There are still some details left to work out about the return of the Beale Street cover charge.

The Downtown Memphis Commission and Memphis police have to set criteria for when to use the cover charge. There is also the question of whether it is a $10 cover with coupons from merchants or the $5 cover with no rebates that was in place before the council abolished the cover altogether.

2. Council Approves Conditional Return of Beale Street Cover - Thursday, September 13, 2018

After much debate and consultation with attorneys, the Memphis City Council voted Tuesday, Sept. 11, to allow Memphis Police and the Downtown Memphis Commission to reinstate a cover charge for the Beale Street entertainment district.

3. Council Approves Conditional Return of Beale Cover - Wednesday, September 12, 2018

After much debate and consultation with attorneys, the Memphis City Council voted Tuesday, Sept. 11, to allow Memphis Police and the Downtown Memphis Commission to reinstate a cover charge for the Beale Street entertainment district.

4. Strickland Open to Talks About Idea of City-Only Industrial Development Board - Tuesday, August 21, 2018

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland says he is open to discussing the idea of a city-only Industrial Development Board along with other ideas to be explored by a study group approved by the Memphis City Council last week.

5. Historic District Compromise Tabled Over State 'Threats' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

After months of discussions, compromises and amendments, the city council member sponsoring an ordinance giving the council more oversight of the local Landmarks Commission tabled the measure on third and final reading.

6. Historic District Compromise Tabled Over State 'Threats' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

After months of discussions, compromises and amendments, the city council member sponsoring an ordinance giving the council more oversight of the local Landmarks Commission tabled the measure on third and final reading.

7. Historic District Compromise Tabled Over State 'Threats' - Wednesday, August 15, 2018

After months of discussions, compromises and amendments, the city council member sponsoring an ordinance giving the council more oversight of the local Landmarks Commission tabled the measure on third and final reading.

8. Council Chairman Pushes Back Against Criticism - Monday, July 30, 2018

The end of Memphis City Council sessions has long been the place for issues and complaints not on the council agenda. The time reserved for citizens to speak their mind is where some of the broadest criticism is leveled at city leaders. There is also no level of detail that is considered too great for some of the speakers.

9. Moves to Abolish IRV and City Runoff Provision Remain on November Ballot - Wednesday, July 25, 2018

After intense lobbying by advocates of instant runoff voting, Memphis city council members doubled down Tuesday, July 24, on their decision to put a referendum on the Nov. 6 ballot that would do away with the current city charter provision calling for instant-runoff voting.

10. Early-Voting Challenge Touches On Other Issues of Open Government - Tuesday, July 10, 2018

The local Democratic Party’s political and legal challenge of early-voting sites and hours is also part of a larger challenge of how decisions are made in city and county government.

In one of the two Chancery Court lawsuits over early voting filed Friday, July 6, former city council member Myron Lowery and Shelby County Democratic Party chairman Corey Strong claim the election commission violated the state’s open-meetings law by meeting in secret to plan the addition of more sites for the July early-voting period.

11. Council Approves 13-Year Contract with MRPP - Thursday, June 21, 2018

Memphis City Council members gave the Memphis River Parks Partnership a 13-year contract to manage and operate the city’s riverside parks Tuesday, June 19, with a 10-year renewal option.

The MRPP, which until earlier this year was the Riverfront Development Corp., sought a 10-year contract with the city in order to promote the stability of the organization in drawing private and philanthropic funding for the city’s riverfront plan.

12. Council Approves 13-Year Contract with MRPP, Makes End of Fiscal Year Moves - Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Memphis City Council members gave the Memphis River Parks Partnership a 13-year contract to manage and operate the city’s riverside parks Tuesday, June 19, with a 10-year renewal option.

The MRPP, which until earlier this year was the Riverfront Development Corp., sought a 10-year contract with the city in order to promote the stability of the organization in drawing private and philanthropic funding for the city’s riverfront plan.

13. Council Approves 13-Year Contract With MRPP, Makes End of Fiscal Year Moves - Wednesday, June 20, 2018

Memphis City Council members gave the Memphis River Parks Partnership a 13-year contract to manage and operate the city’s riverside parks Tuesday, June 19, with a 10-year renewal option.

The MRPP, which until earlier this year was the Riverfront Development Corp., sought a 10-year contract with the city in order to promote the stability of the organization in drawing private and philanthropic funding for the city’s riverfront plan.

14. Commission To Consider Overriding Adviser Veto - Wednesday, May 9, 2018

Shelby County commissioners vote Wednesday, May 9, in special session on whether to override a veto by Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell of their decision to reappoint attorney Julian Bolton as the commission’s “legislative policy adviser.”

15. Conrad Hoping for Landmarks Compromise - Wednesday, May 9, 2018

It’s been nearly two decades since the last time a new historic district has been carved out, so when the Cooper-Young neighborhood’s application came before the Memphis City Council it was meet with some trepidation.

16. Council Still Battling With Public Art Issue - Thursday, March 8, 2018

Memphis City Council members were told Tuesday, March 6, that removing a mural from a private business front on Lamar Avenue will be difficult despite a council call to do so.

The zombie-like mural by the artist Dustin Spagnola has drawn most of the ire of council members for several months. Some have called it “satanic.” Others on the council argue the imagery isn’t respectful of the surrounding community.

17. City Council Continues to Dabble In Art Issues - Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Memphis City Council members were told Tuesday, March 6, that removing a mural from a private business front on Lamar Avenue will be difficult despite a council call to do so.

The zombie-like mural by the artist Dustin Spagnola has drawn most of the ire of council members for several months. Some have called it “satanic.” Others on the council argue the imagery isn’t respectful of the surrounding community.

18. Election Methods, Murals Dominate City Council Session - Thursday, February 22, 2018

Memphis City Council members doubled down Tuesday, Feb. 20, on calling for a cover-up of six murals near Lamar Avenue. And the council’s attorney said ranked-choice, or instant-runoff voting, isn’t needed in Memphis.

19. Last Word: Murals and IRV at City Hall, Alexander on Trump and Schools Standoff - Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Sometimes when you look at the Election Commission filings in an election season and no one has so much as pulled a petition let alone filed one, your thoughts tend to be along the lines of what is there to focus on beyond the day-to-day activity. And then you get a press release by email that really makes you remember the volatility of this whole business of running for elected office.

20. Election Methods and Murals Dominate Light Council Day - Wednesday, February 21, 2018

Memphis City Council members doubled down Tuesday, Feb. 20, on calling for a cover-up of six murals near Lamar Avenue. And the council’s attorney said ranked-choice or instant-runoff voting isn’t needed in Memphis.

21. City, County Governments on Different Paths - Tuesday, January 2, 2018

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland and the city council members are half way through their four-year terms of office with the new year.

22. Editorial: Though Statues are Down, Work is Just Beginning - Saturday, December 30, 2017

They may be the most famous pedestals in Memphis – the ones where the horseback image of Nathan Bedford Forrest stood for 113 years and the relatively slender pinnacle where Jefferson Davis stood for a mere 53 years.

23. Forrest Down - Saturday, December 23, 2017

It’s hard to know where the equestrian statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest is when there aren’t lights on it.

That was the case Wednesday, Dec. 20, as the spotlights normally illuminating the likeness of the Confederate general, slave trader and Ku Klux Klan grand wizard were doused.

24. Council Delays MLGW Rate Hike Vote to Wednesday - Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Memphis City Council members meet again Wednesday, Dec. 20, to vote on Memphis Light Gas and Water Divisions proposals to raise water, gas and electricity rates starting next month.

The council was debating the 1.05 percent water rate hike proposal at its regularly scheduled Tuesday session when chairman Berlin Boyd announced the meeting would recess until 4 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall. It came as council members had a lot of questions about possible alternatives to the rate hikes across all three sectors of the publicly-owned utility.

25. County Commission Approves Sheriff Pay Raise - Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Shelby County commissioners voted 10-0 Monday, Dec. 18, to raise the pay of the Shelby County sheriff elected in 2018 from $116,955 a year to $135,575 annually.

The ordinance approved was an amended version of an earlier ordinance that was voted down in November, coming up short of the nine votes – a two-thirds majority – needed to pass. Two related ordinances were also voted down in November that would have raised the pay of four other county elected officials and all 13 county commissioners effective with those elected in 2018. Those two ordinances were not reconsidered by the commission Monday.

26. County Commission Approves Sheriff Pay Raise - Tuesday, December 19, 2017

Shelby County commissioners voted 10-0 Monday, Dec. 18, to raise the pay of the Shelby County sheriff elected in the 2018 elections from the current $116,955 a year to $135,575 annually.

The passage of the ordinance was a reconsidered and amended version of an earlier ordinance that was voted down in November, coming up short of the nine-vote two-thirds majority needed to pass. Two other ordinances were also voted down in November that would have raised the pay of four other countywide elected officials and all 13 county commissioners effective with those elected in 2018. Those two ordinances were not reconsidered by the commission.

27. WA - Monday, December 11, 2017

Good morning, Memphis! Dust off your robes and lightsabers, because the latest “Star Wars” movie hits theaters this week. Of course, there’s plenty more to keep you busy in the coming days. Here’s what you need to know about in The Week Ahead – no Jedi powers required.

28. Week Ahead - Monday, December 11, 2017

Good morning, Memphis! Dust off your robes and lightsabers, because the latest “Star Wars” movie hits theaters this week. Of course, there’s plenty more to keep you busy in the coming days. Here’s what you need to know about in The Week Ahead – no Jedi powers required.

29. The Week Ahead: Dec. 11-17 - Monday, December 11, 2017

Good morning, Memphis! Dust off your robes and lightsabers, because the latest "Star Wars" movie hits theaters this week. Of course, there's plenty more to keep you busy in the coming days. Here's what you need to know about in The Week Ahead - no Jedi powers required.

30. RCV Goes To Ballot, Term-Limit Change May Join It - Thursday, December 7, 2017

Memphis City Council members gave final approval Tuesday, Dec. 5, to a November 2018 referendum that would repeal the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV) in some city council races starting with 2019 city elections.

31. Last Word: Norvell's New Contract, Grade-Changing Culture and Buying Gibson - Wednesday, December 6, 2017

So the Grizz snap the losing streak Monday with a win over the Timberwolves. They try to start a winning streak Wednesday against the Knicks. Elsewhere, so much for a holiday lull. It was cold outside but many a keyboard around this place was warm enough Tuesday afternoon with both the anticipated and the unanticipated. And then there were those items that fall somewhere inbetween. Could happen but will it be today? In many of those cases, the answer was yes.

32. County Commission Renews Opioid Legal Skirmish with County Administration - Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Shelby County Commissioners voted Monday, Dec. 4, to hire another attorney to represent it in an ongoing legal battle with county mayor Mark Luttrell over opioid litigation. And the commission approved a resolution declaring opioid abuse a “public nuisance” as an opening to legal depositions of opioid manufacturers and distributors.

33. Elections, Term Limits, Assemblies Face Council - Tuesday, December 5, 2017

Memphis City Council members vote Tuesday, Dec. 5, on a move to repeal ranked-choice voting before it ever gets used. The body also talks about a proposed charter change that would raise council term limits from two consecutive terms to three and takes the first of three readings on changes to the ordinance that sets ground rules for parades, marathons and protests on city streets.

34. Last Word: Grizz Ownership Moves, Confederate Deadline and Medical Family Tree - Monday, December 4, 2017

As many of us were focused on Tigers football and the journey to Orlando last week, there was word that either both or one of the two minority owners of the Grizz had exercised a buy-sell provision in the NBA team’s unique ownership agreement. And what could be a fight for control of the team’s ownership is underway. The sports website The Athletic broke the story last Thursday. Here it is. It also talks about the timing of this coming with the controversial sacking of David Fizdale, an interim coach at the helm of a changing team and lead owner Robert Pera’s lack of visibility in all things Grizz around the city.

35. City Administration Sets Dec. 19 Deadline For Mediation On Confederate Monuments - Saturday, December 2, 2017

The city of Memphis is setting a Dec. 19 deadline for mediation efforts on the removal of Confederate monuments from city parks.

Attorney Allan Wade, representing the city administration in the matter, sent a letter to attorneys for the state Friday, Dec. 1, saying city government has received no word when mediation sessions suggested by the state on the controversy are scheduled.

36. Council Moves Toward Alcohol on Main Street - Thursday, November 23, 2017

Memphis City Council members delayed a final vote Tuesday, Nov. 21, on an ordinance that sets out options for the removal of statues of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Jefferson Davis in city parks, but moved forward on a proposal to allow open alcohol containers and consumption on Main Street.

37. Luttrell Says Administration Will Intervene in Commission's Opioid Litigation - Wednesday, November 15, 2017

Shelby County Chancellor Jim Kyle left no doubt in his ruling Tuesday, Nov. 14, about who was correct between county mayor Mark Luttrell and the county commission over opioid abuse litigation in Circuit Court.

38. State Elections Coordinator Says Ranked-Choice Voting Not Permissible - Wednesday, November 15, 2017

The Tennessee elections coordinator has told Shelby County election officials that it is illegal to use ranked-choice voting in an election because there are no state guidelines and procedures in place for counting second- and third-preference votes.

39. Tennessee Elections Coordinator Says Ranked-Choice Voting Not Permissible - Tuesday, November 14, 2017

The Tennessee elections coordinator told Shelby County’s administrator of elections in September that it is illegal to use ranked-choice voting anywhere in the state because there are no state guidelines and procedures for counting the second and third preferences of voters to avoid a runoff election.

40. County Legal Dispute Latest In A Series - Friday, November 10, 2017

As attorneys for Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell’s administration and the county commission were in Chancery Court Tuesday, Nov. 7, the Memphis City Council’s attorney, Allan Wade, was being honored for 25 years of service to the city.

41. Last Word: Changes Behind Highland Row, Lee Harris Opens and Ron Olson Moves - Friday, November 3, 2017

Shelby County Commission chairwoman Heidi Shafer says the commission, through its attorneys, is in ‘the final stages of launching litigation” against big pharma over the opioid problem locally. And in a written statement Thursday she said she believes the litigation “will result in significant recovery for hundreds of millions of dollars that Shelby County has spent trying to heal, save, nurse and otherwise deal with the opioid crisis.” Shafer specifically announced the hiring on a contingency basis of a national law firm.

42. City Lays Out Numerous Paths to Statue Removal - Thursday, October 19, 2017

City officials laid out numerous paths forward in the Confederate monuments controversy Tuesday, Oct. 17, that include closing Health Sciences Park entirely or building a memorial to lynching victims in the park plaza where a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest is now the centerpiece.

43. City Lays Out Numerous Options in Confederate Monuments Controversy - Wednesday, October 18, 2017

The city administration and Memphis City Council laid out numerous paths forward in the Confederate monuments controversy Tuesday, Oct. 17, that include closing Health Sciences Park entirely or building a memorial to lynching victims in the park plaza where a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest is now the centerpiece.

44. Process vs. Protest: Opinions Differ On How to Remove Monuments - Saturday, October 14, 2017

Protest and the legal process live in the same neighborhood. Sometimes they are next-door neighbors with borders that may be in dispute. At others times they are allies. But there is almost always a tension between the two.

45. Monumental Decision - Friday, October 13, 2017

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland may not even get a discussion with the Tennessee Historical Commission Friday, Oct. 13, about moving the statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest out of a city park.

46. Harris Talks ‘Radical’ Action on Confederate Monuments to Build Pressure - Thursday, October 5, 2017

City Council attorney Allan Wade says Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland’s administration and the council are not “in different places” when it comes to removing Confederate monuments from city parks.

47. City Council Delays Final Vote on Confederate Monuments - Wednesday, October 4, 2017

Memphis City Council members delayed a third and final vote on an ordinance that would direct the city administration to remove Confederate monuments in two city parks if the state historical commission doesn’t allow it later this month.

48. U of M Law School Forum Tuesday on Confederate Monuments - Monday, October 2, 2017

City of Memphis chief legal officer Bruce McMullen and Memphis City Council attorney Allan Wade will talk about the city’s efforts to remove Confederate monuments in city parks Tuesday, Oct. 3, during a panel discussion at the University of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law.

49. Week Ahead: Oct. 2-9 - Monday, October 2, 2017

Hey, Memphis! Prepare to rock out this week as the Mempho Music Festival hits Shelby Farms Park and Wilco plays The Orpheum. Plus, Beale Street memorializes one of its own, Memphis legal pros discuss the Confederate monuments issue, and much more in The Week Ahead…

50. Last Word: Haslam Talks, Harding Consolidates and Lenoir Launches - Friday, September 29, 2017

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam had a bit more to say Thursday about a possible run for the U.S. Senate seat Bob Corker is leaving than the “I love my job” quote we chronicled earlier in the week that Corker quickened the pace of with his decision on re-election. Haslam says he is giving a run for the Senate serious consideration. Meanwhile, Peyton Manning is not.

51. Historical Commission Leaders Say No October Hearing on Forrest Statue Removal - Friday, September 29, 2017

The chairman of and legal advisor to the Tennessee Historical Commission said Wednesday, Sept. 27, the commission will not consider the city of Memphis’ petition to remove a statue of Nathan Bedford Forrest from a city park at the body’s Oct. 13 meeting.

52. City’s Legal Path to Statue Removal Complex - Thursday, September 28, 2017

The administration of Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland is setting the stage for a critical Tennessee Historical Commission hearing next month in its bid to remove a statue of Confederate general, slave trader and Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest from a city park.

53. Editorial: Beale Street and The Line for City Leaders - Saturday, September 23, 2017

When he was mayor, Willie Herenton had a saying that was his answer to speculation about whether he had crossed a legal line. Like the time when he bought an option on land fronting Union Avenue near AutoZone Park that was being considered as a possible site for a new convention center or hotel.

54. Boyd Drops Beale Contract, But Says It Wasn’t Conflict of Interest - Thursday, September 21, 2017

Memphis City Council chairman Berlin Boyd ended his company’s fundraising contract with the Beale Street Merchants Association Tuesday, Sept. 19. But he again insisted the contract was not a conflict of interest in his duties as a council member voting on items involving the entertainment district.

55. Last Word: The Brooks Question, Boyd's Answer and Tigers In the Polls - Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Art as a real estate consideration. One of the more unusual of many considerations as the Brooks search for a new site – a possible new site, I should add, becomes the city’s favorite topic. So from the CRE vantage point – here are two more possible sites to think about if you haven’t already – Cossitt Library and the Fairgrounds, as well as right where it has been for the last century.

56. Boyd Drops Beale Contract, But Says It Wasn't A Conflict of Interest - Wednesday, September 20, 2017

Memphis City Council chairman Berlin Boyd ended his company’s fundraising contract with the Beale Street Merchants Association Tuesday, Sept. 19. But he again insisted the contract was not a conflict of interest in his duties as a council member voting on items involving the entertainment district.

57. Boyd Maintains No Recusal Stand on Beale Matters - Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Memphis City Council chairman Berlin Boyd said after another conversation with council attorney Allan Wade Monday, Sept. 18, he is maintaining his stand that he has no conflict of interest in voting on Beale Street items that come before the city council and the task force.

58. Monuments Controversy May Mean Long Haul of Lawsuits, Negotiations - Wednesday, September 13, 2017

When the Tennessee Historical Commission votes Oct. 13 on a waiver that would permit the city of Memphis to remove Confederate monuments from two city parks, it won’t be anywhere near the last word on the matter.

59. Memphis Moves Closer to Confederate Statue Removal - Thursday, September 7, 2017

The Memphis City Council has passed the first of three votes on a resolution that declares Confederate statues on city-owned property public nuisances and sets up a framework for the city to remove those statues even without approval from the state.

60. City Moves Closer to Confederate Statue Removal - Wednesday, September 6, 2017

The Memphis City Council has passed the first of three votes on a resolution that declares “all Confederate statues and artifacts … on City-owned property public nuisances” and also sets up a framework for the city to remove those statues even without approval from the state.

61. Council to Weigh Statues, Funding Projects - Tuesday, September 5, 2017

Memphis City Council members have a busy agenda Tuesday, Sept. 5: continued discussion regarding bypassing a Tennessee Historical Commission waiver process to remove Confederate monuments and a recently enacted ban on sewer connections to properties outside the city limits.

62. Confederate Emblems Attacked Statewide - Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Germantown aldermen approved a resolution Monday, Aug. 28, to “combat hate, extremism and bigotry” with two of the five aldermen, John Barzizza and Dean Massey, abstaining.

63. Council Mulls Legal Options To Move Park Monuments - Thursday, August 24, 2017

Memphis City Council members are exploring new options for the Confederate monuments in city parks that include boarding up statues of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Jefferson Davis as nuisances, to prevent them from being vandalized and maintain public order, or by citing a provision of the state’s Civil Rights Act.

64. Council Considers Other Legal Options on Confederate Monuments - Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Memphis City Council members are exploring new options for the Confederate monuments in city parks that include boarding up statues of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Jefferson Davis as nuisances, to prevent them from being vandalized to maintain public order, or by citing a provision of the state’s Civil Rights Act.

65. Council Considers Other Legal Options on Confederate Monuments. - Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Memphis City Council members are exploring new options for the Confederate monuments in city parks that include boarding up statues of Nathan Bedford Forrest and Jefferson Davis as nuisances, to prevent them from being vandalized, to maintain public order or by citing a provision of the state’s Civil Rights Act.

66. Final Budget, Tax-Rate Votes Lead Council Agenda - Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Memphis City Council members are poised to end their budget season Tuesday, June 6, with a set of votes on four resolutions and six ordinances that are up for third and final reading.

The resolutions and ordinances would approve a roughly $680 million city operating budget and a $77.8 million capital budget, hikes in stormwater and sewer fees and take the city property tax rate from $3.40 to $3.27.

67. City Council Members: Beale Bucks Evolving - Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Beale Street’s new $5 weekend night cover charge still has a few details to work out, says Memphis City Council chairman Berlin Boyd.

“We’re not putting a period there, we’re putting a comma because we are taking a pause,” Boyd said on the WKNO/Channel 10 program “Behind The Headlines.”

68. Beale Street Cover Charge Cut, Larger Debate Remains - Thursday, May 25, 2017

The Saturday night summer cover charge on Beale Street is going from $10 to $5 next month. But the discussion about the Beale Street Bucks program is hardly over. And the crowd control measure is certain to raise longer-term questions about who controls the city-owned district.

69. Council Sets Stage for Raise, Keeps Railgarten and Cuts Beale Cover - Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Memphis City Council members approved Tuesday, May 23, a 1 percent across the board pay raise for all city employees setting the stage for a final vote on budget matters at the June 6 council session.

70. City Council to Hold Railgarten Hearing May 23; Uses Impasse Panels for First Time - Thursday, May 11, 2017

Memphis City Council members will hold an evidentiary hearing in two weeks to sort out a Midtown restaurant-bar that ran afoul of approvals needed to open with annexes including intermodal containers and an outdoor area.

71. Railgarten’s Case Delayed; Will Go Before City Council - Thursday, April 27, 2017

After a more than four-hour meeting, the Shelby County Board of Adjustment voted Wednesday, April 26, to delay Railgarten’s request to reopen portions of its multiparcel Midtown outdoor entertainment venue, leaving only 2158 Central Ave. and the bottom floor of 2166 Central Ave. open for business.

72. Council Wants Railgarten Permit Delay as OPD Recommends Rejection - Wednesday, April 26, 2017

The Memphis City Council wants the Board of Adjustment to delay any decision Wednesday, April 26, on a special permit for Railgarten for a month while the council sorts out what the controversial resident had permission to open and what it didn’t have permission to open.

73. Greensward Compromise Text, Discussion Differ on Cost Split - Thursday, March 23, 2017

At the end of a surprising day at City Hall, Memphis City Council member Worth Morgan was anticipating what might happen in the three weeks until the next council session to the compromise for zoo parking in Overton Park.

74. City Unions Pan Proposed Impasse Changes - Thursday, February 9, 2017

Unions representing city of Memphis employees gave a rough reception Tuesday, Feb. 7, to a proposal to revamp the city’s impasse proceedings for stalled contract talks between the unions and the city administration.

75. Council Rejects 2 Car Lots, Amends DROP Freeze for C-Suite - Thursday, November 3, 2016

Starting a used car lot used to be a lot simpler. In fact it was considered a right – “development by right” – until a change in recent years in the local Unified Development Code.

76. Council Rejects 2 Car Lots, Amends DROP Freeze for C-Suite - Wednesday, November 2, 2016

Starting a used car lot used to be a lot simpler. In fact it was considered a right – “development by right” until a change in recent years in the local Unified Development Code.

Now the car lots require a special use permit from the Memphis City Council. And it’s a hard sell.

77. Commission Rejects Move of Confederate Statue From Park - Monday, October 24, 2016

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Historical Commission is blocking a plan by Memphis city leaders to move a statue honoring a Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader out of the downtown area.

78. Luttrell May Veto Ordinance on County Attorney - Wednesday, August 31, 2016

Shelby County Commissioners have approved a ballot question for the Nov. 8 elections that would give them the final say if the county mayor moves to fire the county attorney.

But before the vote Monday, Aug. 29, by commissioners, Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell indicated he might veto the referendum, saying he has a “concern” about what would be a limit on the power of mayors with the proposed amendment to the Shelby County charter.

79. CLERB Subpoena Power Remains Issue After Council Vote - Monday, August 15, 2016

The Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board voted Thursday, Aug. 11, to seek a legal opinion from the Tennessee Attorney General’s office on whether state law permits the board to have direct subpoena power.

80. CLERB Board Seeks State Legal Opinion On Subpoena Power - Friday, August 12, 2016

The Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board voted Thursday, Aug. 11, to seek a legal opinion from the Tennessee Attorney General’s office on whether state law permits the board to have direct subpoena power.

81. Council Mends CLERB Rules, Questions Future Role - Thursday, August 11, 2016

One of the last major acts of the Memphis City Council that left office at the end of 2015 was passage of an ordinance that reconstituted the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board.

The November 2015 passage was applauded by groups including the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center and Memphis United as giving the nearly 20-year-old board more teeth in investigating allegations of police conduct.

82. CLERB Powers Amended Again, Charter Amendment Possible - Wednesday, August 10, 2016

Memphis City Council members took another try Tuesday, Aug. 9, at giving the Civilian Law Enforcement Review Board subpoena power in investigating allegations of police misconduct, not quite a year after its first try.

83. Council Takes Final Vote On Residency Referendum - Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Memphis City Council members take a final vote Tuesday, Aug. 9, on an addition to the Nov. 8 ballot that would ask city voters to approve new residency requirements for future city employees.

The referendum ordinance is a proposal to require all city employees hired after a certain date to live in the city of Memphis. The current requirement is that city employees must live within Shelby County.

84. To Zoo. Zooed. Zooing. - Friday, July 15, 2016

YOU’VE BEEN ZOOED. That headline is indicative of the last few months. In fact, it’s the indicative present perfect usage of the new verb this city has created.

85. Pat Summitt's Fight Against Alzheimer's Disease Continues - Thursday, July 14, 2016

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Pat Summitt's fight against Alzheimer's disease continues, and has even gained momentum since her death.

The former Tennessee women's basketball coach made sure of that through her efforts the last five years. As soon as she announced her diagnosis in 2011, Summitt vowed to take an active role in leading the battle against the disease that would eventually kill her.

86. Council Likely to Vote On Pinch Plan in 90 Days - Saturday, July 9, 2016

A plan for the redevelopment of the Pinch area is essentially complete and Mayor Jim Strickland’s administration is rounding up grant funds and other financing for elements of the plan, according to Memphis City Council member Berlin Boyd.

87. Council Likely to Vote On Pinch Plan in 90 Days - Thursday, July 7, 2016

A plan for the redevelopment of the Pinch area is essentially complete and Mayor Jim Strickland’s administration is rounding up grant funds and other financing for elements of the plan, according to Memphis City Council member Berlin Boyd.

88. Greensward Partisans Turn Out Two Weeks Ahead of Council Votes on Settlement - Wednesday, July 6, 2016

The Overton Park Greensward wasn’t on the Memphis City Council’s agenda Tuesday, July 5. But there were plenty of partisan from the controversy in council chambers in what was a rehearsal for a council vote in two weeks on a settlement of the park’s parking problem.

89. Council Members Express Doubts About Solidifying Overton Park Boundaries - Thursday, May 5, 2016

Two months after the Memphis City Council approved a resolution giving the Memphis Zoo control of two-thirds of the Overton Park Greensward, the votes are still there to set park boundaries in stone.

90. Greensward Talks Getting Complex - Wednesday, April 20, 2016

A week ago, the board of the Overton Park Conservancy had a visitor at its meeting – Richard Smith, the Memphis Zoo’s representative in the ongoing private mediation talks between the conservancy and the zoo.

91. Lawsuit Seeks to Void City Decision on Greensward - Tuesday, April 5, 2016

A lawsuit filed in Shelby County Chancery Court Tuesday, April 5, seeks to void the March 1 Memphis City Council vote that gave the Memphis Zoo undisputed control of most of the Overton Park Greensward.

92. Lawsuit Seeks to Void City Decision on Greensward - Tuesday, April 5, 2016

A lawsuit filed in Shelby County Chancery Court Tuesday, April 5, seeks to void the March 1 Memphis City Council vote that gave the Memphis Zoo undisputed control of most of the Overton Park Greensward.

93. Potential Revenue Loss Stirs Deannexation Options - Thursday, March 17, 2016

As a potentially damaging deannexation bill moves to the state Senate for a possible vote soon, city officials are considering options to combat the expected loss of revenue should the bill pass.

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland estimates the state deannexation law could cost City Hall $27.7 million on the low end but as much as $80 million if all Memphis annexations dating back to 1998 were negated by voters in those areas.

94. Council Tallies Damage in 'Day of Bad News' - Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Memphis City Council member Berlin Boyd summed up City Hall’s attitude Tuesday, March 15, during the council’s executive session. “Today is the day of bad news,” he said after a briefing from Mayor Jim Strickland on the deannexation bill approved the night before by the Tennessee House.
That was followed by more details on the estimated $60 million it will cost to replace the entire radio system for local first responders from the radios to the towers used to transmit their signals.

95. Shameful Performance - Friday, March 4, 2016

SHAME ON US. This week, the Memphis City Council ran over a whole room of citizens and a whole city and parked right on top of something they care about.

Every council member should be ashamed.

96. City Council Comment Limits Raise Questions - Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Most Memphis City Council members don’t want to stop comments from the public during council sessions. But several do want a better explanation of how the comments work, what their role is and what kind of comments won’t be tolerated.

97. City Considers Seeking Delay In Warren and Tulane Apartments Move Out - Tuesday, March 1, 2016

There is a move at City Hall to call for a delay in the relocation of tenants out of Warren and Tulane apartments, the two apartment complexes owned by Global Ministries Foundation, that have failed two federal inspections.

98. Memphis Zoo CEO: Mediation, Court Action Can Coexist in Greensward Dispute - Saturday, January 23, 2016

The Memphis Zoo’s move to Chancery Court next week in the Overton Park greensward controversy does not damage the mediation process between the zoo and the Overton Park Conservancy.

That’s what zoo president and CEO Chuck Brady said as attorneys on both sides of the controversy prepare to make their cases in court.

99. Zoo Goes To Court Over Greensward - Friday, January 22, 2016

The Memphis Zoo has gone to Chancery Court seeking undisputed legal control of the northern section of the Overton Park greensward.

Attorneys for the zoo filed the suit Thursday, Jan. 21, seeking a declaratory judgment in the dispute with the Overton Park Conservancy.

100. Who’s In Charge? - Friday, January 22, 2016

IT MIGHT BE RIGHT, BUT IT’S FLAT WRONG. A week or so ago, 27 trees disappeared from Overton Park’s greensward – a fancy word for yours and my yard since Overton Park belongs to us.