4:00:38>> Thank you, Chairman. I want to

4:00:41um discuss what Councilwoman Walker and

4:00:45it's not about the tax dollars and the

4:00:47revenue. Um it's about um the hypert

4:00:52that's coming to I think that have

4:00:54permits out there to

4:00:57um the Fred's building.

4:01:00>> Yes, ma'am.

4:01:00>> And I'm not sure and I think that is

4:01:03industrial

4:01:06because there's a lot of other factories

4:01:08around that area.

4:01:09>> You're correct.

4:01:10>> Am I correct about that?

4:01:11>> You are correct.

4:01:11>> Okay. And I am I'm super district 8. So

4:01:15I represent that with Councilwoman

4:01:18Walker.

4:01:21When I visualize sitting here, when I

4:01:24visualize that in the moratorum that I

4:01:27think we will be discussing later on,

4:01:31this is zoned for industrial. Am I

4:01:34right?

4:01:35>> You're correct.

4:01:35>> Okay. And I haven't uh researched yet

4:01:41the mileage from residents because I

4:01:44don't remember seeing any residential.

4:01:47They're back over there off of that

4:01:49little street. Now, can I just make it

4:01:51very clear so you won't say that? Oh,

4:01:52she know

4:01:54I'm not I don't know the streets off my

4:01:56head like most of these council members

4:01:59do. I just know how to get where I need

4:02:01to get when I need to get there.

4:02:02>> That's all right.

4:02:03>> Okay. And I know that there's some

4:02:05houses. There's a four-way stop. There's

4:02:09like a service station, a barbecue

4:02:11place, and then you can go on down and

4:02:13then there are houses in that area. I

4:02:15know you all have certain names for

4:02:16certain communities. What community is

4:02:18that?

4:02:20>> Okay. All that's back there

4:02:23>> is

4:02:24>> all that is Oak Haven. Okay. I've been

4:02:27over there. I just didn't know it was

4:02:28Oak Haven. Okay. But I know across there

4:02:31is Oak Haven. So, what's the distance?

4:02:34You would know that because you What's

4:02:36the distance from where Fred is and Oak

4:02:38Haven is?

4:02:42>> I can't tell you that, but I can look it

4:02:44up right now in real time if you

4:02:46>> Okay, you can do that. Google. Okay.

4:02:49I'm just when because they have they

4:02:54have a permit out there. They're they're

4:02:56wanting to come here to Memphis. They

4:02:57do. And so, um, I think that was one of

4:03:01the companies that, uh, President

4:03:03McGawan, uh, talked about as far as the

4:03:06permitting process, but I just wanted to

4:03:08know, they are located in an industrial,

4:03:10right?

4:03:11>> That is an industrial area. Uh, waste

4:03:13management

4:03:14>> is also in that area. In fact,

4:03:16>> it used to own one of the buildings

4:03:19right there on that. I'd call it a

4:03:20campus because it's a stretch of of

4:03:24industrial buildings there.

4:03:25>> Okay. And um but yes, that is zoned

4:03:28industrial.

4:03:29>> All right. I found it. It's 2.2 miles.

4:03:31>> Okay.

4:03:32>> Sounds great. Thank you. I just wanted

4:03:34to make sure that I cleared it. Thank

4:03:35you, chairman.

4:03:36>> Yes, ma'am. Thank you,

4:03:37>> Mr. Chairman. Can I just add something,

4:03:39please? To to clear up some of the

4:03:41confusion, let me state this. So, most

4:03:44of the uh communities that you will find

4:03:47surrounding industrial areas in the

4:03:50inner city on the west the the west of

4:03:54East Parkway. Okay, those were

4:03:56neighborhoods that were built after

4:03:58World War II. Uh when people were coming

4:04:02home and they had GI Bills, most of them

4:04:05found jobs in those factories and those

4:04:08neighborhoods were built. Firestone over

4:04:11near uh International Harvester uh in

4:04:14the Douglas community. And I said that's

4:04:16a little different because boss, Mayor

4:04:19Crump

4:04:21had something to do with that area being

4:04:23built there. But um but uh these

4:04:26neighbor these the housing were were the

4:04:29housing in these areas was put there and

4:04:31was built for the purpose of serving the

4:04:33people that worked in those factories.

4:04:35And that's why you find them a mile or a

4:04:38mile and a half away from the sites, the

4:04:41industrial sites. So these aren't new

4:04:43neighborhoods. These are not it's not

4:04:44new housing, new communities built near

4:04:47these sites. These were they've been

4:04:49there since the since the late 40s. And

4:04:53uh and so and the reason we pay

4:04:55attention to that is again we're looking

4:04:58for the desiraability effect and how

4:05:00that affects the valuation and that I

4:05:02just wanted to make sure I was clear

4:05:03about that.

4:05:05>> Yes sir. Thank you. Uh look especially

4:05:07in this subject matter given your years

4:05:09of experience and expertise and

4:05:11certainly the deputy assessor which by

4:05:12the way I'm just so excited for me I

4:05:14congratulations. Thank you for your

4:05:15years of experience. Thank you for

4:05:17staying to serve uh especially in these

4:05:19roles. It it makes me just so pleased.

4:05:21Uh, all right. Thank you for that. I've

4:05:24got Counciloman Walker. Thank you.

4:05:29>> Yes. So,

4:05:31are there ever instances or is it a

4:05:33possibility that homes that are within a

4:05:36certain proximity to these data centers

4:05:39that their values will go up?

4:05:43>> Not that I can think of.

4:05:46>> Okay. Thank you. I yield the floor.

4:05:49>> Thank you, ma'am. All right. Thank you,

4:05:51Assessor Bailey.

4:05:52>> All right.

4:05:53>> Um, I know that Councilwoman Easter

4:05:54Thomas had a quick question for Chief

4:05:56Davis. Um, we I guess we'll run over at

4:05:59a high level. I I'm just going to give

4:06:00my man a break here, though, because I I

4:06:02it was me getting to him late, so this

4:06:04was a rush job.

4:06:05>> Oh, that's okay.

4:06:05>> No, no.

4:06:07>> You finished with us?

4:06:08>> Yes, sir. Thank you. Unless you want to

4:06:09hang out.

4:06:10>> Absolutely.

4:06:11>> Be careful. More questions will come.

4:06:12That's what I figured. Smart man.

4:06:14>> Thank you very much. Really appreciate

4:06:16it. You guys are going to have your work

4:06:16cut out. I have I will have questions

4:06:18later. I didn't want to meet with you. I

4:06:20have bigger questions about why we how

4:06:21we mark to market across like I I know

4:06:24that you've had thought you had to have

4:06:25had thoughts if your time in the office

4:06:27of like do we start really marking to

4:06:28market so that we can readjust our

4:06:30millage rate and all those things but

4:06:31they're herculean undertakings but if

4:06:34you but if you want to have a discussion

4:06:35before I get out of here I certainly am

4:06:37open to it and any way I can help is

4:06:39there are just your office is a unique

4:06:41one that's not really appreciated for

4:06:42the levers it can pull and what it can

4:06:44really do to local economy much like our

4:06:46like permits department is like it's a

4:06:48real For sure. Well, I appreciate you.

4:06:50Thanks, sir.

4:06:53All right, Chief Davis coming in with my

4:06:56late homework. Uh, do you just want to

4:06:59run down basically just what we

4:07:00basically said were the parameters just

4:07:02to give a just an apples to apples. We

4:07:04It's like the least complicated look at

4:07:05this thing for just on that on purpose.

4:07:08>> Absolutely. Art Davis, CFO, City of

4:07:10Memphis, 125 North Main. um what you

4:07:13have before you this presentation. Um

4:07:16the first page just lists each of the

4:07:18properties that are defined within the

4:07:21um ordinance uh 5953

4:07:25which is uh where the uh revitalization

4:07:28programs came. So these are the uh

4:07:31properties listed in that. As the

4:07:34property assessor just stated, I provide

4:07:36you information on what the valuation is

4:07:39for commercial and industrial. It's 40%,

4:07:42personal property is at 30. Remind

4:07:44everyone what the current tax rate is

4:07:46and the current value of a penny. So the

4:07:49next page shows um in 2026 the amount of

4:07:53taxes that have collected on those

4:07:55properties listed on the previous page

4:07:58is $26,570,000.

4:08:01That money has been paid. that money is

4:08:03in the city's uh coffer. So when you

4:08:06look at the 25% for the Southwest

4:08:08Memphis reinvestment, that's about 6 uh

4:08:12$6 million. The remaining 19 million is

4:08:16divided up uh by ordinance between the

4:08:19general fund, debt service fund, and the

4:08:20CIP fund. And that gives you what the

4:08:23distributions are. Again, showing the

4:08:25total distribution equals the amount of

4:08:27tax collected.

4:08:29What I did for 20 uh 7, 28, 29, and 30

4:08:33is I took a very very conservative

4:08:35approach of what the revenue might look

4:08:38like. And here's the assumptions that I

4:08:41did in that that there would be no

4:08:42change in the assessed value or the tax

4:08:45rate for the real property. Um and that

4:08:49new investments for uh these for

4:08:53personal property tax would be every

4:08:55three years. And after the third year,

4:08:57the value of the original was taken off

4:09:00the books. So the details of all that

4:09:03are on the next page. The final page

4:09:06shows the depreciation, which

4:09:08Councilwoman uh Easter Thomas, that's

4:09:10why you see the downflow. Um because of

4:09:15the depreciation rate that is applied to

4:09:17the personal property tax. when you look

4:09:20at uh computers, it goes from 67% to 33%

4:09:24to 20%. So that's why you see decreases

4:09:28and then you see another upswing

4:09:31uh in the U 2029 because that would be

4:09:35the next investment year. So again,

4:09:38>> we can get we can get into the weeds on

4:09:40the inputs, but ultimately at a high

4:09:42level, if nothing else changed, like

4:09:43this would be your revenue

4:09:46>> under the current status like and again

4:09:47he mentioned like the assessed value.

4:09:49Don't get lost on the fact like the

4:09:51assessed value could be a function of it

4:09:54is a function of the appraised value

4:09:55which could go up or down. The assess

4:09:58the state could change the it could

4:09:59reclassify how to assess data centers

4:10:01which could go up or down. So I again I

4:10:05just wanted to be apples to apples like

4:10:06this is what we're getting today like

4:10:09now you know I honestly wanted to know

4:10:11and so yeah anyway I that's that was the

4:10:13starting point council Trump's floor is

4:10:15yours.

4:10:17>> Thank you chair and thank you chief

4:10:18Davis uh I knew you were going to answer

4:10:19my initial question but when you did

4:10:21that you gave me another question which

4:10:22also made me quicker. Um so the so yes

4:10:27you said depreciation of whatever they

4:10:29have which is causing the dip in 207

4:10:33and 28. This is a budget now question

4:10:36because you have it by general fund debt

4:10:39service and CIP.

4:10:41That means we already in this FY27

4:10:44budget that we passed this year that you

4:10:47came in on the tail end of we already

4:10:49included that 73% in our budget. That is

4:10:54correct.

4:10:54>> Okay. And so that means

4:10:57for the next

4:11:00one, two, three, four fiscal years you

4:11:02have on here, it said that to assume

4:11:05we're going to include that in our

4:11:07general fund and debt service fund. But

4:11:10what happens if

4:11:12because of that depreciation 2728 are

4:11:15not similar?

4:11:18Well, well, that number is going to

4:11:19fluctuate on whatever the actual tax

4:11:21base happens to be during those years.

4:11:24So, uh, the majority of that is the

4:11:28personal property tax, which again, I

4:11:30don't know if they're going to what

4:11:32they're going to invest next year, what

4:11:34they're going to invest the third year.

4:11:36So, the pot could increase or

4:11:39>> it could it could increase. Um but this

4:11:42so this is the most conservative worst

4:11:45case scenario other than just closing

4:11:48and not being in business at all.

4:11:49>> Okay. Thank you.

4:11:51>> Yeah. I think and I I we haven't really

4:11:53talked about it and mainly just because

4:11:54there's been so much going on in the

4:11:55dialogue, but this is one of the first

4:11:57few times like when with when this body

4:11:58convenes and most in most municipalities

4:12:00convene and they say property taxes,

4:12:03they are talking about real property

4:12:05taxes, land and building. That is very

4:12:08important here, especially when you talk

4:12:09about the rent and the income approach.

4:12:11However,

4:12:13like Federal Express,

4:12:15personal property taxes here are the are

4:12:17the real hero. And what will be

4:12:20interesting is there are some nuances

4:12:22that are going on right now about how

4:12:24we're classifying some of their personal

4:12:26property in interstate. I'll call it

4:12:27interstate commerce, probably the best

4:12:29way to call it. Uh but that is really a

4:12:32big one about the pilots. Like not

4:12:34having a pilot on those is is

4:12:36significant. I mean it all matters and

4:12:38again I don't want to say like I'm

4:12:39saying this in just a very narrow

4:12:41approach like I'm not taking in the

4:12:43environmental impacts and everything

4:12:44else but in this section of this

4:12:47discussion that can't be overlooked you

4:12:50know and and so you know it's it is

4:12:52really interesting this entire situation

4:12:54I sat on the taster board I know we need

4:12:56a break for lunch I just sat on the

4:12:57taster board we had you know all four

4:13:00people uh from Amazon Google XAI and

4:13:03open AI every government affairs lead

4:13:05there and And on the on the states

4:13:07panel, it was, you know, TBI, it's

4:13:09deputy director and and the attorney

4:13:11general. It's just wild how fast this

4:13:13discussion is happening. Everybody is

4:13:15trying to keep up. I mean, that's how

4:13:16fast it's moving. So, anyway, I'm going

4:13:18to get us out of here. If unless there's

4:13:20any other questions,

4:13:20>> can I add one thing?

4:13:21>> Yes, sir. Please.

4:13:22>> Just just to give you an idea of u what

4:13:25u what's been talked there. Of that 26

4:13:28million, 24.7

4:13:31million of it is personal property.

4:13:33>> Yeah.

4:13:34>> So, only 1.8 eight of it is real

4:13:36property

4:13:37>> and that's and again this I will say

4:13:38again just for you guys as decision

4:13:40makers and members that are going to

4:13:41come back for another term like that's

4:13:43why industrial zones are so interesting

4:13:45their throughputs like it we could we

4:13:47could have a larger discussion on I

4:13:48would get with the assessor I mean he he

4:13:50really I mean he's been he knows it but

4:13:52um that personal property taxes without

4:13:55a pilot is significant so anyway um

4:13:58councilman did you have any other

4:14:00questions all right anybody else we're

4:14:02going to get out of here before we

4:14:03adjourn just for the public and for the

4:14:04body we are going to reconvene at 1:20

4:14:06for public work solid waste and general

4:14:08services committee. We are in

5:01:17There we go.

5:01:18>> Miss Katon, thank you for getting me

5:01:20together. You know what to do.

5:01:22>> Councilman Warren.

5:01:26>> All right. And Council Meister Thomas

5:01:29and Chair Smiley.

5:01:30>> All right.

5:01:41I'm come back to item number one. We

5:01:42have a few more council members in here.

5:01:44I'm actually going to skip around and do

5:01:45what I think are some of the easier

5:01:47things. Item number three,

5:01:50resolution amending the FY27

5:01:53CIP budget accepting additional federal

5:01:55grant funding from the Tennessee

5:01:56Department of Transportation

5:01:57appropriating 125,22045

5:02:02to initiate construction of the

5:02:03rangeline sidewalk and headman project

5:02:0501064

5:02:07district 7 district sponsored by the

5:02:09administration. There's a request to say

5:02:10nine minutes.

5:02:12Motion

5:02:13>> second.

5:02:14>> Moved by council Warren, seconded by Can

5:02:17I second?

5:02:19>> Oh, was vers.

5:02:21>> Well, y'all got it. Go ahead.

5:02:42Hey, I'm talking absolutely nobody.

5:02:44Okay. All right.

5:02:47Greg Dodson, director of engineering,

5:02:49125 North Main Street. Uh, as you, uh,

5:02:53mentioned, uh, Councilman, this is a

5:02:55resolution to, uh, accept TOT funds for

5:02:58the, uh, range sidewalk enhancement

5:03:02project. This is to move to

5:03:04construction. Uh and so uh we uh request

5:03:09uh approval. Uh we got some slides. Um

5:03:13>> we don't Okay. All right. We don't need

5:03:15any slides. All right.

5:03:16>> All right. Okay. Well, that's where we

5:03:19are. All right. Uh all those in favor.

5:03:25>> Any opposed? It's the Pure that the eyes

5:03:28have it. Thank item number four,

5:03:30resolution approving nominal con.

5:03:33Where's Keith Norman at?

5:03:37I was ready to skip over it. Now I'm

5:03:39teasing. I'm teasing.

5:03:41All right. Um, item number four, a

5:03:43resolution approving nominal conveyance

5:03:45of 3628 Summer Avenue, parcel ID

5:03:470380650019

5:03:50to Broad Avenue Community Economic

5:03:52Development Corporation for Social

5:03:53Services, Community Program, District 5,

5:03:54Super District 9, sponsored by the

5:03:56administration. Can I get a motion

5:03:57second move by Dr. Warren, second by

5:03:59Thomas? Y'all are on a roll today. Mr.

5:04:01Osborne,

5:04:02>> uh, Carlton Osborne. uh 125 North Main.

5:04:06So, this is uh basically we're back for

5:04:10one of the properties that we discussed

5:04:12some time ago and we're ready to uh

5:04:15transfer it. Uh this is a request for

5:04:18nominal conveyance for 3628 Summer

5:04:20Avenue to Broad Avenue Community and

5:04:23Economic Development Corporation. And

5:04:26so, um we're just asking for your

5:04:28approval. If you need some background on

5:04:29it, I can give that.

5:04:32There's someone who's caught everybody.

5:04:34He was trying to make sure he can count

5:04:35to seven. Okay. I think he need to do

5:04:37that. Um I will also add there's a I'm

5:04:40going to add a request for same night

5:04:41minutes on this hoping when no one

5:04:42opposes that. Um any questions, concerns

5:04:45or criticism from this body? All right.

5:04:47Appear to none. All those in favor

5:04:48signify by saying I.

5:04:50>> Any opposed? It's opinion of the chair's

5:04:53chair that the eyes have it. Thank you.

5:04:55Item number five, resolution to amend

5:04:57fiscal year 2027 CIP project CIP budget

5:05:00by allocating appropriating $643,810

5:05:04in funds for various service vehicles

5:05:06through incurrence of indebtness via the

5:05:08execution of finance and leases. All

5:05:10council district sponsored by the

5:05:11administration. Can I get a motion

5:05:12second? Moved by Dr. Warren. Moved by

5:05:14Dr. Warren.

5:05:15>> Seconded by uh the Democratic nominee

5:05:18for Governor Jerry Green.

5:05:30Y'all ready to talk to us?

5:05:32Go ahead. The floor is yours.

5:05:35>> Good afternoon, council council chair.

5:05:38Um, I want to touch on the I'm sorry,

5:05:41Dar, can you hear me? Okay.

5:05:45>> All right. Let me get a little closer.

5:05:46Um, Dar Jones, dep director of Solid

5:05:48Waste, 125 North Lane. Skip the

5:05:52>> Monica Jenkins, senior finance manager,

5:05:55125 North Main.

5:05:57>> Council, we want to talk about the

5:06:00recent um amendment to the CIP budget.

5:06:03Um we purchased some vehicles, 20

5:06:06vehicles for code enforcement back here

5:06:10ago, and it came before a resolution on

5:06:13May 12th that was approved. So, I'll go

5:06:15through this PowerPoint and I'll take

5:06:17any questions if y'all have any. um

5:06:19approval to amend the fiscal year 2027

5:06:22CIP budget. Total financing of this was

5:06:25$643,810,000.

5:06:28On May 12, 2026, council approved

5:06:31execution of financing this lease. The

5:06:34equipment was 20 vehicles for code

5:06:36enforcement. Purpose is to strengthen

5:06:38enforcement and compliance of solid

5:06:40waste regulations. The funding is a

5:06:42three-year exempt tax exempt lease

5:06:44purchase. At the end of the lease, we

5:06:46will own the vehicles. Lender is Clayton

5:06:48Holden LLC. The loan was closed on June

5:06:51the 2nd, 2026. Annual payments of

5:06:54$229,912.

5:06:57The first payment will be November the

5:06:591st, 2026 at an interest rate that was

5:07:02locked in at roughly 3.79%.

5:07:05Um the city we have taken deliver to

5:07:07support the inspectors in enforcement of

5:07:09the solid waste ordinance.

5:07:12>> All right, any questions by the body?

5:07:14All right, appears that all hearts and

5:07:15minds are clear. All those in favor

5:07:17signify by saying I.

5:07:18>> I.

5:07:19>> Any opposed? Mr. P and the eyes have it.

5:07:24>> Thank you, deputy director. Getting used

5:07:27to it.

5:07:29All right. Item number six. Item number

5:07:32six, a resolution appropriating FY27

5:07:34allocations in the amount of

5:07:37100 1,500,000

5:07:39NCIP project number GS22202

5:07:42major modification city hall

5:07:43improvements for installment of

5:07:44replacement chillers. District 7, Super

5:07:46District 8, sponsored by the

5:07:48administration. I get a motion to second

5:07:50move by Canalis. Seconded by I don't

5:07:52know,

5:07:53>> Walker. All right, I take it.

5:07:56>> All right. Good evening, council.

5:07:58>> Good evening. The floor is yours.

5:08:00>> Elvin Jamerson, director of general

5:08:01service, 125 North Main Street.

5:08:04>> Good afternoon, Gerald Spencer, deputy

5:08:06director of general services, 125 North

5:08:08Main.

5:08:10All right. So, this is a $1.5 million uh

5:08:14request for to be appropriated uh for

5:08:17city hall chiller repairs. I'm sorry,

5:08:20sir Hall chiller replacement. So, we

5:08:22have two chillers in city hall. Both of

5:08:24them are down and out. We do have to

5:08:27replace them. As you know, we have a

5:08:30temporary chiller now that's uh

5:08:32operating and bringing coolant to this

5:08:34to the building. So, we're asking

5:08:36council to appropriate the $1.5 million

5:08:40for repairs.

5:08:45>> All right. Um,

5:08:47any council question by the council?

5:08:49Okay. Appears all hearts and minds are

5:08:50clear. All those in favor seated by

5:08:53saying I.

5:08:54>> Any opposed? It's opinion that the chair

5:08:56the eyes have it.

5:09:00All right. Number eight, a resolution

5:09:02appropriating seven. Okay. Item number

5:09:05seven, resolution appropriate FY27

5:09:08allocation in the amount of $513,000 CIP

5:09:11project number GS24105

5:09:14major mod major modification carpentry

5:09:17for the Holt Training Center Southside

5:09:19Foundation repair and public public

5:09:21works college yards mechanic shop metal

5:09:23building. There's a lot of stuff going

5:09:24on there. District 5 and district 7

5:09:26super district 8 and nine sponsored by

5:09:28administration. Get a motion second.

5:09:29Moved by Dr. Warren, seconded by Canali.

5:09:31Go ahead.

5:09:32>> All right. Uh again, General Services,

5:09:34125 North Main Street, Melvin, Jamerson.

5:09:37Uh this resolution appropriates $513,000

5:09:40for design, planning, and some

5:09:42construction for number one, a

5:09:44pre-fabricated building for the uh

5:09:46public works Colin Street yard shop.

5:09:48Most of this will be design. Uh we will

5:09:51come back later $4 for construction and

5:09:54the other funds is for uh the uh whole

5:09:58training center. We're having some

5:09:59issues right now with the foundation

5:10:01that we have to repair. We're asking

5:10:03council to appropriate the uh funds of

5:10:06$513,000.

5:10:08Thank you.

5:10:12>> Any questions by this body? All right.

5:10:15Appears that all hearts and minds are

5:10:16clear. All those in favor signify by

5:10:18saying I.

5:10:19>> I.

5:10:19>> Any oppose? This opinion the chair that

5:10:22the eyes have it.

5:10:26Item number eight.

5:10:28Resolution appropriating FY27 allocation

5:10:31in the amount of 660

5:10:34$662,250

5:10:37CIP project number GS 24104 major

5:10:40modification Hback for HVAC repairs and

5:10:42replacement for pink palace needed

5:10:44exchange Maryland houseman

5:10:47police precinct is district 35 and six

5:10:49super shade nine sponsored by

5:10:50administration get moved by Dr. for

5:10:57>> it will fail for without a second.

5:11:00>> I just want to y don't love the pink

5:11:02palace. Just say that.

5:11:09>> Yeah, I need to wake up. Wake up today.

5:11:11All right, the floor is yours.

5:11:12>> All right. Again, uh general services

5:11:14director general service Melvin Jameson.

5:11:17Uh so this is the resolution uh

5:11:20appropriate $666,250

5:11:22for HBAC repairs and or replacement

5:11:26systems for multiple different uh city

5:11:29facilities. Um and this this uh this

5:11:32funding is needed to uh support

5:11:35operational continuity at police

5:11:36precincts and other facilities. We're

5:11:38asking for council to appropriate the

5:11:41funds of $666,250,000.

5:11:45Thank you.

5:11:49At some point, I'm gonna have a question

5:11:51about the Mallerie Neie house at some

5:11:54point, but not today. Just know it's

5:11:56coming.

5:11:57>> All right.

5:11:58>> All right.

5:12:00Any oppose?

5:12:02>> You're going smooth. You should let me

5:12:04stay asleep. I have a question.

5:12:05>> No, I need you to talk to me. Talk to me

5:12:07today.

5:12:07>> I need

5:12:08>> Come on, ask some questions.

5:12:10>> Thank you.

5:12:13So, all of these are maintenance repairs

5:12:15that I'm looking at now. Correct. Do we

5:12:17have a maintenance plan in place?

5:12:19Correct.

5:12:20>> Yes, ma'am. We we do. We have our uh FCA

5:12:23facility condition assess assessment

5:12:25that we use to uh guide us making these

5:12:28repairs.

5:12:29>> Okay.

5:12:29>> And which repairs to make.

5:12:31>> All right. Thank you.

5:12:35>> All right. Uh any questions other than

5:12:36Councilwoman Cooper Sutton since her

5:12:38first time talking to me today? All

5:12:40right. It appears that all hearts and

5:12:42minds are clear. All those in favor

5:12:43signify by saying I.

5:12:44>> I.

5:12:45>> Any opposed? It's opinion of the chair

5:12:47that the eyes have it. Item number nine,

5:12:50resolution appropriate FY27 allocation

5:12:52in the amount of 370

5:12:54$75,000 in CIP project number GS24107

5:12:58major modification contingency for

5:12:59emerging repairs throughout the city

5:13:01facilities.

5:13:02All council districts sponsored by the

5:13:04administration.

5:13:06>> Canali

5:13:11Gerald Spencer, deputy director of

5:13:13general services, 125 North Main. Uh

5:13:16we're asking you to allocate FY20

5:13:18funding in amount of $375,000.

5:13:21Um this will be our contingency for our

5:13:23break fixes and this is the money we use

5:13:25when we have major um repairs.

5:13:30>> Any questions?

5:13:32Senator none. We ready to vote.

5:13:36All those in favor signify by saying I.

5:13:38I.

5:13:39>> Any oppose? It's the opinion of the

5:13:42chair that eyes have it.

5:13:52Item number 10, a resolution

5:13:53appropriating FY27 allocations in amount

5:13:56of $800,000 in CIP project number

5:13:59GS201701

5:14:02170 North Main public safety building

5:14:04for roof replacement district 7 super

5:14:06District sponsored by administration.

5:14:08>> Moved by Canel and seconded by Warren.

5:14:10Y'all need to get some better things.

5:14:16>> Go ahead, Mr. Spencer.

5:14:17>> All right. This is uh FY27 CIP funds. We

5:14:21want to appropriate for the replacement

5:14:23of the roof at 170 North Main at the

5:14:25public safety building. The roof has

5:14:27been is out of outside of this life

5:14:29cycle and in need of replacement.

5:14:35>> Any questions on new roof at police

5:14:38headquarters 170?

5:14:42>> Okay. All those in favor signify by

5:14:44saying I.

5:14:45>> I.

5:14:46>> I'm also n. Any opposed? That item

5:14:48passes.

5:14:50Uh we're going to go back to item number

5:14:54we'll do two

5:14:56report on debt obligation for the 20 the

5:14:592026b

5:15:01solid waste lease in the amount of 7

5:15:03million555,90

5:15:06of various solid waste vehicles and

5:15:08equipment all council districts

5:15:09requested by the administration need a

5:15:11motion to second

5:15:12>> move by Warren second by green

5:15:15chief Davis

5:15:16>> Art Davis uh CFO city of Memphis 125

5:15:20North Main. Um, this is just a report of

5:15:23the debt obligation for the solid waste

5:15:26lease uh, 2026b.

5:15:28The interest was uh, locked at 3.84%.

5:15:32The closing date was September 2nd, 2026

5:15:35with the final maturity date of

5:15:38September 2nd, 2030. Uh, and the cost of

5:15:41issuance was $1,500 for escrow.

5:15:45There's no action required. It's just a

5:15:47requirement to report on the debt. Any

5:15:49questions on that?

5:15:51Okay. No vote needed. Uh, and back to

5:15:55item number one, update on 100 North

5:15:57Main, District 7, Super District 8,

5:15:59requested by Councilman Smiley, Mr.

5:16:03Billy Orle, and team,

5:16:06Chief Ryan.

5:16:19Whenever you all are ready, floor is

5:16:20yours.

5:16:22>> Thank you, Chairman. Uh Craig Hodgej,

5:16:24City of Memphis Deputy COO, 125 North

5:16:26Main. Uh with us today, we have

5:16:29President Ryan and Brett Roller from

5:16:31Downtown Memphis Commission as well as

5:16:33Mr. Oral from the 100 North Main

5:16:35Development Team. Uh just as a bit of

5:16:38background, uh the building itself went

5:16:40vacant in 2014. uh Downtown Memphis

5:16:43Commission through the Downtown Mobility

5:16:46Authority acquired it in 2021 and issued

5:16:49a request for proposals. Uh that was

5:16:51ultimately awarded to the uh 100 North

5:16:54Main Development team and then the

5:16:56property was eventually transferred uh

5:16:59in 2024. So just wanted to set the stage

5:17:02a little bit and turn it over to Mr.

5:17:04Orle for an update on the work that's

5:17:06been done uh and where things are today.

5:17:09>> Good afternoon, Billy Orle. uh 495

5:17:13Tennessee Street if you if I have to do

5:17:14that. Uh sweet 152 Memphis, Tennessee.

5:17:18The Thank you guys for having us and I

5:17:21think Councilman Smiley asked us to be

5:17:23here and we're we're happy to do it and

5:17:25we're your neighbor uh right across the

5:17:27street and uh I I think Craig mentioned

5:17:31it. It's been vacant since 2014. There

5:17:34was a group out of New York that bought

5:17:35the building or there was a young man

5:17:38who bought the building. it was kind of

5:17:39given to him and and the previous owner

5:17:42said if you can do anything with it uh

5:17:44pay me 5 million bucks and that didn't

5:17:47happen. He borrowed some money. The

5:17:49people out of New York

5:17:51uh took over and bought the property

5:17:53adjacent where the four vacant buildings

5:17:56are u on Jefferson and uh 100 north

5:18:01buildings at Adams. It's about 780,000

5:18:03square feet. our uh fine employee from

5:18:06the Downtown Memphis Commission, Brett

5:18:08Roller, has walked up and down that more

5:18:10than any human being when he showed it

5:18:12to 11 or 12 different groups. And we

5:18:16ultimately we were chosen uh I believe

5:18:18in 2021

5:18:21uh or 2022, January of 2022, and we have

5:18:26sub we have we embarked on plans for the

5:18:29building. What the building is going to

5:18:31include is about 200 multif family

5:18:34units, office space where the city is

5:18:37part of the RP committed to office

5:18:39space. So, there's a signed lease for

5:18:41that. And then we've also been able to

5:18:43secure from Marriott an autograph hotel.

5:18:46And I think all of us in this community

5:18:48here complaints. I guess we made

5:18:50national news last year were the NBA

5:18:53players and even uh the biggest star in

5:18:56the NBA lamented the fact that they had

5:18:58to come play basketball in Memphis

5:19:00because of the lack of quality hotel

5:19:02rooms. So what we've got approved is an

5:19:04autograph hotel which is um Marriott's

5:19:08top of the line right below St. Regis

5:19:10and Ritz Carlton hotel. So it' be a full

5:19:12service hotel with valet and it requires

5:19:15you to have restaurants and others. So

5:19:17the building is spoken for uh as far as

5:19:20the space. There's a little bit of uh

5:19:22retail that may be left along uh Main

5:19:26Street. So we we embarked on about a

5:19:29year and a half process to uh design all

5:19:33of that and the design is almost

5:19:35complete. We slowed down uh about 12 to

5:19:4014 months ago because of economic

5:19:42conditions, the condition of downtown,

5:19:44the condition of the economy as far as

5:19:46interest rates and also because

5:19:48construction pricing which is a leftover

5:19:51from CO and uh construction prices a lot

5:19:54of things uh as we all know because

5:19:56we're all buying things our daily

5:19:58staples construction prices uh go up and

5:20:01they don't generally come down. oil and

5:20:03gas may fluctuate, but construction

5:20:05prices don't. So, we've gone through

5:20:07several iterations, redesigns of the

5:20:09building. But what we did do, and if

5:20:11y'all might remember because you're all

5:20:14y'all are downtown a lot, is what we did

5:20:16do is we and if you remember, there were

5:20:18two elevators running up the side of the

5:20:20building. The building had been severely

5:20:22vandalized. Uh I think most y'all said

5:20:24there was graffiti all over it. There's

5:20:26no longer graffiti all over the

5:20:28building. We inherited that. Uh, and it

5:20:30predated the DMC or the DPA having

5:20:33entitled to that. So, we we cleaned that

5:20:35up. We had two elevators. So, the

5:20:36building, if you'd ever been in there,

5:20:38uh, imagine um somewhere like Chernobyl

5:20:42that when they had an accident,

5:20:44everybody left town. So, 100 North Main,

5:20:47the previous owners closed it. They

5:20:49moved everybody, I think, over to 44

5:20:52court. I'm trying to remember, the

5:20:53tenants are left. It was about 30%

5:20:55occupied. And everybody walked out. If

5:20:57they were smoking a cigarette, if you

5:20:58could do that in that day, it's left on

5:21:00the table. If you were drinking a tab,

5:21:02they had those back then. It got left on

5:21:05the table or a Diet Coke, whatever. It's

5:21:07just left. And so, we cleaned out

5:21:09probably about 400

5:21:11uh of those 28 yard containers or more

5:21:16of debris. So, if you were walking there

5:21:18now, and some of y'all have been in

5:21:20there, it's uh you can you can start at

5:21:22Main Street. You can move over a little

5:21:24bit from the elevator lobbies on each

5:21:26floor and you can look out and uh and

5:21:29see out east and you can see Methodist

5:21:32Hospital or Laboner I think from there.

5:21:34So you can look all the way through the

5:21:36building. It's it's pretty much 99%

5:21:38cleaned out. U we removed the buck hoist

5:21:41where the elevators that were on the

5:21:42side. U we cleaned up the parking lot

5:21:46and we've continued to try to finance

5:21:50the building and make the project work

5:21:51which we know is tough. And uh we're not

5:21:54the only ones in this community in

5:21:56downtown in particular having this issue

5:21:59and and I could reel them off if you

5:22:01want to hear them but 100 North Main

5:22:03Ster building I know the city now has a

5:22:06development partner and has the Sherin

5:22:08but that's not appropriate hotel for our

5:22:10convention center and thank God for you

5:22:12guys wisdom for trying to do something

5:22:14about that. The Raymond James building

5:22:16is right next to us. Uh it's totally

5:22:18empty. Uh the Falls building you saw

5:22:22demolition going. That used to be a

5:22:23great place for nonprofits and they

5:22:26migrate everybody out and it's sitting

5:22:28empty. It's boarded up and they probably

5:22:29need to paint the wood on the outside of

5:22:32it instead of having plywood. And you've

5:22:34got the double tree. Y'all are familiar

5:22:35with that. That's the old Tennessee

5:22:37hotel next to the Peabody. It's sitting

5:22:39vacant. The plans fell through through

5:22:41the Dur building. It is sitting vacant.

5:22:44And if you look out when you walk out of

5:22:46here next to the DMC, you've got the

5:22:48police the old police station that has

5:22:50been sitting there vacant and overgrown

5:22:54for years. So, we're trying to do

5:22:56something catalytic, a $270 million

5:22:58project. We've spent $25 million to

5:23:01date, various sources. The developers

5:23:03haven't taken a penny out of it. Kevin

5:23:05Woods is leading the development team

5:23:07and he's in Jackson today and he

5:23:08couldn't be here. But, uh, we we need

5:23:11something to happen. We appreciate, uh,

5:23:13DPA. We appreciate the city of Memphis

5:23:15for the help they've given us. HUD uh

5:23:17with HUD funds to housing community

5:23:19development.

5:23:20>> You said you need you need something to

5:23:22happen. Something to happen like what

5:23:25>> the um so we've got a financing gap and

5:23:28we're looking for ways to to close that

5:23:31gap. More equity which we've got $62

5:23:33million of equity that's coming into the

5:23:35property, $34 million of tax credits. Um

5:23:38we're working on a parking solution that

5:23:40doesn't include building a new garage

5:23:43and uh trying to use the resources we

5:23:45have

5:23:45>> financing. Yeah,

5:23:47>> the financing gaps uh 13 to 14 million.

5:23:53>> I would have just said that in the

5:23:55beginning.

5:23:55>> I just like numbers. I like numbers,

5:23:57>> but the financing gap's 13 to 14

5:23:59million.

5:24:00>> 134 million,

5:24:01>> right?

5:24:03I could go into the various ways it's

5:24:05constructed, but I can do that another

5:24:07time.

5:24:07>> Ask a million questions though I'm prone

5:24:10to. We do.

5:24:14>> Mine's quick. Uh, why are the windows

5:24:16open on that thing up and down? Are they

5:24:18just broken?

5:24:20>> So, um, one, that was one of the the

5:24:23rabbit holes I went down trying to see

5:24:24if we could save the windows, which in

5:24:26fact are double pain from 1964, but over

5:24:29time, no fault of anybody in this room,

5:24:32but the place got severely vandalized.

5:24:33There have been fires and other things.

5:24:35So the someone went out and broke out

5:24:37the windows in the very top on the 38th

5:24:40floor that used to turn turned

5:24:42internally, not on the outside, but

5:24:44those windows got broken out and most of

5:24:46them we pushed down, but there are some

5:24:48windows that are missing inside the

5:24:49building just because people vandalized

5:24:51and broke it.

5:24:53>> Yeah. I just was wondering, is that

5:24:54causing you more damage?

5:24:56>> Well, we did put a new roof on the top

5:24:57of it. not a a full roof like y'all just

5:24:59voted on in CIP, but we we took plans we

5:25:04made plans to keep the water out of the

5:25:07um out of the building and there's some

5:25:09spots it's coming in, but I think we've

5:25:11done a good job protecting it and it's

5:25:13it's pretty much broom swept inside

5:25:15there.

5:25:17>> All right. Is there anything we can do

5:25:19in lie of the 13 to 14 million like

5:25:21right now?

5:25:22Well, here here's what we went down with

5:25:26the administration and I think the

5:25:28personnel changed. What

5:25:29>> about prior administration?

5:25:30>> No, I mean I'm talking about Mayor

5:25:32Young's administration and he was been

5:25:33helpful when he was at DPA and he's been

5:25:35help the the DMC

5:25:38>> HCD very helpful through the process.

5:25:41>> U but the prior people that were here we

5:25:43for the last year we've gone down this

5:25:46and um and it had to do with the parking

5:25:48solution. So th this is why and I'm glad

5:25:51you asked this. The problem is it's an

5:25:53historic building. There's about a $35

5:25:55million

5:25:57u

5:25:59um equity amount attached to historic

5:26:01tax credits because the building's over

5:26:0350 years old in a historic district. And

5:26:06so we've got to keep it the way that it

5:26:07looks. And we've gone through that

5:26:09process. There's a part one, part two,

5:26:11and you go through the state and you go

5:26:13through through the federal government.

5:26:15And we've gotten approval for that for

5:26:17one and two. Three is when you're done.

5:26:18So, we got to leave it as it looks. The

5:26:20parking garage was never maintained over

5:26:23the years. That had nothing to do with

5:26:24DPA. Had nothing to do with the city.

5:26:27Previous owners didn't maintain it. And

5:26:29it's not usable. So, we're having to

5:26:32expend about 30 to $32 million to fix

5:26:37something structurally that we have to

5:26:39keep that we really can't use. That's

5:26:42why I've been looking for a parking

5:26:43solution. So, that's the big thing. And

5:26:45no one could have known that until you

5:26:47got into it later on. But we want to

5:26:49preserve a landmark. It's the tallest

5:26:51building here in the city. It's adjacent

5:26:52city hall. Nothing is ever going to get

5:26:54I I mean I'm a real estate developer. I

5:26:56can tell you nothing's ever going to get

5:26:57built in downtown Memphis or this city

5:27:00that's the size of Clark Tower or the

5:27:02size of this. So if this building's

5:27:05gone, our tallest building's gone in

5:27:07downtown Memphis. And and I think we've

5:27:09got a good plan to reuse it. But the

5:27:11city has maintained control of the

5:27:16parking through the development

5:27:18agreement, through the parking garage

5:27:19part of it, through the development u

5:27:22agreement that we did that had to do

5:27:24with Accelerate Memphis funds which were

5:27:27applied to this project. So, if there's

5:27:30a place that You don't look like

5:27:32Councilman Smiley, the U. If there's a

5:27:35place that um that we could use, uh it's

5:27:40going to be on restoring that

5:27:43structurally. We're not going to use it

5:27:45as a parking deck, but to restore it

5:27:47structurally. And so, that's where the

5:27:49gap comes in.

5:27:53We're expending money on things that

5:27:54we're not going to ever get any revenue

5:27:56out of.

5:27:59All right. On the on the heel of all the

5:28:02great news on all the vacant buildings

5:28:04in downtown Memphis, any other

5:28:05questions?

5:28:08>> Just a quick Councilwoman Green and then

5:28:09Council Moore. um on the parking. So if

5:28:13that is unusable

5:28:16and you have that many planned residents

5:28:19and hotel

5:28:21rooms and restaurant,

5:28:24I I just I know how limited parking is

5:28:27here in downtown. I also know I've

5:28:29looked at parking here in downtown is

5:28:31when I worked in county government, we

5:28:33were always trying to find more parking

5:28:34for our employees and it's something

5:28:37crazy like um I can't even remember um

5:28:41per spot to to build scratch

5:28:44um a park.

5:28:46>> 30 30,000 a spot is a good Yeah. So 15

5:28:49to 17 million to build 500 spaces.

5:28:51>> So that's what you need is 500 spaces.

5:28:53>> Uh between five and 600 and uh

5:28:57Councilman, there's room I if it's

5:28:59structurally repaired, there's going to

5:29:02be a hotel there. There's room probably

5:29:04to use or not room but there's the

5:29:07ability to use the the basement which

5:29:09had parking in it for valet or

5:29:11something. So you pick up some spaces

5:29:12there. And we also own the lot

5:29:16>> where Birch Porter Johnson parks on the

5:29:18corner right adjacent to them. So there

5:29:20there is a parking solution there. We

5:29:22did talk about doing a garage on that

5:29:25>> but it's 15 to 17 million dollars to

5:29:27build it over there. But I do think we

5:29:30found an alternative solution nearby

5:29:33that could solve that problem. I mean,

5:29:34and we worked on this for five years,

5:29:36and I I think we've got a solution um on

5:29:39the parking, which would probably

5:29:41include using the lot that's there,

5:29:43demolishing the buildings along Main

5:29:45Street,

5:29:47using the valet and the bottom, but but

5:29:49I think we've got u

5:29:51>> and we still have like two, correct me

5:29:53if I'm wrong, uh Director Ryan, we still

5:29:55have like two floors of parking in

5:29:57between the city and the county building

5:29:58that's also unusable, right? two um

5:30:02>> floors of garage parking that are

5:30:04underneath the plaza.

5:30:06>> You mean at the at 100 North Main?

5:30:08>> Yeah.

5:30:08>> Um Oh, no. You mean here on the plaza?

5:30:11Um yeah, at the uh Yes, ma'am. I think

5:30:14at the uh the old police building, there

5:30:16is some parking there, but I see people

5:30:18using that. I would defer to general

5:30:21services on where the employees are

5:30:22parking there.

5:30:23>> I think we have two floors under the

5:30:25plaza that are unusable at this point.

5:30:29I'm just ask

5:30:31structural thing, but it is nearby

5:30:32parking. Um, that might be

5:30:35>> it's just, you know, do you build from

5:30:37scratch or do you fix what's there? So,

5:30:39>> we're I'm trying to we're trying uh to

5:30:42find a solution and I think we found it

5:30:45that could handle it so that it would

5:30:47bring the cost down. I I don't know if I

5:30:48mentioned it's a 250 to $270 million

5:30:52project. It's catalytic for downtown.

5:30:54>> Yeah.

5:30:55>> The only three cranes I see downtown I

5:30:56think are at St. Jude counter today and

5:30:59thank God for St. Jude Children's Re

5:31:01Research Hospital and what they do for

5:31:02our community.

5:31:03>> Well, we'd love for you to find more

5:31:04parking downtown.

5:31:05>> Absolutely. Um, Councilwoman Logan is

5:31:08eager to ask you one question because

5:31:10she said it's the only thing she really

5:31:12care about.

5:31:13>> No.

5:31:13>> You ready?

5:31:14>> No. Yes. Um, actually, it's not it's not

5:31:19a question per se. uh based on what

5:31:22you've told us today, all of us are very

5:31:24interested in seeing downtown thrive and

5:31:28you just gave us the really grim look of

5:31:30what's happening. So, I would love for

5:31:32you all to come back with some with and

5:31:36ask and and um a more detailed plan of

5:31:39what you're wanting to do with our

5:31:40tallest building and what needs to

5:31:42happen like what do you want what do you

5:31:44want us to do? Um, so if you could come

5:31:46back with a specific ask and um, you

5:31:50know, what the timeline would look like,

5:31:52just some real concrete information.

5:31:54We're we're eager to see those things

5:31:56turn around, but need a little bit more

5:31:58information.

5:32:02>> Come back to the next council meeting or

5:32:04the following council meeting.

5:32:05>> Whenever invited, would love to be here.

5:32:07>> When will you be ready?

5:32:08was I mean I have all I mean we've been

5:32:11working on this for close to five years

5:32:13so it's it's u almost uh

5:32:16>> so you want to come back at the next

5:32:17council meeting

5:32:19>> uh was two weeks next council meeting

5:32:21>> yes that's two weeks

5:32:22>> weeks um I'm a preference what

5:32:24counciloman Logan said within reason

5:32:26because I feel like you about to ask ask

5:32:28us for some money right

5:32:28>> within reason

5:32:30>> well

5:32:31>> you see the gentleman behind you turn

5:32:32turn look at you

5:32:34>> I was sitting next to him I mean I'm

5:32:36only answering the questions they ask

5:32:38me. I mean,

5:32:38>> yeah.

5:32:39>> But no, I mean, whatever you're trying

5:32:42to do and we can say yes or no or come

5:32:45back or change or find, you know, but we

5:32:47need something right now to go on.

5:32:49>> Can I May I have the liberty? I know you

5:32:52got other stuff. You have other

5:32:53questions there. I want

5:32:55>> Well,

5:32:58>> in the historic function of that

5:33:00building, why is the parking lot

5:33:03considered historic if it's falling

5:33:05apart? And is there an option to take

5:33:08that down if there's a way someone could

5:33:10else someone else would build you a

5:33:12parking garage and you'd lease it?

5:33:15>> So there uh they're interconnect. It's

5:33:17like Django. They're interconnected and

5:33:20u and if you take down the parking

5:33:23garage, you take down um you you would

5:33:27destroy the integrity historically. And

5:33:30those panels on there like Cross Town

5:33:32has panels that similar. Okay, I think

5:33:34that that's it.

5:33:35>> Jango. Whatever. Jango. James.

5:33:38>> I love that movie.

5:33:39>> I knew what you meant.

5:33:41>> Who Django is?

5:33:43>> Jenga. I love that movie.

5:33:46>> You didn't see all our faces like

5:33:47>> I was looking. I was looking at him. I

5:33:48was looking at him.

5:33:49>> I don't know what Jamie Fox got to do.

5:33:51>> I like that. Was a great movie.

5:33:53>> We love Quinton Tarantino.

5:33:58>> I was focused.

5:34:01>> Jango. Jango.

5:34:04Jenga. Jenga.

5:34:05>> Jenga.

5:34:05>> Jenga.

5:34:06>> I probably called it wrong all the time.

5:34:08I play it sometimes. I probably

5:34:11>> bring all of it back. Jingle jangle.

5:34:13>> All right, let's let's take it back. So,

5:34:14here's what's going to happen. In two

5:34:16weeks, you're going to come back um with

5:34:18some slides this time. I know the

5:34:20request came somewhat last minute with

5:34:22some slides and also with the plan for

5:34:24it. And I'm assuming you're going to

5:34:25have a very specific act from this body

5:34:27and this administration.

5:34:30>> I can do that.

5:34:30>> Is two weeks fine or you need a little

5:34:31bit longer? No, I'm telling you it's

5:34:33it's it's

5:34:34touch a button.

5:34:35>> Okay. All right. We've done that.

5:34:37>> We'll see you in two weeks. Um All

5:34:39right. Thank you so much.

5:34:40>> Thanks for thanks for listening and

5:34:41thanks for having me today.

5:34:42>> President Ryan,

5:34:43>> thank you for getting him together.

5:34:45>> Let me speak.

5:34:53>> All right. Thank you. All right. We go

5:34:54back to item number.

5:42:07All right, colleagues. Today we have one

5:42:09item on the agenda. It is a presentation

5:42:11from the Minority Developers Group,

5:42:13District 6, Super District 8, requested

5:42:16by Councilman Ford, Senior, and

5:42:19Councilwoman Cooper Sutton. Councilwoman

5:42:21Cooper Sutton, U. Councilman Ford is not

5:42:24here, though. Would you like to speak on

5:42:26this item before it's presented?

5:42:29>> I would just like to say I'm excited

5:42:30that they're here and that we know about

5:42:33it and it's something that uh Councilman

5:42:35Ford and I have um had the pleasure to

5:42:39meet Miss Brookke and the Sci-Fi

5:42:42Reserve. Um

5:42:45and so I'm not going to delay any

5:42:47longer. I'm going to let them present.

5:42:50Thank you.

5:42:51>> All right. If you would um give us your

5:42:54name and address, you are uh recognized.

5:42:59>> My name is Brooke Boone. My address is

5:43:0273 Union AV uh Union Avenue, Memphis,

5:43:06Tennessee 38103.

5:43:10>> How are you?

5:43:12>> Good afternoon, chair and members of the

5:43:14Housing and Community Development

5:43:16Committee. My name is Brooke Boone and

5:43:19I'm the managing member of Bailey and

5:43:21Brock Enterprises. I'm here representing

5:43:24Sapphire Reserve, a proposed workforce

5:43:27housing development in Southwest

5:43:29Memphis. Our focus is straightforward.

5:43:33Build quality housing options,

5:43:35strengthen our community, and expand

5:43:38opportunity for those who live there.

5:43:42Next slide. Okay. Sapphire Reserve is a

5:43:46proposed 115 unit housing development

5:43:49projected to be constructed in five

5:43:51phases over a five-year period. This is

5:43:54a very conservative figure. The plan

5:43:57currently anticipates 85% of the homes

5:44:01being available for ownership, meaning

5:44:0398 of the 115 units would be owner

5:44:07occupied. The project is projected to

5:44:10generate an estimated 80 million in

5:44:13economic impact for Memphis and Shelby

5:44:15County, employing an estimated 800

5:44:19construction and site workers.

5:44:25The development is especially meaningful

5:44:28to me because I was born and raised in

5:44:31White Haven.

5:44:33This project reflects my goal of helping

5:44:36more people build a future in a

5:44:38community that shapes who I am.

5:44:41Our proposed project builds on the

5:44:44strengths already present in Southwest

5:44:46Memphis, establish neighborhoods,

5:44:50churches, and longstanding institutions.

5:44:54These everyday connections influence

5:44:57where people choose to live. and White

5:44:59Haven is a community that supports new

5:45:02housing development.

5:45:05Our home ownership vision supports the

5:45:07spirit of Memphis 3.0, strengthening

5:45:10established neighborhoods and building

5:45:13on existing community assets. As this

5:45:16plan advances, we want to work in lock

5:45:19step with the city to clarify its

5:45:21alignment with the priorities for this

5:45:23specific location.

5:45:26Sapphire Reserve is about three miles

5:45:28from the Southwest Twin Drive-In

5:45:30redevelopment project in Westwood.

5:45:33We acknowledge the city's efforts in

5:45:35Southwest Memphis and see potential for

5:45:38new housing to support that progress.

5:45:44Go back. Sorry. We believe housing

5:45:46development should align with commercial

5:45:48development. More households can mean

5:45:51more customers for nearby businesses and

5:45:54greater demand for services. At the same

5:45:57time, access to jobs, groceries,

5:46:00recreation, and community spaces make a

5:46:03neighborhood more attractive to home

5:46:05buyers. And White Haven already has the

5:46:08move up potential. The goal is to expand

5:46:11for people who want to stay connected to

5:46:15Southwest Memphis.

5:46:17That includes residents seeking a newer

5:46:20home near family, employees who want to

5:46:23live closer to work, and buyers ready to

5:46:26maintain or establish roots here. We

5:46:29want Sapphire Reserve to contribute to

5:46:32the area's longterm strength. Our intent

5:46:35is to create homes that complement the

5:46:37community and support its ongoing

5:46:40growth. Next slide.

5:46:44Our vision for Sapphire Reserve is to

5:46:47create a neighborhood where working

5:46:49families can become homeowners and plan

5:46:51for the years ahead. We envision

5:46:54firsttime buyers finding a place to

5:46:56begin, growing families finding room for

5:46:59their next chapter

5:47:03and residents choosing homes that meet

5:47:05their changing needs. We plan to offer

5:47:08well-designed homes that combine

5:47:10quality, everyday functionality, and

5:47:13attainable ownership costs. Homes

5:47:16residents can take pride in and call

5:47:18their own.

5:47:21That sense of ownership will extend

5:47:23beyond the front door. Thoughtful design

5:47:27and shared spaces will help neighbors

5:47:28connect and build a welcoming community

5:47:30where people feel they belong. Over

5:47:34time, home ownership can also help

5:47:37families build equity, strengthen their

5:47:39financial footing, and create asset to

5:47:43pass to the next generation. We call

5:47:46this building generational wealth. And

5:47:48so, we want residents to see a lasting

5:47:51future here, a place to grow, invest in

5:47:54their community, and remain connected as

5:47:57their lives evolve. Okay, so now we we

5:48:00good. Go back. Okay, perfect. Thank you.

5:48:04The proposed site is located at 5336

5:48:08South Weaver Road in Memphis, Tennessee

5:48:1038109,

5:48:12west of the stabilized communities,

5:48:14Diamond Estates, and Ruby Estate

5:48:16subdivisions.

5:48:18The proposed development includes 115

5:48:21single family homes. Homes are expected

5:48:24to range from approximately 16 to 1,800

5:48:28squed heated square feet and our

5:48:31targeted selling price is affordable

5:48:33starting around $275,000.

5:48:37The goal is to price 50% of the homes at

5:48:41or below the 120% area median income.

5:48:46And this matters because the county

5:48:48average new home price now exceeds

5:48:51500,000 which places many families

5:48:54outside the new construction market.

5:48:57Proposed amenities include a dog park

5:49:00and walking trails. And each home will

5:49:02have at least three bedrooms, two

5:49:04bathrooms, and an attached garage.

5:49:08The current Next slide. Thank you. The

5:49:11current site plan reflects 115 total

5:49:15single family lots. The average lot size

5:49:18is approximately 40t wide by 125 ft

5:49:22deep. We chose to detach single family

5:49:24units to align with the existing

5:49:27neighborhood design.

5:49:29Next slide, please. So, there is a need

5:49:33for newer housing options in Southwest

5:49:35Memphis. Southwest Memphis offers health

5:49:38care, education, employment, and

5:49:42worship, giving families reasons to stay

5:49:45and connect. Sapphire Reserve is

5:49:48positioned near Methodist South

5:49:50Hospital, Southwest Tennessee Community

5:49:53Colleges, White Haven Center, and the

5:49:56Airport and Logistics Employment

5:49:58Corridor. This community is also home to

5:50:01our cherished White Haven High School

5:50:04and longstanding faith institutions such

5:50:07as Middle Baptist White Haven, my

5:50:09family's longtime church, and Mount Vern

5:50:12Vernon Baptist Church, Westwood.

5:50:15Our proposed project would offer new

5:50:18home ownership options for people who

5:50:20want to build their lives close to these

5:50:23connections. Potential buyers include

5:50:28health care workers, educators,

5:50:31public sector employees, airport and

5:50:34logistics workers, firsttime home

5:50:37buyers, families returning to White

5:50:40Haven, and multi-generational

5:50:42households. We envisions homes designed

5:50:46for people who want to stay close to

5:50:48family, work, and worship, and for many,

5:50:51the community they know and love. At the

5:50:54same time, they want a home that suits

5:50:56their needs today and for years ahead.

5:50:59Sapphire Reserve will support

5:51:01neighborhood stability by encouraging

5:51:03long-term residency and community

5:51:05investment. It will support home

5:51:08ownership by creating new pathways for

5:51:10working families and firsttime buyers.

5:51:13It will support taxbased growth by

5:51:16adding new residential value and

5:51:19long-term public revenue.

5:51:21Council, I have these numbers for you

5:51:24all. The city of Memphis investment will

5:51:26be paid back in tax revenue by year

5:51:30five.

5:51:31The project will also signal confidence

5:51:34in Southwest Memphis and surrounding

5:51:36neighborhoods.

5:51:42It broadens housing options in 38109 by

5:51:46adding a subdivision, something that the

5:51:49White Haven or the Westwood communities

5:51:52have not seen in decades. The bottom

5:51:55line, Sapphire Reserve can help

5:51:58transform underutilized land into a

5:52:01productive residential community, and

5:52:03that benefits homeowners, the

5:52:06surrounding neighborhoods, and the city

5:52:09of Memphis.

5:52:14Okay, perfect. Memphis is losing more

5:52:17than 5,000 residents per year since the

5:52:19year 2020.

5:52:21In 2025, only 164 new construction homes

5:52:26were sold in all of Memphis. According

5:52:28to the Memphis Area Association of

5:52:30Realtors, Memphis ranks first in

5:52:34population, but 10th in housing creation

5:52:37in the entire state of Tennessee.

5:52:41Money is rapidly leaving Memphis for

5:52:44nearby Dotto County and Fyet County. The

5:52:47600 unit Pinewood subdivision in South

5:52:50Haven is yet another example of this

5:52:54with 85% of those buyers reportedly

5:52:57coming from Memphis.

5:53:01Southwest Memphis faces an aging housing

5:53:04stock. More than 80% of the housing

5:53:07stock in 38109 is at minimum 46 years or

5:53:12older, compared with much lower rates in

5:53:15both Dodto and Faget County. This much

5:53:19needed community development. Sapphire

5:53:22Reserve also aligns directly with Mayor

5:53:26Young's aim to create 10,000 new housing

5:53:29units by 2030.

5:53:41How far? How far? How much?

5:53:43>> Three minutes.

5:53:45>> Okay.

5:53:45>> Okay. Um these are these are the things

5:53:49that we have done um in the current

5:53:51development stage and I want there's

5:53:54some things I want to say that I don't

5:53:59we're not asking for um we're asking for

5:54:02infrastructure. you can go to the next

5:54:03slide. We're asking for these um with

5:54:06help with these items um to cover

5:54:09infrastructure costs. We are not asking

5:54:11for any um of the homes themselves to be

5:54:15constructed.

5:54:16And I also want to Can you move to slide

5:54:1912, please?

5:54:22This one. Okay. Other cities and states

5:54:24have created tools to support housing

5:54:26development. Nashville uses the

5:54:28connecting housing to infrastructure

5:54:30program known as CHIP. The strongest

5:54:33comparisons for Sapphire Reserve is

5:54:35Nashville's CHIP program because it

5:54:38directly funds infrastructure such as

5:54:40utility, sewer, water, and roads for

5:54:43housing. The point is that public

5:54:45infrastructure support for housing is

5:54:47not unusual. Other cities use it to make

5:54:50housing development feasible for small

5:54:52developers like me. I just want to go

5:54:55over my project team and then I can wrap

5:54:57up. Um, Bailey and Brock Enterprises is

5:55:00the lead developer and project sponsor.

5:55:03I'm Brooke Boone, managing member,

5:55:05bringing a decade of experience as a

5:55:07real estate agent and investor. I have a

5:55:10master's degree in social work and

5:55:12specialized development training through

5:55:14the Alliance for Housing Housing

5:55:17Progresses Emerging Developer Academy,

5:55:19which I completed in 2025. My real

5:55:22estate experience gives me a practical

5:55:24understanding of buyers needs and the

5:55:26decisions that shape home ownership. My

5:55:29social work education and practice adds

5:55:31a perspective on how housing affects

5:55:34family stability, access to opportunity

5:55:37and connection to community. These

5:55:40perspectives have guided my leadership

5:55:42of Sapphire Reserve and this is why I um

5:55:45made my team. And so my team is here a

5:55:49part of my team. get them to just stand

5:55:50up at this time. We won't be able to go

5:55:52over everyone if you all just want to

5:55:53stand up all at one time.

5:55:54>> It's just David Walker that's here. Am I

5:55:57Oh, Reeves is here. Um Reeves,

5:55:58>> just if you all would just raise your

5:56:00hand or stand. We love to thank you all

5:56:02for being here. We appreciate the work

5:56:03you've done.

5:56:05>> Um and we are definitely go I want to

5:56:08say that Councilman Ford um h had this

5:56:11on and I think it's in his district and

5:56:13he has this and he is a champion for

5:56:15this project. So we definitely want to

5:56:17give you the opportunity to to for us to

5:56:19ask questions and you to give more

5:56:21detail. We appreciate um your time and

5:56:25put what you put into it. I looked at

5:56:27the entire um the now the presentation

5:56:29was a little bit shorter than the

5:56:31presentation today, but I understand you

5:56:33were given more context. We appreciate

5:56:35that. Were there any council members

5:56:37that had any questions? I didn't No one

5:56:39is in the queue. Oh, I'm sorry. Cooper,

5:56:42you were in the queue, Miss Walker. Uh

5:56:44Counciloman Walker.

5:56:46>> Okay, go ahead.

5:56:58I can I can get you that. Yes, ma'am.

5:57:00>> Okay. And it's one in the packet.

5:57:02>> We are in um if you know where Diamond

5:57:04Estates and um Ruby Estates are. So,

5:57:08we're in we're on Weaver. Oh, okay. I'm

5:57:11sorry. I Okay. It's okay.

5:57:14>> Okay. Okay. Yes, ma'am. Uh, we'll close

5:57:17out with Councilwoman Cooper Sudden.

5:57:20>> Okay. I hate that your time is up

5:57:22because everybody that sits in that

5:57:23chair, whether you are a big whiz

5:57:26downtown or you're just what you're

5:57:28trying to do, I appreciate you coming.

5:57:30So, we need to make sure we have the

5:57:31same respect for everybody that sits

5:57:33there. I don't care if it's Billy Ogle.

5:57:35I don't care if it's Pit Hyde. I don't

5:57:37care if it's Fred Smith. Everybody

5:57:39deserves the same respect and the same

5:57:41amount of time. I said what I said. She

5:57:44is a young African-American brown woman

5:57:47trying to do and serve this community.

5:57:49She grew up here and if Ford was here,

5:57:51it wouldn't be going down. So, I'm Ford

5:57:53today.

5:57:55>> So, thank you for coming. No, no

5:57:57disrespect to you, chairwoman, but you

5:57:59know, when she was talking, you're

5:58:00cutting her off. We understand it's a

5:58:01presentation. You did an amazing job. I

5:58:03know this was your first time and we

5:58:05will have you back.

5:58:06>> We will have you back. And it wasn't

5:58:08Hold on one second. Um, I don't know if

5:58:10you all were in here, but I definitely

5:58:13told them to come back as well. When

5:58:15Billy Orga was here, I said, "Wrap it

5:58:16up. Come back next time." The exact same

5:58:18thing. So, we definitely gave you the

5:58:20opportunity to finish and we definitely

5:58:22will have you back as well, just like I

5:58:24told him to come back. And um, we

5:58:26appreciate that because it's all of our

5:58:29intent to have um, more housing, quality

5:58:33housing, attainable housing as what

5:58:35you're doing. So, we appreciate you. Um,

5:58:37>> thank you, Chair. Councilwoman Easter

5:58:39Thomas, you you were in the queue and I

5:58:42think Walker and then we'll close out.

5:58:44>> I'm done.

5:58:44>> You're done. Okay, Councilwoman.

5:58:47>> Thank you, Chair. Um, so exciting to

5:58:50hear, Miss Boon. Um, so I met Miss Boon

5:58:55a couple months ago after she finished

5:58:57the Emerging Developers Academy. That's

5:59:00what it's called. And it's also some

5:59:02other participants from the developers

5:59:04academy here, right? Can y'all raise

5:59:06your hand? as well as the

5:59:08>> as well as the founder and the starter

5:59:10of Emerging Developers Academy, uh,

5:59:12which has another cohort coming up in

5:59:14November.

5:59:16>> Miss Rashidita, please stand. Stand up.

5:59:19She's so modest.

5:59:21>> Great job. Um, and what I got from Miss

5:59:24Boon when she went over her

5:59:26presentation, and even though I said,

5:59:29"This is nowhere near my district," but

5:59:32I'm all for learning and supporting um,

5:59:35local and minority developers in the

5:59:38city who are trying to ensure that we

5:59:40are getting to what the mayor

5:59:43administration says 10,000 houses,

5:59:45right? So, that was a couple hundred

5:59:46right there. So, that's a good

5:59:48percentage goal. Um but I'm glad chair

5:59:50that you said that Miss Bone is coming

5:59:52back to share more about that maybe on a

5:59:54day when we don't have so much to talk

5:59:56about. Um so that we can ensure that

5:59:58we're focused and thinking of solutions

6:00:01and ways to really get what you need

6:00:04thought about, figured out and supported

6:00:07as well as others who are here. Um just

6:00:11had another groundbreaking ceremony.

6:00:13Miss Tamara, Miss Terica who are here,

6:00:15other minority women developers for

6:00:18houses in Smoky City through the CRA

6:00:19program. So, there are so many ways that

6:00:21we can support our people who are

6:00:24coming. Um, and it's just exciting to

6:00:27see it laid out, done well in a way that

6:00:30everybody's supposed to be able to see

6:00:32it, understand it, and see how we can

6:00:34play a part in it. So, I'm excited to

6:00:35see when you do come back and us really

6:00:38being able to focus on uh finding those

6:00:41solutions and then also moving forward

6:00:43with the other minority developers and

6:00:45local developers that we have in the

6:00:47city of Memphis. Thank you, J.

6:00:48>> Wonderful. Wonderful. And before you

6:00:49come back, we want to connect my office

6:00:51to connect with you. So, come back to

6:00:53housing and community development. Make

6:00:54sure the things that we want to push

6:00:56forward that the council will need to

6:00:58hear will be in your presentation as

6:00:59well. I was looking for uh Terica um who

6:01:03is also a developer. or you were hidden

6:01:05behind Mr. Ragdell. So, we want to

6:01:07acknowledge all of you and I'll bring

6:01:08everybody back. You can have we'll have

6:01:10um the emerging developers academy

6:01:14presentation as well to kind of give us

6:01:17an update on um the academy since you

6:01:20were here last and the all the ones that

6:01:23have graduated. Anything else? Anyone

6:01:25else before this committee?

6:01:28Okay. Well, if that is it, no other

6:01:32business before this committee. We are

6:01:34adjourned. Thank you all.

6:04:27Councilman Smiley

6:04:31Council Chairwoman Swinger Washington

6:04:33>> Councilman Walker

6:04:36>> Councilman Dr. Warren Councilman White

6:04:40>> Chair Spinosa

6:04:42>> here. Thank you. All right, we've got

6:04:44seven items on the agenda today. We're

6:04:46going to try to um get through these

6:04:48relatively quickly. This will be a theme

6:04:51for us on a couple of these items. So,

6:04:53item number one, SUP 2026-020,

6:04:56District 1, Super District 9, sponsored

6:04:58by the administration.

6:05:00Um, is there a motion?

6:05:03>> All right. Motion was move motion was

6:05:05made by Madame Chair Surrender

6:05:07Washington and seconded by Councilman

6:05:09Warren.

6:05:10Uh, a brief comment on this director

6:05:12Ragdale. What I want to do is move these

6:05:14downstairs for uh consideration on the

6:05:17floor in two weeks on the 20th and we'll

6:05:19move this down with a positive

6:05:21recommendation. But um we'll also have a

6:05:23presentation ready next committee

6:05:25meeting on the 20th as well. But that's

6:05:27kind of the theme here. So if you don't

6:05:28mind just a quick explanation.

6:05:34>> Uh Brett Ragdell with the Division of

6:05:35Planning Development. Yes. So this uh

6:05:37comes to you u DPD and language control

6:05:40board recommended approval and so there

6:05:42were no issues and the applicants here

6:05:44if you want to hear a presentation um

6:05:46but I believe that it's in Councilwoman

6:05:48Logan's district and I think she's

6:05:49aware. So

6:05:50>> it is and there's been several

6:05:51presentations before it gets here

6:05:53everybody's h has copy. So without

6:05:54objection I'm going to send this down

6:05:56with a positive recommendation for

6:05:58October 20th and if needed we can do a

6:06:01presentation in committee. So any

6:06:02objections to that council members? All

6:06:05right seeing none. Thank you. That does

6:06:07it for item number one. Item number two,

6:06:09SUP 2025-037.

6:06:13This is District 3, Super District 8,

6:06:16sponsored by the administration.

6:06:18>> Um, so real quick, motion was made by

6:06:20Dr. Warren, seconded by Chairwoman

6:06:23Swearing in Washington. This was an item

6:06:26that we voted up last committee meeting,

6:06:30then down last committee meeting. So,

6:06:31it's coming up again as it typically

6:06:34does downstairs this afternoon for the

6:06:35official vote. Um, Councilwoman Walker

6:06:38has asked for presentation to be made on

6:06:40this item today. It's in her district.

6:06:42Um, I believe there were some back and

6:06:44forth. So, I would we do want a

6:06:45presentation on this today. So, motion's

6:06:47been made properly seconded for another

6:06:49vote before we head downstairs.

6:06:52And we've got Councilwoman White that

6:06:53want to say something.

6:06:55>> I apologize, Chair. I think I missed the

6:06:57the vote on this one. So on the first

6:07:00resolution about the zoning, I just had

6:07:03one question

6:07:04>> about the first item on the agenda.

6:07:06>> Yeah. Okay.

6:07:06>> I just had a question. So the resolution

6:07:09refers to the um August 2023 uh

6:07:13resolution that was passed and it

6:07:15references a study regarding the

6:07:18>> Okay, I think so. You might be looking

6:07:20at it. We might be looking at a

6:07:21different agenda.

6:07:23>> Planning and zoning number one. What's

6:07:25your number one? So, I've got item

6:07:27number one is SUP 2026-02.

6:07:30>> No, I am looking at a different agenda.

6:07:31>> What you're talking about is item number

6:07:33six on ours. And I actually had that

6:07:37one, too. I think that was a previous

6:07:38>> Okay. So, I didn't miss the boat. Okay.

6:07:40Thank you. I didn't think I did. I was

6:07:42like, this doesn't sound like what I'm

6:07:43talking about, but

6:07:44>> that would have been a magic trick had

6:07:46been able to pull that off. Yeah. Yeah.

6:07:47No, totally unrelated. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

6:07:49You got it. All right. Thank you. All

6:07:51right. Go ahead, Director Rexdale.

6:07:53>> Uh, yes. As you mentioned, uh, we did

6:07:56present this last committee. We can do

6:07:58our presentation, but I believe the

6:07:59applicant is here, and I think that's

6:08:01what Councilwoman Walker wanted to hear

6:08:02from the applicant. So, we can

6:08:04>> Thank you.

6:08:04>> Yeah. Councilwoman Walker, you want to

6:08:06make a comment or

6:08:07>> Okay.

6:08:09>> Yeah. So, we will vote on it again uh

6:08:12today or you know, typically we vote in

6:08:14committee today and then it goes

6:08:15forward, right, for two weeks.

6:08:27All right, cool. So, see you all

6:08:29downstairs.

6:08:30>> All right, so no vote on this one. We'll

6:08:31vote on it downstairs. Everyone good on

6:08:33that?

6:08:34>> All right, good deal.

6:08:37>> Thank you. That's item number two. Yeah,

6:08:38it is on the regular agenda. All right,

6:08:40item number three is going to be held

6:08:42until October the 20th.

6:08:45>> Item number four, I'm going to read it

6:08:47for the record. PD 2026- 009 District 2

6:08:51Super District 9 sponsored by the

6:08:52administration. Uh, can I get a motion?

6:08:56>> All right. Moved by Chairwoman Swear

6:08:58Washington and seconded by Councilwoman

6:09:01Green. Um, actually this is another one.

6:09:05Uh, Director Ragdale, if you want to

6:09:07make a comment on this.

6:09:08>> Uh, yes, Mr. Chairman. This is one that

6:09:11uh, we recommended approval. DPD or we

6:09:14recommended approval and the lands

6:09:15control board recommended rejection. in

6:09:17the western opposition. It's in

6:09:18Councilwoman Green's district and I

6:09:20believe she's been talking with the

6:09:21applicant. We can give our presentation

6:09:23the applicants here as well. I I here's

6:09:26what we're going to do solely in the

6:09:27interest of time and I spoke with the

6:09:29applicants earlier today. Where are

6:09:30they?

6:09:31>> Yeah, they came in from Florida today.

6:09:34Okay. So, we talked about this earlier.

6:09:36Today's committee meeting, right? And

6:09:38then we vote on the 20th for the

6:09:41project, right? So, I don't want to slow

6:09:43down the project, but in the interest of

6:09:45moving forward with the committee

6:09:47meeting today and the schedule, thank

6:09:48you all for coming. Please get with

6:09:50Councilwoman Green and anybody else that

6:09:52you can today. But without objection, I

6:09:54want to move this to the 10:20 meeting

6:09:56downstairs. We can do a presentation in

6:09:59committee, but in committee, but I just

6:10:00want to go ahead and move it and we'll

6:10:01move it forward with no recommendation.

6:10:04>> Okay.

6:10:04>> So, motion was made, properly seconded.

6:10:06No objections to that. We'll move it

6:10:08forward with no recommendation just to

6:10:09keep it going. Um,

6:10:10>> all right. Seeing none.

6:10:12>> Okay.

6:10:13>> Seeing none. All right. Thank you. All

6:10:15right. Councilman Warren, what did you

6:10:17want to say?

6:10:18>> I just was going to say that I think

6:10:20there's been a traffic study done on

6:10:21that. We should make sure everyone sees

6:10:23it.

6:10:23>> Yes.

6:10:24>> So they understand that there's not

6:10:25really a major traffic problem with

6:10:27this. That's right. It's on study.

6:10:28>> So we could see that in two weeks. And

6:10:30thank you, Councilman Warren. You're a

6:10:32wise man and a thoughtful man because

6:10:34you want everybody to see the traffic

6:10:35study. I did.

6:10:36>> What do you want?

6:10:37>> I did, too. All right. Item number six.

6:10:39And I think people have different copies

6:10:41of the agenda.

6:10:42>> You have a different one. Everybody

6:10:44else, we got one.

6:10:45>> Okay. We had the we we all have the

6:10:47wrong ones on this side.

6:10:49>> I guess y'all got the right. Either way,

6:10:51>> yeah,

6:10:51>> we're following.

6:10:53>> Okay.

6:10:54>> All right. So,

6:10:57we are now on what is in some people's

6:11:00folders item number one. In mine, it's

6:11:03item number six. Councilwoman White, you

6:11:06had the correct agenda. All right. So

6:11:09item number six on my paper, item number

6:11:11one I guess in the updated one. Here we

6:11:13are. Resolution directing the zoning

6:11:15administrator to submit an application

6:11:17to replace the zoning map for the city

6:11:19of Memphis in its entirety all council

6:11:21districts sponsored by the

6:11:22administration.

6:11:24>> All right. Motion's been made and pro

6:11:26made by Councilman Warren, seconded by

6:11:28uh Chairwoman Swearing Washington,

6:11:30Director Ragsdale. The floor is yours.

6:11:33>> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Brett Ragdale

6:11:34with the Division of Plan Development.

6:11:36So this is an item simply just directing

6:11:38us to propose a new zoning map. Um and

6:11:42so that is the it's just a technicality

6:11:44that we have to get uh council

6:11:46initiation for that action. So we are

6:11:49going to be proposing that map and

6:11:51submitting that as an application later

6:11:53this year. This just simply says the

6:11:56council directs us to do that. We can

6:11:58give a presentation in more detail if

6:12:00you'd like.

6:12:00>> Uh Mr. Chair, is there a reason we can't

6:12:02do same right minutes on this? I see no

6:12:04reason why we couldn't do same night

6:12:06minutes. Is everybody good with Director

6:12:08Ragdale's ex explanation?

6:12:12>> I am. All right. Councilwoman Warren,

6:12:13are you good?

6:12:14>> I'm good.

6:12:15>> All right. So, without objection, we'll

6:12:16do same night minutes.

6:12:17>> No, I still have my same question that I

6:12:19posed earlier.

6:12:19>> And then Councilwoman White.

6:12:23>> You're in the Go for it.

6:12:24>> Yeah. My question was that the

6:12:26resolution from August 2023 provides

6:12:29that there's a study that's done. And I

6:12:31was asking, do we have the study?

6:12:34>> Uh yes. Uh we did the Memphis 3.0

6:12:38meetings that we had in all the council

6:12:40districts. We had 14 districts, three

6:12:42meetings in each. So through that, we

6:12:44also had various neighborhood meetings

6:12:45with the you know neighborhood

6:12:47associations. So that would constitute

6:12:49the study that we've uh

6:12:52>> so as a part of the study, how do you

6:12:53determine what's going to be reszoned?

6:12:56So through those meetings we gathered

6:12:58feedback and then we looked at what is

6:13:00on the ground actually as well. So the

6:13:02the map has not been updated in 70

6:13:04years. So you know we've talked about

6:13:06this where there's a lot of things that

6:13:07are on the ground that are not zoned

6:13:09what they actually are being used for.

6:13:12So those are some of the parts of that

6:13:14study as well.

6:13:15>> And so one of my thoughts is and the

6:13:17reason I'm really concerned about it is

6:13:19with what we're dealing with today with

6:13:20the moratorum is that for instance over

6:13:23there by John P. Freeman where there's a

6:13:25residence and all of these things. There

6:13:27was no reszoning required. It was

6:13:29already zoned industrial. And so I guess

6:13:32that's a part of us not doing reszoning

6:13:34for so many years that that remained

6:13:36industrial. So my question is, and the

6:13:39reason I'm concerned about a study is

6:13:41because I want to know that we don't end

6:13:43up here again, that it has been properly

6:13:46reviewed for not just reszoning of

6:13:48commercial to residential, but to make

6:13:50sure that within those areas that we

6:13:53don't have homes near industrial

6:13:56um near industrial sites. So I would

6:13:59like to see kind of the work product

6:14:00behind that to see if what you all used

6:14:03is your parameter to say we won't have

6:14:06anything industrial near in however many

6:14:09do you all did you all have like a mile

6:14:11radius um from homes or from schools

6:14:14that you all are using as a standard for

6:14:16the new resoning. We did not have a a

6:14:19specific radius, but we did look at all

6:14:21of those different areas and proposed

6:14:22some downzonings and uh did look at

6:14:26where residential was adjacent to

6:14:28industrial. And so we'll be bringing all

6:14:30that forward as well for uh the lanes

6:14:33control board to first hear and then the

6:14:35council to hear and we'd be happy to

6:14:37meet with you and look at some of those

6:14:38specific areas as well and I think we'll

6:14:40be discussing that um you know as you

6:14:43mentioned in some of the later

6:14:45discussions. So that will all inform the

6:14:48proposed map that we are bringing. We

6:14:50have a a draft three of the map

6:14:53currently on our website. So we've gone

6:14:54through two iterations already with some

6:14:58proposed changes.

6:14:59>> Thank you. And I I don't have to have it

6:15:01today, but I really would like to know

6:15:03what I would like if you all haven't

6:15:05done it. I think it would be prudent to

6:15:07develop a standard as to a mile radius

6:15:10from residences and schools for all

6:15:12industrial and have a complete review of

6:15:15since you're getting ready to do a

6:15:16comprehensive change because what we're

6:15:19going through right now should never we

6:15:21should not be going through this ever

6:15:22again. So I think that this is a less a

6:15:25hard lesson learned. We are trying to

6:15:28figure out where do we go from here. But

6:15:31if we're gonna reszone, let's do it

6:15:33right and let's come up with what do the

6:15:35experts say that how far industrial

6:15:38should be from residences, how far it

6:15:40should be from school zones and churches

6:15:43and that should be the standard across

6:15:45all the maps for the resoning. So that's

6:15:47my request if we're doing a

6:15:48comprehensive reszone. The next thing is

6:15:51is in terms of the notice that's going

6:15:54out, when does that go out and what does

6:15:56it notify people of? Because I haven't

6:15:58seen a copy of the notice.

6:16:00>> Yes. And so the notice tonight we have

6:16:02on the agenda the full agenda the ZTA

6:16:052602 which directs us to send the public

6:16:08notice. And so we would send a postcard

6:16:11notice. That's what we send to for our

6:16:13land use cases to every resident of

6:16:16Memphis and Shelby County. So, it's

6:16:18about 250,000 addresses. And they would

6:16:21get a postcard that would notify them

6:16:23that we are doing a proposed zoning map

6:16:27update. It would tell them the date of

6:16:29the lang control board meeting. It will

6:16:31also give them links to the proposed

6:16:34drafts that we have online. And so,

6:16:36it'll have all that information. It'll

6:16:38also have our contact information that

6:16:40they can email or call us. So, if

6:16:43someone gets one of these notices and

6:16:45they're possibly being reszoned from

6:16:46commercial to residential, so that could

6:16:48potentially have a property value

6:16:50impact, is it that they must appear on

6:16:53that particular day? And if they don't,

6:16:55it's automatically reszoned.

6:16:56>> No. So, that it'll have our contact

6:16:59information. It'll also have a link to

6:17:00the the map. And on the map, you can

6:17:03leave comments if you have uh questions

6:17:06about what your property is potentially

6:17:08being zoned or proposed to be zoned. So,

6:17:10you can do it that way. can call or

6:17:12email us. And so we have already gone

6:17:14through that through the past few months

6:17:16with several property owners and

6:17:18stakeholders uh where they have asked

6:17:21some of it's just questions. It's just

6:17:22you know kind of inquiry and trying to

6:17:25understand what we're proposing and so

6:17:27we've uh been able to answer those and

6:17:29then others are uh requesting us to

6:17:31reconsider what we might be proposing.

6:17:34So uh that would be the process. they

6:17:36can also attend the meeting because we

6:17:38may or may not agree with what they're

6:17:41uh requesting and so if not then we

6:17:43would direct them to come to the meeting

6:17:45and voice their concern there.

6:17:49>> So I would request that this not go down

6:17:51for same night minutes because I've

6:17:52received correspondence regarding kind

6:17:54of a process and I would like to delve

6:17:56in a little bit more about because it's

6:17:59just I'm looking at this just as if we

6:18:00think about the assessor when you appeal

6:18:03your assessment. So, I I don't know what

6:18:06that looks like in terms of some um

6:18:08additional process for people. Um I just

6:18:12think that that's a big change to say,

6:18:13"Hey, come to this meeting this one day

6:18:15and then if you miss it, it's possibly

6:18:17reszone." And I'm more concerned about

6:18:19demunition of property values. Um for

6:18:22those who may think they have a vested

6:18:24right here and then it's just changed.

6:18:28>> Hey, thank you, Councilwoman. I mean,

6:18:29this is a big deal. We've talked about

6:18:31it for a long time. I'm at the point now

6:18:33where it's like I I certainly don't

6:18:34object to her request. So, does anyone

6:18:36object to us removing same night

6:18:38minutes?

6:18:39>> Well, this is what I will say it's it's

6:18:41and we have talked about it a while, but

6:18:42I will tell you it wasn't until fairly

6:18:45recently when it's kind of starting to

6:18:47navigate all of this these issues with

6:18:49the moratorum and realizing that hey,

6:18:53over here by this school, John P.

6:18:55Freeman, and over here in this

6:18:56neighborhood in a residence, it's zoned

6:18:59industrial and that didn't have to come

6:19:00before us. And I understand that we're

6:19:02going to look at some different zoning

6:19:04specifically for data centers, but it's

6:19:06bigger than that. We need to make sure

6:19:09that when this this is a big deal when

6:19:11this new and now we have some new

6:19:13information and we need to act

6:19:14accordingly and not dismiss it. agree

6:19:16>> because at this point we need to make

6:19:19sure that we if we're reszoning that we

6:19:23do not have industrial areas zoned

6:19:26around these schools around these homes

6:19:30around these churches where we know that

6:19:32people reside live work and and and and

6:19:36and try to have a home

6:19:38>> love it

6:19:39>> and a standardized appeal process.

6:19:40>> I mean as the humble chairman of

6:19:41planning and zoning I'm loving this

6:19:43conversation. You're right. Yeah. Excuse

6:19:46me, Councilman Warren.

6:19:47>> Thank you, Council.

6:19:48>> In light of that, and in light of what

6:19:50these zoning things may mean as we're

6:19:54moving forward to try to control G data

6:19:57centers and provide local zoning

6:19:59control,

6:20:01I hear what you're saying, Councilwoman,

6:20:04but in my mind, we've got a certain

6:20:06number of days that we're going to be

6:20:08able needing to get these zoning things

6:20:11in place. And I guess my question is if

6:20:14it goes down with same night minutes, it

6:20:17just means that we what it does is it

6:20:20allows them to bring these zoning things

6:20:23to us more quickly. We still have to

6:20:26vote on them. Okay. So, what I'm trying

6:20:28to do is I think if we we if we let them

6:20:31do this, we're going to get to what you

6:20:33want more quickly by getting to

6:20:36somewhere where we can have the ability

6:20:38to say no, you can't put that center

6:20:40here next to the school. even though

6:20:42it's zone industrial because we we just

6:20:44we're going to change it to where you

6:20:46can't do that now. So, I want them to be

6:20:49able to change it so that can't happen

6:20:52and that's what the zoning will bring

6:20:53back. So, what you're asking for is what

6:20:56we want them to do more rapidly. Does

6:20:58that make sense?

6:21:01>> What you said makes sense, but that's

6:21:02not what I was saying.

6:21:04>> I understand what you're saying is that

6:21:05you want it to happen that way and if we

6:21:08give them the authority, then they have

6:21:09meetings. I'm sorry. I'm bringing back.

6:21:12Thank you, Councilman Warren. Director

6:21:14>> Rex. Uh, so same night minutes is not

6:21:16really required for this. We I think we

6:21:18could still move forward with the same

6:21:19timeline without the same night minutes.

6:21:21So, we can still have discussion.

6:21:22>> All right. So, motion was made and

6:21:24properly seconded on this resolution.

6:21:26So, I'm going to go to a voice vote on

6:21:27this. All those without Thank you. was

6:21:30getting there. No,

6:21:33>> uh on this item without same night

6:21:35minutes. All those in favor, please

6:21:37respond by saying I.

6:21:38>> I. Nace.

6:21:41>> All right. So, the eyes have it. This

6:21:42will go downstairs with a positive

6:21:43recommendation and without same night

6:21:44minutes. Director Ragdale, you look like

6:21:46you want to say something.

6:21:50Okay. So, that does it for item number

6:21:52actually item number one. Excuse me. It

6:21:55was not item number one on mine. Uh you

6:21:57have item number F. He's referencing

6:21:59item number five. That's PD.

6:22:022026-00009.

6:22:05>> No, actually I have the agenda that you

6:22:07have.

6:22:07>> That's what I'm saying. Yeah, that's

6:22:08what I'm saying. Item number five is

6:22:10>> So now, for the record, I'm I'm bouncing

6:22:12back. I'm bouncing to whatever is

6:22:14allegedly the most current agenda.

6:22:16>> Okay. So, I'm going to read both.

6:22:17There's there's uh two items left.

6:22:20Excuse me. Yeah, two items left. On the

6:22:22old agenda, it's item number five. It's

6:22:25street name change 2026-00003.

6:22:29And now I'm going to read it with the

6:22:31new uh item number. It's item number six

6:22:34on the new agenda. Same information.

6:22:37Here we go. Official reading. Item

6:22:38number six. SNC 2026-00003

6:22:42District 1 Super District 9 sponsored by

6:22:44the administration. This is a request

6:22:46for same night minutes. Can I get a

6:22:48motion to second?

6:22:50>> All right. Made motion made by

6:22:51Councilwoman Swearing in Washington,

6:22:53seconded by Councilman Smiley. All

6:22:55right. Director Ragdale.

6:22:56>> Thank you, Mr. Chairman. So, this item

6:22:58is IKEA, which I think most people are

6:23:01familiar with. They're changing the name

6:23:03of that. We uh did get a request last

6:23:07week to change it to a different name.

6:23:10So, what's in your current resolution

6:23:12was um what was the name?

6:23:14>> Meetings.

6:23:15>> Meeting House Ways. Uh we got a request

6:23:18to uh amend that to change it to living

6:23:21spaces drive. And so, that's shown on

6:23:24your screen here. we can

6:23:26>> and I think the applicant is here. Um I

6:23:28believe that

6:23:29>> welcome.

6:23:30>> Yes, my understanding is that they are

6:23:32the ones purchasing the property and so

6:23:34that it would

6:23:34>> well congratulations. Thank you. Name

6:23:36and address for the record.

6:23:38>> I'm here on behalf of IKEA.

6:23:41>> Okay.

6:23:42>> I am here on behalf of IKEA which is the

6:23:44applicant but I believe it is the new

6:23:45owner that is wanting to change it from

6:23:47IKEA's proposed meeting spaces way. Um,

6:23:50Kelly Hegy and my address is 165 Madison

6:23:52Avenue Memphis, Tennessee 38103.

6:23:56>> Thank you. All right. So, thank you for

6:23:58that. So, again, to summarize, this is a

6:24:01street name change. Same nightm minute

6:24:03request.

6:24:04Nothing nothing more. Councilwoman

6:24:07Cooper Sutton is in the queue on this.

6:24:09>> Well, I wanted Yeah, thank you.

6:24:13>> You can go ahead on

6:24:15because I think that

6:24:19Um,

6:24:21let me bring bring my train of thought

6:24:23back in because it's been a long day.

6:24:28I wanted to talk on the other item that

6:24:31was there and I didn't get an

6:24:33opportunity to uh talk on that item and

6:24:36it was about

6:24:39chair chairman. Yeah, I don't want to be

6:24:42disrespectful. I want to respect the

6:24:44order that you're going in and it was

6:24:45the other item that we talked about

6:24:46before this item. So, I want to just

6:24:48make sure I don't want to just keep it

6:24:50rolling because I know time, but I just

6:24:53want to make sure that you know what

6:24:56what Councilwoman White has said. We uh

6:24:58talked about we talked about the school

6:25:01zoning and everything because I don't

6:25:02need anybody else to take my stuff and

6:25:04run with it, act like they did it and

6:25:05came up with it and all my hard work.

6:25:08Yeah. I said what I said

6:25:11and so I just wanted to make sure that

6:25:12we're working on something as well and

6:25:14we'll bring it talk with you about it

6:25:16and meet with you about it because this

6:25:17is a very critical time and I just

6:25:20wanted to put that on the record.

6:25:22>> Thank you.

6:25:23>> Thank you councilwoman. All right. Is

6:25:24there a council member that wants to

6:25:25speak on the street name change?

6:25:28>> The street name change for IKEA and the

6:25:30new Okay. Councilwoman Logan.

6:25:32>> The re This is district one. So it's in

6:25:35my district. I know we we've changed it

6:25:37to meeting way and I was asking why we

6:25:39want to go with meeting way. What does

6:25:40that mean? Who said it? Because I don't

6:25:42want us to have to go through this

6:25:44again. So why don't we say something

6:25:46like Cordova way? We know it's going to

6:25:47be Cordova.

6:25:49I don't if we go through another owner

6:25:52and then they leave and we have to

6:25:54change it again. You made that. But I

6:25:57see Cordova way. Um why can't we?

6:26:00>> Who is determining what the name is

6:26:01going to be and why? Who gets to do

6:26:03that? So, Councilwoman, I think the name

6:26:05of the business is called, what is it

6:26:07called?

6:26:09>> Living Spaces. And so, they're just

6:26:11naming, we're just naming the street

6:26:12living spaces because it's like that end

6:26:14of the street. So, they're just kind of

6:26:15naming it after their business.

6:26:16>> Well, we never thought our kid was going

6:26:17to leave. But they gone now. We got to

6:26:19start over again. But anyway, I'm just

6:26:20throwing out the next time we don't get

6:26:22let them pick. We going to just call it

6:26:24Cordova way.

6:26:25>> You still get to choose

6:26:25>> because it's in Cordova.

6:26:27>> Okay.

6:26:28>> We This body gets to decide what the

6:26:29name is.

6:26:30>> I don't I mean, I don't want to be the

6:26:32new people. We want them to to get it if

6:26:33they're a good place. Do they care that

6:26:36much about that?

6:26:40>> He says she represent.

6:26:41>> I represent IKEA.

6:26:42>> Oh, you represent IKEA.

6:26:43>> And and my understanding is IKEA. We

6:26:45don't even

6:26:46>> just wants his name off of there.

6:26:47>> You just want your name off so you don't

6:26:49care. Cordova Way.

6:26:51>> Cordova Way. I believe that there had

6:26:52been previous discussion which um um the

6:26:56staff can speak to about the prior name

6:26:59maybe was one of the options and then

6:27:01meeting and then the meeting house way.

6:27:03So again a my understanding AIA just

6:27:05wants it changed they they don't have a

6:27:07preference.

6:27:07>> All right. So without objection I'm

6:27:09going to hold this for two weeks.

6:27:11>> Anybody?

6:27:11>> I'm with you.

6:27:12>> Okay cool. All right. Item number seven

6:27:15on the new uh agenda and the old agenda.

6:27:19Look it matched up. All right.

6:27:20Resolution approving the honorary street

6:27:22name change on Stage Road between

6:27:24Coleman Road and Fargo Road for Bishop

6:27:26Gregory M. Ascu Senior District 1, Super

6:27:29District 9 requested by Councilwoman

6:27:30Logan. Councilwoman Logan, there's a

6:27:32request for same night minutes.

6:27:35Councilwoman Logan,

6:27:36>> thank you. Um, this is a very worthy

6:27:39cause and um, Pastor Escu has done a lot

6:27:42and stop it. He's done a lot and means a

6:27:46lot in our community. Is pastor here?

6:27:49And they'll be here this afternoon. But

6:27:51um just want your support in supporting

6:27:54someone who's been who is very

6:27:55influential in our community and uh

6:27:58really a huge supporter of all things

6:28:01great in District 1.

6:28:03>> Thank you.

6:28:03>> Thank you, Councilwoman. We need a

6:28:04motion and a second.

6:28:06>> All right. Motion's been made by

6:28:08Councilwoman Logan, seconded by

6:28:10Councilwoman Swearing Washington. All

6:28:11those in favor of this street name

6:28:13change, please respond by saying I.

6:28:15>> Anyone against? All right. The eyes have

6:28:17it. That does it for pointing and zoning

6:28:19today. Thank you.

6:36:30to

6:36:32put a something in place where we start

6:36:34doing something. Uh but most of them

6:36:38were somewhat general and did not

6:36:42propose anything specific in terms of

6:36:45how this body would regulate data center

6:36:48locations and operations. U the closest

6:36:51thing that came to something close to

6:36:53that was Logan's proposed uh document

6:36:57which which directed zoning amendments

6:37:00to the UDC for land use and sighting. So

6:37:03when I looked at all of them, it seemed

6:37:05to me like the most expedient thing that

6:37:08I would recommend is that one that you

6:37:12can continue to study all day long, but

6:37:14we need to go ahead and put some zoning

6:37:18text amendments in place so that any new

6:37:23data centers would have to locate in

6:37:27appropriate zones. And then after they

6:37:30do so, they have to go through

6:37:33uh what's known as a uh site review

6:37:36process where you get to require them to

6:37:40present their plans. You get to require

6:37:42them to present their plans in terms of

6:37:45buffering, in terms of sound, in terms

6:37:48of light and uh you get to evaluate any

6:37:53uh impacts on the rightway, the impacts

6:37:57on storm water, the impacts on sewer, on

6:37:59wastewater. you have a list of things

6:38:02that you would look at before you

6:38:05approve a site plan for these data

6:38:09centers. Um it seems to me and then the

6:38:13other thing that you would do is in the

6:38:16event that now that what the data

6:38:18centers do is to the extent they can't

6:38:21go through MLG&W and TVA and get the

6:38:24power they want as quickly as they want,

6:38:27they bring their own energy production

6:38:31uh paradigm to the site and that's how

6:38:35you end up with gas turbines that make a

6:38:38lot of noise and have a lot of, you

6:38:41know, excess uh air air problems. So,

6:38:47you know, I don't want to, nobody's

6:38:48suing me for defamation, but but

6:38:50essentially that's where all the

6:38:52problems came. And so, then what you

6:38:54would do is have something similar to a

6:38:57special use permit process to evaluate

6:39:01those things. That's where your problem

6:39:03is. Uh, and then I gave you on the on

6:39:06the front of it the new act that was

6:39:09signed by the governor, I think in March

6:39:11of this year, where essentially it

6:39:14permits data centers to bring their own

6:39:18electricity or energy production to a

6:39:20site um, independent of MLG&W or as a

6:39:26supplement to MLGW.

6:39:28Now, what that that statute doesn't do

6:39:31is say where it's going to be located on

6:39:33the site and how they're going to

6:39:34configure it. Now, you can't stop them

6:39:37and and there are guard rails in place

6:39:39about how much electricity they can have

6:39:41because that bill says it's not it's to

6:39:44eliminate the citizens subsidizing the

6:39:48power use of data center. So, those

6:39:51things have been taken out of our hands

6:39:53and put in the hands of MLG&W and TVA.

6:39:57Now if they go and get an independent

6:39:59producer which we are not um then they

6:40:02can bring the lines through M through

6:40:04TVA's lines or MG&W's lines and bring

6:40:08them to a data center and they can use

6:40:10that but but the alternative methods

6:40:13where you use gas turbines or things of

6:40:15that nature that's where they have to go

6:40:17through you first before they do it.

6:40:19What I put in this document

6:40:22is u

6:40:25you know a special use permit type of

6:40:28process for those

6:40:30independent sources of power. That's

6:40:35where you're going to stop the most the

6:40:38most adverse impacts. Now, um I've I've

6:40:42tried to take the best of all your

6:40:45proposals and put it in

6:40:49um a a site review process that's very

6:40:53elaborate. Um and if you turn

6:41:00and I'll just go through it briefly.

6:41:04If you turn uh past the initial uh state

6:41:08law, there are two um ordinances

6:41:13proposed for data center industrial

6:41:15districts. There's an a light data

6:41:18center

6:41:20um industrial district and this has to

6:41:23be um

6:41:26the least objectionable to neighboring

6:41:29neighborhoods.

6:41:31Then you have a heavy data center

6:41:35district

6:41:37which by reasons of its size and scale

6:41:40of operations are required to be placed

6:41:43in areas very far from neighboring

6:41:48residential areas. So, we will work with

6:41:52DPD to identify the existing industrial

6:41:56districts and where those heavy versus

6:41:59light can go. Um, I think we have four

6:42:03here in Shelby County or at least five.

6:42:07Uh, most of those are hypers scale or

6:42:09large data centers. They um they're

6:42:13fairly large. the biggest um

6:42:18you know they're on multiple acres. They

6:42:21can only go in large places. So it seems

6:42:24like that the that the day of hypers

6:42:28scale data centers in our county may be

6:42:31over but I don't know. I mean it just

6:42:32seems like that because I don't know

6:42:34that we have enough lane. So then once

6:42:36they're allowed to go in these these

6:42:39zones

6:42:41before they can operate they have to

6:42:43file a application for site plan review

6:42:48meaning that that has to go through DOD.

6:42:51>> You are no longer muted.

6:42:54>> It has to go.

6:42:55>> It has to go. Has to go to

6:43:01>> You've been muted. To unmute yourself,

6:43:04press star.

6:43:08You are no longer muted.

6:43:12>> Okay. Okay. So then they have to go

6:43:15through this site plan review and it

6:43:18defines what data center is. It defines

6:43:21what a large data center or hypers scale

6:43:23data center is. It pro it it requires

6:43:26this process before you can get a

6:43:29resoning a plan development conditional

6:43:31use building permit grading permit or

6:43:34land disturbance. Uh it requires them to

6:43:37identify their maximum electrical demand

6:43:40which is the critical part because the

6:43:42size of the lots and the size of the

6:43:45properties are largely irrelevant

6:43:49because the way these things are being

6:43:52built today. They're they're being

6:43:53smaller but they're being more compact

6:43:57and and so the biggest component

6:44:01um is the cooling.

6:44:04That's how that what that's what uses

6:44:07most of the electricity and that's where

6:44:09the noxious

6:44:11impacts come from when you start running

6:44:14turbines and doing whatever you have to

6:44:16do. The centers are also very loud. So

6:44:20um you want to in this process know what

6:44:25is your plan for

6:44:28uh mitigating sound impacts and dust and

6:44:32vibrations. That's what was in in uh

6:44:35Smiley's proposal. U but I understand

6:44:38they can configure and design their

6:44:40facilities so that they mitigate that.

6:44:43You also want any

6:44:46external energy sources to be evaluated

6:44:50and permitted by you. So to the extent

6:44:53you don't allow it, they got to go

6:44:55through MLG&W and TVA and then stop

6:44:57using the turbines and other things. And

6:45:00in that document, we give a preference

6:45:03to green energy and we discourage

6:45:08gas turbines. Okay? So therefore, you

6:45:11can sit in judgment on these ancillary

6:45:14things and you can decide whether you

6:45:17like them or you don't like them. Um

6:45:21some of the things just to give you an

6:45:22idea. Uh we also exempt all the things

6:45:26that are exempted in the um uh

6:45:29moratorum, schools, hospitals, things of

6:45:33that nature. Uh we cut the line on large

6:45:37data centers and

6:45:40non-large data centers at 20 megawws.

6:45:43And and so the the the point is is that

6:45:47size is

6:45:49somewhat irrelevant using the rule of

6:45:52thumb.

6:45:54You know, a large data center, they

6:45:56going to require lots and lots of space.

6:46:00They're going to require I mean, I think

6:46:03Colossus one and Colossus 2, they both

6:46:07those lots are about close to 90 acres.

6:46:12Um, the Fred's building has almost a

6:46:16million square feet of of of

6:46:20space and that's what they use, but then

6:46:22they pick it back on some turbines in

6:46:25Mississippi to run it. So I mean so what

6:46:28this does

6:46:30right now you know before we woke up

6:46:34Colossus had millions of data systems

6:46:38operating and we had no idea we had no

6:46:42control. We they didn't have to tell us

6:46:45anything. But now what what happens now

6:46:48they have to go through us under this

6:46:50process. And this is a far better

6:46:53position than we were in before because

6:46:55now they have to they have to make

6:46:58application for us to review what

6:47:00they're doing. Um we have to pass on it.

6:47:04We'll do it in public. They go through

6:47:05land use control board. There can be

6:47:07citizen input. There can be all those

6:47:10things. So that's kind of uh the

6:47:12approach that I've tried to come up with

6:47:16is to is to take what you guys say you

6:47:19want to do and put something in front of

6:47:21you where we can start doing it.

6:47:24>> Okay.

6:47:24>> Have a couple of council have some

6:47:26questions. Councilman Warren, you're

6:47:27recognized.

6:47:28>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Um, so I guess

6:47:32my question is, can we initiate what you

6:47:36have proposed under our current headings

6:47:40as far as an ordinance

6:47:41>> and enact it?

6:47:43>> Okay. I would say uh what I've done is

6:47:48propose an ordinance

6:47:50>> and I and I would suggest that we not

6:47:53fasttrack it that way because it has to

6:47:55go through land use control board. And

6:47:57in fact, every proposal you got on the

6:48:00table today has to go through land use

6:48:03control board or be invalid. Now, Smile

6:48:06is going to tell me his moratorum

6:48:08doesn't, but but that's it can be

6:48:11argued. I'm just being

6:48:13>> that process because I understand I

6:48:16thought we had an ordinance and when we

6:48:18passed the ordinance and was signed by

6:48:20the mayor, it was law. So in this case,

6:48:23>> no, based on Supreme Court precedent and

6:48:25based on on the state law enabling you

6:48:29to do zoning, any zoning amendment that

6:48:33you make is not valid unless you have a

6:48:37prior recommendation from the land use

6:48:40control board or the planning commission

6:48:42as they say in the statute and some some

6:48:44of them have been invalidated because of

6:48:47that. So tell us how that process would

6:48:49work to get these ordinances in place as

6:48:54quickly as possible. What would that

6:48:55look like in time and how would it go?

6:48:57Okay. So the the U ordinance to adopt

6:49:00zoning amendments to the unified

6:49:02development code relative to data

6:49:03centers would be approved tonight and

6:49:06then it would be effective after final

6:49:09adoption

6:49:10provided uh we had a recommendation from

6:49:13land use control board prior to that

6:49:16land use control board meets Thursday

6:49:19DPD can take it to them and then we'd go

6:49:21second reading and then we go third

6:49:23reading and then we can start and in the

6:49:25meantime we would have the ability to to

6:49:29cross reference and do all of the things

6:49:31and make it in proper form. So so DPD

6:49:35would be happy and understand what

6:49:37they're enforcing. Um so that's kind of

6:49:40the process

6:49:41>> on that. Will we need county commission

6:49:44approval of this since it's a DPD zoning

6:49:48thing or is this only for the city? Um

6:49:51after we adopted it, final adoption,

6:49:54then we uh request DPD to begin the

6:49:58process of codifying in the UTC and in

6:50:01due course it will be effective for

6:50:04operation in the city of Memphis. And

6:50:06we've done that before.

6:50:07>> Okay. And so from what you're telling me

6:50:10with we passed that this meeting, we

6:50:14have two more readings. During that

6:50:16time, you can adjust it into the proper

6:50:19form at public hearings and then if DPD

6:50:24says so, it could be officially in law.

6:50:26That would be first reading in November.

6:50:29>> Yeah. Or in before the end of the year.

6:50:31And then that way any new and then from

6:50:34what McGawan tells me, they're still

6:50:36studying um all what's on the horizon

6:50:41right now and they won't be done until

6:50:43March sometime.

6:50:45>> Okay. Thank you.

6:50:46>> And you know, we can also have further

6:50:49input from the council members if they

6:50:50have any any questions or want any

6:50:52adjustments.

6:50:53>> Okay. Councilwoman Logan, you're

6:50:55recognized.

6:50:56>> Thank you, Chair. Um, thank you,

6:50:58Attorney Wade. My question is, did I

6:51:02hear did I hear you correctly when you

6:51:03said the

6:51:06what you did is dealing with land use or

6:51:10sighting. Now the current um industrial

6:51:16designation that we have is all over the

6:51:19place.

6:51:19>> Yes.

6:51:20>> So my concern was that anything that

6:51:24well the ordinance that I did was

6:51:26basically for DPD to uh go ahead and do

6:51:29that designation and and really look at

6:51:32as I said at the last meeting where

6:51:35industrial designations are because

6:51:38that's how Colossal was able to come.

6:51:41They were able to just go to look on the

6:51:44on the map, find where they wanted to

6:51:46go. It was industrial. They bought the

6:51:48land and they built it. And so anybody

6:51:51can do that because we're not protected

6:51:54through our sightings and our land use

6:51:57and our zoning right now. My question is

6:52:01will that initiate a downgrading of all

6:52:05the industrial sites?

6:52:07>> Okay. So what this contemplates is that

6:52:11data centers will have their own special

6:52:15industrial zoning. There will be light

6:52:17and heavy and the light is designed to

6:52:21provide space for small to medium data

6:52:24centers and related things which do not

6:52:28have an objective objectionable

6:52:31characteristics. So what we will do is

6:52:33look at our existing ones and I've asked

6:52:36DPD, show me the ones that have the

6:52:39closest proximity to residential areas

6:52:42and they say they can provide that to

6:52:43us. So we will steer large data centers

6:52:47away from those areas and have them

6:52:49concentrated in what's known as the

6:52:51large data center requirements. Uh all

6:52:55of them have to have you know buffering.

6:52:58They have to be far away from any

6:53:01adjacent areas. So through the site

6:53:04review process, you can further deter

6:53:07them going where they want to go. You

6:53:10can say this is not appropriate for this

6:53:13zone and you can deny the site plan

6:53:15review.

6:53:16>> Well, I get that, but I don't think

6:53:17that's really reaching what I was

6:53:18saying. So, the the res the ordinance

6:53:22that I did was to have them go and look

6:53:25at all of the areas that it could

6:53:27potentially be, where it is now, where

6:53:30it could be, and what needs to be

6:53:32reviewed, what needs to be set up so

6:53:34that wherever the hypers scale

6:53:38designation is, and wherever the

6:53:40industrial is, they'll come back to us

6:53:43and give us all of those details. And

6:53:45it's kind of what um

6:53:47>> Okay. Okay. Let me interrupt you. Let me

6:53:49interrupt you in correct. So what hap

6:53:51what will happen

6:53:53>> is we will look at the existing areas

6:53:56>> and we will decide which of them fit

6:54:00these two categories. It won't be all of

6:54:02them. You

6:54:03>> okay?

6:54:06>> Yes. We're going to adopt these two

6:54:10zoning classifications and they will

6:54:13have maps. We won't pick all of the

6:54:15existing industrial areas. We will pick

6:54:17ones that fit this that are far away

6:54:20from residential and those that are

6:54:23small. Yeah. And then so you will pick

6:54:26those and they may not be all of them.

6:54:28So there will be a limit to where they

6:54:30will go and then even then you control

6:54:33what they do, what they look like, how

6:54:35they would be structural

6:54:43of location and de development of data

6:54:46centers. Right. Requested by Logan.

6:54:48>> All right. Item number two is a

6:54:50discussion on data center temporary

6:54:53moratorum ordinance number 5982

6:54:56all council districts requested by

6:54:59smiling.

6:55:00>> Let me say one thing before you start. I

6:55:02mean I

6:55:04>> I know I would say

6:55:07oh court.

6:55:11>> Okay.

6:55:11>> Go ahead. Um,

6:55:14Miley's ordinance got the party started.

6:55:19Now, his fir the one he has on the

6:55:20table, the second one has some things

6:55:24that I don't think we can do. So, I

6:55:26mean, I won't get into that. I'm not

6:55:28trying to critique.

6:55:30So, so essentially, essentially the

6:55:33problem is there's a state law that says

6:55:35that moratorum have to be limited in

6:55:38time and and

6:55:44It's limited in time. It has to be

6:55:47reasonable in time. Let's put it that

6:55:48way. And and essentially, if you are

6:55:51studying things that you can do already,

6:55:54then that's going to bear into whether

6:55:56or not the length of time that you've

6:55:58asked for is going to be reasonable.

6:55:59>> Okay. So, I get that. So, I'm going to

6:56:01say this and I would love for Dr. Cork

6:56:03to speak just because you talked about

6:56:04the reasonleness and time.

6:56:07the very I think it's the very last

6:56:09section of the moratorum language and it

6:56:12it there's an exit ramp if the council

6:56:15does it job like one of the things that

6:56:16councilwoman did if you look at

6:56:18specifically section four of the

6:56:19moratorum it talks about site selection

6:56:21site plan that's contemplated in

6:56:23councilwoman's councilwoman Logan's

6:56:25ordinance in addition to that it talks

6:56:27about what I think has been missing in

6:56:29this entire conversation mandatory

6:56:32community engagement you brought a new

6:56:33ordinance for us to uh to consider but

6:56:36mandatory community engage engagement.

6:56:39I think we have to do this in context.

6:56:41And I think we have some very skillful

6:56:43lawyers here. You was one of the best in

6:56:45the state. I give you that. You have

6:56:47attorney white. You have attorney Green.

6:56:49We are practitioners of the law. But we

6:56:52are not the sole spokesperson for

6:56:55communities. We have to include them in

6:56:57this process. We can implement laws, but

6:57:00implementing laws without talking to

6:57:01people is silly. That's not our role. We

6:57:07You know what? I'm gonna let you have

6:57:08that for now. Um, but our our job is

6:57:12both

6:57:16legislative, but it's also constituent

6:57:18services, and I think that's something

6:57:19we have to consider in this. But I would

6:57:21love to hear from uh Dr. Cork since I he

6:57:24took some time to to join us on this

6:57:26day. So, can I turn it over to Dr. Cork?

6:57:30Dr. Cork, can you hear me?

6:57:32>> Yeah. Can you all hear me?

6:57:34>> Yes, sir. The floor is yours.

6:57:36>> Awesome. I appreciate it. Um,

6:57:40so I have around 10 minutes of of

6:57:42remarks I wanted to share. When I'm

6:57:43sharing my screen, I can't actually see

6:57:45you all. So, I would say maybe it'd be

6:57:48helpful for me to talk for 10 minutes

6:57:49and I'd be welcome to answer questions.

6:57:52I wanted to take time today to talk

6:57:54about some of the work that I've been

6:57:55doing on data centers, air pollution,

6:57:57and health, especially centered on

6:57:59Memphis.

6:58:00>> Um, so thank you chair, members of the

6:58:02committee. Um, We need to figure out

6:58:05what we gonna do. We need to discuss

6:58:06this stuff.

6:58:08>> Hey, so Dr. Corp, um, could you please

6:58:10give professional profile who you are

6:58:13and and and

6:58:14>> totally the impact?

6:58:17>> Yes. So I'm Michael Corp. I'm a Harvard

6:58:20train trained environmental health

6:58:21scientists and I lead environment and

6:58:23power analytics group. So what we do is

6:58:26we look at um independent analyses of

6:58:29what air pollution from energy and

6:58:32industrial facilities mean for people's

6:58:34health. And um back in March I did some

6:58:38work on understanding and estimating the

6:58:40health impacts from this proposed

6:58:42facility in South Haven, Mississippi. Um

6:58:45so I'm here to just share a little bit

6:58:46about what the science can tell us about

6:58:49data center development in this region

6:58:51and how it can impact uh community

6:58:53health.

6:59:00Um, any other questions or should I go

6:59:02ahead and get started?

6:59:04>> Keep going. Go ahead.

6:59:06>> Okay, sweet. So, data centers, right?

6:59:09They raise several different questions

6:59:11um uh when when when you're thinking

6:59:14about planning for a city, right? They

6:59:15talks about water, grid, reliability,

6:59:18economics, regular regulatory

6:59:20compliance, and health. And I want to

6:59:22focus this talk on um addressing one of

6:59:24those which is the air pollution and and

6:59:26the impacts on population health. So

6:59:28this actually complements I think what I

6:59:30heard the speaker saying before about

6:59:31right not all data centers are the same

6:59:34and one thing that's really important to

6:59:35look at is how are we considering

6:59:37powering a data center right are we

6:59:39using grid connection are we using

6:59:41on-site turbines that are burning

6:59:43methane gas 247 do we have a dedicated

6:59:45power plant what kind of backup

6:59:47generators are being used etc because

6:59:50these produce different levels of air

6:59:51pollution and then it's really important

6:59:53to understand right where is this air

6:59:55pollution going to travel who are the

6:59:57people going going to be breathing this

6:59:58in and then how do we translate that

7:00:00into health impacts using the most

7:00:01available science.

7:00:04Before going forward, I also want to

7:00:06address one important distinction which

7:00:08is that this the work that I do answers

7:00:11the question uh what is using the best

7:00:14available science the health burden

7:00:16associated with emissions from a

7:00:18facility and that this is different than

7:00:21a question that is kind of a a related

7:00:23question which is does the facility meet

7:00:25regulatory compliance. So, I I make that

7:00:28distinction early because I think it's

7:00:30an important thing to keep in mind. Um,

7:00:32and I'll address this throughout, but

7:00:34it's important to remember that just

7:00:35because a facility is within regulatory

7:00:37compliance does not mean that there's

7:00:39going to be no health impact.

7:00:42So, what am I talking about when I talk

7:00:44about air pollution? I want to just give

7:00:46a brief background which is the main

7:00:49story that I'm focusing on is a type of

7:00:51air pollution called fine particulate

7:00:52matter and also it is called PM 2.5. The

7:00:572.5 refers to size. So these are

7:01:00particles that are smaller than 2.5

7:01:02micrometers. And to put that into

7:01:04context that is 30 times smaller than

7:01:06the width of a human hair. So left we

7:01:08see right how small a particle is and

7:01:12the reason they're dangerous is because

7:01:14of their size. It's small enough that it

7:01:16can penetrate deep into your lungs into

7:01:18your bloodstream. There's decades of

7:01:20wellressearched science that links PM2.5

7:01:23to different health outcomes like

7:01:25cardiovascular and respiratory disease

7:01:27and premature death. We also know that

7:01:30the science says that any increase in

7:01:32this type of pollution translates into

7:01:34an increased risk of health outcomes.

7:01:37Now combustion sources such as burning

7:01:40fossil fuels have two different ways

7:01:42this type of pollution can enter into

7:01:44the atmosphere and be breathed in by uh

7:01:46community members. The first is it can

7:01:48directly emit these particles and the

7:01:50second is it can emit gases like

7:01:52nitrogen oxides or volatile organic

7:01:54compounds that form this type of

7:01:57pollution um and ozone downwind in the

7:01:59atmosphere.

7:02:04Um, I wanted to just give a little

7:02:06context of what it is that I have

7:02:08studied. Right? So, Memphis, as you all

7:02:10know, has a lot of different industrial

7:02:12facilities that produce this type of

7:02:14pollution. So, in particular, right, I'm

7:02:18going to focus just on the data centers

7:02:19and the XAI data centers. We have

7:02:20Colossus One, which is operating, as you

7:02:22know, in Southwest Memphis, um, which is

7:02:24a data center with on-site gas turbines.

7:02:26What I'm going to focus my talk on and

7:02:28what I did work with the Southern

7:02:30Environmental Law Center is

7:02:32understanding the impact of this

7:02:34proposed MZ techch power facility which

7:02:36would be powering the Colossus 2 data

7:02:38center which consists of 41 gas turbines

7:02:41and is about 1.2 gawatt. I just want to

7:02:44emphasize though that while this work

7:02:47focuses on that impact that obviously

7:02:49residents don't breathe one permit at a

7:02:50time, right? So it's important to think

7:02:52about this is one slice of the pie of of

7:02:54the type of pollution that can be

7:02:56produced from data centers but I think

7:02:57an important context of what we think

7:03:01would happen um if this facility were

7:03:03built.

7:03:05So the facility itself and and this is

7:03:07kind of just giving a little background

7:03:08right is is being proposed in

7:03:10Mississippi but again we know this is

7:03:12just right across the border close to

7:03:14Memphis. These are 41 gas turbines about

7:03:171.2 2 gawatt which is a moderately it's

7:03:20a pretty large power plant facility. To

7:03:22put it in context, this is enough power

7:03:24to probably power around 1 million

7:03:26homes. What I'm showing on the right is

7:03:29some of the work that we did. And what

7:03:30we did is we estimate where the

7:03:32pollution from this facility would go.

7:03:34We have the proposed facility in blue on

7:03:36that dot just right on the border. But

7:03:38what I'm showing here is that pollution

7:03:40uh you know, as we might expect, doesn't

7:03:41respect borders, right? It doesn't care

7:03:43about whether or not it's cited in in

7:03:45Mississippi or Tennessee, but it it does

7:03:48travel right concentrically out from its

7:03:50source.

7:03:53And why this is important is I've

7:03:54actually zoomed in on that same plot.

7:03:56Um, so on the left we have the same this

7:03:58is showing the estimated pollution.

7:04:00Darker red is more pollution. What I've

7:04:03shown here is different of

7:04:05>> Excuse me. Excuse me. You have so much

7:04:08wonderful valuable information that we

7:04:10need. We actually need you to come back.

7:04:12If we could put you on the agenda

7:04:14>> to come back in two weeks.

7:04:17>> Can you be here in person?

7:04:20>> Is it possible for you to be here in

7:04:21person?

7:04:22>> Yeah, I can try to make that happen. I

7:04:24was actually hoping to be there in

7:04:25person this way, but I had uh some

7:04:27travel delays. So,

7:04:29>> we'll have staff to reach out to you

7:04:32>> and if you can send us this presentation

7:04:34so that we can study it and be prepared

7:04:36when you come.

7:04:38>> Sure.

7:04:39>> All right. Thank you so much.

7:04:42All right, let's move to item number

7:04:44three. Discussion on the data center

7:04:46ordinance number 5985.

7:04:49All council districts requested by

7:04:51Spinosa. Spinosa, you're recognized.

7:04:53>> Thank you, Madam Chair. I'll withdraw

7:04:55that. I think we got 20.

7:04:56>> Great. How wonderful.

7:04:58>> Item four, discussion on data center

7:05:00ordinance 5986.

7:05:03All council dis districts requested by

7:05:06Warren.

7:05:08Are both these spinosa? Spinosa. What

7:05:10about that one?

7:05:13>> I think u on on that madam chair I think

7:05:17what we're looking at with what Allen

7:05:19has given us is the road map that we can

7:05:23legally do now. Uh, one of the things

7:05:26although Councilman Spinosa has

7:05:28withdrawn his or his particular proposal

7:05:33is there's a thing called community um

7:05:36benefit agency or something along that

7:05:38line. That's a that is a type of thing

7:05:41that potentially could be used to funnel

7:05:44funds into. Currently, it's illegal, but

7:05:48we may want to look at Councilman

7:05:50Spinosa's ordinance and try to pass

7:05:53something like that before the end of

7:05:55the year as an enabling ordinance if we

7:05:58can get the state to change the law.

7:06:01>> Point of clarification, I'm not

7:06:03withdrawing my ordinance for

7:06:04consideration. I was just saying I'll

7:06:06hold my comments for for for later.

7:06:09>> Oh, okay. I thought you were holding

7:06:10>> But I appreciate your love. Please

7:06:11continue talking about how great my

7:06:13ordinance is. And on my ordinance, I'm

7:06:16looking at my ordinance and I'll go

7:06:18ahead and hold on it, but I think that

7:06:20we've got the right answer with how he's

7:06:23taken Rhonda's ordinance and made it to

7:06:26where it's with state law and brought

7:06:28everything else in.

7:06:28>> Thank you, Councilman. Councilwoman

7:06:30Walker, you're recognized.

7:06:40>> Does she have one?

7:06:41>> Okay. I just wanted to make a Excuse

7:06:48me. Thank you. 68% is um in Shelby

7:06:52County and a portion of that is in my

7:06:53district. And I just want to go on

7:06:55record of saying that. And most people

7:06:57are not traveling, living, working,

7:07:00playing, and worshiping in that section

7:07:03of the county. But what we're

7:07:05experiencing over there with the

7:07:07traffic, the noise, the constituents,

7:07:09the parking, it is ve it is very real.

7:07:13And a lot of people have spoken to me

7:07:16about the business part, losing the

7:07:18business. And you just said a few

7:07:20minutes ago with with the applicants for

7:07:23data centers that we have in the queue,

7:07:25according to President McGawan, nothing

7:07:27is going to happen prior to next March.

7:07:30So, anything that comes from now or

7:07:34after today would even be passed next

7:07:37March. So, I just want to make that

7:07:38point. But you have these different

7:07:41sides and I wish all the sides would be

7:07:45concerned with the other sides because I

7:07:48have people are not asking me about well

7:07:50you know Councilman Walker I hear that

7:07:52the counselor rate is four times the

7:07:53national average. Is that true? Nobody's

7:07:55asking me that. Nobody's asking me about

7:07:57the noise. People are complaining about

7:07:59the health. People are complaining about

7:08:01the noise and the traffic. But people

7:08:03who are not affected personally are not

7:08:07asking me about that. And then vice

7:08:09versa. I am not anti- business. And so

7:08:13people who are concerned about the

7:08:16citizens and people who live in the

7:08:18area, they're not asking about the

7:08:21business part. I want everyone to be

7:08:23concerned and open to entertaining the

7:08:26information from all sides. Thank you.

7:08:28And I yield the floor.

7:08:31>> Thank you. Okay. Our last uh resolution

7:08:34is a resolution requesting comprehensive

7:08:37data center standards to protect Memphis

7:08:39residents, rateayers, and public

7:08:42resources. All council districts

7:08:43sponsored by Cooper Sutton request for

7:08:46same night minutes. Can I get a motion

7:08:48and a second?

7:08:52>> Second.

7:08:53>> All right. It's been moved by

7:08:54Councilwoman White, second by

7:08:56Councilwoman Logan. Councilwoman

7:08:58Cooperson, you're recognized at this

7:09:00time.

7:09:01Thank you. I was so confused. Um, the

7:09:04reason that I'm bringing this resolution

7:09:06for is because Memphis residents deserve

7:09:09a clear protection as data centers grow

7:09:12in our city. And I think that has been

7:09:14um

7:09:16said, we got a clear understanding. We

7:09:19welcome investments. Let me not get it

7:09:21wrong because we need investments. We

7:09:23welcome investments that create good

7:09:25jobs and help our neighborhoods.

7:09:28Companies should pay their fair share of

7:09:30cost, their projects

7:09:34creation. This resolution asks the city

7:09:37and the agency responsible to develop a

7:09:40clear rules and agreements that we can

7:09:42enforce. If a data center needs new

7:09:46power lines, and I think we've already

7:09:47talked about that, water connection,

7:09:49roads, or other services, the company

7:09:51should pay the cost tied to its project.

7:09:55We also need protection from costs left

7:09:57behind if a company closes or cuts back

7:10:01or run out on us like they normally do.

7:10:04Before we approve um city support or tax

7:10:08incentives, residents should know what

7:10:11the public is giving and what Memphis

7:10:14will receive and how our schools may be

7:10:17affected. Promised benefits should have

7:10:21deadlines and regular public updates.

7:10:25The resolution also calls for a fund

7:10:28where the law allows to help the

7:10:30neighborhood most affected. That could

7:10:32include utility assistance, home energy

7:10:34improvements, or scholarships. People

7:10:37living nearby deserve limited um we

7:10:40already talked about that noise

7:10:41protection from bright lights, safe

7:10:43trucks routes, and reasonable

7:10:46construction hours. I don't think that

7:10:48has been addressed. They should receive

7:10:51notice and have a chance to speak about

7:10:55proposed exceptions. Two years ago, that

7:10:58was my noise making sound about the

7:11:03input of the community was not heard.

7:11:06I've been saying that since day one and

7:11:10we proceeded on this body to do what we

7:11:12are and now we're here fighting on who

7:11:15created this, who did this, and why

7:11:18we're doing this. Backdoor talks,

7:11:20backdoor getting this done. And we have

7:11:23an urgency right now that the urgency

7:11:26was that we ignored the community. I

7:11:30live in 38109.

7:11:32Walker lives in 38116.

7:11:35I'm seven minutes from Colossians 2. Mr.

7:11:39Redwing saw me the other morning, Sunday

7:11:42morning, because I got so many calls.

7:11:44And I'm not sure if you all understand

7:11:46the impact of what's happening over

7:11:48there on two lane and homes.

7:11:51Those children,

7:11:53I saw two vehicles, two trucks

7:11:58decided that they wasn't going to stop

7:12:00at the four-way. They went on the

7:12:04oncoming traffic. There are four no

7:12:07truck stop signs that are there on two

7:12:10lane and homes right now. One truck I

7:12:13will not forget because he had the

7:12:15scripture. You know that's right down my

7:12:17alley. Acts 2 and 20. And then he asked

7:12:22me I asked him could you serve screaming

7:12:25could you just please slow down? He

7:12:27asked me what did the speed limit have

7:12:29to do with him?

7:12:31And I told him it has a lot to do with

7:12:34him.

7:12:35So this ordinance, I mean this

7:12:38resolution, I'm not trying to be

7:12:40redundant or circle everything, but I

7:12:42want it on the record.

7:12:45I have been saying this from the

7:12:47beginning. I prophesied that it would we

7:12:50we will regret this day if we didn't

7:12:52just slow down a little bit and just

7:12:54look at things and and just think things

7:12:58so clearly. But Memphis is so greedy and

7:13:00hungry for money till we didn't think

7:13:02about what we were doing. We didn't say

7:13:04we didn't want the money or didn't want

7:13:06to invest, but it's a decent and a

7:13:08proper way that you do everything. And

7:13:11then when I do the research and do the

7:13:13work, ask them, can I is there any way

7:13:16that I could bring the proposal and the

7:13:19things that I tried to go two years ago

7:13:21when Chairman Canali was the chairman? I

7:13:24was told no. And now all of a sudden,

7:13:26we're doing all this

7:13:29We got to stop being reactive on things.

7:13:34We've got to talk more. Nobody has said

7:13:37anything about Edge and the Chamber of

7:13:39Commerce.

7:13:43>> I I know Mr. White and that's and that's

7:13:45my friend and I'm not throwing him under

7:13:47the bus. I'm not throwing anybody under

7:13:49the bus. But there has to be a different

7:13:51way that we do business

7:13:53because the business that we're doing

7:13:55are not taking in great consideration of

7:13:58our local constituents that would love

7:14:00to have these jobs. Our businesses,

7:14:04black businesses, white businesses,

7:14:06green businesses, whatever, they're not

7:14:09even getting half of these jobs.

7:14:13So my thing is my resolution is I'm

7:14:17requesting in this resolution I said 45%

7:14:21but I was really being generous. I want

7:14:23100% of local hiring.

7:14:27If you're going to come to Memphis and

7:14:30you're going to do business here in

7:14:31Memphis, you need to hire the local

7:14:34people here.

7:14:36We are starving

7:14:39and that's all I'm saying. I don't care

7:14:42right now at this point. I don't care

7:14:44who brings the resolution or the

7:14:45ordinance. Right now, we have a critical

7:14:48issue and we need to move quickly

7:14:51and we don't have three months. We don't

7:14:53have a year to look at this. We need to

7:14:54move right now.

7:14:57Now, you may not like I I' I've been for

7:15:00this from the beginning. The moratorum

7:15:03council woman

7:15:04>> is probably what we need. But, however,

7:15:08we need to do something right now.

7:15:10>> Thank you. All those in favor say I.

7:15:13>> I.

7:15:14>> Any opposed. Okay. It is the opinion of

7:15:17chair that the eyes have it. Moving back

7:15:19to item number five. There was an

7:15:20ordinance amending the Memphis and

7:15:22Shelby County Unified Development Code

7:15:24as adopted by the city of Memphis on

7:15:26August 10th, 2010 and as amended to

7:15:29establish a land use and sitting

7:15:32framework for data centers and other

7:15:34resource intensive uses within the city

7:15:36of Memphis, all council districts. It

7:15:38was sponsored by Loger, Logan, Cooper,

7:15:41Sutton, Swaren, Washington, Easter

7:15:42Thomas, Walker, and Warren. Can I get a

7:15:44motion in a second?

7:15:46>> Second.

7:15:47>> Move.

7:15:47>> Move. I'm

7:15:48>> moved by Canali. Second by Councilwoman

7:15:49Cooper Sutton. Councilwoman Logan. You

7:15:51are briefly recognized. Thank you,

7:15:54chair. Um, this is just to bring us back

7:15:56to um the main thing being the main

7:15:58thing, which is land use. As I said

7:16:00earlier, if you if we had had the proper

7:16:03uh zoning in place, they would not have

7:16:05been able to go to where industrial was,

7:16:08wherever it was, and purchase that

7:16:10property and build that building and

7:16:12open up. So, I think it's urgent that we

7:16:14um do whatever we need to do to support

7:16:17DPD in getting this zoning, getting our

7:16:19zoning downgraded. Look at all of the

7:16:22places where we have industrial, look at

7:16:24how we're going to uh uh deal with the

7:16:26hyper centers, uh even before we process

7:16:30the entire UDC change, we need to pause

7:16:33on the change and get to this part, redo

7:16:36all of the or look at all of the

7:16:38industrial and create a space for this.

7:16:41All of that is on you. Um the only thing

7:16:44we we can't govern the electricity and

7:16:47the the pollution, all that. Those are

7:16:49already regulated by other entities,

7:16:51state and local. But what we do have the

7:16:54what we what we do own is the right to

7:16:57determine where they can go. And if we

7:17:00do that, everything else will somewhat

7:17:02be addressed. Um and I think that is of

7:17:05the utmost important at this moment. And

7:17:07that's what this um that's what this

7:17:10ordinance gets to the heart of. All

7:17:13those in favor say I.

7:17:15>> Any opposed?

7:17:18>> All right.

7:17:20>> It is an opinion of the chair that the

7:17:22eyes have it. Now we that brings us to

7:17:24our add-on items. Starting with item

7:17:26number 24, a resolution calling for the

7:17:29removal of ICE and National Guard as

7:17:31part of the Memphis Safe Task Force from

7:17:33the city of Memphis All Council District

7:17:35sponsored by Easter Thomas and Cooper

7:17:37Sutton. Item number 25 is a resolution

7:17:40to transfer and appropriate $150,000

7:17:44in FY2027

7:17:46funding for the Safeways initiative from

7:17:48city finance grants and initiative to

7:17:52the Memphis Police Department for the

7:17:53continuation of the initiative related

7:17:56to crime prevention and suppression and

7:17:58apartment complexes. All council

7:18:01districts sponsored by administration.

7:18:02There is a request for same night

7:18:04minutes. Item number 26 is a resolution

7:18:07to accept and appropriate 1,453,600

7:18:14for Memphis Police Department inservice

7:18:16training for commission officers in the

7:18:19fiscal year 2027 operating budget all

7:18:22council district sponsored by

7:18:24administration with same night minutes.

7:18:26Item number 27 is a board of ethics

7:18:29appointment of Myrtle Winfield. There is

7:18:31a request for same night minutes. Item

7:18:34number 28 is a board of ethics chair

7:18:38appointment of retired judge Lois

7:18:41Lambert Ryan. There is a request for

7:18:44same night minutes. Item number 29 is a

7:18:48resolution amending the FY27

7:18:52CIP budget by accepting additional

7:18:55federal grant funding from the Tennessee

7:18:57Department of Transportation T DOT and

7:18:59appropriating $129,2205

7:19:05to initiate construction on the

7:19:07Rangeline Sidewalk Enhancement Project

7:19:10EN01064

7:19:13District 7 Super District 8 sponsored by

7:19:16the administration. There's a request

7:19:18for same night minutes. Item number 30

7:19:20is a resolution approving nominal

7:19:23conveyance of 2628 Summer Avenue, parcel

7:19:27number 038065

7:19:31019 to Broad Avenue Community and

7:19:34Economic Development Corporation for

7:19:36Social Services Community Programming

7:19:39District 5, Super District 9 sponsored

7:19:42by the administration. There's a request

7:19:44for same night minutes. And item number

7:19:4631 is a resolution requesting

7:19:49comprehensive data center standards to

7:19:52protect Memphis residents, rateayers,

7:19:55and public services. All council

7:19:57districts sponsored by Cooper Sutton.

7:20:00There's a request for same night

7:20:02minutes. The same night minute items are

7:20:0626

7:20:0824 25 26 27 28 29 30 and 31

7:20:18>> I'd like to move this.

7:20:26>> Okay. There's a request for saying I

7:20:28minutes for an ordinance to adopt zoning

7:20:29amendments to the unified development

7:20:32code relative to data centers. Can I get

7:20:35a motion?

7:20:38>> Okay.

7:20:39>> Allan's

7:20:42motion.

7:20:45>> It's

7:20:49no forces a vote.

7:20:51>> Yes, sir.

7:20:52>> All right.

7:20:53>> I mean, obj.

7:20:55>> Yeah. Let's get let's get let's get it

7:20:57let's let's do this right.

7:20:58>> I might be cool. So two objections goes

7:21:01to a vote. Two objections go to the

7:21:02next.

7:21:03>> So our our rules stipulate that

7:21:05something can't go down for same nine

7:21:07minutes if there are two objections.

7:21:08However, what it really does is force

7:21:10the maker of the motion who would like

7:21:11for it to go down to have a vote and

7:21:13seven votes rules the day. So or rather

7:21:15a simple majority rather.

7:21:18>> Yes. So again I would just say I think I

7:21:22think it's been this body's practice.

7:21:23Let's let's not go through this. Yeah.

7:21:25Let's not go through this raid. Let's

7:21:26get it on down. All right, cool. Um, we

7:21:29need a sponsor for this uh ordinance.

7:21:31But

7:21:32have we even moved this to the floor?

7:21:34You guys, you two guys moved it.

7:21:35>> Okay, got it. I just want to make sure

7:21:36we're good. So, you guys have it.

7:21:38>> May I speak to this very quickly? You

7:21:39may.

7:21:40>> Thank you, ma'am. All right. I'm going

7:21:41to try and take less than four or five

7:21:42minutes, like at best.

7:21:46>> I've sat on this body for seven years,

7:21:48and I've seen a lot of things that I've

7:21:49never got thought I would see, good,

7:21:50bad, and everything in between. One of

7:21:53the things that I think I've learned

7:21:55more than anything when it comes to

7:21:56politics in general and and in this body

7:21:59and and just here, I'll just speak to

7:22:00here is

7:22:02we get so in the weeds sometimes on what

7:22:04we're like in in the heat of things that

7:22:06we forget the outcomes that we're

7:22:07driving for

7:22:10and it's like what is the outcome we're

7:22:11driving for? I was asking Jeff earlier

7:22:13today like what is the outcome you're

7:22:14driving for? And he started talking

7:22:16about the you know the minimal things

7:22:17the minimal things. No, no, no. What is

7:22:18the outcome you're driving for? Right.

7:22:19Well, I want this more to tour. I want

7:22:21to stop. Okay, that's one that's that's

7:22:22part of it. Like the outcome is

7:22:26I want data centers to be able to

7:22:27provide economic impact while protecting

7:22:30the environmental and health of the

7:22:32people down there, right? That is the

7:22:34outcome we're driving for. All right.

7:22:36So, how do we get there in the cleanest

7:22:38way possible?

7:22:40Like we know today, like let's get all

7:22:42the fanfare out the way. We know today

7:22:44that no one is applying to put a data

7:22:46center in here today.

7:22:48We know that this body's primary

7:22:50authorities are what? Zoning police

7:22:52powers and appropriations. It's

7:22:54stipulated explicitly in the charter.

7:22:56Yes, we make ordinances for $50 a day

7:22:59and to try and go sue the administration

7:23:01when they don't enforce them. My point

7:23:03to you guys is like everybody did the

7:23:05work. Like we did what we're supposed to

7:23:06do. It looks messy, but I remember

7:23:08Antonio Scalia said it's supposed to be

7:23:09messy. You guys all brought ordinances.

7:23:11You argued your positions. you went to

7:23:13your general counsel and he's trying to

7:23:15tell you this is the way to go forward

7:23:17in a clean way. Like I think this is the

7:23:19best way possible. Now, we need to

7:23:20decide that, but like we don't need to

7:23:21go down and talk about five individual

7:23:22ordinances. Like that's wild. We can do

7:23:25better than that because I think we all

7:23:26want the same outcome. We're all just

7:23:28trying to figure out how to get there.

7:23:30Like I've said this behind the scenes, I

7:23:32said it to Dam like if you need somebody

7:23:33to stand up and say that Southwest

7:23:34Memphis has been screwed over for the

7:23:36last 60 or 70 years, it's the truth.

7:23:37Like Javier Bailey sat here earlier and

7:23:39told you how we got there from an

7:23:40academic standpoint and we can talk

7:23:42about all the all the things that went

7:23:44in systemically but it is an industrial

7:23:46zone. Valero is not going anywhere. The

7:23:48airport is not going anywhere. Those

7:23:49users are not going anywhere. So yes, we

7:23:51need to find a way to remediate or or

7:23:54some sort of net zero fund to help that

7:23:57impact on those residents that are there

7:23:58because like if we said today like today

7:24:01that we were going to remediate 100% of

7:24:02the environmental impact it would take I

7:24:04don't know four decades, five decades.

7:24:06So, how many generations of people are

7:24:08going to have to live through that? And

7:24:09you say, "Well, I don't want to live

7:24:10through that. I want my kids to. I I'll

7:24:12live through it as a parent, but my kids

7:24:13can't." The first thing you'd say is,

7:24:14"Well, let's get them out of here." And

7:24:16then everybody gets really upset because

7:24:17it's like the white guy's like, "Oh, I

7:24:18don't want to move anybody." That's not

7:24:20what I'm saying. I'm saying that in an

7:24:23outcome, you're trying to get a

7:24:24healthier neighborhood and healthier

7:24:25opportunity. And I think one way or

7:24:28another through zoning, putting the

7:24:31special use permit in, you've put the

7:24:32brakes. As Allen has said, we did this

7:24:34through the pipelines. Like, we've done

7:24:35this before. like our short-term memory

7:24:37kills me. I'm coming up on my time here.

7:24:40Like we've done it with gas stations.

7:24:41It's just the state law has changed. So

7:24:43like we know that the zoning text

7:24:44amendment is the way to go forward. I I

7:24:46do want to hear a little bit more about

7:24:47like what you think you guys want out of

7:24:48this community participation as far as

7:24:50it relates to the zoning side, but I

7:24:52don't get it because your participation

7:25:26this thing home back to outcomes is like

7:25:28I recognize what is going down in that

7:25:30neighborhood. I don't live it. I don't

7:25:32see it, but I empathize with it. Like

7:25:33I'm not blind to it. I I come in here

7:25:35every day in good faith to try and work

7:25:36to solutions once I hear like Allan what

7:25:38everybody wants. as long as it's in good

7:25:40faith. I do think I do think for the

7:25:44first time in maybe three or four

7:25:46generations,

7:25:47there is a group of people that has an

7:25:49opportunity to change the outcome and

7:25:51trajectory permanently, but it has to be

7:25:55handled appropriately. And we have to

7:25:57start and come to the table and say like

7:25:58this is it like enough nonsense. Like

7:26:00we're serious about what we're doing.

7:26:01And I think we are. I think we're coming

7:26:02to that point. And so I just say that to

7:26:04say like I want to say it in this room

7:26:05before we go downstairs because it gets

7:26:07supercharged down there both for members

7:26:09and for the public. And I know this body

7:26:12wants to hear from people at the

7:26:13microphone and what they want to say but

7:26:15like at the end of the day like we have

7:26:16a job to do. And that job is only for

7:26:20the 13 of us. And most of the time the

7:26:22public doesn't understand the nuance

7:26:23that goes into it. And that's no

7:26:24disrespect to them. It's like anybody

7:26:25else's job. Like I don't walk into the

7:26:27Grizzlies and tell them how to start the

7:26:28starting lineup because I don't have a

7:26:29clue what's going on in practice.

7:26:32So what I'm asking of this body is by

7:26:34the time we get downstairs, we need to

7:26:36have one consensus or close to one or

7:26:40two to talk about. They need to be

7:26:42efficient and I think the outcome is to

7:26:44hold hold some sort of near-term

7:26:46regulatory

7:26:48while we figure out what the long-term

7:26:50impacts in all these studies are. I

7:26:51think that's accomplished by Allen. I'm

7:26:52happy to have the debate, but like let's

7:26:54stay focused on the outcomes we're going

7:26:55for, not the wins and losses of the

7:26:58politics and who gets what, right? And I

7:27:00think I think that'll be the best thing

7:27:01for us because I know it's going to get

7:27:03pretty hot down there. Period. So I just

7:27:06say that with respect and I yield the

7:27:08floor.

7:27:12>> Did we vote on Allen's ordinance to go

7:27:16downstairs tonight?

7:27:18>> Yes, we did.

7:27:19>> Okay. No objection. Okay. Good. Thank

7:27:21you.

7:27:21>> Quick question, Madam Chair.

7:27:23>> Quick question.

7:27:24>> Okay. in light of what uh council car

7:27:27just said and Allan, we had discussed it

7:27:29briefly,

7:27:31but um like with my ordinance, for

7:27:33example, not being selfish, I would be

7:27:36more than happy to add and remove things

7:27:38that I've put in there and add all of

7:27:40these things. It's on third reading.

7:27:42What's stopping us from doing that today

7:27:44to get to the to get to the consensus

7:27:47quicker?

7:27:51Okay.

7:27:55Well, it wasn't a question. It was

7:27:57something that Councilman Carlile had

7:27:59mentioned before and I thought that's

7:28:00where he was going now. And I guess this

7:28:03is a point of order or question to the

7:28:05chair or either question to council. Is

7:28:08it possible for us to schedule a and and

7:28:11I say this respectfully is it possible

7:28:13for us to schedule a working session to

7:28:17go through these because whatever we

7:28:20decide whether it's a moratorum a study

7:28:22these things are going to require work

7:28:24and I also believe that we're missing

7:28:26the aspect of it's possibly going to

7:28:28require a fiscal note if we're going to

7:28:30have to convene experts and studies and

7:28:32all of these other things and so what I

7:28:35would like for us to do if this is

7:28:37possible

7:28:38for us to pull all the resol

7:28:48over there by John P. Freeman. We see

7:28:51the trucks. We see that it's near a

7:28:54residential area. We see that we need to

7:28:56act and we need to act quickly. That is

7:28:59I don't think anybody on this body

7:29:01disputes that. What we have right now

7:29:04though are a lot of different

7:29:05ordinances. And I'll tell you, I'm a

7:29:07lawyer and I read all day and I've read

7:29:09through the ones that I can haven't read

7:29:11through this newest one. But trying to

7:29:14reconcile them all is something we need

7:29:16to to take time to do. And I think that

7:29:19that's a good sign to say we're willing

7:29:21to do the work right now so that we can

7:29:24have a good meaningful resolution

7:29:28ordinance going forward and show the

7:29:30people that we're willing to do the work

7:29:32to get us out of this hole that we've

7:29:34gotten ourselves in.

7:29:35>> That sounds good.

7:29:37>> So what would that look like if we did

7:29:39that? Attorney Allen,

7:29:40>> you have to

7:29:43>> you have to have a gatekeeper

7:29:45until you reconcile. So I don't think

7:29:48you are procluded from studying and

7:29:51reconciling and doing what you want. But

7:29:53you got to have something in place when

7:29:56these things start rolling up and you

7:29:58got to stop them and make sure they they

7:30:00dot all the eyes and cross all the tees

7:30:03and this thing talks about no

7:30:05detrimental effect to neighboring pro. I

7:30:07mean it it gives you a lot of power to

7:30:10right now you don't know what's

7:30:12happening. So all of it has to go

7:30:14through you if you go ahead and get

7:30:15something in place and then

7:30:16>> No, no, that's what I'm saying. So I'm

7:30:18fine with this going down same night

7:30:19minutes. What I'm asking from the chair

7:30:21is it's just like we do budget and I

7:30:23don't mean like two weeks. I'm saying

7:30:25like can we get everybody's schedule

7:30:26like tomorrow or Thursday or Friday and

7:30:29I'm willing to literally fix my schedule

7:30:32to do this

7:30:34>> if the chair will oblige and people will

7:30:37commit to it. I'm willing to come here

7:30:38and do the work.

7:30:39>> That sounds good. I'm happy to to host a

7:30:42planning and zoning or whatever. I'll be

7:30:44there.

7:30:46>> Let's do it.

7:30:47>> I mean, let's we'll come out with an

7:30:50agenda between now and the time we get

7:30:51downstairs. I think that's a great idea.

7:30:54>> All right. Before we move forward,

7:30:56>> today is

7:31:00>> Trudy Pope day because Trudy has been

7:31:03with us for 42 years.

7:31:20Come on down, Trudy.

7:31:28>> Where is she? She hiding.

7:31:31>> Miss Trudy is the heart of our office.

7:31:36She keeps all of us straight.

7:31:39You're right, Council McNal. She's the

7:31:40glue of the office. I don't know what we

7:31:43would do without you. We appreciate you

7:31:45so much.

7:31:52>> We want to give you your flowers to you.

7:31:54And we also have a special gift. I think

7:31:57Gia trying to take your gift.

7:32:03>> Thank you.

7:32:04>> We love you. We want to show you. We

7:32:06appreciate you. Don't put that card

7:32:08down.

7:32:11>> All right. Now, don't spin it all in one

7:32:14place now.

7:32:17>> All right. That's it.

7:32:20Meeting a journ.