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Votes at a glance: ordinances, grants and appointments cleared in Shelby County committee hearings
Summary
Shelby County committees advanced multiple ordinances, resolutions and grant awards during committee meetings; several items were deferred for further review. Key votes included building-code ordinances, grants to local nonprofits and a juvenile-court contract funded from opioid settlement proceeds.
Shelby County commissioners advanced a bundle of committee items Tuesday, approving updates to local building-code adoption, awarding community grants and clearing a juvenile-court contract funded by opioid-settlement money, while deferring other items for follow-up.
The session across several committees produced favorable recommendations on joint ordinances to adopt the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code and related changes to the residential and building codes; multiple community grant awards from the Milton Community Enhancement Program; a $100,000 state broadband grant and contract with Innovate Memphis; and a juvenile-court contract with Port of Leath (Parent Leadership Training Institute) using opioid-settlement funds. Several other items were deferred for additional review or sent to budget subcommittee.
Why it matters: The approved votes move building-code changes and local program spending forward to the full commission for final action, and the juvenile-court contracts deploy settlement funds designated for youth-wraparound services. Deferred items—most notably a proposed revision to the county’s compensation policy and two budget items—will return for more review, which could affect timing for implementation.
Details of notable votes
- Joint ordinance (first reading) to adopt the 2018 International Energy Conservation Code (reverting from the 2021 version to comply with state law). Motion moved and seconded; committee vote: aye votes from Commissioners Mills, Wright, Raffer, Morrison, Brooks and Avant (6 ayes). Result: favorable recommendation to the full commission.
- Joint ordinance (first reading) amending the 2021 International Residential Code local amendments to move 3–6-unit small multifamily buildings back into the building code (to comply with state fire marshal concerns and state law). Motion moved by Commissioner Bradford, second by Commissioner Mills; committee vote: aye votes from Commissioners Mills, Wright, Bradford, Brooks and Avant (5 ayes). Result: favorable recommendation.
- Joint ordinance (first reading) amending the 2021 International Building Code to adopt state law allowing single-stair buildings up to six stories and to move 3–6-unit multifamily into the building code. Motion moved by Commissioner Mills, second by Commissioner Bradford; committee vote: aye votes recorded from Commissioners Mills, Wright, Bradford, Morrison (tally reported). Result: favorable recommendation.
- Milton Community Enhancement program grants: multiple awards totaling small grants (examples: $10,000 to Specialty Performance Training; $2,500 to Black Men Crowned; Bartlett’s Closet grant increased from $5,000 to $10,000 by amendment; Memphian, Inc. award amended and increased by local commissioners). Committees reported unanimous or near-unanimous aye tallies (7 ayes reported on multiple items). Result: favorable recommendations.
- Broadband-ready communities grant: the county accepted $100,000 from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development and approved a contract with Innovate Memphis not to exceed $94,000 to distribute devices, expand digital-equity outreach and partner with nonprofits. Motion moved and seconded; committee vote recorded as aye votes from Commissioners Bibbs, Sugarman, Morrison, Laurie, Avant and Whaley (6 ayes). Result: favorable recommendation.
- Juvenile court contract with Port of Leath (Parent Leadership Training Institute): substitute contract amount amended from $130,558 to $178,958 funded from juvenile court’s allocation of opioid-settlement funds. Motion moved and seconded; recorded tally: 7 ayes, 1 abstain. Result: favorable recommendation.
- Sale of county-owned delinquent tax parcels (Core City Neighborhoods & Housing): resolution approving sale of 31 parcels for a collective $132,712.50; committee recorded 5 aye votes; result: favorable recommendation.
Items deferred or referred
- Resolution amending the FY2024–25 compensation policy (changes to language about whether compensation policy or MOUs control) was deferred to the Feb. 5 committee meeting to allow review by the Civil Service Merit Board and staff negotiation.
- A resolution about deficiencies in the county’s annual budget report submitted to the state comptroller was deferred to the Feb. 5 meeting to allow the sponsor to present intent and to incorporate finance staff feedback.
- Two add-on budget items—the request to create and fund three positions for the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Committee and a proposal to raise county minimum wage to an MIT living-wage figure—were referred to the budget subcommittee for vetting and fiscal analysis.
What’s next: Favorable committee recommendations advance to the full Shelby County Commission for final votes. Deferred items will return to the sponsor’s committee on February 5 or be considered by the budget subcommittee for FY2026 budgeting.
