Two Chattanooga City Council members said Tuesday they don't intend for this year to be a repeat of 2018, when groups of protesters disrupted meetings with insults, inflammatory rhetoric, shouts and signs.
A small number of local residents used the council's weekly public comment period to accuse the body of ignoring abusive policing and lack of access to jobs. After video surfaced in December of a Hamilton County deputy kicking a handcuffed man, the group chanted loudly and waved signs, prompting the council to adjourn and abandon the dais.
Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod, who apologized in October for calling some blacks "complacent and lazy" during one such fracas, said Tuesday she and her family had been harassed and threatened. She had City Attorney Phil Noblett cite state law making it a crime to threaten or harass an elected official.
"There has been a lot of disrespect toward elected officials inside and outside the chamber," Coonrod said. "For 2019, I will not be putting up with these type threats at all. I will not be looking over my shoulder, running in fear for my family and friends from gangbangers. If any of these actions continue to take place I will take action and you will be honored with a charge."
City Councilman Anthony Byrd speaks during a "Coffee with a Councilman" meeting at the Carver Youth and Family Development Center on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, in Chattanooga, Tenn.Councilman Anthony Byrd said the same.
"There's been a lot of disruption, a lot of things that went on that should have never went on, especially in this chamber," Byrd said. "I'm asking everyone in the audience, please call us, sit down and talk with us if there's something you want to champion for. Let's do something to change our city and put a smile on the bad things and the disrespectful things that happened in our community last year."
Local activist Marie Mott, one of the most outspoken of the community protesters, said she regretted Coonrod's perception and condemned violence against anyone. But she stuck to her point: The council isn't doing enough to ensure Chattanooga citizens have job opportunities, decent and affordable housing and access to services.
"I can see some of the decisions being made for this city and they're not good enough," Mott said, adding that long-lasting growth depends on a diverse job market.
"We can draw people here all day long but the question is, can we keep them here?" she said.
This was the council's first meeting since the Christmas holidays and its packed agenda of committee meetings lasted right up until the start of the 6 p.m. voting session.
One high-profile vote next week will be a request to rezone the former Harriet Tubman site. Mayor Andy Berke's administration has asked for most of the 43-acre site to be zoned M-1, for manufacturing.
Some residents oppose M-1, calling instead for mixed-use zoning that could include commercial, some industrial and residential components.
The Unity Group, a 50-year-old coalition of neighborhood groups focused on social justice issues in Chattanooga, had called for a delay in rezoning until the Area 3 land-use plan now under development is complete.
On Tuesday, the group said it was prepared to accept the rezoning but asked the council to set the effective date to April 2. Unity Group members hope to work with local officials and residents to craft a Community Benefits Agreement defining neighborhood priorities for future development.
Contact staff writer Judy Walton at jwalton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6416.