Metropolitan Council Meeting Summary - December 4, 2025

The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County convened on December 4, 2025, to address legislative matters including zoning reforms, public safety grants, and the establishment of the Metropolitan Animal Care and Control Commission, amid significant public debate regarding housing density and surveillance measures. The meeting began with announcements from council members and a moment of personal privilege honoring the late Senator Faith Winter.

Consent Calendar

• Approved resolutions and ordinances on second and third readings, excluding items 105 (BL 2025-1121, honorary street name), 41 (RS 2025-1684, Grand Ole Opry), and 87 (BL 2025-1115, fence permit) which were removed by members.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Manon Hall (Agenda Item 16): Expressed opposition to Resolution 1659 (Downtown Public Safety Grant), arguing the fact sheet contained misinformation regarding the grant amount and entity, and called for a public hearing due to concerns over surveillance technology transfer.
• Richard Rose (Agenda Item 96): Expressed full support for Ordinance 1005 and the zoning proposal to increase mid-level housing, citing personal experience with housing instability and the importance of community inclusion.
• Nancy Van Reese (Agenda Item 17): Expressed opposition to the deferral of the Capital Spending Plan (CSP), emphasizing the need to approve the bond resolution for the Madison Station park to address community deficits.
• Gary Gaston (Housing/Zoning): Expressed full support for the housing bills, arguing they offer solutions for obtainable housing while preserving neighborhood character.
• Craig Bardo (Agenda Item 16): Expressed strong opposition to Resolution 1659, characterizing it as a tool for "authoritarianism on contract" to protect wealthy interests rather than public safety.
• Trina Hewell (Agenda Item 16): Expressed opposition to Resolution 1659 through a spoken poem, rejecting the "giveaway" of rights to surveillance and encouraging phone usage for community protection.
• Sabina Moyedin (Agenda Item 16): Expressed opposition to Resolution 1659, stating that expanded surveillance harms communities, targets people of color and the unhoused, and is inappropriate amidst current federal political climates.
• Joshua Haston (Agenda Item 96): Expressed support for zoning bills, noting that 72% of Nashville's workforce qualifies for affordable housing and that current staff cannot afford to live in the city.
• Lindy Drolson (Agenda Item 16): Expressed opposition to Resolution 1659, characterizing it as a privatized surveillance network that targets working-class communities and abandons working people in crises.
• Tamika White (Agenda Item 86): Expressed support for the employee survey resolution but highlighted opposition to the administration's handling of employee abuse.
• Anton Jackson (Zoning): Expressed support for zoning reform and preservation, presenting statistics that affordable zip codes dropped from 72% in 2017 to 21% today.

Discussion Items

• Rule Change (Rule 29): Council debated a proposed amendment requiring a 60-day automatic deferral for large-scale rezonings (over 25 parcels) to allow public input. Councilmembers Gadd, Coopin, Horton, and Rutherford expressed support for the measure as a tool for predictability and community engagement. Councilmembers Benedict, Rutherford (later clarified), Bradford, Sapulvada, and Capp expressed opposition, arguing it infringes on district council authority, does not reflect current practice sufficiently to warrant rule changes, and ignores the varying needs of different districts. The motion to pass required a supermajority of 27 votes; the rule change failed with 23 votes in favor.
• Zoning Bills (BL 2025-1005, 1007): Extensive discussion and amendment activity occurred on the residential neighborhood (RN) and accessory dwelling unit (ADU) ordinances. Councilmember Johnston's Amendment 1 successfully reduced ADU size limits for smaller lots (from 1,200 sq ft to 850 sq ft) to address community concerns about scale, receiving full support for its responsible approach. Councilmember Allen's Amendment 5 passed, delaying the effective date of the new zoning districts to April 1, 2026, to allow the Planning Department to update the Community Character Manual. Councilmember Druffel's Amendment 7 passed, mandating a report in 1.5 years to evaluate the impact. Councilmember Styles moved to defer the final vote to January, but this motion was tabled. The bill passed on third reading with 28 votes in favor.
• Resolution 1680: Council debated a resolution requesting the Planning Department to create a map identifying appropriate areas for the new zoning districts. Supporters (Styles, Evans, Eastlick, Webb, Allen) argued transparency was critical to de-escalate community opposition. Opponents (Nash, Toombs, Porterfield, Parker, Welsh) argued the Community Character Manual already provides this data, the resolution was non-binding and redundant, and the city should not legislate based on fears of future rezoning. The resolution passed with 22 votes in favor.
• C-BID (BL 2025-1113): Discussion focused on a Midtown Central Business Improvement District. Councilmember Coopen's amendment was passed to require council confirmation of board members, limit public safety to MPD/Vanderbilt/authorized vendors only, and remove references to private parking garage revenue collection, addressing concerns about oversight and fiscal accountability.
• Resolutions Deferrals: Multiple resolutions, including the Downtown Public Safety Grant (1659), Capital Spending Plan (1660), and Employee Survey (1114), were deferred to future meetings by rule or sponsor motion pending further committee review or public input.

Key Outcomes

• Confirmed Appointments: Chris Wideman (Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Commission) and Katie Feldhouse Jackson (Human Relations Commission) were confirmed 5-0-0.
• Commission Election: Carrie Rogers was elected to the Transportation Licensing Commission.
• Ordinance Passed: BL 2025-1005 (Zoning Reform) passed on third reading 28-10, adopting new Residential Neighborhood districts with amendments delaying implementation to April 1, 2026.
• Ordinance Passed: BL 2025-1007 (DADU Regulations) passed on third reading 29-8-1, including reduced size limits and a 1.5-year evaluation clause.
• Ordinance Passed: BL 2025-1061 (Animal Care and Control Commission) passed on third reading to establish a new commission.
• Ordinance Passed: BL 2025-1121 (Dr. Harold W. Jordan Way) passed on third reading as an honorary street name designation.
• Rule Change Failed: Proposal to amend Rule 29 (automatic 60-day deferral for large rezonings) failed 23-13-1 (required 27 votes).
• Deferrals: Resolution 1659 (Public Safety Grant), Resolution 1660 (CSP), Ordinance 1114 (Employee Survey), and various zoning items were deferred to December 16, 2025, or January 20, 2025, for further review.
• Withdrawn Items: Agenda items 47-52 were withdrawn at the request of the Department of Procurement.