[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6207021,"mediaKeyId","3759746-e4650aca3c8fa9580354937b4058f67e","parentId",3759746,"title","Residents urge council to regulate data centers and protect air, water and public health in ZIP 38109","audioSeconds",2596,"startMs",10405000,"endMs",13001000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3759746-e4650aca3c8fa9580354937b4058f67e&start=10405&end=13001","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3759746-e4650aca3c8fa9580354937b4058f67e/thumbnail_10405000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6207021/Memphis-City/Shelby-County/Tennessee/Residents-urge-council-to-regulate-data-centers-and-protect-air-water-and-public-health-in-ZIP-38109","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6207021-0963a981a952e624ffbfd8eaf1e5b215/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199384&Signature=K9R7UyBJQsH-tVglapG9jHfe1J2YCXZen08Q27RS8CoZNIFAAOCseaIPD0N4w2bu8XDvaUI35l0xbyWiogUE4PFOvdX4Rwb9JCyFhuFUKu6DFZcC~bjO4CZm8CP-swLXNikbMpT7kpQ0~Cxzj1DnZ~rxBUTiNoemDcqgA3uX9-rxU14wJZJUCTsz~jlVY0onKyMHQyNsL6eL3uhSnbwrNjWDtbVA7Znsvlil93RO9o5ASwVki4n4DbnywBpx~~wdp6WIqqJpFLpLKBbn~gz7DqBj9OM1frMy3g9OmO8r~ztebejHEEHLwnYrtdeV23KvMnTUg2pRu1XZSKEKJ-gVdQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Memphis City, TN","date","2025-06-10T13:03:33Z","article","Dozens of residents from neighborhoods including ZIP code 38109 urged the Memphis City Council on Wednesday to adopt stronger local controls on large data centers, citing air and water pollution risks, pressure on aquifers and long-term health consequences.

Speakers described concerns about nitrogen oxides, formaldehyde and other pollutants, potential impacts to the local aquifer and a phenomenon called subsidence if groundwater pressures change. \"This plant is a weapon that is formed against us,\" Christian Dennis told the council during public comment. He cited a range of environmental and public-health risks and said he had researched comparable subsidence events linked to groundwater extraction.

Multiple speakers linked the data-center buildout to environmental injustice. Azana Bruce, a lifelong resident of ZIP 38109, told the council the facilities would \"throw us to the curb for financial gain\" and asked officials to \"stand up for 38109.\" Glenna Bosowesi, identifying tribal ties and neighborhood work, urged council members not to sacrifice local children and elders for corporate projects that pollute air and water.

Advocates asked for specific protections: enforceable local regulations on siting and emissions, stronger environmental review and monitoring, and consideration of community health in approval decisions. Several speakers connected the issue to climate and public-health goals and asked council members to prioritize residents over corporate tax promises.

Council response and context: The public comment period was the primary forum for these remarks; the transcript records extensive testimony but no council motion or ordinance specific to data centers was moved on Wednesday. Earlier in the meeting the council read an ordinance to amend the city code relating to blight remediation (ordinance 5950) but that item addresses neighborhood blight, not data center regulation.

What residents asked for: Speakers requested enforceable, local controls and fuller environmental review before additional data centers are permitted in historically overburdened neighborhoods. They urged the city to require transparent monitoring and to refuse projects that would concentrate industrial-scale power use and pollution in communities already exposed to multiple environmental hazards.

Next steps for the council: Speakers asked council members to place regulatory protections on a future agenda or to request staff to draft an ordinance; no formal referral or vote on such a draft is recorded in the meeting transcript. Advocates said they will continue civic engagement and expect the council to respond.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Memphis City Council: June 10, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Dozens of residents and community groups urged the Memphis City Council during public comment to adopt stronger regulations on proposed large data centers (referred to in testimony as XAI) and to protect groundwater, air quality and neighborhood health in historically overburdened areas, especially ZIP code 38109.","taxTitle","Memphis City, Shelby County, Tennessee","taxId",3648,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6207026,"Memphis council approves FY2026 budget amendments amid union appeals to honor prior impasse agreement",6468,4890000,11358000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3759746-e4650aca3c8fa9580354937b4058f67e&start=4890&end=11358","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3759746-e4650aca3c8fa9580354937b4058f67e/thumbnail_4890000.jpg","/articles/6207026/Memphis-City/Shelby-County/Tennessee/Memphis-council-approves-FY2026-budget-amendments-amid-union-appeals-to-honor-prior-impasse-agreement","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6207026-c3f2b68e25693cacbe289eecbded7bee/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199384&Signature=fSLMYwtXCXhy1g2EgttORxXrnYE3KLBvnAK3dOEB5AhEJI1Dsn1ux9yRYQpuLwSV885w1vOYo4hrTOXHmICmKDe46HqHhGYDcPGmb0oeV~O-y6wQ~~MhmiYkfZMdSGVeVwCpYxIwQvX785s52eHupIkg1Mww-MZorHiB3ES4PnD8OHGKsKQYEmwWRewtL~zExLNz78nwdTUQ22FGqBfndRAr5Sp4JuMioIXZ2836Ux0Lg0TAAgMSNFNXknhzftMlKn~UGKlmQkKa0XfWIZfqsf~cXW8wBhZTqZSD6DmAChPIOBP7fVwSghuwTaABRTDYtrY7LVC3el1YJfpppyw7SQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Memphis City Council on Wednesday approved multiple amendments to the fiscal year 2026 operating budget and advanced the city's overall appropriation ordinance after hours of debate and public testimony, including appeals from union representatives to honor a previously ratified impasse agreement.

Council actions included a correction reducing group life insurance and long-term disability line items that Councilwoman Green said resulted in a $95,000 net increase to unassigned fund balance; an amendment that unfunded three lower-paid positions in Animal Services (moving $162,106 to unassigned fund balance); and other targeted adjustments. Each amendment passed on separate roll-call votes and staff told the council the changes were budget-neutral, moving previously budgeted amounts into fund balance.

Why it matters: Union leaders and labor representatives urged the council to uphold pay raises and bonuses the council had previously approved. Thomas Malone, speaking for the Memphis firefighters association, said the impasse ordinance adopted after the 1978 strike requires the council to carry negotiated impasse results into the mayor's budget and keep the city from reneging on those agreements: \"We put the faith and trust in this system. I'm asking you to honor last year's statement and trust the system that you're talking about trusting and pay what you said you would pay.\"

Council leaders and the administration argued fiscal prudence was necessary given the city's fund balance constraints. CFO Walter Person said certified revenues will be clearer after the tax collection season and cautioned against basing the budget on speculative revenues. \"We want to make a budget on sound, proven revenues ... that's called fiscal responsibility,\" Person said.

Public testimony reflected frustration from workers who said small-percentage increases and delayed raises will leave them unable to keep pace with rising living costs. Christopher Jones, a union representative, asked the council to \"honor your vote and stand by your decision to invest in Memphis workers.\" Several speakers warned reversing earlier commitments would harm employees who had planned around the approved raises.

The council adopted the city's annual appropriation ordinance for FY2026 (ordinance number 5944) on final reading. The ordinance passage and the special operating budget amendments were taken together as part of the council's budget actions for the fiscal year.

Next steps: Councilmembers said they will revisit compensation and staffing questions later in the fiscal year as revenue clarity emerges; some members supported creating a task force to study pay and hourly wages. The administration indicated the city will revisit raises when certified revenues are available in the fall.","The City Council approved several fiscal-year 2026 budget amendments, including corrections to benefits line items and unfunding of select positions, while union leaders and public speakers urged the council to honor a prior impasse agreement and preserve approved raises for city employees.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6207030,"Memphis Council moves $15.3 million into restricted transit reserve, demands audit and plan before releasing more funds",2710,5277000,7987000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3759746-e4650aca3c8fa9580354937b4058f67e&start=5277&end=7987","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3759746-e4650aca3c8fa9580354937b4058f67e/thumbnail_5277000.jpg","/articles/6207030/Memphis-City/Shelby-County/Tennessee/Memphis-Council-moves-153-million-into-restricted-transit-reserve-demands-audit-and-plan-before-releasing-more-funds","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6207030-b7a0ff90f7948aa30a0ffd5e3a1de86b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771199384&Signature=QnddwAXIXr5FyPPL7ZGpwGTW-bu81V2Pl5rgSFNTOILfvarWgY5V2dy24dg1idO79pRAuKBKGs~~b1Hwrc1mlnloR2pMlY8hzmzOWeQL-N3VVrcajAwr7sLMcg6pikqbwH5A8msOdCjFgJSGwiSMkq2qnIlmTrp0ag5WFKyeKSk6XEqQE1FZN357lh0O2gEdVOnEtpO2smiFv5A0SFgJoPQsjrduoSRSrXfdPZHAR8aNNPtk6z3jMdvqPiN729QOCw5DyZr2lRFB23zdr5Hi2lJiS2027o9sM85GDL5PSbysYztTNpVUPywLOuuSnFQOWtIOwk1ostzMKBzZ5VCmOA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Memphis City Council voted Wednesday to place $15,335,000 of proposed fiscal 2026 funding for the Memphis Area Transit Authority into a restricted reserve and to require MATA to present a full financial audit and a budget and operational plan before that tranche would be released.

Councilwoman Green, who moved the amendment, said the change is intended to add accountability. \"We cannot continue to spend money and throw millions at a system that frankly is failing our ridership,\" she said during debate. \"We have got to make sure that they are spending our dollars appropriately.\" The motion passed on a roll call with Cooper Sutton and others voting yes and Easter Thomas voting no.

The action amends the council's operating budget by moving $15,335,000 from a grants-and-subsidies line for MATA into reserved funding labeled \"restricted funds for public transportation,\" with a council requirement that the funds be released only after MATA presents the requested audit and operational plan.

Why it matters: Council members and dozens of public speakers said restoring reliable bus service is urgent for daily riders, workers and students. Several speakers urged larger immediate investments; Dorothy Connor of the Better Transit for Better Memphis coalition said, \"We need at least $30,000,000 to fund our already COVID schedule ... We need 100% of the published schedule.\" Others testified that 45 million to 50 million would be necessary to fully restore service.

Mayor Jim Young told the council his administration supports the approach of staging the funds. \"There'll be $15,000,000 in an operating line and then in a restricted reserve that is allocated for public transit. There will be an additional $15,000,000 that could be released and moved to the other line upon MATA presenting a budget and the results of the audit to this body,\" he said.

Council members pressing for oversight said previous spending and operations problems justified the reserve-and-audit approach. Councilmember Cooper Sutton said he supported more funding but asked for MATA's budget details before committing additional dollars: \"We need a budget. We can't allocate ... until we see a budget.\" Other council members noted the city still has $30,000,000 allocated for transit in the mayor's package; Green's motion restructured how part of that money would be released.

Public comment: Dozens of riders, transit advocates and community organizers urged the council to fund MATA at higher levels immediately. Leo Arnold, a transit equity advocate, said low funding over many years caused the current crisis: \"MATA has been woefully underfunded ... this budget of only $30,000,000 ... will not succeed. They might succeed better at $38,000,000. They need $45,000,000, and we demand $50,000,000.\" Riders described long waits, missed trips and service gaps.

What passed and next steps: The council's amendment passed and the council voted the motion on the operating budget amendment that included the reserve language. Under the motion's text, release of the reserved $15,335,000 is contingent on MATA presenting a full financial audit and a budget/operational plan to the council; the council did not specify a release deadline beyond that requirement. Council staff and the administration indicated they would work with MATA on the audit and plan.

The council's action is a middle path between advocates' calls for immediate increased spending and members' concerns about fiscal oversight; it preserves the city's authority to withhold funds until the requested documentation arrives. Advocates warned they will press for larger funds in future votes if the audit and plan do not show clear service improvements.","The Memphis City Council voted to move $15,335,000 of proposed FY2026 transit funding into a restricted reserve and require MATA to present a full financial audit plus a budget and operational plan before additional funds are released. The decision followed hours of public comment urging larger, immediate investments to restore bus service.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents urge council to regulate data centers and protect air, water and public health in ZIP 38109

Memphis council approves FY2026 budget amendments amid union appeals to honor prior impasse agreement

Memphis Council moves $15.3 million into restricted transit reserve, demands audit and plan before releasing more funds