City Council - Regular Meeting

Good afternoon, everyone. I'll call to order the Tuesday, September 1st meeting of the Chattanooga City Council and recognize Councilwoman Knoll to lead us in our Pledge of Allegiance and Invocation.

Thank you. Welcome again, everyone, to our council meeting today. At the beginning of the meeting, we like to give an overview of how our meeting operates. You'll know what to expect. We operate in two parts. The first part of our meeting is what's called our agenda session. where council will consider the minutes from our last meeting first and foremost and then we will look at the agenda for items to be voted on tonight and then items on our well normally we would look at our items for next week's agenda we're not meeting next week due to the Labor Day holiday and so then we will look at ite

I don't see any lights for that. We do not have any ordinance on first reading tonight, but we do have several resolutions. And I do see some lights for questions on resolutions. We'll start with Councilman Clark.

Thank you, Chairman Davis. My question is for a resolution on the economic development from the Appalachian Region Commission. The 50% match, which is half a million dollars, does that amount come from the Westside Evolve? Like what cost center, where is that money coming from?

So that's the earmark from Congressman Fleischman's office that was given towards the general fund to the city and that were used?

Gotcha. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Okay. And thank you, Richard. It's not coming out.

Let's see. Vice Chair Elliott, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. I have a question for Item 9C under Human Resources. How are you doing? Good afternoon. Good afternoon. Question. I see we're extending this for...

Thank you, sir. And Councilman Clark, you're ready.

Chief Green, to answer my question, just for clarity purposes, there is an RFP going out. Is that what you're saying? Sorry. Okay.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Council, are there any other questions on any resolutions on tonight's agenda?

I don't see any lights here on the board, and so we will If we're not meeting next week, we will look at the purchasing items on tonight's agenda. And hit your lights if you have questions on those. Vice Chair Elliott, you're recognized. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

I have a question about our security contract under Parks and Outdoors. I don't know how many I'm going to take this one. Yes, sir. Okay. Hey, Russell. This may require some institutional knowledge, but, you know, I don't, A, let me say this, I appreciate the fact that you guys split this contract. I think we were trying to find a one size fits all that was not serving our needed space as well. The concern I have is of SEI. If I'm not mistaken, we used them in the past

Okay, I didn't know that. And so that opens up some other questions. And while, and I'm not trying to be rude when I say this, while I appreciate that she has probably become a foundation of that library, I don't think I or anybody else can make procurement decisions based on relationships. And so I'm curious if we're only using, is it just a downtown library for her?

Okay. And you're saying the reason you chose SEI for the library is because of the relationship we have with Ms. Jackie?

And that's what came from, was this an RFP or a bid? RFP. So we scored an RFP because we have a relationship with somebody, is what you're saying?

So now we've got to have Walden do everything else, correct?

Now, what reassurances do we have that we're not about to fall into the same issue? Because what we had before is we had one company trying to do all of our parks, do all of our community centers, do all of our other government facilities, and we were not getting adequate security. And here's where my concern is. I'll tell you, I have been in community centers where people have pulled out guns on folks. Thank God. And I'll use Avondale, for example. There have been incidents where young people have pulled out weapons on that campus because for whatever reason. And thank God we had law enforcem

What facilities are getting armed security and what's not?

I'm going to say this. I'm going to look to defer this item, and I don't know if I'm going to get any support, but I can't support something until I know exactly what type of securities we have at our different facilities. Okay. Okay. All right. Thank you, ma'am. Thank you. That's all, Mr. Chair. Okay. I've got a question about that.

Councilman Clark, you're recognized. Were you indicating that some of those armed security people are going to public works?

There will be armed security at the DRC.

Gotcha. But not at wastewater, the Mockinson Bend plant.

Oh, that's right. I forgot. I'm sorry. Sorry, Amanda. Get your steps in there.

Okay. But you're saying when it's armed, it goes to Walden, but the library will use SEI?

Thank you. Um, Chief Grant, I guess my question would be to Vice Chairman Elliott. With the purpose of deferring it for however amount of time, what would the purpose be for us to reevaluate the secondary contract of SEI? I don't know why I want to say SEI here. It's not the unit. It's not it. It's not it. And I'm just asking. I definitely support deferring it. I just want to be on the record. WITH A DIRECTIVE TO THE STAFF? LIKE WHAT ULTIMATELY WHAT WOULD BE OUR PURPOSE? LIKE WOULD WE SEND IT BACK? I DIDN'T GET THAT. CAN YOU TRY AGAIN? SORRY. MY PHONE DIDN'T CHIP HENDERSON. THAT'S CRAZY. VICE

Your question is what's the purpose of deferring?

So the purpose to defer would be to reevaluate, to ask the administration to reconsider their contract with SEI.

Well, I can't tell the administration how to move on selecting contracts. All I can do is vote up and down on one. But I have concerns that we may be falling in the same pitfalls as before with security contracts, and this is just too important not to get right.

And I want to start off with figuring out what facilities are getting armed security and what's not, because that has been a problem in the past. We have had some of our more sensitive areas who just have not had adequate security, and things have gone awry. And we owe it to the public and our employees to make sure we're showing up for them and providing those safeguards. So until I get some of those answers, I cannot support moving this item forward.

Okay. Can I ask Chairman Davis a logistical question first? As as in how we vote right now, this is I don't I'm not sure if this is listed as a blanket, but is there a way tonight? That we can separate the 2.

Yes, just need to be a motion made to withdraw that particular purchasing item. From the group.

Okay, so it's not like a blanket where the vendor one and two are like a blanket contract. They're two separate contracts.

You're talking about... I'm just generally speaking. Okay, let's see what you're asking.

Can someone clarify, Darren and Mandy, if that is one contract? They're deliberated. But for the city attorney, is that something that we could do in separating them tonight if we were to defer SEI?

Okay. May I? Sure. Okay. My recommendation tonight in support of Councilman Elliott's concerns, just to do a deferral for further deliberation, would be to separate the two tonight. Okay. and to defer the new agreement with SEIU into further evaluation of that contract as far as to address his concerns, Mr. Vice Chair.

Okay. To clarify, Councilman, I want the whole thing deferred. That's what I'm motioning for. Now, if somebody makes a different motion or whatnot, that's fine, but I want all of it pushed off personally.

I have questions, and I think it may be best that we sit down and talk through some of those questions just so we can get some clarity so we don't have to let it linger on the dice.

Mr. Chair, I wish to recognize. Yes, Councilman Clark. Mandy, one second, please. For educational purposes, if we, so this contract goes into effect when? If approved tonight?

So who's currently securing these places?

What does that mean? So there's several sites you all have mentioned tonight. So are there multiple vendors that are just randomly securing our facilities right now?

my question on the timing, that's what I was concerned about is when does this need to go into effect? Because what are we leaving uncovered right now? So everybody's covered at this point. They're just doing their own thing. Yes. So the main thing is to get one contract or contracts in place to move forward. Yes. Yes. Thank you.

Thank you. Okay. And Vice Chair Elliott, you're recognized.

Before we wrap up, I will say this. I've been asking about this contract for several weeks now. And this is the first time we've had an opportunity to talk about it. So I understand timing is important, but also making sure that people's concerns are important as well. And so I haven't brought this request to the dais, but this is something that I've brought up a couple times up until this point. So I just need to get my head wrapped around it before I can feel comfortable voting on it. But if we decide to go one way or another, that's the prerogative of the council. Thank you, Mr. Chair.

Council, are there any other questions on purchasing items? I do not see any lights, so we'll look at future considerations. If you would, turn to that document with me and hit your light if you have any questions about any items on our future considerations list. ALL RIGHT. I DON'T SEE ANY LIGHTS. SO WE WILL MOVE ON THEN TO OUR DEPARTMENT REPORT FROM THE LIBRARY. WE'RE HAPPY TO WELCOME WILL BACK TO THE PODIUM.

NEW SPEAKER THANK YOU, WILL. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR WILL COUNCIL? COUNCILMAN HARVEY, YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Will, thank you for what you do at the library. I am a proud library cardholder, as is my wife and now my one-year-old daughter. So I just wanted to say that, brag a little bit, that I am a library cardholder. I also want to plug the third floor archives. The older I get, the more old people activities that I want to do. And I've gotten really into genealogy and spent two hours up there just going through archives as an eighth-generation Tennessean. It was really cool to see a lot of my family history that is preserved there. I actually found a picture of my second gre

And speaking of preservation, I'm very thankful that somebody preserved that picture of me during the Northgate story time. Yeah, and I would encourage my fellow council members to go out to the library near you and participate in a story time. It will keep you young at heart, serving some of our youngest constituents. Any other questions or comments, council, for Will? No. All right. Thank you very much.

With that, I will yield the chair to Councilwoman Burrs, who will lead us in our Planning, Zoning, and Housing Committee meeting.

Okay, I wish to open this month's Planning and Zoning Committee meeting. Can I get a motion to approve the minutes from our last meeting? Second. Second, thank you. With proper motion and second, our minutes shall stand as published. So we have three things to cover tonight and then anything else you all would like to talk about. The first thing we have is our upcoming cases, which will be heard on September 15th, and we just have a few of those. only to have been flagged by our PA staff. But of course, as always, we'll talk about anything you all want to talk about. And then we also have one

Well, you said here about – I do have a question, I guess, for Karen about 0095, just to confirm the applicant does want to withdraw that application, which, I mean, we'll have to take action on, but.

Okay. And then I did get an email confirming that 0100, the applicant's attorney, did request withdrawal of that application as well. Okay.

So we don't need to hear about that one tonight? No. Okay. Wonderful. We're down to one. All right. I see no other lights. Then, Karen, let's proceed with 0098. So 0098, is it 5251 and 5313 Champion Road?

Thank you, Karen. Councilman Clark, this is in your district. Do you have any comments or questions?

I want to make a comment regarding the public meeting that we had. It was very well attended with several neighbors, actually. Prior to us having the meeting, there was like a monsoon that happened like 30 minutes before. And we still had several members present and have had the opportunity to talk to neighboring individuals. There's not a lot of residential area in a commercial zone, so there's not a lot of houses right there. other than near Rotary Drive and some of the neighboring subdivisions like River Rock Cove. It's not close enough for this to impact them. One thing I want to note, whe

2021 is that it was those conditions were specific to a certain type of business. That business never happened. There's a new business, a warehouse business that wants to purchase this. So it was only natural that we lift the conditions that no longer was applicable. to that site because that business no longer exists. Karen, one question I do have, so I just want to put that on the record. I do plan to support the denial of some of the conditions, but you have added some.

And part of you could go back to that screen where you put the amended language regarding the heavy duty trucks. This is so when you say amending, are you adding that to condition that language to condition five?

Thank you. I see no other lights. So we'll move on to the next item, which is the amendment. regarding the drive-thrus.

Karen, I just, I see no lights. Anyone have any questions or questions? Oh, I don't know why I keep missing you. Yeah. Councilman Henderson.

Karen, let me make sure I understand this. Yes. Under this old C2. Yes. We allowed The drive-thru standalone or as accessory? That's right. We didn't make that distinction.

And all we're doing, if I understand you correctly, is now going back to the way we used to do business under the C2.

Explain to me the significance of number four, the stacking beginning at the first point of service.

Okay. And that looks like that would create less stacking to me.

Anything else? No, ma'am. Okay. I see no other lights. Karen, thank you. Just with regards to CMU-1, we'll be discussing that at the September planning commission meeting. I know that the commission asked for some more information relative to drive-thrus in the urban overlay.

Thank you. Any other questions for Karen before she switches out with Brian? Thank you, Karen, as always.

I don't see any immediate. Oh, I do see a light now. Just as I was getting ready to say something. Councilwoman Hill, thank you.

Thank you. So this plot process has been an interesting conversation in District 2 recently, because we have a very large piece of property that's being cleared. And in fact, it's so large that the land disturbance is a very small portion of the property, even though it's a huge amount of land being disturbed. And what I've been advised is that this falls under that Second element of when a subdivision plat is not approved is not required with the potential that all all Tracts of land are greater than five acres and no street or utility is being constructed so my question is When do those Plat

So there eventually becomes a record of them. Correct.

That's all, Madam Chair. I see no other lights. Just a quick question, just comparison. Well, there's two parts to the question. There are limits to what the Regional Planning Commission can deny a subdivision plat. We have to follow certain laws, correct? Can you do a quick comparison? You kind of alluded to it, the difference between the approval of a subdivision plat and the approval of a rezoning of a property? Sure.

And so the Planning Commission... Their hands are kind of tied. Their hands are tied.

So one other question, and I think unless I see any other lights, we'll move on. If I buy a piece of property that's not zoned for what I have in mind for use, which comes first, the rezone or the platting? Okay. So lots of times when the subdivision plots, more often than not, when the subdivision plots come before the planning commission, the property's already been rezoned for that particular use. So it's just a matter of, as you said, what is the conceptual plan now that it's been, say, rezoned for that particular use?

Thank you, Brian. I see no other lights. Chairman Davis, have your, did that satisfy the information you wanted to communicate? Okay. Okay. And what time would you like to recess until?

Okay. Thank you all. We will recess until 5.15, and we do have an attorney-client meeting.

We are back in session. Madam Clerk, if you would please read item 7A.

Second. Second. We have a motion properly seconded. Council, are there any questions or comments on this item before we vote? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? And the ordinance passes on final reading. Item 9A, please.

We have a motion properly seconded on this resolution. Council, are there any questions or comments before we vote? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? And the resolution is adopted. Item 9B, please.

Second. I have a motion properly seconded on this resolution. Are there any questions or comments, council, before we vote? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? And the resolution is adopted. Item 9C, please.

We have a motion properly seconded on this resolution. Are there any questions or comments before we vote, Council? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? The resolution is adopted. Item 9D, please.

Second. Motion properly seconded on this resolution. Council, are there any questions or comments before we vote? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? The resolution is adopted. Item 9E please.

We have a motion properly seconded on this resolution. Council, are there any questions or comments before we vote? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? And the resolution is adopted. And finally, item 9F, please.

Motion approved. Second. We have a motion properly seconded on this resolution. Council, are there any questions or comments before we vote? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? And the resolution is adopted. That takes us to purchases.

Yes, Mr. Chair. I would like to make a motion to defer the Parks and Outdoors security contract, entire contract, until September 22nd. 20 seconds.

All right. Council, we have a motion properly seconded to defer that last purchasing item until our September 22nd agenda. Are there any questions or comments before we vote on the motion?

I do see, sorry, my little machine. Looks like you've got some numbers in queue. Okay.

So I have Councilman Harvey, you're recognized.

Yeah, I just wanted to ask Councilman Elliott if you'd consider the 15th?

I may not be here. It depends on my flight weeks and how long the meeting lasts.

Should you get your answers between now and then? Can we both be affirmative?

It depends on how long our meeting lasts. Like if we have a long meeting,

Even if you're not here, do you feel like you could get your answers pointed out then?

What gives me a peace of mind is that they did describe a stopgap they have in place until this contract is finalized. So we're not leaving our facilities unsecured.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. That was going to be my question because I'm a little sketchy about the 22nd being too long. Also, I want to note, just for the record, that our issues are with SEI and not with Walden. I don't know the nature of your questions, and I'm sure between now and the 15th, I'm assuming you all have worked out a time to meet.

Is that If you would like, I can send you my questions if you want clarification on all the things I'm inquiring about. But my questions go beyond just SEI.

Got you. I guess my question would be if we were to, so do you do have subsequent questions with Walden Security? Like I just said, yes. Okay.

Okay. Council, are there any other questions or comments before we vote on the motion to defer? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? And the motion carries. And so that particular item, which is number eight on our list for tonight, will be deferred until September 22nd. So then, Council, I'll need a motion on the remaining seven. So moved. We have our motion properly seconded to approve the remaining seven purchases on our list for this evening. Are there any questions or comments on any of those items before we vote? All in favor? Aye. Any opposed? And the purchases are approved. Thank you, Wesle

Thank you. Councilwoman Hill. Let me back up just a minute. Sure. Councilman Elliott, would you get me the list of questions that you have for the committee hearing that you requested so that I know kind of who to line up and what to line up?

Is that all, Councilman? That's all. Okay. Thank you. Councilwoman Hill. Number four.

Councilman Harvey. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. No committee report, but I want to announce and invite the public to the grand opening for the Harvesting Inclusive Playground that will be opening officially, finally, this Saturday at Heritage Park at 10 a.m. So please come join us. This is one of our brave firefighters, Schuyler Phillips' vision. Thank you, Council, for helping fund this project. But we're very excited to see this come through, and I want to thank former Councilman Darren Ledford for his help as well when he was on council to get this done. We've been talking about this project a

That's all right. Councilman Clark. No report. Councilwoman Nolan.

It's always good to get a little education session in every once in a while. And then one thing that I failed to mention during our committee report is the next Planning Commission meeting will be September 14th, again at the new location at the Development Resource Center at 1 o'clock. That's all, Mr. Chair.

Thank you, Mr. Chair. Two things. Reminding everybody of the District 9 Town Hall on September 14th. And secondly, I would like to take a minute to pause and recognize the loss of a true giant of Chattanooga, a good friend of mine, a brother and a mentor. We unfortunately lost Shane Morrow, co-founder and executive director of Riot Chattanooga, unexpectedly last week. And to know Shane is to understand his deep impact and love for people in this community. So if you could join me in a brief moment of silence.

Thank you, Vice Chair. And I would just note again, for counsel and everybody, we will not be meeting next Tuesday due to the Labor Day holiday, and so our next meeting will be September 15th. And with that, we're now to the portion of our meeting where we're happy to hear from members of the public who are here to address counsel. And so if you're here for that purpose, if you would, just line up at the podium down front and listen while our attorney reads the rules, and we just ask that everyone abides by the rules.

Council, it appears we've completed the business in front of us this evening. All in favor?