County Commission - Regular Meeting

Thank you, Madam Chair. On behalf of the County Commission, we want to honor you with this little small token of appreciation, repulsing trust and confidence in the fidelity and the ability of Dr. Christopher D. Walton, Senior Pastor, First Baptist Church, Lauderdale, appoint and constitute you chaplain of the Board of Commissioners to serve during the 26th day of October 2026 at the will and pleasure of the chairwoman, signed by her, Shante K. Avon.

All right. Good afternoon. As we get ready to close out the month of October, I know that we take a lot of time to reflect on breast cancer awareness, which is why I'm rocking my pink today. So I figure we do a dual role. It's also important, equally important, to recognize Domestic Violence Awareness Month. And so I met Ms. Marquita, and we started to talk about the work that they're doing at the YWCA, which is beyond measure when it comes to people who experience domestic violence. And so it would be fitting that we honor you today for your work, your hard work, both past, current, and what

Thank you, madam chair. Ms. Odom. Yes. I just wanted to say thank you so much for all the work that you've done for our community. I am a member of another organization where we've partnered with you in this work. So I started following you probably many, many moons ago, as you know, and just, you have stayed steady and you definitely are doing the work in a community that I think sometimes that does not understand the importance of your work until they need you. So thank you for continuing to march forward and move forward and support our community in all that you do.

Thank you. Thank you, Ms. Odom, again, for your many years of great work and service to our community. I've been blessed as you invited me over to provide training on ACEs to the participants in that program and understanding that the impact of domestic violence has a ripple effect on our children and families. So many nights I've been able to call, and you all made sure that families was taken care of. So thank you for all the amazing work that you do at the YWCA. Thank you, Commissioner. All right.

This honor again, Chairwoman and commissioners, I appreciate this opportunity to present this resolution to this amazing company. I've been knowing probably 20 plus years. And many of you all may know them because of the great food that they serve through Rico's Chicken and the many other restaurants they have. I don't want this meeting to be long so everybody can get the Rico's chicken and get something to eat this evening. But Miss Miss Tiffany and Mariko Wiley has truly been a blessing to our community. I appreciate Commissioner Will Richardson joining me here with them because we both have

Chairwoman Aban. And Commissioner Ronda Odell.

Commissioners and audience. This young lady needs no introduction, she's been here many a times. But this is a resolution honoring Shelby County Chief Financial Officer Audrey Tipton. It is appropriate for this esteemed Board of Commissioners to honor and recognize distinguished individuals whose tireless efforts and unwavering dedication have made a significant and lasting impact on the lives of other Shelby County Tennesseans. Ms. Audrey Tipton made history as the first African-American woman to serve as Shelby County's Director of Administration and Finance, our CFO. Whereas, Audrey Tipton

While we're taking pictures, we do have one comment card. Director Chipton, Danielle Schaumbach, excuse me, as many times as I've heard that name.

Thank you, Madam Chair. So I cannot let this lady walk out this door without me just saying thank you. You know, I appreciate the fact that you accept my phone calls, my text messages and my emails. based upon questions, but more importantly, is how you respond with care and with knowledge. And for that, I say thank you. You know, there were many long nights that we had during that first term around budget and around how we needed to get to where we wanted to go. And I know that you gave us your all as we did make some really difficult decisions. And I know it didn't just start with us in our

Director Tipton, it absolutely was a pleasure to work with you in the previous administration. Yes. And I cannot tell you just what a job well done. You were always so confident in your work, which led me to confidence when I was listening to the numbers. I knew if you said them, I could depend on them. So again, thank you to your family for the many years of service they've offered you up for. But please enjoy your next months and years away from Shelby County government. Come and see us and visit. But thank you so much.

Again, Director, there's so much been said. As Commissioner Biff said, I got to apologize to Mr. Tipton, because I was reading some of those emails I was sending you, and it took me to 1 o'clock in the morning to figure some of them out. But your, again, your integrity, your character, and the way you carried yourself through some hard and tough times and challenging times, but you stayed focused on the main thing, and you kept us focused as much as we could.

Commissioner Clay Bibbs. Thank you, Madam Chair. Number 10, please. Commissioner Streeter.

Commissioner Clay Bibbs, are you able to give a committee report? It came down with a favorable recommendation. Thank you.

I'd like to be added as a sponsor, please.

Commissioner, that item was heard. I mean, it passed a favorable recommendation.

Thank you, Madam Chairman. Seeing that Oracle has had many problems that we've all witnessed and many people have complained about, Speak to me about how we can get those problems solved before moving forward with paying more money for this system.

Thank you. I would like to see a report that talks about the level of satisfaction overall with Oracle. By next week.

Commissioner clay bibs. Thank you, madam chair. I was trying to see where I was going to approach my questions regarding Oracle. Cause I did not vote for Oracle. had previous experiences with it not doing right by government previously. So not surprised that we are here. But my question is, will this solve all of our problems? And if so, give me the forecast of that. And if not, will you be back here again asking for more money to put into it in order for it to work properly.

I appreciate the answer. I think, you know, for me, I'm just frustrated because I knew from the jump this would happen. I mean, we saw it happen in city government. We saw it happen in the school system. We've seen it happen across the state with this particular ERP system. So I'm just kind of frustrated that we are here where we are today. Granted, you're asking because you included it in the original budget. So I guess that's somewhat of a win. But the reality of it is I just hate that we're here because I've been a witness to all of the things that have happened. It's interesting to know th

Commissioner O'Dell? Thank you, Chairwoman. This isn't directed at you at all. Okay. When we were in committee Wednesday, I thought that this item had to do with upgrades. And as I started studying and reading a little bit more, I realized that this is actually a consulting company to do projects. So what was the first company that was doing this before? Before this company?

Accenture, okay. And so my next question is, why is this deemed a single source award when there is numerous other companies that could have taken on this? How did they get a single source bid award on that?

And while he's coming up, I'm going to keep reading because my time is ticking away. I tried to read exactly what Protivita was going to do for Shelby County, the scope of work, but the Exhibit A, which is referenced in both the resolution and the contract, is not in the documents. So I can't find that. Okay. Mr. Gluster.

Okay. We might need to address that. And this leads me to one more question. The funding for this is coming out of CIP. How is a consultant or someone that is an implementer being paid with capital dollars? Because I thought capital was for buildings, for items that lasted 10 years, software, that stuff.

Yes. Director Perry, you said there was only, I guess, what, 20 complaints within the last, what period was that?

Great. Okay. Can you just make sure that there's not a disconnect with some of our divisions? Because this Board of Commissioners, as I heard Commissioner Clay Bibbs say, we get a ton of complaints. So 20 seems very small compared to what I hear. So can we make sure all our divisions know how to do, and that's just what they say is, I don't know how to do this or this won't do that. Those are the complaints I'm getting. So I think there's more out there. We just need to capture that. And the sooner we can capture that, the better this program is going to be.

Thank you, Madam Chair. And so I just need clarification because I understand that you stated that it was the Purchase Department decided to go single source, and then they stated it was your department. So who actually decided on having this go the route of a single source, number one? And then also I heard that you stated that it was publicized. So my question then becomes how many respondents responded to this? Do we have any non-responses? So can you answer the first question and then I'll let Director Walter chime in.

Yes. Whose decision was it to place this as a single source bid as opposed to going the regular route?

But we submitted it to purchasing and I will pause there to let the administrative purchasing talk about the actual next steps okay thank you director glosser so then it was a single source were there any other respondents and it seems like this decision was already made if you wanted to continue with this particular vendor but can you answer that question

So what I'm hearing you saying, even though one was already pre-selected, If other vendors had applied, they could have won this particular bid. Is that what I'm hearing?

Thank you. To the administration, I'm for technology to assist and make our jobs easier. Oracle, in my humble opinion, has not met my expectations, to put it mildly. So before I would vote to put more dollars to provide for critical subject matter expertise and specialized resources to a program that isn't meeting our expectations, number one, I need Exhibit A. I still don't have that. It's not in our system. So I don't know what the scope of work for this company is. We did the funding. We need accurate statements so that departments and elected officials and this body can do our fiduciary re

Thank you, Madam Chair, Vice Chair. Director, again, I appreciate your... Information that you're sharing with I think to where are some of this disconnect we got eight new commissioners to here I remember when this came before us on the last Commission to vote on this one of the things was the price of it I think it was if you could tell me the price overall price of the 18 million or some the software component which is the first piece we came before you it was roughly 2.3 million for the software for a five-month term

Less than 15 million. And so I say this, and so this 1.3 million is part of that number, right?

Well, I say this, is that I do hear the concerns of my colleagues because I hear, too, from others outside, but I trust your expertise as our Director IT. You've been doing an amazing job to keep things on track. To this point, and I just heard from Director off and that's about where she feel like we need to keep moving to get this trip this thing right so in your best judgment you could tell us today how do you I mean which what would you advise us in the sense that we need to continue to go and why we should continue to go where we are because of the current investment that's number one sec

Thank you so much, and my thanks to Commissioner Streeter for pulling this from the consent item. Commissioners, I think we've heard plenty today on this item, but my concern is I think each one of you who has spoken, including Ms. Peary, makes me feel like we should send this back to committee on November 18th so everyone can get the information that they need. I would also suggest to county employees who have called most of us many, many times about very specific issues. I even heard another specific issue again today I would encourage you to reach out to your respective county commissioner

Mr. Collins, I appreciate your comments today. You have asked us equally for a lot of patience with you and the finances. We are trying to do that, and this is an effort to be sure we're not throwing good money after bad money. And so, respectfully... I appreciate, you could literally take a Pinto car and turn it into a Cadillac. So I appreciate your salesmanship. But today we are literally hearing from an enormous amount of folks. I've been through a transition with electronic medical record when I worked for a hospital. To your point, everything you said is absolutely correct. It is painful.

Thank you so much. So my recommendation is that when you come to committee, Please have a presentation to address, number one, all of the issues that you had and how you have corrected them. And number two, all of the good things that we have not seen. Because right now, we're basically inundated with complaints. So this is your opportunity to show us all of the great things about Oracle and then also be able to promise us what will be cleared away prior to us having to make this investment. We need to know that all of the bugs will be taken care of prior to this investment.

Vice Chair Brooks. Thank you. Before we take this back to committee, well, we've already done it, but I think we should be clear to the director the information or our expectation of her on November 15th because she may need to reach out to someone and have someone at committee. So we need to make sure that we give her the information that we need so that we'll be comfortable casting our vote so that she'll be able to compile all of the questions and bring in expertise if she needs to, but be able to satisfy you and your vote that you need.

This item came down with a favorable recommendation.

I just kind of need some information about this company, Trifecta, and I need to understand the need for us to use a temporary service for health department employees, and what kinds of positions are they filling?

brought to my attention we have one public health nurse respectfully let me ask you real quick what do you think is contributing to this issue because I know several nurses and quite frankly a couple of them went to texas recently so they went to school here in native memphians so what do you think is the problem what I think is the problem yes sir pay

Thank you, Madam Chair. I just want to just say to the Director, as I know, my sister-in-law tonight, she'll be getting in the car driving to Nashville. She's a nurse, but she drives up there two, three times a week to get better pay than working here. So I just wanted to add that that's a fact, and I see that here in our community. Thank you.

Is there some way we could work out some kind of partnership with the schools such that maybe we could pay interns or pay, I don't know if you call them interns as nurses, but those who are doing their student nurses for lack of a better term.

Well, that seems like something that you could work out with a university or a college. such that it could be incorporated into the curriculum some kind of way, and they'll get credit, and that way you may get that license, higher up nurse, administrator to do that. But I guess it just has to be worked out. I have a problem with these private Oh, these private staffing companies. I've heard so many horrible things from individuals who go to work through these places whereby there's no protection, there's no benefits. Of course, we are at real estate, so that's just adding worse on top of worse

Yes, Madam Chairman. This passed with a favorable response. However, the Shelby County Sheriff's Office has asked us to pull this item today.

Yes, it came down with favorable recommendations.

Commissioner Brooks? Vice Chair Brooks? Thank you. I'll pull this item in order to be added as a sponsor.

Yes, this item came down with a favorable recommendation.

This item came down with a favorable recommendation.

This item came down with a favorable recommendation. Thank you.

Vice Chair Brooks? Thank you. I'd like to be added as a sponsor, please.

Thank you, Madam Chair. I'd like to be added as a sponsor as well.

Yes. I would like to be added as a sponsor.

Madam Chairman, I move to defer this resolution until November the 18th so that we can allow for a community meeting with relevant experts to strengthen this resolution.

Yes, ma'am, Madam Chair. This item was sent down without a recommendation.

Vice Chair Brooks? Thank you, Madam Chair. Do you have any cards on this item? I do not. Okay. What I'm going to do after just a brief summary is defer this to committee meeting, to our next committee meeting, because we have a number of amendments, and I'm very grateful to Young, Gifted, and Green for the work that was done over the weekend to get this in shape and to make sure that this moratorium is strictly applicable to Shelby County. Now this moratorium will keep the projects, data center projects, from locking in on today's rules while we develop standards and those standards are comple

Well, no, when I said, I think when I said... some other areas, if there was something else that you needed to add, or if you'd like to add regarding the County Powers Act or something like that, those are the kinds of things that we'll be looking at between now and November 18th, in addition to giving the attorney the opportunity to look at the amendments that were worked on and submitted by Young, Gifted and Green. And I thought you might want to add something to that.

Well, I wasn't asking you to make a comment about the form and legality. I thought maybe since we had a conversation and I submitted the document that you may want to add something, but I can understand if you do not. So with that, I'd like to just move to defer this so that we'll be able to bring you a complete document to our next committee meeting on November 18th.

If the health director is here, could I ask a question, Madam Chairman?

Hey, Dr. Randolph. Thank you for being here today. Like all the commissioners, I have a lot of smart folks in my district, probably smarter than me. And when this was written, again, I took it as we were replacing obsolete information and just replacing it with updated codes like we typically do. But on this specifically, Would this prohibit no carbon-based electricity?

Yeah, would this item prohibit carbon-based electricity?

So again, we're clear, and I appreciate your explanation. So we're not adding anything up and above...

OK. Thank you for the explanation. Thank you. Thank you, Madam Chairwoman.

This item came down with an unfavorable recommendation.

Commissioner Sugarman. Thank you, Madam Chair. As a classroom teacher of Memphis Shelby County Schools for over 28 years, where I've taught over 8,000 students, we have a short memory span because the state has been interfering constantly with our opportunities and opportunities to rectify the situation that they claim going to rectify. Do you all recall the Achievement School District that created a promise to turn around Tennessee's lowest performing schools and provide our children with a better education? Do you all recall that? Independent research from Vanderbilt University found that th

Thank you. Thank you. I agree with everything my colleague said. Absolutely correct. And let me just say this. It's absolutely shameful that the state, the state of Tennessee, is using our children, using our children this way for this power grab, and that's all it is. It's about power and control. It's not about taking care of our children. Yes, we do need to improve our school system. We need to improve the county commission. We need to improve the city council. We definitely need to improve the state legislature, the House and the Senate. So we all need improvement. But that doesn't mean th

Thank you, Chairwoman. Thank you to our concerned citizens that came out and spoke tonight. Thank you very much for coming out and sharing your concerns. Of course, I'll be voting yes on this. I believe Reverend Kenneth Whalum said it. If this was so popular, where are all the millionaires in Shelby County? They can support this. We don't need to do it on the backs of our taxpayer dollars. Our CFO, Mr. Collins, has told us the county is broke. We need to cut ties where we can. We've already spent $200,000 on this. And also, just so the public knows, there's eight of us new commissioners up her

Commissioner Dowell. I would just like to remind the people what the State Advisory Board is set out to do. They are appointed to overhaul and stabilize Memphis Shelby County Schools. Board leadership has stated that their core mission is to improve student achievement, organize district operations, and work with local stakeholders to elevate the entire community. So in my eyes, kudos to the state for trying to come in and help our students. is all about the children and their education. And I am a 36-year educator, and I feel that every child has their own decision. Every one of you in the au

Yes, I just want to point out I believe in transparency on both ends. And one thing that nobody has really spoken about is the $270,000 that the school board will have to pay for at least four years, which results in over a million dollars over that time that will be taxpayer money. nor have we talked about the mentioning of the MOU for over a million dollars for a consultant's fee that they have discussed but they have not yet agreed upon. So I'm not saying that to say that anyone is bad or anyone is good. But like earlier the finance person says, the numbers don't lie. And so when I did my r

Thank you, Madam Chairman. I was very happy to bring this resolution to us and that this body, eight of us were not on this body when the previous commission and the previous mayor adopted this on May 4th, 2026. If you wanna talk about transparency, there's been zero in this building and that on October 7th, when this county commission was in committee, in committee, in this building, the majority of us were in this building, Shelby County shopped this lawsuit and went to Chancery Court without sharing it with this body and went into Chancery Court on October 7th, filing a new lawsuit. and a l

This item comes down with a favorable recommendation.

Yes, this comes down with a favorable recommendation.