Chairman Henderson opened the meeting, noting the cancellation of the March 4, 2025, meeting due to city elections. Councilwoman Dotley led the pledge and invocation.
Ordinances on Final Reading:
Ordinance 7A - Zoning Case 2024-0192:
Rezones 2659 Glass Street from RN-5 to C-TMU (Transitional Mixed-Use Commercial Zone), approved on February 18 with conditions.
Passed with a voice vote (no opposition).
Ordinances on First Reading:
Ordinance 8A - Electrical Code Amendment:
Amends Chattanooga City Code, Chapter 14, relating to the electrical code.
Approved with a voice vote (no opposition).
Resolutions:
Items 9A-9B (Package):
9A: Authorizes the Office of Community Health to apply for $50,000 from the Industrial Development Board for a 16-week "City on the Hill" Digital Equity Workshop pilot for youth aged 16-21.
9B: Authorizes the Office of Community Health to apply for $93,700 from the USDA NRCS to fund a Director of Urban Agriculture position for one year (renewable up to 3 years) to develop an urban agriculture plan.
Passed with a voice vote (no opposition).
Item 9C:
Approves a special exceptions permit for a liquor store ownership change at 5301 Highway 153 (Northgate Liquor).
Passed with a voice vote (no opposition; Chairman Henderson voted no).
Item 9D:
Approves a special exceptions permit for a new liquor store at 7354 East Brainerd Road.
Councilwoman Coonrod requested a two-week deferral to March 11, 2025, due to unresolved survey issues (linked to prior deferral from February 18).
Deferral passed with a voice vote (no opposition).
Purchases:
Approved:
Fire Department: Name change from Emergency Vehicle Specialist to Sens Martin Emergency Group for firefighter leather boots contract (PA1000716).
Fire Department: Increase of $635.05 for freight charges with All Safe Industries, new total $126,300.
Passed with a voice vote (no opposition).
Sole Source Reported:
Wastewater: VT SCADA license renewal ($38,975).
Other Business:
City Attorney passed around a Certificate of Compliance for Northgate Liquor LLC (531 Highway 153), confirming ordinance compliance in District 3.
Future Considerations:
Public hearing scheduled for March 11, 2025, regarding the Gain Educational Society, requiring a budget amendment.
Committee Reports:
Education Committee (Councilwoman Noel):
Kissa Jones, Administrator of the Department of Early Learning, presented updates on four divisions:
Office of Early Learning (Dir. Jelisa Bronfield):
Supports 29 "Seats for Success" providers (889 potential seats); reclaimed 567 seats, added 236 new seats (803 total), aiming for 1,000 by July 2025.
"Sawubona" Book Bus launching Summer 2025 as a mobile library and family resource center.
Annual Early Educators Conference (2023-2025) and alignment with Hamilton County Schools’ curriculum/assessments.
Office of AmeriCorps Seniors Foster Grandparents (Dir. Claudius Pratt):
Engages 55+ volunteers (55 currently, goal of 75 by mid-2025) in child-focused community service.
Expanded to Bradley and McMinn Counties; under budget for 5+ years.
Office of Head Start/Early Head Start (Dir. Miranda Clark):
717 enrolled (97% capacity, 736 total); 176 employees across 4 city sites, 6 Hamilton County sites, and 5 partnership sites.
Grant reapplication submitted January 3, 2025; response expected late spring/early summer.
Office of Community Forward (Dir. Jacqueline Thomas):
Supports 8 schools with coordinators (1.5M+ city investment since 2021).
251 partnerships, 11,100+ interventions, 53 family events, $43,368 in donations; reduced chronic absenteeism by 2.6% and exclusionary discipline by 4.2% (2023-2024).
Basics Chattanooga: Engaged 3,167 individuals (July-Dec 2024) with literacy initiatives.
Future Ready Institute: One Chattanooga Institute of Early Care and Learning at Tyner Academy (Fall 2025) with dual enrollment and work-based learning.
Council Discussion:
Chairman Henderson: Clarified chronic absenteeism (10%+ absences, ~18 days) vs. truancy (unaccounted absences); asked about social worker/juvenile court roles.
Councilwoman Dotley: Asked about cohort sign-ups (open to all providers, no prerequisites) and contingency plans for Head Start funding (confident in reapplication).
Vice Chair Hill: Explored seat counts (803 supported, not total city seats) and Community Forward goals (holistic family support, new dad-focused literacy program).
Councilman Hester: Sought ways to strengthen data-driven collaboration (suggested sharing specific data needs).
Councilwoman Coonrod: Praised alignment with Mayor Kelly’s goals, asked about community center partnerships (all schools near centers, collaboration ongoing).
Community Development (Councilwoman Coonrod):
Raised ongoing concerns about recreation centers’ poor reputation and staff morale despite Carl Hunter’s 6-month tenure.
Requested a report on culture shift efforts, citing misalignment with One Chattanooga Plan pillars.
Planning and Zoning (Councilman Ledford):
Deferred to March 11, 2025, due to election.
Councilman Hester:
Honored Israel Harris, a District 5 servant leader who passed away, for his community contributions.
Public Input:
Monty Bell: Announced plans to play a recording next week (March 4) alleging misconduct by council and courts, claiming fraud by “outsiders” in District 6.
Cole Harper: Advocated for transparency, accountability, and community unity to ensure abundant opportunities for youth.
Conclusion
Approved zoning and funding applications; deferred liquor store permit to March 11. Education Committee highlighted early learning progress, while Community Development flagged recreation center challenges. Public comments focused on accountability and unity.
