What’s Next for this Division?
Introducing this division marks the city’s commitment to residents’ wellbeing by transforming property conditions, addressing illegal dumping, implementing beautification efforts, and reducing public health concerns. The proposed approach also aims to coordinate various departments, including code enforcement, Memphis City Beautiful, ground services, and environmental enforcement, under one division. This division also includes the creation of an administrative service center, supported by operational teams tasked with implementing a comprehensive enhancement strategy.
With the establishment of the Community Enhancement Division, the budgets of prior components will now be merged under the umbrella of the new division for a total budget of $14.7 million for the next fiscal year, which will support 183 positions across critical service areas, including code and environmental enforcement. In addition, the division is requesting funding to bolster new personnel dedicated to clearing vacant lots, maintaining city code compliance, and implementing public space beautification efforts.
Why it Matters
As Memphis prepares to implement this new division, the focus is on creating a cleaner, safer environment for all residents, and this presents a crucial time to track and evaluate the rollout of efforts. The forthcoming budget proposal presents a pivotal opportunity that will significantly influence the trajectory of community enhancement interventions in Memphis. Stakeholders are encouraged to closely monitor and support these initiatives as they unfold. One thing that is for certain, this topic will be revisited as Memphis continues to strive for healthy, safe neighborhoods, and ultimately, pursue a sense of thriving community for all.
