Chattanooga council amends code to require immediate reporting of mass‑violence threats on city property

The Chattanooga City Council on Jan. 7 adopted an amendment to the city code that requires anyone who has knowledge of a threat of mass violence on city‑owned property or at city‑sponsored activities to report that threat immediately to emergency personnel with jurisdiction in the city.

The measure — read as “version 5” by the clerk and amended on the floor — revises Part 2, Chapter 25, Section 25‑40 of the Chattanooga City Code. City Attorney read the amended language into the record: “any person who has knowledge of a threat of mass violence on city owned property or at a city property‑related activity shall report the threat immediately to emergency personnel with jurisdiction in the city.” The amendment also consolidated prior subsections, removing the previously numbered sections a and b and folding requirements under a single subsection.

Councilwoman Coonrad moved to approve the ordinance as amended; the motion received a second and carried after the council voted “aye.” Members recorded no opposition during the voice vote.

Council members did not add further substantive changes after the attorney’s reading; the council approved the ordinance as amended on first reading. The council did not record a roll‑call tally in the public audio for this item.

The ordinance was presented to the council as an amendment to a first‑reading item; no separate public testimony on the ordinance appears in the transcript excerpt for this meeting.

The amendment clarifies reporting obligations for people who learn of threats on city property and streamlines the section’s structure by eliminating duplicate subsections.

A final reading, codification and any implementing administrative steps will follow the council’s usual ordinance process before the code change becomes effective.