Records destruction and retention of public records requests (CityByte)

Public Chapter 738, Acts of 2020 became effective June 22, 2020. This legislation adds another layer of checks and balances to the process of destroying public records in accordance with a records retention schedule or policy.

This MTAS CityByte is available here: https://kate.tennessee.edu/mtas/docs/courses_2018/publicact738/index.html

MTAS
General
Records management
Records management--Open records
Records management--Open records--Laws and regulations
Tennessee
Public
12/31/2020
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Freedom to protest: guidance for managing demonstrations in Tennessee towns and cities (CityByte)

MTAS consultants offered guidance on freedom of speech, freedom to assemble and how to handle demonstrations. (Created June 25, 2020; 7:07 minutes in length).

This MTAS CityByte is available here:  https://youtu.be/atfl5PGKC0M

Barton, Rex
Moore, David; Ashburn, Melissa; Hodge, Elisha; O'Hara, Stephanie Allen
Streaming Audio/Video
Parades
Police--Arrest procedure
Police--Administration
Police--Community relations
Police--Laws and regulations
Constitutional amendments
Constitutional law
Public
05/12/2021
06/25/2020
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Tennessee ordinance fundamentals (CityByte)

This MTAS CityByte is available here: https://rise.articulate.com/share/QtkgAMGiidwHGXGudQ7D6Hhccz1jPUEo

Have you ever wondered what makes a city ordinance valid and enforceable in Tennessee? This course will guide you step-by-step through the essentials of drafting, organizing, and formatting basic city ordinances, with a focus on the elements and numbering required by Tennessee law and local charters. You’ll learn how to apply numbering conventions, draft clear and effective ordinance elements, and ensure compliance with procedural and legal requirements. Through practical examples and clear explanations, you’ll gain the confidence to draft ordinances that meet your city's needs.

Oglesby, Abb
General
Municipal ordinances
Municipal ordinances--Codes of ordinances
Public
11/6/2025
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Municipal banking services must now be evaluated every four years (Public Chapter 277 of 2019)

Banking services must be evaluated at least every four years and proposals must be from at least two banks. This requirement is the result of Public Chapter 277 which was signed into law on May 2, 2019 by the governor.  The statute requires a contract for banking services be based on the evaluation of proposals, which should be documented for audit purposes. A detailed Q & A and a sample form for requesting quotes for bank services are available to download from this record.

In addition to these resources, an MTAS CityByte on the topic is available here: https://kate.tennessee.edu/MTAS/docs/Courses_2018/public_chapter_277/story_html5.html

Stegall, Kay
Harris, Brad; Hodge, Elisha
General
MTAS sample quote form for banking services rates and fees PC 277.xlsx (13.54 KB)
MTAS Banking Services QA PC 277.pdf (126.84 KB)
Finance--Bank services
Finance--Administration--Municipal
Public
07/13/2021
10/15/2019
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Changes to T.C.A. § 8-44-110 Advance Public Availability of Meeting Agendas

On May 5,2025 Governor Lee signed SB212/HB885 into law amending the “Advance public availability of meeting agendas” statute, T.C.A. § 8-44-110. 

Waddell, John
General
Meetings
City council--Procedure
Boards--Laws and regulations
Laws and regulations--Tennessee
Municipal government--Laws and regulations
Open meetings--Laws and regulations--Tennessee
Public
05/5/2025
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Public Chapter 791, Acts of 2020 (CityByte)

This MTAS CityByte is available here: https://rise.articulate.com/share/XGKNUKXVUihp_l9BgkBll7p4nOmp26Iw

On May 21, 2018, Public Chapter 1003, Acts of 2018, became effective. The public chapter amended Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 7-34-115 by authorizing a municipal utility board with management responsibility for a municipal utility system that is a natural gas utility system or the municipal governing body, if there is no such board, to appropriate revenues derived from the system to fund chambers of commerce and economic and community organizations, pursuant to an ordinance or resolution adopted by the governing body.

MTAS
General
Utilities--Boards
Utilities--Finance--Laws and regulations
Utilities--Tennessee
Tennessee
Public
12/31/2020
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Resources for those addressing homelessness and those experiencing homelessness in your community (CityByte)

This MTAS CityByte is a streaming video available here: https://youtu.be/7Jk20W6mhuU?si=Ku_HECPzMAxk8xy3

This video discusses a resource that was developed to assist local governments and law enforcement agencies in addressing the issue of homelessness in Tennessee.

Hodge, Elisha
Streaming Audio/Video
Homelessness
Housing
Tennessee
Public
09/30/2021
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Electronic participation in governing body meetings (CityByte)

This MTAS CityByte is available here: https://rise.articulate.com/share/vwymqejek-98kDjFmQkU-Yp5yHg-fB3t#/

The Tennessee General Assembly adopted a law in 2025 authorizing most municipal governing bodies to allow a member to participate in meetings electronically. The new law is codified at Tennessee Code Annotated § 6-54-149. This CityByte explains the law and the requirements municipalities must meet to exercise this authority.

MTAS
General
Meetings
City council--Procedure
Boards
Boards--Municipal
Tennessee
Public
11/6/2025
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Public comment period required for public meetings (CityByte)

This MTAS CityByte is available here: https://rise.articulate.com/share/EhkvdAY1NkyQ4dSHM_axJGdw9_YwL8I7

T.C.A. § 8-44-112 authorizes the governing body to adopt reasonable restrictions on the period for public comment, including restrictions related to the length of the public comment period, the number of individuals who can speak during the period, and the length of time each individual can speak.

MTAS
General
Meetings
City council--Procedure
Boards--Municipal
Tennessee
Public
11/6/2025
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City use of automatic license plate readers (CityByte)

This MTAS CityByte is available here: https://rise.articulate.com/share/PJwRlMayZaeKbDKe27IMw-GJ4vQ4fpO3#/

Automatic license plate readers, known as LPR’s, are camera systems that capture the license plate data of passing vehicles, along with related information including vehicle identification, GPS location and date and time.

MTAS
General
Police
Police--Administration
Police--Crime prevention
Police--Equipment--Cameras
Motor vehicles
Tennessee
Public
11/6/2025
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