Tag: Memphis City Council

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City Council Revives Public Art Discussion, Considers Set of Guidelines

CREDIT: Facebook- Paint Memphis

Facebook- Paint Memphis

A Paint Memphis mural

The Memphis City Council is looking to streamline the public art process here, ending what one councilman calls a “public art debacle.”

Tuesday, a council committee recommended approval of a set of guidelines that would place regulations on the art projects that go up in the city on public property.

The effort, spearheaded by Councilman Berlin Boyd, city officials, and the UrbanArts Commission (UAC), has been in the works for about a year.

There has been a moratorium on public art projects since March of last year. The city council voted then to place a 120-day moratorium on art projects going up on public right-of-ways, and then re-approved that measure again late last year.

The moratorium exempted projects funded by the city’s Percent-for-Art program, as well as certain ongoing projects by the Downtown Memphis Commission and the Memphis Medical District Collaborative.

Paint Memphis

Controversial Elvis Presley mural by a Paint Memphis-commissioned artist

It was first put in place after the council publicly criticized one organization’s murals. The council deemed a handful of murals sanctioned by the nonprofit Paint Memphis as offensive and, in some cases, “satanic.”

Some of the less popular murals featured Elvis Presley with a snake coming from his orifices, a cow skull, a dancing skeleton, and a zombie.

Tuesday, the council discussed extending that moratorium for another 120 days until the council is able to finalize and approve the new guidelines.

The draft of the new rules includes guidelines such as no political or religious images, as well as no profanity, obscenity, sexual imagery, nudity, or violence.

“One-of-a-kind artwork” with themes that promote community, civic pride, or other “general positive messages are preferred.”

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Additionally, notifications about projects must be posted at the proposed sites, as well as given to adjacent property owners and churches or schools within 500 feet or a 250-foot radius of the site.

Proposed artwork will be evaluated based on its context, structural soundness, public safety, diversity, feasibility, and community support.

A five-member review committee, consisting of a representative from the city’s legal, Public Works, engineering, and parks divisions, as well as a legislative representative, will make the final decision on all new projects.

The committee will hold monthly meetings at which applicants can present project proposals and members of the public can give feedback.

Lauren Kennedy, director of the UAC, said she supports the council’s efforts to get the public more involved in the public art process.

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Morgan Got Some Answers on Election Money But Not All

Budget season is now underway at Memphis City Hall.

Memphis City Council member Worth Morgan did not hold the city council’s portion of the budget during talks yesterday but said if “significant progress” is not made on a review of the funds spent for an council-led “education campaign” last year, he’ll revive the issue.

Five council members approved spending about $40,000 on a “public information campaign” on three referenda to “explain their potential benefits” of them and “counter some of the misinformation presented.” The campaign was to answer what council members described as a flood of phone calls to their office from the public about the referenda. (Get more details about the campaign in the linked stories below.)

Morgan

Three council members — Ford Canale, Kemp Conrad, and Worth Morgan — voted against the campaign. At the time, Morgan promised that ”every dollar spent by the chairman on this informational campaign will be tracked, accounted for, and made easily available to the public.”

He said last week, he’d be in favor of holding the council’s portion of the budget this year until he had more answers. He got some answers, he said, and did not hold a vote on the council’s budget during a budget committee meeting Monday. However, he said he’d bring the issue up again later if “significant progress” was not made to clarify his questions.

Here’s what Morgan said during that budget committee meeting Monday:

“There’d been some discussion dealing with me about this city council budget until we had a full accounting of how some of the money was spent last year, specifically the public referenda campaign.

“We didn’t quite have the answers yet. But there’s been some sincere movement forward on that issue. I’ve called Deidre Malone today. She was very responsive. But we weren’t able to connect. We traded voice mails; trying to shine some light.

“Now I have the financial disclosure statements from the city council referendum committee, from the Diversity Memphis (political action committee — PAC), as well as invoices from the Carter Malone Group and the city of Memphis.
[pullquote-1]”So, I have a lot more information than we did before. And I’m happy to share it. It’s just some of the information in the numbers that don’t match up on how things were spent. So, we’re still trying to track down exactly what of that $40,000…how it was spent.

“I think that’s something that we promised to the people when we did the campaign, at least I did. I think most people agreed to it in executive committee.
[pullquote-2]”There was some discussion about…if we didn’t have those answers by today, would we delay this vote? I’m not interested in making that motion or holding [the budget]. But I just wanted to put that out there.

“If anybody has questions about those invoices or those disclosures, I’m happy to share them. We’re going to continue to be tracking it down.

“If we don’t make significant progress again in the next two weeks or four weeks, I think it might be a better place to have this discussion in the audit committee.”

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Advocates Urge New Direction for Homeless Shelter Plan

CREDIT: Full Build

Full Build

Rendering of planned facility

Homeless advocates urged local leaders to re-think an $8 million plan for a new shelter, and to use the money, instead, for permanent housing, warning that the shelter could become a “human zoo.”

Last week, members of the Memphis City Council and the Shelby County Commission detailed plans for the relocation and expansion of the Hospitality Hub, an organization that assists homeless men and women, providing customized care, resources, and/or referrals in partnership with other organizations.

Mid-South Peace and Justice Center

Private funding totaling $5 million has already been secured for the facility. Local government leaders pledged $2.4 million over two years.

The new facility will be for women and is planned for the former city of Memphis Public Service Inspection Station on Washington. The shelter will house 32 women, who  can spend four to nine days and, in some cases, up to 30 days. The goal of the new effort, officials said, is to eliminate street-level homelessness within 30 months.

The Mid-South Peace and Justice Center (MSPJC) said Tuesday that the plan “is not what it seems” and that “while well-intentioned, is missing the mark.”

Mid-South Peace and Justice Center

Brad Watkins

“With a proposed price tag of over $5 million in private construction and renovation costs, and up to $2.4 million in city and county funding, we could provide real housing, not just temporary shelter, for as many as 150 households by expanding funding for existing city and county programs, from the city’s contribution alone,” Brad Watkins, MSPJC’s executive director, said in a statement. “It’s not always how much you spend, it’s what you spend it on.”

Watkins said the money would be better spent in the Tenant-Based Rental Assistance Program, Rapid Rehousing, deposit and utility assistance, and Permanent Supportive Housing programs.

Thousands are now on a waiting list for housing through the Memphis Housing authority, Watkins said. Spending ”massive resources on a shelter for 32 individuals when there is likely no housing to place these people in afterwards, places a multi-million dollar cart in front of the proverbial horse.”
[pullquote-1] “In October of 2017, over 15,000 qualified local applicants for housing assistance were placed into a lottery for housing,” Watkins said. “The ‘winners’ didn’t get housing, they were simply added to the waiting list. This shows just how big of a gap there is when it comes to housing security.”

Further, MSPJC voiced concerns on the shelter’s proposed car wash, dog park, art garden, food trucks and outdoor rest “tubes.” Officials wondered who would work at the carwash and it they’d paid a living wage — “We doubt it.” Also, they asked “who are these amenities really for?”
Full Build

Layout of planned facility

”The risk is that (the shelter) becomes a ’human zoo,’ turning people experiencing homelessness a theme park spectacle while those with homes walk their dogs and enjoy food trucks,” reads a statement. “The cost is millions of dollars in overhead and salaries that won’t provide homes or move us closer to ending homelessness. The only thing this proposed shelter will do is absolve the guilt of those with homes who can now feel like progress is being made, even though it isn’t.”

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City, County Look to End Street-Level Homelessness With New Facility

CREDIT: Full Build

Full Build

Rendering of planned facility

A new homeless shelter for women and expanded programs to combat homelessness in the city were announced by city and county officials Thursday

At a joint meeting of the Memphis City Council and the Shelby County Commission Thursday, officials detailed plans for an $8 million relocation and expansion of the Hospitality Hub, an organization that assists homeless men and women, providing customized care, resources, or referrals in partnership with other organizations.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland who was at Thursday’s meeting said homelessness is a “community issue and what we’re bringing to you today is a community solution.”

The solution addresses the lack of emergency shelter beds for homeless women and of assistance for the homeless population during the day,” Strickland said.

The new Hub, which will move from a spot near Second and Beale to the former City of Memphis Public Service Inspection Station on Washington, will house a resource center, an outdoor day plaza, and a women’s shelter.

The women’s shelter will be built to house at least 32 women, officials said. Kelcey Johnson, executive director of the Hub said the shelter is meant to house women for four to nine days, but in some cases, women might need to stay up to 30 days.

Johnson said there is a significant need for shelters here that serve women: “I never have to say to a man ‘tonight you have to sleep outside, but I frequently have to say to a woman ‘tonight you have to sleep outside because there’s no bed for you.’”

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Based on data from the Hub, 37 percent of Memphis’ homeless population are women, but only 6 percent of the beds in shelters are open to women, city council chairman Kemp Conrad noted.

“A barrier-free facility for homeless women in our community does not exist, and it is unacceptable,” Conrad said.

The outdoor day plaza, to be created in partnership with Youngblood Studio, will be a place that the homeless individuals can relax and rest.

The plaza will include shade, seating, art, play areas, a garden, and a stage. The Hub also plans to activate the space with music, food, and art programs. The space will serve as a heating and cooling center as well.

The plaza is expected to be open by summer.

Full Build

Layout of planned facility

Private funding totaling $5 million has already been secured for the facility. The city and county are both planning to add additional funds to that each year through 2021 of up to $1.2 million.

The goal of this new effort is to eliminate street-level homelessness within 30 months, officials said.

The city council and county commission will vote on a resolution confirming funding allocations at their next respective meetings in May.

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Strickland Says New Budget Will Accelerate Momentum

CREDIT: JB

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland presented the 2020 budget to the Memphis City Council Tuesday.

The $709 million operating budget doesn’t include a tax increase. Strickland said this is possible because his administration has been “disciplined and efficient with city government operates.”

Strickland also highlighted that for the first time since 2006, the pension fund will be fully funded.

The key focus areas of the budget are public safety, paving, opportunities for youth, reducing recidivism, and improving neighborhoods.

“Today I am presenting a budget that will help city government do its part to accelerate that momentum,” Strickland said.

One way the budget will do that is through a 3-percent raise for all commissioned Memphis Police Department officers and Memphis Fire Department personnel, which the mayor first announced last month.

Public safety has been a top priority, the mayor said.

When Strickland took office in 2016 policing recruiting was basically “nonexistent,” he said. Since then the number of commissioned officers has risen from 1,900 to over 2,000. The goal is have 2,100 officers later this year and 2,300 by 2020, Strickland said.

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Strickland said that all city employees will receive a 1 percent pay increase: “It’s not revolutionary, but it is absolutely necessary to recruit and retain quality employees and further demonstrate that the city of Memphis government is truly a great place to work.”

The pay increases will be funded by $10 million in revenue growth. Due to less expenditures there’s an additional $4 million in revenue that will go toward the increasing cost of insurance premiums for city employees.

Another area of focus is paving. Strickland said for the fourth year in a row, he is proposing increased funding for paving, which he said is an “expensive but very necessary budget item.”

Strickland is also proposing to invest in neighborhoods through two funds. The first is the Community Catalyst fund, which the mayor first announced at the State of the City address in January. Starting at $2 million a year, the fund will be dedicated to renewing the source of money used to make infrastructure improvements to key neighborhood areas. Under the initiative, the city will work with neighborhoods to identify areas that need improvement to infrastructure hoping to spark private development.

The second fund, the Memphis Affordable Housing Trust Fund, will be used for new construction and rehab of multi-family homes, as well as minor home repairs for low income families. The fund will get $700,000 in its first year. 

“For far too many families in Memphis, housing takes way too much of their income,” Strickland said. “It’s a problem that’s gotten worse.”

Finally, the mayor is looking to reduce recidivism through expanding Manhood University, a six-week program that teaches young men skills such as, time management, communication, financial literacy, job readiness, and conflict resolution.


Other highlights of the budget include increased jobs for youth, a new library in Frayser, a new fire station in Whitehaven, and an additional $2.5 million for the Memphis Area Transit Authority.

The council has until the end of June to discuss, amend, and vote on a final budget.

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Advisory Team to Consider TVA Switch Named

CREDIT: MLGW

MLGW

A solar panel array at Agricenter International.

The head of Memphis Light, Gas and Water (MLGW) has named the 20 members of a new advisory team tasked with exploring alternative power supply options.

J.T. Young, president and CEO of MGLW returned to the Memphis City Council Tuesday to lay out the details of the Power Supply Advisory Team (PSAT) that he first proposed to the council two weeks ago.

Young said then that he and Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland had been working on forming the team to consider switching from the Tennessee Valley Authority as a power supplier — a move that has been at the center of conversations between MLGW and the city council for months.

The PSAT so far consists of local executives, elected officials, and MLGW officials, including Young, who will serve as the facilitator.

Executives on the committee include Richard Kelley, vice president for facilities at Methodist Hospital; Mark Halperin, executive vice president of Boyle Investment Company; Beverly Robertson, CEO of the Greater Memphis Chamber; and Josh Tulino, vice president and general manager at Valero.

Local officials — including the city’s chief operating officer Doug McGowen, who is the mayor’s designee, and Bo Mills, public works director for Germantown — will also take part.

City Councilman Martavious Jones, Shelby County Commissioner Eddie Jones, as well as Deidre Malone, president of the NAACP Memphis Branch; Dennis Lynch of the Sierra Club; and Sandra Upchurch of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, are also slated to join the team.

Councilman Jones told Young that he would like to see three to five “regular citizens” serving on the advisory team as well: “That would really speak to the integrity of the process.”

Young said he would take that into consideration, adding that all meetings will already be open to the public.

The first of seven meetings planned for this year is Tuesday, April 30th. One meeting — each with a different topic — is slated for each month through November. Topics include the state of TVA, power supply studies, and MLGW’s Integrated Resource Plan (IRP).

The IRP, which Young said will be spearheaded by an outside consultant, will consist of data, such as a 20-year hourly energy demand forecast, evaluations of the costs and risks for different supply options, as well as assessments of MLGW’s current staff, technology, and facilities.

The utility has issued a request for qualifications in order to find a consultant for the job. Young anticipates selecting a consultant by May.

The IRP process will be “deliberate” and “objective,” Young said, potentially taking up to a year to complete.

“We will not stop this process until it’s finished,” Young said. “In order to maintain the integrity of the IRP process, it’s important that we go through the process and let the process tell us what’s optimal.”

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Council Again Delays Vote on 3.0 Plan

The Memphis City Council again delayed the first of three votes on the Memphis 3.0

plan 

— this time for 30 days.

The council first delayed the vote on the city’s comprehensive plan at its March 19th meeting after a group of residents from the New Chicago area voiced opposition.

Carnita Atwater, president of the New Chicago Community Partnership Revitalization community development corporation, does not support the plan, saying last week that “it’s very clear it’s not inclusive.”


Atwater said the plan does not detail specific improvements in the New Chicago neighborhood.

Facebook- Carnita Atwater

New Chicago Resident speaks against the Memphis 3.0 plan at a rally Saturday

Residents of the New Chicago area gathered for the “STOP THE GENTRIFICATION 901 MARCH” on Saturday to protest the 3.0 plan. (The march turned into a rally as organizers failed to get the proper permits in time.)

On Tuesday, the Memphis City Council again delayed the first of three votes on the Memphis 3.0 plan. It is not clear whether the protest led to the council’s decision to delay the first of three votes on an ordinance that would approve the plan. The council is now slated to vote on the plan at the council’s May 7th meeting.

Council Chair Kemp Conrad said the delay will allow for additional input from citizens. 

Councilman Worth Morgan said the council has to be careful before voting on a document with such weight.

“The 3.0 plan is 300-plus pages and 509 action items,” Morgan said. “It took over two years to complete. Before we cast any votes, I think everyone is being very careful to know precisely what the implications are.”

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The Memphis 3.0 plan, drafted with input from city officials, local nonprofits, community partners, and residents, is a comprehensive guide for future development and investments in the city, officials have said.

The idea is to improve and invest in the city’s core and surrounding neighborhoods in order to create dense, walkable, connected communities, according to the document.

To do this, it details specific strategies for nurturing, accelerating, or sustaining certain neighborhoods within the city’s 14 planning districts.

If adopted, the Memphis 3.0 plan will guide future policies, investments, and partnerships made by the city over the next 20 years.

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City Council-Supported Gym Tax Repeal Advances to Governor’s Desk

CREDIT: YMCA

YMCA

A piece of legislation that would eliminate a 10 percent tax on small fitness centers in the state and that is largely supported by local officials passed in the Tennessee Senate Thursday.

The legislation, HB1138, would do away with the 10 percent amusement tax on small fitness centers, those under 15,000 square feet. The tax currently applies to gyms and studios providing exercise, athletics, or other fitness services such as cross-training, ballet barre, yoga, spin, and aerobics classes.

If the proposed legislation becomes law, the tax would still apply to facilities such as country clubs, golf courses, and tennis clubs.

The bill passed with a 28-1 vote in the state Senate Thursday, after moving through the House last week with a 95-0 vote. The legislation has to be signed by Governor Bill Lee to take effect.

The move to eliminate the tax was backed by the Memphis City Council through a resolution last month. The resolution, co-sponsored by council Chairman Kemp Conrad and Councilman Ford Canale, passed unanimously.

Conrad said the council is “thankful for the work of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the local fitness community, and Representative Mark White (TN-83) who was a champion for this cause.”

“The repeal of this antiquated disincentive for small businesses and those wanting a healthier lifestyle is a win for all Memphians, and all Tennesseans, whether as operators or patrons of local fitness, wellness, and recreation opportunities,” Conrad said. “We appreciate the state legislature having acted in the interests of promoting healthy activity in our communities.”

Canale, who chairs the council’s government affairs committee, applauded the governor for including the repeal in his proposed 2020 budget, saying “healthier outcomes for Memphians is a priority of ours and we seek to encourage wellness for all citizens.”

The move has also been supported by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, Shelby County Commissioner Brandon Morrison, and local small gym owners.

Tennessee’s adult obesity rate was 32.8 in 2017, making Tennessee the 15th-most obese state in the country, according to a report released in 2018. The report, called the “State of Obesity: Better Policies for a Healthier America,” also found that 30 percent of Tennessee adult residents are not physically active, 13.1 percent have diabetes, and 38.7 percent have hypertension.

The study, an effort by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, used body mass index and other data from the Centers for Disease Control to identify obesity rates.

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Community Group Plans March in Protest of Memphis 3.0

A community group in one North Memphis neighborhood has plans to protest on Saturday in opposition of the Memphis 3.0 plan.

The New Chicago Community Partnership Revitalization community development corporation said Thursday that the action, dubbed the “Stop Gentrification 901 March,” is meant to dissuade the Memphis City Council from passing the ordinance approving the comprehensive plan.

“African-American communities in Memphis will march against approval of Memphis 3.0 because we need capital investments, affordable housing, tax incentives, and jobs; not bike lanes and housing that prices us out of our neighborhoods,” the group said in an email.

In a Wednesday Facebook post, Carnita Atwater, president of the New Chicago CDC encouraged attendance of Saturday’s protest: “This opposition against the Memphis 3.0 Plan is too important to sit at home and just talk about it. React as if your life depends on it…and IT DOES if you want to stay in the city of Memphis!

Atwater also said the group is planning a march “in every black neighborhood across this low-down, disrespectful city until justice is served in this city. WE WILL NOT BE QUIET AND WE WILL CERTAINLY will pull the rug from over these low-down city leaders that think that black lives do not matter.”

[pullquote-2] The march is slated for Saturday, March 30th at 9:00 a.m. beginning at the New Chicago CDC headquarters on Firestone. 

Last week more than two dozen New Chicago residents attended the city council meeting to oppose the council’s passing of the plan. As a result, the council delayed the vote until its April 2nd meeting.

Atwater also said last week that she would be filing a $10 billion lawsuit against the city because the plan was not inclusive to North Memphis.

Atwater said Thursday that she is still in the process of filing that lawsuit, as “that’s the only thing that will stop these people.”

“The basis for the suit is racial disparity,” Atwater said. “It’s very clear it’s not inclusive. Why would you pass a plan and there’s no specific details for what they will do for African-American communities that look like war zones. It’s not a black thing or a white thing, but a human rights thing.”

But, Ursula Madden, chief communications officer for the city, said that Atwater “has been a part of the conversation” and that “the city has met with her on numerous occasions.”

[pullquote-1] “It’s unfortunate that Ms. Atwater feels this way,” Madden said in a statement. “Over the last two years, over 15,000 Memphians took the opportunity to share their ideas, any concerns and actively participated in the planning process for Memphis 3.0.

“The New Chicago neighborhood is one of many anchors in our plan and the New Chicago Community Partnership Revitalization CDC is listed as one of our community planning partners based on this group’s input in the plan.”

The Memphis 3.0 plan, which has been in the works for the past three years, is a comprehensive guide for future development and investments in the city, officials have said.

The plan details specific strategies for nurturing, accelerating, or sustaining certain neighborhoods within the city’s 14 planning districts.

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Cohen: TVA Coal Ash Clean-Up Timeline ‘Unacceptable’

CREDIT: USGS

USGS

Groundwater discharge from an aquifer test at the Tennessee Valley Authority Allen Combined Cycle Plant in October.

Tennessee Valley Authority’s (TVA) clean up of the coal ash at its now-idled Allen Fossil Plant could take up to 20 years and Rep. Steve Cohen told TVA leaders Tuesday that’s too long.

TVA said it will close its remaining coal ash pond at the Allen plant. The federal agency is now in the process of deciding just how it will deal with the coal ash that remains at the site. Options include sealing the ash and storing it in place and removing the ash.

Cohen wrote a letter to TVA’s “outgoing and incoming presidents and CEOs” on Tuesday after a meeting with the Tennessee congressional delegation. In the letter, Cohen said “they are not treating the cleanup of the coal ash found in the groundwater at the Allen Fossil Plant in Memphis with sufficient urgency.”

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“While it was my understanding that corrective work will begin this year, I was alarmed to learn at the meeting that cleanup could take as long as 20 years,” Cohen said. “TVA’s timeline to address its coal ash – the primary source of pollution at Allen – is unacceptable. The citizens of Memphis and Shelby County deserve nothing less than full commitment in this matter.”

According to a brief news release issued by Memphis City Council chairman Kemp Conrad Tuesday morning, members of the council and leaders with Memphis Light, Gas & Water were in Chattanooga Tuesday to meet with TVA leaders.