There are 980 article(s) tagged Memphis City Council:
The final vote Tuesday shifted dramatically after the owner of a Petland store in Wolfchase that prompted the ban ordinance complained he had been harassed by city inspectors who cited him for three violations last Friday.
In addition to the Wells monument, the council approved two new sewer fees and a TIF agreement for Downtown.
Some council members questioned why they, along with the public, will not get a chance to question the seven police candidates before Mayor Jim Strickland nominates one of them for the top police job.
Questions about opinions and litigation Tuesday in council committee turned into a rallying cry for some to join a legal fight in the name of the city’s underground water source.
The council could take the first of three votes Tuesday, March 16, on a ban of retail sales of dogs and cats as a national pet store chain has moved into Wolfchase. The council could also try to regulate where pipelines are located as a first step toward stopping the Byhalia pipeline project.
On The Daily Memphian Politics Podcast, council member Rhonda Logan says the police force needs more officers but also needs to change the way those officers are used with a return to community policing.
During this week’s council discussion, sponsor Worth Morgan asked for a list of pet breeders used by the Wolfchase store franchisee. When he didn’t get it but an offer of a guided tour, Morgan compared it to inspecting a nuclear facility in Iran.
Council member Chase Carlisle was sharply critical of health officials, the County Commission and county Mayor Lee Harris. The wording was later amended after a lengthy council debate.
Proposed rules delay action on the city adding a $2.6 million community grants program to its next budget.
Council member J.B. Smiley argues that if the city accepts police and fire applications from outside the city, more effort will have to be put into screening candidates.
The city plans to offer the property to developers once the sale from THM Properties of New York City closes. Demolition of the part of the city’s skyline is also an option.
The items added Monday evening to the council’s committee list include $1 million in funding for the city’s vaccine ramp-up. They join what was already a busy council day, including the 100 North Main building, street racing and sewer fees.
The Daily Memphian City Council Scorecard looks at a committee vote this past week on whether to send $2.6 million to the council grants program or the city’s bus system.
One City Council member wanted to lock in $2.6 million for the community grants after the amount took a cut in the current city budget because of the pandemic’s impact. But another proposed doing away with the grants and sending the money to the city’s bus system.
State environmental officials are helping in the effort to find leaks and resolve water problems.
A Tennessee Senate committee on Tuesday, Feb. 23, advanced a bill preventing cities and counties from requiring police officers, firefighters and emergency medical professionals to live where they work.
The council votes next week on the further use of a PILOT extension fund already being tapped for $62 million for four Downtown parking garages. Meanwhile, one of the banks involved in financing the garages wants some more loan guarantees, which includes a proposed TIF.
The moratorium is a reaction to plans for a smoke shop on McLean Boulevard across from Snowden School in Midtown.
The order doesn’t become effective until it is signed by the mayor.
Legal questions prompt delay of consideration on three measures.
Opponents of the proposed Byhalia Connection oil pipeline will have to wait a bit longer to see what action the Memphis City Council might take regarding the project. The council’s attorney has requested more time to study the city’s legal options.
The Tuesday, Feb. 23, council session also includes final votes on a set of ordinances cracking down on illegal street racing and possibly a continuation of council discussions with MLGW about the city’s water crisis.
When the city’s water system became a crisis last week, Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division was several months underway with a five-year $142.4 million overhaul of water system infrastructure.
Memphis, Light, Gas and Water’s water pressure situation has improved since Friday, but the utility organization’s president J.T. Young said it’s still “a critical patient.” He may have a better timetable Sunday on lifting the boil water advisory. Meanwhile, City Council members look at the water crisis.
U.S. Rep. Steve Cohen and two City Council members were among those who gathered for the online rally against the proposed pipeline.