# Chattanooga City Council Economic Development Committee Meeting - 10/27/2026

The Chattanooga City Council Economic Development Committee met on October 27, 2026. Staff reviewed the city’s tax increment financing (TIF) policies and possible revisions, including shortening the approval process, improving Council communication and public transparency, linking projects to workforce development, and reconsidering the 15% cap on reimbursable infrastructure costs. A consultant’s recommendations—including reducing or eliminating the $8,000 application fee and changing project fees and post-approval timelines—remain under review; no policy changes were approved. Members emphasized preserving meaningful public input, particularly if the application review committee is changed. Staff also reported that the Industrial Development Board funded $44,000 for CivicServe software to manage TIF and PILOT applications, compliance documents, parcel development, and reporting; implementation and data validation are ongoing.

The committee discussed a proposed clawback involving the underperforming Nepon Paint TIF, which is scheduled for a Council vote the following week. The original deal included a city land donation of about 28.64 acres and commitments for 150 jobs and $60 million in capital investment; the company reportedly invested $52 million. The proposed resolution would return additional land to the city, recover approximately $1.157 million, and address the roughly $900,000 Hardy Street extension cost. Members differed on whether the proposed settlement adequately protects taxpayers and the affected community; possible community benefits were raised, and the settlement was described as not yet finalized. No procurement award or TIF policy decision was made at this meeting.

**Jurisdictions:** sled
**Industries:** Construction & Infrastructure, Information Technology
**Topics:** Physical Infrastructure, Grants & Funding
**Published:** October 27, 2026

### Sources
- [Chattanooga City Council Economic Development Committee Meeting - 10/27/2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xnat7S4Q2Js) - Chattanooga City Council & City Boards