Memphis City Council moves closer to hiring energy consultant
Memphis City Council attorney Allan Wade, seen here in 2017, outlined a “scope of work” process May 10 for hiring an energy consultant. (The Daily Memphian file)
Memphis City Council members are moving ahead with plans to hire an energy consultant to advise the council on any decision the Memphis Light Gas and Water Division board may make on the possibility of the utility parting ways with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
MLGW is currently in the middle of a request for proposal process taking bids from various providers for all aspects of the possible move to a new electric power provider and some electric power generation locally.
Council attorney Allan Wade outlined a “scope of work” process Tuesday, May 10, for hiring an energy consultant for the council that would be an invitation-based process of talking with consultants or consulting firms.
MLGW has reaffirmed to the council as well as Strickland’s energy consultant that it will not share information and bids from its RFP process until there is a final recommendation to the MLGW board late this year.
Depending on what the board approves, the decision could go to the city council for what amounts to ratification.
A joint MLGW-board meeting with city council members for a preview of the bids, without identifying bidders, is in the works for later this month or early June.
And the council’s consultant will be able to see what the firms that don’t make the final cut submitted to MLGW, according to Wade.
In other action Tuesday, the council approved on the first of three readings setting a city property tax rate with a blank where the tax rate would go.
Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland is proposing a rate of $2.70 compared to the current $2.71 — that after the Tennessee comptroller ordered the rate lowered because a property value appeals allowance that the current rate was partially based on — was set too high.
Council budget committee hearings resume Wednesday and move to the administration’s operating budget proposal of $750-million.
The council also approved on the second of three readings a joint city-county ordinance establishing the redevelopment trust fund for a Soulsville TIF — or tax increment financing — district.
The council also approved $6 million of emergency waste pickup funding in Area E by Wastequip LLC — the private contractor in the city sector that is not covered by city solid waste crews, but by a private contractor.
The administration expects to have a new long-term contract for solid waste pickup in the area by June 30, which is the end of the current fiscal year.
Most of the emergency waste pickup funding — $5 million — comes from a solid waste reserve fund.
Topics
Memphis City Council Allan Wade MLGW TVA contract Solid Waste Division city property tax rate 2022 budget season Soulsville TIFBill Dries on demand
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Bill Dries
Bill Dries covers city and county government and politics. He is a native Memphian and has been a reporter for almost 50 years covering a wide variety of stories from the 1977 death of Elvis Presley and the 1978 police and fire strikes to numerous political campaigns, every county mayor and every Memphis Mayor starting with Wyeth Chandler.
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