Nashville Metropolitan Council Regular Meeting - August 22, 2024
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Nashville Metropolitan Council Regular Meeting - August 22, 2024
Note on date discrepancy: The meeting transcript states Tuesday, August 20, 2024, but the provided metadata indicates the meeting occurred on August 22, 2024. This summary uses the metadata date as instructed.
The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County held its 21st regular meeting of the current term. The meeting began with an invocation by Mr. Henry Cervantes Cruz, a student and board member with Southern Word, and Pledge of Allegiance. Vice Mayor Angie Henderson presided. The council considered numerous appointments, resolutions, and ordinances, including confirmations, nominations for board vacancies, and several legislative items on second and third reading.
Confirmations & Appointments
- Consent confirmations: Christy Pruitt Hayes (Beneficent Board), Clifton Harris (Electric Power Board), Victoria Crawford and Russell Pooley (Sports Authority Board) were approved on a consolidated voice vote.
- Julie Caputo (Short-Term Rental Appeals Board): After debate, the council voted to reappoint Ms. Caputo. Councilmember Horton opposed, citing concerns about subjective decision-making. Councilmember Parker supported her leadership. The vote required 21 affirmative votes and passed on a recorded vote (specific tally not provided).
- Deferral: Charlotte Peacock (Social Services Commission) was deferred one meeting.
- Withdrawal: Jerry Pentecost (Auditorium Commission) was withdrawn.
Nominations for Board Vacancies
- Short-Term Rental Appeals Board: Three nominations: Anthony Ingram (by Evans), Zach Deacons (by Webb), Raymond Simmons (by Vowe).
- Property Standards Appeals Board: Three nominations: Quinta Martin (by Toombs), John Bennett (by Huffman), Jayla Thomas (by Webb).
Public Hearing
- Resolution 2024-646 (Music City Euros): A beer permit exemption for a new Euro restaurant at Hunter Station. No opposition; approved unanimously.
Consent Agenda
The council approved a wide-ranging consent agenda including numerous resolutions and ordinances on second and third reading. Items covered grants, zoning changes, easements, and routine approvals. Items removed from consent for separate discussion:
- RS2024-608 (Athletes Unlimited basketball season) – deferred to September 3, 2024.
- RS2024-651 (Viral hepatitis grant) – discussed and approved.
- RS2024-679 (Olympians congratulations) – approved.
- RS2024-681 (South Asian Heritage Month) – approved.
- BL2024-458/459 (Mount View Road rezoning) – deferred one meeting.
Discussion Items and Votes
- RS2024-608 (Athletes Unlimited): Deferred to September 3 to finalize contract details.
- RS2024-651 (Viral Hepatitis Grant): After questions from Pro Tem Swara about delayed funding, the administration explained they had fronted the money. Approved on voice vote.
- RS2024-668 (2nd Avenue Sidewalk Agreement): Passed with a substitute correcting typographical errors. Unanimous.
- RS2024-679 (Olympians): Unanimously approved with remarks honoring five Nashville-connected Olympians.
- RS2024-681 (South Asian Heritage Month): Unanimously approved; Councilmember Vowe and others spoke in support.
- BL2024-411 (Glen Rose Avenue Rezoning): Approved on second reading.
- BL2024-468 (Amend Code 2.24.250): Deferred one meeting by rule (mandatory).
- BL2024-476 (Arts Commission Membership): Deferred one meeting by rule.
- BL2024-477 (Board of Ethical Conduct Actions): Passed on second reading with an amendment adding written notification option. Vote: voice vote, approved.
- BL2024-478 (Short-Term Rental Ordinance): Deferred to October 1, 2024, for public hearing.
- BL2024-481 (Water Main Easement Abandonment): Passed on second reading with an amendment changing future changes to resolution form.
- BL2023-56/57 (Pettus Road Rezoning): Passed on third reading with substitute. Includes 230 multifamily units and a fire station. Construction traffic condition added. Companion ordinance on building restrictions also passed.
- BL2024-428 (East Bank Development Authority): Passed on third reading (required 27 votes). Unanimous.
- BL2024-448/449 (Hickory Hollow Parkway / Global Mall Rezoning): Passed on third reading with substitute adding planning commission conditions. Mixed-use development on 57.22 acres.
- BL2024-452 (East Bank Subdistrict): Passed on third reading with substitute.
- BL2024-458/459 (Mount View Road Rezoning): Deferred one meeting by Councilmember Harrell for additional language.
Key Outcomes
- Approved reappointment of Julie Caputo to Short-Term Rental Appeals Board after recorded vote.
- Consent agenda passed (over 30 resolutions and ordinances) with unanimous voice vote, except removed items.
- East Bank Development Authority established unanimously.
- Global Mall rezoning approved, allowing redevelopment of the former Hickory Hollow Mall site.
- Pettus Road development approved for 230 units and fire station.
- Nominations submitted for two board vacancies; to be processed by Clerk.
- Several items deferred to future meetings (basketball season, short-term rental ordinance, Mount View Road, etc.).
Meeting Transcript
Meeting, please come to order. Today is Tuesday, August 20th, 2024, and this is the 21st regular meeting of the current term of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville in Davidson County. Will all members of the council as well as the public please rise for the invocation and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance? The invocation is being offered this evening by Mr. Henry Cervantes Cruz. Mr. Cervantes Cruz is a senior at Stratford STEM Magnet High School and a board member and program participant with local nonprofits, Southern Word, who share that through words, all youth can claim the power and hope to determine their future. Mr. Cervantes Cruz is the guest of District 16 Council member Jenny Welsh. Welcome and go ahead, sir. Go ahead, sir. I'm not going to talk about my feelings. When you ask me how I'm doing, I return the question. How are you doing today? How can I make it better? You can lean on me whenever. He told me to get closer to God, said he'll fix everything. And I reminded him my problems involved a pre-calculus test and studying. So I cobbled that my stress must be meager. If someone has it worse, this should be easy, right? My dad told me that I'm like him, and it made me mad because he's a stone, unmoving from his past traumas flowing around him, stubborn as a mule, and I'm not like him, at least I think. So what if it makes me feel like I'm on an isolated island with no one to talk to or no shoulder to cry on. I'm not gonna talk about my feelings. So what if it makes me feel like trash? Left out on the curb too long, realizing it's worth worth that seems low because no one wants to come pick me up. I'm not gonna talk about my feelings. So what if it leads to internal panicking? I felt my breath being lost and my lungs on fire from exertion. But it was all internal, so I'm all good. But I've already said I'm fine before. Now then earlier today, my little brother, he hugged me. And his hugs, they told me, they said to me that I should love myself more. Thank you, Mr. Cervantes Cruz, for your spoken word, and thank you to Southern Word as well. You may all be seated. Uh sharing various updates in the council office and support services for your work. That was yesterday. So please be sure to review that. And a special thank you to all our staff for helping to implement those updates with more on the way soon. So thank you, staff. In that newsletter and on your desks is information from Information Technology Services, AKA I T S about a whole host of services that they can help council members with. So if you are unable to attend today's open office hours with them in the council office, you can always call ITS directly or council staff can help you make an individual appointment. Council members have an immense amount of information to manage, including hundreds of emails a week. So please do avail yourself of those tools proactively. And a special thank you to the ITS team for joining us in the office today and for all their ongoing support of this and all our meetings. When we meet again in September, we will have some new committee leadership and some returning leadership. But to all the current chairs, especially in this transitional first year, I want to thank them for their service and their extra work. Every chair has kindly drafted a transition memo to ensure continuity for any leadership change. And every committee now has a SharePoint drive for committee associated documents. So we hope both of these uh will help us build and retain institutional memory for the three years of policy and oversight work ahead and for the years beyond.
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