Approve minutes of previous City Council meeting
approve the minutes of the April 7, 2020 Regular Meeting of City Council
Motion to approve minutes
Moved by Gwen McKenzie · seconded by Andrew Roberto
City of Knoxville · City Council
On April 21, 2020, the City of Knoxville, TN City Council recorded 24 published decisions. Each links to its place in the official minutes.
Official minutes (PDF) →Our summary — not the record
The City Council met to approve minutes and several ordinances. Key decisions included appropriating funds for various community organizations and programs, amending the city's budget, and approving zoning changes. The council also authorized applications for grants related to public safety and pandemic response, and enacted temporary moratoriums on new institutional zoning and sign applications.
Quotes are copied word-for-word from the official minutes linked on this page.
approve the minutes of the April 7, 2020 Regular Meeting of City Council
Motion to approve minutes
Moved by Gwen McKenzie · seconded by Andrew Roberto
approve the consent items
Motion to approve consent items
Moved by Lynne Fugate · seconded by Lauren Rider
An Emergency Ordinance of the Council of the City of Knoxville appropriating the sum of $2,000.00 from the Community Improvement (202) Fund and donating same to East Tennessee Community Design Center, Inc. to be utilized toward Vectorworks software updates and plotter repairs.(Requested by Vice Mayor McKenzie and Councilmembers Roberto, Singh, Rider, Thomas, and Fugate)
Motion to approve consent items
Moved by Lynne Fugate · seconded by Lauren Rider
An Emergency Ordinance of the Council of the City of Knoxville appropriating the sum of $821.00 from the Community Improvement (202) Fund and donating same to Dogwood Elementary School to be utilized toward costs required to update and expand its playground.(Requested by Councilmember Fugate)
Motion to approve consent items
Moved by Lynne Fugate · seconded by Lauren Rider
An Emergency Ordinance of the Council of the City of Knoxville appropriating the sum of $700.00 from the Community Improvement (202) Fund and donating same to East Tennessee Community Design Center, Inc. serving as fiscal agent on behalf of Forest Heights Neighborhood Association to be utilized toward Forest Heights pocket park master plan development.(Requested by Councilmember Roberto)
Motion to approve consent items
Moved by Lynne Fugate · seconded by Lauren Rider
A Resolution approving the reappointment of Howard Vogel to the Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority.(Requested by Mayor Kincannon)
Motion to approve resolution
Moved by Gwen McKenzie · seconded by Andrew Roberto
An Ordinance to amend the Operating and Capital Budgets for Fiscal Year 2019/2020.(Requested by Finance Department)
Motion to approve ordinance
Moved by Gwen McKenzie · seconded by Tommy Smith
An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $1,000.00 from the Community Empowerment Budget and donating same to Next Step Initiative through its fiscal agent Community Shares to be utilized toward a series of activities to support children and families from Montgomery Village.(Requested by Office of Community Empowerment)
Motion to approve ordinance
Moved by Gwen McKenzie · seconded by Lauren Rider
An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $6,000.00 from the Community Empowerment Budget and donating same to Youth Outreach in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (YoSTEM) to be utilized toward its Girls in STEM (gSTEM) program.(Requested by Office of Community Empowerment)
Motion to approve ordinance
Moved by Gwen McKenzie · seconded by Andrew Roberto
An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $10,000.00 from the Community Empowerment Budget and donating same to Freedom Village of Hope as fiscal agent for the East Tennessee Freedom Schools program to host summer enrichment programs.(Requested by Office of Community Empowerment)
Motion to approve ordinance
Moved by Gwen McKenzie · seconded by Tommy Smith
An Ordinance appropriating the sum of $15,000.00 from the Community Empowerment Budget and donating same to Penultimate Development to be utilized toward its Penult Leadership Development program.(Requested by Office of Community Empowerment)
Motion to approve ordinance
Moved by Gwen McKenzie · seconded by Lauren Rider
An Ordinance to amend the Knoxville City Code, Appendix B, Zoning Code, as more fully set out herein, Knoxville-Knox County Planning, Applicant. (Planning Commission Approved 11-0 Consent) (File No. 3-A-20-OA) (All Districts)(Requested by Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission)
Motion to approve ordinance
Moved by Andrew Roberto · seconded by Lauren Rider
An Ordinance to adopt the One Year Plan dated 2020 as prepared by the Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission for the City of Knoxville. (Planning Commission Approved 11-0) (File No. 3-A-20-OYP) (All Districts)(Requested by Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission) (As amended by City Council on First Reading)
Motion to approve ordinance
Moved by Andrew Roberto · seconded by Gwen McKenzie
An Ordinance to rezone property located at 2811 Merchant Drive, Parcel ID 080 HC 03302 from RN-1 (Single-Family Residential Neighborhood) District zoning to O (Office) District zoning, Bob Alcorn Architects, Applicant. (Planning Commission Approved 11-0 Consent) (File No. 3-D-20-RZ) (Third District)(Requested by Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission)
Motion to approve ordinance
Moved by Seema Singh · seconded by Tommy Smith
A Resolution respectfully requesting Knoxville-Knox County Planning to conduct a small area study for the industrial area generally located in the vicinity of the area bounded by North Avenue, Central Street, Radford Place and Pershing Street.(Requested by Councilmember Thomas)
Motion to approve resolution
Moved by Charles Thomas · seconded by Lauren Rider
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute any and all documents to award an amount not to exceed $642,752.00 in Historic Preservation Grant awards to support property improvements to eligible historic properties within the City of Knoxville.(Requested by Community Development Department)
Motion to approve resolution
Moved by Lauren Rider · seconded by Andrew Roberto
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to enter into an Easement Agreement to allow existing and proposed building elements to encroach into the public right-of-way for E. Jackson Avenue at 125 E. Jackson Avenue.(Requested by Department of Engineering)
Motion to approve resolution
Moved by Janet Testerman · seconded by Lauren Rider
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement with Gresham Smith to provide professional design services for the Advanced Traffic Management System along Middlebrook Pike for an amount not to exceed $495,347.60.(Requested by Department of Engineering)
Motion to approve resolution
Moved by Andrew Roberto · seconded by Lauren Rider
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute any and all documents necessary to apply for and accept a grant, on behalf of the Knoxville Police Department, from the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, in the amount of $300,000.00, with a required local match in the amount of $300,000.00, for a total grant amount of $600,000.00 for funding of the purchase of 400 body-worn cameras for Knoxville police officers.(Requested by Knoxville Police Department)
Motion to approve resolution
Moved by Gwen McKenzie · seconded by Janet Testerman
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute any and all documents necessary to apply for and accept a grant award from the U.S. Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance in the amount of $349,956.00, with no required local match, for the FY2020 Coronavirus Emergency Supplemental Funding Program to assist in preventing, preparing for and responding to the Coronavirus pandemic.(Requested by Knoxville Police Department)
Motion to approve resolution
Moved by Gwen McKenzie · seconded by Andrew Roberto
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute any and all documents necessary to apply for and accept a grant from the State of Tennessee Highway Safety Office in the amount of $71,000.00, with no required local match, to purchase Radar/LIDAR handheld speed guns and to provide for overtime costs to enforce impaired, distracted or aggressive driving, occupant protection and speeding.(Requested by Knoxville Police Department)
Motion to approve resolution
Moved by Gwen McKenzie · seconded by Lauren Rider
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute any and all documents necessary to apply for and accept a grant award from the State of Tennessee Highway Safety Office in the amount of $33,000.00, with no required local match, to provide enhanced safety enforcement and to purchase supplies for use in bicycle and pedestrian safety campaigns.(Requested by Knoxville Police Department)
Motion to approve resolution
Moved by Gwen McKenzie · seconded by Charles Thomas
A Resolution authorizing the Mayor to execute an agreement with Ijams Nature Center to provide trash and debris removal services for the waterways from Forks of the River to the end of Sequoyah Park for an amount not to exceed $41,400.00 annually.(Requested by Public Service Department)
Motion to approve resolution
Moved by Andrew Roberto · seconded by Lynne Fugate
An Emergency Ordinance enacting a moratorium of 120 days upon the granting of any application for new Institutional zoned parcels and upon the granting of any new sign applications in Institutional zones while the Stakeholder Advisory Committee and Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission study and make a recommendation to City Council if Article 13.9(f) of the City of Knoxville Zoning Code (effective January 1, 2020) should be amended to create sign regulations in institutional zoned districts.(Requested by Councilmembers Roberto and Rider)
Motion to amend ordinance to change duration from 120 to 90 days
Moved by Andrew Roberto · seconded by Lauren Rider
Motion to approve ordinance, as amended
Moved by Andrew Roberto · seconded by Lauren Rider
An Emergency Ordinance of the Council of the City of Knoxville enacting a moratorium of one hundred twenty (120) days upon the granting of any new sign applications under Article 13.9(f)(5)(e) of the City of Knoxville Zoning Code (effective January 1, 2020) while the Stakeholder Advisory Committee and Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission study and make a recommendation to City Council if it should be amended to have sign applications reviewed by the Board of Zoning Appeals or otherwise limit the zones where Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission may grant additional signs to be more consistent with those limitations in the former sign ordinance.(Requested by Councilmembers Roberto and Rider)
Motion to amend ordinance to change duration from 120 to 90 days
Moved by Andrew Roberto · seconded by Lauren Rider
Motion to approve ordinance, as amended
Moved by Andrew Roberto · seconded by Lauren Rider