A series of items that required formal votes were decided during several Shelby County committee meetings on Jan. 8. Committee chairs read items into the record, presenters answered questions from commissioners, and committee panels recorded votes on contracts, grants and ordinances affecting county operations, public safety, health programs and school capital projects.

Highlights: the law enforcement committee approved an emergency contract to replace doors and access controls at 201 Poplar and accepted a $500,000 grant for traffic enforcement from the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security. Hospitals & Health approved sponsorship and grant awards for the health department’s World AIDS Day event and an NIH‑related alcohol and abuse research grant focused on HIV. Two ordinances affecting juvenile court procedures and minors’ interrogations passed third reading in committee. The Board of Commissioners’ Budget & Finance Committee heard a monthly financial update, approved a Staples office‑furniture contract, and voted down (unfavorable recommendation) a 90‑day moratorium on a $33.9 million capital allocation for the new Frasier High School.

Votes at a glance (formal committee tallies from the transcript):
- Emergency contract with Dillard Security Services for door/access control replacement at 201 Poplar: Approved by Committee 4 (Law Enforcement, Corrections & Courts). Vote recorded as 5 ayes (Sugarman, Mills, Ford, Bradford, Avant). Motion/second recorded in the transcript but not attributed to named mover/second in the minutes. Outcome: approved.
- Tennessee Highway Safety Office grant ($500,000) for the sheriff’s office traffic enforcement: Approved by Committee 4. Vote: 5 ayes (Sugarman, Mills, Ford, Bradford, Thornton). Outcome: approved.
- Ordinance (3rd reading) — juvenile court: require judges to provide juveniles and caregivers written notification of expungement rights: Committee 4 recorded 3 ayes (Sugarman, Ford, Thornton). Outcome: approved in committee (third reading).
- Ordinance (3rd reading) — require legal representation and recordings for minors during interrogations as contemplated by state law: Committee 4 recorded 5 ayes (Sugarman, Ford, Bradford, Thornton, Lowery). Outcome: approved in committee (third reading).
- Staples Contract & Commercial LLC — purchase of general office furniture (contract award not to exceed $1,212,906.67, FY2025): Approved by Budget & Finance Committee. Vote: 8 ayes (Clay Bibbs, Caswell, Mills, Ford, Bradford, Brooks, Lowry, Whaley); 2 no (Sugarman, Thornton). Outcome: approved; minority‑participation concerns were raised during debate.
- Fraser High School — resolution to place a 90‑day moratorium on the amended FY2025 CIP allocation of $33,910,682 to Memphis‑Shelby County Schools for new construction: Budget & Finance recorded 2 yes, 7 no, 1 abstain, 1 recusal (Commissioner Bradford recused). Outcome: went down with unfavorable recommendation in committee (effectively no moratorium).
- Milton Community Enhancement Grants (several small awards plus the District 10 pilot): Committee approved grant awards for community nonprofits and advanced a District 10 neighborhood ecosystem pilot plan for further consideration. Outcome: favorable committee recommendations for several small awards; the larger District 10 pilot was discussed and will proceed toward full commission consideration with continuing public engagement.

What this means: Committee approvals send items on to the full commission meeting for final action on Monday (where applicable) or move projects forward administratively. Items that received unfavorable recommendations (for example, the Fraser moratorium) will nevertheless appear on the commission agenda for final consideration and public comment. Several items produced substantive committee debate — notably the Staples furniture contract (minority/business inclusion) and the Fraser moratorium (school governance and project timing) — signaling follow‑up questions at the full commission.