|
When I came into office, I challenged every division in city government to deliver more for our community. More coordination. More connection. More results.
From public safety to park programming, I am asking for more from our team because I want to deliver a better Memphis for each of you.
Our Neighborhood Impact Tours are another way we are putting that challenge into action. These tours were designed by our Special Assistant for Neighborhood Concerns, Karen Gause, and they bring together a full city team including Community Enhancement, 311, Public Works, Solid Waste, Code Enforcement, Communications, and MPD to walk blocks with neighbors, listen to concerns, and take immediate action.
Because when we listen first and act fast, we do not just clean up. We build trust. We build belief. And we build Memphis.
“We are not just clearing blight. We are clearing the way for belief. We are not just fixing streets. We are fixing systems. We are not just responding to calls. We are rebuilding connection."
For years, our blight response depended on 311 calls to tell us where help was needed. Today, we are both reactive and proactive, still responding to requests but no longer waiting for problems to be reported. We are out in the community, seeing what residents see, and working side by side to make progress visible.
The most recent tour took place in Orange Mound, Tennessee, one of our city’s most historic and beloved neighborhoods. That visit started with a single Facebook comment from Esther Cook Jones, who wrote to us, saying: “The Westwood video is wonderful, but please give Orange Mound a visit!” Within days, we did. And with input from residents, city crews cleared overgrowth, picked up debris, and created strategies to install cameras at dumpsites.
During our tour, Ms. Esther talked about the fact that she has twelve grandkids running around the neighborhood. Her interest in lifting the community is about them as much as it is about her. She is thinking about the future. She is not just saying, let’s fix it for now. She is saying, I want to fix it so my twelve grandkids will stay here, come back, and have the same pride that generations of our families have had in Orange Mound. That is what legacy looks like. That is what belief looks like.
"Because when we listen first and act fast, we do not just clean up. We build trust. We build belief. And we build Memphis."
I also want to recognize Melanie Neal, our Community Enhancement Director, who leads the division at the heart of this work. Melanie said these tours have become an important way for her team to connect directly with residents. “They give us the chance to talk with people, to explain how our work happens, and to show that we are out here every day addressing concerns and making a difference,” she said.
Melanie’s team also uses contract workers from the Public Service Corps, who play a vital role in this effort. These are Memphians who have faced barriers to employment and are now helping to clean medians, remove tires, and clear overgrowth every day. Their work proves that progress creates opportunity and that restoration is about people, not just places.
Every time we step into a neighborhood, we are showing what it means to build progress with purpose, not someday, but right now.
We are not just clearing blight. We are clearing the way for belief. We are not just fixing streets. We are fixing systems. We are not just responding to calls. We are rebuilding connection.
This is not just a call to action for city government, this a call to action for all of us. From Westwood to Orange Mound, let’s prove that when government and community move together, hope takes root, progress accelerates, and Memphis moves forward, building progress with purpose.
 This is what accountability in action looks like—meeting people where they are and working side by side to make Memphis stronger.  #StrongerMemphis. See some of our work in Orange Mound here. Or our Westwood recap post here.
In the know. We’ve launched a webpage to keep you updated on the federal and state action to support Memphis’ public safety efforts. The Memphis Safe Task Force began operations the week of 9/29, with Tennessee National Guard patrols beginning on 10/10. Visit memphistn.gov/safeandclean to learn more.
Good News!
   Do you have good news to share? We would love to share it! Send us a note at goodnews@memphistn.gov
Track Our Progress
The linked reports below provide evidence to support our public safety strategy and our work to ensure municipal fiscal responsibility. These dashboard provides a quick overview, with the ability to dive in deeper to neighborhoods and divisions. Both dashboards updates daily.
 SAFER COMMUNITIES: For more info on how to use the safer communities dashboard, go here. Or for the whole dashboard, go here.
 FINANCE TRACKER: For more info on how to use the finance tracker dashboard, go here, then follow the prompts to the tracker.
Our Blight Strike Team worked in the following zip codes this week: 38111, 38114, 38127.
To report concerns related to property violations, potholes, and trash, click the link here or call 311 to speak to a live agent.
Want to know what's happening in Memphis? Explore these event calendars to stay in the loop on all the city has to offer!
Memphis Public Libraries
Memphis Parks
Memphis Travel
Arts Memphis
Choose901
I love Memphis
City of Memphis Meetings & Notices
Community Input Session. The City of Memphis and Memphis City Council will the the last community input session for the Mayor's Riverfront Master Plan on Thursday, October 30 at 5:30pm at the Links at Riverside in the Clubhouse. Share and see more here.
2055 Regional Transportation Plan Survey. Provide your input on the plan that defines the vision for the region's transportation system by taking the online survey (English & Español). For more information, visit https://memphismpo.org/
Memphis Medical District Annual Survey: We need your input in this quick survey that is shared annually so we can create a more vibrant and safe Medical District. Please take the survey here.
Foote Park at South City Ribbon Cutting:
 We celebrated the ribbon cutting for the final phase of Foote Park at South City — a major milestone in providing high-quality, affordable housing for families who call this community home.
This development represents years of investment, planning, and partnership — transforming what was once blight into opportunity and stability for generations to come.
|
