2026-10-20 - Memphis City Council

31:34You want me to tell them?

38:00All right.

38:03Our meeting is now being called to

38:05order.

38:07If you would please if you would please

38:10stand for the prayer.

38:19Our prayer this evening we will be led

38:21by Reverend Dr. Robert Howard Washington

38:23who is the pastor of Pillow Street CME

38:26Church.

38:28>> Let us bow our heads. Let us pray.

38:31Almighty God, as we come before you on

38:34behalf of the citizens and behalf of

38:36Memphis City Council on today,

38:39we ask that you have set these leaders

38:41in this hour, in this moment, in this

38:44time. We ask that you give them the

38:47wisdom that they need beyond their own.

38:50Grant them the courage to do what is

38:52right.

38:54bless us to have a decision making

38:57process

38:59for the citizens, for the people

39:02in the great Memphis city.

39:05Give us strength for our neighbors.

39:09Bring us peace and yes, harmony in this

39:14place. Let it permeate from every heart

39:17to heart and every mind on today. And

39:22yes, Lord, we'll be careful to give you

39:23the honor today. And yes, Lord, we'll be

39:26careful to give you the praise. Somebody

39:29shout in Jesus name. Shout one more

39:32time. In Jesus name. And in the name

39:35that you believe in God. Amen. And amen.

39:41>> Please remain standing for the pledge of

39:43allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the

39:46flag of the United States of America and

39:49to the republic for which it stands. One

39:52nation under God, indivisible, with

39:55liberty and justice for all.

40:03>> Thank you so much for that beautiful

40:05prayer.

40:10>> Thank you.

40:14Madame Controller, if you will please

40:16call the role.

40:17>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Council member

40:19Canali

40:21>> Carile,

40:22>> present.

40:23>> Cooper Sutton,

40:25Easter Thomas,

40:27>> present.

40:28>> Ford,

40:29>> Green,

40:30>> present.

40:31>> Logan,

40:32>> Spinosa,

40:33>> here.

40:34>> Smiley

40:37Walker

40:39>> Warren

40:40>> White

40:42Chairwoman Swearington Washington

40:44>> present.

40:44>> Madam Chair, you have a quorum.

40:46>> Thank you. Vice Chair, I think you have

40:50approved or you have seen the minutes.

40:52>> Thank you, Madam Chair. I've read the

40:53minutes and they seem to be in order and

40:55approve the the October or move that the

40:57October 6, 2026 meeting minutes be

40:59approved.

41:00>> It has been moved by Vice Chair Carile.

41:02Second by Councilman Spinosa. Madame

41:05Controller, if you will please prepare

41:06the screen for the approval of the

41:08October 6, 2026 meeting.

41:24Canali, yes. Carile, yes. Easter,

41:27Thomas, yes. Ford, yes. Green, yes.

41:32Logan, yes. Spinosa, yes. Walker, yes.

41:36Warren, yes. Chairwoman Swearington

41:39Washington. Yes,

41:41>> that item passes. We will begin with our

41:44presentations. Our first presentation is

41:47a resolution recognizing October as

41:50breast cancer awareness month. This

41:52resolution this resolution is sponsored

41:55by the Memphis City Council. Dr. Warren,

41:58you are recognized at this time.

42:00>> Thank you, Madam Chair.

42:04In 1985,

42:06the American Cancer Society was

42:09instrumental in starting the event that

42:11would become National Breast Cancer

42:14Awareness Month observed in October now

42:17for more than four decades. And whereas

42:21apart from skin cancers, breast cancer

42:24is the most common form of cancer among

42:26women in the United States. The American

42:29Cancer Society estimates that nearly

42:32322,000

42:34women will receive a breast cancer

42:36diagnosis in 2026.

42:39The statistics translate to show that a

42:42woman has a 1 in8 chance of developing

42:44breast cancer in her lifetime. And

42:47whereas from 1989

42:50through 2023, the rate of breast cancer

42:53deaths in the United States saw an

42:57overall decline of 44%.

43:00This is attributed to the early

43:02detection through screening and the

43:04development of a more effective

43:06treatments. And whereas the American

43:08Cancer Society has been instrumental in

43:11both raising awareness of breast cancer

43:14and the importance of early detection

43:16and in funding research to develop

43:18improved treatments. In 2025, the ACS

43:22funded more than $82 million in grants

43:25for breast cancer research. And whereas

43:28each year the ACS holds the Making

43:31Strides Against Breast Cancer

43:32fundraising walk, which since 1983 has

43:36grown into the nation's largest breast

43:38cancer movement with events taking place

43:41in communities nationwide, that event

43:43was just held in Memphis this past

43:44Saturday on October 17, 2026. Now

43:48therefore, be it resolved that the

43:50Memphis City Council stands in

43:52solidarity with those battling breast

43:54cancer and those at risk for breast

43:56cancer and designates the month of

43:59October 26 as breast cancer awareness

44:01month in the city of Memphis and that

44:03all citizens are encouraged to

44:05understand the importance of breast

44:07cancer screening for early detection and

44:10to support the American Cancer Society

44:12and his goal to end breast cancer.

44:14adopted this day, this Memphis City

44:17Council. All members. Thank you, Madam

44:20Chair.

44:21>> And do we have anyone from the American

44:23Cancer Society here?

44:28>> I love your pink tie. Good to see you.

44:30You have the mic, sir.

44:34>> Hello, everyone. Uh, I'm Erskin

44:35Gillespie. I'm a senior manager of

44:37events for the American Cancer Society

44:39and I'm just excited to be here and

44:42excited to have this month recognized

44:45because as you know we talked about

44:47women contracting breast cancer but

44:49there's another thing that we don't talk

44:50about but there are men that are out

44:52there suffering with breast cancer as

44:53well. So it's all about creating that

44:55awareness and that support in our

44:57community. So don't just think about it

45:00that it's only affecting women. Yes, it

45:02does affect women disproportionately,

45:04but there are also men that are impacted

45:06by this deadly disease and thankful for

45:08the work that we're able to do with the

45:10American Cancer Society for over a

45:11hundred years. It's making a difference

45:14in the community. So, thank you again

45:15for this resolution,

45:16>> Councilwoman Easter Thomas.

45:20>> Thank you, Chairwoman. And thank you,

45:22Councilman Dr. Jeff Warren, for bringing

45:25this honorary resolution as well. Um,

45:28Madame Chair, I would also like to

45:30recognize the efforts in my district

45:33of the time is now Douglas Redevelopment

45:35Corporation. Since 2022, this group has

45:39worked to support cancer awareness and

45:41education in divevested disinvested

45:44communities where we still see a high

45:46number of new cancer diagnoses that

45:49early detection screening and healthier

45:51food choices can easily prevent. Among

45:54their efforts have been installing a

45:56community garden in Douglas to provide

45:59access to healthier foods and educate

46:01citizens on making better food choices.

46:04They recently held their second annual

46:07Paint the Garden Pink brunch for breast

46:09cancer survivors and their families.

46:12Their executive director, Kathy Yansy

46:14Temple, is here today. And if so

46:17allowed, I'd like to ask that she stand

46:20and be recognized.

46:30Thank you, chair.

46:37I'd like to uh first thank my city

46:39council woman Michael and Thomas uh for

46:43recognizing that the work we do in

46:44Douglas and I also want to thank

46:46American Cancer Society for providing

46:48the resources to become a American

46:50Cancer Society health uh ambassador to

46:54fight cancer and bring cancer awareness

46:57to disinvested communities like Douglas

47:00in North Memphis. I also want to say

47:03that this is perfect timing uh with this

47:06ask for data center memorial

47:09moratorum because we do see high numbers

47:12of cancer in poor black and brown

47:15communities that are surrounded by

47:17industry especially in Douglas. We don't

47:21hear a lot about North Memphis when it

47:23comes to data centers. But I heard in

47:25committee two weeks ago that Douglas is

47:28the only community that is zoned

47:30industrial. We are surrounded by

47:33railroad tracks and chemical companies.

47:36So please take that in consideration

47:38when you're voting about adding more

47:40industry to Douglas and an all and to

47:43Memphis and already polluted city that

47:46is great and known for its agriculture

47:49and its farming. So thank you again

47:52American Cancer Society. Michael and

47:55Thomas and the council for your support.

47:57>> Thank you so much. Councilman Smiley.

48:13>> Thank you. Council Smiley, you're

48:15recognized.

48:16>> Yes. I want to take a point of personal

48:17privilege to recognize Chancellor Lonnie

48:20Thompson who's in the back. wave at the

48:22newly elected chancellor and also

48:25recognize um Mayor Chaz Motor who is

48:27here made his way down to spend some

48:29time with the folks in Memphis.

48:32Thank you, Madam Chair.

48:34Thank you. Welcome. Welcome to Memphis.

48:37We will now have our resolution honoring

48:39clergy appreciation month. This

48:41resolution is sponsored by the Memphis

48:42City Council, led under the leadership

48:45of Councilwoman Logan.

48:53This is Kate.

48:58Councilwoman Logan, you're recognized.

49:00>> Thank you, Chair.

49:03Not only is October breast cancer

49:06awareness month, it is also domestic

49:09violence um month and clergy

49:12appreciation month. And I would not dare

49:14allow us to um not take this

49:17opportunity. and highlight, spotlight,

49:20honor those in our communities and our

49:22neighborhoods that have always uh led

49:25the way for our communities as it

49:27relates to our faith-based initiative.

49:30So, I would like to read this into

49:32record so it would be on record.

49:34Whereas, the Memphis City Council deems

49:36it fitting to recognize and celebrate

49:38the men and women who enhance the lives

49:40of people through faith-based worship in

49:43the city of Memphis and communities

49:44throughout the United States. And

49:46whereas clergy appreciation month is a

49:48dedicated time to honor pastors,

49:50priests, ministers, and spiritual

49:52leaders observed in the month of October

49:54with pastors appreciation day being

49:57celebrated and held on the second Sunday

49:59in October. And whereas clergy

50:01appreciation month is also a dedicated

50:03time to write sentiments,

50:06give gifts, host reception, volunteer to

50:10ease the load of the spiritual leader.

50:12And whereas the Memphis City Council

50:14proudly joins communities across the

50:16country in celebrating clergy

50:18appreciation month in recognizing the

50:19many men and women whose contributions

50:21and spiritual leadership continue to

50:23strengthen our neighborhood, support our

50:25economy, and help shape the future of

50:27our city. Now, therefore, be it resolved

50:29that the Memphis City Council hereby

50:31recognizes the month of October as

50:33clergy appreciation month and honors the

50:35sacrifices, spiritual leadership,

50:37guidance, and contributions to the city

50:39of Memphis and the United States. given

50:41by Memphis City Council under the great

50:44seal of the city of Memphis this 20th

50:46day of October. And if there are any

50:49clergy in the audience, please stand.

50:51We'd like to salute you and thank you

50:53for being here and your contributions to

50:56the city and the citizens. Thank you.

50:59Thank you.

51:01>> Thank you, madam council. Please share

51:02that item passed by acclamation. And

51:04would you please call item number three?

51:07Item number three is a resolution

51:10honoring Lesie Smith for her

51:12distinguished leadership as an integral

51:15city of Memphis public executive and her

51:18contributions to equitable neighborhood

51:21revitalization

51:23nationwide. This resolution is sponsored

51:25by Councilman Smiley and Chairwoman

51:28Swaringen Washington.

51:30>> Miss Smith is a little shy. She didn't

51:32want to come stand beside us.

51:35We are so excited to be able to present

51:37this resolution

51:39for the growth, equity, and stability of

51:42the city of Memphis. You we have been

51:45strengthened by your dedicated public

51:48administrator and civic leader who

51:50serves as a vital pillar in the

51:53municipal government, transforming urban

51:56policy into measurable progress for

51:59Memphis neighborhoods. Leslie Smith is

52:02one such leader and deserving of this

52:04recognition. You have built an exemplary

52:07career defined by your public service,

52:10your executive leadership, and your

52:12community centered innovation serving as

52:15an integral leader within the municipal

52:18governance structure of the city of

52:19Memphis. As the founding executive

52:22member of the Blight Authority of

52:23Memphis, you established an official

52:26municipal entity and an agency of the

52:29city of Memphis. You directed key

52:31components of municipal property

52:34disposition and neighborhood recovery,

52:37successfully building it into the

52:39functionally public land bank. Whereas

52:42your leadership, the Blight Authority of

52:44Memphis launched Tennessee's historic

52:47first ever land deposit program

52:51empowering municip municipal

52:53administration to clear titles,

52:56eradicate urban blight, and return long

53:00abandon tax delinquent parcels to

53:03proactive use of affordable housing and

53:06community assets.

53:09Whereas you further reinforce um her

53:12deep municipal ties through impactful

53:14leadership at building Memphis, directly

53:16collaborate with the city administration

53:17and community partners to shape the

53:19Memphis 3.0 comprehensive plan and

53:21advocate for the establishment of

53:22sustainable funding of the Memphis

53:24affordable housing trust fund. Whereas

53:26Leslie Smith has taken the Memphis has

53:28taken this Memphis Forest Municipal

53:30Executive Excellence to the national

53:32stage as the executive director of the

53:34Omaha Municipal Land Bank, establishing

53:36landmark policies in resident first

53:38disposition and language access that are

53:41cited as national best practices by the

53:44Center for Community Progress in the

53:45land bank's playbook. And whereas on the

53:48occasion of Miss Smith's return to the

53:50big city of Memphis for the Cities

53:52United 2026 annual convening, the

53:55Memphis City Council proudly welcomes

53:58her home, one of our city's government's

54:00most impactful alumni and leaders,

54:03celebrating her enduring public service

54:05legacy in Memphis. Now therefore be it

54:07resolved that the Memphis City Council

54:09hereby recognizes and extends its

54:11gratitude to Miss Leslie Smith for her

54:14distinguished leadership as a integral

54:16executive within the city government her

54:18transformational stewardship and with

54:20blight authority of Memphis and her

54:22lasting contributions to the

54:23revitalization of the city we call home

54:25Memphis. given under my hand, Memphis

54:28City Council and the hand of Chairwoman

54:30Jenna Sergeon Washington. And when you

54:32come back home, we don't allow you to

54:35leave empty-handed. So, first we're

54:37going to give you this and then we're

54:39going to allow Dr. Jeff Warren to give

54:41you a special presentation.

54:43Thank you,

54:45colleagues, fellow Meyians. This year,

54:48for the first time in my tenure on

54:49council, each of the council members was

54:52given one key to the city to award to

54:54observing a deserving citizen of their

54:56choice. Originating in medieval days of

54:59walled and gated cities, conferring a

55:01key to the city now represents the

55:03freedom of the recipient recipient to

55:05enter and leave as a trusted ally of the

55:09city. I certainly think that this

55:11designation applies to Miss Smith and

55:13we're glad she's chosen to visit us

55:15again. As a token of the respect for her

55:18contribution to our modern urban

55:20environment, I'm proud to present her

55:22the key to the city.

55:30>> Congratulations.

55:36>> Well, this was a surprise.

55:38Thank you so much, Chair um JP Warren,

55:42council members. Um I owe so much of my

55:45career to Memphis. I've always shared

55:48Memphis groomed and I own it with pride.

55:51Much of my career is attributed to many

55:54of the public servants,

55:57community leaders like yourself, and the

55:59residents. Um so I I appreciate this. I

56:03feel truly gratitude. Thank you. We got

56:07to get you back.

56:09>> Say that again.

56:13>> Thank you, madam controllers. This item

56:15passed by acclamation.

56:17Madam controller, would you please call

56:18item number four?

56:21>> Item number four is a resolution

56:23honoring and recognizing Lieutenant

56:26Marvin Wiggins for his dedication to

56:29public service and community leadership.

56:32This resolution is sponsored by

56:34Chairwoman Swearing Washington.

56:44Is it on? It is an honor to be able to

56:47give Lieutenant Wiggins this honor

56:49because not only are you offering

56:51community service for your job, but what

56:55you do on your off time for the citizens

56:57of Memphis and Shelby County, it is just

56:59commendable and greatly appreciated and

57:03the council wanted to honor you. The

57:06Memphis City Council takes great pride

57:09in recognizing individual whose

57:11dedication to public service and

57:13community leadership has made a lasting

57:16impact on the lives of others. Marvin

57:19Wiggins is a dedicated public servant

57:22and community leader who has devoted

57:24over 15 years to law enforcement,

57:28serving and protecting others with

57:30demonstrating unwavering commitment to

57:33the people of Memphis and Shelby County.

57:35His spirit and service extends far

57:37beyond the badge. Through neighborhoods,

57:40cleanups, food drives, clothing

57:42distributions, and youth initiatives,

57:45Mr. Wiggins has consistently answered

57:48the call to serve those in need. Your

57:51commitment in strengthening families and

57:54communities is further demonstrated

57:56through your service to the boards of

57:58the Christopher A. Hugh second center

58:01and university city face CDC along with

58:04your volunteer work with freedom from

58:06unnecessary negative and legacy of

58:10legend CDC as president of the Berry

58:13Hill Farm homeowners association

58:16representing more than 1,000 homes. Mr.

58:19Wiggins has championed neighborhood

58:21safety, beautifification, and community

58:24engagement. Through your leadership, you

58:27helped secure grant funding for

58:29neighborhood security cameras, making a

58:32safer neighborhood. You have guided by

58:35your personal motto, be the change. Mr.

58:38Wiggins has demonstrated that true

58:40leadership is not defined by a title,

58:43but by the willingness to show up, to

58:46lend a helping hand, and leave every

58:49community stronger than you found it.

58:52Mr. Wiggins exemplifies the very best of

58:55servant leadership, inspiring others

58:58through your compassion, your

59:00dedication, your unwavering commitment

59:02to making Memphis a better place for

59:05all. Now, therefore, be it resolved that

59:08the Memphis City Council hereby honors

59:10and commends Marvin Wiggins for his

59:14outstanding public service, exemplary

59:17community leadership, and continued

59:20dedication to improving the lives of

59:23citizens throughout Memphis and Shelby

59:26County. Be it further resolved that the

59:28Memphis City Council extends our sincere

59:32appreciation to Mr. Marvin Wiggins for

59:35your many contributions and we present

59:39this resolution as a lasting expression

59:42of gratitude for your service, your

59:46leadership and your commitment to be the

59:49change. Given by my hand under the great

59:52seal of the city of Memphis this 20th

59:54day of October, Janice Swaren

59:56Washington, chairwoman of the Memphis

59:58City Council and the entire council,

1:00:01we're so proud of you.

1:00:06Oh, yes.

1:00:09>> Well, good evening. Thank you again, uh,

1:00:11Chairwoman Swearen Washington and the

1:00:13other esteemed members of the Memphis

1:00:15City Council. I am truly appreciative

1:00:18and honored to receive this recognition

1:00:21for the work that I do in the city I

1:00:24love the most, and that's Memphis. And

1:00:26as a law enforcement leader, I

1:00:28understand the uh the importance of

1:00:31investing in our communities, especially

1:00:34uh with our youth. And I really

1:00:37appreciate it. Again, thank you so much.

1:00:39Uh I could talk all day, but I won't. I

1:00:41know y'all got business to take care of.

1:00:43And uh God bless you all and God bless

1:00:46the city of Memphis.

1:00:48>> Thank you.

1:00:50>> Thank you, Council. Please hear this

1:00:51passion.

1:00:54Moving on to our planning development

1:00:55items 5 through eight with the notation

1:00:57that items six and seven will have same

1:00:59night minutes. Madam controller, please

1:01:00call item number five. Item number five

1:01:03is a resolution pursuant to chapter 9.6

1:01:06of the Memphis and Shelby County Unified

1:01:09Development Code approving a special use

1:01:12permit at the subject property located

1:01:15at 1288 Sycamore View Road. This

1:01:19resolution is sponsored by the Division

1:01:21of Planning and Development. The case

1:01:23number is SUP26-20.

1:01:26>> Thank you. Councilman Fosi, you're

1:01:27recognized.

1:01:28>> Uh, thank you, Mr. Chairman. Committee

1:01:30met recommends approval and I so move.

1:01:32And if any council member wants any

1:01:33information, DPD is here. But we got

1:01:35everything in committee

1:01:38>> members. Seeing none, this has been

1:01:41moved by probably moved by council,

1:01:43seconded by Warren. Madam Control, if

1:01:45you please call the screen.

1:01:56Canali, yes. Carlile, yes. Easter,

1:01:59Thomas, yes. Ford, yes. Green, yes.

1:02:02Logan, yes. Smiley, yes. Spinosa, yes.

1:02:06Walker, yes. Warren, yes. White, yes.

1:02:10Chairwoman Swearing and Washington, yes.

1:02:16That item passes.

1:02:18Madame Controller, if you will please

1:02:20call item number seven.

1:02:24Item number six.

1:02:29Item number six is a resolution pursuant

1:02:31to chapter 9.6 of the Memphis and Shelby

1:02:34County Unified Development Code

1:02:36approving a plan development at the

1:02:39subject property located at 1470 North

1:02:43Germantown Parkway. This resolution is

1:02:46sponsored by the Division of Planning

1:02:47and Development. Our case number is

1:02:50MJR26-22

1:02:53and there is a request for same night

1:02:55minutes for this item.

1:02:58>> Councilman Spinosa, you're recognized.

1:03:00>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Committee met

1:03:02recommends approval and I so move.

1:03:07>> It has been moved by Councilman Spinosa.

1:03:10Second by Councilman Warren.

1:03:14And no council in the queue to speak.

1:03:16Madame controller, if you will please

1:03:18prepare the screen for the vote.

1:03:29Canali, yes. Carile, yes. Easter,

1:03:32Thomas, yes. Ford, yes. Logan, yes.

1:03:35Smiley, yes. Spinosa, yes. Walker, yes.

1:03:39Warren, yes. White, yes. Chairwoman

1:03:42Swearington Washington. Yes.

1:03:45>> That item passes. Madame controller, if

1:03:48you will please call item number seven.

1:03:50>> Item number seven should display

1:03:52momentarily. Is a resolution pursuant to

1:03:56chapter 9.6 six of the Memphis and

1:03:59Shelby County Unified Development Code

1:04:02approving a plan development at the

1:04:04subject property located at zero Austin

1:04:07P Highway, west side of Austin P

1:04:10Highway, north of New Covington Pike and

1:04:13south of Egypt Central Road. This

1:04:16resolution is sponsored by the Division

1:04:18of Planning and Development. The case

1:04:20number is PD26-13.

1:04:23And there is also a request for same

1:04:25night minutes for item number seven.

1:04:28>> Councilwoman Logan, you're recognized.

1:04:31Thank you, chair. I will be recusing

1:04:32myself from this vote. Thank you. Please

1:04:35note that Councilwoman Logan will recuse

1:04:37herself from this item. It has been

1:04:39moved by Councilman Spinosa, second by

1:04:42Councilwoman Green.

1:04:43>> Yeah. Committee met recommends approval.

1:04:48>> Madame Controller, if you will please

1:04:49prepare the screen for the vote.

1:05:19Canali. Yes. Carile. Yes. Easter.

1:05:22Thomas. Yes. Ford. Yes. Green. Yes.

1:05:26Logan. Recused. Smiley. Yes. Spinosa.

1:05:29Yes. Walker. Yes. Warren. Yes. White.

1:05:34Yes. Chairwoman Swearington Washington.

1:05:36Yes.

1:05:38>> That item passes.

1:05:44Madame Controller, if you will please

1:05:46call item

1:05:50eight.

1:05:53>> Item number eight.

1:05:55>> Item number eight is a resolution

1:05:57pursuant to chapter 9.6 six of the

1:05:59Memphis and Shelby County Unified

1:06:01Development Code approving a planned

1:06:03development at the subject property

1:06:05located at 2604 Coington Pike. This

1:06:09resolution is sponsored by the Division

1:06:11of Planning and Development. This was

1:06:13held from October 6. The case number is

1:06:16PD 26-05.

1:06:22Councilman Sosa, you're recognized.

1:06:24>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Committee met

1:06:25recommends approval and I submit.

1:06:28It has been moved by Councilman Spinosa,

1:06:31second by Councilman Warren. Madame

1:06:34Control, if you will please prepare the

1:06:36screen.

1:06:50Canal, yes. Carile, yes. Easter, Thomas,

1:06:53yes. Ford, yes. Green, yes. Spinosa,

1:06:57yes. Walker, yes. Warren, yes. White,

1:07:02yes. Please show council member Smiley

1:07:04is voting yes on this item. Chairwoman

1:07:06swearing to Washington. Yes.

1:07:09>> That item passes. Madame Controller, if

1:07:11you'll please call the consent agenda

1:07:13items 910.

1:07:14>> Thank you. We'll start with an add-on

1:07:16item number 38. It's an ordinance to

1:07:19establish a framework for the creation

1:07:22and state approval of a nonprofit

1:07:25community benefit agency to authorize

1:07:28coordination between the city of Memphis

1:07:30and the state of Tennessee for the

1:07:32lawful receipt administration and

1:07:36distribution of data center community

1:07:38benefit funding to provide for community

1:07:41representation,

1:07:43financial accountability and public

1:07:45oversight and to provide for related

1:07:48purposes. Up for first reading,

1:07:50ordinance number 5989

1:07:53is sponsored by Councilman Warren and

1:07:55there was a request to add this on to

1:07:57tonight's agenda for the first reading.

1:08:00Item number nine is up for second

1:08:02reading on our consent agenda. Ordinance

1:08:05number 5987 is sponsored by council

1:08:07members Warren, Canali, Spinosa, Carlau,

1:08:11and White. Item number 10 is also up for

1:08:15second reading. Ordinance number 5988

1:08:19is sponsored by council members Logan,

1:08:22Cooper, Sutton, Swerjen, Washington,

1:08:25Walker, and Warren. Madam Chair, that

1:08:27concludes your consent agenda items.

1:08:31>> Vice Chair Carlile, you're recognized.

1:08:33>> Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee

1:08:34met discuss these items and are moving

1:08:36them to the floor for uh approval.

1:08:44if he'll fix the screen for the consent

1:08:46agenda.

1:08:53>> All right, it's been moved by Carlile,

1:08:54second by Warren.

1:08:57If you will please prepare the screen

1:08:59for the vote. Council members, you're

1:09:02voting for the consent agenda.

1:09:10>> Canali, yes. Carile, yes. Easter Thomas,

1:09:14yes. Ford, yes. Green, yes. Logan, yes.

1:09:18Smiley, yes. Spinosa, yes. Walker, yes.

1:09:21Warren, yes. White, yes. Chairwoman

1:09:24Swamon Washington, yes.

1:09:26>> All right, before we do that vote,

1:09:28Councilwoman White,

1:09:30>> actually, this one is fine. It's the

1:09:32previous one, number eight. So, I was

1:09:33going to let her call this one. And then

1:09:35for number eight, the planning and

1:09:36zoning one.

1:09:38>> Okay.

1:09:38>> Okay.

1:09:39>> What about number eight? This item has

1:09:41been approved.

1:09:43If we would go back to item number

1:09:44eight, madame controller.

1:09:47>> Madam chair, would you like to recall

1:09:48that item again?

1:09:50>> I don't think so. I just needed to make

1:09:52sure that I am a recusal on item number

1:09:54eight.

1:09:56Without objection.

1:10:02>> For the record, ma'am. Yes.

1:10:03>> Thank you.

1:10:04>> You're welcome.

1:10:05All right,

1:10:07madame controller, if you will please

1:10:08take us to our MLGW fiscal consent

1:10:11agenda items.

1:10:15Item number 11 on our MLGW fiscal

1:10:18consent is a resolution approving the

1:10:21increase and payment to contract number

1:10:249955,

1:10:26partial funding of pollution control

1:10:29groundwater quality control program with

1:10:33Memphis and Shelby County Health

1:10:34Department to authorize the annual fee

1:10:37payment in the funded amount of

1:10:39$141,5125.

1:10:45Item number 12 is a resolution awarding

1:10:48contract number 12698

1:10:52South 2nd Street and Union Avenue Water

1:10:56Main Replacement to Magnolia Underground

1:10:59Construction Inc. in the funded amount

1:11:01of 1,100,000.

1:11:04Item number 13 is a resolution awarding

1:11:07contract number 12625

1:11:11meter interval data analysis to LPMCPC

1:11:16in the funded amount of 580,53930.

1:11:23Item number 14 is a resolution awarding

1:11:25a purchase order for standard concrete

1:11:28post tops to Engineered Ceiling

1:11:31Components LLC in the of $754,188.80.

1:11:39Item number 15 is a resolution awarding

1:11:43a purchase order for flood light

1:11:45luminires LED a 1000 watt equivalent to

1:11:49ATG supply LCC in the amount of 663,644.

1:11:57And our last item is number 16, a

1:12:00resolution approving the ratification of

1:12:02purchase order number 7087081

1:12:07with Brighter Days and Nights, Inc. in

1:12:09the amount of 1,74,645.

1:12:15Madam Chair, that concludes your MLGW

1:12:18fiscal consent.

1:12:19>> Councilwoman Walker, you're recognized

1:12:21at this time.

1:12:22>> Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee

1:12:24met with a favorable recommendation and

1:12:26I so move.

1:12:30>> It has been moved by Councilwoman

1:12:32Walker, second by Councilman Warren.

1:12:34Madame Controller, if you will please

1:12:36prepare the screen.

1:12:51Please cast your your vote for the MLGW

1:12:55consent agenda items.

1:12:59>> Canali, yes. Carile, yes. Easter Thomas,

1:13:02yes. Ford, yes. Green, yes. Logan, yes.

1:13:06Please show Mr. Spinosa is voting yes on

1:13:09this item. Smiley, yes. Walker, yes.

1:13:12Warren, yes. White. Yes. Chairwoman

1:13:15Swington Washington. Yes.

1:13:18>> That item passes. Madame Controller, if

1:13:21you will please do our add-on agenda and

1:13:23same night minute items.

1:13:26>> Thank you. That would take us to item

1:13:27number 34.

1:13:33A resolution to allocate, appropriate,

1:13:35and transfer the sum of 43,2245

1:13:42from Memphis Parks Capital Reserve CIP

1:13:46project PK25104

1:13:50fiscal year 2027

1:13:53contract construction and transfer to

1:13:56Westwood pool improvements CIP project

1:14:00number PK04020

1:14:03contract construction as part of the

1:14:07fiscal year 2027

1:14:10capital improvement budget district 6

1:14:13super district 8 this resolution is

1:14:16sponsored by the administration there is

1:14:18a request for same night minutes Dr.

1:14:21Warren you're recognized

1:14:22>> thank you madam chair committee met

1:14:24recommended approval and I so move

1:14:28>> it has been moved by Dr. Warren second

1:14:31by vice chair Carlile.

1:14:34Madame controller will please prepare

1:14:35the screen for item number 34.

1:14:55Canali. Yes. Carl. Yes. Easter Thomas.

1:14:58Yes. Ford. Yes. Green. Yes. Logan. Yes.

1:15:02Smiley. Yes. Walker. Yes. Warren. Yes.

1:15:06White. Yes. Chairwoman swearing

1:15:08Washington. Yes.

1:15:10>> That item passes.

1:15:12>> Item 35 is our next add-on. It's a

1:15:15resolution to accept additional grant

1:15:17funds in the amount of

1:15:21five,52810.

1:15:26It should display momentarily from US

1:15:29Department of Justice through the United

1:15:31States Marshall Service Western District

1:15:34of Tennessee. All council districts.

1:15:37This resolution is sponsored by the

1:15:39administration. This is item number 35

1:15:42and there is a request for same night

1:15:44minutes.

1:15:48>> Councilman, you're recognized.

1:15:50>> Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee

1:15:52met recommends approval and I so move.

1:15:55All right. It's been moved by Councilman

1:15:57Canali, second by Councilman Warren.

1:16:00Before we vote, we have one comment

1:16:02card, Mr. Justin Pearson.

1:16:11Thank you, Chairwoman. For item 35, it

1:16:14says, "A resolution to accept additional

1:16:17grant funds in the amount of 105,52810

1:16:23from the US Department of Justice

1:16:26through the United States Marshall

1:16:27Service, Western District of Tennessee.

1:16:30Thus far, it doesn't seem to be a

1:16:32conversation about what's happening, but

1:16:33I know we also have a resolution today

1:16:36related to the Memphis Unsafe Task

1:16:38Force. And so, it's slightly concerning

1:16:41that they would be giving money uh to

1:16:43our city. And there's no explanation or

1:16:45reasoning why that is happening. Further

1:16:47entrenching what many of us have already

1:16:49believed that somehow our city uh is in

1:16:52collaboration in cooperation with this

1:16:55Memphis unsafe task force that is killed

1:16:58tragically uh four black men uh in our

1:17:01city has kidnapped hundreds of our

1:17:02neighbors. And so I believe, and I know

1:17:04this is on the add-on agenda, but

1:17:06there's more discussion that is

1:17:08warranted about what these costs are,

1:17:10how they were incurred, and is this

1:17:12further entangling us with a Department

1:17:15of Justice that we know has not cared a

1:17:18lot about justice at all over the last

1:17:20year and a half, and who has sought to

1:17:22enjoin a lawsuit against people uh in

1:17:25our community uh who were fighting for

1:17:27clean air uh in North Mississippi as

1:17:29well. And so this is an item that would

1:17:32love to just learn a little bit more

1:17:33about. Thank you.

1:17:38>> Thank you, Madam Controller. If you will

1:17:40please prepare the screen for item 35

1:17:56votes.

1:18:01>> Thank you.

1:18:06Canali yes. Carile yes. Easter Thomas

1:18:09no. Ford, yes. Green, yes. Logan, yes.

1:18:13Smiley, yes. Walker, yes. Warren, yes.

1:18:16White, yes. Chairwoman Swearington

1:18:19Washington, yes.

1:18:22Show Council Member Spinosa as voting

1:18:24yes on this item.

1:18:27>> That item passes. Madame Controller, if

1:18:29you will please call the next item. Our

1:18:31next item is number 36, a resolution to

1:18:34amend the FY2027

1:18:37capital improvement program and transfer

1:18:40$319,000

1:18:42in appropriated general obligation geo

1:18:46funds within the downtown command

1:18:49project IT01008

1:18:52from other costs to architecture and

1:18:56engineering districts six and seven.

1:18:59Super District 8. This resolution is

1:19:01sponsored by the administration. There

1:19:04is a request for same night minutes and

1:19:06this is item number 36. Councilman

1:19:10Canali, you're recognized.

1:19:11>> Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee

1:19:12met recommended approval and I so move.

1:19:17>> It's been moved by Councilman Canali,

1:19:19second by Councilman Warren. Madam

1:19:21Controller, if you would please prepare

1:19:22the screen.

1:19:31Council members, cast your votes. Thank

1:19:34you.

1:19:38Canali, yes. Carile, yes. Easter,

1:19:40Thomas, yes. Ford, yes. Green, yes.

1:19:44Logan, yes. Smiley, yes. Spinosa, yes.

1:19:47Walker, yes. Warren, yes. White, yes.

1:19:52Chairwoman swearington, Washington, yes.

1:19:55That item passes. Madam Controller, if

1:19:57you'll please call item number 37.

1:20:04Item 37 on our add-ons is a resolution

1:20:07to accept, allocate, and appropriate

1:20:10$500,000 in grant funds received from

1:20:15the Tennessee Department of Environment

1:20:18and Conservation TEC for the design and

1:20:21construction of Memphis Zoo Pervious

1:20:24Pavement Project District 5, Super

1:20:26District 9. This resolution is also

1:20:30sponsored by the administration. There

1:20:32is a request for saint night minutes and

1:20:34again this is item number 37 on our

1:20:36add-ons. Councilman Smiley, you're

1:20:38recognized.

1:20:38>> Thank you so much, Madam Chair. The

1:20:40committee met recommending approval and

1:20:42I so move.

1:20:46>> It has been moved by Councilman Smiley,

1:20:48second by Councilman Warren. Madame

1:20:50Controller, if you will please prepare

1:20:51the screen.

1:21:07Last add-on item. Please cast your

1:21:09votes.

1:21:11Thank you.

1:21:24>> Canali. Yes. Carile. Yes. Easter Thomas.

1:21:27Yes. Ford. Yes. Logan. Yes. Smiley. Yes.

1:21:31Spinosa. Yes. Walker. Yes. Warren. Yes.

1:21:35White. Yes. Chairwoman Swearing

1:21:38Washington. Yes.

1:21:42>> That item passes. Madame Controller.

1:21:44That takes us to our regular agenda

1:21:46items. Starting with item number 17.

1:21:54Item number 17 on our regular agenda is

1:21:57an ordinance to establish a strategic

1:22:01large load development and digital

1:22:03infrastructure district program to

1:22:06replace a blanket data center moratorum

1:22:09with sourcene neutral tiered and time

1:22:11review to define substantial compliance

1:22:15to adopt a Memphis water assurance

1:22:17standard and recurring fiscal floor to

1:22:20require strategic IC development

1:22:22agreements to authorize Memphis digital

1:22:24infrastructure development district

1:22:27number one and for related purposes of

1:22:30for third and final reading. Ordinance

1:22:33number 5985 is sponsored by Councilman

1:22:35Spinosa and this was held from October

1:22:386.

1:22:43>> Councilman Spinosa, you're recognized.

1:22:44>> Yeah. Thank you, Madam Chair. As we

1:22:46discussed in committee today, uh,

1:22:48Councilman Warren brought up um his

1:22:50community benefit deal. So, this is one

1:22:53of several, uh, ordinances around data

1:22:56centers, but for this one, we're going

1:22:57to hold this one in hopes of joining up

1:22:59with, uh, what Councilman Warren brought

1:23:01up. So, we're going to hold this one

1:23:02until the next meeting, just this one.

1:23:05With without objection,

1:23:17Okay, that item is being held. Madam

1:23:19Control, if you will please call item

1:23:21number 28.

1:23:33Item number 28 is a resolution approving

1:23:38the economic impact plan and authorizing

1:23:40a sightsp specific tax increment

1:23:43financing plan for the 3535 central

1:23:46project and the third amendment to the

1:23:48economic impact plan for the university

1:23:52neighborhoods development corporation.

1:23:54All council districts. This resolution

1:23:56is sponsored by Chairwoman Swearing

1:23:58Washington.

1:24:02>> Councilwoman Green, you're recognized.

1:24:11>> Committee met recommends approval and so

1:24:13move.

1:24:13>> It's been moved by Councilwoman Green.

1:24:19Item number 28.

1:24:32>> It's been moved by Green, second by

1:24:34Councilwoman Easter Thomas.

1:24:36Madame Controller, if you will please

1:24:38prepare the screen.

1:24:51Canali, yes. Carile, yes. Easter,

1:24:54Thomas, yes. Green, yes. Please show

1:24:56council member Ford as voting yes.

1:24:59Logan, yes. Spinosa, yes. Warren, yes.

1:25:02Chairwoman Swingington, Washington, yes.

1:25:05>> Walker, yes.

1:25:06>> Please show Miss Walker as voting yes.

1:25:09>> That item passes. Madam controller, if

1:25:12you will please call item number 20.

1:25:24Item number 20 should display

1:25:26momentarily. Ordinance to amend the

1:25:28Memphis Code of Ordinances to amend,

1:25:30consolidate, and adopt ordinances

1:25:32relative to blight remediation and

1:25:35neighborhood improvement. Up for third

1:25:38and final reading. Ordinance number 5950

1:25:41is sponsored by council members green,

1:25:44Spinosa, and White, and it was held from

1:25:47September 15th.

1:25:50Vice Chair Carlau, you're recognized.

1:25:53>> Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd defer to the

1:25:55sponsors of this ordinance. I think it

1:25:57was to be held.

1:25:59>> Uh, thank you,

1:26:01>> Madam Chair.

1:26:02>> Before you do that, uh, Attorney Way,

1:26:04could you offer some clarification,

1:26:05please?

1:26:07>> Yes, I I will. Um, we intended to have

1:26:11conformed the penalty section for this

1:26:14ordinance to what we adopted on

1:26:16short-term rentals, but due to all of

1:26:18the um recent events, we haven't had

1:26:21chance to mirror those things. And I

1:26:24would ask that it probably be delayed

1:26:26for a couple more meetings so we can get

1:26:27that done correctly.

1:26:32Chair,

1:26:34if I may, as the original um writer and

1:26:37sponsor of this ordinance,

1:26:40we've been holding this um really for

1:26:43over a year now. So, I would like for

1:26:47us, I'm asking very clearly of our legal

1:26:51counsel, this is the last hold. We vote

1:26:53up or down the next time.

1:26:55>> We have a we have a a template for how

1:26:58to get it done.

1:26:59>> Yes, sir. we just hadn't done it and we

1:27:01we we affected a very affected

1:27:03short-term rental orders with the

1:27:06penalties and I think we just want to

1:27:08make sure that's added to this one.

1:27:09>> I agree. I just I feel like my blight

1:27:12ordinance has been held for over a year

1:27:14now and I want us to to get it done.

1:27:16Thank you.

1:27:16>> Thank you.

1:27:19>> All right. This item will be held.

1:27:23>> Can we do it in two weeks, Attorney

1:27:25Wade? All right. Two weeks. Next

1:27:28meeting.

1:27:28>> Thank you.

1:27:33What date is that?

1:27:36>> November 10th. Okay.

1:27:40>> Please call item number 21. Madame

1:27:42controller.

1:27:43>> You madam chair. Item number 21 is

1:27:46displayed. It's a resolution

1:27:48appropriating FY27 allocations in the

1:27:52amount of $1,500,000

1:27:55in CIP project number GS22202

1:28:00major modifications city hall

1:28:03improvements for the installation of

1:28:05replacement chillers district 7 super

1:28:08district 8. This resolution is sponsored

1:28:11by the administration.

1:28:14Councilman Smiley, you're recognized for

1:28:15item number 21.

1:28:18>> Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee

1:28:20may recommend approval and I so move.

1:28:23>> All right, it's been moved

1:28:27by Councilman Smiley, second by

1:28:29Councilman Spinosa. Madame Controller,

1:28:31if you will please prepare the screen

1:28:33for the vote.

1:28:50Canali, yes. Carile, yes. Easter,

1:28:52Thomas, yes. Ford, yes. Green, yes.

1:28:55Logan, yes. Smiley, yes. Spinosa, yes.

1:28:59Walker, yes. Warren, yes. White, yes.

1:29:02Chairwoman swearing in Washington, yes.

1:29:07That item passes. Madame controller, if

1:29:10you will please call item number 22.

1:29:14Item number 22 is a resolution

1:29:17appropriating FY27 allocations in the

1:29:21amount of $513,000

1:29:25NCIP project number GS24105

1:29:29major modification carpentry for the Hol

1:29:33Training Center Southside Foundation

1:29:36Repair and Public Works Collins Yard

1:29:39Mechanic Shop Metal Building Districts 5

1:29:42and seven super districts eight and

1:29:44nine. This resolution is sponsored by

1:29:47the administration.

1:29:52>> Councilman Smiley, you're recognized.

1:29:56>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Committee may

1:29:57recommend approval. I move.

1:30:00>> It has been moved by Councilman Smiley,

1:30:02second by Councilwoman Green. Madame

1:30:04Controller, if you will please prepare

1:30:05the screen.

1:30:09Council

1:30:17members, please cast your votes for item

1:30:19number 22.

1:30:21Thank you.

1:30:28Canali, yes. Carile, yes. Easter,

1:30:31Thomas, yes. Ford, yes. Logan, yes.

1:30:35Bossa, yes. Walker, yes. Warren. Yes.

1:30:39Chairwoman swarington Washington. Yes.

1:30:44>> That item passes. Madam Controller, if

1:30:47you'll please call item number 23.

1:30:52>> Item number 23 is a resolution

1:30:54appropriating FY27 allocations in the

1:30:59amount of $666,250

1:31:03in CIP project number GS24104.

1:31:07Major modification HVAC for HVAC repairs

1:31:11and or replacement for Pink Palace heat

1:31:15exchange Mallerie Neely House Tilman

1:31:18Police precinct districts 3 five and six

1:31:22super districts 8 and nine. This

1:31:24resolution is sponsored by the

1:31:26administration.

1:31:28>> Councilman Smiley, you're recognized.

1:31:31>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Committee may

1:31:33recommend approval. I move.

1:31:37>> It's been moved by Councilman Smiley,

1:31:39second by Councilman Canali. Madame

1:31:42Controller, please prepare the screen

1:31:43for the vote.

1:32:01Canal. Yes. Carile. Yes. Easter Thomas.

1:32:04Yes. Ford. Yes. Smiley. Yes. Walker.

1:32:09Yes. Chairwoman swearing in Washington.

1:32:12Yes.

1:32:15That item passes. Madame Controller. If

1:32:17you will call item number 24.

1:32:24Item number 24 is a resolution

1:32:27appropriating FY27 allocations in the

1:32:30amount of $375,000

1:32:34in CIP project number GS24107

1:32:38major modification contingency for

1:32:41emergency repairs throughout the city

1:32:44facilities. All council districts, this

1:32:47resolution is sponsored by the

1:32:48administration.

1:32:50Councilman Smiley, you're recognized for

1:32:52item number 24.

1:32:53>> Thank you, Madam Chair. The committee

1:32:55met recommended approval and I so move

1:33:05electronically, please.

1:33:08It's been moved by Councilman Smiley,

1:33:09second by Councilman Carile. Madam

1:33:11Controller, please prepare the screen.

1:33:29Ford, yes. Green, yes. Logan, yes.

1:33:32Smiley, yes. Spinosa, yes. Walker, yes.

1:33:36Warren, yes. White, yes. Chairwoman

1:33:39swearing in Washington, yes.

1:33:42>> That item passes. Madame Controller, if

1:33:44you will please call item number 25.

1:33:49Item number 25 is a resolution

1:33:52appropriating FY27

1:33:54allocations in the amount of $800,000

1:33:59in CIP project number GS201701

1:34:07170 North Main of public safety building

1:34:09for the roof replacement district 7

1:34:12super district 8. This resolution is

1:34:15sponsored by the administration.

1:34:17Councilman Smiley, you're recognized.

1:34:21>> I feel like all the items have been in

1:34:22my committee. Thank you, Madam Chair.

1:34:25The committee may recommended approval

1:34:26but not so moved.

1:34:29>> It has been moved by Councilman Smiley,

1:34:31second by Councilman Spinosa. Madame

1:34:33Controller, if you will please prepare

1:34:34the screen for the vote.

1:34:52Canali? Yes. Carile? Yes. Easter Thomas?

1:34:54Yes. Ford? Yes. Green? Yes. Logan? Yes.

1:34:58Smiley? Yes. Spinosa? Yes. Walker? Yes.

1:35:02Warren? Yes. White? Yes. Chairwoman

1:35:05swearing Washington? Yes.

1:35:08>> That item passes. Madam Controller, if

1:35:11you will please call item number 26.

1:35:16Item number 26 is a resolution seeking

1:35:18approval of a seven-year initial lease

1:35:21term with an option to renew for one

1:35:24additional 7-year period between the

1:35:26city of Memphis and Bluff City Athletics

1:35:29doing business as Bluff City Pickle Ball

1:35:32LLC at 940 Early Maxwell Boulevard

1:35:36picking building Memphis, Tennessee

1:35:3838104,

1:35:41District 4, Super District 9. This

1:35:44resolution is sponsored by the

1:35:45administration. This was held from

1:35:47October 6.

1:35:56>> Councilman Warren, you're recognized.

1:35:58>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Committee met

1:36:00recommended approval and I so move.

1:36:13It has been moved by Councilman Warren,

1:36:14second by Councilwoman Green. Before we

1:36:17vote, we have a couple of cards. Kristen

1:36:20Kunar, please forgive me if I

1:36:22mispronounced it. After Chris, Christian

1:36:26Kuner, Dylan Miller,

1:36:29and Randy KMA in that order.

1:36:43Kristen Keenir. I'm here today to

1:36:46express my concerns about the Bluff City

1:36:48pickle ball lease. While others are

1:36:49going to speak about the devastating

1:36:51cultural and Cuban impact of this lease,

1:36:53I'm here today to just focus on the

1:36:55math. The Pipkin building is massive.

1:36:57It's 27,000 square feet of prime Midtown

1:37:02real estate. And for this public asset,

1:37:04Bluff City Pickle Ball is paying only

1:37:06$4,000 a month. That translates to less

1:37:10than $2 per square foot annually.

1:37:12Warehouses in Memphis can go anywhere

1:37:14from 5 to$10 per square foot. Why is the

1:37:19city leasing a public building for a

1:37:21fraction of what a warehouse can

1:37:23command?

1:37:25This is a discounted lease. Worse yet,

1:37:28this lease completely fails the

1:37:30taxpayer. The city remains liable for

1:37:32the expensive structural liabilities,

1:37:34the HVAC, the plumbing, the roof, the

1:37:37lease hold improvements that would turn

1:37:39this building that would help this

1:37:41building, it just turns it into a pickle

1:37:43ball court. It does nothing to help the

1:37:44structural integrity of this building.

1:37:47So, if this lease is about maximizing

1:37:49the revenue, then why is it so cheap and

1:37:52why are we still on the hook for the

1:37:53bills? And I know that the

1:37:55counterargument to this is the profit

1:37:57sharing, but let's look at the facts. In

1:38:00the committee meetings they have told

1:38:01you to your face they intend to make

1:38:05zero in profit at the Pipkin operation.

1:38:09None. 50% of zero is zero. What is this

1:38:14city getting out of this? Were other

1:38:18companies even considered or other

1:38:20tenants for this lease? How is this

1:38:22anything other than a massive government

1:38:25handout to a for-profit entity

1:38:29at the expense of the our taxpayer and

1:38:32long-standing community organizations?

1:38:35I urge you to please vote no on this

1:38:38lease. Thank you.

1:38:41>> Dylan Miller.

1:38:46>> Dylan Miller.

1:38:47>> Dylan Miller.

1:38:49I'm here to show show my support for the

1:38:51fairgrounds for All movement. I'm deeply

1:38:53disheartened by the proposal to

1:38:55exclusively renounce the Pipkin to a

1:38:57for-profit company. The Pipkin is a 27

1:39:00square thou 27,000 square foot building

1:39:03and a valuable third space. And Bluff

1:39:05City Pickleball would be paying next to

1:39:07nothing in rent to exclusively use this

1:39:10space. How is this rent price

1:39:12calculated? Besides Bluff City Pickle

1:39:14Ball's owners, who wants the Pipkin to

1:39:17be converted into a for-profit pickle

1:39:19ball facility? Why and how was Bluff

1:39:22City Pickle Ball selected for this

1:39:23project? The Pipkin building is a

1:39:26multi-use civic space, and it holds more

1:39:28potential as an open event space than it

1:39:30will a pickle ball facility. As a large

1:39:33open space with concrete concrete

1:39:34flooring and no poles

1:39:37or interior walls, it can be used for a

1:39:39variety of impactful community events.

1:39:41This propo proposed exclusive lease with

1:39:44Bluff City Pickleball would damage the

1:39:45Pipkin, which is a valuable public

1:39:47asset.

1:39:49I attended the committee meeting on

1:39:50Tuesday, October 6, where Memphis City

1:39:52Council asked Bluff City Pickle Ball

1:39:54about their proposed seven-year lease

1:39:55for the Pipkin. During that discussion,

1:39:57John and Leslie Daniels said verbatim,

1:39:59quote, "We will make no money." End

1:40:02quote. Yet, the parks department has

1:40:04worked with them directly to facilitate

1:40:05this potential lease agreement with

1:40:07expressed intention of earning money for

1:40:09the TDZ. Pickle ball clubs across the US

1:40:12are closing down because they can't

1:40:13sustain the cost to stay open.

1:40:16The parks department will be ruining

1:40:18this incredibly unique large event space

1:40:19to follow a fad. Meanwhile, the Southern

1:40:22Heritage Flea Market, Memphis in May,

1:40:24and Memphis Roller Derby will all be

1:40:26displaced and struggling to find a space

1:40:27that's remotely comparable to the

1:40:29Pipkin.

1:40:31There are lots of other buildings that

1:40:32Bluff City Pickleball could use to make

1:40:33another indoor court facility. I ask the

1:40:36council to please vote no. Thank you,

1:40:43>> Randy Koosma. And then Stacy Batista.

1:40:48>> Hi, I'm Randy Kosma. Today I'm here to

1:40:50talk about what makes the Pipkin so

1:40:52unique. If you've ever been inside, you

1:40:54might look at it and see a giant

1:40:56concrete box. Nothing particularly

1:40:58special, but inside the Pipkin is

1:41:01something that Memphis does not make

1:41:02anymore. It is nearly twothirds the

1:41:04length of a football field and half as

1:41:07wide. There are no interior walls, no

1:41:09columns breaking up the space, just one

1:41:12enormous open room. And that is where

1:41:14the magic is. The Pip the Pipkin becomes

1:41:17whatever our community needs it to be.

1:41:19Yes, it can become a roller derby track,

1:41:22but it can also be a flea market where

1:41:24small vendors build their businesses, a

1:41:26dining hall where U of M families buil

1:41:29families gather, a command center for a

1:41:31festival, a car show for hot rods, a

1:41:34vaccination center during COVID where I

1:41:36got both of my vaccines, a hospital

1:41:39overflow overflow space, and a warming

1:41:42center where Memphians need somewhere

1:41:44safe to go. Not to mention a cooling

1:41:46center in the summer when the

1:41:48temperature rises due to data centers.

1:41:51It can transform all of us. And that is

1:41:54exactly why this building has served

1:41:56generations of Memphians.

1:41:58The very qualities that make the Pipkin

1:42:00attractive to pickle ball are the same

1:42:02qualities that have allowed so many

1:42:03different people and organizations to

1:42:05share it. But this proposal changes

1:42:07that. By their own admission, the pickle

1:42:10ball company plans permanent

1:42:11alterations, permanent floors, permanent

1:42:14nets, permanent walls. This is not a

1:42:17debate about pickle ball versus roller

1:42:19derby or pickle ball versus the flea

1:42:21market or pickle ball versus barbecue

1:42:23fest. This question is whether a public

1:42:25space should remain available for many

1:42:27uses or be permanently transformed for

1:42:30one private organization for a single

1:42:32purpose. because once the lease ends,

1:42:35this space will be permanently renovated

1:42:38into a pickle ball facility. Thank you.

1:42:41>> Thank you,

1:42:46>> Stacy Bautista and Michelle Evans.

1:42:53Hi, I'm Stacy Bautista. A little bit

1:42:55about me, I grew up in Germantown,

1:42:57Tennessee. My parents still live there.

1:42:59I moved back to Memphis in Midtown in

1:43:022021 and I work at St. Jude Alsac. I

1:43:06also, as you might be able to tell, am a

1:43:08current breast cancer patient going

1:43:10through active chemo treatment. I saw my

1:43:13breast surgeon last week and I have

1:43:15surgery scheduled in December.

1:43:18I want to talk about this vote and I

1:43:20urge you to vote no. Um, I play roller

1:43:24derby and I am a big um, supporter of

1:43:28the sport and I want to grow the sport

1:43:31within Memphis. There are cities near

1:43:34us, Atlanta, St. Louis, they are top in

1:43:39the world at roller derby. Why is

1:43:41Memphis not top in the world? Because we

1:43:43are not getting support from the city.

1:43:46We can grow. We can make a junior's

1:43:49league. we can create something for the

1:43:53city of Memphis, but we're treated every

1:43:56time there's something Tiger football,

1:43:58we're out of the Pipkin building. Right

1:44:00now, the Pipkin Building has heavy

1:44:02machinery in it. Um, we can grow

1:44:06something with the city of Memphis and

1:44:08become something really, really special.

1:44:11But we need support and shuffling us

1:44:13around from here's one community center,

1:44:16here's another community center. That's

1:44:18not enough for roller derby to thrive.

1:44:21Not only is this building for the

1:44:24community, for warming centers, and all

1:44:26these other uses, but it's also for

1:44:29roller derby, and we can make something

1:44:31with the league. Um, and don't get me

1:44:34wrong, roller derby was built by skaters

1:44:37for skaters. We're resourceful and we'll

1:44:40find a way to continue, but I want to

1:44:42dream about more and what we can

1:44:44actually do, what we can build. um

1:44:48instead of just being a burden for the

1:44:50city. Thank you.

1:44:53>> Thank you. And last, Michelle Evans.

1:45:01>> Hi, council. My name is Michelle Evans.

1:45:04I'm a small business owner and a

1:45:06Memphian and my home is right next door

1:45:08to the fairgrounds. I am I am concerned

1:45:11about this 7 to 14year lease with the

1:45:14Bluff City Pickle Ball for the Pipkin

1:45:16building being permanently converted

1:45:18into a private facility. Currently, the

1:45:21p the Pipkin building is a public use

1:45:23facility serving events and

1:45:25organizations like barbecue fest, the

1:45:28University of Memphis athletes, the

1:45:30Memphis Roller Derby, as well as many

1:45:33others. I've personally attended a Girls

1:45:36Inc. Awards lunchon there. My family has

1:45:39attended mass casualty emergency event

1:45:42training sessions there and it was one

1:45:45of Memphis's first COVID vaccination

1:45:48sites during the pandemic. What other

1:45:51building in Memphis has this much

1:45:54versatility for the community for sports

1:45:58and emergency responses? Where will

1:46:00these events move to when the facility

1:46:03is converted to a private permanent use?

1:46:09I have been waiting week after week for

1:46:12the city council to ask Justice Balden

1:46:15his thoughts, to stop asking Justice

1:46:18Balden his thoughts and to finally

1:46:20request a representation from the

1:46:22organizations that have been showing up

1:46:24in the meetings to speak with you. Not

1:46:28once since September 15th have I heard

1:46:31Dr. Warren or anyone asked to hear

1:46:33directly from Memphis Roller Derby who

1:46:36has been in your meetings every single

1:46:39week.

1:46:40They aren't the only ones who are

1:46:42impacted. In less than one week,

1:46:44Fairgrounds for All collected 1,500

1:46:47signatures opposing this lease. That's

1:46:501,500 community members waiting to be

1:46:53heard by the city council. I am

1:46:56concerned about the long-term viability

1:46:58of this arrangement. Studies for pickle

1:47:00bar are showing that it's actually

1:47:02fading in popularity. So what happens

1:47:05when this building is convert?

1:47:10>> What happen private club fails?

1:47:17>> Thank you Dr. Warren. You're recognized.

1:47:25Thank you, Madam Chair. Uh, could we

1:47:28have Director Balden uh come and let's

1:47:30hear the parks uh evaluation of this

1:47:34building and why they want to proceed

1:47:35with the pickle ball?

1:47:36>> Yes.

1:47:37>> Thank you,

1:47:43>> Justice Balden. 2599 Avery, Memphis

1:47:47Parks Director.

1:47:49So, I come for you today first to say

1:47:51that number one, um I appreciate the

1:47:54opportunity to work alongside the roller

1:47:56derby community. So, I I think that's

1:47:59one thing that I want to make sure that

1:48:00we acknowledge throughout this. Um some

1:48:04of the board members just mentioned an

1:48:05opportunity to uh reinvigorate the

1:48:08sport. Well, when we go to one of our 30

1:48:11Memphis community centers that we manage

1:48:13and oversee, that's where the

1:48:15opportunity lies. The opportunity lies

1:48:17when we look around the room and we

1:48:19understand that there's an opportunity

1:48:20to bring more skaters throughout the

1:48:22city of Memphis on a consistent basis.

1:48:25We're talking about uh programming for

1:48:2818 and up that we've offered to provide

1:48:30at Davis Community Center. Uh we talked

1:48:32a little bit earlier about the support.

1:48:35So the Memphis parks currently of our

1:48:38$53 million budget, 13 million goes to

1:48:41managed partners. Now I know we've

1:48:42talked a little bit about uh private

1:48:44organizations. Well, those could be the

1:48:46Memphis Zoo. Uh, and we can go down the

1:48:48line. Organizations that we love from a

1:48:51civic perspective here in Memphis. Now,

1:48:54what have we done for Memphis Roller

1:48:56Derby up until this point? Well, we've

1:48:59provided approximately an 84% subsidy

1:49:02each year during their operations within

1:49:05the Pipkin Building. So, the current

1:49:07rate for a weekday nonprofit is about

1:49:09$281 an hour. We provide roller derby

1:49:13with a rate of $42.86. 86 when roller

1:49:16derby visits either Davis Community

1:49:18Center or Orangebound where we we look

1:49:22to have programming as well as Gaston

1:49:24Community Center. We are keeping the

1:49:26rate the same. Also, recently the city

1:49:30of Memphis has built one of the most uh

1:49:33I guess you would call it well

1:49:34well-renowned facilities in the country.

1:49:36That's the Memphis Sports and Event

1:49:37Center

1:49:39that to a cost of 50% of a subsidy. the

1:49:43Memphis Roller Derby will have an

1:49:44opportunity to host bouts on weekends.

1:49:47So, the biggest thing that I want to get

1:49:50out of this is that regardless,

1:49:51sometimes in life and and even in

1:49:53sports, a referee may blow a whistle and

1:49:5550% of the people may not may not agree.

1:49:58Tonight, that's going to be the case

1:49:59when the the Grizzlies play, but we will

1:50:02continue to work alongside Roller Derby

1:50:04for programming and that's what we've

1:50:06done throughout this process. But the

1:50:08other thing I want to address is is the

1:50:09dollar amount. So, what we're looking at

1:50:12for the the life of this lease is

1:50:13500,000 improvements in the facility,

1:50:16$280,000 in rent and also roughly about

1:50:20the same amount in utilities. So, what

1:50:22we're looking at ultimately is a $1

1:50:24million investment, $150,000

1:50:27over the life of the lease.

1:50:31>> Thank you. Go ahead.

1:50:33>> Yep. And so, that's what we're looking

1:50:35at. Yep.

1:50:37>> All right.

1:50:44He's not on a timer. He's staff and he

1:50:46was offering clarification. Thank you,

1:50:49Madam Controller. If you will please

1:50:50prepare the screen for the vote.

1:51:01>> Item number 26 is displayed and you may

1:51:04cast your votes.

1:51:20We're voting on item number

1:51:24>> 26.

1:51:25>> 26.

1:51:28>> Canali. Yes. Carile. No. Easter. Thomas

1:51:32recused. Green. No. Logan. Yes. Spinosa.

1:51:37No. Walker. Yes. Warren. Yes. White.

1:51:41Yes. Chairwoman Swearing Washington.

1:51:44Yes.

1:51:52>> That item passes. Madame controller. If

1:51:54you will please call item number 26.

1:51:59>> 27.

1:52:02Item number 27 is a resolution to amend

1:52:04the fiscal year 2027 CIP budget by

1:52:07allocating and appropriating $643,810

1:52:13in funds for various service vehicles

1:52:16through incurrence of indebtness via the

1:52:19execution of a financing lease. All

1:52:22council districts, this resolution is

1:52:24sponsored by the administration.

1:52:28Councilman Smiley, you're recognized for

1:52:29item number 27.

1:52:32>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Committee may

1:52:33recommend approve.

1:52:41>> Councilman Smiley, move it

1:52:43electronically. Okay. Moved by

1:52:44Councilman Smiley, second by Councilman

1:52:46Warren. Madam Controller, if you will

1:52:48please prepare the screen.

1:53:01Canali, yes. Carile, yes. Easter,

1:53:04Thomas, yes. Ford, yes. Logan, yes.

1:53:07Walker, yes. Warren, yes. White, yes.

1:53:12Chairwoman swearing in Washington, yes.

1:53:15>> That item passes. Madame Controller, if

1:53:17you will please call item number 29.

1:53:21Item number 29, it should display

1:53:24momentarily.

1:53:26It's a resolution to conduct

1:53:28pre-development efforts for Midsouth

1:53:31Coliseum, all council districts. This

1:53:34resolution is sponsored by Councilwoman

1:53:36Cooper Sutton.

1:53:39>> Councilman Carlau, you're recognized.

1:53:41>> Thank you, U, Madam Chair. Since the

1:53:43sponsor is in absentia, I move to hold

1:53:45this item for two weeks.

1:53:48>> All right.

1:53:51Got a motion to hold it.

1:53:54>> Without objection. Without objection.

1:53:57It's been moved by Councilman Carile and

1:53:59second by

1:54:03Councilman Canali. That item will be

1:54:05held for two weeks.

1:54:07Madame Controller, if you'll please call

1:54:09item number 30.

1:54:17Item number 30 is a resolution to amend

1:54:20the FY27 council community grant program

1:54:23allocations all council districts. This

1:54:26resolution is sponsored by Councilman

1:54:28Smiley.

1:54:31Councilman Carile, you're recognized.

1:54:33>> Thank you, Madam Chairman. Committee M.

1:54:34And I moved.

1:54:36>> It's been moved by Vice Chair Carile,

1:54:38second by Councilman Warren. Madame

1:54:40Controller, if you will, please prepare

1:54:42the screen.

1:55:03Canali. Yes. Carile. Yes. Easter Thomas.

1:55:07Yes. Green. Yes. Logan. Yes. Spinosa.

1:55:10Yes. Please show council member Smiley

1:55:13as voting yes. Walker yes. Warren yes.

1:55:17Chairwoman swearing Washington yes.

1:55:21That item passes. Madame controller if

1:55:23you will please call item number 31.

1:55:36Item number 31 is a resolution to amend

1:55:39the FY27 council community grant program

1:55:42allocations all council districts. This

1:55:46resolution is sponsored by Councilman

1:55:48Spinosa.

1:55:51>> All right, Councilman Carile, you're

1:55:52recognized.

1:55:53>> Thank you, Madam Chair. Met recommends

1:55:55approval and I have moved.

1:55:57It has been moved by Vice Chair Carile,

1:55:59second by Councilman Warren. Madam

1:56:01Controller, please prepare the screen.

1:56:17Canali, yes. Easter Thomas, yes. Ford,

1:56:20yes. Green, yes. Logan, yes. Smiley,

1:56:24yes. Spinosa, yes. Walker. Yes. Warren,

1:56:27yes. Chairwoman Swington Washington,

1:56:29yes.

1:56:31>> That item passes. Madame Controller, if

1:56:34you will please call item number 32.

1:56:40>> Item number 32 is a resolution calling

1:56:42for the removal of ICE and the National

1:56:45Guard as part of the Memphis Safe Task

1:56:47Force from the city of Memphis, all

1:56:50council districts. This resolution is

1:56:52sponsored by council members Easter

1:56:55Thomas and Cooper Sutton. It was held

1:56:58from October 6.

1:57:00>> All right. It has been moved by

1:57:04Councilwoman Easter Thomas. Second by

1:57:10>> Second by Councilman Smiley

1:57:14Councilman Smiley. You're in the queue.

1:57:20Thank you, Madam Chair. Thank you for um

1:57:23recognizing me on this item. So, I just

1:57:25want to um note for the record that

1:57:28Councilwoman Green and I introduced I

1:57:31think with Councilwoman Nisha Thomas as

1:57:32well, we introduced a resolution in

1:57:34September 23rd, 2025

1:57:37calling for um you know, opposing the

1:57:40National Guard's presence in in the city

1:57:43of Memphis. Um, since that time we seen

1:57:44the National Guard take the lives of

1:57:47multiple Memphians. I just want to

1:57:49reiterate on that particular time um we

1:57:53voted down that particular resolution.

1:57:57We meaning as a body. What I would ask

1:57:58the council to do today is take a stand

1:58:00against um ICE, tearing and ripping

1:58:05families apart, leaving little girls

1:58:08motherless,

1:58:10leaving people without their spouses,

1:58:13causing a detrimental impact to the

1:58:16people who call this community home. And

1:58:18I think our job as representatives is to

1:58:21represent people regardless of their

1:58:24immigration status. If you call this

1:58:26community home, we're supposed to love

1:58:27you. And also call for the expedient

1:58:32removal of the National Guard as well.

1:58:34So, thank you for those who supported

1:58:36the resolution in 2025. I hope that you

1:58:38all will be willing to support this

1:58:40resolution this time as it has had a

1:58:43damning impact on this community.

1:58:45>> Thank you, Councilwoman Green. You're

1:58:46recognized.

1:58:48>> Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Councilman

1:58:51uh Smiley. You and I stood outside this

1:58:54building as you mentioned.

1:58:56>> Yeah, Councilman Walker out outside a

1:58:59year ago saying that we did not want the

1:59:01National Guard here and asking Billy not

1:59:03to do this to our community.

1:59:06I have since then, as we say, seen

1:59:10multiple members of our community shot

1:59:12and killed and multiple members of our

1:59:15community terrorized by ICE. They're not

1:59:18going to church. They're not going to

1:59:20work. They're not going to school.

1:59:21They're not going to doctor's

1:59:22appointments. I want to say to the

1:59:24community that is gathered here and

1:59:26those that have cameras especially,

1:59:29we are on the front lines of fascism

1:59:31here in Memphis, Tennessee.

1:59:34And we are deciding exactly what

1:59:36democracy will tolerate.

1:59:39People are being rounded up in buses in

1:59:43the middle of the night because of the

1:59:44color of their skin and their accent.

1:59:47being asked to show their papers as if

1:59:49this is Nazi Germany.

1:59:52I for one will not tolerate it. I was

1:59:55told a year ago that I was grandstanding

1:59:59this year. I hope that my council stands

2:00:02with me. Thank you, chair.

2:00:21Councilman Warren, you're recognized.

2:00:25>> Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair.

2:00:27Councilwoman Green, I just want to

2:00:30collaborate with you and say that

2:00:34right now.

2:00:34>> Excuse me. Excuse me.

2:00:39>> Now, whoever that is, they need to be

2:00:42escorted. That is awful.

2:00:45Uh

2:00:49>> uh excuse me. You're not recognized. You

2:00:51are not recognized.

2:00:56>> Uh Dr. Warren, you're recognized at this

2:00:59time.

2:01:00>> Ma'am, I was going to wait for her to

2:01:02quit before I talked.

2:01:06>> Can someone assist her?

2:01:08>> Can someone assist her in leaving? Thank

2:01:11you so much.

2:01:16Madam Chair, one of the problems that we

2:01:18have in our country right now, and it's

2:01:21a dramatic problem, is that

2:01:24the amount of money

2:01:28is

2:01:29>> the amount of money that we're spending

2:01:31on ICE

2:01:33is the same amount of money that we

2:01:34spend on the FBI.

2:01:38>> Just go on and keep talking.

2:01:40>> Go ahead, Dr. W. Well, I want other

2:01:42people to hear it, and I don't think

2:01:43they can, but I

2:01:54gonna keep on with our meeting.

2:01:55>> Good. Thank you, Madam Chair.

2:01:58>> Yeah.

2:01:59with the big beautiful bill.

2:02:03It was the start of what Jerry

2:02:05mentioned, what Councilwoman

2:02:08Green mentioned about what we have to

2:02:09watch out for when it comes to fascism.

2:02:12The fact that we have people in masks

2:02:16that can go around and yank people out

2:02:18of clubs and you never know who it is.

2:02:21They take people away anytime they want

2:02:23to. And the fact that they've got a

2:02:26budget that's the equivalent of the FBI,

2:02:28the Secret Service, the CIA, the ATF,

2:02:31and the US Marshall Service combined

2:02:34makes you very scared when we're coming

2:02:36up on an election. So, in my mind, this

2:02:40is a no-brainer, and I would like to be

2:02:42added as a co-sponsor. Thank you, Madam

2:02:44Chair.

2:02:55Councilwoman Easter Thomas, you're

2:02:57recognized.

2:03:00Thank you, Chairwoman, and thank you,

2:03:01colleagues. Um,

2:03:06Councilman Smiley and Councilwoman

2:03:08Green, definitely thank you for one year

2:03:11ago introducing the resolution that

2:03:13already stated that we did not want to

2:03:16welcome the task force into our city and

2:03:19now seeing that we have one year later

2:03:24and all of the promises that have not

2:03:27been met, um, I think it was definitely

2:03:31time for this resolution to be here. Um,

2:03:34before I take a moment to

2:03:37read some components of this resolution,

2:03:40um, I do want to note that

2:03:43this was originally to be heard when we

2:03:46also recognized and honored Hispanic

2:03:49Heritage Month at the Memphis City

2:03:51Council. and not only recognizing

2:03:54Hispanic Heritage Month, but also

2:03:56recognizing the issues and the toils and

2:03:59the troubles that they've had

2:04:02enunciated in this last year. Um, what

2:04:06we get monthly from our own police

2:04:09department is a crime update. And to

2:04:13loosely quote my colleague, Councilwoman

2:04:16Green, every month that we get this

2:04:18update, she asks about

2:04:22It's always a noted decrease in crime

2:04:25rates and that we've received that not

2:04:28only prior to the task force entering

2:04:31our city, its introduction, but also

2:04:34because of different avenues that are

2:04:36outside of these mentioned in this

2:04:38resolution. um to this date,

2:04:42October 20th, we've seen raids, we've

2:04:46seen disruption,

2:04:49we've seen scare tactics, and we've seen

2:04:52killings by these parts of the task

2:04:55force. And so, as we've added

2:04:59Councilman Dr. Warren, Councilwoman

2:05:02Green, Councilman Smiley as co-sponsors

2:05:05on this resolution, it's time for them

2:05:07to leave.

2:05:20and also as we ask for them to leave for

2:05:25any Memphis safe force that we actually

2:05:28do have to actually include what's

2:05:30actually working within our city and in

2:05:33our communities

2:05:35and not just it was mentioned about Um,

2:05:39thank you council members for mentioning

2:05:41the alignment with Nazi Germany, but

2:05:44we're in Memphis, Tennessee, and we have

2:05:47history of nowhere near Nazi Germany uh

2:05:51Germany. We've had slave patrol here.

2:05:54And that is much more closer to home

2:05:57than the atrocities that happened

2:06:00um almost 75 years after. So, uh, chair,

2:06:05if you allow me, I'll read parts of this

2:06:07resolution into the record, um, so that

2:06:10we can ensure that we're all

2:06:12understanding what's being asked for

2:06:14here, and hopefully we can have a

2:06:16consensus.

2:06:18Whereas the Memphis Safe Task Force was

2:06:20established pursuant to a presidential

2:06:22memorandum issued on September 15, 2025

2:06:26to coordinate federal, state, and local

2:06:28law enforcement operations in Memphis

2:06:30with task force operations beginning

2:06:32September 29th, 2025, including support

2:06:36from the Tennessee National Guard.

2:06:38Whereas every Memphian deserves to be

2:06:40safe from violent crime and to live in a

2:06:43community where public safety efforts

2:06:46protect residents, strengthen

2:06:47neighborhoods, and maintain public

2:06:50trust. Prior to the deployment of the

2:06:53Memphis Safe Task Force, the Memphis

2:06:55Police Department reported that overall

2:06:57crime during the first eight months of

2:06:592025 had reached a 25-year low,

2:07:03including lows in robbery, burglary, and

2:07:06lararseny, and attributed this progress

2:07:09to focus local enforcement strategies.

2:07:12However, whereas on August 30th, 2026,

2:07:17US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

2:07:19conducted a largescale enforcement

2:07:21operation in Memphis that resulted in

2:07:24the detention of 121 individuals,

2:07:28mothers, aunts, uncles, fathers,

2:07:31cousins, brothers, sisters, raising

2:07:34concerns about due process and the

2:07:37impact of federal immigration

2:07:39enforcement on local communities,

2:07:41including

2:07:42the disruption and intentional

2:07:44separation of Memphis families. Whereas

2:07:46six individuals have died during or as a

2:07:50result of incidents involving Memphis

2:07:52Safe Task Force operations, including

2:07:54encounters with task force personnel and

2:07:57law enforcement pursuits, raising

2:07:59serious concerns about the safety and

2:08:01consequences of these operations within

2:08:03Memphis communities.

2:08:06Whereas sustainable public safety

2:08:07requires more than law enforcement alone

2:08:10and is strengthened by strategies that

2:08:12address the conditions contributing to

2:08:14violence and instability, prevent harm,

2:08:17promote healing, support individuals and

2:08:20families, and build trust between

2:08:22residents and government.

2:08:24Whereas Memphis residents and community-

2:08:27based organizations possess valuable

2:08:29knowledge, experience,

2:08:32relationships

2:08:33that can definitely help shape effective

2:08:35and sustainable approaches to public

2:08:38safety. Now, therefore, be it resolved

2:08:40that the Memphis City Council calls upon

2:08:43the city of Memphis to partner with

2:08:46residents and community-based

2:08:47organizations to develop sustainable

2:08:50public safety strategies that reflect

2:08:52community priorities and needs. Be it

2:08:55further resolved that the Memphis City

2:08:57Council calls for the removal of the US

2:09:01Immigration and Customs Enforcement and

2:09:05Tennessee National Guard personnel

2:09:07participating in the Memphis Safe Task

2:09:09Force from operations within the city of

2:09:12Memphis.

2:09:20Now, chair, I do want to add I see we

2:09:22still have folks in the queue and it was

2:09:24brought up in discussion. Um, and I do

2:09:28want to make sure that I'm speaking for

2:09:29my colleague who also is co-sponsoring

2:09:31on this as well. Um, as it was brought

2:09:33up in discussion, we know that

2:09:36what this resolution is is calling for

2:09:39the removal. We know that this

2:09:41resolution does not wave a magic wand

2:09:44and automatically

2:09:46remove them from our city. However, it

2:09:49is not outside of the purview of the

2:09:51Memphis City Council to make statements

2:09:53as we always do on the platform that we

2:09:56are able to use to say how we see fit

2:10:00depending on how the vote goes. So, I

2:10:02ask that

2:10:04for colleagues that may be thinking if

2:10:06it's not worth the paper that it's on

2:10:10that we ensure that we're able to still

2:10:13make a statement as we traditionally and

2:10:16usually and will continually do. Um, so

2:10:20we have currently five co-sponsors on

2:10:23this resolution. I would love for us to

2:10:26gain more as we make that statement

2:10:28hopefully through our vote.

2:10:31And chair and colleagues, I would ask

2:10:32for your support on this resolution.

2:10:36But I also would like to there are those

2:10:38who were there on the last council

2:10:40meeting u who are also here for the

2:10:42recognition of Hispanic Heritage Month

2:10:44to also support this resolution and I

2:10:47would like to ask if chair is okay. No

2:10:52>> if they are either able to stand or have

2:10:55>> I mean I already have a stack of cards.

2:10:56>> Okay great. Um, so if they were able to,

2:11:00the ones who came down and gave the

2:11:01commentary on the meeting prior about

2:11:04how ISIS impacted their families

2:11:06directly,

2:11:08if you all are able to stand in the

2:11:10audience so that us as a council members

2:11:12can see you.

2:11:28Thank you. Thank you.

2:11:30>> Thank you, chair.

2:11:35>> Thank you,

2:11:38>> Councilwoman Logan. You are recognized

2:11:40at this time.

2:11:44Thank you, Chair.

2:11:46I want to I want to everyone to

2:11:49understand where where I sit. I totally

2:11:54am in agreement with the removal of ICE.

2:11:56I think the work that they have done

2:11:58here in this community is deplorable and

2:12:02um the harm and the hurt in the Hispanic

2:12:05community is it is unfathomable and my

2:12:10colleague mentioned about the slave

2:12:12raids. Um our community we understand

2:12:15that and I totally understand. I

2:12:17empathize. I'm with you. Um, one thing I

2:12:20did want to say I wanted to make um,

2:12:23well, I'll say this first. National

2:12:25Guard being here. I know when in our

2:12:28first term, we were told that we were

2:12:31down 500 police and everyone wanted to

2:12:35get to 2500.

2:12:37And over the years that we've been here,

2:12:40we've had so many constituents cry out

2:12:45about the crime in our community. In the

2:12:49African-American community, there was a

2:12:52time when there was killings every week.

2:12:56There's a time and this is even now.

2:12:59Even now, um people are stealing in

2:13:02grocery stores and people are afraid to

2:13:05go out. There w there was a time and

2:13:09recent time that we couldn't even dis

2:13:12have a discussion without talking about

2:13:14crime. We didn't have the police.

2:13:16National Guard has been here as a

2:13:19presence. I we have seen in our

2:13:21neighborhoods. I totally agree. No, I

2:13:26there has been there has been

2:13:28constituent after constituent contact

2:13:31me, email me thanking us for the safer

2:13:35streets through the National Guard. I

2:13:38totally agree about the ICE. However,

2:13:42National Guard has brought a level of a

2:13:47excuse me, a level of safety in our

2:13:48communities that

2:13:52excuse me. And that is one thing I

2:13:56wanted to ask the maker of the motion if

2:13:59they would be open to removing National

2:14:03Guard and keeping ice.

2:14:05>> Absolutely not. National Guard has shot

2:14:08someone in the back and killed them. So

2:14:10there is no way that we would remove

2:14:12that. And I'll remind you as a sponsor

2:14:15of this that every every meeting I ask

2:14:20>> I asked Chief Davis at every meeting how

2:14:23many arrests the National Guard has made

2:14:25and she says zero. I ask how many times

2:14:27they have helped with their operations

2:14:29and she says zero. So the things that

2:14:32you are complaining about and the things

2:14:34that we have advanced in the task force

2:14:36have been because of our Memphis police

2:14:37and the support we have given them. So

2:14:40when they are murdering our citizens by

2:14:42shooting them in the back, no way would

2:14:44I take that out of this resolution.

2:16:13Good evening. Do you hear the wailing?

2:16:16Do you see the tears? Do you feel the

2:16:19pain of children being separated from

2:16:22parents and families? of our

2:16:24neighborhood, our neighbors being afraid

2:16:26to go to work, to school, to their faith

2:16:29homes, to health care. We are not more

2:16:32safe than a year ago. The National Guard

2:16:35should never have been brought to a

2:16:37non-emergency.

2:16:40ICE should not be imposed on our

2:16:42community. Deportation and detention are

2:16:46not humane or necessary. The data of

2:16:51traffic stops, citations, recovered

2:16:53firearms, relatively small number of

2:16:56alleged violent criminals arrested is

2:16:59not enough. Where is the data of the

2:17:02number of children taken, nonviolent

2:17:05adults taken, detained, deported, taken

2:17:08where? data on the decrease in school

2:17:11attendance, decrease in grocery visits,

2:17:14decrease in people able or available to

2:17:17go to their faith homes, work not being

2:17:19done because the people doing the work

2:17:21were detained, deported, afraid, or

2:17:24killed. What are the so far hidden costs

2:17:28to our community, our face, our

2:17:30humanity? We are spending too much of

2:17:33our federal, state, and local tax

2:17:35dollars on punitive, harmful measures

2:17:38instead of investing enough in public

2:17:41education, prek, affordable housing,

2:17:44paid youth internships, careers for

2:17:46opportunity youth, public

2:17:48transportation, physical and mental

2:17:50health care, reducing environmental

2:17:53threats, and the list goes on. Please

2:17:56protect us by passing the resolution to

2:17:59remove the National Guard and ICE.

2:18:02Review our budget priorities for a moral

2:18:05budget that places people, our

2:18:08communities, and opportunity over

2:18:11occupation. Thank you.

2:18:25Williams,

2:18:40Trinity Williams.

2:18:45What do you have to lose?

2:18:48tech advancements

2:18:50while others lose family members because

2:18:52of high cancer rates. We are talking

2:18:54about people here. We are talking about

2:18:56lives.

2:18:58Fred Hampton said once that war without

2:19:00bloodshed is politics and politics with

2:19:03bloodshed is war. So if people are

2:19:06dying, what does that say? So who's

2:19:08responsible when people are dying from

2:19:09high cancer rates? Who's responsible

2:19:11when the National Guard is spreading

2:19:13blood all in our streets and murdering

2:19:14our people? Who's responsible when ISIS

2:19:17is tearing away families left and right

2:19:19by the hundreds? Who is responsible? And

2:19:21I say it's you. You, Memphis City

2:19:24Council. Memphis City Council, you are

2:19:26turning this political battle, this

2:19:28economic battle into a battle of

2:19:30bloodshed. You are turning it into a

2:19:32battle where blood is spread and you do

2:19:34not care. So if you vote against this

2:19:37mortorium, if you vote to keep the guard

2:19:39in Memphis, if you vote to keep ICE in

2:19:41Memphis, you are perpetrators of war and

2:19:44fascism. Fascism is the forcible

2:19:47suppression of an opposing view. What do

2:19:50you think will happen? What are you

2:19:52doing when you are upholding fascism?

2:19:55Your people, your constituents, us

2:19:56oppose the National Guard and ICE. You

2:19:59are our elected officials. Elected

2:20:01officials don't murder, they represent.

2:20:03Are you are what you say you are? Are

2:20:05you going to keep this fascism going and

2:20:06just have it in disguise?

2:20:09Because fascism is where an opposing

2:20:11view is limited and suppressed.

2:20:15If you are hurting us, you are hurting

2:20:18our grandchildren. You are hurting us in

2:20:20the hands of fascism.

2:20:23We see who you are by upholding this

2:20:26fascism. In this moment, we've got the

2:20:28time to see this clear distinction. So,

2:20:31are you who you say you are or you are

2:20:32against us? The gig is up because with

2:20:34your vote, you are either for us or

2:20:37against us. It is not a question of

2:20:39whether you see or represent the people.

2:20:43It is a question of are you going to

2:20:45stand up and actually use your voice

2:20:48that got you here in the first place.

2:20:50You like to vote and have people

2:21:25My name is Andy O'Neal and I'm a member

2:21:28of a group called Vets for the 901. And

2:21:31if it's all right, I'd like all the

2:21:33veterans, my fellow veterans, to stand

2:21:34up, please.

2:21:44Darren Pigram, Jonah Neil, Alfonso Ivy,

2:21:49Tyron Johnson can't stand up.

2:21:53It's too late. These are the four men

2:21:57deserve to have their names heard,

2:22:00killed by this Memphis, whatever you

2:22:03call it, task force.

2:22:06As a veteran,

2:22:08the name Tyron Johnson stands out to me

2:22:11and gs me and breaks my heart because

2:22:15the first thing we learn as members of

2:22:17the off service

2:22:20is that we protect American civilians.

2:22:23We don't shoot them in the back.

2:22:37I personally do not believe that these

2:22:41members of the National Guard were

2:22:42properly trained. I know they weren't

2:22:44given

2:22:46cameras, body cams as Memphis police

2:22:49officers are.

2:22:52But whether they were trained or not,

2:22:55it's time for them well past time for

2:22:57them to leave. Leave. We can't bring

2:23:00back Tyron, but we can stop the next one

2:23:02from being killed.

2:23:05>> Ask yourselves, how many more have to

2:23:08die before you stand up and do the right

2:23:10thing?

2:23:11I hope for your sake that that answer is

2:23:14none.

2:23:16Because you don't have to answer to me.

2:23:17You don't have to answer to your con

2:23:19constituents.

2:23:20>> This one you answer to a higher power

2:23:23>> and he's looking at you and I don't

2:23:26think he's happy.

2:23:44I'm Laura Cherry. Um, I want to read off

2:23:46the names again. Kevon Jackson, Darren

2:23:48Pigram, Jonah Neil, Tyron Johnson,

2:23:51Alfonso Ivy, and Reggie Peterson.

2:23:54I added two names because these were

2:23:56names that were killed in car chases.

2:23:59So, our MPD, our state troopers, they

2:24:02are complicit.

2:24:04And these are just the names we know of

2:24:06that have been murdered by the Memphis

2:24:07Safe Task Force. The task force is

2:24:09terrorizing our black and brown

2:24:10communities protected by this city

2:24:11council, Mayor Paul Young, and police

2:24:14chief CJ Davis. On September 24th, I

2:24:17personally witnessed our own MPD

2:24:19cooperating and enabling the task force

2:24:20brutal agenda against a Latino man

2:24:22already in custody. A combination of MPD

2:24:25and federal agents forced the man out of

2:24:27the back of an MPD vehicle and grabbed

2:24:29him by his face and his neck

2:24:32and grab and scanned his face into the

2:24:34immigration database. This violent

2:24:37encounter broke bones.

2:24:40During this moment, MPD wasn't concerned

2:24:42about the excessive use of force against

2:24:44someone in their custody. Instead, they

2:24:46used that moment of chaos to harass

2:24:47black and brown teenagers who dared to

2:24:49film. They then forced those filming

2:24:52back more than 100 ft, violating our

2:24:54First Amendment rights while citing the

2:24:56unconstitutional Halo law. For those who

2:24:59don't know who that is, it any um task

2:25:02force member can say that you have to be

2:25:0425t away from any law enforcement agent.

2:25:08Memphis Police Department is complicit

2:25:10regardless of what Mayor Young and Chief

2:25:11Davis says. There was another time I was

2:25:13on scene of a shooting where several

2:25:14Hispanic children witnessed their father

2:25:17getting shot. HSI Homeland Security

2:25:20arrived on scene, learned of the man's

2:25:23legal status, and left.

2:25:25They did not stay to find the person who

2:25:28shot this p these children's father.

2:25:32If we are focusing on the worst of the

2:25:34worst, why are we

2:25:37leaving children um while their father

2:25:40is bleeding on the ground? These are

2:25:42just some of the many moments of

2:25:43inhumity I've witnessed at the hands of

2:25:45the Memphis Unsafe Task Force. They are

2:25:47not making us safer. They are actively

2:25:49contributing to the dehumanization of

2:25:51all Memphians, and we want them out now.

2:26:11It's kind of a mixed bag between the

2:26:12data centers and the task force. So, I

2:26:14emailed over some studies on data

2:26:16because it doesn't take two years or

2:26:18another 90 days for us to see what's

2:26:20happening in our city.

2:26:21I also ran to vote and picked up to

2:26:24figure out how to apply for the city

2:26:26council. We need to review why residents

2:26:29are held to stricter guidelines just to

2:26:31exercise our first amendment rights

2:26:33while XI and billionaire corporations

2:26:35and the Trump administration are allowed

2:26:37to come in our city, pollute our air,

2:26:39water, and peace without guardrails.

2:26:41Where's the accountability? Where's the

2:26:43promised water treatment infrastructure

2:26:45to protect our water? And where are the

2:26:47lawsuits for the Memphis Safe Task

2:26:48Force? They talked about turning this

2:26:51podium around towards the audience. And

2:26:52it's fitting because we don't think

2:26:53y'all listen to us anyway.

2:26:56>> Billionaires get a seat at the table

2:26:58because of their vast resources and

2:26:59political spending. We don't have

2:27:01endless money. We don't have a finite we

2:27:04have a finite supply of clean water and

2:27:06a short window to clean up our air.

2:27:08Y'all ask us to participate in democracy

2:27:10only during election season when your

2:27:12names are on the ballot. But you expect

2:27:14us to stay silent while lifealtering

2:27:16decisions are being made in the shadows.

2:27:19We continue to hear what this council

2:27:21cannot do instead of seeing what you can

2:27:23do and marching with us over to the EPA,

2:27:25marching down with us to protect us

2:27:27against the task force and to demand

2:27:30protection for our community. We don't

2:27:32want excuses. We want leadership. We

2:27:34want you to stand up for those who live

2:27:35here, enforce environmental protections,

2:27:37and for our neighbors to not be killed

2:27:39and illegally deported. Thank you.

2:27:58Hello everyone. I'm Joelle Thompson. Um,

2:28:00and I'm here as a representative of part

2:28:02of the free the 901 restaurant by COD. I

2:28:05am in support Yeah. I'm in support of

2:28:08dismissing the National Guard and the

2:28:10federal government in um in Memphis

2:28:13because I feel like it's one

2:28:14unconstitutional, but I also believe

2:28:16it's a public health issue. As a public

2:28:17health professional, I know this not

2:28:19only issue for immigrants, but it's an

2:28:20issue for all Memphians. Crime is not

2:28:24crime is not a issue of I don't know

2:28:27what y'all want to say. It's a symptom.

2:28:29It's a symptom of racism. It's a symptom

2:28:30of classism and it's a symptom of

2:28:32poverty. I don't know how Trump and his

2:28:35government can expect a national guard

2:28:38and and and and a militarization to be

2:28:40deployed on this city and to address the

2:28:42issues that we are experiencing. But as

2:28:44a majority black city, a city that's

2:28:46riddled with crime, the crime that is

2:28:48impacted on based on poverty rates,

2:28:51y'all, how do you expect somebody to go

2:28:52get food if they cannot afford the food

2:28:54to begin with? We are a high poverty

2:28:58rate community systemically, not by

2:29:00choice, but by system. And that is

2:29:02because we have been working as a

2:29:04community to fight for what our

2:29:06community needs. I'm a community

2:29:07organizer and at center for transforming

2:29:09communities and I've been boots on the

2:29:11ground with a lot of people behind me

2:29:13who have their boots on the ground every

2:29:14day bringing Memphis with their needs.

2:29:15The National Guard has not brought

2:29:17anything but violence amongst the city

2:29:19of Memphis.

2:29:21Y'all need to listen to the citizens not

2:29:23because it's just an issue of politics.

2:29:26It's an issue of everybody's health. If

2:29:27they do it to immigrants, who are they

2:29:29going to do to it next? because we were

2:29:31patrolled once, they can try to patrol

2:29:33us again. Y'all better be serious when

2:29:35y'all are making this decision. It is

2:29:37not about whose side is who and if you

2:29:39voted for Trump or not. This is about

2:29:41people's lives. This is about human

2:29:43rights and every human deserves health

2:29:45in this country and this is American

2:29:47issue, not just the Memphis issue and

2:29:49not just the immigrant issue. Thank you.

2:30:03My name is Keith Caldwell. I'm also the

2:30:05president of Micah, Memphis Interfaith

2:30:07Coalition for Action and Hope. And I'm

2:30:09standing here today to ask that this

2:30:11body to have ICE removed. Uh the eyes of

2:30:15the world are on Memphis right now. And

2:30:17we know that this president and this

2:30:20governor chose Memphis because it's a

2:30:22majority black city to to to deny people

2:30:26the right of due process. And when you

2:30:28start denying due process to people

2:30:31based on their immigration status and

2:30:33then who who do you think they're coming

2:30:34for next? And so this is

2:30:36totalitarianism.

2:30:38And they want to use this idea to be

2:30:40afraid of Memphis, to be afraid of us

2:30:42that we're violent. The former sister

2:30:44said this this this

2:30:47uh crime is directly related to poverty,

2:30:50institutional poverty. We've spent

2:30:52almost a million dollars a day. Could

2:30:55you imagine where those million dollars

2:30:57could on the roads on job readiness on

2:31:00all of these other things?

2:31:03We want ICE removed because they have

2:31:05been riding rough shot in our

2:31:07communities. We This is ground zero for

2:31:10the world. We've been gotten a lot of

2:31:12media, y'all. Now, let's get some good

2:31:14media about a city council that stands

2:31:17and votes to to get these folks out of

2:31:20here. They don't mean us any good. They

2:31:22they cannot be beneficial to us. I can

2:31:25say a whole lot more, but uh how much

2:31:27time I got? Let me just in my last

2:31:29moment here, history will record what is

2:31:32done here and where we stood. I'd like

2:31:36for us to be on the right side of

2:31:37history. Thank you so much.

2:31:51and then Jas

2:32:08Guerrero. 38106. I'm here with Scarlet

2:32:11again.

2:32:13>> Hi, my name is Scarlet and no one is

2:32:16illegal in stole land. We're not

2:32:19animals, we humans.

2:32:27You remember Scarlet came last time as

2:32:29well to share about her her how her mom

2:32:31is in Honduras now um after the raid on

2:32:34August 30th.

2:32:36And since then she's been really excited

2:32:38about being engaged more with with not

2:32:40just the city council but just sharing

2:32:43more about not just her story but also

2:32:45what our experiences are in our city. Um

2:32:50the other children here with us also

2:32:52have similar experiences and there are

2:32:54other children who aren't able to make

2:32:55it but our estimates is that about 40

2:32:57children were left without one or both

2:32:59parents not just after the raid on the

2:33:0230th right and then let's think about

2:33:04for the past year what that has looked

2:33:06like.

2:33:09So this resolution not only is it past

2:33:12due it's absolutely essential. We

2:33:14understand it is limited in its power,

2:33:17but what we say as a city is important.

2:33:24We're hoping uh we're used to coming

2:33:26down to city council now, right? This is

2:33:28our fourth time, right? Um and so I

2:33:31asked the kids what they thought we

2:33:33could do to celebrate once this

2:33:34resolution passes. That's what we're

2:33:36anticipating. And they thought it would

2:33:37be nice to go to the park.

2:33:40I'm remembering most of the time that

2:33:43would be a great idea except when the

2:33:44National Guard stroll around at the

2:33:46parks.

2:33:48Guysman Community Center clears out and

2:33:52National Guard shows up to Guisman two,

2:33:54three, four, five times a week.

2:33:58Additionally, the National Guard,

2:34:01law enforcement has told us they're

2:34:02they're just being babysats. They're not

2:34:05an added force. They're an expensive use

2:34:08of time and energy and resources that

2:34:10just intimidate our community members.

2:34:12Thank you.

2:34:29>> Okay. Hey everybody. Uh, my name is

2:34:32Jasmine and I stand before you again

2:34:34today for the third time. First time I

2:34:37came up here was 901 day and so we've

2:34:39been pushing this thing back for a

2:34:41while. So hopefully we could get things

2:34:43moving a little swifter as far as making

2:34:45our city better. So

2:34:48last time I was up here, I was also

2:34:50hungry waiting for Friday to come so I

2:34:53could get some food, probably buy

2:34:55something I want. I'm going without. I'm

2:34:58pretty sure other people in the city are

2:35:00going with that and we still

2:35:04begging for basic things like clean air,

2:35:07clean water, somewhere to live, food to

2:35:10eat. Not begging to go get some of your

2:35:13paycheck. I'm just begging for a fair

2:35:15opportunity to like get my own. Since

2:35:18I've been in Memphis, everything has

2:35:21been taken away. Jillian, like uh

2:35:24Liberty Land, they took away Dixie Queen

2:35:26and Frag. I can't even get food at night

2:35:28when I want to. So, it's like it's 2026

2:35:33and we've been going against this stuff

2:35:34for years. And as Miss Pearson said, I

2:35:37don't know if she in here, but I'm

2:35:38tired. And I'm not even that old. I'm

2:35:39tired of this already. And our folks

2:35:42been going through this. And if we take

2:35:44a look like it's a big old cotton symbol

2:35:46right there. So, it's like we understand

2:35:48that this was built off of slavery.

2:35:50Like, we understand that's where the

2:35:52wealth at. If y'all look around, ain't

2:35:54nobody in here talking about, "Oh, you

2:35:55black, you white, you Asian." We don't

2:35:57care about that no more. We just want to

2:35:58go home to our families safely, eat, get

2:36:02some food. I go to work every day.

2:36:04Literally work 40 hours Monday through

2:36:06Friday, then work on the weekend at

2:36:08another job, and I'm still not having

2:36:10enough money to get what I need. And I

2:36:12don't even want a whole lot. So, we

2:36:14asking to stop criminalizing us and give

2:36:17us a chance and opportunity to do

2:36:19something for ourselves. I'm not a

2:36:21criminal. Every time I go, it's a police

2:36:23officer waiting to catch me. Help me

2:36:25out. Catch me to help me out.

2:36:29Man, y'all have all day.

2:36:46>> Hello, Katherine Walker. Picture this. I

2:36:50knock on the door with bags of groceries

2:36:52and a smile. A brave 10-year-old girl

2:36:54asks me, the stranger at the door, if I

2:36:56know any lawyers since her father has

2:36:58been taken by ICE and her mother doesn't

2:37:00know what to do. At a second house, a

2:37:02single mother tells me she's afraid to

2:37:04go out to work because if she is

2:37:05deported, what will happen to her

2:37:07teenage daughter? At another delivery, a

2:37:10young mother with cancer says her

2:37:12refrigerator was totally empty before I

2:37:14arrived. Her husband, the only working

2:37:16adult in her family, is now in detention

2:37:18and may never come home. The immigrant

2:37:21pantry has delivered food and support to

2:37:23immigrant families in Memphis for over a

2:37:25year. Our neighbors, hardworking and

2:37:28decent, regular people trying to make a

2:37:31better life for their families,

2:37:32suffering at the hands of the American

2:37:34government. It is a privilege to be able

2:37:36to help these fellow Memphians, many of

2:37:38whom have lived among us for decades as

2:37:40neighbors, co-workers, and friends,

2:37:43making the diverse culture of Memphis

2:37:44that much richer. Some are now in their

2:37:47most desperate moments. When I go to a

2:37:49door, I don't know if I'll be met by

2:37:51little children excited that they'll

2:37:52actually have dinner tonight, or if I'll

2:37:55hear the tragic story of how a family

2:37:56has been broken apart, while all I can

2:37:59say is, "Loto, I'm sorry." It is a

2:38:02privilege, but we shouldn't have to

2:38:04bring food and support to neighbors our

2:38:06government is actively harming.

2:38:09We stand between these families and

2:38:11hunger. We stand between the vulnerable

2:38:12and the brutality of ICE. We stand

2:38:15between our fellow residents and the

2:38:17politicians making decisions that ruin

2:38:20their lives.

2:38:22I'm asking today that the council join

2:38:24those of us standing in the gap. Vote to

2:38:26protect our community. Vote for the

2:38:28government to help instead of harm. vote

2:38:32to get ICE and the task force out of

2:38:35Memphis.

2:38:50>> Thank you, Representative Justin J.

2:38:53Pearson.

2:38:55I urge you all to vote for this

2:38:58resolution to end the Memphis Safe Task

2:39:02Force because it's not safe at all. It's

2:39:05an unsafe task force.

2:39:08And I will address one of the concerns I

2:39:10heard because I have constituents too

2:39:12who say we want crime to be down and

2:39:14things like this. And we know crime was

2:39:16already going down in our city before

2:39:18this task force was announced. We know

2:39:20this task force was announced by the

2:39:21president of the United States because

2:39:22he said he was going to go after

2:39:24democratic le cities and he just so

2:39:26happened to choose all democratic le

2:39:28cities that were also blackled for

2:39:29initiatives like this and we're the last

2:39:31one in the United States of America that

2:39:33has had this occupation for this level

2:39:34of time. But we also know this over $350

2:39:38million have been spent on this unsafe

2:39:40task force. Can you imagine with me what

2:39:43that could have done if it was going

2:39:45into 38109? what that could have done if

2:39:47it was going into Raleigh and Frasier.

2:39:49What those resources could have done if

2:39:51it was not used for military occupation,

2:39:53but instead poverty eradication. That's

2:39:56just the truth.

2:39:58But beyond that, as people of faith,

2:40:01when we think about the names of at

2:40:02least these four individuals, and we

2:40:04know many other people have been killed

2:40:05due to the Tennessee Highway Patrols uh

2:40:08high-speed chase pursuits, we think

2:40:10about Tyron Johnson, Darren Pigram, who

2:40:12was called Darnell uh by his family,

2:40:15Jonah Neil, and Alphonso Ivy's family.

2:40:17We're coming up on holidays here soon.

2:40:19As a person who understands grief

2:40:21intimately, I think it's important that

2:40:22we realize their seat at the tables will

2:40:25be empty. And had this task force not

2:40:28been assembled, they likely would be

2:40:29alive. And we are called as Christians

2:40:32to have two things that we think about

2:40:35with our with our faith. The first is

2:40:37that you love God with all your heart,

2:40:39your mind, your soul, and your spirit.

2:40:41And the second is to love your neighbor

2:40:43as yourself.

2:40:45>> If hundreds of people are being

2:40:46kidnapped in the Burlair neighborhood,

2:40:48that's your neighbor.

2:40:50>> If children are not having parents,

2:40:52that's our neighbor. do the right thing

2:40:54and pass this resolution unanimously.

2:41:08>> Carla Sutton McKinley and then Karen

2:41:11Casey.

2:41:12>> Yes, I'm with Mike and I just want to

2:41:14add and I want to speak to um the the

2:41:16issues with vets in the National Guard.

2:41:18My husband was 30 years military. One of

2:41:21the orders he said he would he asked he

2:41:23would never have to do is to guard

2:41:25civilians because he said my brain is

2:41:28wired differently after 10 deployments

2:41:30year long and active duty in the mil uh

2:41:33overseas. He says my mind is wired

2:41:37differently and the safeguards that

2:41:39police have military

2:41:41they don't exist in the same way. So,

2:41:44I'm speaking for him and other veterans

2:41:46and other n uh army military who would

2:41:50refuse that order because they

2:41:52understand what's on the inside of them

2:41:54to our comments. Some of you may usually

2:41:57vote no on resolutions that are not

2:41:59legally binding. The resolution gives

2:42:01you an opportunity to affirm publicly

2:42:03the sustainable public safety requires

2:42:06more than law enforcement. and must also

2:42:09prevent harm, promote healing, support

2:42:11people and families, and build trust

2:42:13between residents and local government.

2:42:15Unfortunately, that's what's that's not

2:42:17what's happening here. Since the task

2:42:19force arrived last fall, our commit

2:42:21committees have heard of heartbreaking

2:42:23accounts from our immigrant ref uh

2:42:25refugee friends. Within weeks, families

2:42:28have told us they were terrorized by

2:42:30mass men in unmarked cars who were

2:42:32pulled over by people uh pulled over

2:42:35based on the skin and the color in their

2:42:37race. Highway patrol and the Memphis

2:42:40Police Department have often cooperated

2:42:43in stops reportedly based on minor

2:42:45traffic violations. The task force has

2:42:48also obtained hotel guest registry

2:42:51information without warrants, raising

2:42:54fourth amendment and privacy concerns.

2:42:57People have been pulled over from their

2:42:58cars, had their homes invaded, and been

2:43:01separated from their families without

2:43:02due process. More often, that's without

2:43:06a criminal history. They have been held

2:43:08in for nonprofit detention centers under

2:43:12the administration using arbitrary

2:43:14quotas designed to advance ex xenophobia

2:43:18deportation agenda.

2:43:20>> Thank you

2:43:25Karen Casey and then Scott

2:43:33I can't read the last name.

2:43:36Miss Casey. My name is Karen Casey

2:43:3938112.

2:43:45My ancestors weren't on the Mayflower,

2:43:47but even they were fleeing oppression.

2:43:49The ICE invasion has been blown out of

2:43:52proportion to any actual harm from

2:43:55immigrants. Most of the people rounded

2:43:57up weren't the worst. Andrew Ranken, an

2:44:00in an im immigration attorney, said that

2:44:02enforcement has created a complicated

2:44:05situation for his clients. If they don't

2:44:07show up to a court date, they will

2:44:09surely be arrested. Now, there's a

2:44:11chance that they'll be arrested if they

2:44:13do show up. I only ask that you

2:44:15demonstrate the integrity and grit

2:44:17displayed by our founders. Send ICE out

2:44:20of our city. A few statistics for you.

2:44:25If we were to spend the $565 million on

2:44:30mass deport mass deportations,

2:44:33county taxpayers could fund any one of

2:44:36the following. School teachers over

2:44:392,000. Firefighters, almost 3,000 people

2:44:44on Medicaid,

2:44:4631,000.

2:44:48Veterans medical care 11,000

2:44:51have head start slots

2:44:5462,000

2:44:56registered nurses almost 1,800

2:45:00SNAP recipients 29,000

2:45:04public housing units 28,000

2:45:08parents with 12 weeks of parental leave

2:45:1115,000

2:45:13that's all.

2:45:15Thank you.

2:45:23Sky Gatorer,

2:45:27>> excuse me.

2:45:29And then Yulini Escobar,

2:45:33>> Sky Gardener 3A104.

2:45:36As ICE kidnaps our community members,

2:45:38holds them hostage in Mason, Tennessee,

2:45:40and treats them so poorly they starve

2:45:42themselves at a hope we hear their

2:45:44voices. As our friends and family

2:45:46members are murdered by National Guard,

2:45:48it is obvious the stand you should be

2:45:50taking. Get out ICE and National Guard.

2:45:54But somehow that stand is contentious

2:45:56enough where we are arguing about your

2:45:58condemnation of these atrocities and not

2:46:00about what ordinances you can pass to

2:46:02meaningfully impact the state violence

2:46:04against our communities. We are not

2:46:07discussing how we can make Memphis a

2:46:08sanctuary city, how we can fight for

2:46:11those struggling in Mason, Tennessee,

2:46:13what measures we can take to ensure that

2:46:15our family members are not murdered by

2:46:17the state. This lack of action seems

2:46:19intentional because the reality is the

2:46:22wealthiest profit off of this system. We

2:46:24imperialize overseas for cheap labor,

2:46:26force people to seek out safety. They

2:46:29find it here again without legally

2:46:31protected status, exploited for cheap

2:46:33labor, then sent back overseas when

2:46:36there is economic downturn. The whole

2:46:38time they profit off of the imprisonment

2:46:40of the working class and militarization

2:46:43of the class traders that enact the

2:46:45oppression of the working class, off of

2:46:47enslaving us in the prison system. This

2:46:50energy in this room is just the start to

2:46:53real change. We must organize, educate,

2:46:56and agitate. We must keep going until

2:46:58this system is toppled. We must stand

2:47:00with the workers around the world

2:47:02fighting against American imperialism.

2:47:05Long live the international working

2:47:07class.

2:47:13>> Thank you.

2:47:15>> Ulani Escobar and then Battel Booker.

2:47:23>> Good evening. My name is Ulani Escobar.

2:47:27I am a Memphian first generation US

2:47:30citizen.

2:47:33And at first I would like to recognize

2:47:36that we stand on native land that was

2:47:40once the home of the Chalkaw and the

2:47:44Chickasaw people.

2:47:47So Memphis has been my home

2:47:50as of the late 1990s when we moved from

2:47:54Queens, New York because this was a

2:47:57space where my mom and dad could

2:47:59actually make their dreams come true.

2:48:02And it's been that way

2:48:05until

2:48:08until the current president of the

2:48:10United States took power back in 2026, I

2:48:14mean 2016.

2:48:17We didn't see it here in Memphis. as

2:48:19clear as we're seeing it now. I'm just

2:48:21thinking how what a coincidence that

2:48:24we're in midterm elections and we have

2:48:28the unsafe task force take over our I

2:48:31think it's convenient. I don't know

2:48:33about you, you all ran for office. Um I

2:48:38think it's convenient if if you ask me.

2:48:42It makes me think of militarized and my

2:48:45heart goes out to to Palestine and other

2:48:48places that are currently at war because

2:48:50that is the air that we breathe here in

2:48:53Memphis.

2:48:55The redrawing of the maps

2:48:58just happened recently during an

2:49:00election. How convenient.

2:49:04I was there that night of um August

2:49:0730th, the early morning of a August

2:49:1030th, and I still can't get the screams

2:49:13out of my head of of the young people

2:49:16screaming for their mothers and fathers

2:49:18being taken. It's about $130 to $165

2:49:24per person in an ICE detention facility.

2:49:29that would equal to up to about 50 $50

2:49:33million

2:49:35uh for people being arrested.

2:49:39>> It's about the money the right thing.

2:49:42Thank you.

2:49:47>> Basel Booker and then Maria

2:49:51OA.

2:49:55>> My name is Batel Booker.

2:49:58I am

2:50:00a Marine. Once a Marine, always a

2:50:03Marine. I am a retired fire chief.

2:50:09Uh,

2:50:11this city is the love of my life. Uh,

2:50:15Memphis was always known as the cleanest

2:50:18city and that some way have been lost.

2:50:23As a fire chief, I know that

2:50:28everything the people do, it start from

2:50:31the top and goes down.

2:50:34>> Now, when ICE and all those Gustapos

2:50:38came here, they came here violently and

2:50:43they came here rushing, trying to get

2:50:46this overtime money and all that. They

2:50:50only made the Memphis fighting uh

2:50:52Memphis police department get up off

2:50:55their butt and do their job because it

2:50:57was so many arrests. Yes, I love the uh

2:51:00the policeman. I know them. But the

2:51:02truth is the truth is what started at

2:51:05the top and came down and when they came

2:51:09in, they was forced to do their job.

2:51:11These are our neighbors. These are the

2:51:13the people that we uh count on to to to

2:51:18help uh move Memphis forward. Now, how

2:51:22can y'all stand here as the people

2:51:25that's supposed to be in in charge of

2:51:27making our life better and only make it

2:51:31worse?

2:51:32>> I wish you would really consider getting

2:51:35them out of here. We ever thought about

2:51:38programs like we used to have that

2:51:41foster children that bring things on

2:51:44summer job when people don't have any

2:51:47money and this is what happened.

2:51:50>> That's right.

2:51:51>> Poverty is the root. Okay. We need

2:51:54people for us that work for us.

2:51:57Evidently y'all work for somebody else.

2:52:08Maria Asa and then Yadira Alanado.

2:52:12All right. Uh good evening, city

2:52:14council. My name is Mario Sea. I'm the

2:52:16co-founder of Vendarios 901, unpaid

2:52:19community organizer, completely

2:52:20volunteer. We founded Vestindarios 901

2:52:23in 2019 during the first Trump

2:52:25administration. And I just want to say

2:52:29uh Councilman Spininoza, this did happen

2:52:31in your district. Um this was a

2:52:33violation of Fourth Amendment rights

2:52:34since we are concerned about law and

2:52:36order. Um this was a violation of

2:52:38constitutional rights. Um the current

2:52:41federal administration, President of the

2:52:43United States, and the Supreme Court

2:52:45have legalized racial profiling and they

2:52:47are practicing that racial profiling

2:52:49here in Memphis, Tennessee, using it

2:52:51against immigrants. This is my nephew

2:52:53Alonzo. He is 10 years old. He's a fifth

2:52:55grader. His dad was taken by ICE last

2:52:58year right before uh Thanksgiving. His

2:53:01dad didn't wasn't able to spend

2:53:03Thanksgiving with my nephew. No, he

2:53:06missed Christmas. He missed New Year's.

2:53:07He missed all of the holidays. He was

2:53:09not released until July of this summer.

2:53:12And so we are not seeing them going

2:53:14after the worst. We're not seeing them

2:53:17going after criminals. They're going

2:53:18after working people who are leaving

2:53:20work. They stopped his dad on his way

2:53:22home after work on Lamar Avenue. And

2:53:25that is happening to a lot of people.

2:53:27Since last year, we we know that about

2:53:3040 kids have been left behind since the

2:53:32raid on August 30th. But since last

2:53:34year, there have been hundreds more

2:53:35children across the city of Memphis that

2:53:37have been left without their parents,

2:53:38that have missed school, that have not

2:53:40been able to participate in

2:53:41extracurricular activities because the

2:53:44unsafe task force has created such an

2:53:46unsafe environment here in our city. The

2:53:49National Guard has already killed four

2:53:51black Memphians. We don't need the

2:53:53National Guard to be here killing

2:53:55people. We don't need ICE to be here.

2:53:57And furthermore, the Department of

2:53:59Justice has deputized all agencies to

2:54:01work as ICE. So, we have ATF, the IRS,

2:54:05FBI, we have all these different

2:54:07alphabet letter soup agencies, working

2:54:10on the ground, terrorizing Memphians on

2:54:11a daily basis in a working-class

2:54:13neighborhood where people are already

2:54:15struggling to make ends meet. So, I just

2:54:17want to say, city council, please vote

2:54:18in favor of this resolution. And I know

2:54:20y'all can't really do much, but this is

2:54:21taking a stance with the community. So,

2:54:23thank you. Thank you again for taking

2:54:24this into consideration.

2:54:39>> Yadira Alanano

2:54:41and then Sarah Gusome.

2:54:44>> Good evening, city council members. My

2:54:46name is Yira Ariano. Beyond

2:54:48environmental damage, our community is

2:54:50grieving and living in fear due to

2:54:52aggressive policy policy. Unmarked

2:54:55vehicles and danger dangerous traffic

2:54:57stops are tearing loved ones away from

2:54:59us. Our people are getting killed,

2:55:01arrested, and held in horrible

2:55:03condition. Detention centers.

2:55:10>> Today marks the 59th person who has died

2:55:13in ICE custody. My siblings and I are

2:55:16living in horror, scared of one of our

2:55:18family members getting taken again. What

2:55:20if it was your mom, your dad, uncle,

2:55:23auntie, cousin, or nephew?

2:55:26>> How would you feel? We could not

2:55:27separate the physical presence of

2:55:29immigration enforcement and military

2:55:31policy from the digital architecture

2:55:33that facilitates it. Super

2:55:35supercomputers and AI data centers like

2:55:37the ones being forced into our

2:55:39neighborhoods require massive public

2:55:41water and energy grids to power the v

2:55:44the various surveillance databases and

2:55:46tracking software used by agencies like

2:55:48ICE to monitor our people. The rapid

2:55:51expansion of data centers is directly

2:55:54threatening our city's clean air and

2:55:56water supply. These facilities are

2:55:59polluting our environment and straining

2:56:00our valuable natural resource resources.

2:56:03We need the council to step in and hold

2:56:05them accountable. If you are neutral in

2:56:08situations of injustice, you have chosen

2:56:10the side of the oppressor.

2:56:12I say this to bring awareness to the

2:56:14issues and hope that something is done

2:56:16to fix this. Free Palestine, free

2:56:19student, and free Congo. Thank you.

2:56:36Sarah Gusa and then Ayat Sha.

2:56:53Good evening, Sarah Houston 38103. I'm

2:56:57not sure I pulled a card for this, but

2:56:58happy to speak in support of this

2:57:00resolution. I'm a downtown resident and

2:57:03I've seen a lot of National Guard. I've

2:57:05seen a lot of the task force and I think

2:57:07one of the biggest conversations in this

2:57:08is that the MPD numbers, it's not about

2:57:11numbers, it's about quantity or quality

2:57:13over quantity. We got a lot of cops,

2:57:17but what are they doing? And how are

2:57:19they serving the public? Truly, I'm

2:57:22speaking as a resident and just as an

2:57:24individual and there's been times I've

2:57:26been downtown late at night. I saw a

2:57:29cell phone that was dropped, grabbed it,

2:57:31and I went up to an officer and said,

2:57:32"Hey, I want to let you know, you know,

2:57:33this I found this." Come here. Are you

2:57:36giving me my number? No, sir. Are you

2:57:38hitting on me in uniform? Cuz that's

2:57:42embarrassing and makes me feel unsafe.

2:57:45And this is just in PD I'm talking

2:57:46about. Okay. So when we're talking about

2:57:49needing support, needing reinforcements,

2:57:52we need to talk about quality of MPD.

2:57:56Quality over quantity. So ICE out,

2:58:00National Guard out as part of the

2:58:01resolution as an individual. Thank you,

2:58:12Hayat Sha. And then Jessica Miller.

2:58:21My name is Ayat Shaw. Ayat like Wyatt

2:58:24without the W.

2:58:27I'm a member of the Memphis Interfaith

2:58:28Coalition for Action and Hope.

2:58:31Before I get started,

2:58:34I'd like to point something out

2:58:38that earlier when we had so many members

2:58:40of this gathering come up here and speak

2:58:42and just now it happened as well. We had

2:58:45a sitting council member walk out.

2:58:49Someone who we voted for

2:58:52walked out.

2:58:54Didn't matter. didn't matter to them

2:58:56that there are people here who have

2:58:58things that they want to express, things

2:59:01that they want to say.

2:59:03Everyone here has a right to vote either

2:59:07yes or no, that is your decision.

2:59:13but to disrespect

2:59:16everyone here, the children here who are

2:59:18coming and telling their stories.

2:59:22If I was on the council, I would feel

2:59:24ashamed to even take a phone call during

2:59:27this gathering.

2:59:29I would text someone and I would say I

2:59:31can't because I am listening to my

2:59:33constituents right now.

2:59:36>> I see that nod. Very good. I hope you'll

2:59:39take that into account in future

2:59:41meetings.

2:59:48There was someone who had mentioned that

2:59:53what the National Guard has been doing

2:59:54has been okay

2:59:58and felt shameless about expressing

3:00:01their support for it.

3:00:04The National Guard carries a substantial

3:00:07cost for what's going on in addition to

3:00:11ICE. He has a Manny Petty he needs to go

3:00:14to maybe a hair appointment.

3:00:16>> Clearly, that is very

3:00:18>> I think someone is

3:00:19>> that takes a lot more importance over

3:00:22listening to his constituents.

3:00:24>> Point of a clarification, he did receive

3:00:26notification that a close friend pass.

3:00:28So, let him step out.

3:00:31>> All right. Do I have

3:00:41right there. Thank you. Excuse me. Thank

3:00:44you.

3:00:48>> Officer. Officer. Officer,

3:00:52>> would you please escort this person out?

3:00:55Thank you.

3:00:56We will now have Jessica Miller. And

3:00:58after Jessica Miller, we will have

3:01:01Dallas Holland.

3:01:18Thank you, Miss Miller.

3:01:32Good evening, city council.

3:01:34>> Good evening.

3:01:35>> Um, I've been waiting a couple weeks cuz

3:01:37there was a committee meeting when y'all

3:01:39were discussing this resolution a couple

3:01:42weeks ago and I wanted there was

3:01:44something said by Cong uh Councilman

3:01:46Carile that really resonated with me. I

3:01:48was also born into a Catholic family. My

3:01:51family attended Church of the Ascension

3:01:54in Raleigh when it changed over to

3:01:56accommodating the Hispanic community.

3:01:59And my number one memory at 9 years old

3:02:01was how many white people left the

3:02:04church because they didn't want to go to

3:02:05church with Hispanics.

3:02:07So, I really have a problem with using

3:02:12the church as a clutch because just

3:02:13because you go to church doesn't mean

3:02:15that you're not racist.

3:02:19Um,

3:02:21I also want to say that there was also a

3:02:25mention of wanting to go by the laws.

3:02:28Well, the laws of the land are being

3:02:32gone are being violated in removing

3:02:34people. So, which laws do you care about

3:02:36being violated? The ones of being humane

3:02:40and removing people or the ones of how

3:02:42they cross an imaginary border to come

3:02:44over into this country?

3:02:46The other thing I wanted to address

3:02:48really quick is that you also said that

3:02:50you didn't believe in these resolutions

3:02:52because they didn't really do anything.

3:02:53But I sit here every two weeks watching

3:02:55y'all rename streets that don't really

3:02:57get renamed.

3:03:01Also, I just also want to mention that

3:03:04Councilwoman Logan talked you talked

3:03:07about your constituents that you've

3:03:08heard about the crime in your district.

3:03:11Me and my volunteers at the pantry are

3:03:14in your district multiple times a day

3:03:16delivering to families who have to make

3:03:19their houses look abandoned in order for

3:03:21them to feel safe and like they're not

3:03:23going to be kidnapped by the task force.

3:03:26So maybe if you would like, I would love

3:03:28to take you into your district and show

3:03:31you what's really going on and show you

3:03:33how people are really living because I

3:03:36think that you're only listening to one

3:03:38side.

3:03:40I appreciate the consideration

3:03:55Dallas Holland and then Lindsay Marian.

3:04:00>> Did you say Karen Spencer?

3:04:04>> Not yet.

3:04:06>> I don't have one on there on Karen

3:04:08Spencer.

3:04:16Dallas Holland

3:04:26Dallas Holland 38104

3:04:31I'm with Micah Immigration and Inclusion

3:04:34Committee. Um,

3:04:38Ayat was just talking about the cost of

3:04:42the National Guard. The Center for

3:04:44American Progress estimates that by the

3:04:47end of this year, taxpayers will have

3:04:50paid 1.76

3:04:52billion for guard deployments in

3:04:55American cities without achieving the

3:04:58promised reductions in violent crime.

3:05:02Smart City Memphis's analysis of Memphis

3:05:05crime statistics from 2023 to 2025

3:05:09supports that conclusion.

3:05:12If Memphis's steep pretask force crime

3:05:16trend had continued at the same rate,

3:05:19the rate would not be significantly

3:05:21higher than it is now.

3:05:24There's also the incalculable costs of

3:05:28lives lost. Um,

3:05:32Memphians shot and killed by task force

3:05:34members since May. D agents shot and

3:05:38killed Darren Pilgrim while he was

3:05:40working at a Burger King job.

3:05:44That month, a Homeland Security

3:05:45Investigations agent shot Jonah Neil in

3:05:49his mother's home during a mental health

3:05:52crisis.

3:05:53His mother had called 911 seeking help

3:05:56and Neil died before receiving medical

3:05:59aid. On July 8th, DEA agents serving an

3:06:03a warrant um forced their way into a

3:06:06hotel room and shot and killed Alonzo

3:06:08Ivy.

3:06:10Also in July, Tyron Johnson was shot in

3:06:12the back and killed while running away

3:06:15from guardsmen. The city had said

3:06:18guardsmen would not be armed unless

3:06:21requested by local law enforcement. The

3:06:23autopsy found that Johnson was shot in

3:06:25the back, while his family attorney says

3:06:33that

3:06:35this conflicts with the official report.

3:06:38Um,

3:06:42thank you. I'm sorry. Thank you, Lindsay

3:06:45Marian. And then Kashan Pearson.

3:06:58Okay, they're not here. Lindsay Marion

3:07:01is here.

3:07:04Okay.

3:07:16My name is Lisan

3:07:18and um Unfortunately, I don't know my

3:07:20zip code. So, I would like to thank

3:07:22everybody who isn't necessarily like

3:07:25Hispanic or who isn't an immigrant for

3:07:27coming over here to um support us

3:07:31because it means a lot to me and it

3:07:32means to a lot to other people who um

3:07:36unfortunately

3:07:37lost a parent, lost a sibling, lost

3:07:40someone important to them. Um, something

3:07:43I would like to say also was I would

3:07:45want to thank my parents for coming over

3:07:48here to the United States so me and my

3:07:51siblings could have a better life. Um,

3:07:54aside from that, I would like to say

3:07:56that um,

3:07:59everyone deserves to be with their

3:08:00family and friends cuz in general

3:08:03children should not, in my opinion, be

3:08:06without their parents. They should not

3:08:08be um, away from them because We're

3:08:12children. We're we're we're minors. We

3:08:14we don't have like this. My parents, I'm

3:08:17thankful for them because they put me in

3:08:19a bubble and they um took me away from

3:08:22the harsh world because the world is a

3:08:25really messed up place nowadays and I'm

3:08:28really thankful for them. But

3:08:29unfortunately around 20 2024

3:08:34um I realized that life wasn't so I

3:08:38guess you could say all nice and great.

3:08:40Um Aside from that, I feel like as a

3:08:44child, as an eighth grader, I know that

3:08:47I shouldn't be talking about immigration

3:08:49or someone being taken away. Um, it's

3:08:53not my responsibility to know all of

3:08:54that. I'm a child. I should be focusing

3:08:56on my education. I should be focusing on

3:08:58my my homework that I need to do or

3:09:01soccer practice I need to go to. I

3:09:02should not be focusing on that. But

3:09:04obviously, sometimes I understand that I

3:09:07need to know that. For example, half of

3:09:09my family members went all the way they

3:09:11went most half of them even three4s of

3:09:14them went back to El Salvador because

3:09:15they were scared that something could

3:09:17have happened to them. And um thank you

3:09:19for some

3:09:38Keshan Pearson. Then William Arnold and

3:09:41Imani Ahmad.

3:09:47Keshan Pearson. Um, I'm here on behalf

3:09:50of the city of Memphis and everybody who

3:09:52is in this room and those who weren't

3:09:54able to be present.

3:09:58ICE coming to Memphis doesn't happen in

3:10:01a vacuum.

3:10:02The overmilitarization of our Memphis

3:10:05Police Department and the murder of

3:10:07Tyrie Nichols

3:10:10led us to this moment. Memphis continues

3:10:13to be targeted as this southern

3:10:15experiment for fascism.

3:10:18>> None of this is by mistake. It is all

3:10:20intentional.

3:10:22>> Before hundreds of our neighbors were

3:10:25taken away from us,

3:10:28a nightclub where black people frequent

3:10:32was held up and folks could not leave

3:10:34without showing identification.

3:10:38>> ICE agents. This unsafe task force has

3:10:42continued to make our city less livable

3:10:45and a lot less safe. The murders

3:10:50of four black men in our community.

3:10:55Hundreds of our families being disbanded

3:10:59and folks being deported unlawfully,

3:11:03treated less than human.

3:11:07What I'm asking here is that we pay

3:11:09attention to not only the harm being

3:11:12done to our bodies, the crippling of our

3:11:16communities, but look at the economic

3:11:18impact.

3:11:21Multiple blackled, blackowned businesses

3:11:24are closing. Our downtown continues to

3:11:27lose investments.

3:11:29We cannot build a sustainable city while

3:11:32bowing to Donald Trump.

3:11:35We cannot build a safe city while bowing

3:11:39to the whims of billionaires who don't

3:11:41see us as people worthy of investment.

3:11:44I'm asking you to all vote in support of

3:11:47this more of this. I'm definitely on the

3:11:49moratorum, but in support of this item

3:11:52uh because we need ICE out. Thank you.

3:12:04William Arnold.

3:12:05>> William Arnold, uh, 38107. I serve as

3:12:09the director of justice and re-entry for

3:12:10Memphis for All. I'm going to tell you a

3:12:12real quick story. Uh, last fall, I was

3:12:15awakened

3:12:17to that at 12:50 a.m. in the morning.

3:12:19When I looked at my camera, I saw there

3:12:21was a police officer. When I went

3:12:23outside, it was a female officer, and I

3:12:26heard whoop whoop whoop whoop. There

3:12:27about 15 cars on my street

3:12:30intermittently turning their sirens on

3:12:32and off. She asked me, "Did you hear a

3:12:34gunshot?" I said, "No, I was asleep."

3:12:38And she walked off, but they were going

3:12:40to every house on my neighborhood,

3:12:43beating on the doors, waking up people,

3:12:45turning on the sirens.

3:12:47>> At the time, I lived in Beltline. For

3:12:49those of y'all that don't know, that's

3:12:50on the shores of Orange Mound,

3:12:52>> right? So, you know what it looks like.

3:12:54But it made me wonder, were they doing

3:12:56this out on Shady Grove? Were they doing

3:12:58this on Walnut Grove? Were they doing

3:13:01this in Chickasaw Gardens? Right? Were

3:13:03they doing this somewhere there were

3:13:04people who didn't look like me? And how

3:13:06many other black and brown and

3:13:08underresourced neighborhoods were being

3:13:09awakened at 12:50, 1:50, 2:50, 3:50 in

3:13:13the morning saying, "Did you hear a

3:13:15gunshot?" And then when I said, "What if

3:13:17I had said yes?" Then what was our

3:13:19conversation going to be? So when we

3:13:21talk about this safety task, farce,

3:13:25>> right?

3:13:28Governor Bill Lee bamboozled us when he

3:13:31told us he was giving us a $200 million

3:13:33grant. That's the way he he that was his

3:13:35narrative. If anybody recalls that first

3:13:37uh uh uh what do you call it? Press

3:13:39conference. We're going to give Memphis

3:13:41a $200 million grant. And then the other

3:13:43dude that lives in in in the White House

3:13:45came here earlier this year and said,

3:13:47"Y'all won't have any crime by uh what

3:13:49was it? Uh, Memorial Day, Labor Day.

3:13:51Help me out, somebody. My point is,

3:13:53y'all, it's time to stop bowing down to

3:13:56this fascist, racist, authoritarianistic

3:13:59experiment that they're making our

3:14:01beloved city look like, right?

3:14:04>> Stand up and do the right thing and vote

3:14:06yes.

3:14:19Immani Ahmad and then Miss Sarah.

3:14:26>> Hello everybody. My name is Iman Ahmed.

3:14:28I am with the American Muslim Advisory

3:14:30Council. I have been in the United

3:14:32States since 2012 and I came when I was

3:14:3511 years old. I've been a citizen of the

3:14:38United States since 2018 and I

3:14:41originally come from Ethiopia in East

3:14:43Africa where it's very common for me to

3:14:45see a bunch of mass men with machetes

3:14:47and guns roaming the streets and

3:14:49snatching up people. I never imagined

3:14:52that excuse me I never imagined that I

3:14:55would see that happening here. It's very

3:14:58common to see people being taken without

3:15:00due process and sent off to places where

3:15:03nobody hears from them ever again. And I

3:15:05never imagined that I would see that

3:15:07here. America was sold to me as a place

3:15:10where I would not be judged by the color

3:15:11of my skin, what god were I worship, or

3:15:14what I put on my head. But it's proved

3:15:17it's proving more and more wrong.

3:15:19America has become the place where

3:15:21fascism thrives. And Memphis, a place I

3:15:23have called home since coming in 2012,

3:15:26is become ground zero for what unlaw

3:15:29unlawful men with guns can do to other

3:15:32human beings. I'm urging you all to have

3:15:34empathy, stop looking bored, and vote in

3:15:38favor of this resolution. Thank you,

3:15:50>> Miss Sarah.

3:16:01Good evening, city council. My name is

3:16:03Sarah Gassum, and I am here to advocate

3:16:07for my congregation, for fellow members

3:16:10who have been taken, separated, the

3:16:12children at home, without their fathers,

3:16:14without an income to sustain them, with

3:16:18the terror of thinking that their

3:16:20mothers are next. the terror of thinking

3:16:23that they're going to be separated and

3:16:24deported or put into a concentration

3:16:26camp somewhere far away from here. These

3:16:29children are dealing with this fear

3:16:31every single day. And as people of

3:16:34faith, we do have to consider what

3:16:37fears, what concerns our neighbors have.

3:16:41God has sent prophet after prophet

3:16:43across the world to teach people

3:16:45righteousness, to teach people how to

3:16:47apply goodness and truth. And our lives

3:16:52every single day we are repeating to our

3:16:54children these values of love your

3:16:56neighbor of take care of your neighbor

3:16:58of go give them some food. But are we

3:17:01preach are we practicing what we preach?

3:17:05>> Are we taking care of each other? Are we

3:17:06forgetting that there is diversity in

3:17:08the city that needs to be protected?

3:17:11Are we forgetting that our neighbors,

3:17:13our doctors, our lawyers, our nurses,

3:17:15our teachers, our kids, friends at

3:17:18school may look different, may practice

3:17:21differently, but still require that

3:17:23safety, require that companionship,

3:17:26require that empathy.

3:17:28If a person looks different than us, we

3:17:31have a higher responsibility, a higher

3:17:34responsibility to make sure that they're

3:17:36taken care of, no matter where they came

3:17:37from. America

3:17:40right now is in a crucial moment and we

3:17:43really need to uphold truth. We need to

3:17:45uphold love. We need to uphold that

3:17:47unity. And Memphis needs to be, as

3:17:50someone said previously, we are in the

3:17:53eye of the nation. The nation is

3:17:55watching us. We need to be

3:17:56representative of all of these good

3:17:58values. If we think that we represent

3:18:00them in our homes, we need to represent

3:18:02them here at city council.

3:18:05Thank you.

3:18:11Madam Controller,

3:18:16Madam Controller, if you're prepared to

3:18:17screen for the vote.

3:18:33>> It has been moved by Councilwoman Easter

3:18:35Thomas, second by Councilman smiling.

3:18:42Council members, if you'll cast your

3:18:44vote for item number 32.

3:18:48>> Canali abstained.

3:19:09Chad, don't folks just said yes. Task

3:19:11force gone. Ice going to be gone.

3:19:14They going

3:19:17down. Madam Control,

3:19:20>> Madam Control,

3:19:22I think you got

3:19:24Madam Control

3:19:27number 33.

3:19:29Uh, Madam Chair, Madam Chair, that did

3:19:32not show my vote.

3:19:34>> I was

3:19:35>> Item number,

3:19:36>> uh, Madam Controller, will you please

3:19:39show

3:19:40Councilman Warren as a Yes. vote?

3:19:43>> I have. Yes, ma'am. I've noted that.

3:19:44Thank you.

3:19:46>> Okay, Madam Controller, if you'll please

3:19:47comee number 33.

3:19:51>> Wait just a moment. We need to make sure

3:19:52everyone is seated.

3:19:56Item number 33 is

3:19:59a resolution.

3:20:21Item number 33 is a resolution

3:20:24requesting comprehensive data center

3:20:26standards to protect Memphis residents,

3:20:30rateayers, and public resources, all

3:20:33council districts. This resolution is

3:20:36sponsored by Councilwoman Cooper Sutton

3:20:38and it was held from October 6.

3:20:52>> All right, Dr. Warren, you're

3:20:54recognized.

3:20:56>> Madam Chair, Representative Cooper

3:20:58Sutton is not here tonight. Could we

3:21:00hold this until she comes at the next

3:21:02meeting so she can speak on this?

3:21:04Without objection.

3:21:05>> Without objection.

3:21:06>> All right.

3:21:07>> That item will be held to the next

3:21:09council meeting.

3:21:20>> Madame Controller, if you will call item

3:21:22number seven.

3:21:25>> Item number 18.

3:21:29>> Thank you. Item number 18 is an

3:21:32ordinance of the city council of the

3:21:34city of Memphis, Tennessee, amending

3:21:37ordinance number 5367,

3:21:40known as the Memphis and Shelby County

3:21:42Unified Development Code to establish

3:21:45regulations for the sitting initial

3:21:48development, construction, expansion,

3:21:51alteration and operation of largecale

3:21:55data centers. Establishing data center

3:21:58development standards. Prohibiting rout

3:22:02routine evaporative and once through

3:22:05cooling. Requiring closed loop water

3:22:07circulation systems. Prohibiting major

3:22:10withdrawals of local water resources for

3:22:13data center cooling. Requiring water

3:22:16conservation and monitoring.

3:22:19Requiring progressive use of renewable

3:22:21and non-carbon electricity. Establish a

3:22:24schedule for the phase out of

3:22:26carbon-based electricity. Establishing

3:22:29requirements for expansion of existing

3:22:32data centers. Providing for public

3:22:35disclosure, reporting, enforcement,

3:22:38penalties, and other matters related

3:22:41there too. Up for third and final

3:22:44reading. Ordinance number 5986

3:22:47is sponsored by Councilman Warren. This

3:22:50was held from October 6.

3:22:56>> Thank you, Madam Chair. I move to

3:22:58substitute the altered substitute

3:23:00ordinance 5986 for the existing language

3:23:03in ordinance 5986 on the agenda today.

3:23:09>> If you'll move it electronically,

3:23:10please.

3:23:14It's been moved by Councilman Warren,

3:23:16second by Vice Chair Carlile.

3:23:19Councilwoman Green, you're in the queue.

3:23:22>> Thank you, Chair. Um, as we have just

3:23:25received this multi-page

3:23:28substitute ordinance and have not been

3:23:31able to, there's no red line to tell me

3:23:34what's new and what's different. I would

3:23:37move to for this ordinance, not for the

3:23:40one that has been sponsored by

3:23:42Councilman Smiley, myself, Chair

3:23:44Washington, and Chair Easter Thomas.

3:23:46This one that is sponsored by Jeff

3:23:48Warren that I believe has a 135day

3:23:52period

3:23:54instead of an 18-month moratorum that

3:23:56this one be held.

3:23:58>> Second.

3:24:01>> Objection.

3:24:09All right, we're going to vote on

3:24:10special item one.

3:24:16>> Madam Chair, can you confirm we're

3:24:18voting on the objection to be withheld

3:24:21or we voting on the item? Madam Chair,

3:24:23>> we're voting on just for clarity sake,

3:24:25the motion to hold is a valid motion. Is

3:24:27moved by Councilman Smiley, seconded by

3:24:29council, excuse me, by Green, seconded

3:24:31by Smiley. The objections moot and so

3:24:34now we're moving to item one to vote on

3:24:35whether it should be held or not.

3:24:36Councilwoman Green, we need a date for

3:24:38your motion.

3:24:40>> I I would like for it to be held till

3:24:41the next meeting so we have time to read

3:24:44>> the the substitute that is like 10

3:24:46pages.

3:24:46>> The motion on the floor is to move to

3:24:48hold it till the next meeting. Seconded

3:24:50by Councilman Smiley. That's special

3:24:51item one.

3:24:55Are you a doctor?

3:25:01>> Well, I point of clarification,

3:25:05chair.

3:25:08So, we're voting to to hold

3:25:12>> or don't

3:25:13>> the

3:25:14>> the proposed one that has the

3:25:17the the substitution for a pause on data

3:25:20center

3:25:21>> for the 135 days.

3:25:22>> Okay.

3:25:24>> Right.

3:25:26>> Okay. Okay. Okay. Got it.

3:25:28>> The one that we just got today that has

3:25:30brand new language in it that none of us

3:25:32have read.

3:26:01I don't know.

3:26:17I think

3:26:30I don't think

3:26:33you have

3:26:34Hillar

3:26:39have not had opportunity.

3:26:55Our job

3:27:07learned.

3:27:26I guess

3:27:32whether or not this would be a

3:27:34regulatory

3:27:52Yeah, thank you.

3:28:13Say it with your chest.

3:28:30Everybody else speak

3:28:37louder.

3:28:50Will you clarify? Yes.

3:29:34You're right.

3:30:01Thomas

3:30:08No children.

3:30:51on the

3:30:53say

3:30:55on the paper that we have it says

3:31:01I don't even know who sponsor

3:31:04Don't be a messy

3:31:27>> all day.

3:31:31my desk and then

3:31:36I don't know whether I should vote yes

3:31:37or no.

3:31:40>> So I would like whether it is Councilman

3:31:43Warren or Councilwoman Logan whose name

3:31:45is on this thing and if that's not

3:31:47right, maybe we need to amend it again.

3:31:50Figure out and tell me what's even in

3:31:52this.

3:31:53>> Well, right now

3:32:07Vote for Jerry Green.

3:32:09>> Right now, we're getting ready to hear

3:32:10from Jonathan Isam and Sarah Houston.

3:32:21>> Jonathan Is

3:32:28How y'all doing?

3:32:30Good evening, city council members. My

3:32:32name is Jonathan Isim, one of the

3:32:34founders of Youth Minds United, stand

3:32:36alongside Jasmine Bernard. And I'm

3:32:38asking you today, now I put my uh put

3:32:42the number on there for 18, but I didn't

3:32:45see that it was 19 because I was kind of

3:32:47rushing. I'm sorry. But I may, like I

3:32:50said, I may have the long letter on my

3:32:52page, but people say young people don't

3:32:53understand. But being young doesn't mean

3:32:56we are blind to what is happening in our

3:32:57own neighborhoods. We recognize that XY

3:33:01can bring jobs, investment, and

3:33:02opportunity to Memphis. We want our city

3:33:06to grow, but we must also consider our

3:33:09air, our water, and our electricity and

3:33:11the families living near the facilities.

3:33:14This is why we need the moratorum, not

3:33:17to stop progress, but to give our city

3:33:20time to study the risk, establish

3:33:22protections, and make sure our

3:33:24communities are not left behind like

3:33:26we've been left behind for so long. And

3:33:29council members, this is bigger than a

3:33:31moratorum. This is about the future of

3:33:33young people. We are the generation that

3:33:36will inherit the decisions that is being

3:33:38ma made in this exact room. We want jobs

3:33:41and opportunities, too. But we also want

3:33:43Memphis, a want a Memphis where we can

3:33:45live and raise our families and feel

3:33:47safe for the believers out here. First

3:33:50Timothy 4:12 says, "Let no man despise

3:33:53thy youth."

3:33:54>> So don't wait until we are adults to

3:33:57listen to us. Don't wait until the

3:33:59damage is done to us uh to what young

3:34:02people think. Give us a seat at the

3:34:03table while decisions are being made,

3:34:05not after the consequences arrive.

3:34:08Proverbs 11 11:28 says, "He that

3:34:11trusteth in the richest shall fail, I

3:34:13mean to fall, but the righteous shall

3:34:16flourish as a branch." Memphis, "Money

3:34:19does not equal a healthy community. Jobs

3:34:22and investment mean nothing if we ignore

3:34:24the well-being of the people who live

3:34:26here. We cannot put profit before

3:34:29people. We need older generations and

3:34:32younger generations standing together.

3:34:35To our elected officials, be leaders who

3:34:37make young people want to stay in

3:34:38Memphis. And to every young person who

3:34:41feels ignored, remember this. Your voice

3:34:43matters. Your future matters. And every

3:34:45right to stay. You have every right to

3:34:47stand up in this community. Memphis, we

3:34:49are not asking Memphis to stop

3:34:51progressing. We are asking Memphis to

3:34:53progress without leaving its people

3:34:55behind.

3:34:57We trust God, but we must also have the

3:34:59courage to stand up for what is

3:35:03>> Thank you, sir. Sarah Houston and then

3:35:05Wendy Clark Austin,

3:35:18>> Sarah Houston, and then Wendy Clark,

3:35:19Austin.

3:35:23>> I'm sorry.

3:35:24>> There we go. Good evening. Sarah Houston

3:35:2638103. I serve as executive director of

3:35:29Protect Our Aquafer.

3:35:31Let's be very clear. The public here

3:35:34tonight is here to support a moratorum.

3:35:38Period. That's what we're here for.

3:35:42This

3:35:44this right here, Councilman Ford, I hope

3:35:47you're listening.

3:35:49this ordinance. I have not seen the

3:35:51latest draft, but the the draft that we

3:35:53have seen. Here's some feedback for it.

3:35:56There's a disclosure section that

3:35:57requires information in application. It

3:35:59doesn't clearly define what application

3:36:01triggers that disclosure or when that

3:36:02information has to be provided. The

3:36:04closed loop cooling section appears to

3:36:06require closed loop cooling while

3:36:07another section identifies different

3:36:09cooling technologies. It's not clear how

3:36:11those requirements would work together.

3:36:13The proposed prohibition on major local

3:36:15water withdrawals refers to that

3:36:17withdrawal without defining what that

3:36:18means. Does that have to do with the

3:36:20groundwater control board? So it calls

3:36:22for public review of surface water

3:36:24groundwater diversions. Again, doesn't

3:36:26clearly establish what that public

3:36:27review process is. There's a water

3:36:29conservation plan required. That sounds

3:36:32great, but we don't have an

3:36:33understanding of the deadline for

3:36:34submitting. It doesn't require public

3:36:36review and there's not clear on the

3:36:38accountability measures.

3:36:40Water reuse. Water use is a public

3:36:43resource. Our aquifer is owned by the

3:36:46people. Our water is owned by the

3:36:48people. Let's be very clear that is

3:36:50state law. So, this is complicated.

3:36:53There's also energy provisions in here.

3:36:55There's things about backup generators

3:36:57that we know need stronger guardrails.

3:36:59We should be looking at specific hour

3:37:01operation limits about communities like

3:37:03in Virginia and Nashville, what they

3:37:05have done to regulate generator use. So

3:37:08these are not reasons to abandon an

3:37:09ordinance, but the reasons to delay the

3:37:13vote on this because we know we need to

3:37:16slow down. We need to think about all

3:37:18these opportunities for regulating data

3:37:21centers. And that's exactly what a

3:37:23moratorum does. It gives us time to do

3:37:25this together.

3:37:26>> Do not vote for this.

3:37:33Wendy Clark Austin

3:37:37and Michelle Branch.

3:37:44>> Okay, they're not here. Allison King,

3:37:51>> is Michelle Branch here?

3:37:56>> Okay, go ahead.

3:37:57>> That's okay.

3:38:01Hello, I'm Allison King. I've moved here

3:38:04to Memphis, a city that I love, from

3:38:07Central Valley, California, where we

3:38:09thought we had unlimited resources in

3:38:12our aquifer, and we have been rudely

3:38:15surprised for many years. We didn't have

3:38:18forever water in the Central Valley

3:38:21aquifer. Mr. Carlile, you said at at a

3:38:26press conference that it's too bad the

3:38:28poor people of South Memphis are in an

3:38:31industrial zone place. But I want to

3:38:34tell you, the aquafer is an I drink your

3:38:38milkshake situation.

3:38:40It's not just South Memphis who needs

3:38:43water. We all need water. We all rely on

3:38:46that aquifer.

3:38:48and it's already strained by the two

3:38:51data centers that are operating. A third

3:38:55one will put even more strain and 10

3:38:58years from now, you won't be able to

3:39:00water your lawns, your beautiful oak

3:39:03trees, or anything else that will be

3:39:06dying because of climate change because

3:39:09we'll need the water just to drink. So,

3:39:12Mr. Carile, I respectfully say, think

3:39:15about this condescending attitude

3:39:18towards the people of m South Memphis

3:39:21and how sad it is that they're in an an

3:39:24industrial zone. We are in a zone that

3:39:28need to drink water to live.

3:39:48All right. Item on the floor. Madam

3:39:50>> Chair, I'm in the queue. I'm in the

3:39:51queue.

3:39:51>> Go ahead.

3:39:52>> So, thank you um so much um for

3:39:55acknowledging me.

3:39:57One of the reasons I'm I'm I'm deeply

3:39:59concerned about what's happening now is

3:40:03one of the reasons people have a

3:40:05mistrust or distrust for the government

3:40:09because they believe that so much of

3:40:12what we do is done in the dark. At the

3:40:15very last minute, we get a substitute

3:40:17ordinance that no one has had an

3:40:19opportunity to review. And to be

3:40:22extremely transparent, what's happening

3:40:24up here is me

3:40:29ers are rushing through to try to

3:40:31determine what's in here. One of the

3:40:34things that the community has

3:40:35consistently been saying is what about

3:40:38the community engagement?

3:40:40I have no idea if there's a community

3:40:42engagement in this. Um,

3:40:46I don't want to talk too long, but I

3:40:48will make a motion to suspend the rules

3:40:50to move this item to the end to give at

3:40:52least people an opportunity to read it

3:40:54for the next 30, 40 minutes.

3:40:57>> Second.

3:40:59>> Councilwoman Logan, you're recognized.

3:41:04>> There's a motion on the floor.

3:41:05>> Okay, wait just one second. We'll come

3:41:06back to the motion. Councilwoman Logan,

3:41:11>> it's about the motion. Go ahead.

3:41:16I'm sorry.

3:41:18So, this ordinance,

3:41:21you want to go ahead.

3:41:22>> Okay. This Go ahead,

3:41:24>> Madam Chair. Um, we've had this

3:41:27ordinance for I think at least one

3:41:31reading and this would have been the

3:41:32second. This was Councilwoman Logan's

3:41:34ordinance that uses a UDC. The UDC is

3:41:38what you know is allows public input. We

3:41:42have to when you vote this in what ends

3:41:44up occurring is that now you start the

3:41:46process of writing the regulations that

3:41:49can actually control these data centers

3:41:52and control what they're doing. So we've

3:41:54had this. It's not like we didn't have

3:41:55it. If you if you look at it, you'll

3:41:57notice you've seen it because I'm sure

3:41:59you read hers when she when she

3:42:01presented it. So there's nothing unusual

3:42:03with that. And you know, we're doing

3:42:06this at advice of you know, people who

3:42:09know what's going on. So, I don't think

3:42:11we need 45 minutes to read it. And I

3:42:13would say let's don't do that.

3:42:44We always do. He co-sponsored, but his

3:42:46name was left off of here, but it is his

3:42:48exact ordinance. Two of them were put

3:42:50together. The ordinance is for the UDC

3:42:53update to continue with DPD to make

3:42:57certain that we pause as everyone wanted

3:43:00that we pause all applications as

3:43:03everyone wanted. We all came into the

3:43:06agreement that it that is what everyone

3:43:08wanted to pause applications. No

3:43:10applications will be accepted until we

3:43:14finished. The mayor put a study on.

3:43:16We're doing a study in hearings. So, it

3:43:18was decided that no applications would

3:43:21be heard. This is nothing new.

3:43:25>> This is nothing new.

3:43:27>> It's two combined. They're the same.

3:43:30They're the exact same ones that we've

3:43:32had for second and third reading.

3:43:36>> It's giving the it's it's giving the

3:43:38it's giving the people exactly what they

3:43:41wanted. We all agree.

3:43:43>> Okay.

3:43:47Councilwoman Green, you're recognized.

3:43:51>> There is a motion on the floor to hold

3:43:53this at least to the end of the meeting

3:43:56to give the public a chance to read it

3:44:00and to give council. And if you are

3:44:02telling me that it is this ordinance

3:44:04plus another ordinance, that's not the

3:44:06same. That is a new ordinance.

3:44:09>> It is not.

3:44:10>> It is not. Attorney

3:44:14I have a lawyer. I have a lawyer and I

3:44:15will tell you this. When we do things,

3:44:18when we do things fast, we get them

3:44:20wrong. That is the whole point of a

3:44:22moratorium. What these people want here

3:44:24today is not for us to say that this has

3:44:27been blessed by certain people. They

3:44:29want to be able to read it and to give

3:44:31input. What they want is a moratorum so

3:44:33that we can talk to the community.

3:44:35That's what they've been asking for for

3:44:37over a year.

3:44:41I have no

3:44:43I I am telling you I have been here all

3:44:46day. Look guys, I'm I am I am very tired

3:44:50and so I I

3:44:52I am a little more animated than normal.

3:44:56But I am telling you that it is

3:44:59completely unjust and unfair. that there

3:45:02is a lack of transparency and that has

3:45:04been the exact problem with the whole

3:45:07data center coming to Memphis is a lack

3:45:10of transparency and a lack of community

3:45:12engagement and today y'all are trying to

3:45:14force this in. So all we're asking is to

3:45:17hold it to the end. That's the motion

3:45:19that's on the floor and I call the

3:45:21question.

3:45:23>> Point of information, Madam Chair.

3:45:30Point of point of order, Madam Chair, if

3:45:32memory serves, the motion on the floor

3:45:33is to suspend the rules which require

3:45:35seven votes under the charter.

3:45:41>> Mad Madam Chair,

3:45:42>> Madam Chair,

3:45:43>> can can I do want to amend my motion? It

3:45:45was

3:45:47>> Can I Can I amend my motion? It's my

3:45:49motion.

3:45:49>> Okay, go ahead.

3:45:50>> I move to hold this item until the end

3:45:53of the meeting.

3:45:56>> I'm talking to the chair.

3:45:58I move to hold this item until the end

3:46:00of the meeting,

3:46:03>> but we have already called the question.

3:46:08>> It's clear that everybody's going to

3:46:09vote they want to the way they want to

3:46:11vote and they don't want to listen to me

3:46:12and Councilman Smiley and they don't

3:46:14want to listen to the people here. So,

3:46:15why don't we go ahead and vote because

3:46:17y'all have already voted against this

3:46:19multiple times.

3:46:20>> Thank you.

3:47:38A tempatorum on the acceptance.

3:47:40>> Madam chair, I move to hold 19

3:47:43>> processing and issuance. Man, come on.

3:47:46Come on. Come on, y'all.

3:47:55Object.

3:48:05>> There's a motion to hold item number 19.

3:48:17Madam Chair, if you don't mind, may I

3:48:19make a comment, please?

3:48:20>> You may.

3:48:22>> I absolutely love the fact that everyone

3:48:24is here today.

3:48:27He object where so great great great

3:48:30comment. And Madam Chair, forgive me.

3:48:32Forgive me. I'm gonna I I'll talk to

3:48:34you. I love the fact that everyone's

3:48:36here today. Dr. Warren and several

3:48:38council members, Councilwoman Green,

3:48:41people have made objections. People have

3:48:43have tried to follow the the Robert's

3:48:45rules of order today. So, please, I'm

3:48:48just asking please make sure that

3:48:49everyone please keep it down because

3:48:51it's very important. This is very

3:48:53important, y'all. We're trying to do

3:48:54work for you. I promise you that. Okay.

3:48:58So, there was an objection over here. I

3:49:01know Councilwoman Green did something.

3:49:02So, if we could all please just get

3:49:05through this with some order so we can

3:49:06vote and speak for the people that have

3:49:09elected us to represent them, please.

3:49:11Thank you.

3:49:12>> All right.

3:49:14So, now

3:49:17>> we

3:49:18>> there has been a

3:49:19>> we need we need you all to have a seat

3:49:21>> cuz there was an objection over here and

3:49:23y'all didn't hear it.

3:49:24>> Can we have a Can we Can we be seated in

3:49:27here

3:49:29>> as much as possible? Can we be seated?

3:49:33So, Madam Chair, there wasn't just a

3:49:36moment. I can't see what's going on.

3:50:06Whatever you think, whatever you want to

3:50:08do.

3:50:34All right.

3:50:36>> All right.

3:50:45>> All right.

3:50:48Council Councilman Warren.

3:50:50>> Yes, ma'am. I have a motion to hold item

3:50:54number 19, which is the mortorium for 18

3:50:57months.

3:50:59>> I need a second.

3:51:01>> Now we're on 19.

3:51:09>> Madam chair, it fails for lack of

3:51:11second.

3:51:13>> So, we've got a motion to hold item 19.

3:51:16We did not get a second.

3:51:18All right. So, we're going to continue

3:51:21on with item 19 because we did not get a

3:51:24second. Do we have any cards for item

3:51:2619?

3:51:29>> What about the first,

3:51:39>> right? They can only speak on two items.

3:51:42>> All right. Councilman Smiley, you're in

3:51:44the queue.

3:51:48Thank you, Madam Chair. I think this

3:51:50body has spoken enough. I think it's

3:51:52time for us to listen to the people.

3:51:54>> All right. Thank you,

3:52:02>> Tula Rucker and Angelica Whitehead.

3:52:11And this card doesn't have a name. So,

3:52:17Tequila Rucker, Memphis for All. Now, I

3:52:19have some prepared to say, but the way

3:52:22y'all running this meeting have me very

3:52:24concerned about things that's happening

3:52:26here today. The question I want to know

3:52:28is, does 18 kill 19? Because 19 is what

3:52:31the people have been intentional about

3:52:34making sure the community input has been

3:52:36included in this ask for the data center

3:52:38moratorum which we are all here in

3:52:40support of but we getting a resolution

3:52:43or something within the last hour for us

3:52:46to be able to make a decision on and

3:52:47it's your responsibility to make sure

3:52:50that you are taking the public's input

3:52:53in you your considerations that you are

3:52:55making here today. So I do appreciate

3:52:57you going ahead and listen to us but we

3:52:59want data the data center moratorum

3:53:02passed today. We can do both.

3:53:08>> We can put regulations in place and pass

3:53:12the moratorum. On October the 6th we

3:53:15were told that nothing was coming,

3:53:17nothing was expected, but there was a

3:53:19$575 million permit SUBMITTED FOR THE

3:53:22EXPANSION OF ANOTHER MORATORIUM. and so

3:53:25another data center so we can't KEEP ON

3:53:28TRUSTING YOUR WORD FOR what it is when

3:53:30you don't even know what's going on in

3:53:32this city. Pause the data centers so we

3:53:35can get this right. Lies are at stake

3:53:37and blood is on your hand. So you need

3:53:39to MAKE DECISIONS TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT BY

3:53:42THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED you in office.

3:53:45ALL OF THIS RESEARCH that you call

3:53:47YOURSELF DOING HAS BEEN DONE. LISTEN to

3:53:49the people THAT'S BEEN DOING THIS WORK

3:53:51ON THE GROUND FIGHTING FOR the people

3:53:53FIGHTING FOR YOU TOO.

3:53:55>> THEY GONNA KEEP COMING IN THIS CITY

3:53:57DOING WHATEVER THEY WANT TO DO IF you

3:53:59don't put a STOP TO IT TODAY. THE

3:54:01RESPONSIBILITY IS ON YOU AND WARREN YOUR

3:54:04FEARONGERING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO

3:54:06HAPPEN economically if they don't come

3:54:08here because we put A PAUSE IN IT. WHAT

3:54:11HAPPENS IF WE DON'T? THERE'S NOT GOING

3:54:13TO be anybody here to protect or to

3:54:15live. So do what you need to do to pass

3:54:17this moratory.

3:54:36>> Excuse me.

3:54:38Angela Whitehead and then Dr. Stephanie

3:54:42Cole.

3:54:45My name is Angelica

3:54:47and I am a Memphis resident and a

3:54:50community organizer with the Equity

3:54:52Alliance who showed up today to make it

3:54:56known that Memphis is not an experiment.

3:54:59>> Our communities should not have to

3:55:02experience harm first and ask the

3:55:05government to regulate it later. That's

3:55:08why the data center moratorum matters.

3:55:11When we don't fully understand the

3:55:12impact that massive data centers could

3:55:15have on our power grid, on our water, on

3:55:19our air, property values, and

3:55:22surrounding neighborhoods, the

3:55:24responsible thing to do is pause, study

3:55:28it, create the guard rails, listen to

3:55:31the people who actually live here,

3:55:34because Memphis knows what happens when

3:55:36government acts first and asks questions

3:55:39later. We're watching it happen with the

3:55:42Memphis Safe Task Force. We were told we

3:55:45needed an extraordinary federal

3:55:47intervention to make Memphis safe. But

3:55:50MPD's own numbers show crime was already

3:55:54at a 25-year low before the task force

3:55:57began. Now, we're looking at nearly

3:56:00188,000 traffic stops, immigration

3:56:03raids, families being separated, and six

3:56:07deaths associated with the task force

3:56:09operation. That's why tonight isn't just

3:56:12about data centers. It isn't just about

3:56:15ICE or the National Guard. It's about

3:56:17governance.

3:56:19>> It's about whether government protects

3:56:21communities before harm happens or waits

3:56:24until afterwards to explain why nobody

3:56:28saw it coming.

3:56:29>> You have the power tonight to choose a

3:56:32different model.

3:56:34Pause unchecked data center development.

3:56:37Remove ICE and the National Guard from

3:56:39Memphis and put community voice,

3:56:42transparency, and accountability back at

3:56:45the center of how the city makes

3:56:47decision. Memphis deserves development

3:56:50without exploitation and safety.

3:57:15Dr. Steven Kohl's and then Cheryl

3:57:17Piggies.

3:57:46Hello, city council.

3:57:48My name is Cheryl Piggy Kite, the

3:57:52professional advocate.

3:57:56The cororum means polite control and

3:58:00proper behavior that matches the

3:58:03expectations of the specific social

3:58:06setting,

3:58:08ceremony, or environment,

3:58:11which includes

3:58:13keeping your feet off the furniture that

3:58:17belongs to us.

3:58:20>> We all are passionate about the

3:58:22well-being of our community. We all want

3:58:26to we all want to create or have a

3:58:31positive impact change in the fabric in

3:58:33our community. We all are fighting for a

3:58:37safe, healthy and prosperous community.

3:58:42It is difficult when we are not on one

3:58:45accord. In order for that to take place,

3:58:48we we must learn to communicate

3:58:52effectively even when we do not agree.

3:58:55We know there's going to be times that

3:58:58we do not agree, but respectfully we

3:59:02must communicate.

3:59:05City council, you must include us in

3:59:09your decision making for the betterment

3:59:12of the whole. We hired you to make a

3:59:15decision to include our voices.

3:59:20If including our voices is a hindrance,

3:59:24then perhaps we should hire some new

3:59:27people, be accountable to our community,

3:59:39>> Cheryl Piggies.

3:59:42Hold up. Okay. Suzanne Jackson

3:59:48>> and then Kevin Star.

4:00:01>> Suzanne Jackson 38111.

4:00:05We need a pause and moratorum to

4:00:07determine sufficient regulations and

4:00:10negotiated agreements to ensure our

4:00:12health, protect our people and

4:00:15resources, and insist on thriving for

4:00:18all. The council members who raised

4:00:21questions and concerns on October 6

4:00:24inspired me to take a brief deep dive

4:00:27with the sometimes unreliable AI. So, I

4:00:30now have a few questions about

4:00:32accountability, protection,

4:00:35and corporate fair share investment in

4:00:38all of our community. Electrolux had

4:00:40already left Memphis without fulfilling

4:00:42its pilot. Then, Phoenix Investor

4:00:45acquired the property for 35 million and

4:00:48rented it to XAI and affiliated with

4:00:52SpaceX. XAI,

4:00:55bought the Electrolux property for 185

4:00:58million. And if that weren't bad enough,

4:01:01X AI then subleasased the entire

4:01:06Electrolux Classes one to its competitor

4:01:10anthrop anthrop anthropic for 1.25

4:01:15billion with a P a month.

4:01:19How much is Memphis receiving from that

4:01:221.25 billion a month for much needed

4:01:26community investment here? Why have the

4:01:29residents within a fivemile radius not

4:01:32received actual services from the first

4:01:353.4 million with an M promised by the

4:01:39community benefits agreement? Why did

4:01:42EDGE lease 552 more acres to XAI for 21

4:01:47years and with the option to buy it in

4:01:4922nd year? How much did Memphis receive

4:01:53from that lease and the subleasase of

4:01:56some of that acreage to Seven States

4:01:58Power Corporation? Why did XAI

4:02:03owe 400,000 a month to MLGW for

4:02:08electricity and not have its electricity

4:02:11cut off to be

4:02:17Nobody should have their electricity cut

4:02:19off.

4:02:19>> Thank you, Miss Jackson.

4:02:21If we can have Kevin Star and then

4:02:23Jamaiah Irby.

4:02:29>> Hey, how y'all doing today? My name is

4:02:32Kevin Star and I'm speaking on the

4:02:34behalf of the kids. One thing that

4:02:36caught my attention last council

4:02:38meeting. Yes, they said that they were

4:02:40doing this for the generation. They was

4:02:41doing this for the future. But how is

4:02:43poison water, poison air good for the

4:02:44kids? How can the kids go to the

4:02:46playground and play? How? What about the

4:02:49kids in next generation? What about

4:02:50life? Want us to vote for y'all and pick

4:02:53y side? Who going to do right? Tired to

4:02:55close the blinds. Living in silence. I'm

4:02:56going to join the fight. Keep speaking

4:02:58on Elon Mus. Don't like that guy. Don't

4:02:59know why he got the hype.

4:03:01>> If you for the city, you got to be mean.

4:03:03Council on dirt. They playing too nice.

4:03:05We was just asked for 18 months. Y'all

4:03:07pushed us back and didn't think twice.

4:03:09Y'all think that this helping is hurting

4:03:10our life. Y'all paying with money. We

4:03:12paying with lies. Let's go to the poll.

4:03:14We ain't think twice. We folding them

4:03:15out. is waving goodbye cuz y'all not

4:03:17doing nothing for us.

4:03:19Nothing. Y'all say the generation. Y'all

4:03:21say the kids. I don't think it's not one

4:03:24kid up in here that's happy with

4:03:25anything that's going on. And they don't

4:03:27even know what's going on. So how can

4:03:28you say you're doing anything for a kid?

4:03:30How can you say that you're doing

4:03:30anything for for the youth, for infant,

4:03:32for anybody, the elderly? Like come on

4:03:35y'all. We got to get it together. We

4:03:37need that moratorum. That's all I got to

4:03:39say.

4:03:50Jamaiah Herby and then Brandon

4:03:52Washington.

4:03:53>> Jamaiah Irby, that'll be me. Good

4:03:56afternoon, council.

4:03:57>> My name is Jamaia Herrerby and I'm a

4:03:59youth organizer for the Equity Alliance

4:04:01as well. Today this council is being

4:04:03asked to make a decision about two

4:04:05issues that I have been that I have been

4:04:08impacted by that may look different but

4:04:10are very much so connected by the basic

4:04:12question. Why don't local leadership

4:04:15care enough to choose the people over

4:04:16profit?

4:04:19We got massive data centers coming into

4:04:22our communities demanding large amounts

4:04:24of power, water and infrastructure and

4:04:28residents never had a voice before the

4:04:30development move forward. A pause is in

4:04:33order. We are simply saying before you

4:04:36build, Memphis get to ask questions.

4:04:39Before you take resources, Memphis get

4:04:42to establish rules. Before decisions are

4:04:45made about our neighborhoods, Memphis

4:04:47residents gets a seat at the table. The

4:04:50same principle applies to the Memphis

4:04:53Safe Task Force that y'all called it.

4:04:57Whether we're talking about a billion

4:04:58dollar technology companies or federal

4:05:00law enforcements, Memphis cannot

4:05:03continue being a place where powerful

4:05:05institutions and billionaires pray on

4:05:07the poor and make decisions for us

4:05:10without us.

4:05:12It's a wild watch. It's wild to watch

4:05:15folks really construct arguments that

4:05:17basically say we should risk the lives

4:05:19of poor black people to save the

4:05:21economy. We don't need to do research.

4:05:23We don't need to pause and try to see

4:05:25how we can do this in a way that causes

4:05:27less damage and displacement as

4:05:29possible. Elon wants his data center

4:05:31now. It's insane. Our voices matter. Our

4:05:35lives matter. And Memphis belongs to

4:05:38Meians. Support the data center

4:05:41moratorum. Pause and get it right.

4:05:45Support the resolution removing ICE in

4:05:48the National Guard. Give Memphis the

4:05:50space to determine what safety

4:05:53development and progress look like for

4:05:55ourselves. Thank you,

4:06:07>> Brandon Washington. and then Amber

4:06:09Sherman.

4:06:12>> Thank you.

4:06:14>> Good evening, council. Three years ago,

4:06:17I stood right here after I ran for

4:06:19office at the age of 19 and I gave you

4:06:21all one simple assignment. I asked you

4:06:25to listen to the people. And after

4:06:28nearly three years later, if I had to

4:06:30grade most of you all on this

4:06:32assignment, it'd probably be a D+ and

4:06:35only a plus because I'm feeling kind of

4:06:38generous.

4:06:41Now, I'm not going to stand up here and

4:06:43throw a bunch of facts and statistic at

4:06:45at you because I know that Richard

4:06:48Massie or Representative Justin Pierce

4:06:51or Trinity Williams would get up here

4:06:52and do that for me. Instead, I want to

4:06:55tell you a story. One of the reasons I

4:06:58received over 16,000 votes when I ran at

4:07:0119 was because I believe that elected

4:07:04officials job is to amplify the people.

4:07:08And tonight, I want to amplify the story

4:07:09of someone close to me, of my little

4:07:12sister. She came to Memphis for my

4:07:15birthday and a on August 9th. And within

4:07:18just three hours of her being back in

4:07:20Memphis, she had to call 911 because she

4:07:23was passing out from an asthma attack.

4:07:27She barely had enough time to crack open

4:07:29the front door to allow the 911 um

4:07:32ambulance to come in. Now, this was

4:07:35strange to us because she never had

4:07:38asthma before she left Memphis.

4:07:42Now, she was told that other people had

4:07:45been coming into the emergency rooms

4:07:47with breathing problems and leaving with

4:07:49inhalers that they didn't come in with.

4:07:53The next day, I found myself trying to

4:07:55calm her down because she was

4:07:58experiencing another asthma attack. And

4:08:01because she was experiencing asthma

4:08:03attack for the second time in her life,

4:08:06she was also experiencing a panic

4:08:08attack.

4:08:09Now, I don't know how many of y'all had

4:08:11to calm your sibling down when they were

4:08:15uh when you were secretly panicking

4:08:16yourself, but I do not recommend it. We

4:08:19need this moratorum now, not later.

4:08:22Lives are at stake now. Thank you.

4:08:24>> Thank you,

4:08:34>> Amber Sherman. And then Elizabeth

4:08:36Houston.

4:08:41The great philosopher Young Jeezy once

4:08:43said, "Scared money don't make no

4:08:45money." And our government embodies that

4:08:47wholeheartedly. Our city is so scared to

4:08:50lose potential dollars that we'll accept

4:08:52crumbs, lies, and pollution from any

4:08:54business wanting to come here in the

4:08:56name of economic development. when in

4:08:59reality, this body and our mayor should

4:09:02be doing their jobs as elected officials

4:09:04and spokespersons for the city to

4:09:06recruit quality businesses here that pay

4:09:08higher wages and have benefits instead

4:09:10of the current warehouse industrial

4:09:11complex that we have that exists. The

4:09:14argument that these businesses will just

4:09:16go somewhere else also isn't realistic.

4:09:18Other cities and surrounding areas are

4:09:20shutting them down completely, so they

4:09:22can't go there. We aren't anti-

4:09:25business, but we are anti-exloitation.

4:09:27And unfortunately for y'all, Miffians

4:09:29aren't dumb. So when y'all give these

4:09:31monologues and your comments, it's

4:09:33really a waste of time because it's not

4:09:35working on us. We actually have all the

4:09:38leverage here and we're squandering it

4:09:40in the name of allegiance to billionaire

4:09:41companies instead of standing with the

4:09:43people. Policy is powerful. So powerful

4:09:47in fact that the lack of it is the

4:09:49reason why we're here in the first place

4:09:51and are continuing to be exploited.

4:09:53Supporting a pause on data centers is a

4:09:56vote for supporting the people.

4:09:58Supporting a pause on data centers is a

4:10:00vote for recognizing that community

4:10:02voice wasn't heard in the beginning, but

4:10:04we can correct that right now.

4:10:06Supporting a pause on data centers is a

4:10:09vote for reaffirming your dedication to

4:10:11the people of Memphis, not the

4:10:12billionaire class. I encourage you to

4:10:15vote yes on item 19. And I think it's

4:10:17embarrassing and downright dismissive

4:10:20that Jeff Warren and Ronda Logan have

4:10:21put together this random ordinance that

4:10:23we did not ask for that still does not

4:10:25have our community input and y'all

4:10:27continue to not listen to us. I didn't

4:10:29know Ronda was going to be such a

4:10:30disappointment in a sellout, but

4:10:31apparently, you know, she is. And I

4:10:33didn't know Jeff Warren was going to be

4:10:34so lame, too. But once I said before, he

4:10:36is the white moderate that is a

4:10:38hindrance to what we want in Memphis.

4:10:54Elizabeth Houston

4:10:56and then Keshan Pearson.

4:10:58>> Oh, not me going before Keshan. Hi, I'm

4:11:01Elizabeth Booker Houston, native

4:11:03Memphian, proud graduate of Christian

4:11:05Brothers University and Cecil Humphrey

4:11:06School of Law. Um, but right now my

4:11:09current title is I am the person who

4:11:12makes and breaks uh elections and

4:11:14campaigns. And I had to take a break

4:11:17from my busy schedule flying all across

4:11:18the country for midterms to come here

4:11:21because I have no idea why my own city

4:11:24is not going ahead and voting for this

4:11:26moratorum. Um, I'm going to tell you I

4:11:30see Mr. Spinosa looking up at the screen

4:11:32all that. Hi. I'm a big dog baby. I'm

4:11:34above your pay grade. So I'm going to

4:11:35tell you something. Um,

4:11:39I'm such a big dog that Elon Musk

4:11:41harassed, attacked, and doxed me

4:11:43directly, doxing something that I hear

4:11:45Chase Carile knows a little bit about. I

4:11:48um,

4:11:48>> wait a minute.

4:11:49>> I want to give y'all about a million

4:11:51dollars worth of game for free because

4:11:53everybody's talking about the effects on

4:11:54the citizens and the health impacts and

4:11:56all of that. As someone whose job it is

4:11:58to win elections and has worked with

4:12:00everyone all the way up to the vice

4:12:02president, right? Um, this will kill

4:12:04your political career.

4:12:09>> Even in the most conservative parts of

4:12:12Texas, as I have campaigned with Gina

4:12:14Hinahosa, the Republicans and right-wing

4:12:16people are for data center moratoriums.

4:12:19MAGA, Democrat, Liberal, whoever.

4:12:24Every single person is against these

4:12:25data centers for good reason. And so if

4:12:28you don't care enough about the health

4:12:29and well-being of Memphians, please at

4:12:31least care maybe about your bank

4:12:33accounts, your future political careers,

4:12:36especially if you are a black person

4:12:39sitting on this city council and how it

4:12:42looks.

4:12:45>> Anyway, I'm going to go back to my job

4:12:47of making things go viral when I want to

4:12:49and putting the messaging out there when

4:12:50I want to. And just think about what you

4:12:52want me to say to national audiences

4:12:54about you when I walk out of this room.

4:13:09Keshan Peterson,

4:13:21>> Keshan Pearson, and then Sarah Houston.

4:13:25>> Thank you.

4:13:30My first amendment rights were infringed

4:13:33upon.

4:13:34>> But as you can see, I'm still here.

4:13:41>> If you are for a data center moratorum,

4:13:44would you please stand?

4:13:55The city of Memphis is ready for a data

4:13:58center moratorum. Millington passed a

4:14:00data center moratorum just last week. I

4:14:03have been to PG County in Maryland. I

4:14:05have been to Jackson, Mississippi. And

4:14:08Memphis is where we continue to fail the

4:14:10people who need you the most.

4:14:14>> I want to talk about a few things that

4:14:16happened before the last meeting

4:14:18transpired. The Greater Memphis Chamber

4:14:20held a closed meeting with our city

4:14:21council members on the Friday before the

4:14:23vote.

4:14:25>> And on the Tuesday of the vote, there

4:14:27was a pause.

4:14:30Now, I don't know what the Memphis

4:14:31Chamber has been doing or what they've

4:14:33been up to and how they've convinced

4:14:35you, but what I will say is that we will

4:14:38not forget what happens here, and our

4:14:40demands remain the same. We demand a

4:14:43healthy environment, clean air, clean

4:14:46water, which we have a human right to.

4:14:48>> We also demand representation that

4:14:50chooses us, the people, over the profits

4:14:53of a billionaire's experiment. We

4:14:56continue to breathe the majority of the

4:14:58pollution that is coming from South

4:14:59Haven. 63.8%

4:15:02will reign over South over Shelby

4:15:04County. We will suffer. Our most

4:15:07socially vulnerable communities continue

4:15:09to suffer with COPD and respiratory

4:15:11illnesses. If you have never taken your

4:15:14own family, rushed them to a Walgreens

4:15:18to get an inhaler

4:15:20>> that was generic to save their lives.

4:15:23You don't know what it's like for people

4:15:26to struggle to breathe. This city

4:15:29deserves more. Black people deserve

4:15:31more. Black families deserve more than

4:15:33to continue to bow down to this fascist

4:15:35regime.

4:15:37>> Vote for a moratorum now.

4:15:43Look at us.

4:15:48>> Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. Uh-uh.

4:15:50Uh-uh. Uh-uh.

4:15:55We're not going to scream. Thank you.

4:15:58Thank you.

4:16:01>> Thank you, Joelle Thompson.

4:16:05and Jasmine Jeffrey.

4:16:22>> Hello again, Joel. Thompson. Am I ready?

4:16:26Okay. Hi. Um, I was going to speak about

4:16:28the mortorium, but I've also noticed the

4:16:30body language of people up here, and I

4:16:32want to let's let's talk about the

4:16:34facts. We talk about there's been a lot

4:16:36of people since the last meeting on the

4:16:37news talking about, oh well the city

4:16:39council doesn't just have to vote

4:16:40because these people who showed up to

4:16:42the meeting say so the rest of the city

4:16:44doesn't. This is the city. I don't know

4:16:46what y'all are talking about or what

4:16:47y'all are thinking about. Memphis is a

4:16:50majority black city. Shelby County is a

4:16:53majority black county. So even if you're

4:16:56white, I'm looking at four white males

4:16:58who choose to look away from the people

4:16:59at the podium on multiple occasions.

4:17:01Even if you're white, this impacts you.

4:17:04This impacts your district. This is not

4:17:06a black issue. This is a people issue. I

4:17:09know this firsthand as a resident of

4:17:11Alibaba community and the Memphis

4:17:13Defense Depot where nobody on the city

4:17:15council did anything for that community

4:17:16and then gave the money away to the edge

4:17:18board and we're dealing with the effects

4:17:20today. Our aquifer is reach the the the

4:17:24industry in that area is wreaking havoc

4:17:26on our aquifer, y'all. It's the

4:17:27contamination is not even these kids

4:17:29sitting right here gonna be dealing with

4:17:30the contamination in a few years. And

4:17:33this is not the future if we're taking

4:17:35away everybody keeps saying air and

4:17:37water also our soil. We you want to use

4:17:41words like a yah desert. That's not a

4:17:43thing. But you know what a real thing

4:17:44is? A food desert. That's a real thing.

4:17:48>> Food deserts are real. And people are

4:17:50don't even have access to food in

4:17:52Memphis. They don't have access to

4:17:53education. But they do have inhaler

4:17:56medication. They do have diabetes

4:17:58medication. They do have to go to chemo.

4:18:00We're worried about the wrong things,

4:18:02y'all. If we're not inter interested in

4:18:05pausing a a moratorum to just look at

4:18:08the issues, it's not we're not even

4:18:10saying it can't kill them ever. It's a

4:18:12pause for 18 months. Jesus, an elephant

4:18:15has a baby long. It take longer for

4:18:16elephants to have babies. I'm sorry,

4:18:18y'all. Put me on a ramp. Y'all vote for

4:18:20a pause. Please stop looking at people

4:18:22like they're saying stuff that doesn't

4:18:23matter. This matters not only to them,

4:18:25but to you, too.

4:18:36Jasmine Jeffrey and Jasmine Bernard.

4:18:44>> Hi, I'm Jasmine Jeffrey, PhD. Um,

4:18:51>> I just want to say that 100% of our

4:18:53drinking water comes from the Memphis

4:18:55Sand Aquafer.

4:18:57And today, SpaceXi is pumping a million

4:19:01gallons a day. And this creates a draw

4:19:05down which pulls contaminants into our

4:19:08aquifer.

4:19:13Meanwhile, the closed loop systems that

4:19:16are in some of y'all's ordinances

4:19:18are complicated and they're not always a

4:19:20good option because they use tons of

4:19:23chemicals. And we can't let the industry

4:19:25hide behind trade secrets. What are

4:19:28those chemicals? Are piles and

4:19:31persistent chemicals being used? What

4:19:32happens to that water? Where is it being

4:19:34discharged? Who monitors it?

4:19:39If we are going to approve facilities

4:19:41that could operate for decades. We need

4:19:43actual water use data and not

4:19:45terminology that makes the water

4:19:46question sound simpler than it is. The

4:19:49Memphis Sand Aquifer does does not stop

4:19:51at the city limits. MLGW cannot supply a

4:19:55data center. They will try to drill a

4:19:57well through the groundwater board and

4:19:59county health department. If MLG cannot

4:20:01supply MLGW cannot supply power or a

4:20:05data center is waiting on TVA approvals

4:20:07to connect to the grid, they will just

4:20:09bring in turbines.

4:20:11That's regulated by the county health

4:20:12department.

4:20:14Overlapping governance and the multitude

4:20:16of different scenarios to consider are

4:20:18why Memphis needs a joint city county

4:20:20approach to data center development.

4:20:23water use, land use, infrastructure, and

4:20:25environmental protections. We cannot

4:20:27have the city making decisions that

4:20:28affect regional water resources without

4:20:30the county at the table. And for these

4:20:33reasons, we should at the very least

4:20:36consider a 9-month moratorum. Thank you,

4:20:49>> Jasmine Bernard. And then Christine Fox.

4:20:53>> Hey y'all. I just want to say plainly,

4:20:55y'all really played in our face today

4:20:57and we just got to put that out plainly

4:20:58cuz we're tired and we've been here too

4:21:01many times about this moratorum. We

4:21:04y'all have danced around this real

4:21:05action long enough. Y'all have held it

4:21:08multiple times, done unconstitutional

4:21:10bans and done intimidation tactics like

4:21:13personally sending city council

4:21:15employees to my house to give me a ban

4:21:17that was unconstitutional.

4:21:21And since we wanted to make that

4:21:22personal, I have a personal question for

4:21:24Dr. Warren. Did you not take an oath to

4:21:27do no harm?

4:21:31>> What do you think you're doing to South

4:21:33Memphis? But beyond that, cuz I still

4:21:36hope you do say yes on this moratorum.

4:21:39We have a simple ask for all of y'all to

4:21:41just pass the state center moratorum.

4:21:43There's a room full of your own

4:21:44constituents asking y'all to do this.

4:21:46We're not coming out of nowhere with

4:21:47this. We've been here for 800 days

4:21:49asking for a moratorum, asking for y'all

4:21:51to value the lives of the people who

4:21:53live in Memphis. That's it. We just want

4:21:56y'all to put our lives over profit for

4:21:58people who do not live in the city, who

4:22:00are not paying as much as we pay for our

4:22:02utility bills in the city.

4:22:05>> Y'all don't have to think about the fact

4:22:06that your elders, your grandparents,

4:22:08your grandmothers are at the age that

4:22:10their life expectancy is supposed to be

4:22:12lower than the people in Collierville

4:22:14cuz it's 15 years lower in South Memphis

4:22:16than it is in Collierville.

4:22:18And if you don't have to think about

4:22:20that, then you don't have the right to

4:22:21tell us that we don't deserve a

4:22:22mortorium.

4:22:25>> That's all I got to say. This Memphis is

4:22:27watching you. The city is watching you.

4:22:29The country is watching you. And the

4:22:31world is watching what you do. And those

4:22:32ballots next year are watching y'all,

4:22:34too. So make the right choice.

4:22:46Thank you,

4:22:49>> Christine Fox. And then Robert Williams,

4:22:54>> Christine Fox. Oh, I'll wait.

4:22:59Christine Fox, 38112. I'd like to share

4:23:02a quote from Octavia Butler's 1998

4:23:04novel, Parable of the Talents.

4:23:07Choose your leaders with wisdom and

4:23:10forethought. To be led by a coward is to

4:23:13be controlled by all that the coward

4:23:15feel fears.

4:23:17>> To be led by a fool is to be led by the

4:23:21opportunists who control the fool.

4:23:24>> To be led by a thief is to offer up your

4:23:27most precious treasures to be stolen.

4:23:32>> To be led by a liar is to ask to be told

4:23:35lies. To be led by a tyrant is to sell

4:23:39yourself and those you love into

4:23:42slavery.

4:23:43>> Some of y'all have been out here acting

4:23:46like cowards, fools, thieves, and liars.

4:23:50Some of y'all have been opportunists,

4:23:53and some have been doing the will of a

4:23:55tyrant. We see you. We see you doing

4:23:59these things all the while, claiming

4:24:02that you are working for the betterment

4:24:03of Memphis. We hear the reports that

4:24:06come that come out that our crime is

4:24:09down in our city. And yet we know that

4:24:10our communities are being harmed every

4:24:12day by the Memphis Unsafe Task Force and

4:24:15by the environmental crimes being

4:24:17committed by SpaceXi and other

4:24:20industrial polluters. We hear those in

4:24:22power ignoring these harms, saying

4:24:25peace, peace. But we know there is no

4:24:28peace and there will be no peace until

4:24:30there is justice. If you vote against

4:24:33the moratorum today, council members,

4:24:36you are offering up the most precious of

4:24:38treasures, the sacred land on which the

4:24:41city was built and the beloved

4:24:43communities and people that call Memphis

4:24:45home. If you vote against this

4:24:47moratorum, you offer up these precious

4:24:50treasures to the most treacherous of

4:24:53thieves and liars. Vote yes on the

4:24:56moratorum.

4:25:07Robert Williams and then Bastelle

4:25:09Booker.

4:25:10>> Yes, Robert Williams, District 9,

4:25:13Division 2.

4:25:17I'm proposing a more moderate approach

4:25:19to this, which may not be popular here

4:25:22with the group. However, hear me out

4:25:24here.

4:25:26The debate over data centers in Memphis

4:25:28is not simply a choice between economic

4:25:30growth and environmental protection. I

4:25:33support responsible development, strong

4:25:35safeguards, and a meaningful community

4:25:38involvement. Of course, I do remain

4:25:40skeptical that the moratorum

4:25:44might not be the best solution here.

4:25:47>> Now, supporters of the moratorum raise

4:25:50legitimate concerns. Hear me out.

4:25:52Memphis needs clear standards addressing

4:25:55zoning, electricity, water use, air

4:25:59quality, noise, infrastructure, and

4:26:02neighborhood impacts.

4:26:04These issues deserve serious attention,

4:26:07especially because the city's

4:26:08development code does not yet

4:26:09comprehensively regulate data centers as

4:26:13a distinct land use, which will be

4:26:15covered in 18.

4:26:18Still a blanket pause may create delay

4:26:21without producing better governance. A

4:26:24moratorum just creates a stalemate cuz

4:26:27we'll be revisiting this issue again and

4:26:29again and again.

4:26:31Now uh Doug McGawan said that the

4:26:33utilities and this might be skeptical or

4:26:36up for debate but Doug McGawan said that

4:26:38major electrical loads uh before

4:26:41approving service these things are

4:26:42already being studied. He also stated

4:26:45that large low customers may be required

4:26:47to fund necessary infrastructure and pay

4:26:49capacity charges. This does not

4:26:52eliminate every concern. Utility review

4:26:55alone cannot resolve questions about

4:26:57pollution, water consumption, noise,

4:27:00transparency, or neighborhood

4:27:01compatibility.

4:27:03The controversy involving natural gas

4:27:05turbines that was mentioned here at

4:27:07XAI's Memphis operation shows why

4:27:10enforcement matters.

4:27:12It also shows why the geographical

4:27:14placement of these facilities is

4:27:16critical. I'm not for placing these

4:27:19facilities in neighborhoods or urban

4:27:21areas

4:27:23rather than

4:27:25the choice.

4:27:32>> Excuse me. Bastelle Booker, thank you so

4:27:35much for coming down.

4:27:38>> Bastelle Booker and then Tara M.

4:28:05One moment, sir. Okay, go ahead.

4:28:09>> Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chair. Um,

4:28:11to the gentleman who just came and and

4:28:13and spoke um what he what spoke his

4:28:16conscience,

4:28:18I do want to say this um because you

4:28:20spoke specifically about the moratorum

4:28:22only being an opportunity to pause and

4:28:24creating a stalemate. If you take the

4:28:27time to read the amended temporary

4:28:29moratorum, the moratorum calls for more

4:28:31than just a pause. The moratorum calls

4:28:34for meaningful community engagement.

4:28:36Also, it requires the council to go into

4:28:39the community and have conversations

4:28:40with people who are approximate with the

4:28:42data centers to learn about their

4:28:45positions as it relates to data centers.

4:28:47The temporary moratorum also calls for

4:28:50the council to convene with some of the

4:28:52experts so that we can create a

4:28:54framework that protects people. The

4:28:56council al the the moratorum also

4:28:58requires us to choose locations for the

4:29:01data centers that will come into our

4:29:03community that's not close to schools or

4:29:06neighborhoods. The the the temporary

4:29:09data moratorum also calls for the

4:29:11council to create laws that protect air

4:29:14that that guards the traffic that create

4:29:16zoning laws so that we can make

4:29:20reasonable decisions for people. It's

4:29:22not just merely a pause. It's a

4:29:23ordinance to protect people. It's an

4:29:25ordinance that put people before

4:29:27prophet. So what I would hope that you

4:29:30do is just take some time to read it.

4:29:34And I not just you, I hope each and

4:29:36every person here takes time to read the

4:29:39law that has been before this body since

4:29:41August 18, 2026.

4:29:45This is not a law that's simply created

4:29:47by myself, Councilwoman Green, or

4:29:50Councilwoman Isa Thomas or the

4:29:51chairwoman. law is birthed because the

4:29:55community has been calling for this body

4:29:57to slow down, study, engage the

4:30:00community, and then put forth laws.

4:30:03That's what it does. It's not simply a

4:30:05pause.

4:30:06>> Don't engage.

4:30:09>> Thank you, Councilman.

4:30:16>> My name is Batail Booker.

4:30:18>> All right. And I stand here today, Box

4:30:20Town strong.

4:30:22>> I am here today to speak on behalf of

4:30:25Boxtown and every marginalized community

4:30:29in America. Boxtown is the oldest and

4:30:32most resilient neighborhood in the

4:30:36world. Originated by freed slaves who

4:30:40work together to build a community from

4:30:42box cars.

4:30:46Each community member had a part of

4:30:48something essential to add. They had but

4:30:51they had no electricity, no running

4:30:54water, no plumbing, no indoors, NO

4:30:57STREETS LIGHT. WE FOUGHT and fought and

4:30:59finally in 1971 Boxtown was annexed into

4:31:04the city. There are STILL TODAY

4:31:06INCOMPLETE IN INFRASTRUCTURE, SIDEWALKS

4:31:09JUST RUN OUT. Our land was RAPED AND

4:31:13DESTROYED. THE CITY AUTHORIZED DIGGING

4:31:16WHICH LEFT DEEP HOLES in the middle of

4:31:19our community. Some people say that we

4:31:23only want to BE ON TV. WELL, SHAME ON

4:31:26YOU. Shame on you. News media is for

4:31:30EVERYONE TO GET THEIR MESSAGE OUT and

4:31:33ask for prayers and support. Anything

4:31:36that is morally wrong will eventually

4:31:39become political. Dr. KING DIED IN

4:31:42MEMPHIS. DR. King died for the rights OF

4:31:45MEMPHIAN TO PROTEST AGAINST THAT WHICH

4:31:48IS WRONG.

4:31:50>> He left us the blueprint. History will

4:31:53find us standing on the right side of

4:31:55this issue.

4:31:56>> You want to be a servant? Anybody can be

4:31:59a servant.

4:32:00>> All you need is a heart that's generated

4:32:03by love

4:32:04>> and your margin orders from God. Yes,

4:32:09>> would define what's happening in Boxtown

4:32:12as genocide.

4:32:14>> Google the word partner.

4:32:31Zoe Dandelinger and then David Ra

4:32:35Rahane.

4:32:43Zoe Dondelinger 38119.

4:32:45I have been following the original

4:32:47moratorum ordinance since it was

4:32:49proposed in August. It started strong

4:32:51and while I knew it could be stronger, I

4:32:53believe that it was a good and fair

4:32:54start that I wish was proposed years ago

4:32:57that allowed city of Memphis to reclaim

4:32:59power against exploitative outsiders.

4:33:02This ordinance has since been postponed

4:33:05twice and gutted to accommodated the uh

4:33:07interests of these exploitative

4:33:09outsiders.

4:33:11While this ordinance is no longer what

4:33:12it was intended to be, I still urge the

4:33:14council to vote in favor of a moratorum

4:33:17that is effective, ideally 18 months,

4:33:20and conduct as many studies as possible

4:33:22as knowledge is power. I would also like

4:33:25to address the big ugly elephant in the

4:33:27room. Things have changed. The big red

4:33:31clause on the comment cards, which were

4:33:33not present a few a few years ago,

4:33:35insinuates that speaking on the record

4:33:37at city council is a privilege and not a

4:33:39right, which is a direct violation of

4:33:41the First Amendment. Comment cards are

4:33:44not contracts, and even if they were, it

4:33:46cannot it cannot sign away our

4:33:48constitutional rights. The way that the

4:33:50city council addressed disruption after

4:33:53the meeting was recessed on October 6th

4:33:55was unacceptable and unconstitutional,

4:33:58going as far as to wish institutional

4:34:01and physical violence upon community

4:34:03members whose right to speak on the

4:34:05record and encourage and engage with

4:34:07their civic duties were taken away.

4:34:10Someone at city council h made the

4:34:12decision to handdel the letter banning a

4:34:15minor to their guardian which under our

4:34:17current culture I can only see as

4:34:19intimidation and encouraging a bad woman

4:34:22upon this minor for using her voice in a

4:34:25way that is deemed unacceptable by the

4:34:27council and the official statements in

4:34:30court comparing nonviolent community

4:34:32outrage to the January 6th insurrection

4:34:35don't go over my head as a call to

4:34:37community members to face violence

4:34:39Especially when a city attorney is

4:34:41calling for consequences to be lynching.

4:34:44It is apparent that this is response is

4:34:46one intended to sabotage and slander a

4:34:49certain congressional dis district

4:34:50district candidate.

4:34:53>> Opponents who have ties to this

4:34:55administration.

4:34:56>> Thank you.

4:34:59Anthony

4:35:00>> Kazia,

4:35:09>> David Rahim, and then Anthony Calia.

4:35:15>> David,

4:35:21>> David Ram

4:35:2238117. You You almost got it. I get a

4:35:25lot of different things. No worries.

4:35:26>> David Ram. I have it. Yeah. So, uh,

4:35:28originally I planned to come before

4:35:30y'all today, uh, to share a number of

4:35:32headlines that have come out in the past

4:35:34week and a half, two weeks or so, uh,

4:35:36from sources such as Reuters and The

4:35:39Guardian, as well as others. I saw one

4:35:41from Fox News, even for those of y'all

4:35:43who pay attention to that. uh and these

4:35:47headlines uh signal a rapid and major

4:35:50decline in AI data data centers uh

4:35:52around the country and the world due to

4:35:56um high debt exposure across the

4:35:58industry and the unfeasibility of both

4:36:00sustainable chip and energy production.

4:36:04Okay. So if we're talking about money

4:36:07and wanting to get money,

4:36:09that money is running out because it is

4:36:12not feasible at the level that they are

4:36:14doing it. Um, however,

4:36:18yesterday another headline caught me and

4:36:21I want to share that

4:36:24uh Vladimir Putin has proposed a summit

4:36:26one month from now between himself,

4:36:28Donald Trump and Xiinping. Uh, it is a

4:36:31three-country summit to decide the fate

4:36:33of Ukraine. uh deciding one regional war

4:36:36in Russia's favor and inciting

4:36:39potentially a global conflict,

4:36:42World War II.

4:36:45This news came days after both the US

4:36:48intelligence system and Musk's own

4:36:51Starlink uh uh system failed Ukraine

4:36:54when they needed it most. Hopefully

4:36:56y'all saw that in the news right now.

4:37:01Right now. right here in Mississippi. I

4:37:04mean, excuse me, that's where I'm from.

4:37:05In Memphis,

4:37:09they Trump and Musk are actively

4:37:12realigning the United States of America,

4:37:15our country, y'all's country, away from

4:37:19our longtime allies, and towards our

4:37:22longtime antagonists, Russia and China.

4:37:25I'm going to keep going real quick.

4:37:26Okay, I'm almost done. Meanwhile,

4:37:30we are giving everything up.

4:37:35>> Thank you, sir.

4:37:39>> Thank you, sir. Anthony Calia and

4:37:41Richard Massie.

4:37:46>> Is Anthony Calia here?

4:37:49>> All right. And Richard Massie, come on

4:37:52down.

4:37:58tools.

4:38:15>> Thank you, sir.

4:38:19>> Thank you, sir.

4:38:22>> Sir, thank you. Thank you.

4:38:36Yes sir. Go ahead.

4:38:37>> Okay. Thank you. Um so and thank you

4:38:40David. All of that is very important. Um

4:38:44so people have talked about fascism.

4:38:47They've talked about the the health of

4:38:48our communities and how we're being

4:38:50poisoned. But this is also a legacy of

4:38:53colonialism.

4:38:55Right. Um, and I don't want to talk

4:38:57about history, but um, I'm a reader. I'm

4:38:59a writer. And The Color Purple is one of

4:39:01my favorite books. Alice Walker. There's

4:39:04a shirt in here that says, "Listen to

4:39:05black women." Right? Alice Walker is a

4:39:08woman I listen to very closely. And she

4:39:10tells the story of the Olinka.

4:39:14The Olinka. The Olinka are a village,

4:39:17right? Two sisters, Netti and Celely,

4:39:20and they're separated. And Netti goes to

4:39:22be a missionary in Africa, right? And

4:39:26while she's there, there's this rubber

4:39:28company. And all they want to do is

4:39:30build a road, just one road, right? And

4:39:33the people say, "Oh, what what's the

4:39:35road? We don't care. We're a villagers.

4:39:37We're going to keep doing it." They say,

4:39:38"Oh, you can get to this city really

4:39:40fast on a bike with the road, but nobody

4:39:41in the village owns a bike." Right? And

4:39:44so then the road is finished and they

4:39:46celebrate with the road builders only to

4:39:48f only to find out the next day the road

4:39:51is going to continue right through their

4:39:54village. And then Alice Walker

4:39:57preciently says this. She didn't want to

4:40:00tell her sister the bad news, but she

4:40:02says this. But the worst was yet to be

4:40:04told. Since the Oolinka no longer own

4:40:07their village, they must pay to rent it.

4:40:11And in order to use the water which also

4:40:15no longer belongs to them, they must pay

4:40:18a water tax.

4:40:20And so what I want to suggest today is

4:40:22people have said a vote on data center

4:40:25moratorum is a vote for the people. What

4:40:28I want to say is if you vote against it,

4:40:30you are voting in line with colonizers

4:40:33who come into community non-consensually

4:40:36and take what they have without their

4:40:39consent. And so my hope is that you vote

4:40:42with the people and against colonialism,

4:40:57>> Richard Massie, and then Noel

4:40:59Hutchinson.

4:41:01Karen,

4:41:04>> what we've heard from some members of

4:41:06this body are the same tired excuses

4:41:08that we've heard for the past 800 plus

4:41:10days. That investment will leave Memphis

4:41:12if we pass a moratorum. That Memphis is

4:41:15losing opportunity by hitting a pause

4:41:17button and considering rules. These

4:41:18comments are being directed at residents

4:41:20who are breathing worse air, who are

4:41:23living in communities where hospital

4:41:24emissions are on the rise, and who have

4:41:26pleaded time and time again for a simple

4:41:28pause on these developments. and they

4:41:30were essentially told this is inevitable

4:41:32and you must accept the terms uh set by

4:41:35big polluters or be left behind.

4:41:37Meanwhile, it is the city of Memphis

4:41:39that has been left behind by cities all

4:41:41across the region that have already

4:41:43paused data center development. Most

4:41:44recently, Millington 15 minutes away and

4:41:47we've heard repeatedly from you about

4:41:49the necessity of data centers as it

4:41:50pertains to healthcare and educational

4:41:52facilities. But if you actually read the

4:41:54legislation, you would understand that

4:41:55this moratorum has specific guidelines

4:41:57for those facilities. The generative AI

4:42:00that is powered by the facilities

4:42:01removing to pause isn't helping with

4:42:03medical breakthroughs or educational

4:42:04output. It's producing sexual images of

4:42:07children.

4:42:08>> It is helping facilitate war crimes in

4:42:10the Middle East. It is promoting racist

4:42:12talking points on social media.

4:42:14>> And that is what we've placed these

4:42:15historic communities on a chopping block

4:42:17floor. We need ample time to enact real

4:42:20guard rails like water reuse standards

4:42:22like setbacks from daycare schools and

4:42:23parks like restricting on-site fossil

4:42:25fuel use and like power demand reporting

4:42:27that keeps rate payers in the light as

4:42:29opposed to being in the dark. Since we

4:42:31last came before this body, the largest

4:42:33AI data center developer in this city

4:42:34has been sued twice. Once for a

4:42:36preventable worker death and another for

4:42:38the piercing noise and disrupting

4:42:40quality of life. On top of that, they

4:42:41they face 13 total leans from

4:42:44contractors that they haven't paid for

4:42:45their work. We have got to pause these

4:42:47developments for the sake of vulnerable

4:42:49people, worker safety, quality of life,

4:42:51our aquifer, our power grid, and more.

4:42:53Uh, and we cannot accept the ordinances,

4:42:55Councilman Warren, that are drafted by

4:42:56Chad GPT and rubber stamped by SpaceX

4:42:59AAI. We need a data center moratorum

4:43:02now. You simply can't develop a

4:43:04regulatory framework around this without

4:43:06halting the projects first that we're

4:43:07seeking to regulate. Thank you.

4:43:19Noah Hutcherson.

4:43:22>> Okay. Larry Goodwin,

4:43:28>> he had to teach. Reverend Edith Love.

4:43:33And then Joel Jeter.

4:43:40I am the Reverend Edith A. love. My hair

4:43:43is a mess. Apologies.

4:43:45>> You look beautiful.

4:43:46>> I am a Unitarian Universalist minister.

4:43:48I was born here in the 1970s. I grew up

4:43:50in 38109

4:43:52and my mother died of brain cancer 10

4:43:55years ago. There was a facility that was

4:43:57a sterilization facility that was

4:43:59poisoning us and we didn't know about

4:44:00it. And I myself had three miscarriages

4:44:03which are a direct result uh or alleged

4:44:06to be a direct result of the chemical

4:44:08exposure that I suffered as a child.

4:44:11How many children living today in the

4:44:14area around Colossus are going to have

4:44:18health problems? How many of them are

4:44:20going to lose parents and grandparents

4:44:23because of the poisoning of our air? And

4:44:26that air doesn't stay in 38109, y'all.

4:44:32In 38104 where I live, it's coming.

4:44:36smog, formaldahhide,

4:44:38all of the nasty stuff doesn't stay put

4:44:41in the water or the air. Please stop

4:44:44these data centers. Thank you.

4:44:55>> Joel Jeter and then Avalon Nathaniel.

4:44:59>> Hello. I've been coming to the moratorum

4:45:02meetings and I tell you it's a

4:45:04catastrophe.

4:45:06I think all this boils over from his

4:45:08secret contract and nobody has seen

4:45:12nobody knows what's in it and I know

4:45:14nobody's seen it since the last meeting

4:45:17>> contract. So

4:45:20>> you

4:45:20>> the moratorum needs to be put into place

4:45:23because the city council alone is not

4:45:26smart enough to come up with all the

4:45:29rules to govern an industry like this.

4:45:32I'm sorry. It takes experts.

4:45:35That's what needs to happen. Now let's

4:45:38go back to ordinance 18.

4:45:42That was wrong to do that. That was not

4:45:46on the agenda. it was wrong.

4:45:49And I see these guys smirking up here

4:45:51and they know it was wrong. And I'm

4:45:53really tired of that. They should act

4:45:56like they're here for the people. It

4:45:59looks like people might be getting their

4:46:00pockets patted and this fear-mongering

4:46:04that goes on because we're going to pass

4:46:07the moratorum. Maybe the

4:46:12maybe the true fear should be told of if

4:46:15we got four or five of these beasts

4:46:18loose. So that's all I have to say.

4:46:21>> Thank you so much.

4:46:25>> Geita, is it Geogita? They're confused.

4:46:29Avalon Nathaniel.

4:46:31Yes, I'm Minister Avalon Nathaniel, one

4:46:35who stands in the gap for humanity and

4:46:38I'm also a registered nurse who are

4:46:40concerned about the welfare and

4:46:42well-being of human beings. The citizens

4:46:45in Memphis are paying the highest price

4:46:48for the data centers. The gas turbines,

4:46:51generators, the cooling systems emit and

4:46:54release smoke and chemicals. They cause

4:46:58headaches and respiratory problems. uh

4:47:01contamination in our water and these

4:47:04centers use we all know enormous amount

4:47:07of water and electricity.

4:47:10The electricity cost uh is a burden to

4:47:14poor people and individuals who are on

4:47:17fixed income and all of us know that our

4:47:20utilities have doubled in recent times

4:47:24>> and in addition it decreases the

4:47:28property value. There's noise pollut

4:47:31noise pollution and chemical pollution

4:47:33as me as mentioned and I my question is

4:47:38did Memphians want or ask for this type

4:47:41of exploitation

4:47:43>> and why Memphis?

4:47:45The data centers were uh zoned and built

4:47:49knowing all of these hazardous facts

4:47:52surrounded its existence in our

4:47:55communities

4:47:57and there was no transparency.

4:48:00I and many proposed that we shut down

4:48:04these

4:48:06data centers and move them out of our

4:48:09communities. Data centers do not belong

4:48:13in neighborhoods and communities.

4:48:18>> And I want to say more importantly, this

4:48:21is our land and it is sacred. It is our

4:48:25health that was given to us by the

4:48:28Almighty and is our right to protect it.

4:48:32>> Thank you.

4:48:36>> Thank you.

4:48:41Rachel Spriggs.

4:48:44>> Rachel Goodwin Spriggs. And then John

4:48:47Paul.

4:48:51>> You put my whole name.

4:48:52>> Yeah, I'm gonna say your whole name.

4:48:54>> You said my whole name.

4:48:56>> Hold on. Don't start until I start.

4:49:01>> So I guess I'm Rachel Goodwin Spriggs.

4:49:04Uh statewide director of power building

4:49:06for the equity alliance.

4:49:08So, I'm just amazed today how y'all had

4:49:10time to roll cameras back to infringe on

4:49:12folks first amendment rights, but don't

4:49:14have time to pause and get some

4:49:16safeguards and community input on future

4:49:19data centers. Y'all rather dismiss us by

4:49:22calling us chaotic and paid community

4:49:24organizers. But regardless of how many

4:49:27fights News Channel 5 connect with us,

4:49:30no matter how afraid and unsafe you want

4:49:32to act like you feel, you can't possibly

4:49:36feel more afraid than families who

4:49:38represent the four out of 10 that are

4:49:41living below the poverty line and

4:49:42already barely making enough to survive

4:49:45being displaced when we already have a

4:49:48housing crisis. You cannot possibly be

4:49:50more afraid of those who have lost

4:49:52multiple family members due to cancer

4:49:54and other health related issues are of

4:49:57new data centers and rush guard rails.

4:49:59So despite how radical you want to make

4:50:01us seem for acting like the unheard, it

4:50:04is actually more radical for you all to

4:50:07present agenda 18 as a possible agenda

4:50:12as a possible substitute for 19. We are

4:50:15in Memphis and we got Jerry Green going

4:50:17harder for us than some of y'all black

4:50:20council members. We have a hold up this

4:50:23stop my time cuz I got some more to say.

4:50:25We have a very white, very Republican,

4:50:28very male militant city council passing

4:50:31a moratorum. So it's okay, Carlile. It's

4:50:35okay Spinosa. It's okay Warren. I

4:50:38understand the pressure you must be

4:50:39getting from the chamber as they watch

4:50:41Elon Musk purchase approximately 158

4:50:45acres in South Haven over the last

4:50:47couple of weeks because Elon Musk has a

4:50:51backup plan. But where is the backup

4:50:53plan for all the poor black families who

4:50:55have to live with the consequences of

4:50:57his decisions? Attorney W's

4:51:00interpretation is not the only

4:51:02interpretation that matter. This council

4:51:05has a responsibility to independently

4:51:08examine its authority, challenge

4:51:10questionable legal advice, and represent

4:51:14the people who elected you. The

4:51:18>> dominantly economically DISADVANTAGED

4:51:21CITY IS NOT GOING ANYWHERE. You will

4:51:23they will come BACK BECAUSE WE GOT the

4:51:40Miss Spriggs.

4:51:42Thank you.

4:51:58>> John Paul Keith and Sky Gardner.

4:52:14Keith 38112.

4:52:18>> This council has a choice before it.

4:52:22>> Are you going to be on the side of the

4:52:23people you represent or are you going to

4:52:26be on the side of the proiteeers who

4:52:28seek to exploit us?

4:52:30>> Will you stand up for democracy or will

4:52:33you submit to oligarchy?

4:52:37Will you protect the health and

4:52:39well-being of your constituents? Or will

4:52:42you let corporations continue to poison

4:52:44us?

4:52:46>> Will you guard our precious natural

4:52:48resources? Or will you let big tech take

4:52:51whatever they want?

4:52:54>> Will you stand on the right side of

4:52:56history or will you stand with Elon Musk

4:52:59and Donald Trump? Will you say it?

4:53:03>> Will you tell the tech bros our

4:53:05community is not for sale or will you

4:53:08name your price? Some of you act like

4:53:10you've already named your price.

4:53:15>> We are only asking for what should have

4:53:18been done two years ago,

4:53:20>> a moratorum,

4:53:22>> so that we have a chance to put

4:53:24responsible regulations and protections

4:53:26in place. We deserve no less.

4:53:30If these data centers are going to come

4:53:32to our community,

4:53:34then we have a responsibility not only

4:53:36to ourselves but to future generations

4:53:39of Memphians to hold these companies

4:53:42accountable.

4:53:44We demand a moratorum now, not tomorrow,

4:53:46not next week, and not after the next

4:53:49city council elections. Now,

4:53:53>> the choice is up to you. But we the

4:53:56people will remember the choice you make

4:53:58here today and we will hold you

4:54:00accountable.

4:54:03>> All right.

4:54:08>> Sky Gardner and then Dr. Kimy Owens

4:54:12Pearson,

4:54:18>> Sky Gardner,

4:54:21>> Karen Spencer McGee,

4:54:25>> change my name.

4:54:28>> All right. It's supposed to be we the

4:54:30people, not we the billionaires. But

4:54:33person after person, meeting after

4:54:35meeting, we've demanded a moratorum. Yet

4:54:37there's no moratorum. Person after

4:54:39person has come up here and told you how

4:54:42our air quality is getting so bad that

4:54:44we need inhalers. How we're scared that

4:54:46our children aren't going to have clean

4:54:48water to drink from. How there's so much

4:54:50noise pollution that we can't sleep at

4:54:52night.

4:54:54So clearly to you it's we the

4:54:55billionaires.

4:54:57But here's the thing they don't tell you

4:54:58about we the people is it's not we the

4:55:01people because they give us the power.

4:55:03It's we the people because we already

4:55:05have the power.

4:55:08We already create everything. We already

4:55:11transport everything. These billionaires

4:55:13are pests relying on us. And if the

4:55:16government will not reflect we the

4:55:18people, we will force them to reflect we

4:55:21the people.

4:55:25As the late great Fred Hampton said, you

4:55:28can jail a revolutionary, you can't jail

4:55:30the revolution.

4:55:32>> You can run out a liberator, you can't

4:55:34run out liberation. You can kill a

4:55:36freedom fighter, but you can't kill

4:55:38freedom. So, we the people will win.

4:55:41It's just a matter of if you're on the

4:55:43right side of history or not.

4:55:46>> All right.

4:55:58>> Dr. Kimberly Owens Pearson, and then

4:56:00Katherine Lasha

4:56:04or Lar

4:56:07All right.

4:56:09Good evening.

4:56:10>> Good evening.

4:56:10>> So, I stand before you um very

4:56:14disheartened and disappointed at the

4:56:18fact that we were called rioters and

4:56:21that we were um mischaracterized

4:56:25from the last October 6th meeting. Um

4:56:30and I feel disrespected.

4:56:34I need you guys to understand we're not

4:56:37paid to do this. It comes from our heart

4:56:41>> and we're fighting because these are our

4:56:43lives. Just like you want to be with

4:56:47your families, so do we. We have

4:56:50firsthand knowledge and experience of

4:56:53harm. We breathe it every single day.

4:56:58>> Every single day. The stench, the harm.

4:57:01Y'all talking about well it's 17 others.

4:57:03So that mean continue to pollute us and

4:57:06kill us. We are counting on y'all to

4:57:10speak for us and then you act like we're

4:57:14the problem

4:57:16>> and I don't appreciate that.

4:57:19>> I don't appreciate that. Now I took a

4:57:22couple of notes so I wouldn't just go

4:57:24off. Um,

4:57:27so it was it's ironic uh that Rhonda

4:57:32gave the clergy appreciation today.

4:57:35Appreciation.

4:57:37um you know and and and and was

4:57:40acknowledging clergy when Matthew 25:40

4:57:43says the king will reply reply truly I

4:57:47tell you whatever you did for one of the

4:57:50least of these brothers and sisters of

4:57:53mine you did for me but you want

4:57:58to say no to us

4:58:02>> and yes to the data center

4:58:04>> what you said

4:58:06>> interesting

4:58:07It's also interesting that you would

4:58:10say, "Well, can you remove National

4:58:12Guard?" And we're talking about ICE

4:58:17taking people. We know this. Exchange

4:58:20Street, Slave Haven. We know this

4:58:23firsthand.

4:58:24>> Thank you.

4:58:27>> Thank you.

4:58:34>> Thank you, Dr. Pearson. Katherine Larsha

4:58:36and then Paula Mo Pamela Moses

4:58:53make

4:58:54>> I just need to say my name.

4:58:56>> Yes, ma'am.

4:58:57>> Katherine Lar.

4:58:59Um, when I saw 18, I swear it looked

4:59:03like something out of Judas and the

4:59:04Black Messiah.

4:59:06>> I mean, I just like, is this the Jay

4:59:09Edgar Hoover Co and Tail pro operation?

4:59:12That's what it looks like up here. It's

4:59:15pitiful.

4:59:17>> I don't even want to demean anyone. This

4:59:19is pitiful.

4:59:22>> Please pass the moratorum.

4:59:25Please pass it tonight. pass the

4:59:29moratorum tonight. You're backing up a

4:59:33person. Martin Luther King was

4:59:35assassinated in this city. You voting

4:59:38for a person who is legally saying their

4:59:42company can call people the n-word as a

4:59:45term of endearment. You rolling us back.

4:59:50>> Please don't go for this person. If you

4:59:54took money, do a come to Jesus moment.

4:59:57We'll help you. We'll help you. Really,

5:00:00we will. But I am telling you that this

5:00:03is and I'm looking at one person, but

5:00:05I'm not talking about you. You just in

5:00:06my line of sight. Thank you. But I am

5:00:09saying this is utterly ridiculous.

5:00:13>> Please, again, I'm not going to use my

5:00:16whole time, pass the moratorum. And on a

5:00:20side note, justice for baby Cohen.

5:00:34Pamela Moses and then Marlene

5:00:39>> Ramos.

5:00:40>> She had to go.

5:00:41>> She had to go. All right. Paula Marlene

5:00:45Ramos.

5:00:47>> And then Miss Glenda Hicks.

5:01:03Hi, I am Lean Remis, zip code 38104.

5:01:08And I'll be brief because I see that

5:01:11this is this is repetitive. Like people

5:01:15are coming up here. We're voicing the

5:01:17same concerns. We're talking public

5:01:19health, black wellness. Talking about

5:01:22the water that's sitting on your desk

5:01:24right now. We're talking about the air.

5:01:27Come on, let's take a deep breath. The

5:01:28air that you're breathing in to keep

5:01:31yourself alive in this moment.

5:01:33Not a single person should have to walk

5:01:36up to this microphone to convince you

5:01:38that your life is more valuable than

5:01:41than what's being profited by

5:01:43billionaires.

5:01:46That's ridiculous.

5:01:48You look foolish.

5:01:52>> And I'm sitting here, I'm looking at

5:01:54you, and I don't even know some of

5:01:56y'all's names.

5:01:59>> Like, you're sitting up here and you're

5:02:01running the show, yet you haven't done

5:02:03anything impactful enough for the people

5:02:05in this room to even know who you are.

5:02:10>> How shameful.

5:02:14My ancestors didn't die. They didn't

5:02:17walk through hell. Your ancestors didn't

5:02:19go through hell for you to fold. Get up.

5:02:23These kids, these kids behind me that

5:02:26you see, look them in their face. They

5:02:28need you.

5:02:30>> Your family, your family, this

5:02:32community, black people need you.

5:02:36>> You want to be impactful, you want to do

5:02:39something, then stand with the people

5:02:41who help run this city and who make this

5:02:43city thrive.

5:02:46like this. This is mindboggling to me

5:02:50because you need these resources just as

5:02:53much as we do. We're talking water.

5:02:56We're talking air.

5:02:58This is This is insane. This shouldn't

5:03:01even be a conversation.

5:03:03>> And I wouldn't I I'm Give

5:03:10>> Ma'am, thank you so much. We have so

5:03:12many cards left. We can't do it.

5:03:16Glenda Hicks and then Mr. Jason Pearson

5:03:20Senior. Thank you.

5:03:26>> Oh

5:03:41Uh oh, I got a spill.

5:03:45Give me some paper towels. Paper towels.

5:03:48Paper towels.

5:03:52>> Miss Hicks,

5:04:01>> what's the problem?

5:04:07>> Uhuh. Uhuh.

5:04:14Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Thank

5:04:15you.

5:04:17>> Okay. I'm sorry.

5:04:22>> Miss Hicks,

5:04:24>> I'm here. Thank you. It was not on.

5:04:28>> Good evening. Glenda Hicks, co-founder

5:04:32of 21st Century Memphis Abust, the 100%

5:04:36grassroots organization focused on

5:04:39improvements with MLGW.

5:04:42And certainly this issue that we are

5:04:45dealing with has impact on MLGW.

5:04:49Today I come before you to put truth on

5:04:52the record. On 106 October 6, 2026,

5:04:58the citizens of Memphis packed this

5:05:01auditorium to let this body of

5:05:04representatives of the citizens know

5:05:08that we mandate a moratorum.

5:05:12We were dismissed and disrespected

5:05:17by you chair

5:05:19simply by the way you chose to

5:05:22facilitate the meeting.

5:05:25It was councilwoman

5:05:28Yolanda Cooper Sutton

5:05:32who wisely I say spirit guided

5:05:38made the decision to vote as she did

5:05:40which saved this moratorum because we

5:05:43know that the votes did not exist to

5:05:46pass it on October 6. Okay.

5:05:51and you all sit and we have all these

5:05:55list of ordinances

5:05:58instead of you sitting and discussing

5:06:03and making

5:06:06friendly amendments to ordinance 19. You

5:06:11chose to bring your separate individual

5:06:14ordinances. That's like ego tripping to

5:06:17me.

5:06:18>> Okay. because your job, you sit in this

5:06:22seat to represent the people. You sit in

5:06:25that seat as a voice of the people. So,

5:06:28we're simply asking you to do just that

5:06:31and vote yes for this ordinance.

5:06:34>> Thank you,

5:06:43>> Mr. Jason

5:06:47Jason Pearson. And then Tiffany Marcel

5:06:50and Jasmine Houston,

5:06:55>> Alan Wade, we're going to meet them all

5:06:59at the ballot box. And that's where you

5:07:03led them to the ballot box.

5:07:08>> My name is Jason Pearson, and I didn't

5:07:12come here to talk to y'all about that.

5:07:14My sons are well equipped to take care

5:07:18of that for me.

5:07:21>> I came here to join the chorus

5:07:25of Africanamean hero, shirro, ancestors,

5:07:30family, and friends to say to Dr.

5:07:33Kimberly Owens Pearson, thank you. Thank

5:07:37you for having these babies when you

5:07:39were a baby. Thank you for going through

5:07:42being ostracized, misused, and abused,

5:07:45mistreated for the sake of raising your

5:07:48children. Thank you for pulling

5:07:50everybody up by their own bootstraps and

5:07:53showing everybody the best way and the

5:07:56right way to live. Thank you for going

5:07:58through everything that you've been

5:08:00through. Thank you for laying to rest my

5:08:02mama. Thank you for laying to rest your

5:08:04mama. Thank you for on television

5:08:07learning to rest our baby. Thank you for

5:08:10standing here every damn time that they

5:08:13come in here to open this mic and stand

5:08:16for the people. Thank you for all that

5:08:18you've done and thank you for everything

5:08:20you do. There's a old hymn in the black

5:08:24church that we used to sing. Hard to yak

5:08:27may be the fight.

5:08:29>> Light may yield to might.

5:08:32>> Wickedness of all may reign. Satan's

5:08:35calls may seem to gain, but there is a

5:08:38God that rules above with a hand of

5:08:41power and a heart of love. If we're

5:08:44right, HE'LL FIGHT OUR BATTLES, AND WE

5:08:46SHALL HAVE peace someday. We'll see him

5:08:50at the ballot box.

5:09:14Thank you,

5:09:16Tiffany Marcel.

5:09:20Tiffany Marcel, and then Jasmine

5:09:22Houston.

5:09:23>> Good evening, council members. My name

5:09:25is Tiffany Marcel and I'm the founder

5:09:27and the host of Get In Tune Memphis.

5:09:30>> Today I want to talk about money because

5:09:33if I'm honest, I do believe that that's

5:09:34the only thing that really matters here.

5:09:38>> Because when we when corporations come

5:09:40knocking, Memphis knows how to talk

5:09:42business. But when residents ask about

5:09:45promises made to their communities, the

5:09:47answers are not so easy to find.

5:09:50Memphis is a majority black city with

5:09:53leadership that largely reflects these

5:09:55communities and that makes this even

5:09:58more disappointing. We elect people to

5:10:01represent us. We trust their promises.

5:10:03But when those promises go unfulfilled,

5:10:06who is held accountable? In 2025,

5:10:09Memphis established a policy directing

5:10:11an amount equivalent to 25% of

5:10:13qualifying AI related property tax

5:10:16revenue towards surrounding communities.

5:10:19Now, that's approximately $3.26 million

5:10:22was identified for neighborhood

5:10:23improvements, including 1.4 million

5:10:26proposed for home repairs.

5:10:29But what is 1.4 million supposed to do

5:10:31for communities facing decades of

5:10:34disinvestment? How many homes, how many

5:10:37families, and what happens to everybody

5:10:39else? Council members, I have one

5:10:42question. Where is the money? Who

5:10:45received it? What has been accomplished?

5:10:48And if it hasn't been spent, why not?

5:10:52Because if concerns about people, our

5:10:54environment, and our neighborhoods

5:10:56haven't been enough to get answers,

5:10:59let's talk about the money.

5:11:02>> We're discussing more development

5:11:03without a clear public accounting of

5:11:05commitments that have already been made.

5:11:08How long will we continue this cycle? A

5:11:10moratorum give us an opportunity to

5:11:13address accountability before moving

5:11:15forward. who is protecting the people's

5:11:19interest. We deserve transparency,

5:11:22deadlines, and measurable results. Show

5:11:26us what was promised. Show us what was

5:11:29delivered. And show us how Memphis is

5:11:32better because of it. Thank you,

5:11:41>> Jasmine Houston. And then Karen Spencer.

5:11:44>> How glorious.

5:11:47Okay. So, since we're in the great state

5:11:51of Tennessee, I figured I'd use a quote

5:11:54from one of our former presidents.

5:11:56>> There's an old saying in Tennessee, I

5:11:58know it's in Texas, probably in

5:12:00Tennessee, that says, "Fool me once."

5:12:03>> Shame on,

5:12:06>> shame on you.

5:12:09It fool me. We can't get fooled again.

5:12:17Thank God for a pause

5:12:19cuz uh I'm pretty sure none of us want

5:12:21to see the rest of that uh song play

5:12:24out, God willing. Um thank God for us

5:12:26being able to control what we can

5:12:28control, which you all have the power to

5:12:31do. Um it's almost

5:12:34what time is it? Almost 9:00 and we've

5:12:36been out here about 6 hours. I know

5:12:38y'all ready to go home and we ready to

5:12:40go home, too. I'm in overtime with my

5:12:42babysitter. So, I'm already going in

5:12:44debt, honestly. But how many times we

5:12:46got to show up to show y'all what we

5:12:48really want? Like, we might not know all

5:12:51the regulations. We might not know

5:12:52everything that goes with it. But we're

5:12:55simply asking, can we slow down a moment

5:12:58to think about the future of humanity?

5:13:00When we think of revolution, people

5:13:02think of it as something bad. Read means

5:13:04again, V

5:13:07that means like cycles turn. So

5:13:09basically, we've been going these cycles

5:13:11that keep people pressed down, stressed

5:13:13out, losing quality of life, and we

5:13:15passing this trauma down for generations

5:13:17and generations, generations. Like, can

5:13:20we take a breath to figure out how to

5:13:23keep everybody safe? How to maintain

5:13:25life form in the way it's supposed to

5:13:27be? Because right now, all this dead and

5:13:30evil stuff is falling off. And um we

5:13:33can't keep on having a detachment from

5:13:35our body and the spirit. Our spirit,

5:13:37which is our breath, needs to be fresh,

5:13:40needs to be clean, needs to be able to

5:13:42survive. We don't need nothing to

5:13:44support wars, child p.0, none of that

5:13:46stuff. So, what are we using the data

5:13:49centers for? Like, what they what's the

5:13:51rush for?

5:13:59>> Thank you,

5:14:02Karen Spencer. And then Bobby Dandridge.

5:14:09Spencer McGee.

5:14:10>> Y'all want to open the doors of the

5:14:11church right quick?

5:14:14>> Um, good afternoon. Good afternoon. Good

5:14:17afternoon. I'm never going to stand

5:14:20alone.

5:14:21My name is Karen Spencer McGee. I'm

5:14:24lovingly known as Mama Peaches.

5:14:31>> Ca Nan Tamboo.

5:14:35Minister Shakir Yahweh.

5:14:37>> Mother Georgia King.

5:14:39>> A

5:14:40>> my greatgrandfather Tommy Hunt.

5:14:42>> A

5:14:44>> Raymon McGee.

5:14:48>> Macy Ola Puit.

5:14:52>> Golden Korn. Maisy Ola Chickaw Nation.

5:14:58>> My grandmama.

5:15:00>> Izzy B. Randolph,

5:15:05>> I stand here before you to remind you.

5:15:10I've been there go, baby,

5:15:13that when I first moved home 23 years

5:15:16ago, I didn't come home to make friends,

5:15:18but I've made a lot of friends.

5:15:22A

5:15:26I guess you call him Mayor Strickland

5:15:30when all that killing was going on and

5:15:32he said, "I'm sick of this shit." Y'all

5:15:36remember that situations happening in

5:15:40Tennessee. We got a nutcase in the White

5:15:42House, y'all.

5:15:43>> Come on.

5:15:44>> We got a whole nutcase in the White

5:15:45House. and Brent

5:15:48Taylor and all them folks that's

5:15:49following him is making a fool or trying

5:15:54to make a fool out of Memphis. You know

5:15:58they say M E M P H I S making easy money

5:16:02pimping hoes in style. That's not it.

5:16:05That's not it. That is over. So if I was

5:16:08in South Memphis, I said, "Hear me with

5:16:11your good ear." Yeah. From the pool.

5:16:14Hear me with your good ear. We is sick

5:16:16and tired of you mediocre white boys up

5:16:19here trying to make it seem like that

5:16:23they're not on the same page.

5:16:26Y'all don't cut deals forever and ever.

5:16:29And look, everybody want to listen to

5:16:31the black woman.

5:16:32>> I'm not going nowhere. And you sitting

5:16:35up there smug like a bug in a rug.

5:16:38>> You come from a place of privilege. And

5:16:41guess what? It's OB. Cuz guess what? I'm

5:16:46sick of this

5:16:50>> I'm sick of this

5:16:57>> We've got Bobby Dandridge and then

5:16:58Givvanti Barker, Reverend Givvonte

5:17:01Barker.

5:17:05>> Good evening everybody. Uh

5:17:08council members, my name is Bobby

5:17:10Dandridge. Uh, I'm a safe veteran and

5:17:14I'm a local business owner. My family

5:17:16been in business for just about 40 years

5:17:19years around here and and a lot of you

5:17:21all probably even know me. I know uh um

5:17:25Ed Ford senior there and a couple other

5:17:28council members. What we're here to talk

5:17:31about today is fresh drinking water,

5:17:35fresh air,

5:17:37fresh soil.

5:17:40It's not civil rights. It's not

5:17:42Democrat, Republican. These are basic

5:17:44human rights.

5:17:46>> If our president to sit up and say that

5:17:50per our constitution, we're not

5:17:52guaranteed fresh drinking water,

5:17:55that don't make any sense at all. But

5:17:58what we got to do is through you guys to

5:18:02make the right decisions.

5:18:04That's it. Some of the council members

5:18:06sitting back the whole meeting. And I've

5:18:08been sitting back watching you all and

5:18:09it's just embarrassing for the whole

5:18:11country just to see how you all are so

5:18:14laxidas about what the American people

5:18:16want. It's just not a Memphis issue.

5:18:19This going on all over the country.

5:18:22>> All over the country. Data centers. It's

5:18:24been documented that they come in, they

5:18:27lower your property value. Would any one

5:18:29of you all want a data center in your

5:18:31neighborhood?

5:18:32>> No.

5:18:34>> No.

5:18:35>> And you know it. and you know it

5:18:38>> and you all sitting back getting paid

5:18:40the NDAs. Now you and everybody know

5:18:43what's going on. We're not blind to it.

5:18:46We're not going to sit back and just let

5:18:47our drinking water just go just that

5:18:51that easy. So we just asking you all to

5:18:53do the right thing and do the righteous

5:18:55thing. It's not about doing what's right

5:18:57and wrong. Sometimes you got to do what

5:18:58God want you to do.

5:19:00>> Because think about it. You say you're a

5:19:03Christian. What would Jesus want you to

5:19:05do?

5:19:06That's the question. What would Jesus

5:19:07want you to do? So, let your conscience

5:19:09be your guide

5:19:11>> and we going to deal with it at the pose

5:19:13>> one way or another. Have a good night.

5:19:15>> All right.

5:19:21>> Reverend Giovante Baker.

5:19:24>> Sarah Houston.

5:19:29>> Giovante Baker.

5:19:47Reverend Javvante Baker 38141.

5:19:51Good evening, council members and all my

5:19:53brothers and sisters of Memphis. I am

5:19:55not a native Memphian. However, Memphis

5:19:58is where my son was born. Memphis is

5:20:01where I work. Memphis is where I pastor.

5:20:04Memphis is where I've invested a portion

5:20:06of my life at this time. So, while I may

5:20:09not have been born here, I have every

5:20:11right to be concerned about what happens

5:20:13in this city. We've got to stop

5:20:16confusing investment in a city with

5:20:18investment in its people. A corporation

5:20:21can invest millions of dollars in

5:20:23Memphis and still leave the people of

5:20:24Memphis sick,

5:20:27>> poorer, and more vulnerable than they

5:20:30were before it arrived. And if that's

5:20:32the outcome, don't insult our

5:20:34intelligence by calling it progress. But

5:20:37let me remind you of something. The

5:20:39people of Memphis are not tenants in

5:20:41somebody else's economic vision. A

5:20:43government ought to remember who it

5:20:45works for. You weren't given authority

5:20:48to protect corporations. convenience.

5:20:50You were entrusted with authority to

5:20:52protect public interest.

5:20:55>> So when residents raise concern about

5:20:57water, electricity, air quality, and

5:20:59what these development developments mean

5:21:02for their neighborhoods, those concerns

5:21:04deserve more than a nod and to move on

5:21:08with business as usual.

5:21:10>> Let's stop pretending that asking

5:21:12questions is being anti- business. We're

5:21:15not against development. We're against

5:21:16being developed out of our own

5:21:18well-being.

5:21:20>> We're against systems where corporations

5:21:22get certainty while communities have to

5:21:24accept the risk. We're against promises

5:21:26being treated as payment for

5:21:28consequences that haven't even been

5:21:30measured.

5:21:32In 1968, sanitation workers in this city

5:21:34declared, "I am a man." That was not a

5:21:37request for somebody to recognize their

5:21:39humanity. That was a declaration that

5:21:41their humanity was never yours to

5:21:43negotiate. And here we are generations

5:21:45later

5:21:47dealing with people questioning and

5:21:50negotiating our humanity.

5:21:53>> Be for the people and not for yourself.

5:21:56>> Sarah Houston.

5:22:03>> Sarah Houston and then Tara M.

5:22:06>> All right. Thank you. Sarah Houston. I

5:22:09serve as executive director of Protect

5:22:10Our Aquafer.

5:22:12For the past three months, we have been

5:22:15coming to city council to support this

5:22:17moratorum. We've been here meeting after

5:22:19meeting. We first spoke August 4th.

5:22:23We've been using the general public

5:22:24comment period time. We came when it was

5:22:27delayed. We came when it was on consent

5:22:29agenda. You have had hundreds of people

5:22:32come through these chambers. Have you

5:22:35ever seen an agenda item with this much

5:22:38support, sheer numbers, multi-racial,

5:22:42multi-generational,

5:22:44all the ages, all the genders,

5:22:47everybody supports this, y'all. This is

5:22:49really should be easy.

5:22:52Now, let's be clear. This does not stop

5:22:54data centers that are currently

5:22:56happening. So revenue and property taxes

5:22:59will continue to be collected from

5:23:01Colossus 1, Colossus 2, mini hard and

5:23:055C.

5:23:08Now we can have economic development. We

5:23:11can have aquafer protection. We can have

5:23:13all of these things. Now some of you

5:23:16might might remember Beelia connection

5:23:18pipeline. Y'all remember that, right?

5:23:22>> There was a long process there. We were

5:23:23trying to learn permits, understand

5:23:25regulatory gaps. We were confronting

5:23:27imminent domain concerns, pushing for

5:23:30new laws to protect our community. We

5:23:32pushed three laws forward. There were

5:23:35delays. There was rewrites. There was

5:23:36revisions. And then the pipeline was

5:23:38cancelled. That was because people

5:23:40organized. They showed up and they made

5:23:42their voices heard. And what happened

5:23:45next was we kept going on the laws

5:23:48because y'all hadn't passed them yet.

5:23:50And so when that immediate threat was

5:23:53lifted, we could finally take a breath.

5:23:55We could think more clearly. We could

5:23:57collaborate with Council Wade more

5:23:59effectively. And we could work on

5:24:01lasting protections. We continued for

5:24:03three months after Beelia Pipeline was

5:24:06canceled to pass the first ever wellhead

5:24:08protection zoning law that should have

5:24:10been on the books since 1984 when the

5:24:12safe drinking water passed it federally.

5:24:14We got that done because a regulatory

5:24:16gap that pause didn't end the work. It

5:24:19helped make the work possible. This

5:24:21moratorum can do the exact same thing.

5:24:24We need to take a breath and we have to

5:24:26work together and we need the county

5:24:29with us in this process. So y'all

5:24:32>> pass this thing tonight. Thank you.

5:24:39>> Terra M.

5:24:42Is Terra M not here?

5:24:47>> Last card. Terra M.

5:24:51>> Check. Check. Y'all, I want to be at

5:24:55home playing the sim so bad, but here we

5:24:57are almost five hours later from when

5:25:00the meeting started. Um, so my name is

5:25:02Tara Miller. I am a licensed master

5:25:04social worker here. Um, it's been almost

5:25:06two years since I've been before the

5:25:08council and a lot of that has had to do

5:25:10with the erosion of trust in our

5:25:11government. Not that I had much to begin

5:25:13with anyway, but there's absolutely no

5:25:16reason at all why we the people should

5:25:18have to beg and plead for our elected

5:25:20officials to listen to and take action

5:25:22in the best interest of the constituents

5:25:24who put them in these positions,

5:25:26especially in these compass seats that

5:25:27y'all love to ignore us from. Um, and

5:25:30more specifically all the white men on

5:25:31this council who couldn't care less

5:25:33about the interest of the people. But I

5:25:34guess that's historically in y'all's

5:25:36nature. Um, I'm genuinely perplexed as

5:25:39to how all of you would think that

5:25:40attempted to ban some of the most

5:25:42influential voices that amplify those in

5:25:44the community who aren't always able to

5:25:46advocate for themselves would ever be

5:25:48beneficial to the restoration of that

5:25:50eroded trust. And even the fact that

5:25:52y'all purposely held this item to the

5:25:54very end of this meeting that's already

5:25:56held at the most inconvenient time as it

5:25:58is is even more disingenuous on your

5:26:00part. Now, Memphis has had worsening

5:26:03small conditions and received an F from

5:26:05the American Lung Association for

5:26:06several years straight when it comes to

5:26:08the great of our air quality. And as it

5:26:10was mentioned during the rally from the

5:26:11last council meeting, pollution is not

5:26:13red line to the ghetto. Um, as someone

5:26:16with a chronic lung disease myself, and

5:26:18shout out to the people I've seen with

5:26:19their ProAir rescue inhalers, um, I've

5:26:22had to use mine more in the past year

5:26:24than I have in the last decade. So to go

5:26:26from witnessing m Memphis being named

5:26:28city beautiful throughout my childhood

5:26:30to slowly transitioning to an impending

5:26:33wasteland for the sole benefit of

5:26:35billionaires in my adulthood is a

5:26:37complete disservice to the everyday

5:26:39hardworking people who make this city

5:26:40everything that it is. And it is

5:26:42furthermore a slap in the face to my and

5:26:44future generations when certain people

5:26:46in leadership want to make decisions for

5:26:48which they won't even be alive to see

5:26:50the long-term implications of.

5:26:53Um, so as we chanted loudly and proudly

5:26:55on our way to this chamber, ain't no

5:26:58power like the power of the people cuz

5:26:59the power of the people fight back. So

5:27:01if your vote today goes against the

5:27:04wants of the people for our tomorrows,

5:27:06then you should consider the

5:27:07consequences of the data centers along

5:27:09with the unjust and unsafe occupation of

5:27:11the most beautiful land in uh the world

5:27:14to be the last of your worries when it

5:27:16comes to the power of the people's vote

5:27:18and mobilization next year. And that's

5:27:20worry to France. That's all I got. Madam

5:27:22Controller, we're calling for the

5:27:23question.

5:27:29Madame controller, we're calling for the

5:27:31question. Item number 19.

5:27:34>> Oh, I don't see you in the queue. Are

5:27:35you in the queue?

5:27:41>> Go ahead. Counciloman White.

5:27:44>> Okay.

5:27:48>> I also got a card.

5:27:51also put a card in.

5:27:53>> You're recognized. Go ahead.

5:27:58>> Thank Thank you, um, Madam Chair, uh,

5:28:01chairwoman. Um, a couple of things. So,

5:28:04I've heard a lot and I've tried to kind

5:28:06of keep notes going through these

5:28:08things. So,

5:28:12yes, I absolutely agree that we need to

5:28:14take a pause to look into data centers.

5:28:18I've always said that. Yes, I absolutely

5:28:20think that we need to engage experts and

5:28:24put the money behind those experts in

5:28:26order to um get the information we need

5:28:30to regulate.

5:28:31>> I have always um

5:28:36>> Go ahead.

5:28:37>> Well, I was

5:28:39>> What's going on?

5:28:40>> I'm not sure.

5:28:44>> Go ahead. What are you saying?

5:28:48Well, I want to make sure that the

5:28:49people hear my comments. Um, so I I'll

5:28:53say this a couple of things and I'll be

5:28:55brief actually.

5:28:57>> Well, I think they do. My council

5:28:59members think that you all don't want to

5:29:00hear, but I do because I heard some

5:29:02people say someone made a comment about

5:29:05you don't know what it's like to have to

5:29:07grab

5:29:09um an inhaler in the middle of the

5:29:11night. Well, I do. I grew up with asthma

5:29:13because I grew up literally in near box

5:29:16town/ Westwood. I

5:29:24>> thank you.

5:29:24>> Oh, you said they can't hear me.

5:29:26>> They can.

5:29:27>> Oh. Oh, so they were saying they could

5:29:28barely hear me. So, a lot of these

5:29:30things I do understand my again I've

5:29:33said this multiple times. My own family,

5:29:36my mother passed from cancer. I've had

5:29:38several members of my family pass from

5:29:40cancer and who have been impacted by by

5:29:44cancer. Whether that is from um living

5:29:48over there in South Memphis, the Army

5:29:50Depo, or teaching in the schools from

5:29:52lead, I don't know. We may not ever

5:29:54know. And so, as I've stated many of a

5:29:57time, many of your concerns are are

5:30:01consistent with mine. I don't disagree.

5:30:04Um, and so I do support a pause and I

5:30:08support us doing the responsible thing

5:30:11to do a study to engage the experts. I

5:30:14also support

5:30:16um I also support us looking into

5:30:20community benefit for the large imprint

5:30:22that these data centers have in our

5:30:24community. So everything you're saying I

5:30:27absolutely agree. Um, if you look at the

5:30:30ordinance that is proposed, the number

5:30:3318 one, it includes all of those things.

5:30:36And so I do support ordinance number 18.

5:30:40It calls for the pause as well as

5:30:44depending on the study. And so I support

5:30:47ordinance 18. I agree with the pause. I

5:30:49hear you and I agree. And I'm voting on

5:30:53ordinance 18. Thank you.

5:31:03I didn't see it.

5:31:05>> All right. The item on the

5:31:07>> Oh, and I did want to and actually one

5:31:09more thing if I may really quickly. I

5:31:10did want to correct one other thing. I

5:31:13went I wanted to be sure that I made

5:31:15very clear about the uh someone said

5:31:18something about the pulling of the

5:31:20permit. Had we voted two things. one the

5:31:24ordinance when we continued it last week

5:31:25was because we did have several

5:31:27different ordinances before us to go

5:31:29through those. We did the working

5:31:31session on Thursday. We had another

5:31:33working session on Monday. The ordinance

5:31:36number 18 is one that has been in in on

5:31:39the books. It has been there with some

5:31:41revision to try to bring together the

5:31:45different intents to conduct a study and

5:31:48then come up with regulations just like

5:31:50the people are asking for. Additionally,

5:31:53the permit that was pulled on October

5:31:555th, which was prior to the date of the

5:31:59moratorum vote was in phase four of

5:32:03development. It was not a new permit

5:32:05that was pulled for a new center, but it

5:32:08was for an organization that was already

5:32:11in phase four. So, nothing that happened

5:32:13the last time delayed anything and

5:32:16nothing is being delayed now.

5:32:21All right. The item on the floor is item

5:32:23number 18. Number 19.

5:32:25>> 19. 19. 19.

5:32:29>> 19.

5:32:34>> I do not have the uh I don't have it up

5:32:36on my screen to vote.

5:32:38>> All right. If you'll please pull up item

5:32:41number 19 on the screen. Please have a

5:32:43seat.

5:32:52Logan, Councilwoman Logan, did you want

5:32:54to say something?

5:32:54>> Trans

5:32:56don't have rights in this city.

5:32:57>> Councilwoman Logan, did you have

5:32:58something to say?

5:33:02>> I do. Chair,

5:33:04>> go ahead. Go ahead. Council,

5:33:06>> I just want to address uh those of you

5:33:08that may feel that we have been

5:33:11disingenuous

5:33:13and I don't have a reason to be. I am

5:33:16the only person that put forth an

5:33:20ordinance from the very beginning that

5:33:22addressed the the purview of the council

5:33:25and that is immediate work being done.

5:33:29My ordinance has not changed. Everything

5:33:32you talked about tonight is not under

5:33:34our purview. The only thing that we can

5:33:36address is land use. We are going to be

5:33:40Hold on. Hold on. The mayor has already,

5:33:44we have and the mayor have both put in

5:33:46time to listen to all the experts. We

5:33:49know we're not experts. We never claimed

5:33:52to be. That's why we began the work on

5:33:54what we could control. The only reason,

5:33:57wait a minute, wait a minute, wait a

5:33:59minute. The only reason why Elon Musk

5:34:01was able to come to Memphis is because

5:34:04the zoning. He saw some land. He bought

5:34:07the land. He built this facility and

5:34:09opened up because it was zoned

5:34:11industrial.

5:34:13>> No, no, no, no, no, no. Yes. If you you

5:34:15got to go read, you got to understand

5:34:17the law. And so my ordinance was said

5:34:20immediate work on downsizing industrial

5:34:24areas in our land, in our community.

5:34:26Black and brown communities have

5:34:28industrial classification and that needs

5:34:31to be addressed first. that needs to be

5:34:34finished. You are not recognized.

5:34:36>> Just so you will know, just so you will

5:34:38understand and you can go and read for

5:34:40yourself that that is the first thing

5:34:42that needs to happen. You can have all

5:34:43the studies you want. If you don't

5:34:45change the zoning in the in your

5:34:46community, you going to get what you get

5:34:48now. So we are fighting for you, but you

5:34:51are opposing those fighting for you. I

5:34:53just wanted you to know that. So I don't

5:34:55ever you are not recognized myself. No

5:34:59one up here, not even the maker of the

5:35:01motion ever intended on going 12 months

5:35:05or 18 months. I'm being truthful. Nobody

5:35:09up here. Not even the maker, ma'am. No.

5:35:13No.

5:35:13>> So, let's not I'm not going to play with

5:35:15you in your face. I'm going to tell you.

5:35:18Nobody up here.

5:35:20>> Long as you know.

5:35:22>> Let's

5:35:23And with that and with that, I

5:35:25>> Thank you.

5:35:28Take it to a vote.

5:35:32>> This is item 17. We're on item number

5:35:36>> 19.

5:35:36>> If you go back and look, every

5:35:38ordinance, the ordinance you're talking

5:35:40about a mortorium has a exit plan in it.

5:35:43So go and read so you will know for

5:35:45yourself.

5:35:46>> Listen, we talking about that.

5:35:50>> Madam Controller,

5:35:51>> councilwoman, you can't speak for all of

5:35:53us up here.

5:35:54>> Councilwoman Logan.

5:35:55>> Madam Controller, Please put item 19 on

5:35:59the screen.

5:36:01>> People haven't been heard.

5:36:16Smiley.

5:36:18Smiley.

5:36:23>> All right. It's been moved by Councilman

5:36:25Smiley, second by Councilwoman Green.

5:36:38>> Oh my god.

5:36:43>> I'm sorry.

5:36:44>> Understand going on. We said enough.

5:36:46vote.

5:36:57>> Put the screen up.

5:36:58>> I don't see anything on the screen.

5:37:05>> Come on y'all. What's the delay?

5:37:07>> They don't have it on their screen.

5:37:09>> Do a roll call vote. Madam controlling,

5:37:22>> guys, we're having technical issues.

5:37:24Just calm down for a second. Let us try

5:37:27to work it out.

5:37:30>> Item 19.

5:37:35>> All we see is the motion to approve.

5:37:56We need you all to back up a little bit.

5:37:58Please

5:37:59>> back up.

5:38:02>> We need you all to back back.

5:38:15There it is.

5:38:24>> Madame controller, please do a roll call

5:38:27vote.

5:38:28>> Thank you, Madam Chair.

5:38:32If everyone would quiet, we're going to

5:38:34do a roll call vote on item number 19.

5:38:38>> Canali,

5:38:41>> go.

5:38:42>> Yep.

5:38:42>> Carile.

5:38:44>> Carile.

5:38:45>> No.

5:38:48>> Easter Thomas.

5:38:50>> Yes.

5:38:52>> Ford.

5:38:55>> Green.

5:38:57>> Yes.

5:38:59>> Logan.

5:39:02Spinosa.

5:39:06>> Smiley.

5:39:10>> Walker.

5:39:11>> Yes.

5:39:12>> Warren.

5:39:15>> White.

5:39:18>> White.

5:39:20>> Come on. Come on.

5:39:22>> I am. I'm voting for 18. No. On 19.

5:39:26>> What the

5:39:31It's going to fail.

5:39:34>> It's time.

5:39:37>> I got it.

5:39:39>> What the is going to do?

5:39:42>> Let them finish.

5:39:44>> We're not finished voting. Thank you.

5:39:47>> Chairwoman swearing in Washington.

5:39:48>> Yes.

5:39:56>> Oh, good.

5:39:59She was one of the people who was banned

5:40:01on October

5:40:01>> 6.

5:40:03>> You got a camera.

5:40:17>> That motion fails.

5:40:21>> It's 66.

5:40:37Madam controller, please call item

5:40:39number 18.

5:40:48>> Come on.

5:40:55This is the version of democracy.

5:40:58>> This is the version.

5:41:17order.

5:41:19>> You be trying to have a seat.

5:41:23>> Have a seat.

5:41:25That was just

5:41:34a

5:41:40>> All right, madam controller, please call

5:41:42item number 18.

5:41:43>> Item number 18.

5:41:47>> Pass item 18.

5:41:50>> We already had that one.

5:41:51>> Call item 18. Smiley

5:41:54>> and

5:42:10>> read 18 into record.

5:42:13>> 18, right?

5:42:22Okay, I got you.

5:42:27>> Take your time.

5:42:42>> Stop. Okay,

5:42:47>> just read. Item number 18 is an

5:42:49ordinance

5:42:51>> of the city council of the city of

5:42:53Memphis, Tennessee, amending ordinance

5:42:55number 5367

5:42:58known as the Memphis and Shelby County

5:43:00Unified Development Code to establish

5:43:02regulations for the sighting, initial

5:43:04development, construction, expansion,

5:43:06alteration, and operation of large-scale

5:43:08data centers. Establishing data center

5:43:11development standards, prohibiting

5:43:13routine evaporative and once through

5:43:15cooling, requiring closed loop water

5:43:17circulation systems, prohibiting major

5:43:20withdrawals of local water resources

5:43:25for cooling, requiring water

5:43:27conservation and monitoring, requiring

5:43:29progressive use of renewable and

5:43:31non-carbon electricity, establishing a

5:43:34schedule for the phase out of carbon

5:43:35based electricity, establishing

5:43:37requirements for expansion of existing

5:43:39data centers, providing for public

5:43:41disclosure, reporting, enforcement,

5:43:43penalties, and other matters related

5:43:45there too. Up for third and final

5:43:47reading. Ordinance number 5986 is

5:43:50sponsored by Councilman Warren. That was

5:43:53a sub substitute motion sponsored and it

5:43:56was held from 106. This has been moved

5:43:59by

5:44:01>> it's been moved by one and second by

5:44:06>> Yes, ma'am.

5:44:06>> All right. Councilman, vice chair,

5:44:10please cast your vote for item number

5:44:1218. Smiley's in the queue. All right,

5:44:15>> council members, please cast seven votes

5:44:18for item number 18.

5:44:28>> Council members,

5:44:30>> give me one more. Give me one more. Yes.

5:44:36>> Yeah. Just thumbs up.

5:44:41>> Oh yeah.

5:45:21The votes for item number

5:45:2518. Canali, yes. Carile, yes. Easter

5:45:29Thomas, no.

5:45:31>> Ford, yes. Logan, yes. Smiley, no.

5:45:34Spinosa, yes. Walker, no.

5:45:38>> Warren, yes. White, yes. Chairwoman

5:45:41swearing in Washington, no.

5:45:46>> Please show Green is voting no.

5:45:49>> Does that pass?

5:45:49>> That item passes. Vice Chair Carlile,

5:45:52you're recognized.

5:45:53>> Thank you, Madam Chair. I move that same

5:45:55night minutes 67 34 35 36 37 and 18 be

5:46:00adopted. Nice move.

5:46:02>> All right. It has been moved by Vice

5:46:03Chair Carile, second by

5:46:06Dr. Warren.

5:46:08>> 35 36 37.

5:46:11>> All right.

5:46:13>> That concludes our meeting. I will take

5:46:15a motion to adjourn.

5:46:19>> Oh

5:46:22my information.

5:46:26Just thumbs up.

5:46:27>> Yeah, we're good. She good.

5:46:29>> Yeah.

5:46:33>> All right. We'll take a motion to

5:46:34adjurnn.

5:46:35>> Move to

5:46:38what?