There are 71 article(s) tagged Jeff Warren:
Memphis City Council member Dr. Jeff Warren dipped his toe across the city-county dividing line when he waded into a discussion about building a new jail instead of a new Regional One Health campus.
“I can’t remember seeing a full bus,” Council member Dr. Jeff Warren said. “If we are not filling those buses up, why are we buying the big buses?”
The long-delayed Memphis City Council votes on closing two Chickasaw Gardens streets to auto traffic has been delayed indefinitely.
The sponsor withdrew the referendum as other Memphis City Council members prepared to vote it down. The council also dealt with three other ballot questions.
A new plan for expanding the Memphis Light, Gas and Water board to include two voting suburban seats is still an uphill battle to get on the November ballot.
A delayed grant for Tom Lee Park’s redesign, the Beale Street Landing dock expansion and a pool of money cobbled together years ago to jumpstart a renovation of Mud Island led to a City Council showdown.
MLGW’s CEO said the utility has operated with a “run to fail” mindset, meaning it only fixes what’s broken, and there haven’t been regular investments in MLGW’s infrastructure for decades.
Council members say they hope the question on city voters’ ballots will influence the Tennessee Legislature even if any of the measures would likely be challenge by the state if voters approve them. Police response time to priority calls down from 2022’s five-year highRelated story:
Council attorney Allan Wade says the council can put gun control measures on the ballot. He expects they’ll be “inundated” with challenges. He wouldn’t rule out a court fight over whether they could override state law.
A city ordinance that could prompt a court fight with the state over gun control has morphed into a potential ballot question for voters. The sponsors of the measure talk about it on “Behind The Headlines.”
As of March 30, there had been 78 murders in Memphis this year compared to 54 murders at the same point in 2022, according to Memphis Police Department data.
“In the past, most bar fights ended up being just that — a bar fight,” Memphis Police Chief Cerelyn “C.J.” Davis said. “Now everybody has a weapon, and we’re seeing more and more simple arguments turning into gun battles.”
An ad hoc group is expected to recommend several maps to the council with a first council vote scheduled for an April 5 special session. There is no guarantee the council will change the current district lines ahead of October city elections. And the ad hoc group isn’t of one mind on how to redraw the lines.
“What we’re doing here is asking them to initiate those same interventions that they’re putting in their other sites across the country and not wait for the EPA,” said Memphis City Council member Jeff Warren.
Regional One responded to a resolution approved this week by the Memphis City Council that urges the Shelby County Commission to persuade the hospital to allow the intervention program’s counselors access to the hospital and victims of violent crime.
A nonbinding resolution asks the Shelby County Commission, which funds the county-owned hospital, to pressure the hospital to allow counselors to approach crime victims. Group Violence Intervention Program updates City Council on progressRelated story:
For years, advocates have said MLGW could save hundreds of millions of dollars annually by leaving TVA and buying electricity from someone else. But savings of “huge dollars” didn’t materialize in the latest proposals from other providers.
A city charter change that would allow the mayor and members of the city council to serve three consecutive terms goes on the ballot in August.
The Tuesday, May 24, council agenda also includes the second of three votes on a companion ballot question that would allow partisan primaries in city elections.Related story:
The two proposals were introduced during council committee sessions but appear to have been discussed among council members prior to that. City Council approves Southwind apartments, Liberty Park management contract, moreRelated story:
The three returning and two new MLGW board members breezed through City Council approval Tuesday, as a move to hire an energy consultant was put on hold.Related story:
Council members withdrew a resolution Tuesday, March 22, opposing the bill in Nashville after amendments were made. The bill would still limit the council’s ability to regulate convenience stores with gas pumps.
The state has lowered the percentage it expects to make on investments that finance pension funds. By state law, the city of Memphis must lower its discount rate as well in the spring budget season.
The delay came after some council members opposed to the ballot question pushed for a separate vote on first reading Tuesday, Dec. 21.
The council voice vote was unanimous to rename a street for Young Dolph on Tuesday, Dec. 7, but it came after some council members questioned the honor given the lyrics of some of his music.