There is a Metro Council Meeting tonight at 6:30 pm. An agenda has been provided and you can watch the meeting live via channel 3 or stream live on your electronic devices. Also, please do not respond to this email... You can reach me at [email protected].

Let's Continue the Work - I'm Running for Reelection to be your District 21 Councilman!

Support my Reelection - Donate Here 

WE'RE STILL PRAYING

Exhaustion, Pandemonium, Moral, Injunction... These are some of the terms found in headlines over the past few weeks. This city has endured so much and yet, you keep fighting, we keep fighting, together! 

It's been a tough time, I know. Nevertheless, this city seems to always amaze me. Through so much pain and uncertainty, there is an unwavering belief in Nashville; there's a strength in this city like no other. I am extremely appreciative of that characteristic - Nashville Strong! I know you are exhausted and may want to stop fighting, but we cannot take a break right now... This is the time to continue to fight for this city, our children, and our future!

Titans Stadium Deal

Tonight, we will vote on the Titans Stadium contract. It's on second reading. There are an abundance of amendments to the bill. Last week, we were also on second reading with the Titans Stadium contract and we also had several amendments to the bill. One amendment was voted in favor and was added to the legislation. That amendment was presented by me, and it would change a simple $3.00 fee for every non-NFL event ticket sold to a percentage.

So, $3.00 became 3% - 10% escalating over time and capping at 10%. Also, any amount over the $3.00 within the percentage would come back to Metro Nashville's General Fund. It has been calculated that roughly $470 Million would be coming back to the city over the course of 30-years. Prior to this amendment, only $48 Million was coming back to the city in the Nashville Needs Fund, created by the Tennessee Titans.

Fast forward to today... Over the past week the Titans, the mayor, and their lobbyist have been working to tear down the amendment that will put hundreds of millions of dollars back into the hands of the residents. Council Member Pulley has written an amendment that would delete the entire passage of the amendment added in the last meeting (The Taylor Amendment). The mayor's office has pushed an amendment from Council Member Gamble that would lock the percentage in at 3% without any increase over the life of the contract, but the money would go into the Titans created account and not directly back to the city to manage.

The Tennessee Lookout did a great job communicating this in their article this week.

As I've mentioned, the breakdown of who pays for the stadium is a bit even for taxpayers that may not have the chance to enjoy this new venue...

• Titans will pay - $840 Million 
• State of TN - $500 Million
• City of Nashville - $760 Million

It remains that we as a city must have a return on our investment. You and your neighbors deserve that. We are in a hurry to get out of an extremely bad deal and not paying attention to a deal that is better, but not a deal that is best for all of Nashville

Click here to review the amendments for BL2023-1741 - Titans Stadium Deal.

Budget is around the Corner

Also, Metro's budget season starts May 1! Which is another reason the Titans Stadium deal is moving so quickly. We cannot discuss financial matters over a certain amount during budget season. If the Titans deal doesn't close by May 1, it will have to wait until July 1 to be picked back up.

What's Happening tonight:  

RS2023-2044 - A resolution creating a Nashville Needs Impact Fund to help provide resources to nonprofit entities serving Nashville and Davidson County and designating certain amounts thereto

RS2023-2124 - A resolution honoring Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools' response to the Covenant School shooting on March 27, 2023, including the bus drivers who assisted with reunification efforts.

BL2023-1741 - An ordinance authorizing the Metropolitan Government's execution and delivery of an intergovernmental project agreement with The Sports Authority of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County relating to the development and funding of a new, enclosed stadium; designating a geographic area within which 50% of state and local option sales taxes will be allocated to fund capital projects at the stadium or any onsite or offsite infrastructure necessary for the operation thereof; approving the issuance of one or more series of public facility revenue bonds by the Sports Authority to finance a portion of the costs related to the construction of the enclosed stadium; authorizing the use and pledge of certain of the Metropolitan Government's revenues as security for the bonds; authorizing the acquisition of the stadium campus from the Sports Authority and the lease of the new stadium site to the Sports Authority; authorizing the Metropolitan Government's execution and deliver

BL2023-1712 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from IR, R6 and RM40 to SP on properties located at 2404, 2500, and 2518 W Heiman Street and W Heiman Street (unnumbered), approximately 198 feet east of W H Davis Drive, (11.68 acres), to permit 150 detached multi-family residential units and 4 attached multi-family residential units, all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2022SP-062-001).

BL2023-1761 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by applying a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit Overlay District to various properties located north of Clifton Avenue and south of Jefferson Street zoned RS5; R6-A (106-63 acres), all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2023DDU-001-001).

BL2023-1770 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from RS5 to R6-A zoning for property located at 913 33rd Avenue North, approximately 200 feet south of Clare Avenue (0.14 acres), all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2023Z-016PR-001).

BL2023-1742 - An ordinance requiring the Metro Division of Housing to establish a public dashboard on how the city is addressing the issue of housing affordability in Nashville and Davidson County.

Dates to Remember

• Community Meeting - Cumberland Gardens
  • Monday, May 1
  • 6pm
  • RE: Proposed 600 Unit Development on Clarksville Hwy near Ted Rhodes Golf Course
  • St. Luke CME Church | 2008 Ed Temple Blvd.

Lets Connect:

I invite all District 21 residents to reach out to me directly with any information or concerns in our community. Email is the best form of communication, but invite you to call me as well. My contact information is below.

Contact information: Email - [email protected] / Phone: 615.946.9700

Best regards,

Brandon

There is a Metro Council Meeting tonight at 6:30 pm. An agenda has been provided and you can watch the meeting live via channel 3 or stream live on your electronic devices. Also, please do not respond to this email... You can reach me at [email protected].

Let's Continue the Work - I'm Running for Reelection to be your District 21 Councilman!

Support my Reelection - Donate Here 

TODAY IS THE DAY

As we've been discussing, the state legislature filed and passed a law that will limit all Metropolitan governments in the state of Tennessee to not allow more than 20 representatives (council members in our case). Nashville/Davidson County has 40 Council Members and is the only municipality in the state that this law will affect. This will require our city council to strip down to only 20 members leaving massive gaps in how you will be represented.

The city filed a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee that argues the unconstitutionality of this law. Today, this lawsuit will be heard by 3 justices from West, East, and Middle TN - none from Davidson County. 

What you can do: I wanted to get this out as early as possible... I generally carve out time to write my newsletter between my travel to the council office and our first committee meeting. However, I wanted you to plan to join us tonight. We are hosting a public hearing to allow for your voice to be heard on this matter. If you would like to address the council and share your thoughts on us going from 40 to 20 members or your thoughts on the maps that have been released by the planning department, please join us tonight at the council meeting.

RS2023-2062 - A resolution directing the Metropolitan Planning Department to prepare a Council redistricting plan consisting of 17 district councilmembers and 3 councilmembers at-large to comply with state law; requesting the Metropolitan Planning Commission to hold the necessary meeting(s) to approve the redistricting plan; and requesting the Vice Mayor to call any special Council meeting(s) that may be required to effectuate the redistricting plan.

TITANS NEW STADIUM DEAL

Another hot topic is the Titan's Stadium Deal... I've heard from a lot of you but not all of you, and I'd like to know your thoughts. Email me your thoughts at [email protected].

This bill is on second reading. It does not have the option for a public hearing, therefore, the best way to let us know your thoughts regarding the Titans Stadium Deal is to email or call all council members on this matter. If passed on second reading tonight, there will be a third and final reading of this bill before passage into law.

BL2020-1741 - An ordinance authorizing the Metropolitan Government's execution and delivery of an intergovernmental project agreement with The Sports Authority of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County relating to the development and funding of a new, enclosed stadium; designating a geographic area within which 50% of state and local option sales taxes will be allocated to fund capital projects at the stadium or any onsite or offsite infrastructure necessary for the operation thereof; approving the issuance of one or more series of public facility revenue bonds by the Sports Authority to finance a portion of the costs related to the construction of the enclosed stadium; authorizing the use and pledge of certain of the Metropolitan Government's revenues as security for the bonds; authorizing the acquisition of the stadium campus from the Sports Authority and the lease of the new stadium site to the Sports Authority

As the time goes on, there continues to be a lot to unpack. I mentioned the state earlier and will mention them again. There is another bill filed be state legislators to take control of Metro's Sports Authority which will give the control of Nashville's Sports Authority to the state. This would give the control of how the tax dollars are spent, in perpetuity/forever, to the state of Tennessee and not the city of Nashville.

The current financial obligations will breakdown to:

• The State of Tennessee: $500 Million 
• Tennessee Titans: $840 Million
• Metro Nashville/Davidson County: $760 Million

This totals spending to be $2.1 Billion for the new stadium.

What's Happening tonight:  

BL2023-1712&1713 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from IR, R6 and RM40 to SP on properties located at 2404, 2500, and 2518 W Heiman Street and W Heiman Street

There is a substitute to this item. The substitute will remove 26 Units for a total 154 units (150 single family detached homes and 4 attached townhomes). We will also add a voluntary donation and a voluntary action to fund building of restrooms in Fisk Park.

BL2023-1761 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by applying a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit Overlay District to various properties located north of Clifton Avenue and south of Jefferson Street zoned RS5; R6-A

BL2023-1770 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from RS5 to R6-A zoning for property located at 913 33rd Avenue North, approximately 200 feet south of Clare Avenue

BL2023-1835 -  An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from CN to RM15-NS for property located at 2014 24th Avenue North, southeast of the intersection of Clarksville Pike and 24th Avenue North (0.19 acres), all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2023Z-022PR-001).

Dates to Remember

Lets Connect:

I invite all District 21 residents to reach out to me directly with any information or concerns in our community. Email is the best form of communication, but invite you to call me as well. My contact information is below.

Contact information: Email - [email protected] / Phone: 615.946.9700

Best regards,

Brandon

There is a Metro Council Meeting tonight at 6:30 pm. An agenda has been provided and you can watch the meeting live via channel 3 or stream live on your electronic devices. Also, please do not respond to this email... You can reach me at [email protected].

Let's Continue the Work - I'm Running for Reelection to be your District 21 Councilman!

Support my Reelection - Donate Here 

Neighbor 2 Neighbor Hosts C4N Nashville: Click here to learn more!

Saturday, April 1, 2023 | Music City Center | 8:00 am - 2:30

Conference for Neighborhoods (C4N Nashville) is a one-day training and networking event for anybody who cares about neighborhoods. Whether you’ve been engaged in your neighborhood for years, or just beginning, this conference is for you. This is a great opportunity for residents to learn and network from neighboring communities.

The Conference will highlight the following areas:

• Nurturing a Neighborhood Culture of Engaged Residents
• Creating a Neighborhood Safety Campaign
• Our Inadequate Infrastructure: Challenges, Possibilities, and Best Practices
• A Neighborhood-Based Approach to Homelessness
• The Big Green Umbrella: Ways to "Green" Your Neighborhood
• A Conversation with Planning Commission Chair Greg Adkins
• More Than Pouring Concrete: Addressing the Issues and Challenges of Sidewalks
• Affordable Housing: Who, What, Where, When, and Why
• Digging into the History of your Neighborhood
• Transit: Building a System that Works for Our Neighborhoods
• Mayoral Candidate Forum

Nashville's Lawsuit Against the Sate of Tennessee

As you've probably heard, the State Legislature passed a bill that would decrease the size of the Nashville Davidson County Metropolitan Council by half! This would require Nashville to have new lines drawn by May 1. 

Metro filed a lawsuit in an attempt to stop the downsizing. The lawsuit argue a few points; the legislation is not lawful due to "Home Rule" being that Nashville will be the only local municipality impacted by this change and that this is unconstitutional due to the fact the the voters of the city did not make this choice at the polls. The Tennessean has a great article that describes these items in a bit more detail.

Where are we now? Well, the lawsuit will be heard by three Justices throughout the state, Middle. East, and West Tennessee will be hearing this injunction. This was a new law created just before the downsizing law: If any municipality sues the state, they would have to come before three judges throughout the State. These judges have been appointed by the Governor and a Davidson County judge shall not be able to preside over these hearings. This case will be heard next week, and we may have a response as soon as next Wednesday.

Tomorrow the Metro Council will be discussing, what I believe as premature, a bill that provides a recommendation for us to limit the council and choose the amount of districts and at-large members for a 20-member council. Review the agenda here.

I plan to keep you updated on this matter.

What's Happening tonight:  

RS2023-2032 -  A resolution requesting that the Metropolitan Department of Codes Administration revise its Landlord Registration Form to require a landlord to provide an acknowledgement the number of unrelated persons who may live together in a single dwelling unit.

RS2023-2070 - A resolution accepting an in-kind grant from the Centennial Park Conservancy to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation, to fund the purchase and installation of flooring in the Parthenon's offices.

RS2023-2081 - A resolution recognizing Lorenzo Washington's efforts and contributions to preserve the music legacies of North Nashville and Historic Jefferson Street.

BL2023-1729 and 1730 - BY RQUEST OF THE APPLICANT THIS BILL WILL BE WITHDRAWN: An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from R6 to SP zoning for property located at 1833 Ed Temple Boulevard

Dates to Remember

• Centennial Park/Acklen Park Community Town Hall - Nashville's New Year's Eve Celebration
  • Thursday, March 30 
  • 6pm - 8pm
  • Metro Parks Headquarters |2565 Park Plaza

Lets Connect:

I invite all District 21 residents to reach out to me directly with any information or concerns in our community. Email is the best form of communication, but invite you to call me as well. My contact information is below.

Contact information: Email - [email protected] / Phone: 615.946.9700

Best regards,

Brandon

There is a Metro Council Meeting tonight at 6:30 pm. An agenda has been provided and you can watch the meeting live via channel 3 or stream live on your electronic devices. Also, please do not respond to this email... You can reach me at [email protected].

Let's Continue the Work - I'm Running for Reelection to be your District 21 Councilman!

Support my Reelection - Donate Here 

Who Makes Decisions for Nashville?

In my last newsletter, I told you a about a few legislative items that has surfaced in the Tennessee State General Assembly. One of these items just passed the House Legislation last night and is heading on to the State Senate. This Bill is HB0048/SB0087, a bill that would decrease the Metro Council from 40 to 20 members. This Tennesseean article shares the details. We are closer to this becoming a reality. Who makes decisions for Nashville? I certainly believe it's the people in this city, not a state lawmaker from Portland, TN! This bill passed the house with a 72 - 25 vote. This is not good news for the city of Nashville. This gross overreach of government is only the tip of the iceberg and so much more will be coming. Every last one of these state legislative items have been introduced by lawmakers that do not live in Davidson County, yet they are creating legislation that impacts Davidson County directly, and only Davidson County That's why I ask the question, Who Makes Decisions for Nashville? - You know my answer - YOU DO!

Below is the slate of a few of the bills from the state legislator that impact Nashville...

HB0048/SB0087 - This bill will reduce the Metro Council - The current city Council has 40 members. We are the only Metropolitan Government in the state with a city of this size. Metropolitan governments are those that govern the entire county, not just the city. Other large city's in the state have city governments as well as county governments. For instance, Memphis has a city mayor and city council of 25 members, however, Shelby County also has a mayor and the municipalities within the county also have their own city governments.

HB0764/SB0591 - This bill would abolish Community Oversight Boards in the state of Tennessee. In November of 2018 Nashville voters overwhelmingly voted to install a Community Oversight Board in Davidson County. The state's bill would diminish the voters wants and remove the COB from the city's across Tennessee. 

HB1279/SB0648 - This bill would take state dollars away from the Music City Center and not allow for any excess dollars to be spent on Nashville's needs. We currently are using the overage of capital to fund items such as the Barnes Fund to add much needed affordable Housing in the city.

HB1372/SB1407 - (WITHDRAWN by the SPONSOR) This bill would rename the portion of the road known as "Rep. John Lewis Way" (Whom completed some of his collegiate studies in Nashville) in Davidson County located between Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd and James Robertson Parkway as "President Donald Trump Boulevard".

What I've been up to:

• This week and over the weekend, I've been working to help families impacted by the most recent storms. If your power is out or you have debris blocking the right-away in your neighborhood, please let me know at [email protected].
• I'm meeting with the Titans to schedule time for them to present and answer questions at a District 21 Town Hall.
• Met with the Neighbors on Heiman St. to follow up on a three-year development conversation.
• Lately, I've been driving around in my red Hyundai Sonata taking inventory of unpaved alleyways, street light outages, illegal dumping and litter, and a few other assessments. If any of these items are in your area, please let me know so I can add it to my list to share with the respective Metro departments.
• I have been meeting with small groups of neighbors and sharing what's going on in Metro, let me know if this is of interest to you. We can host a small group at your house, apartment, or condo building.
• Lastly, I have been randomly knocking on a few doors to hear what your direct issues are in the community, so If I stop by, please answer and let's have a conversation. If you are not home, I'll leave a business card on your door.

What's Happening tonight:  

BL2022-1570 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from RM20 to SP zoning for a portion of property located at 3138 and property at 3140 Parthenon Avenue

BL2022-1629 - An ordinance to authorize building material restrictions and requirements for BL2022-1570, a proposed Specific Plan Zoning District for a portion of property located at 3138 and property at 3140 Parthenon Avenue

BL2023-1684 - An ordinance authorizing the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by and through the Department of Parks and Recreation, to swap 3140 Parthenon Avenue

Bl2022-1471 - An ordinance to amend Sections 16.24.030 and 17.04.060 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws to amend the definitions of "dwelling unit" and "family".

Dates to Remember

• 42nd Ave N and Indiana St. Proposed Development - Community Meeting 
  • Tuesday, March 14
  • 6pm 
  • Dream Streets West | 520 39th Ave N

• North Nashville Public Safety Community Meeting #2
  • Saturday, March 18
  • 10:00 am - 11:00 am
  • North Nashville Police Precinct | 2231 26th Ave N

• Centennial Park/Acklen Park Community Town Hall - Nashville's New Year's Eve Celebration
  • Thursday, March 30 
  • 6pm - 8pm
  • Metro Parks Headquarters |2565 Park Plaza

Lets Connect:

I invite all District 21 residents to reach out to me directly with any information or concerns in our community. Email is the best form of communication, but invite you to call me as well. My contact information is below.

Contact information: Email - [email protected] / Phone: 615.946.9700

Best regards,

Brandon

There is a Metro Council Meeting tonight at 6:30 pm. An agenda has been provided and you can watch the meeting live via channel 3 or stream live on your electronic devices. Also, please do not respond to this email... You can reach me at [email protected].

Let's Continue the Work - I'm Running for Reelection to be your District 21 Councilman!

I know I mentioned this in my last newsletter, but I want everyone to know! We have accomplished so much over these past few years and we have so much more work to do. Let's continue to move District 21 forward with strong representation, financial investments, and ongoing community engagement and communication!

Support my Reelection - Donate Here 

Budget Public Hearing

Nashville residents have requested to be able to speak to the council regarding the budget prior to the public hearings in June. Last year, we passed an ordinance to change our budget process and how we include the public during this process. This year, for the first time, we are hosting a Budget Public Hearing prior to any departments public hearings or well before we receive the mayor's budget.

If you would like to speak to the council regarding the Metro budget, you can join us tonight in the Council Chambers at 6:30pm.

Tennessee General Assembly Bills That Impact Nashville

You may have heard that the Tennessee General Assembly has filed a few ordinances the will directly impact Metro Nashville. I wanted to share a few items that are moving through committees and will be voted on during this legislative session...

HB0048/SB0087 - This bill will reduce the Metro Council - The current city Council has 40 members. We are the only Metropolitan Government in the state with a city of this size. Metropolitan governments are those that govern the entire county, not just the city. Other large city's in the state have city governments as well as county governments. For instance, Memphis has a city mayor and city council of 25 members, however, Shelby County also has a mayor and the municipalities within the county also have their own city governments.

HB0764/SB0591 - This bill would abolish Community Oversight Boards in the state of Tennessee. In November of 2018 Nashville voters overwhelmingly voted to install a Community Oversight Board in Davidson County. The state's bill would diminish the voters wants and remove the COB from the city's across Tennessee. 

HB1279/SB0648 - This bill would take state dollars away from the Music City Center and not allow for any excess dollars to be spent on Nashville's needs. We currently are using the overage of capital to fund items such as the Barnes Fund to add much needed affordable Housing in the city.

HB1372/SB1407 - This bill would rename the portion of the road known as "Rep. John Lewis Way" (Whom completed some of his collegiate studies in Nashville) in Davidson County located between Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd and James Robertson Parkway as "President Donald Trump Boulevard".

Tennessee Stat University - State Rep. Harold Love, Jr. penned this message to his constituents. There has been misinformation floating around regarding TSU's status with the state. Read below for the correct information, coming directly from the Hill.

What's Happening tonight: 

Budget Public Hearing: If you have budget thoughts regarding the city's spending for our departments, you will have the opportunity to communicate that tonight.

BL2022-1570 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from RM20 to SP zoning for a portion of property located at 3138 and property at 3140 Parthenon Avenue

BL2022-1629 - An ordinance to authorize building material restrictions and requirements for BL2022-1570, a proposed Specific Plan Zoning District for a portion of property located at 3138 and property at 3140 Parthenon Avenue

BL2023-1684 - An ordinance authorizing the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by and through the Department of Parks and Recreation, to swap 3140 Parthenon Avenue

Bl2022-1471 - An ordinance to amend Sections 16.24.030 and 17.04.060 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws to amend the definitions of "dwelling unit" and "family".

Dates to Remember

• 2500 W. Heiman St. Proposed Development - Community Meeting - CONFIRMED
  • Monday, March 6
  • 6pm
  • Discussing the Street from Heiman to Ed Temple
  • Jefferson St. Baptist Church | 2708 Jefferson St.

• 42nd Ave N and Indiana St. Proposed Development - Community Meeting 
  • Tuesday, March 14
  • 6pm 
  • Dream Streets West | 520 39th Ave N

• North Nashville Public Safety Community Meeting #2
  • Saturday, March 18
  • 10:00 am - 11:00 am
  • North Nashville Police Precinct | 2231 26th Ave N

Lets Connect:

I invite all District 21 residents to reach out to me directly with any information or concerns in our community. Email is the best form of communication, but invite you to call me as well. My contact information is below.

Contact information: Email - [email protected] / Phone: 615.946.9700

Best regards,

Brandon

There is a Metro Council Meeting tonight at 6:30 pm. An agenda has been provided and you can watch the meeting live via channel 3 or stream live on your electronic devices. Also, please do not respond to this email... You can reach me at [email protected].

Let's Continue the Work - I'm Running for Reelection to be your District 21 Councilman!

I know I mentioned this in my last newsletter, but I want everyone to know! We have accomplished so much over these past few years and we have so much more work to do. Let's continue to move District 21 forward with strong representation, financial investments, and ongoing community engagement and communication!

Support my Reelection - Donate Here 

Two Time Grammy Award Winning Tennessee Stat Aristocrat of Bands!

If you haven't heard, TSU's Aristocrat of Bands brought home two Grammy's this week. This is amazing. Our District 21 neighbors are the first ever Marching Band to win a Grammy. The 65th Annual Grammy Awards was hosted on Sunday, February 5 and TSU took home the award for Best Roots Gospel Album for their album “The Urban Hymnal” and took home a second award for Best Spoken Word Poetry Album for their feature on J. Ivy’s album “The Poet Who Sat By the Door.” 

This is a huge accomplishment. Please join me in congratulating Tennessee State University's Aristocrat of Bands on both their Grammy Award wins. Click here to listen to "The Urban Hymnal" on YouTube Music!

What I've Been Up To

• As many of you know, the Piggly Wiggly on West End closed and the building was demolished. Since then, WeGo, MDHA, and I, along with the support of CM Burkley Allen, have worked to provide shuttles to the grocery store or food delivery for our neighbors in the Parthenon Towers. This is something that we could not continue to do. We have been brainstorming ways to connect the residents in this area with groceries, however, we have not found a long-term solution. I will be meeting with the property owner this week to recommend replacing the Piggly Wiggly with another grocery store.
• WeGo has broken ground on their North Nashville Transit Center at the intersection of 26th Ave N and Clarksville Hwy. If you've been in the area lately, you've noticed them prepping the site for construction.
• I've been working to add financial investments in the district for several years. One of the goals I had was to upgrade the Hadley Park Library. My goals is to increase the square footage and to build a first class technology hub. We are going to do just that. They Mayor's Capital Spending Plan has allotted dollars to begin the building planning (site planning, construction planning, cost of construction, and construction bidding process). This will make way for a 25,000 square foot, two-story Hadley Park Library. The next steps will be for us to engage the community through the process and then build the library. This will take a few years to complete, but I'm excited to see it coming to fruition.
• Traffic Calming - We are finalizing the installation dates of several traffic calming projects throughout the district. 15th, 16th, 24th, 25th, 28th Avenues N, Jenkins St., and Clay St. will all be seeing upgrades and updates to slow the speed of traffic by the End of Summer. I've also been able to invest in  traffic calming on Clifton St. between 28th Ave N and 40th Ave N. If you are interested in applying for Traffic Calming in your area, please click on this link. 
• I've scheduled a meeting with NDOT to discuss traffic patterns and speeding along 31st Ave N near Centennial Park. 

What's Happening tonight: 

Elections: We will fill two vacancies for the Community Oversight Board. There are 7 nominees.

BL2023-1712 & 1713 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from IR, R6 and RM40 to SP on properties located at 2404, 2500, and 2518 W Heiman Street and W Heiman Street.

BL2023 -Late File - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from R6 to SP zoning for property located at 1833 Ed Temple Boulevard, at the northwest corner of Ed Temple Boulevard and Buchanan Street.

BL2023-1684 - An ordinance authorizing the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by and through the Department of Parks and Recreation, to swap 3140 Parthenon Avenue (Parcel No. 10402004300) and a portion of 3138 Parthenon Avenue (Parcel No. 10402004200) for 3136 Parthenon Avenue (Parcel No. 10402004100) to allow for a future expansion of the Centennial dog park.

Bl2022-1471 - An ordinance to amend Sections 16.24.030 and 17.04.060 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws to amend the definitions of "dwelling unit" and "family".

Dates to Remember

• North Nashville Public Safety Community Meeting
  • Saturday, February 11
  • 10:00 am - 11:00 am
  • North Nashville Police Precinct | 2231 26th Ave N

Lets Connect:

I invite all District 21 residents to reach out to me directly with any information or concerns in our community. Email is the best form of communication, but invite you to call me as well. My contact information is below.

Contact information: Email - [email protected] / Phone: 615.946.9700

Best regards,

Brandon

There is a Metro Council Meeting tonight at 6:30 pm. An agenda has been provided and you can watch the meeting live via channel 3 or stream live on your electronic devices. Also, please do not respond to this email... You can reach me at [email protected].

Let's Continue the Work - I'm Running for Reelection to be your District 21 Councilman!

My, how fast does 4-years fly? In the Fall of 2018, I decided to take my love for the city of Nashville to greater heights. I saw an opportunity to secure much needed infrastructure investments, decrease crime & increase transparency with our police department, fight illegal dumping with beautification projects and financial capital, and balance the diverse needs associated with smart & responsible growth and development. We’ve accomplished so much but there is more work to be done.

Support my Reelection - Donate Here 

Since I have been in office, District 21 has accomplished so much. Just to name a few…

• I worked with the mayor’s office to add nearly $8 Million for weekly illegal dumping pickup. Illegal Dumping has been the #1 HUBNashville issue for the past 6 years. 

• There’s been a substantial decrease in every type of crime in North Nashville since I took office. I chaired the 37208 Committee born out of The Brookings Institution report "Work and Opportunity Before and After Incarceration". Our committee made several recommendations to respond to this report and we have accomplished a few of these recommendations. WKRN's article "North Nashville had highest incarceration rate in the nation in 2018; What’s changed since?" gives an in depth look at the changes that have happened over time.

• I lobbied for serval traffic calming projects in the district: 23rd Ave N, 15th Ave. North, 16th Ave. N, Clay St., 28th Ave N, 25th Ave. N, 26th Ave. N, Jenkins St., Clifton Ave., and Arthur Ave. Traffic Calming has consistently been an issue throughout the entire city, especially in District 21. There are several other areas that need traffic calming measures, and I, along with NDOT are working to address all of these areas in our communities.

• Passed legislation to maintain the community character of Cumberland Gardens with a Contextual Overlay. Smart growth and responsible development has been on of the most prioritized goals in my tenure as the District 21 Councilman. I have worked along side of the constituents to listen and understand how we are to shape and develop our communities. 

• Introduced and passed legislation to allow families to extend their homes and create supplemental income with a Detached Accessory Dwelling Unit Overlay.

• I’ve consistently communicated and informed neighbors about upcoming meetings, important legislative matters, and pertinent information about their neighborhoods. I do this through my newsletters, such as this one, phone calls, text messages, door-to-door canvassing, and sometimes we even find the budget to send mailers to communicate with neighbors. Communication is important. With your engagement, I am able to advocate directly for the constituents in District 21.

• Secured $17 Million investment to construct a North Nashville Bus Transit Center. The largest government financial investment in the past decade. All three levels of government invested in this project, Local, State, and Federal officers came together to invest dollars right in the heart of District 21.

What's Happening tonight: 

RS203-1968 - A resolution accepting an in-kind grant from Nashville Youth Hockey League, Inc. to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the Metropolitan Board of Parks and Recreation, to fund the purchase and installation of two Electro-Mech scoreboards on Rink B of the Centennial Sportsplex.

RS2023-1971 - A resolution honoring the life of Dr. Bobby L. Lovett and recognizing his outstanding leadership and many accomplishments as Professor Emeritus at Tennessee State University.

RS2023-1973 - A resolution recognizing the Pearl-Cohn High School Firebirds football team as the TSSAA Class 4A BlueCross Bowl runner ups.

BL2023-1684 - An ordinance authorizing the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by and through the Department of Parks and Recreation, to swap 3140 Parthenon Avenue (Parcel No. 10402004300) and a portion of 3138 Parthenon Avenue (Parcel No. 10402004200) for 3136 Parthenon Avenue (Parcel No. 10402004100) to allow for a future expansion of the Centennial dog park (Proposal No. 2022M-051AG-001)

BL2022-1571 - An Ordinance to amend Title 8 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws relative to animals.

BL2022-1570 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from RM20 to SP zoning for a portion of property located at 3138 and property at 3140 Parthenon Avenue, approximately 119 feet east of Oman Street (0.26 acres), to permit 10 multi-family residential units, all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2022SP-068-001).

BL2022-1610 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from RS5 to RM20-A-NS zoning for properties located at 709 40th Avenue North and 40th Avenue North

Dates to Remember

• 2500 Heiman St. Proposed Development Community Meeting (Tentative)
  • Thursday, January 26 
  • 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
  • Jefferson St. MB Church | 2708 Jefferson St.

• Cumberland Gardens Traffic Calming
  • Monday, February 6
  • 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
  • St. Luke CME Church | 2008 Ed Temple Blvd.

Lets Connect:

I invite all District 21 residents to reach out to me directly with any information or concerns in our community. Email is the best form of communication, but invite you to call me as well. My contact information is below.

Contact information: Email - [email protected] / Phone: 615.946.9700

Best regards,

Brandon

There is a Metro Council Meeting tonight at 6:30 pm. An agenda has been provided and you can watch the meeting live via channel 3 or stream live on your electronic devices. Also, please do not respond to this email... You can reach me at [email protected].

Cheers to the New Year!

I wish you and your family a very Happy New Year!

Tonight, we hop into our first meeting of 2023! I'm looking forward to spending another great year serving the constituents of District 21! This email will not be very lengthy.

So, here it goes...

“Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let every new year find you a better {human} man.” —Benjamin Franklin

What's Happening tonight: 

BL2022-1570 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from RM20 to SP zoning for a portion of property located at 3138 and property at 3140 Parthenon Avenue

BL2022-1610 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from RS5 to RM20-A-NS zoning for properties located at 709 40th Avenue North and 40th Avenue North

BL2022-1613 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from CF to MUI-A zoning for property located at 1926 Hayes Street, at the northeast corner of 20th Avenue North and Hayes Street (0.2 acres), all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2022Z-116PR-001).

BL2022-1616 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from RS5 to RM9-A zoning for property located at 2803 Torbett Street

BL2022-1629 - An ordinance to authorize building material restrictions and requirements for BL2022-1570, a proposed Specific Plan Zoning District for a portion of property located at 3138 and property at 3140 Parthenon Avenue, approximately 119 feet east of Oman Street (0.26 acres), to permit 10 multi-family residential units (Proposal No. 2022HL-005-001). THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE REQUIRES CERTAIN MATERIALS TO BE RESTRICTED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS.

Dates to Remember

Happy Holidays! I will not be available via text, phone, email, or in-person meeting until January 12. If you need anything or have an emergency please dial 9-1-1. I'm looking forward to spending this Holiday Season solely with my family.

Lets Connect:

I invite all District 21 residents to reach out to me directly with any information or concerns in our community. Email is the best form of communication, but invite you to call me as well. My contact information is below.

Contact information: Email - [email protected] / Phone: 615.946.9700

Best regards,

Brandon

There is a Metro Council Meeting tonight at 6:30 pm. An agenda has been provided and you can watch the meeting live via channel 3 or stream live on your electronic devices. Also, please do not respond to this email... You can reach me at [email protected].

Housekeeping Items:

Before we get started, I wanted share a few housekeeping notes.

1. Many of you have asked for me to send these emails earlier. This is exciting because I know you are looking forward to these notes and are actually reading them. Sometimes I fear I'm talking to myself. However, thank you for that feedback. I generally write these emails in phases with the time that I have scheduled between my professional job, city council, and family, This is the time that I found best for my schedule and will continue sending them at this time. If you would like to receive the agenda earlier you can follow this link to sign up for a Legistar account and an email of the agenda will be sent to you promptly each Thursday before council meetings.
2. I have heard from some of you regarding response of emails. When asked what email you are using, I've heard on numerous occasions that you are simply replying directly to this email. Please remember, as I write in the opening paragraph, please do not respond to this email... You can reach me at [email protected]. This email goes into somewhat of a dark hole and I do not see any responses from it.
3. If you find these emails as spam or overtaking your inbox, I ask you to not unsubscribe, just delete. If you unsubscribe the system will not allow for you or me to add you back due to spam laws. If that happens, you may miss important information or meetings that can directly impact your neighborhood. This is helpful for me to communicate on a broad range with multiple neighbors.
4. If you are always the neighbor everyone is calling to get information from, please share this email and tell them to sign up for my newsletter as well. They can sign up at www.votebrandontaylor.com. Please help me keep everyone in the know!

Happy Holidays!

Wishing you a bright Holiday Season and that Santa brings you all that you've asked for.

Tonight is the last meeting of the year, I am indeed grateful, I have some much needed gift shopping to start and complete with only a few days left. It seems like we took this year to the wire, and in many ways we have. For instance, we will be voting on a non-binding term sheet regarding the Tennessee Titans stadium tonight (just days before Christmas Eve).

RS2022-1827 - A resolution approving a term sheet describing the terms and conditions of the agreements and transactions required to finance, construct, and operate a new, enclosed multi-purpose stadium on the East Bank, subject to the subsequent approval of final agreements, and authorizing the Metropolitan Government to pursue other matters related thereto.

There are several amendments to this item, you can click here to view them.

This resolution will be the guiding document for the city, state, and Titans to come to terms on a new stadium or keep and renovate the current stadium. There a few knowns and unknowns about the stadium deal. The known is that the city will use revenue bonds to pay $760 million for our proposed portion of the stadium. Also, the Titans have proposed to pay $840 million and any additional cost to construct the stadium. The state legislature has committed $500 Million of state revenue tax dollars for a total of $2.1 Billion to build the stadium. These dollars are to build the stadium, not the surrounding East Bank neighborhood, which is the proposed revenue base of where the city's $760 million in tax revenue would come from. 50% of the tax revenue will go to the state and the other 50% of the tax revenue will pay for the construction of the stadium. As for any overages or surplus dollars that may happen with the overwhelming growth of this area, those dollars will be used to capture any new updates, upgrades for the stadium to quote from the mayor's office "Keep up with the Jones'" and will not be able to flow back into all of the communities throughout Davidson County. 

Another known is that we are currently on the hook for $60 million that the city owes the Titans for previous stadium upgrades. See, the current contract drawn up in 1996 required that Nashville pay for any updates to keep the stadium in a "First Class" condition. This is where it gets hairy. In comparison to other stadiums, Nissan Stadium is out of date and not following the current binding contract to have a "First Class" stadium. Therefore, the Titans are reviewing terms that will get us to that "First Class." These cost has seemingly reached $945 million with the current $60 million added into this total. The city is essentially on the hook for this cost and we are now seeing if a new stadium would lessen the cost and be more beneficial to tax payers.

The unknowns are how much will it cost metro to build, construct and maintain the new East Bank neighborhood infrastructure. We also are not sure where those dollars would come from. As I mentioned, 100% of the state tax revenue is claimed, 50% to the state and 50% to the stadium. This leaves no additional room for the out of town visitors to pay for other items that will go into this area. However, someone has to pay. The private developers will pay for their buildings and any additional items that are required by metro code, but there may be other costs that haven't been communicated or are unforeseen that we as a city will take on within the current deal.

I find this being one of the toughest decisions we've made this term. There are definitely a lot of questions unanswered which has me a bit weary to be making this decision now. However, the mayor's office and the Titans would like to keep this moving and are not willing to entertain a deferral of any kind. I personally wish we had more time to discuss this with you. You have been asking questions and we have been trying to get as many answers as fast as possible, but again, there remain several unanswered questions. 

Some outstanding questions have been answered over that last week or so. There is an East Bank/Stadium website that shares all the information discussed during this process. Feel free to review any information. Please click here to view the website.

What's Happening tonight: 

Investments in North Nashville

RS2022-1899 - A resolution approving a settlement agreement between the Metropolitan Government and Meharry Medical College with respect to claims arising under a lease agreement for the land and improvements used in the operation of Nashville General Hospital and related matters.

RS2022-1903 - A resolution appropriating $5,110,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from Fund #30216 to Metro General Services for renovations to the McGruder Family Resource Center.

RS2022-1905 - A resolution appropriating $10,000,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from Fund #30216 to Fisk University for the renovation and upgrading of Burrus Hall in a public/private partnership with Metro Government to establish a small business entrepreneurship and innovation facility in North Nashville.

Titans Stadium Hotel Tax

BL2022-1529 - An ordinance amending Chapter 5.12 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. ? 67-4-1415 by increasing the hotel occupancy privilege tax in the amount of one percent and directing the proceeds be used for the construction of and future capital improvements to a new enclosed stadium

Dates to Remember

Happy Holidays! I will not be available via text, phone, email, or in-person meeting until January 12. If you need anything or have an emergency please dial 9-1-1. I'm looking forward to spending this Holiday Season solely with my family.

Lets Connect:

I invite all District 21 residents to reach out to me directly with any information or concerns in our community. Email is the best form of communication, but invite you to call me as well. My contact information is below.

Contact information: Email - [email protected] / Phone: 615.946.9700

Best regards,

Brandon

There is a Metro Council Meeting tonight at 6:30 pm. An agenda has been provided and you can watch the meeting live via channel 3 or stream live on your electronic devices. Also, please do not respond to this email... You can reach me at [email protected].

Thank you for joining the community meeting to discuss the East Bank/Titans Stadium proposal last week.

There is an East Bank/Stadium website that shares all the information covered during the meeting along with additional items to review. Please click here to view the website.

If you did not have an opportunity to join us, you can view the meeting by click here or below on the picture.

Public Meetings Regarding the East Bank/Titans Stadium are happening now! See Below...

What's Happening tonight: 

BL2022-1570 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from RM20 to SP zoning for a portion of property located at 3138 and property at 3140 Parthenon Avenue, approximately 119 feet east of Oman Street (0.26 acres), to permit 10 multi-family residential units, all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2022SP-068-001). - This item will be deferred to track with the materials restrictions ordinance that was filed after the zoning legislation.

BL2022-XXXX (Late Filed) (Taylor) - An ordinance to authorize building material restrictions and requirements for BL2022-1570, a proposed Specific Plan Zoning District for a portion of property located at 3138 and property at 3140 Parthenon Avenue, approximately 119 feet east of Oman Street (0.26 acres), to permit 10 multi-family residential units (Proposal No. 2022HL-005-001). THE PROPOSED ORDINANCE REQUIRES CERTAIN MATERIALS TO BE RESTRICTED IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS.

RS2022-1827 - A resolution approving a term sheet describing the terms and conditions of the agreements and transactions required to finance, construct, and operate a new, enclosed multi-purpose stadium on the East Bank, subject to the subsequent approval of final agreements, and authorizing the Metropolitan Government to pursue other matters related thereto.

BL2022-1529 - An ordinance amending Chapter 5.12 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. ? 67-4-1415 by increasing the hotel occupancy privilege tax in the amount of one percent and directing the proceeds be used for the construction of and future capital improvements to a new enclosed stadium, and debt service related thereto.

BL2022-1610 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from RS5 to RM20-A-NS zoning for properties located at 709 40th Avenue North and 40th Avenue North (unnumbered), approximately 89 feet south of Clifton Street, (0.26 acres), all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2022Z-113PR-001).

BL2022-1613 - An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from CF to MUI-A zoning for property located at 1926 Hayes Street, at the northeast corner of 20th Avenue North and Hayes Street (0.2 acres), all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2022Z-116PR-001).

Dates to Remember

• Community Meeting - Hadley/Washington Neighborhood Policy Change
  • Monday, December 12
  • 6pm - 8pm
  • Galilee Missionary Baptist Church | 2021 Herman St.
• Community Meeting - Proposed El Dorado Re-Development
  • Tuesday, December 13
  • 6pm - 8pm
  • St. Luke CME Church | 2008 Ed Temple Blvd.
• Community Meeting - Sylvan Summit Neighborhood Policy Change
  • Thursday, December 15
  • 6pm - 8pm
  • West Police Precinct | 5500 Charlotte Pike

Lets Connect:

I invite all District 21 residents to reach out to me directly with any information or concerns in our community. Email is the best form of communication, but invite you to call me as well. My contact information is below.

Contact information: Email - [email protected] / Phone: 615.946.9700

Best regards,

Brandon