There is a Metro Council Meeting tonight at 6:00 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's a public hearing on a few resolutions tonight as well... Tune in to the meeting to call on any item to speak for or against the legislation. 

In June, the Metro Council voted on one of the most critical budgets we have been faced with in a while. We were approaching receivership from the State of Tennessee Comptroller's office, if we were to get this wrong, the State of Tennessee was to take over Metro's finances - the officials we elected would not be able to make any fiduciary decisions for the individuals we serve.

Fast forward to today, there is now a discussion to add a referendum to November's election - Which brings me to this sidebar, Make a Plan to Vote Early now! - to repeal the budget vote and only allow the Metro Council, representatives elected by the people, to not have the authority to make any changes in the tax levy. To be honest, this frightens me. Just a few months ago, I received numerous calls from constituents that had the waste/trash collection missed for three weeks. We closed four schools in Nashville, and again, the State of Tennessee would likely take over our finances. 

Complete your Census Today!

District 21 in Nashville, our District, has one of the lowest Census response rates throughout the State of Tennessee. Please reach out to me if you'd like to help move the Census forward. Don't forget to complete your Census. You can visit 2020Census.Gov to complete it now. Davidson County currently has a response rate of, only, 59.8%, however, District 21 is closer to 30%. The Census is extremely important for our communities to receive much-needed investments. This helps funds to reach us from the federal government directly to your neighborhood. Williamson County (I'm not a fan of comparing ourselves to Williamson County) has a 75.6% response rate. When you are driving through the city on federal highways, think of the Census! If we need funds to increase lanes, fix that pothole, or add better signage and lights, the Census is what gives our representatives in the federal government to advocate for those needs.

What to expect tonight:

RS2020-521 - Sponsored by me...This resolution exempts Willie B’s Kitchen & Lounge, located at 918 Buchanan Street, from the minimum distance requirements for obtaining a beer permit. 

BL2020-423 -This ordinance amends Section 4.36.020 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws regarding suspension or debarment of a person under the Procurement Code. Suspension and debarment are two remedies in the Procurement Code for a contractor’s failure to follow the terms of the contract and/or applicable laws. After providing reasonable notice and an opportunity to be heard, the purchasing agent, upon consultation with the using agency and the director of law, has the authority to debar a contractor for cause from consideration for award of contracts. The debarment cannot be for a period of more than three years. As an alternative to debarment, the purchasing agent may suspend a contractor from consideration for award of contracts for up to three months if there is probable cause for debarment. The authority to debar or suspend must be exercised in accordance with regulations promulgated by the Procurement Standards Committee. This ordinance would create a public list, available online, of persons suspended or debarred under Section 4.36.020. This would be updated whenever a person is debarred, suspended, or no longer subject to debarment or suspension.

BL2020-426 -An ordinance establishing a program for the purpose of providing assistance to low-income elderly residents of the Metropolitan Government for the fiscal year 2020-2021.

BL2020-387 - – This ordinance amends the Metropolitan Code pertaining to health insurance benefits for Councilmembers after they leave office. This ordinance was deferred indefinitely at the recommendation of the Personnel, Public Information, and Human Relations Committee at its August 18 meeting over the objection of the sponsor. This will be on Public Hearing.

Dates to remember:

• All in-person meetings (large/small groups or one-on-one) that I have scheduled are postponed in light of the increasing COVID-19 concerns and will not be rescheduled until further notice. 

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