July 16, 2009

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Speakers:

BM:

Bill Mullins, Mayor of Oakland

TL:

Terry Leggett, citizen of Hickory Withe

JE:

John Evans, Oakland Alderman

The hearing at Oakland was for citizens of Hickory Withe to express their concerns offer some planned annexations by Oakland in the Hickory Withe area.

BM:

[Prior discussion]… A lot of people wanted to be brought in.

TL:

Along that same line, Mayor, the area that you’re speaking of is in your annexation reserve, is that correct?

BM:

That’s right.

TL:

If the annexation reserve will not stop Memphis from coming in, you annexing it won’t stop it. The same law…

BM:

An annexation will stop it.

TL:

Well, annexation reserves will do the same thing. The same law is governing on both of them. The law that allows you to reach out and put your boundaries on a piece of property that you intend to annex in the future and claim that for your reserve growth area is the same law that you would go to court on to stop Memphis from coming inside your city limits.

BM:

No, it’s not…

TL:

I think what has happened is, at least the people that I’ve talked to in Hickory Withe, there’s been a move, I don’t know who’s done it, but they’re trying to scare people that Memphis is coming. And you need to get in a city otherwise Memphis is going to get you. That’s a, I think, a scare tactic.

BM:

I’m not trying to scare…

TL:

I’m not accusing anyone here. I’m just saying that, I think, is misinformation that’s out there. That if you’re in an annexation reserve area, you’ve already been spoken for by a municipality, you’ve got the same protection from Memphis as you’d have if you lived next door to city hall, here.

JE:

The best example I can give you is that area from 64, from Canada Road to the Fayette County line. Now, for years it was understood that Arlington and Lakeland and Bartlett had reserves. Memphis let it be known that they “had reserves”. Well, Arlington jumped out, decided that they wanted to have a little bit more than their reserve. When they did, that’s when Memphis came all the way to the county line and took away the area south of 64 that Arlington wanted. So…

TL:

We’re dealing with two different things here. You’re dealing with before 1101. We’re dealing with after 1101 where the state has required every municipality, every county to file a growth plan. And we have filed such a plan. Y’all have filed a plan. You have spoken for land, and the land has got your brand on it. Nobody can go get it.

JE:

And there are gaps in that growth plan area along the western boundary.

TL:

That’s correct. From Cherry Road to the county line. I understand that. Now that area might be an area of concern if you lived in that particular area. But, all I’m saying is that I think that so many of the residents have been made to be afraid that if they’re not inside a city limits they can be gobbled up by the City of Memphis. If they’re in an annexation growth area, they have the same protection as they would have if they lived inside the city limits.

BM:

What did John Wilder tell you?

TL:

Sir?

BM:

What did John Wilder tell you?

TL:

He says they cannot cross that county line.

BM:

We’re developing north and south. We’re doing good. We’ve only have so much to work with. We’re as happy as we can be right now.