Memphis City Council members are responding to its Oct. 6 meeting, which screeched to an abrupt halt due to public backlash, and meeting disruption, over a vote that tabled a data center moratorium that has been in the works for months.
The council reconvened at a special Planning and Zoning Committee meeting at 1 p.m. on Oct. 8 to discuss the various data center ordinances put forth by council members, with the hopes to consolidate them into a single piece of legislation.
Council's regular meeting will reconvene at 4 p.m.
Changes in protocol for public participation are still up in the air, though several council members have mentioned limited access or temporarily banning some
attendees.
Vice chairman speaks out
Vice Chairman Chase Carlisle spoke at a press conference Oct. 8, hours before the council would resume its regular meeting, in city administration building's Hall of Mayors.
Carlisle said he hopes today's committee meeting can help the council get organized and agree on a singular data center-ordinance moving forward.
Reflecting on Tuesday's fallout, he said he and other council members could have done better in maintaining order and holding each other accountable. But he also said some of the behavior from advocates concerned him.
"We can be better," he said.
Carlisle said he is "happy to have engaged citizens but those people have to come to the table in good faith."
He said the council will need to "get noise out of the room" so members can have clear communication, specifically on data centers.
Per Carlisle, any reprimanding or changes in public participation rules going forward is up to Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington.
"We are in a bad spot," he said. "We have to be real with where we are as a city."
'Unsafe environment'
After a 7-5 vote punting possible data center development regulations down the road to the council's Oct. 20 meeting, city leaders said the Oct. 6 meeting had to be recessed for safety reasons when audience members began shouting, some through a bullhorn, getting up from their seats and approaching the dais to engage council members.
"What occurred during Tuesday's meeting went beyond spirited disagreement and passionate public participation," Chairwoman Jana Swearengen-Washington said in a Oct. 7 statement.
"The continued disruptions, threats, and physical altercations created an unsafe environment and prevented the council from completing the work the people of Memphis entrusted to us."
Annie Goldman covers government for The Commercial Appeal. She can be reached at annie.goldman@commercialappeal.com or 901-930-7431, and followed on X @AnnieSGoldman.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: 'In a bad spot': Memphis council vice chair disappointed in rowdy meeting
