If you haven't had the chance to early vote, be sure to vote on Thursday, August 6! Click here to find your polling location. Remember to wear a mask to your polling locations, it is required to enter the polling area.

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. 

There's a public hearing tonight as well... Tune in to the meeting to call on any item to speak for or against the ordinance. 

COVID-19 Updates

To keep up-to-date on Metro's COVID-19 status, visit the Safer Nashville website. We are currently in a modified Phase II status. As for COVID-19 relief, two resolutions are sharing information on where dollars will possibly be spent. There has been a late file resolution from Council Members Johnston, Sepulveda, and Gamble, members of the COVID-19 Financial Oversight Committee, proposing that the mayor and finance director allocate $10 Million in CARES Act (COVID Relief) funds to be distributed to rent and mortgage payments and utility payments for individuals. The resolution adds that the United Way should be the distribution point for said funds.  Below, I will discuss the second resolution, RS2020-459, in further detail. 

Complete your Census Today!

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%. 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.

Tornado Relief 

FEMA's grace period for tornado relief has Closed.  Please look at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and several organizations rooted in North Nashville that are helping with disaster and emergency relief. Here are a few that are working now... Gideon's Army, Interdenominational Ministers Fellowship (IMF), Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership, Inc. (J.U.M.P.), Lee Chapel AME Church, New Covenant Christian Church, Greater Heights Missionary Baptist Church, NAACP Nashville, Northwest Family YMCA, Catholic Charities of Tennessee - McGruder Family Resource Center, Meharry Medical College, Tennessee State University Foundation, Rebuilding Together Nashville, The Equity Alliance, and Urban League of Middle Tennessee. These organizations jumped in on the ground floor and have committed to working until individuals in our communities are back to whole and better. If you or someone you know need relief, of any kind, from the tornado, please reach out to one or several of these organizations to find the help you are looking for.

What to expect tonight:

Substitute RS2020-431 - A resolution requesting the mayor to "work with" representatives Community Oversight Board, Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, The Equity Alliance, Community Oversight Now, Metro Human Relations Commission, and the Fraternal Order of Police to select the next Cheif of Police. 

RS2020-459 - $1.244 Million of the Metro COVID-19 Pandemic Fund will go to various non-profits.

• $275,000 to YWCA for shelter and domestic violence support services for those impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• $250,000 to In Full Motion, Inc. for mentoring, tutoring, ACT preparation, and afterschool and summer programs for at-risk youth impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• $200,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank of Middle TN to provide for food distribution for the benefit of those impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• $169,000 to Legal Aid Society of Middle TN & the Cumberlands for legal services and court advocacy for those impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• $125,000 to FiftyForward to provide meals, financial, and community support for older adults impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic in Davidson County
• $100,000 to Sexual Assault Center to provide professional care services to sexual assault victim-survivors impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• $50,000 to Tennessee Immigrant & Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) to ensure immigrant communities in Nashville have access to resources needed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• $50,000 to Tennessee Justice for Our Neighbors to enhance public safety and trust between immigrant communities and local government to ensure access to resources needed due to the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• $25,000 to Safety Net Consortium of Middle Tennessee to better facilitate healthcare coordination for low-income Nashvillians impacted by the COVID-19 Pandemic.

RS2020-473 - Introduced by me, this resolution will recognize racism as a public health crisis and declaring a commitment to enact policies that unequivocally defend minorities and aim to eradicate the effects of systemic racism affecting black people and other minorities throughout Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County.

RS2020-474 -A resolution to encourage the Ringing of the Bells on August 18, 2020, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment in conjunction with the opening of Votes for Women at the Nashville Public Library. 

BL2020-300 - On second reading tonight, this ordinance will require construction to be restricted from the hours of 7:00 pm to 7:00 am, changing the time of restriction from 9:00 pm to 6:00 am.   

BL2020-322 - An ordinance prohibiting the MNPD to hire officers that were previously fired or under investigation by another law enforcement agency for malfeasance or use of force. This bill would be added as law rather than an in-house policy of the police force. This bill is on Third and final reading tonight. 

BL2020-337 - This is a bill that would extend the contract with Gobbell Hays Partners to manage the Fairgrounds and Soccer Stadium area project. 

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