(upbeat music) - [Announcer] You're watching highlights of the Chattanooga City Council meeting, a production of WTCI PBS.

(gavel banging) - We are live Tuesday, May 2nd, City Council of this meeting to order.

We have no special presentations but I did wanna take just a moment, to thank Joda for being so awesome and we appreciate you.

I know it's your last Tuesday.

I don't know you gonna miss me the most and so we'll- (laughing) but we appreciate you for your service and your time to the city and we wish you all the best at your new job.

- [Joda] Very thankful, thank you.

- [Madam Chair] You're welcome Joda.

(applauding) Thank you.

And can I get a minute, approval on the minutes?

- [Man] I second.

- All right.

Stand without objection.

Final reading.

Madam Clerk.

- [Madam Clerk] An ordinance closing and abandoning a sewer easement located in the 1800 block of E Ridgewood Drive beginning at MH number S156F093.

Vince Southwest 120 feet to MH number S156F016 tax map number, 156FM003 as detailed on the attached amount so to certain conditions.

- All right, that's in District nine.

- [Lady] Second.

- It's being motioned and properly in second, any comments or questions?

Hit your light.

Okay, all in favor?

- [Council] Aye.

All opposed?

Okay, motion passes.

Madam Clerk, item A on the fire.

- [Madam Clerk] An ordinance amending Chattanooga City code part two chapter 10, section ten five as amended, sub as to exclude certain property located at 481 Sherlock Road to be removed from the Brainerd Road Fire District boundary subject to certain conditions.

- All right, Councilman Henderson.

- [Councilman Henderson] Move approval second.

- Case be motion and properly second.

- Any comments or questions?

All in favor?

- [Council] Aye.

- All opposed?

All right, motion passes.

And council with no objection, I will like to take resolutions A through E as a package.

All right, Madam Clerk.

- [Madam Clerk] Item A.

A resolution authorizing administrative for the Department of Public Works to accept an award of $10,358 and 64 cents from the American Rescue Plan Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds for the installation of security lighting around the John A. Patton Community Center walking track.

Item B, a resolution authorized city Chattanooga to allocate $15,000 from the American Rescue Plan at Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to Chattanooga Unite for the purposes of providing free dental care services and treatment to qualifying veterans in Chattanooga.

Item C, a resolution authorized in City of Chattanooga to allocate $7,500 from the American Rescue Plan at Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to the World Empowerment Church for the purposes of increasing access to affordable childcare through the expansion of their daycare center.

Item D, a resolution authorized in City of Chattanooga to allocate $18,000 from the American Rescue Plan at Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds to the Chattanooga Public Library for the installation and two years of servicing of a library locker located at the Eastdale Community Center.

Item E, a resolution confirming the appointment on Nathaniel Doss third to the Chalford Region Community Advisory Committee for District nine with the term beginning on May 3, 2023 and ending May 3, 2025.

- All right, Councilwoman Coonrod, move to approval?

- [Councilwoman Coonrod] I second.

- All right, any comments or questions?

All in favor?

- [Council] (indistinct) - All opposed?

All right, Madam Clerk, under economic development, we would like to take items F and G as a group with no objection from council.

- [Madam Clerk] Item F, a resolution authorized and merit to execute a quick claim deed to convey the city of Chattanooga 50% interest in the delinquent tax parcel at 7700 Basswood Drive further identified as tax MAP number 129LD024.02 to Hamilton County, Tennessee.

Item G, a resolution authorizing an additional $20,000 distribution of fiscal year 2022 through 2023, Community development block Grant CDVG funds to the Chattanooga Community Housing Organization, Organization CHODO, for roof replacement for low and moderate income individuals.

- [Lady] Second.

- All right.

It's been motioned and properly second.

Any comments or questions?

All in favor?

- [Council] Aye - All opposed?

Motion passes.

Now we have our purchases.

All right, Brooke, coming on up.

- Good evening.

We have two purchases recommended for approval.

The first is from finance.

The department is requesting a $10,000 increase to the blanket agreement for financial advisory services from PFM Financial Advisors LLC.

The increase is to cover a financial consulting project that the vendor is going to be completing for the department.

This will bring the total annual cost estimate to $110,000.

And second from the Department of Technology Services, this is a sole source purchase of software from Client Track for the management of homeless information through the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition.

This purchase is a one time purchase and will not exceed $150,000.

- [Man] I approve and second.

- [Madam Chair] Okay.

It's been motioned and properly second.

Any comments or questions?

All in favor?

- [Council] Aye.

- All opposed?

Purchase is pass.

And we have three renewals and then we move to committee reports.

Councilwoman Coonrod?

(laughing) All right.

Councilwoman Noel?

- [Councilwoman Noel] No report.

- Coun-, Councilman Henderson?

- [Councilman Henderson] No report.

- Councilman Smith?

- [Councilman Smith] No report, Madam Chair.

- All right.

Councilman Ledford?

- Thank you Madam Chair.

My item is only (indistinct) today.

I covered our items on our agenda and also have a presentation on short term vacation rental ordinance.

- All right, Councilman Hester?

- Parks Department, we're meeting today.

We meet again in two weeks.

Thank you.

- All right, thank you.

And Madame Vice Chair?

- Thank you Chair.

We are going to be having an affordable housing committee meeting next Tuesday.

It will cover the initial findings of the market value analysis completed by the reinvestment fund.

- All right, we look forward to that next week.

And now we've come to the space of recognition of persons wishing to address the council.

Madam Attorney, would you please read the rules?

- Sure.

Each person that wishes to address the council tonight shall come forth at the podium and state your name and address.

Each person shall have three minutes to speak.

The speaker may address the council only upon matters within the legislative and (indistinct) authority of the council.

The speaker may not address the council on matters which are not under the authority of the council for which are regulated by other governmental bodies or agencies.

The speaker shall not be committed to use any foul or obscene language, nor use the floor to personally attack, personally downgrade others.

The speaker should address the council as a whole and not make comments directed towards individual council members.

The chair shall not permit disorderly conduct or disrupting a public meeting which is prohibited by Tennessee law.

A person commits an offense if the person substantially obstructs or interferes with the meeting by physical action or verbal utterance with the intent to prevent or disrupt a lawful meeting or gathering.

- [Madam Chair] All right.

With that please make sure you state your council district as well.

- Hello, I'm Joshua David Capellas.

I'm an advocate for unsheltered citizens primarily in the district here off of 11th Street but it includes a lot of other districts in here.

And what I did as far as representing folks is to get a legal Power of Attorney to be able to speak here, 'cause a lot of folks can't be here.

You know, God works in mysterious ways and for whatever reason, he's put it upon my heart to care deeply about other folks in this community and across the country as a veteran.

You know, I've served my country and established a life here in Chattanooga in the surrounding areas.

And over the course of that time I've incurred a lot of memories, mostly of which are good.

I've been able to, you know complete a college degree and established a business in Tennessee here in Chattanooga.

And I built the first refueling station for alternative fuels in Chattanooga and done a lot of other stuff.

But basically when I started out with this homeless mission I really was excited to help out folks.

And I still am, don't, don't get me wrong, all right.

It's heavy lifting out there.

All right.

The police here have a, a term on their car.

It says, Service with Integrity.

Service is what we do when we serve our community.

We sacrifice something that's valuable to us to give to others for the benefit of them.

And also if you consider the rising tides, raise all ships you know, and so that's what we do when we provide resources for other folks, when they don't have resources to provide for themselves or others, we step in hopefully as best we can to support and help those folks.

So, integrity means the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles or moral uprightness.

It also means the state of being whole and undivided.

In the Air Force, we had the core value of integrity first, service before self and excellence in all we do, and that's never left me.

And as a disabled veteran who struggles with PTSD and depression, it's very hard for me to come home and see folks out there.

And, you know, honestly I had a lot of, how would you say this, service work gives me a lot of personal satisfaction.

It's my medicine, you know, I love to serve and help folks and I don't see a greater need than helping out homeless veterans down here in Chattanooga.

And since there's technically, how would you say not quite a lot of zoning on tiny homes and different things, it's an opportunity for us to come together and create better zoning, you know and to find what works and what doesn't.

But that takes testing, it takes theory, it takes design, it takes implementation, not just standing here and talking.

So I want to get to work and build homes for homeless folks, especially veterans.

So very soon I'm gonna drive across the country from Langley, Virginia to the Golden Gate Bridge in California to raise funds for homeless veterans in Chattanooga.

And, you know, I'm going to set the date for that.

And if nothing else, if y'all won't let me build homes 'cause you know, I'm not a qualified contractor, you know I'll raise some money and give it to whoever will do that.

But I want to have a message of triumph across this country and unity in the same way I did before.

And I hope y'all can help me.

Also, Joda, I've got a letter for Tim Kelly if you mind giving to him.

You've always looked me in the eye, and you've done a great job.

So thank you for your service.

So, (timer beeping) I can't say anything bad about you.

Thank you sir.

- [Madam Chair] Thank you Josh.

- [Joshua] Thank you.

- [Madam Chair] Hello, you can go ahead.

State your name and district number.

- My name is Steven Bates.

I did not know my district number.

I saw it on my voter registration card, but I forgot it.

But it's downtown area.

Well, I'm 52 years old so I consider myself a new elderly or whatever.

Just like I was a new adult when I was like 22 or 21.

And I had dropped out of, failed out of school and had only worked four restaurant jobs, and I had to move out my parents' house and was trying to find out what I could do with asthma.

Well, and I was like, I'm a new adult, I gotta do something.

So I got GD with the Chattanooga State.

And I don't, the most strengths I'm most proud of is having went to Canada twice and learning to speak French and going to French speaking Canada, DJing on the radio for 10 years at Chattanooga State and singing the nightclubs for about 10 years, at about 10 to 15 downtown nightclubs.

And at the time I respected singers and DJs and thought singers and DJs could do anything.

And, that was my opinion.

And this is, I'm a, political minded.

I vote there in the presidential election.

I consider this part of the City Council's business 'cause it deals with my district, the public operators there and clubs there, entertainment clubs, and I'll vote their election, and I'm trying to speak to the government.

The thing is now I'm a new young, I (indistinct) psychology.

And the psychologist said at the age of 50 is generality versus stagnation.

You stagnate or you generate.

And it's made like crisis stage, and I'm trying to see what have I not done?

I never got married or had children.

Now I'm trying, now that's my goal.

And I even say I want to marry like a, and I'm not being derogatory toward this species but a Chinese Japanese woman to marry.

Adopt a Chinese or Korean darling, that was just a preference.

And I want to use my French.

John 3:16 (speaking French) For God so loved the world, He gave His own begotten Son who shall believe in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.

Without the Protestant work ethic, and work putting in works with faith, you won't achieve anything.

And I tried to, I tried to start a business and got a business tech license, but I could not get it funded with the SBA or the bank.

And my time is up.

But I, I'm trying to (timer beeping) finish my (speaking French).

- [Madam Chair] Thank you Mr. Bates.

All right.

State your name and district number please.

- Rick Walzer.

District four.

Is it really about the climate?

Is it really about the climate?

I'm fairly new to Chattanooga and still learning about the city.

I read the recently approved Climate Action Plan and followed the plan back to Mayor Kelly's One Chattanooga Plan.

I could not relate to the statement in the One Chattanooga Plan, quote, "Our failure to address the structural legacy of white supremacy."

Structural legacy, white supremacy, big.

The One Chattanooga Plan is based on theories and seems to propose a new social agenda trying to write the perceived wrongs of the past and present.

I am not a white supremist.

Who does this statement refer to?

Do these plans get to determine who is a white supremist and who isn't?

Do you think most voters would agree and consider themselves to be a white supremist?

And Chattanooga has a, quote, "strong legacy of white supremacy", unquote.

I feel it is a very bold statement to make about someone who you have never met.

I do not understand what this belief of white supremacy has to do with the climate.

How will, quote, "structural legacy of white supremacy", unquote, be corrected by a Climate Action Plan.

Related item, I am sure all of you know that Chattanooga is one of the World Economic Forum's 36 Pioneer Cities.

These are also known as Smart Cities.

Self-monitoring analysis, reporting technology.

The WEF has published a 2021, six part report, governing smart cities, policy benchmarks for ethical and responsible smart city development.

Per the report, data comes from a detailed survey and interviews with policy experts of the G20 Global Smart Cities Alliance and city government officials in the 36 Pioneer Cities.

The report also mentions, the data was provided on the condition that individual city results would be kept confidential.

Why is our city keeping their input from us?

Why does our city government have a direct reporting link to the World Economic Forum?

This Climate Action Plan is a tool of the WEF to achieve their goals, not ours.

Please put this back on the agenda and reverse your vote.

Delay the Climate Action Plan until the public has had time to learn, discuss, and provide feedback.

The CAP was presented and a city council vote taken the following week.

Not near enough time for such a far-reaching life-changing plan going out 27 years to 2050.

I ask again, is it really about the climate?

- [Madam Chair] Thank you.

All right, you state your name and district number.

- My name is Harriet Reed.

I'm district four.

And I wanna address also the Climate Action Plan.

And, I guess in a way, the mayor's One Chattanooga Plan.

They all, people should know that there's probably eight different plans, that are referred to in the Climate Action Plan.

And, one of the things that both One Chattanooga Plan and the Climate Action Plan does, is to continuously refer to equity.

And I have a problem with that mostly because it's not in our constitution.

Equity implies that everyone will end up with the same result or that that's the goal that you're trying to achieve.

And that's an impossible goal.

We all know that's an impossible goal.

People put different effort into what they wanna accomplish in their lives and that's, generally close to the result that they achieve.

So, instead, what we should be achieving or having as a goal is equality.

In other words, everyone has the same opportunity to succeed or to become whatever they want to be in life.

So, I don't know where the wording for this plan came from.

I don't know, if this is a city goal and or whether or not we have diversity, equity and inclusion officers or if we're paying for things like that.

I think it's a waste of money.

Equity is also a term that means that we're all gonna be held to the lowest common denominator.

And I don't think that that, I don't think Chattanoogans would agree with that.

I don't think it's something that we should foist upon our children, to all end up at with the lowest common denominator in terms of our goals and our dreams and our aspirations.

I think those are very individual things that should be left to the individual.

The Climate Action Plan also talks about minorities and how the climate affects them more.

I don't understand.

I don't understand, how health outcomes of minorities are different because of the climate.

I think that people are in charge, adults are in charge of their own health.

And to the extent that, we can make things better, I think we should.

But I don't want the government in charge of my health and nor do I wanna be held to the lowest common denominator.

Thank you.

- Good evening council.

- [Madam Chair] Good evening.

- My name is Michael Chapman.

I live in District five but today I stand on behalf of Word Empowerment Church which is located in District four.

And we would like to say thank you to this council and also thank you to Councilman Ledford for working diligently with me on this project.

And I also wanna say special thanks to Councilwoman Coonrod for visiting one of our youth groups in the city.

Our Love Grief groups, which is Girls Inc. You made impressions on my daughter, still want to see what City council is all about.

So I told them to come out, let's check it out.

And I explain to 'em what (indistinct) means and everything.

So right now we're looking over the City Charter.

I'm teaching them more about what City Council is and you made that impression on them to be here tonight.

And hopefully they come back with me next week as well.

So thank you.

- [Madam Chair] Thank you.

All right, council.

- My name's Rob Bartel and former employee and I'd like to ask the City Council for some assistance, as I'm, I'm, I was injured on the job and I was denied by a disability benefit and I was terminated.

And currently, I hadn't been released by the doctor.

I was on restrictions and the doctor won't see me.

And I don't know who else to talk to or where to go.

I can't get anything through HR.

I've been, I've had my whole career sabotaged over the last seven years and I've made numerous complaints and I can't get it to stop.

They've discriminated against me for being disabled numerous times and they're they seem to be quite proud of trying to get around Federal Law.

Is there anything you can do to help me?

I'm, I'm done.

- [Madam Chair] All right.

Thank you.

All right, council, I don't see, I don't see anyone else.

- [Madam Chair] Mm hmm, yes, we are done.

- We're done.

- I just want to ack-, I noticed that we have three more familiar face, unfamiliar faces to me, that's sitting at the reserve staff area.

No, I'm speaking of Ryan or who's up there?

- [Man] I'm sorry.

- Ryan, will you, share who the three guys are, that are, you know, who they are and what department they work in?

- So with Kirsten, Kirsten will be leaving us in a couple weeks.

And so Kevin is taking Kirsten's place.

That was announced in the last week or two, I believe.

- We, I just hadn't seen them sit up there or come so I'm just asking questions.

- Yes, ma'am.

- Yeah.

So, but I'll get with you later about, you know what was the search like, because again we're not seeing positions filled with minorities but I'll sideline that with you, at a different time.

- Yes, ma'am.

- Thank you.

- Okay, thank you.

- [Madam Chair] All right.

Meeting adjourned.

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