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].

I hope you enjoyed your Independence Day. Nashvillians and Middle Tennesseans had a great weekend celebrating our country's birthday!

Family Month

For the month of July I will have limited access to email and phone. I'm taking time away to be with my family. Metro Council does not have a recess, and I generally take time each July to be with family. You all have been great in allowing me to share myself with family and friends around this time every year, thank you!

However, we do have a few major items on the docket (in scheduling stage) in the upcoming weeks. Please stay tuned as you will see these items finalized soon.

Thank you all for your support, engagement, and encouragement. Thank you for your role in all that we've accomplished this year.

What's Happening Tonight:

BL2022-1233 - An ordinance to authorize building material restrictions and requirements for BL2022-1146, a proposed Historic Landmark Overlay District to include a portion of property located at 2208 Elliston Place, at the northern corner of Elliston Place and Louise Avenue, zoned CS

BL2022-1290 - This will be deferred for several months. 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 1712 Arthur Avenue

BL2022-1294 - 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 SP zoning for property located at 1526 23rd Ave. N

BL2022-1297 -  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 1521 16th Ave. N.

BL2022-1301 - 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 zoning for property located at 1720 Cockrill Street

BL2022-1349 - An ordinance approving an agreement between the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, the Nashville 2024 Host Committee, and the Republican National Committee for the 2024 Republican National Convention. 

BL2022-1332 - An ordinance naming the North Nashville Transit Center, to be located at 2521 Clarksville Highway at 26th Avenue North, under the operation of the Metropolitan Transit Authority as the "Ernest 'Rip' Patton North Nashville Transit Center."

Dates to Remember

No meetings scheduled

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 walking through this year's budget. I know I have communicated this topic over the past couple of months. Thank you for your questions and feedback to better help us understand the needs of District 21.

Tonight, we will be discussing and hopefully passing a fiscal year budget for all of Nashville. If you recall, a budget must be passed and accepted by the Metro Council by the end of June. If we do not pass a budget, the Mayor's budget (as written), will be the operating budget for the year.

BL2022-1248 is on third and final reading. There have been a host of amendments that we will review this evening. Below, I have shared each amendment filed for the budget. Please take time to review all of tonight's amendments here in the proposed amendments packet.

• Amendment 1 
• Amendment 2  
• Amendment 3
• Amendment 4 
• Amendment 5
• Amendment 6
• Amendment 7
• Amendment 8
• Amendment 9
• Amendment 10
• Amendment 11
• Amendment 12
• Amendment 13
• Amendment 14
• Amendment 15

Dates to Remember

• College Hill Preservation Overlay - This meeting is scheduled.
  • Thursday, June 30
  • 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm 
  • St. James Missionary Baptist Church

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].

North Nashville Area Clean Up

Join us on June 18 during the Juneteenth Holiday Weekend for a North Nashville Neighborhood Clean Up. We will focus on the areas West of Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd. to 24th Ave N from Osage St. north to Buchanan St. 

Meet us at the Dollar General (1755 Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd.) parking lot at the corner of Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd. and Buchanan St. We will begin at 9:30 am and finish at noon.

Tree Planting

If you would like to participate in planting trees in District 21 or you would like a tree please contact Root Nashville's Tree Captain - Ms. Stephanie Ladd (District 21 Resident) at 615.689.7084 or email at [email protected].

Budget Season - Highlights

The mayor’s FY 23 budget has six core items:
1) Investing in our children’s future through education
2) Keeping our neighborhoods safe
3) Building and preserving affordable housing
4) Addressing homelessness
5) Improving our city’s fundamental services and transportation infrastructure, and
6) Creating a greener, more sustainable city

MAJOR HIGHLIGHTS
$91.2M new funding for MNPS
$50M plan for homeless housing using ARP funds
A 4% Cost of Lining Adjustments for Metro Employees
A dedicated $15M annual funding stream for the Barnes Fund
Paid family medical leave for MNPS employees
Total FY 23 Budget is $2.96B. This represents a 12.1% Increase from FY 22 and a $319.6M in new revenues

What's Happening Tonight

Tonight, we will welcome residents from across Davidson County to share their thoughts on the city's budget. Each first meeting on June is dedicated to public hearing for the metro budget. I've shared a few highlights above.

BL2022-1248 - This is the budget ordinance. A bill to be entitled: The Budget Ordinance of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tennessee for Fiscal Year 2023. Follow this link to read the articles of the budget.

BL2022-1268 - This is the capital improvements budget. An ordinance adopting the 2022-2023 through 2027-2028 Capital Improvements Budget for The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County as the official Capital Improvements Budget of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County for Fiscal Year 2022-2023.

Dates to Remember

• Cumberland Gardens Traffic Calming
  
  • Thursday, June 9 
  • 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
  • St. Luke CME Church
• North Nashville Neighborhood Clean-Up
  • Saturday, June 18
  • 9:30 am - Noon
  • Dollar Tree Parking Lot (Corner of Dr. D.B. Todd Jr. Blvd. and Buchanan St.)
• College Hill Preservation Overlay (Tentative) 
  • Thursday, June 30
  • 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm 
  • St. James Missionary Baptist Church

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].

Metro Department Budget Hearings

As you know, the mayor's proposed budget has been released. I shared the budget process with you last week. The next steps are to host department budget hearings. You are welcome to join us in person or watch via channel 3, online streaming, or Roku streaming.

Below are the dates for each department's hearing...

• Wednesday, May 18 (Day 1)
  • 4:00 p.m. – Hospital Authority
  • 4:45 p.m. – Emergency Communications
  • 5:15 p.m. – Fire & EMS
  • 6:00 p.m. – Sheriff’s Office
  • 6:30 p.m. – Health
• Thursday, May 19 (Day 2)
  • 4:00 p.m. – Parks and Recreation
  • 4:30 p.m. – Library
  • 5:00 p.m. – Codes Administration
  • 5:30 p.m. – NDOT
  • 6:15 p.m. – Water Services
• Monday, May 23 (Day 3)
  • 4:00 p.m. – Juvenile Court
  • 4:30 p.m. – Mayor’s Office
  • 5:00 p.m. – Finance
  • 5:30 p.m. – Arts Commission
  • 6:00 p.m. – General Services & Fleet Management
• Tuesday, May 24 (Day 4)
  • 4:00 p.m. – ITS
  • 4:30 p.m. – MTA/WeGo
  • 5:00 p.m. – MDHA
  • 5:30 p.m. – Economic Development
  • 6:00 p.m. – Chamber of Commerce
• Wednesday, May 25 (Day 5)
  • 4:00 p.m. – Police
  • 4:45 p.m. – Board of Education
  • 5:30 p.m. – Planning Commission
  • 6:15 p.m. – Social Services

Hadley Park May Music Festival | May 21 | 1:00 PM

What's Happening Tonight

RS2022-1507 - This resolution would approve the allocation of monies to acquire this property, just south of Downtown, at 88 Hermitage Ave for just over $20M (it appraised for $14M in 2021) a $6M increase in price. The property will be managed and controlled by Metro Parks and was approved by the parks board.

LATE FILED Resolution - There is a late-filed resolution that would require inspection of the condition of the property at 88 Hermitage Ave prior to approving or allocating dollars for the purchase of the property.

BL2022-1202 - 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 2401 Meharry Blvd, at the corner of 24th Ave N and Meharry Blvd

BL2022-1206 - 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 OG to ORI-A zoning for property located at 405 B 31st Ave N, approximately 160 feet north of Charlotte Avenue

BL2022-1226 - An ordinance authorizing The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County to accept new sanitary sewer main and sanitary sewer manhole, for property located on 2109 Buchanan Street

Dates to Remember

• Cumberland Gardens Traffic Calming
  
  • Thursday, June 2 
  • 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
  • St. Luke CME Church
• College Hill Preservation Overlay (Tentative) 
  • Thursday, June 16
  • 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm 
  • St. James Missionary Baptist Church

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].

~~Before we get started, I'd like to wish my beautiful wife, Damita, A very Happy Birthday! Please join me in wishing my better half a Happy Birthday!~~

Mayor's Budget Proposal

Here are a few links to help you get started with the FY2023 Budget season.

- The Budget Proposal Ordinance 

- Finance Office Budget Presentation

Here's a reminder of the metro budget process...

• End of April - The mayor has until the end of April to present the budget proposal and file the legislation for council's review. (This happened last week).
• Budget Book - Generally by the 2nd week of May, the Budget Book is available. The budget book is a detailed, 800 page document of the overall spending plan.
• Mid-May to June - During this time, the council will host budget hearings with all the metro departments and listen to their concerns and needs. These will be open to the public, please join us.
• Early June - By this time, the council will need to have amendments filed for the budget, and the finance & budget chair must have their substitute filed. Your input is needed during this process.
• End of June - If amendments or a substitute is needed, it must be completed by the end of June. If the council does not pass an amended or substituted budget, by law, the mayor's budget will be set as the city's budget for FY2023.

A few quick highlights, we will dive into this conversation deeper as we continue.

1. Education - The mayor's budget presentation signals a budget increase in education. I'm interested to see the breakdown. The state of metro mentioned an increase in Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) and a pay increase for all staff (bus drivers, maintenance, janitors, cafeteria staff, teacher aides, etc.)
2. Public Safety - The mayor's budget presentation also looks to increase the budget for police and fire & rescue. We will dive deeper into this, however, the main allocations are proposed to go to staff the new Antioch precinct that was funded last year.
3. Affordable Housing - The presentation shows a substantial increase to the Barnes Fund. However, from my perspective, these are one time dollars that will not be sustainable for the ever growing affordable housing crisis.
4. Homelessness - The mayor's plan is to use American Rescue Plan funds (one time allocation from the federal government during Covid) to address this area. I'd like to take a deeper dive into the budget book to better understand this budget item.
5. NDOT - There is a win for District 21 here. The NDOT allotment will allow for additional bulk item/illegal dumping pickups in North Nashville alleyways. This is a tremendous win for us and I am happy to see this addition. I have worked hard to keep this in front of the mayor and NDOT/Public Works since 2019. This is a start to answering the litter and illegal dumping crisis within our district.

Hadley Park May Music Festival | May 21 | 1:00 PM

National Clean Up Day | May 21

What I've Been Up To

• For neighborhoods that are need of traffic calming, follow this link: Traffic Calming Application - To complete the application for your neighborhood. Be sure to get your neighbors in the loop. Also, add me to your application form as you submit it.
• During our District Town Hall, NDOT Director shared that they will receive additional dollars in the budget to have multiple bulk item pickups monthly to address the litter and illegal dumping crisis.
• Mosaic 2-D Murals have been installed at Elizabeth Park Senior Community Center. This project was initiated in 2017. The first installation was installed in August of 2018 depicting a photo of Ms. Curlie E. McGruder. The additional installations feature 4 notable Black North Nashville Women Leaders of the Civil Rights movement, Ms. Nora Evelyn Ransom, Ms. Mary Louise Watson, Ms. Frankie Pierce, and Ms. Willie Mae Boddie. We will honor this art installation with a ceremony on May 15 at Elizabeth Park.

What's Happening Tonight

BL2022-1202 - A Rezone from RS5 to R6 at 2401 Meharry Blvd. 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 2401 Meharry Blvd, at the corner of 24th Ave N and Meharry Blvd (0.26 acres), all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2022Z-015PR-001).

BL2022-1206 - 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 OG to ORI-A zoning for property located at 405 B 31st Ave N, approximately 160 feet north of Charlotte Avenue (0.12 acres), all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2022Z-027PR-001).

Dates to Remember

• Cumberland Gardens Traffic Calming (tentative)
  
  • Thursday, May 12 
  • 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
  • St. Luke CME Church

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].

There are a few topics of discussion this evening that you may find interesting. Instead of my normal blurb, I want to share with you citywide legislation and a few highlights...

1. Global Mall (Hickory Hollow Mall) purchase... RS2022-1451/1452 are on the agenda tonight for Metro to purchase the mall. CM Styles, the district CM in the area has shown excitement for this opportunity and I've heard from her constituents that they would like to move forward on this purchase. There are a few questions of concern for many council members and District 21 constituents. The cost of this purchase and other maintenance and purchasing costs will be $46M paid by general obligation bonds, borrowing funds. The mayor has received a letter of intent from Vanderbilt University Medical Center as a lease option for the property.
2. There is an agreement from the Nashville Convention & Visitor Corp. to match $50,000 donation (for a total of $100,000) from the city to the Elks Lodge on Jefferson St. 
3. There's a late filed resolution to apply for matching funding for the East Bank Plan. This will be for planning and implementation of the new roadway that is describe within the plan.
4. There's an effort to create an Office of Housing and Homelessness. BL2021-971 is on second reading and CM O'Connell has an amendment for this bill. This is a great opportunity for the city, specifically with the lack of housing affordability needed to have all residents in secure housing in the city.

Davidson County Primary Elections - Tuesday, May 3, 2022

The upcoming Davidson County primary elections will have ballots for judgeships, District Attorney, Court Clerks, Sherriff, and School Board District's 2, 4, 6, & 8.

Click Here for a Sample Ballot

Early Voting opens at all locations tomorrow!

What I've Been Up To

• We are finalizing Traffic Calming plans for the areas awarded in District 21 - NDOT and I will be in touch with the neighborhoods that are working through your plans. 
• For neighborhoods that are need of traffic calming, follow this link: Traffic Calming Application - To complete the application for your neighborhood. Be sure to get your neighbors in the loop. Also, add me to your application form as you submit it.
• We will have a District 21 Town Hall to discuss the work we are doing regarding illegal dumping and litter in the District. NDOT Director, Diana Alarcon, will join us along with Metro Waste Management and Bulk Item team leaders.
• I mentioned this last week, but if you have an opportunity go by Elizabeth Park Community Senior Community Center at 1701 Arthur Ave. Mosaic 2-D Murals have been installed at Elizabeth Park Senior Community Center. This project was initiated in 2017. The first installation was installed in August of 2018 depicting a photo of Ms. Curlie E. McGruder. The additional installations feature 4 notable Black North Nashville Women Leaders of the Civil Rights movement, Ms. Nora Evelyn Ransom, Ms. Mary Louise Watson, Ms. Frankie Pierce, and Ms. Willie Mae Boddie. We will honor this art installation with a ceremony in the coming months. I will keep you updated here with more information.
• Working with the Cumberland Gardens community regarding a Contextual Overlay. The majority of the community has shared they are interested in using this tool to preserve the historic nature of their community. Please be aware of any meetings to discuss this opportunity if you live in the area. I want to be sure we communicate with you all as this conversation continues.
• Our Beautification Commissioner is working to plan neighborhood clean-ups on June 18 - please let me know areas of interest for a neighborhood clean-up.

What's Happening Tonight

RS2022-1444 -  A resolution authorizing a grant not to exceed $1,000,000.00 from the Barnes Fund for Affordable Housing to Pathway Lending for the express purpose of providing weatherization assistance and energy efficiency improvements to housing units owned by qualified low-income individuals and families.

RS2022-1451/1452 - This is the Global Mall (Hickory Hollow Mall) legislation I spoke about earlier.

RS2022-1477 - A resolution appropriating an amount, not to exceed $50,000, from the Undesignated Fund Balance of the General Fund, for a grant to Music City, Inc., a non-profit organization, for the express purpose of restoring and rehabilitating the Elks Lodge.

RS2022-1478 - A resolution approving nonprofit partners for technical assistance, marketing and outreach to assist underserved small businesses through the Nashville Small Business Recovery Fund.

RS2022-1494 - A resolution appropriating $260,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from Fund #30216 to carry out the study proposed by RS2021-927, to identify strategies to assist independent music venues in recovering from the impacts of COVID-19 and other acute stresses.

BL2022-1146 - 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 Historic Landmark Overlay District for a portion of property located at 2208 Elliston Place, at the northern corner of Elliston Place and Louise Avenue, zoned CS (0.19 acres), all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2021HL-004-001).

Late Filed Bill: I have a late filed bill that is a companion bill for the Historic Overlay at EXIT/IN. We changes in state code, we must file companion bills with any zoning legislation that requires restrictions of certain building materials.

BL2022-1114 - An ordinance amending Section 13.08.080 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws pertaining to the use of License Plate Scanner (LPR) technology to add a definition of "personally identifiable information."

BL2022-1138/1139 - 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 and MUI-A to SP zoning for properties located at 1901 and 1903 Church Street and 1902 Hayes Street, at the southwest corner of 19th Ave N and Church Street, (0.97 acres), to permit a mixed use development, all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2022SP-005-001).

BL2022-1150 - 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 CS and RS5 to SP zoning for properties located at 1701, 1703, 1705, 1707, 1709, and 1711 9th Ave N and 901 Buchanan Street, approximately 360 feet east of 10th Ave N, (1.08 acres), to permit a mixed use development, all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2021SP-059-001)

BL2022-1154 - 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 MUI-A to SP zoning for property located at 1705 Hayes Street, approximately 100 feet west of 17th Avenue South (0.51 acres), to permit a maximum 295 multi-family residential or 345 hotel units and 2,500 square feet of restaurant, all of which is described herein. - Review the amendments to this item here in the amendments packet.

BL2022-1167 - An ordinance approving a lease agreement between the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and the Nashville Soccer Club for part of a parcel of property at 1441 12th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee (Parcel No. 10505017600) (Proposal No. 2022M-011AG-001).

Dates to Remember

• District 21 Town Hall
  • RE: Illegal Dumping
  • Tuesday, April 26
  • 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
  • St. James Missionary Baptist Church | 600 28th 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].

Davidson County Primary Elections - Tuesday, May 3, 2022

The upcoming Davidson County primary elections will have ballots for judgeships, District Attorney, Court Clerks, Sherriff, and School Board District's 2, 4, 6, & 8.

Click Here for a Sample Ballot

Early Voting Begins Next Wednesday April 13.

What I've Been Up To

• There will be a meeting to discuss Traffic Calming and a Conservation Overlay in the Cumberland Gardens community on Thursday at St. Luke's CME Church beginning at 6pm. Over the past year, I have worked with NDOT (Public Works) to review areas within the District that have much-needed traffic calming measures. District 21 has five streets in this year's Traffic Calming, and I am working to add others for the upcoming traffic calming.
  • Cumberland Gardens community has been asking for a conservation overlay for several years. We are continuing this conversation and will be discussing this on Thursday.
• Follow this link: Traffic Calming Application - To complete the application for your neighborhood. Be sure to get your neighbors in the loop. Also, add me to your application form as you submit it.
• I've met with NDOT Director, Diana Alacron, several times throughout the past two months. We are working to add illegal dumping weekly cleanups to the areas that are overwhelmed with dumping sites. I have a meeting on April 26 at 6pm (location TBD) with Dir. Alacron and you are definitely invited to share your thoughts.
• Mosaic 2-D Murals have been installed at Elizabeth Park Senior Community Center. This project was initiated in 2017. The first installation was installed in August of 2018 depicting a photo of Ms. Curlie E. McGruder. The additional installations feature 4 notable Black North Nashville Women Leaders of the Civil Rights movement, Ms. Nora Evelyn Ransom, Ms. Mary Louise Watson, Ms. Frankie Pierce, and Ms. Willie Mae Boddie. We will honor this art installation with a ceremony in the coming months. I will keep you updated here with more information.

What's Happening Tonight

BL2021-922 - This bill will be deferred to track with planning. An ordinance amending Sections 17.04.060, 17.08.030, and 17.16.070 of the Metropolitan Code, Zoning Regulations to implement a distance requirement for the "bar or nightclub" use (Proposal No. 2021Z- 018TX-001).

BL2022-1138 - 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 and MUI-A to SP zoning for properties located at 1901 and 1903 Church Street and 1902 Hayes Street, at the southwest corner of 19th Ave N and Church Street, (0.97 acres), to permit a mixed use development, all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2022SP-005-001). 

BL2022-1139 - This is a companion bill with BL2022-1138 regarding building material restrictions and requirements.

BL2022-1146 - This ordinance will apply a Historic Landmark Overlay District for a portion of the property at 2208 Elliston Place, better known as EXIT/IN.

BL2022-1150 - 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 CS and RS5 to SP zoning for properties located at 1701, 1703, 1705, 1707, 1709, and 1711 9th Ave N and 901 Buchanan Street, approximately 360 feet east of 10th Ave N, (1.08 acres), to permit a mixed use development, all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2021SP-059-001). This development has been discussed since 2019. We've held 5 community meetings to discuss the project. This process lead to the development of a two story mixed-use building and a dog park.

BL2022-1154 - 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 MUI-A to SP zoning for property located at 1705 Hayes Street, approximately 100 feet west of 17th Avenue South (0.51 acres), to permit a maximum 295 multi-family residential or 345 hotel units and 2,500 square feet of restaurant, all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2021SP-089-001).

RS2022-1326 - This is a resolution asking planning to review the current Nashville Next plan. We are roughly 6 1/2 years into the plan and we have some areas that have seen an overwhelming amount of growth. I'd like to see the plan reviewed to find some relief from policies that allow for intense zoning within, strictly, residential neighborhoods.

RS2022-1443 - A resolution declaring surplus and authorizing the conveyance of real property to certain nonprofit organizations, and authorizing grants not exceeding $15,497,279.00 from the Barnes Fund for Affordable Housing to certain nonprofit organizations selected for the express purpose of constructing and rehabilitating affordable or workforce housing. (Proposal No. 2022M-004PR-001.)

Dates to Remember

• Cumberland Gardens Community Meeting
  • RE: Traffic Calming & Conservation Overlay Conversation
  • Thursday, April 7
  • 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
  • St. Luke CME Church | 2008 Ed Temple Blvd. 
• District 21 Town Hall
  • RE: Illegal Dumping
  • Tuesday, April 26
  • 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
  • Location: TBD

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].

Metro Budget Season is Upon Us

As you know, each year the council is presented with a proposed budget from the mayor and we decide to vote for, down, or amend the proposed budget. At the first meeting in June each year, we host a public hearing, allowing us to listen to budget concerns from constituents. 

In April of every year, we host budget hearings, this allows council members and community members to hear the budgeting priorities from each department. Following the budget hearings, the mayor has until the end of April to present their budget to the city council. Once the council receives the proposed budget, we will host open meetings to discuss amendments which will add or remove items from the mayor's proposed budget - this all happens throughout the month of May. In June, at the first meeting, we will host a public hearing that allows for residents to share their input.

A few weeks ago, we passed a resolution to host a special session at tonight's council meeting for public input of the annual budget. This will allow residents to share their input on the budget prior to the Metro Department Budget Hearings in April and the creation of the mayors proposed budget. 

POTHOLES

To report potholes dial 3-1-1 or visit hub.nashville.gov. This is the quickest and most efficient way to escalate the maintenance of our roadways. If it is a State route, it may take more time to respond, TDOT will manage any State routes. NDOT will respond and send your request to TDOT directly.

TriStar Community Day

Centennial Park Civil Rights Marker 

What's Happening Tonight

23. BL2022-1163 - An ordinance amending Chapter 2.213 of the Metropolitan Code to create a funding mechanism to support the implementation of the Inclusionary Housing Incentive program.

66. BL2022-1117 - An ordinance authorizing the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, acting by and through the Metropolitan Department of Water and Sewerage Services, hereinafter known as "METRO", to enter into an agreement with Bancroft O'Quinn, Jr., hereinafter known as "DEVELOPER", to provide improved public sanitary sewer service through the construction of an improved storm water system (Project No. SWGR 202136580 and Proposal Number 2022M-004AG-001).

Dates to Remember

• Buchanan St. Businesses and two Rezoning Requests - Community Meeting (We have invited Buchanan Street Business to discuss noise, parking, and litter concerns with residents in the area. We have also invited two organizations that would like to apply Neighborhood Landmark designations on two churches - one on 10th Ave N and Clay and the other at 14th Ave N and Buchanan)
  • Thursday, March 17
  • 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
  • North Nashville Police Precinct | 2231 26th Ave N
• Cumberland Gardens Community Meeting
  • RE: Traffic Calming & Conservation Overlay Conversation
  • Thursday, April 7
  • 6:00 pm - 7:30 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].

A New Day for the Titans

Last week, I received several emails and phone calls from a community within the district concerned with a sewage leak. It turns out that a building in this community had an 18" sewage line that feeds into an 8" city sewer line. You add 10 additional inches of sewage and a week of rain, we will see these issues continue to arise. A few weeks ago, I touched on the county's woes with waste collection and how we are in a great need of equipment maintenance, personnel, and new equipment. 

Fast forward to this week, The Titans are in conversation with the mayor to renovate or build a new stadium. The Tennessean reports that this could cost upwards of $600 Million to $2 Billion (or more) to achieve this goal. This may be the way to get the Titans to win a Super Bowl or at least host one, but is it the best use of city dollars? 

Here is how the spending breaks down... The city and the Titans will partner to pay for this option. The city's plan, thus far (this will be a moving target for a while), will be to create revenue bonds that pay for the stadium and the build out of the east east bank. This means that the revenue generated from 50% of the taxes from the businesses, stadium, etc. in that area will pay for the stadium.

Unfortunately, the brand new revenue from the stadium and the resources surrounding it stays there, it doesn't flow into other communities such as District 21 communities. Therefore, as the District 21 Council Member, I am very hesitant to support this plan. As you know, I have been fighting for affordability in housing options, infrastructure investments (paved alleys, sidewalks, park updates, sewage lines, storm water relief, lighting, etc.), metro services personnel, and public safety measures. This new deal will not support any of these much needed items for our district. I can, however, support this new plan for a football stadium if, and only if, these needed investments in our district makes it to a passed city budget and/or capital spending plan, prior to passing spending for a new stadium. This means we have the dollars set aside to address your major concerns that I am peppered with from neighbors on a daily basis.

Stay tuned as this all unfolds, I plan to keep you up-to-date along the way.

POTHOLES

To report potholes dial 3-1-1 or visit hub.nashville.gov. This is the quickest and most efficient way to escalate the maintenance of our roadways. If it is a State route, it may take more time to respond, TDOT will manage any State routes. NDOT will respond and send your request to TDOT directly.

What I've Been Up To

• I'm still working on a program with Westminster Homes and Rebuilding Together to help District 21 residents in need of renovations and upgrades to their homes. This project is in it's initial conversations, however, if you know a neighbor that is in need of renovations and upgrades, please reach out to me directly. We will be meeting to discuss how this will work and I will have information for you very soon.
• I hosted a meeting with the Centennial Park, Acklen Park, and OneCity communities last week. One of the major takeaways is that metro police will add additional presence from dusk to dawn (throughout the entire neighborhood, not just the park) when the park is closed. Also, metro parks will be renovating and re-programming the Pavilion at the corner of 28th and Poston. The Pavilion's new use will require permitted events only. If individuals are gathering at the Pavilion without a permitted reservation, they will be asked to leave the area. You will also see more speed enforcement along 31st Ave N between West End and Park Plaza. Speeding is one of the largest concerns of neighbors in this area, and we have asked Cmdr. Widener to evaluate a plan to reduce the speed.
• I am hosting a meeting on March 3 at the North Nashville Police Precinct at 6pm to discuss updates on the WEGO construction at 26th and Clarksville Hwy and the new tenants of Crestview Nursing home at 2030 25th Ave N. - Community Care Fellowship and Dream Street.
• Illegal Dumping Pilot: Today I had a ride along with the first director of NDOT and the bulk item pickup team. We are following up on March 14 to discuss more from our findings. We will then have a community meeting to share our plan to mitigate the illegal dumping problem within the District.
• We have recruited a new committee for the North Nashville/Bordeaux Participatory Budgeting process. This team will assemble within the next few months. Please be thinking of capital improvements you wish to see in your neighborhood. Once the committee begins, I will share the best way to communicate with them here.

What's Happening Tonight

The agenda does not have many big items on it tonight, which I've provided for you at the top of this note. Here are a few items I believe will be of interest to you.

H2. RS2022-xxxx - A lite filed resolution to create a pre-budget public comment period for Nashville residents to share their thoughts on the budget during the budget hearings. This would happen weeks prior to the public hearing for the budget when considered by the Metro Council.

91. BL2022-1114 - This ordinance will amend section 13.08.080 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws by adding a definition for the term Personally Identifiable Information (also referred to as “PII”). The term is referenced twice in the recently enacted License Plate Scanner ordinance (BL2021-961). The definition will apply to the broader code section on the deployment of surveillance or electronic data gathering devices.

The proposed ordinance defines the term to mean: “any representation of information that permits the identity of an individual to whom the information applies to be reasonably inferred by either direct or indirect means. Further, PII is defined as information: (i) that directly identifies an individual (e.g., name, address, social security number or other identifying number or code, telephone number, email address, etc.) or (ii) by which any governmental department or agency intends to identify specific individuals in conjunction with other data elements, i.e., indirect identification. (These data elements may include a combination of gender, race, birth date, and other descriptors). Additionally, information permitting the physical or online contacting of a specific individual is the same as personally identifiable information. This definition includes information that is maintained in either paper, electronic or other media.”

BL2021-961, adopted on February 1, 2022, prohibits any LPR data retained by the Metropolitan Government from containing PII. Further, BL2021-961 requires MNPD to submit an annual report of the collected data to the Council which will contain voluntarily provided race data but prohibits all other PII from being included in the annual report.

92. BL2022-1115 -  **This ordinance, if enacted, will violate state law: Title 7, Chapter 68, Part 101, et seq., of the Tennessee Code Annotated (the “Act”).**

A court will likely find that this ordinance violates the Act-which prohibits a local governmental entity from adopting a “sanctuary policy”-because the ordinance would prohibit a department from using the LPR system/information to assist federal officials with immigration compliance. Section 1 of the ordinance explicitly contravenes the Act. The Act provides that “No local governmental entity or official shall adopt or enact a sanctuary policy.” A “sanctuary policy” is defined as one that, among other things, “limits or prohibits any local governmental entity or official from communicating or cooperating with federal agencies or officials to verify or report the immigration status of any alien.” Section 1, as proposed, would be an express adoption of a sanctuary policy as defined by the Act because it proposes to prohibit any department within the Metropolitan Government from utilizing the LPR system or collected information to cooperate with federal officials in connection with immigration laws of the United States.

Section 2 of the proposed ordinance prohibits the Metropolitan Government from utilizing, in conjunction with LPR, a “hot list” that is related to federal immigration enforcement, including lists created by, provided by, or containing information from ICE. While Section 2 of the proposed ordinance is not as explicit in its contravention of the Act, it is outside the spirit of the Act’s goals of encouraging expansive cooperation with federal officials regarding immigration laws. It is less likely that a court would find that Section 2 of the proposed ordinance violates the Act.

If enacted, the Metropolitan Government will be ineligible to enter into any grant contract with the state department of economic and community development until the policy is repealed. Further, state law authorizes residents to bring a complaint in Chancery Court alleging that the ordinance violates the Act. If a court determines that the Metropolitan Council has adopted a sanctuary policy, it can order that the Metropolitan Government comply with the Act, enjoin the Metropolitan Government from further interference with the Act, and take other necessary action to ensure compliance.

93. BL2022-1116 - This proposed ordinance amends the newly enacted Metropolitan Code of Laws sections 13.08.080G(3)(f) and 13.08.080G(5)(e) to include the Executive Director of the Community Oversight Board. The recently enacted BL2021-961 created section 13.08.080G(3)(f) of the Metropolitan Code providing that the District Attorney and the Public Defender may investigate complaints of misuse of LPR, examine and audit LPRs and LPR data files or record, and if either believes that LPRs have been used in violation of the code section, they may request that Council suspend the use of LPR. The proposed ordinance will add the Executive Director of the Community Oversight Board as an entity entitled to take specific investigative and examination actions related to in addition to the District Attorney and the Public Defender.

BL2021-961 also created section 13.08.080G(5)(e) of the Metropolitan Code providing that the District Attorney, the Public Defender, and the Chair of the Community Oversight Board shall have access to the MNPD audit trail. The proposed ordinance will provide such access to the Executive Director, rather than the Chair, of the Community Oversight Board and expand the review to designees of the named entities. And, it will enlarge the scope of review to include audit working papers

Dates to Remember

• Neighborhood Community Meeting – RE: Updates on G-Spot, Crestview Rehabilitation Center (2030 25^th Ave N), and WEGO Transit Development

  • Thursday, March 3 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm

  • North Nashville Police Precinct | 2231 26^th Ave N

• Rezoning Community Meeting - RE: 2500 W Heiman St.
  • Monday, March 14 | 6:00pm - 7:30pm
  • Jefferson St. Missionary Baptist Church | 2708 Jefferson St. 

• Buchanan St. Businesses and two Rezoning Requests - Community Meeting (We have invited Buchanan Street Business to discuss noise, parking, and litter concerns with residents in the area. We have also invited two organizations that would like to apply Neighborhood Landmark designations on two churches - one on 10th Ave N and Clay and the other at 14th Ave N and Buchanan)
  • Thursday, March 17
  • 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].

Happy Valentine's Day

Metro Waste Collection:

We've had a time with trash collection for over five (5) years in this city. First reported in July of 2019, Red River Waste Solutions were skipping routes, missing trash pickup deadlines, and simply not upholding their portion of the contract. Fast forward to now, we are in a much worse position. Red River has now filed for bankruptcy. Yes, they filed for bankruptcy in October 2021! The company we've hired to collect our waste is bankrupt... But yet, we still keep them around. I know many of you, just like me and my family, are frustrated with the lack of service we are receiving from our waste collection partners. Honestly, there is no acceptable excuse. At this moment, Red River, in a council committee meeting, assured council members that we will not have service interruptions... That was a lie! 

Currently, Metro's equipment is in poor condition and we do not have enough trucks to make the rounds. That's why we have a contract with Red River Waste Solutions. As we work through this, please keep me updated as to how your waste management services are. You can email me at [email protected]. You can also visit HubNashville to file any complaints.

What I've Been Up To

• I'm working on a program with Westminster Homes and Rebuilding Together to help District 21 residents in need of renovations and upgrades to their homes. This project is in it's initial conversations, however, if you know a neighbor that is in need of renovations and upgrades, please reach out to me directly. We will be meeting to discuss how this will work and I will have information for you very soon.
• I am hosting a meeting for residents in Centennial Park, Acklen Park, and One City on February 24 at 6pm at the Centennial Performing Arts Studio to discuss public safety concerns.
• I am hosting a meeting on March 3 at the North Nashville Police Precinct at 6pm to discuss updates on the WEGO construction at 26th and Clarksville Hwy and the new tenants of Crestview Nursing home at 2030 25th Ave N. - Community Care Fellowship and Dream Street.
• Illegal Dumping Pilot: I have been in conversation with the mayor's administration regarding the overwhelming amount of illegal dumping in North Nashville. We are planning to create a pilot that focuses on daily removal of large bulk, illegally dumped, items. 

What's Happening Tonight

There are a few elections and confirmations tonight. The Community Oversight Board has three (3) vacancies with four candidates. Both the Historical Commission and the Convention Center Authority have confirmations as well.

We have a short agenda tonight... But here is an item I think will be able to help neighbors in the District with mortgage, rent, and utility payments.

RS2022-1381 - A resolution modifying RS2021-1116, which appropriated $3,000,000.00 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from Fund #30216 to provide rent and mortgage payments and utilities payments, to extend the coverage date through June 30, 2023, and to expand mortgage relief to all participants who have household income up to and including 100% of AMI.

Dates to Remember

• Neighborhood Community Meeting - RE: Public Safety – Centennial Park, Acklen Park, and One City neighborhoods: RE

  Thursday, February 24 | 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

  Centennial Performing Arts Studio |  211 27th Ave N

• Neighborhood Community Meeting – RE: Updates on G-Spot, Crestview Rehabilitation Center (2030 25^th Ave N), and WEGO Development

  Thursday, March 3 | 6:00pm – 8:00pm

  North Nashville Police Precinct | 2231 26^th 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