We are going to go ahead and start announcements.

No, I am not Councilmember Delicia Porterfield, and yes, I am back.

I will be filling in for our Pro Ten uh tonight.

Um while she gets here later.

Uh I want to first go ahead and acknowledge the land we are sitting on.

We are sitting on Cherokee, Shawnee, and Yuchi land, a reminder that no one is illegal on stolen land.

I also want to wish everybody a happy St.

Patrick's Day.

I see some of y'all are wearing green.

Some of y'all are colorblind and can't see that.

I also want to wish our Muslim uh neighbors a happy Ramadan.

I know some of them are observing some of the final days.

Um and I also want to take a moment to um acknowledge that there is a certain congressman who has recently made statements stating that they are not welcomed here, and they are more American than he will ever be.

And I want to publicly say that on this floor.

I have said other things that aren't PG 13, and y'all could go ahead and read those for yourself.

All right.

If you have any announcements and want to get in the queue, go ahead and do that.

We will be practicing our duolingo tonight.

All right.

First up, counts.

Well, there we go.

Bradford.

Go to my uh counselor and Lafea Padrik Sonadiv.

That's happy St.

Patrick's Day in Irish.

Um reminder for residents of District 13 that this Saturday we will be having our monthly office hours at the Dunkin' Donuts there on Bradley Parkway um from 9 to 11 a.m.

Also for residents in the Smith Springs Road area.

I know it's been a long time coming, but I've finally been able to get a date set with NDOT and MMPD to have a safety meeting to discuss some of the issues and concerns uh residents have along the Smith Springs Road corridor.

That meeting is on the 25th at Smith Springs Community Center at 6 p.m.

All that information is on my Facebook page.

Thank you.

And uh particularly uh March 31st.

Uh and I try my best to be as visible as I possibly can.

And um, I don't expect everyone to understand or even like me because I don't necessarily like and understand everybody else, but I try my best to lead by example and treat every single person as a normal human as I expect them to treat me.

Uh and I try my best to lead by example by meeting other people where they are, trying to reach a cross aisle and try to get along with other people so that they will understand that maybe I'm just a normal person without horns and a tail.

Um, and I'm just trying to do my part every day to to build things and and do better and create conversations.

And I want to thank every single council member, every single one of my colleagues that have worked with me over the last two years, and the love and and and kindness you all showed me has been amazing.

Uh is not only the only trans person elected in this room, I'm the only one in the state, and so uh I get a lot of hate, but in this room I get a lot of love, and I just want to say everybody thank you.

To you and to all Tennesseans and people in this state uh and in this country.

All right, are there any other yes?

Concejal vocida.

Thank you so much.

Um, um, I just wanted um so many announcements, sorry.

I'm trying to think through.

We are having our Greenways audit.

It started on Saturday, March twelfth.

Want to thank Council Member Hancock for um walking with Greenways for Nashville, and I want to thank Council Member Welsh, who will be walking this Saturday and hosting the audit walk.

So you can just go to Greenways for Nashville.

We have walks um, you know, twice a month.

Uh, and we are trying to make sure that we um make our greenway safer.

Um, and then I uh want to just take a moment to um acknowledge our sister city in Mendoza.

Um, I just got back from the delegation trip there, and it's our seventeenth year uh with this amazing sister city in Argentina, and I am very excited that students uh will be visiting us.

Um, and they'll be coming in two weeks.

So I look forward to welcoming the students.

We were able to meet them when we were in Mendoza, and so it's really exciting, and then um, I was also able to meet some elected officials also in Buenos Aires, so very exciting.

Lots of people want to um learn more about Nashville, and um very excited about um the relationships that we are making abroad, and uh, this is when I do wish that I was fluent in Spanish.

So gracias.

Um, Council members yes.

Oh, he council member Bradford will be singing along as well.

All right, that concludes announcements.

We will see you all back here at around six thirty for the meeting.

Will the meeting please come to order?

Today is Tuesday, March 17th, 2026.

This is the 57th regular meeting of the current term of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County, and the fifth regular meeting of 2026.

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 Chivan Cindy and Epec Ismail.

Mr.

Cindy and Ms.

Eastmail are the guests of District 12 Council Member Aaron Evans.

Welcome to you both.

Go ahead.

Thank you very much for having us here.

And thank you to Vice Mayor and Councilwoman.

And Evans, thank you very much.

It is an honor to be front of everyone.

And we just want to wish everyone happy Naruz and Nauruzo Bezivit.

Thank you.

Thank you, Siobhan.

Good evening, everyone.

My name is Ipak Ismail, and I am a proud member of Kurdish American community here in Nashville.

I am honored to offer tonight's invocation to you all.

We gather this evening with gratitude to the creator who blessed us with life, community, the responsibility to care for one another.

For me as a member of the Kurdish community here in Nashville, this time of year carries a deep meaning for us.

Approaches the celebration of Navruz, the Kurdish New Year, a celebration of renewal and hope.

For generations, Navruz has reminded the Kurdish people that even after the longest winter, spring will arrive, bringing light, freedom, and new beginnings.

Yesterday also marked the remembrance of the Halapcha massacre when thousands of innocent Kurdish civilians lost their life in 1988 in a chemical attack.

Often called Little Kurdistan.

It calls us to strengthen our community through services, kindness, and understanding.

Today, in front of you guys, I extend my heartfelt thanks to the city leaders for bringing us together here.

May the leaders gather here tonight be guided with wisdom, fairness, and compassion as they serve the people of Nashville.

May their decision strengthen unity, opportunity, and justice for every neighborhood and every family who calls this city home.

May the city continue to be a place where people from all background can live together and peace, respect, and opportunity.

And may all together continue to walk forward together with gratitude, understanding, and hope.

Amen.

Thank you.

Nauru is Pirozve and happy Kurdish New Year.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

We send greetings to our sister city of Belfast, uh, Northern Ireland, and our hearts are also with our sister city of Urbil, uh, the capital of the Kurdistan region of Iraq.

Um, members will have received from me a memo uh regarding a vacancy on the health and education facilities board, also known as the HEFB.

This is a public nonprofit corporation organized under the laws of the state of Tennessee for the benefit of the citizens to encourage and promote the improvement and maintenance of their health and living conditions.

The board is authorized to issue revenue bonds and loan uh the proceeds to finance the acquisition, construction, development, rehabilitation, and improvement of health, educational, and multifamily housing facilities.

The types of eligible projects and borrowers are determined by the state statute and include hospitals, universities, nonprofits, schools, and multifamily housing developers.

The board's revenue bonds are special, limited obligations, payable solely from the revenues pledged as security for the bonds.

The board has no financial resources, and the board has no taxing power.

The Metro government is not liable for the repayment of the board's bonds.

The board considers resolutions approving financing documents at public meetings and holds public hearings if required.

The board is comprised of seven Davidson County resident volunteers who are nominated and elected by the Metropolitan Council to six-year terms.

So the floor will be open for nominations by council members at the next council meeting.

So there will be one vacancy on this board as has been described by you and the public.

So we encourage members uh to be thoughtful in these nominations, and we always encourage members of the community to reach out to their council members if they are interested in serving on the HEFB.

All right.

Uh without objection, uh, we will uh suspend the calling of the roll and ask the clerk to please record the names of the members uh present uh throughout the meeting.

Uh is there a motion uh onto our approval of minutes?

Is there a motion for approval of the minutes of the meeting of March 3rd, 2026?

Okay.

Um there is a motion properly seconded and without objection.

And seeing no one seeking to be recognized for a change to the minutes.

Okay, the minutes of the meeting of March 3rd are approved.

Mr.

Clerk, are there any messages from the mayor?

Yes, there is a message from the mayor.

Go ahead, Mr.

Clerk.

Dear Vice Mayor Henderson and members of council, pursuant to regulations of the Tennessee Comptroller's Office.

Dear Vice Mayor Henderson and members of council, pursuant to regulations of the Tennessee Comptroller's Office, please find the state of Tennessee reporting forms for the 2026 2026 Series A B and C general obligation bonds in the cumul cumulative amount of 600 million six hundred and seventy thousand dollars.

The 2026 general obligation bonds were authorized through resolution resolution RS 2026 1771 on February 3rd, 2026.

Metro Nashville's strong financial management was recognized by the three primary bond rating agencies who reaffirmed our credit ratings.

Moody's SP and Kroll rating agencies specifically acknowledge Metro's well well maintained financial operations supported by sound financial debt and fund balance policies.

Metro secured a competitive and favorable aggregate interest rate of 3.595% for its 2026 bonds, well below the maximum authorized rate of six six point zero percent, keeping costs low for taxpayers and maximizing the long-term affordability of the bond program.

These interest rates align closely with those obtained by triple A rated issuers in the marketplace at the time.

Additionally, the Metro Finance Department recently secured a fuel price contract that locked in fuel rates prior to commencement of military action in the Middle East.

As a result of the contract, Metro will pay a guaranteed rate that is significantly lower than current fuel prices.

Metro's fuel price contracts are secured through fiscal year 2027.

As always, we appreciate the Metropolitan Council's support on these important financing initiatives.

Sincerely, Mayor Freddie O'Connell.

All right.

We are gonna roll right in uh to our uh agenda, Section E, appointees and nominees.

This portion of the agenda shares all persons who were scheduled to appear before the rules, confirmations and public elections committee for an interview this evening.

Referrals back to the committee will be by rule as part of the council's two meeting process for elections and confirmations.

No votes will be taken by the body in this section of the agenda.

Uh Chair Cash, uh your brief report, please, sir.

No vote totals necessary, simply the name of those interviews and for uh which uh seat or commission, and also if a person in the appointment and confirmation process wasn't able to attend your committee this evening, at what meeting they will next appear, please, sir.

Go ahead.

Okay.

Uh so for the arts commission, Evan Brown was approved.

Uh for planning commission, Jessica Farr was approved.

Um, and then we deferred uh Mira, I'm sorry, Mirza Esteban for one meeting.

Uh Russ Pulley was withdrawn for the sports authority.

Um for we Jeffrey Eazel Ace, we deferred one meeting for the sustainability advisory committee.

Um approved nope, I'm sorry.

Uh approved uh uh council member Berkeley Allen for sustainable sustainability advisory committee.

We suspended the rules because it wasn't he wasn't on our um committee agenda, but we approved uh we suspended the rules are approved.

Uh Jason Carney for the Sustainability Advisory Committee.

We deferred Cesar Castro for one meeting.

We deferred Caroline Everett for one meeting.

We deferred Councilmember Sandy Ewing for one meeting.

We approved Michelle Hammond.

Uh we for sustainability advisory and we uh approved Stephanie Tetro for the sustainability advisory committee.

Okay.

Did I cover that?

I believe so.

Um so again, um uh re-referrals are by rule, um, and just uh to reconfirm those folks being deferred one meeting for an interview at the next meeting will be Mira Esteban for property standards, uh Jeffrey Azell for sustainability advisory, um, as well as Caroline Everett and Ms.

Ewing, so all three of those.

Did you say Cesar Castro?

Um I did not.

That one also was deferred.

That's also a one-meeting deferral.

Okay.

So as it relates to the sustainability advisory committee, those interviews will uh then uh uh be deferred and take place at the next meeting for Jeffrey Azell, Cesar Castro, Caroline Everett, and Councilmember Ewing.

Is that correct?

Yes.

Okay.

And then Mr.

Uh the Honorable Russ Pulley um has been withdrawn um for the sports authority.

Correct.

Um I I do not believe so, uh, special counsel.

I think because this portion is uh re-referrals, I have only thus far done um uh motions and votes when those are for election.

Okay, so for folks that are tracking through our appointments and confirmations process.

Um I I would suggest uh chair that we just uh we've stated them into the record and as re-referrals anyway would be by rule, we just proceed along.

Is there any objection to that?

Nope.

Okay, all right.

Um so next uh in section F confirmations, um, Chair Cash, you are uh recognized again for uh report on the appointees in the second step of your committee's two meeting process uh with vote totals this time and a consolidated motion for the confirmation of those persons or first for a deferral motion if there are any.

Go ahead, sir.

Okay, for bicycle and pedestrian advisory commission, uh Daniel Caparella approved seven uh to zero to zero.

Civil service commission reappointment of Alicia Jones um approved seven in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Um we have a bunch for the board of equalization, uh maybe the remainders.

Um and I'll say if they're uh uh if I say they're an al if uh don't say they're an alternate, they're a member.

So the appointment of Laurie Cass as an alternate uh seven to zero to zero, uh Alexia reappointment of Alexia Colton.

Um seven in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Chair, are all of these vote counts going to be the same?

Yes.

So what I would suggest is that you uh state the Board of Equalization, say 70 and O, and then if you want to buy for Kate, if it's an appointment or reappointment, or just proceed in order in that manner.

That way we won't have to call the vote on all of them.

Or of equalization 700, Lori Cass's alternate, Alexa Jay Colton uh as a member, Deb Dawson is a member.

Ellis is an alternate, uh John Green as a member, Melba Jackson as a member, uh Michael Milner as an alternate Israel Nellis as an alternate, Mia Parker as an alternate, Carnell Scruggs as a member, Derek Starks as an alternate, uh, and those are all for the board of equalization, all seven to zero zero.

Thank you.

For the planning commission, the reappointment of Greg Atkins for a term expiring March 31st, 2030.

Seven in favor, zero against zero not voting.

For the planning commission, reappointment of Aria Dang for a term expiring March 31st, 2030.

Seven in favor, zero against zero not voting.

And to the public library board and the traffic and parking for the public library board, uh we approved Jarvis Rand for a term expiring at April 6, 2033.

Seven in favor, zero against zero not voting for traffic and parking commission, reappointment of Brandon Mason for a term expiring April 3rd, 2031 approved.

Seven in favor, zero against zero not voting.

All right.

Um I would entertain them.

Go ahead.

I move approval of the nominees.

Okay.

Um there is a motion to confirm uh all of these appointees uh properly seconded in a consolidated vote.

Um does anyone wish to remove an item from this consolidated motion uh for purposes of an individual abstention or a no vote.

Okay.

Seeing none, um, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

All right.

Um so council uh has confirmed a very long list of appointees.

Um if you chose to return to the council chamber this evening, which is not required.

Uh, do please stand as I call your name um so that uh you can be recognized.

Um and though for those persons watching from home, uh we will uh thank you as well uh at the end.

So uh council has uh confirmed uh the appointment of Daniel Caparella to the bicycle and pedestrian advisory commission.

Uh council has confirmed the reappointment of Alicia Jones to the Civil Service Commission.

Council has uh confirmed both the appointments, the reappointments as alternates and as members to the Board of Equalization, Lori Caste, Alexa J.

Colton, Deb Dawson, Truett Ellis, John Green.

I see you, sir.

Thank you.

Uh Melba Jackson, Michael Milliner, Israel D.

Nellis, uh, Mia Parker, Carnell Scrugs, Derek Starks, uh, and to the planning commission, council has confirmed the reappointment of Greg Atkins uh and Arya M.

Dang.

And to the public library board, council has confirmed the reappointment of Charvis Rand.

And then lastly, council has uh confirmed the reappointment to the Traffic and Parking Commission of Brandon Mason.

So we wish congratulations to everyone.

Uh we thank you, Mr.

Green, for joining us this evening.

So, whether here in person or watching from home, we appreciate your willingness to serve our city.

Thank you so much.

All right.

Next is Section G, um, uh, our public comment period.

Members of the public who are Tennessee residents wishing to speak at public comment may sign up uh at the table outside the council chamber from 5 p.m.

to 6 p.m.

on the day of the council meeting.

Public comment is limited to 20 minutes total at council meetings, and each speaker is allowed up to two minutes to speak.

Uh person speaking on agenda items must be prioritized to comply with state law.

All right.

Um I will go ahead and read out the first two or three.

Um, and that way you can all go ahead and come forward and um we can proceed along.

Uh first uh for public comment is Todd Horn.

Todd Horn will be followed by Paul Pleman and then Michael Lacey.

Uh Mr.

Horn is speaking on agenda item number 7, uh ordinance 1275 regarding zero West Campbell Road, speaking in opposition.

Um Mr.

Horn, you're recognized.

Thank you very much to the council.

I appreciate your time and your effort.

My name is Todd Horn.

I live in the Ridgemont neighborhood.

I'm here to ask one question and a respectfully request an answer from this council.

How is it that 98% of a neighborhood can come together in opposition of a development that is being done when nothing has been provided to us for informational purposes as far as infrastructure studies, traffic flow studies, environmental studies, nothing has given been given to us.

We're very frustrated.

We've shown up to all the meetings, not all of us, but enough of us in the red shirts.

With this information.

She lives in um Hermitage neighborhood.

Read the letter to two different meeting meetings, which is a blatant bold face lie.

She has nothing to do with our neighborhood, but yet this information, how is it that this has gotten to this point when so many people have said no, we don't want it?

Not that we don't want it, we don't want what they're doing.

If they would come to us with a more favorable design, a more favorable group of housing, we would probably accept it.

Your time is expired.

Thank you.

So if I could get me an answer.

And you're welcome to email the council.

We don't respond.

You are giving public comment to the body.

There's no response from the body at this time.

Uh next is Paul Pleeman.

Um, also speaking on agenda item number 77, uh, ordinance 1275, Zero West Campbell Road, as well as public participation in local government.

He is speaking in opposition uh to 1275.

Um after uh Mr.

Pleeman will be Mr.

Lacey.

Um, Mr.

Lacey will be followed by Mr.

Hodge.

Go ahead, Mr.

Clemen.

Good evening, council.

My name is Paul Plyman.

I'm here tonight because I actually want to address something that unfortunately became a part of this process.

My ethics complaint against Councilmember Jennifer Gamble was recently dismissed.

The complaint centered on statements made during an active rezoning process.

Her voicemail stated that I was aggressive, that I caused Metro police presence at meetings, and that I went on what was described as a racist rant about her to a metro planning staff member.

That allegation is false.

The staff member who was named has confirmed on record that no such conversations occurred and that I made no racist remarks.

I have never made a racist statement about Councilmember Gamble or anyone else.

I've never threatened her.

My participation has consisted of public comments, written correspondence, meetings, and policy arguments.

The Department of Law concluded that even if those statements were made, they do not meet the legal threshold for an ethics violation.

That may be a legal conclusion, but I am not here to debate legal standards.

I am here to defend my character.

When an elected official labels a private citizen as racist or as a public safety concern during an active legislative matter, it shapes perception.

It can chill public participation and influence votes.

It carries consequences beyond this chamber for my family, for my professional life, and for our place in this community.

Now, a few more quick points.

This proposal adds more than 20 homes than what it's owned for, not eight.

Ellen Angelico is not a resident of our neighborhood.

She lives two miles away.

Glad you think this is funny, sir.

Please don't be arrogant and think we're not coming for your seats.

All right.

Next is uh Michael Lacey, uh, speaking on agenda item 16.

This is resolution 2026 1842.

Grant uh funding for homelessness services.

Speaking in support, uh, Mr.

Lacey will be followed by Mr.

Hodge, and then after that, Elliot Perry.

Uh, go ahead, Mr.

Lacey, you're recognized.

Recently, I interviewed a young couple taken from a homeless encampment in Hermitage and placed at the roadway inn.

Uh, they're homeless again.

They survived the ice storm in a tent barely.

Metro put them in a lease in 2024, paid rent for a while, then stopped without notice, and they were evicted.

They struggled to get housing again, but were evicted again, and this time she was pregnant.

Homeless, they gave the baby up for adoption at the hospital.

When I asked if they would have kept the baby if they had a home, they said yes.

Two families have filed Title VI civil rights complaints recently over similar treatment.

This is the model that OHS is expanding with MRF funds, MRF, and training other cities on actively.

Metro places vulnerable people in high eviction complexes and signs nothing.

Tenants sign leases, and in every case I've heard, never receive copies of those leases.

But Metro keeps a copy of their leases, even though they don't appear in it.

I obtained many of those leases through public records request.

I had more access to their leases than these tenants had.

And here's the thing OHS is never authorized to pay rent.

As Director Calvin noted today in the prior committee meeting, other departments do because council authorized them to do so.

OHS was not authorized.

There are no contracts, there are no procurement, there's no authorization, and these are hundreds of thousands of dollars being paid, going back to 2024.

Please look into business unit 53902028.

It's designated for Strobel House, and then was given to some other specific organizations, but it wasn't used for these purposes.

I would expect more Title VI complaints, more exposes, and for eviction rates to be tracked by district and for the use of submers funds to be tracked by district.

So please proceed accordingly.

Thank you.

Uh next is uh Michael Hodge, uh regarding the Barnes Housing Trust Fund, speaking in support.

Go ahead, sir.

I'm Mike Hodge.

I live in District 31, John Rutherford's district.

I'm a member of Edge Hill United Methodist Church and of the NOAA Affordable Housing Task Force.

I came here in 1975 to go to Scarrick College, where Bill Barnes was my professor, as well as the founding pastor of Edge Hill Church, and he's the namesake of the Barnes Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

After graduation, I got a job working with challenged neighborhoods here in this city.

I helped one of these neighborhoods to convert an old building into five apartments for low-income families, and they've now been renting these out since 1986.

The neighborhood is Wedgewood Houston.

These five units may be the only private affordable housing in that entire area today.

Metro's unified housing strategy says that we need 20,000 truly affordable units.

So what do we do this year?

If we shortchange the Barnes Fund again, we're simply falling farther behind as the housing crisis gets worse.

For every dollar that nonprofits receive from the Barnes Fund, they generate nine other dollars to create affordable housing.

So last year we shortchanged the fund by 14 million, and we shortchanged ourselves by 126 million dollars.

Those are other dollars that would have come in from other sources.

You know, I was proud of what we did in that neighborhood.

I can point to those five units as wonderful, but we did not make a big enough difference.

As a city, if we want to deal with our housing crisis, we have to get to scale.

Please begin now planning for 30 million dollars to go into the Barnes Fund so we can respond to what was called for in that unified housing strategy, and we can respond to the needs that all of us hear every day.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Uh next will be uh Elliot Perry uh speaking on agenda items uh 57 and 58.

Uh these are ordinances uh 1168 and 1169, um uh an overlay uh district, I believe, on the canon um in opposition uh after Elliot Perry will be uh Andrew O'Keiki and Valeria uh Lopez.

Uh go ahead.

Uh Elliot, you're recognized.

Good evening, Council members.

Thank you for your time.

My name is Elliot Perry.

I'm a district twenty-one resident that lives just off of Bechanna Street.

I want to start by acknowledging that I understand why this legislation is here.

The concerns around noise, late-night activity, and behavior are real, of experience and myself.

But tonight is no longer just a land use decision.

The state of Tennessee is in the final stages of passing legislation, SP 1908 and HP 1837 that will create a new framework allowing property owners to seek compensation when regulations reduce property value or restrict previously permitted juices.

Yesterday in planning committee, Metro Legal Council advised that if you pass this overlay tonight, those protections will not apply here.

So the practical effect of your vote tonight is this.

If you move forward, you are making a conscious decision that property owners on Buchanan Street will not have access to protections that may be available to other property owners across Nashville just weeks from now.

Not because of planning to policy, but because the timing that creates a real question of fairness, especially for a quarter with the historical significance and past disinvestment that Buchanan Street has experienced.

The consequences will not be theoretical.

They will be felt parcel by parcel and owner by owner over the coming years.

Waiting a few weeks allows you to move forward with clarity while avoiding the risk of knowingly placing this quarter outside protections that may soon apply everywhere else.

I just want to ask the council to consider if these protections take effect in a matter of weeks.

This may be the only time this body knowingly places a single quarter outside of them pay solely on timing.

And that decision may be difficult to unwind.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, sir.

Uh next is uh Andrew O'Kiki, okay.

Apologize.

Go ahead, sir.

All good.

Um he is requesting a resolution against ICE.

Go ahead, sir.

Council members.

Um, my name is Andrew O'Kiki.

I am a native of the city, current resident of District 15, and a member of the Democratic Socialist of America, Middle Tennessee.

I've already reached out to a couple members of this body via email, and I am here today to follow through.

The era of Nashville's defensive crouch is over.

On February 26th, some members of this very body won a historic victory against SB 6002 by taking the state to court.

They didn't just win a legal argument.

They secured immunity for this council.

But immunity is a hollow prize if it isn't used to protect the people.

The win should be celebrated.

Our neighbors are still facing brutality in the streets, however, and I hope you continue to fight.

In the last few weeks, the cost of silence has become clear.

Look at the case of Staftani Rodriguez.

That's just one case.

A journalist and a neighbor who is recently found to have been stripped naked and chemicals poured on her body.

That cannot stand.

This is the human cost of unchecked cooperation when non-mandatory communication between local and federal agencies happens in the dark.

People like Estefani pay the price, one story, but so many we do not hear about.

One, would you clarify that Nashville's resources are for local safety?

The city should not be cooperating as unpaid interns for ice.

Two, we need a transparency report.

The MMPD should report all mandatory communication with federal agencies to this council every quarter.

Mr.

Kiki, your time has expired.

Yeah.

Um next uh and last for public comment is uh Valeria Lopez um speaking regarding uh agenda items 57 and 58, 11 uh ordinance 1168 and 1169 um regarding uh the Buchanan uh overlay districts uh speaking in opposition.

Go ahead, ma'am.

Hello, everyone.

I have my green up.

My name is Valeria Lopez, and I'm a business owner on Buchanan Street.

I'm standing here today, not just for myself, but for the corridor filled with over 75 businesses, property owners, and community.

I want to be clear, I am not here today to just oppose the overlay.

I'm here to respectfully ask that council defer until after the state legislative session concludes.

Right now, the state is considering legislation HB 1837 that will require government to compensate property owners if new land use regulations reduce property value or limit previously allowed uses.

If HB 1837 passes, it could provide new protections to property owners throughout Tennessee, but because there is no guarantee that it would apply retroactively, moving forward with this overlay today would mean that Buchanan Street is impacted before the protections are in place, while other areas addressed later may benefit from this HP 1837.

And that is where my concern lies.

This is the first overlay of its kind in Nashville.

It says the presidents, and with that comes the responsibility to ensure that it is implemented, implemented fairly throughout and with full clarity.

We are simply asking for a little more time not to stop progress.

Thank you, Miss Lopez.

Your time has expired.

Thank you.

All right, that concludes uh public comment.

Next, uh, we move on to uh section uh H of our agenda uh regarding uh rule of procedure uh proposal uh for uh an amendment to rule 50 regarding uh elections to boards and commissions, uh sponsored uh by Mr.

Koopin and uh Ms.

Stiles uh with a proposed substitute from Chair Cash.

We take these rules up as we would legislative items, and so with that, I will recognize you, uh Chair Cash.

Thanks.

We met and discussed the um the amendment and uh the substitute to it.

We deferred both for one meeting to dig a little deeper into the proposed changes.

Okay, five in favor, zero against or not voting.

Yes, and given that we're taking in normal order of legislation, I should have acknowledged you first, Mr.

Koopin, but all good.

Um a little bit different there.

Um, but we have the committee report.

Um, and so uh are are you complete with the committee report, sir?

Is there anything else you want to say?

No uh I I I mean I would like to say go ahead.

Um we'll defer to Councilmember Coopin since he started the rule change.

Okay.

Uh Mr.

Koopin, are you okay if Chair Cash goes ahead and speaks into what was transpired in committee?

Go ahead, sir.

Okay, so uh councilmember Koop uh proposed a change.

We we've had some issues with um council member nominated elections, and and where we had this this turnover and we've had some conflicts with the meeting date to schedule the interview, right?

And uh I think council member Koopin is looking for a way to give another opportunity to someone that that isn't isn't able to be there.

Um I uh dug a little deeper and uh I support council member coopin's uh change rule change.

I looked at rule 50 and kind of made looked at some other changes.

I think while he while council member coopin was making a change to rule three, um I saw something in rule two that still needed to be changed to make to make his change work.

So I am I part of my substitute amends that out.

I also gave the council body an opportunity to move the meeting by a two-thirds vote.

And I also um I'm sorry, move the election by two-thirds vote.

And I did some like Engl old English teacher red pen editing of some language that I thought could really be better.

All righty.

Thank you, Chair Cash.

Flipping that back around, Mr.

Koopin, you're recognized on your um amendment to rule procedure.

Thanks for your patience there, sir.

Thank you, Madam President, and no worries.

It's uh it's a team effort over here with this.

Um appreciate Chair Cash um and his uh his remarks here.

This is a I think a really great rule change.

I appreciate his support and his um his additions to it.

I think that we um have great people that want to serve uh and volunteer their time very kindly to our city, and so making sure that there's a couple of opportunities for them to come before us um so we can have the the best pool of candidates for then the body and make a decision um is really important.

And so I appreciate the the support and appreciate Chair Cash's um substitute and um I'd also requested that it be deferred uh just to have a little bit more time to look at his substitute and clean up a couple other things, but I think by next meeting we'll be ready to go.

All right, so you're gonna move a deferral.

Yes, I'll move on.

Okay.

Um is there a second?

Okay, is there any uh further discussion um on uh uh rule 50 um proposed amendment um by Mr.

Koopin?

Mr.

Parker, your reconnaissance.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um so I was able to listen to the discussion in rules today, and I'm supportive of the deferral.

Um I think one of the most important reforms that we've made um in recent years was the uh giving giving members the opportunity to review rules committee interviews um prior to voting or confirming um in elections or or confirmation process uh on this floor.

Um and so you know, whatever final form this takes through the deferral and an additional um review process.

I just want to uh suggest that we maintain the ability of um members to review those recorded interviews.

It's often very crowded in there during the rules committee for the interviews.

Um there's often not physical space for us to be present in the room.

Um there's often a lot of interviewees that are talking.

So um I think it's a very important reform that we've made, and I just want to maintain that we have that ability to review those um with with appropriate time um prior to voting on folks to confirm or elect them to positions.

So I do support the deferral, and I hope that we can make sure that that's maintained in whatever potential rule changes is comes before us.

Thank you.

Um uh Ms.

Sepulveda, uh you are recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um I I'm in support of the deferral.

Not in support of the bill overall, still I have concerns.

Um I do want to address that there was good conversation regarding uh just overall having uh more of a heads up when there are uh vacancies coming up to give uh as an appropriate amount of time for our nominees to be able to have um the ability to make it on time um to these um interviews.

So uh that was a um discussion that we had with our current um um legal counsel.

So um just want you all to uh well encourage you all to go back and watch that conversation.

Thank you, Ms.

Bulvada.

Um, Mr.

Coupen, go ahead, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, and want to address my colleagues and appreciate everybody kind of weighing in and working on this um to uh Councilman Parker's point.

I was also very supportive of that rule change, allowing us to have the time to instead of try to squeeze in the room right before the meeting to go to watch at our convenience the um rules committee uh interviews and then um ask questions and things like that.

Um and so to me this rule still shows the preference for um nominees attending that meeting with enough time um in order to trigger this rule um a uh council member would have to ask the rules committee to make a deferral motion that would have to pass, and then a deferral motion would also have to happen on the floor.

So there's two checks to that um where a council member would have to make the case that their nominee um that there's a good reason for their nominee to not be there that evening and to say we want the um we want them to be able to be considered at the next rules committee meeting.

It would mean that you'd have to squeeze into that room or or miss the the interview.

Um, but what I've what I've shared with my colleagues is that um that can be a consideration in your vote, right?

If a member um says, well, I I haven't had a chance to review, you know, Susan Smith's nomination interview, you don't have to vote for Susan Smith.

You don't have to vote for Susan Smith.

You can say that's disqualifying.

Members can still take that all into consideration.

This rule change still makes it difficult to for that to happen, but takes away the need for a suspension of the rules and provides a pathway for someone who can't be at one meeting at one time on one day from being completely disqualified from serving on a board of commission in in some cases.

We saw recently someone who's been serving for uh multiple years.

So I think that's um, and then again to Councilwom Woman Sepulveda's um uh comment as well.

I believe that yes, more advanced notice would be helpful and really appreciate that as well.

Um, but again, you know, that that any any this could the members could still take into consideration concerns that they have with someone not making a day in time, but that wouldn't preclude other members from still supporting them in that case.

All righty.

Um Chair Cash, do you seek to be recognized?

Um we're uh we're on a deferral, so let's uh wrap it up here if we can.

Uh that uh I get I asked for the deferral and and Councilmember Cooper now third full so we can talk these things through.

I think it's important to get the items that we want to talk through on the agenda in the public discourse.

Um I just wanted to add uh kind of speaking to what council member Parker said.

Uh I that's why I also put in like a two-thirds vote to if we really see if there's really something in a um interview that raises alarms, then we have an off-ramp in my substitute to to push the election back to say, wait, we're not ready for this election.

Let's vote and and have it and to defer it for two weeks rather than just defer the people in that case.

Thanks.

All right, uh, Mr.

Parker.

I'm I just in the spirit that uh Mr.

Cash uh is invoking.

I'm gonna acknowledge you again.

Go ahead, sir.

Extraordinarily brief, Vice Mayor.

Um, I'm concerned about using uh threshold as high as two-thirds um to trigger that deferral to allow other people to review um information that they would by definition not be aware of while they're making that vote.

So I hope we can consider that in this deferral process.

Thank you.

Alrighty.

Um okay, we are gonna uh move to the vote on the deferral, such that um this rule will be taken up again.

Um uh and it will be back in uh committee um uh for further uh discussion and encourage everybody to engage in the intervening time.

Uh we have a deferral motion and a proper second.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no?

Any abstaining?

Okay, this is deferred to the next meeting.

Next, um, we have a uh oh, point of order.

Um, yes, Mr.

Benton, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

May I have a brief point of personal privilege?

Um usually, sir, we we take those at the um end.

Um is it pertaining to a legislative matter or kind of an unrelated?

Um, I'm happy to acknowledge you at the end of the meeting.

Uh that's fine.

Okay, thank you, sir.

Um, all right, uh resolution on public hearing.

Um section I uh this uh is we have all we have Spanish interpretation services offered um for uh council public hearings.

Uh council office team member Karina Valdez is here to help.

Um Ms.

Valdez, uh, can you please share with us how you can do that, please, ma'am?

Go ahead.

Okay, gracias, Ms.

Valdez.

We appreciate you.

Um the uh single item uh resolution for public hearing is agenda item one.

It is resolution 2026 uh dash one eight two seven sponsor vo.

It is resolution exempting Sally's stay a while, located at 611 Wedgewood Avenue from the minimum distance requirements for obtaining a beer permit.

All right.

Um Ms.

Vowe, you are recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I move to open the public hearing.

Okay.

Um I declare the public hearing open uh for Ms.

Vowe's uh resolution 1827.

Would all members of the public hear in support of this resolution?

Please your hand.

Okay.

Would all members of the public hear in opposition to this bill uh please raise your hand?

Seeing no one here in opposition to the persons here in support seek to be recognized and speak.

They are shaking their head no, Miss Vowe.

And so with that, I will declare the public hearing closed.

And it's back to you.

If you would request uh your committee report, then we can get a motion on the bill.

Thank you so much, committee reports.

Uh Chair of Government Operations and Regulations.

Uh Ms.

Hill, you're recognized.

Speaking of minute, Vice Mayor, we voted to approve five in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay, it's back to you, uh Ms.

Vaux for a motion.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Move to approve.

Right.

Is there a second?

It's properly moved and seconded.

Is there any discussion on this resolution?

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Any voting no?

Any abstaining?

All right, council has adopted this resolution.

All right, now we're rolling uh right into uh section J, our consolidated consent agenda.

All resolutions and second and third reading ordinances on this agenda are included on the consent agenda if recommended for approval unanimously by all committees to which the item was referred.

Items on the consent agenda will be voted on at a single time.

The item number along with the resolution and ordinance number of the items on the consent agenda will be read by me.

And then members of the council may remove any item from the consent agenda by request before the consent agenda vote is taken.

Okay.

The first item proposed uh for the consolidated uh consent uh agenda is agenda item two, resolution 2026-1828.

Agenda item three, resolution 2026-1829.

Agenda item four, resolution 2026-1830.

Agenda item five, resolution 2026-1831.

Agenda item seven, resolution 2026-183.

Agenda item eight, resolution 2026-1834.

Agenda item nine, resolution 2026-1835.

Agenda item 10, resolution 2026-1836.

Agenda item 11, resolution 2026-1837.

Agenda item 12, resolution 2026-1838.

Agenda item 13, resolution 2026-1839.

Agenda item 15, resolution 2026-1841.

Agenda item 16, resolution 2026-1842.

Agenda item 17, resolution 2026-1843.

Agenda item 18, resolution 2026-1844.

Agenda item 19, resolution 2026-1845.

Agenda item 21, resolution 2026-1847.

Agenda item 22, resolution 2026-1848.

Agenda item 23, resolution 2026-1849.

Agenda item 24, resolution 2026-1850.

Resolution 2026-1851.

Agenda item 29, resolution 2026-1855.

Agenda item 31, resolution 2026-1857.

Agenda item 32, resolution 2026-1858.

Agenda item 33, resolution 2026-1859.

Agenda item 34, resolution 2026-1860.

Right.

Now for bills on second reading proposed for the consent agenda.

First among those is agenda item 50.

Uh, ordinance BL 2026-1297.

Agenda item 51, ordinance BL 2026-1298.

Agenda item 52, ordinance BL 2026-1299.

Agenda item 53, ordinance BL 2026-130.

Agenda item 54, ordinance BL 2026-1301.

Agenda item 55, ordinance BL 2026-1302.

Now for bills on third reading proposed for the consent agenda.

First among those is agenda item 57, ordinance BL 2025-1168.

Agenda item 58, ordinance BL 2025-1169.

Agenda item 59, ordinance BL 2026-1247.

Agenda item 62, ordinance BL 2026-1250.

Agenda item 63, ordinance BL 2026-1251.

Agenda item 65, ordinance BL 2026-1262.

Agenda item 66, ordinance BL 2026-1263.

Agenda item 67, ordinance BL 2026-1264.

Agenda item 68, ordinance BL 2026-1265.

Agenda Item 87, Ordinance BL 2026-1286.

Agenda Item 88, Ordinance BL 2026-1287.

Agenda Item 89, Ordinance BL 2026-1288.

Agenda Item 90, Ordinance BL 2026-1289.

Agenda Item 91, Ordinance BL 2026-1290.

Agenda Item 93, Ordinance BL 2026-1292.

Agenda item 94, ordinance BL 2026-1293.

Agenda item 95.

Nope, I'm sorry, that is not proposed for consent.

Um so last was 94, and that is the final um item uh proposed uh for the consolidated consent agenda.

Do any items need to be removed from the consent agenda?

If so, members please join the queue to request that.

Councilmember uh Welsh, uh you are recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I would like to pull items 757 and 58.

Um can you give me the agenda number, please, ma'am?

Item number seven.

Thank you, ma'am.

57 and 58.

Okay, got it.

I was merging 757 altogether, and I was like, hey, what's happening there?

Okay.

Okay.

Agenda item uh seven.

Um uh council member Welsh has requested and will be uh removed from consent.

Um next is agenda item 57.

Not 757.

Item uh 57 uh is uh ordinance BL 2025-1168.

Uh that will be removed from consent.

And then Ms.

Welsh, also you were requesting 58.

Okay.

Agenda item 58, uh, which is ordinance BL 2025-1169 uh will also be uh has been removed from consent.

Um okay.

Uh let's see.

Um having a little bit of an issue with my monitor here, so I cannot see the queue.

I see it again.

Uh council member coupen, uh you are recognized, sir.

Go ahead.

Thank you, madam president.

Please pull item number three off.

Okay, council member coupen has requested uh that agenda item uh three uh resolution 2026 1829.

Um it will be uh removed from consent uh council member Harrell, you're recognized, sir.

Thank you, madam vice mayor.

Um will you remove number six item number sixty-nine?

Okay, um, council member has asked uh for the removal of agenda item 69.

Uh that is ordinance BL 2026-1266.

It will be removed from consent.

Uh okay.

Um any other items um that need to be removed from the consent agenda.

All right.

Uh Mr.

Clerk, are all committee reports in for items uh on the consent agenda?

Yes, all committee reports are in.

All right, and then with that, uh members, is there a motion for approval of the consent agenda?

Okay, properly moved and seconded.

All in favor say aye.

Council has passed all items on the consent agenda.

All right.

Um now we will uh go back through in agenda order uh for items uh that were not on consent.

So back to resolutions.

First among those is agenda item uh three.

Uh resolution 2026-1829 uh sponsors tombs, Huffman, Welsh, GAD, Allen, and Hill.

This is a resolution approving the second amendment to the grant contract L637 between the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and youth villages to provide additional funding.

Uh um sponsor tombs, uh budget and finance chair, you are recognized.

Thank you, madam vice mayor.

Uh committee reports, budget and finance voted to recommend approval seven in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay.

And for the report of the public health and safety committee, Chair Huffman, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Public Health and Safety recommended uh approval eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay.

Um all righty.

Um and so it is back to you, uh Ms.

Toombs for a motion to get this before us.

Move for approval.

All right, it's properly moved and seconded.

Is there any discussion?

Mr.

Koopin, you're recognized, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

I just need to be recorded as an abstention on this one.

Right.

Um, Mr.

Koopin uh will be uh so noted.

Um seeing no further discussion, uh all in favor, please say aye.

Um any voting no.

And any other abstentions in addition to Mr.

Coopin's.

All right, um, seeing none, uh council has adopted this resolution.

Next is agenda item six, uh, resolution 2026-1832.

Sponsors Huffman, Gadhill, and Ewing.

This is a resolution approving a memorandum of understanding between the Metropolitan Government of National and Davidson County acting by and through the Metropolitan Board of Health and Vanderbilt University Medical Center to establish emergency work site points of dispensing medication during a public health emergency and to provide licensed medical employees and other licensed medical professionals specified by uh the POD uh with mass prophylaxis for distribution in the event of a public health emergency.

Um Mr.

Huffman, Chair, you're recognized, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Committee Reports.

Public Health and Safety recommended approval seven in favor, one against zero not voting.

Okay.

Um with uh that uh committee report in, uh, would you like to move approval, sir?

Move for approval.

Okay.

Properly moved and seconded.

Is there any uh discussion uh on this resolution?

Seeing none, uh all in favor, please say aye.

Any voting no?

Any abstaining.

Okay.

Um Mr.

Bradford will be recorded as an abstention.

Um, Mr.

Clerk, if you would please do that.

Um council has adopted uh this resolution.

All right, um next is agenda item seven, resolution 2026-1833, sponsor Huffman.

This is a resolution approving a data use agreement by and between the state of Tennessee, Tennessee Department of Health, and the Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County, acting by and through the Metro Board of Health to access certain vital records data to support its public health surveillance and response.

Um Mr.

Huffman, Chair, you're recognized again, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Committee Reports, uh public health and safety recommended approval, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay.

Um uh you're welcome to give a motion.

And move for approval.

Is there second?

Okay, properly moved and seconded.

Uh, we are on to discussion.

Uh Councilmember Welsh, you're recognized.

Um thank you, Vice Mayor.

I actually just have a question about this um this particular resolution.

There is um it shows within the resolution um in the full text there is a data share with the with um that concerns fetal death, and I want to make sure that this is not something that is actually used as an abortion tracking tool.

Some people, you know, accessing abortion services.

So I'm just wondering if someone from the administration can let me know exactly what that is in terms of that information about a fetal death.

All right.

Um is anyone here from the administration prepared to speak in that regard?

Mr.

Rosenberg, you are recognized, sir.

Thank you, madam president.

Councilmember, this is data that the state will be sharing with Metro Health for T use and Health Research.

There's nothing in the other direction.

Oh, um, thank you, Ms.

Welsh.

Okay.

Um is there any further uh discussion um on this resolution?

Seeing none, uh all in favor, please say aye.

Any voting no?

Any abstaining?

All right, uh council has adopted this resolution.

Um next is agenda item 14, uh resolution 2026-1840 sponsors tombs, huffman, gad, and allen.

This is a resolution appropriating a total of one million five hundred thousand dollars to the hospitality hub of Memphis and amending an interim housing services grant contract between the Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County, acting by and through the Office of Homeless Services and the Hospitality Hub of Memphis to increase the grant amount for the operation of interim housing and case management services at 9595 Wallace Road, Nashville, Tennessee, 3721.

Uh sponsor tombs, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor, Committee Reports, budget and finance voted to recommend approval.

Seven in favor, zero against zero not voting.

All right, and for the report of the public health and safety committee, Chair Huffman, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Public Health and Safety recommended approval seven in favor, one against zero not voting.

Okay, and it's back to you, uh Ms.

Tombs for a motion.

Move for approval.

Okay, properly moved and seconded.

Um we are on to discussion.

Uh Councilmember Welsh, you are recognized.

Uh thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um, I'm going to be a no vote on this tonight, and I know that um we have been told that this could be very problematic in terms of breaking of the contract or ending a contract money running out.

Um so these services can be provided.

But I am not happy with the level of transparency with the Office of Homeless Services in terms of how money already allocated has been spent.

Council did pass unanimously a request for a report on how these monies have been allocated, the 4.4 million dollars.

Um, and we've never really received that.

And my understanding is they have no intention of providing that because they think of that as just a suggestion.

Um, but I don't think we've had enough transparency.

Um we have kind of an eviction pipeline going here.

We have some title uh six uh um complaints filed against OHS because of how money is being spent.

So I don't feel like until we have answers to a lot of these questions that we should be allowing money to be moved around so easily, especially money that's not particularly wasn't originally allocated for what it's going to now.

So I will be a no-board on this um legislation.

Thank you.

All righty.

Um next in the queue uh for discussion is Councilmember Coopin.

You're recognized.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um I just wanted to speak about hospitality hub in in general.

Um, not specifically to the OHS and funding component of it, but I had the opportunity recently to go to Memphis and tour their um their hospitality hub facility, and I just wanted to share how incredible it was.

Um they really do a great job of placemaking.

It felt warm and welcoming and inviting.

Um it's something that I wish you know we were able to have more of those types of facilities here in Nashville.

But just the care that they gave to our unhoused neighbors and and just the it was a space that people felt welcome.

I think that was really, really powerful.

So just great to see it.

Glad that they're they're gotten doing more in Nashville and would love to see more of them here as well.

All righty.

Next in the queue is uh Councilmember Huffman.

Uh go ahead, Chair, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

And I'll be brief with my comments here.

I want to echo what my uh colleague from downtown said about hospitality hub.

Uh having worked in this space uh on the HPC and in the last few years, you really see uh what vendors make a difference in this space and hospitality hub is one of those.

I've not made it down to Memphis.

I need to, but I have seen the testimonies rolling in from these guys.

They're the real deal, and in a space that where you really struggle to see results because it's of just dire situations of the numbers climbing and climbing and common.

Partners like this are are really what makes it worth it, seeing somebody that can really help people.

So uh I want to uh recommend that my colleagues consider supporting this uh just simply because we don't want to lose one of the good ones.

Thank you.

All righty.

Um discussion continues.

Uh Councilmember Wiener, you're recognized, ma'am.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I'll make this brief.

While I really appreciate and understand Councilmember Welsh's position, and I too had asked for a deferral in committee at the last meeting.

I really don't want to have any of our vendors pay the price for something that was not of their doing.

So for those reasons, I'm going to go ahead and support this tonight.

All right.

Um, is there any further discussion?

Oh, uh Councilmember Evans, uh, you are recognized, ma'am.

Um, thank you, Vice Mayor.

And I guess I just want to elevate um one of the things that stands out related to um my council colleague, uh Councilmember Welsh.

This is it, it's really challenging because when we make requests and we don't feel like we're getting the information that we need.

I know often, you know, department heads will say, hey, let's have a conversation.

And kind of bringing information forward is really important, I think, for all of us as we make informed decisions, but that's also where we can exercise um these discussions about budget during the budget cycle.

And so I just speak that into the universe for department heads to absorb that when we're asking for things.

We do want to make sure we bring them all the way to conclusion, and it makes the budget conversation more difficult and probably a little bit more tumultuous than it needs to be if we can get the information that we're looking for, if it can be socialized across the council, um, and it's not something that we have to pin, you know, for that one particular meeting.

So just putting it out there that if there's things that should be addressed that haven't been addressed, that we make sure we get them addressed in advance of that.

Thank you, Councilmember.

Uh is there any uh further discussion um on the uh motion to approve this resolution?

Okay, um seeing none, knowing uh that there is a declared no vote, and it is a resolution.

Um uh by rule, we do have to go on the boards.

Uh so Mr.

Clerk, if you would please open the vote uh for resolution one eight four zero, please with all votes in, Mr.

Clerk, please show the vote.

Uh the motion uh to approve uh passes with 31 votes in favor, two against, and zero abstentions.

So council has adopted this resolution.

All right, uh next is agenda item 20, resolution 2026-1846, sponsors Koopin Tombs Vaux, Welsh GAD and Hill.

This is a resolution accepting an in-kind grant from the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the Metropolitan Nashville Parks and Recreation Department to install a double-sided lighted sign at the south end of the Music City Walk of Fame Park.

Councilmember Koop, you're recognized, sir.

Withdraw, please.

All right.

Um uh this item 1846 agenda item 20 has been withdrawn.

All right, um that concludes our resolutions.

Um now we are at Section L, bills on introduction and first reading.

Uh by rule, all items on first reading shall be voted on at the same time, unless requested otherwise by a primary sponsor or by two other members.

Do any items need to be removed from the collective vote?

All right.

Um seeing none, is there a I'm sorry, Mr.

Horton.

Uh go ahead, sir.

Thank you.

Um just one moment, please.

Sorry.

Um item 30.

Um, sorry, just one moment.

I'm not sure.

No worries.

Item 35, please.

All right.

Um uh councilmember Horton um has requested that we move uh agenda item 35.

This is ordinance BL 2026-1314, of which he is the primary sponsor.

Um it is on uh first reading, and so we will take it separately.

So it's just being removed from the collective vote.

Um is uh there any other member seeking to be recognized uh to remove something from the collected vote.

Okay, seeing none.

Is there a motion for approval of all the items remaining on first consideration?

All right, uh properly seconded and without objection.

You have approved all items on first reading.

All right, now we will go back um to agenda item uh 35.

Uh again, this is ordinance BL 2026-1314, sponsors Horton and Evan Siegel.

This is an ordinance amending certain sections and subsections of chapters 2.104, 6.26, 13.32, 17.20, 0.24, 0.28, and 0.36.

So all uh title 17 of the Metro Code of Laws to correct typographical errors, incorrect references, redundancies, and other minor errors.

Uh councilmember Horton, you're recognized, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I'd like to move to defer this to the first meeting in July, please.

Okay, so you wish to pass on first, sorry, defer sorry, defer the second uh pass on first and defer second reading of the first meeting in July.

Okay, so there is a motion to approve on first reading and to defer the second reading to the first meeting in July.

Correct.

Okay.

Um is there second for that motion?

All right.

Is there any discussion on that motion?

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Any voting, no?

Any abstentions?

All right.

Um this has passed its uh first of three readings.

Its second reading will be at the first meeting in July.

All right, uh that concludes our first reading item.

So uh we will keep on rolling into agenda uh section M.

Bills on second reading.

Uh first among those uh is agenda item 48, uh ordinance BL 2026-1255.

Uh sponsors Huffman and Horton.

This is an ordinance amending chapter 13.08 of the Metro Code of Laws related to sandwich board signs in the public right of way.

Uh Councilmember Huffman, sir.

Okay.

Um uh Mr.

Mr.

Horton, do you know the sponsor's intent?

Uh I believe the sponsor wishes to defer one meeting.

Okay.

Um it's we have to request the committee reports if you would, sir.

Committee reports.

Okay, um, for the report of the budget and finance committee, uh, Ms.

Tombs.

Budget and finance voted to recommend a one meet and deferral, seven in favor, zero against, zero not voting.

Okay.

Um and for the transportation and infrastructure committee, uh, Chair uh Evan Siegel.

Does anybody have that report?

Okay, even if we don't, uh special counsel.

Okay.

Um, Ms.

Evan Siegel.

Um for the report of the transportation infrastructure.

I'm gonna go live right there.

Go ahead, ma'am.

Six in favor, zero against, zero not voted.

I think uh to defer one meeting.

One meeting.

Okay, we have got it.

Um and so as such, that is deferred by rule 8.1.

Okay.

Um that is a mandatory deferral by rule.

UK next we have agenda item 49.

This is ordinance BL 2026-1295.

Uh sponsors Alan Bradford and Huffman.

This is an ordinance amending title, or rather, section 2.24.230 of the Metro Code of Laws regarding the community meeting requirements for leasing certain metro government owned properties.

Uh Councilmember Allen, you're recognized, ma'am.

Thank you, Madam President.

Committee reports, please.

For the report of the budget and finance committee, Chair Tombs.

Budget and finance voted to recommend a one meet and deferral, seven in favor, zero against, zero not voting.

Okay, and for the report of the plan uh, no, government operations and regulations committee chair Hill, you're recognized.

Thank you, Mr.

Advice Mayor.

We voted uh one meeting deferral, five in favor, zero against zero not voting.

All right, and so with those committee reports in by rule eight point one.

And so with those committee reports in by rule eight point one, um, this is uh uh automatically deferred.

One meeting.

Yes, one meeting.

Yes.

All right.

This will be taken up again um at the first meeting in April.

All right.

Rolling right along into bills on third reading.

Uh first among those is agenda item 56, ordinance BL 2025-1148.

Sponsors Prep T and GAD.

This is an ordinance amending uh chapters 17.04 and 17.32 of the Metro Code of Laws to revise and add regulations on signs within the zoning code.

Uh sponsor prep T, you are recognized, sir.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor Committee reports.

Uh for the committee report of the planning and zoning committee.

Chair Horton, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

The planning and zoning committee uh considered the bill and a substitute.

We recommended approval of the substitute, nine in favor, zero against zero not voting, and recommended approval of the bill as substituted.

Nine in favor, zero against zero not voting.

All right, so it's back to you, Mr.

Pep T for a motion to get this before us.

Go ahead, sir.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor, move approval with a comment.

All right, is there second?

Go ahead, sir.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor, move approval and substitute.

All right.

Is there second?

Okay.

Um is there any discussion on the motion to substitute?

Do you seek to be recognized, sir, to describe the substitute?

Nope.

Oh, sure.

I I can just describe it.

If you would, just briefly.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor.

So what this bill does is it does uh a number of things.

First, is it primarily cleans up the uh um the title 17 code in which all of our uh sign regulations are?

It closes some loopholes and brings us into compliance with state law.

Um so this is uh largely a cleanup bill that that just streamlines this this particular code section.

Um and with that, Madam Vice Mayor, I renew my motion.

All right, there is a motion to substitute.

Um uh you've heard a description of this from uh sponsor prep T.

Is there any further discussion on the motion to substitute?

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no or abstaining?

All right, and if you would renew your motion, thank you, Madam Vice Mayor, move approval as substituted.

Thank you, sir.

Is there a second?

Any discussion on that?

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no or abstaining?

All right.

Uh this has passed its third and final reading as substituted.

Next is agenda item 57, uh ordinance BL 2025-1168, uh, sponsor taylor.

This is an ordinance to amend title 17, the Metro Code of Laws, the zoning ordinance of the Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County by applying a commercial compatibility overlay to various properties located on Buchanan Street between 21st Avenue North and Interstate 65.

This is 15.58 acres.

Uh Councilman Taylor, you're recognized, sir.

Oh, I'm sorry, sir.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Committee reports, please.

For the report of the planning and zoning committee, Chair Horton.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Planning and zoning recommended approval.

Nine in favor, zero against, zero not voting.

All right.

Um it's back to you uh for a motion, Mr.

Taylor.

Move for approval.

Is there a second?

Okay, it's before us.

Um you still have the floor, sir.

Anything uh you would like to add at this time.

Nope.

Okay.

Um we're on to discussion then.

Uh Councilmember Welsh, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um, I am just not comfortable supporting this given um what is pending with the state and um with some of the uh things that we heard in public comments um tonight and in other nights um about some serious questions that still exist about this.

So um I believe I'm just going to be abstaining from this.

I don't feel like I have enough total information to make a um uh a truly educated choice.

So I'm gonna be an abstention on this and on the following item.

All right.

Um is there any uh further uh discussion uh on this bill?

Okay.

Um uh seeing none, uh we will move uh to the vote.

Um we will try it uh first uh by voice.

Uh all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting nokay, a single no.

Um, so we do need to go on the board.

Um okay, Mr.

Clerk.

Uh if you this is uh ordinance on its third and final reading.

Um so uh Mr.

Clerk, if you would please uh open the vote uh for uh Mr.

Taylor's 1168, please, sir with all votes in, Mr.

Clerk.

If you would please show the vote, all right.

The motion to prove approve has passed with 31 votes in favor, one vote against, and one abstention.

All right.

Uh next is agenda item uh 58, uh ordinance BL 2025-1169, sponsor tailor.

This is an ordinance to amend title 17, the Metro Code of Laws, the zoning ordinance of the Metro Government by applying a commercial compatibility overlay district to various properties located on Buchanan Street between uh 24th Avenue North and 21st Avenue North.

This is 4.17 acres.

Uh Mr.

Taylor, you're recognized, sir.

Thank you again, Vice Mayor Committee reports, please.

For the report of the planning and zoning committee, Chair Horton, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Planning and zoning recommended approval.

Nine in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay.

It's back to you for a motion, Mr.

Taylor, to get it before us.

Move for approval.

Right.

Is there a second?

It's properly moved and seconded.

Is there any discussion?

All right.

Um seeing none.

Um knowing we have an abstention, presuming we may have a no again.

We'll just go ahead uh out of the gate and go to the boards, please, Mr.

Clerk, as this is also an ordinance on its third and final reading, and we understand that we have a no vote.

Uh so our rules require uh that we have a machine vote.

Um if you would please open the vote, Mr.

Clerk, on 1169.

With all votes in, Mr.

Clerk, if you would please show the vote.

All right.

Um this ordinance has passed its third and final reading with 31 votes in favor, one against, and one abstention.

Next on uh third reading, uh our agenda items uh 60 and uh 61.

Um they are uh companions to each other.

Um Ms.

Vowe, we will take up the first one kind of separately, so that for purposes of an amendment potentially.

Um and then once uh that amendment has been uh dealt with, then you can uh restate your motion to pull in 1249.

Okay.

Um so I will go ahead and read them both.

Um agenda item 60 is ordinance BL 2026 1248, sponsors Vaux and Horton, and again it's companion agenda item 61, uh ordinance um uh 1249.

Uh 1248 is an ordinance to amend title 17, the Metro Code of Laws, zoning ordinance of the Metro Government by changing from IWD to RM20 ANS and to SP zoning for properties located at 513 and 525 Merritt Avenue, one thousand three hundred and one thousand three hundred and twelve Martin Street and 548 Hamilton Avenue at the northeast corner northeastern corner of Martin Street and Hamilton Avenue.

This is 4.03 acres and partially within uh the Wedgewood Houston Chestnut Hill Neighborhood Design over Urban Design Overlay District to permit a mixed use development, all of which is described here in and for 1249.

Um this proposed ordinance requires certain materials to be restricted in the construction of buildings that were mentioned at the addresses in 1248.

Ms.

Vowe, you are recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Committee reports, please.

Okay, for the report of the planning and zoning committee, Chair Horton.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Uh we can planning and zoning considered amendment and the bill and the ordinance itself.

We recommend approval of the amendment.

Nine in favor, zero against zero not voting, and recommended approval of the bill as amended.

Nine in favor, zero against zero not voting.

All right, and Mr.

Horton, can you go ahead and give me the report on 1249?

It's companion saying, recommended approval, nine in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay, all righty.

Um uh okay, Ms.

Vowe, you're recognized, ma'am, uh, to get uh 1248, please before us.

Yes, can I move the the amendment?

If you'll just move approval of it, yeah, move to approve.

Okay, is there a second?

Okay, go ahead, Ms.

Vowe.

Moving that amendment.

Is there a second?

All right.

Um anything you want to say on the amendment.

No, it was a I mean I can briefly describe it.

It's just a house keeping um amendment.

Um that was just correcting um uh an area of the mill works so it's outside of the subdistrict one, and then putting a little legend to explain that.

So that's what was added.

Already appreciate the explanation.

Is there any further discussion on the motion to amend?

Seeing none, all in favor of the amendment, please say aye.

Any voting no or any abstaining?

And if you would please renew your motion um uh to approve 1248 as approved uh is amended um and approve 1249.

Move to approve as amended.

Okay.

Um is there a second to that consolidated motion?

All right.

Any further discussion?

Seeing nine, all in favor, please say aye.

Any voting no or abstaining?

All right.

Um uh 1248 and the companion 1249 um have uh passed their third and final reading, 1248 as amended.

Okay.

approve 1248 as approved as amended um and approve 1249 move to approve as amended okay um is there a second to that consolidated motion all right any further discussion seeing none all in favor please say aye any voting no or abstaining all right um uh 1248 and the companion 1249 um have uh passed their third and final reading 1248 as amended okay next item on third reading is agenda item 69 uh this is ordinance b l 2026-1266 sponsor harel this is an ordinance to mend title 17 the metro code of laws is only ordinance of the metro government by changing from AR2A to RM15 ANS zoning for properties located at 4046 and 4060 Murphersboro Pike approximately 399 feet southwest of Maxwell Road this is 10.12 acres and within the Murphersboro Pike Urban Design Overlay District Councilmember Harrell sir you are recognized thank you madam wise mayor I would like to uh defer this one meeting okay let's get your committee report um for the report of the planning and zoning committee Chair Horton Chair Horton do you have a report on um uh 1266 uh sponsor um herel's uh bill um yes vice mayor we recommended approval uh nine in favor zero against zero not voting okay so recommended approval nine in favor zero against zero not voting with that committee report in now it is back to you sir and you're welcome to uh move as you see fit go ahead oh I will move to defer one meeting all right there's a motion to defer uh one meeting is there a second um is there any uh discussion on uh that one meeting deferral motion okay uh seeing none all in favor of a one meeting deferral uh please say aye any voting no or abstaining okay uh 1266 uh will be deferred uh to the first meeting in April um it's third and final reading at that time all right we have one two all right special counsel I was getting too excited there we'll have one uh two remaining items on third reading okay second to the last is agenda item 92 ordinance BL 2026-1291 sponsors tombs Hill Allen Styles and Ellis this is an ordinance approving an agreement between the Metro government and Kip Nashville a Tennessee nonprofit corporation for the completion of certain construction work associated with the redevelopment of the global mall uh miss tombs uh chair you are well yep you're recognized but our committee reports are already in go ahead ma'am move for approval okay um there is a motion to approve properly seconded and we're on to discussion um mr horton I'm gonna need to recognize somebody behind you sir go ahead there mr bradford uh you're recognized thank you ma'am vice mayor just go ahead let you know you need to put this on the board because I'll be voting no okay all right um is there any additional discussion at this time before we move to a vote seeing none um and knowing that we have a uh no vote on this ordinance on its third and final reading uh mr clerk if you would please load the vote for 1291 um mr coopin and mr taylor uh do you seek to vote all votes are in mr clerk please show the vote okay this ordinance has passed its third and final reading with 30 votes in favor one against and one abstention all right uh the last item for council's consideration this evening is agenda item 95 this is ordinance b l 2026-1294 sponsors tombs gad vo Porterfield Cortez Alan Ellis and Suara this is an ordinance authorizing a one-time bill credit to water and sewer users as a result of the January 2026 winter storm uh miss tombs you are recognized thank you move for approval all right there's a motion to approve properly seconded uh we are on to discussion first in the queue for that purpose is council member Johnston your recognized ma'am thank you vice mayor um so I appreciate everyone that's hopefully read my research paper that I that I put on to council connect and I printed it out on everyone's desk um I super appreciate the um spirit in which this was brought because I definitely want to help people that did drip their faucets um as was told by Metro Water Services to protect their pipes in uh in in the winter storm when I asked what that fiscal note was because there was no fiscal note attached to it and it was six million dollars I it was really surprising to me and I thought why is it so expensive and so then it was explained well because it's utility dollars state law says what you do for one you have to do for everyone

Um I super appreciate the um spirit in which this was brought, because I definitely want to help people that did drip their faucets, um, as was told by Metro Water Services to protect their pipes in uh in in the winter storm.

When I asked what that fiscal note was, because there was no fiscal note attached to it, and it was six million dollars.

I it was really surprising to me.

And I thought, why is it so expensive?

And so then it was explained.

Well, because it's utility dollars, state law says what you do for one, you have to do for everyone.

And so there's so many customers that um it was it's a diluted effort, number one, and so everyone is getting a very, very small amount, but there's a lot of people, and so six million dollars spread across several hundred thousand people.

And so depending on what type of customer you are, um, a residential water sewer customer gets 25 dollars and fifty-one cents.

Um, a residential water only gets ten dollars and seven cents.

Well, you and I all know that our cause our residents were impacted that were impacted, were impacted much more than 25 or 10 dollars.

And so I thought there's got to be a better way to have some targeted relief where we can really help them in the amount that is meaningful to them, because there were people that were impacted 50, 100, 150.

I have um an elderly gentleman that has a 430 dollar bill that lives by himself that typically has a 25 dollar bill.

Um, and so with that, I do have a substitute that I will have to um suspend the rules.

So I move to suspend the rules, please.

Okay, there is a request uh to suspend the rules.

Are there any objections to the suspension of the rules to take up the substitute?

Seeing none, uh the rules are suspended.

Uh go ahead, you're recognized.

Thank you.

I appreciate that.

And so the idea here is um for ARPA dollars, which are unused ARBA dollars, which don't have the restriction of the utility dollars that says what you do for one you have.

Ms.

Johnston, if I may, I thought just interject.

Would you please make the motion to substitute?

Oh, I'm sorry, can I um I move to substitute?

Okay, go ahead, please, ma'am.

I'm sorry to interrupt you.

Please continue.

Thank you.

Um, so so it's uh an alternative source of funds, which does not have the restrictions around the utility dollars.

Um, so that it's targeted funds going to MAC that already has the infrastructure around utility relief.

Um they are already used to that.

They do that every single day.

And so we can help the people that need help in a meaningful way.

So if they have a bill that was in excess of whatever that is say their bill was impacted by $100, they get that relief of $100.

Um, and so that's what I want to do is help the people that need help in that meaningful way.

And I don't we don't need to help people that weren't impacted.

I wasn't impacted.

I don't need $25.

There's a lot of people that weren't impacted.

They don't need $25 or $10.

So let's save that money.

We don't need to spend six million dollars out of our Metro water services revenue to do that.

We are the water board, and we are tasked with being fiscally responsible with those dollars.

Subsequently, when I talked to Mary Joe today, who is the ARPA queen, um, I realized, and we've done this before, when when ARPA dollars are reallocated, they don't have to come back through this council.

So she told me, hey, guess what, Eureka?

We're already allocating dollars to Mac for this purpose, and actually it's in the amount of $930,000, not $180,000, which is what my substitute did.

So I'm gonna withdraw the substitute because we're doing they were already doing this.

So $930,000 is already going to Mac to help people for rental assistance, utility assistance, um, for people that were impacted by the by winter storm farm fern.

That is in addition to the $250,000 that the Titans have already submitted to Mac for that purpose.

There are relief dollars that went to um the United Way that are there for Davidson County residents that were impacted as well.

So that people that were truly impacted had to get a hotel room, had increased expenses, had decreased income because of however they were impacted, they can call and get meaningful relief up to $2,000.

And I'm gonna turn it over to Mary Joe because she can explain all of this so that we know exactly what people, and that's why I wanted to suspend the rules so that I could explain exactly what is available to people because it's much more meaningful than the across the board credit that this bill does that's not meaningful and that has a huge financial impact on our utility that I think is financially irresp irresponsible and doesn't do what we're trying to do, which is help people.

So Mayor Joe, could you explain exactly what the MAC program is doing that we're that you guys are already point of order if uh we could hold the time uh yes, sir.

Did the sponsor of the substitute say it was withdrawn?

This uh just the substitute, yeah.

Okay, so you wish to rescind your motion to substitute.

Correct.

Okay, so we are now on a motion to approve, and within the residual time, um Ms.

Johnston has asked for Ms.

Wiggins for the administration to can you give me a specific question, please, ma'am, to direct.

Could Mary Joe just explain the relief that is being supported by the unused ARBA dollars and the amount of $930, $930,000 of the unused ARBA dollars going to MAC and what those because it is income restricted, but it's a hundred percent of AMI and what that goes to um because she can do it in a much more okay um you have roughly 20 seconds of residual time.

Okay, okay.

Um, and so uh that I'm gonna put to you um uh to for those three minutes um extracting the the point of order time.

Um uh Ms.

Wiggins, uh you are recognized uh uh and so again, we've got about 20 seconds of residual time.

Go ahead, please, ma'am.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um the 930,000 that is being transferred to MAC will allow for rent, mortgage, and utility assistance.

It is based on the um AMI.

Priority is given to those that are at 80 percent or below of AMI, and they have to prove that they had a either loss in wages, um, loss in income or an uh a new expense, whether that was a hotel or debris removal or increased utilities.

So if there was a change in their income related to the storm, they'll be eligible for um again, rent or mortgage plus the utility assistance, and um they will um you know they're gonna there was an application period.

Mac will open that application period up again, and that will allow for additional applications for those that now need utility assistance, but it's they're eligible for rent or mortgage and utility.

All right, thank you.

Um now we are continue on the motion to approve.

Um, next in the queue is Councilmember Toombs, uh budget and finance chair.

Go ahead, please, ma'am.

Thank you, madam vice mayor.

I want to make sure that uh council members have correct information on the cost to uh Metro water to provide the credit.

I know during budget and finance committee uh there was a mention of six million dollars in revenue that they wouldn't bring in, and there was a four million dollar cost to provide water to you know all the drip faucets that the totality of all the the water customers.

Um but I'm I'm getting some mixed information that that may not be the most accurate information.

So I want to turn to the administration or whomever may be able to shed some light on what is the actual cost to Metro Water to provide this across the board credit.

Okay.

Um Ms.

Wiggins, uh, you're recognized again for the administration uh to answer the question, Ms.

Times.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

Um the conversations that we had with um director of Metro Water Services, the revenue that there's there's an increase in unexpected revenue due to the storm.

So the credits are essentially giving back that unexpected revenue, but the cost of the water for the X, you know, there's a cost for the excess water that flowed through all the pipes is less than a million dollars, somewhere in that four to eight hundred thousand dollar range.

Does that answer your question, Ms.

Timbs?

You still have to do that.

Yes, madam Vice Mayor.

So just to clarify, you know, all these faucets were were dripping.

That water technically was used, but there was nobody there to use it.

So it's really kind of like a windfall of revenue or water and water is trying to give that back in the form of a credit, which they have to do across the board, as we all know, they can't just single out um particular homeowners, and the actual cost of that water is less than a billion dollars.

Okay.

All right, I see the administration nodding.

Okay.

Um we could discussion continues with council member Parker.

You recognize, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um rising in support of this legislation.

Um, I actually think that in situations like these, you know, um, means testing is not necessarily the best or the only approach that we should take.

I think that um, you know, we didn't ask certain people to drip their faucets.

We asked all water customers to drip their faucets.

Um, everyone experienced this inconvenience, everyone experienced this um additional billing.

Um, and it sounds like through the ARPA funds in the MAC program that we're kind of able to do a both and here, or we can give this universal credit um that the water department administration have worked out um with this legislation, but then also in parallel for the folks that really do need it, there is this opportunity to go to MAC and to um to to engage with that process and get some additional relief.

So this kind of seems like a best case scenario and a win-win.

So I'm happy to support this legislation and the and the bill credit.

Thank you.

All right.

Uh we continue uh discussion um on the motion to approve.

Next in the queue is uh council member Evan Siegel, Chair of Transportation Infrastructure.

Go ahead, ma'am.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

Um, I want to thank my colleague for her um attempt to uh create a solution here that could target people who actually experienced higher bills.

Um I do think to the extent that some did but some didn't.

If we could target those who had higher bills, that would be ideal.

I also think this bill is not ideal because there are people who had higher bills but are left out.

Maybe they live in Madison, right?

They may get their water from somewhere else, so they're not gonna get this credit, whereas those for metro water services can get this credit.

Having said that, I'm I don't want the perfect to be the enemy of the good.

And I think that everybody experienced some sort of loss.

I know I I actually had higher water.

I'm fortunate, I have a lot of faucets.

I also housed a lot of people, so there were a significant number of additional showers and water usages usage happening in my home that would not typically happen, um, which I was happy to provide to people.

Um, but the people who stayed with me had even greater losses.

They lost all the food in their fridge.

So their water mill might not have been up, but they had to go out and spend a couple hundred dollars to replace everything that they keep in their fridge in their freezer, right?

Um, and I think everybody had some sort of loss.

I think means testing it will certainly help those who are willing to seek it out, but it's just there are a lot of people who are just not gonna do that, who are not gonna take the time to do that, who might be embarrassed to that who don't understand how to do that, and whatever we can kind of do to help people to support them.

This isn't a ton of money for people, but for a lot of folks, it'll go a little bit of the way to replacing what was in their food or their freezer or what went down their pipes that they weren't able to use.

And so I think for that reason, I'm gonna support this.

All right, the discussion continues with council member Evans.

You're recognized.

Thank you.

I just wanted to ask if we could restate what may be obvious to many people in this room, but it's the first time I'm hearing it, kind of related to the actual hard cost to metro water, Mary Joe, that you spoke to.

Is it a million dollars?

Is that what you said?

Uh Ms.

Wiggins, if you could reconfirm, please, ma'am.

Yeah, the high end of the estimate is roughly 880,000.

And then on top of that, there's the money that it's ARPA funding that's going to Metro Action Commission.

That's different, a different pot of money.

Completely different.

It's it was uh allocated to a different project because we had previously provided rent and utility assistance.

We can oblig you can reallocate funds to that rent and utility assistance completely separate.

And in fact, keep in mind Metro water services is not general fund.

Right.

So we're also not impacting general funds.

Okay, thank you.

And I appreciate that clarification.

I think that's super helpful information because Metro Action I think, you know, from a um if we were only giving funds directly to Metro Action, I would have a lot of concerns about that because I know the processing takes such a long time, you know, to uh be able to have those cases reviewed.

Um, but it sounds like the outcome may be more balanced than I was anticipating.

So I appreciate the additional clarification.

All right.

Uh discussion continues with Councilmember Koopin, your recognized sir.

Thank you, Chair, and thank you both to the to uh folks bringing the bill and thank you to my colleague for kind of diving diving deep into this this research paper.

I also share um Councilmember Evan Siegel's um thought of don't let the perfect be the enemy of good.

Um I'm I'm struggling on this one.

I think that on the one hand, um, I know that we know that people seeking out um relief are not always going to have even have the capacity to go seek it out and go to Mac and fill out forms and and get it.

Um so I understand that's that kind of a universal credit might be helpful to put money in people's pockets.

Um at the same time, I recognize that you know there are many of my constituents who desperately need this relief, and there are many of my constituents who um would be glad to to give up their relief um in this capacity for someone who desperately needs it.

Um and obviously we can't do that with this with just the way the water utility credits work.

Um and so I'm I'm torn on this one.

Um, and I I want to see how the rest of the discussion goes, but I do think there's good points being made on uh in both directions for this.

And I think at the end of the day, it's important that we continue to take steps to um, especially the folks that are most impacted and most in need, um deliver support and relief for them.

I know that the NES fund um apparently there have been some some potential bumps and bruises and people getting those those funds, which we need to make make sure they're getting.

So I think this is a great effort.

It's a great discussion.

I'm still uh still want to listen to the conversation before I decide I'm gonna vote.

Thanks.

All right.

Uh council member Ellis, uh, you are recognized, ma'am.

Yeah, um thank you.

Um Madam President.

Yeah, so I just I wanted to pump the brakes for a second and ask two questions.

One, um, why wasn't there a physical note attached to this?

Uh special counsel uh Wilson, go ahead, sir.

Uh council member, a fiscal note was attached to this.

It did not note the uh the uh aggregate cost of what each of these uh bill credits would add up to.

Got it.

And so um two part for Ms.

Wiggins.

Um this the 930,000 in ARPA funds that's going to Mac.

Is that public information?

Like, do folks know how to get those monies or apply for that?

Um uh Ms.

Wiggins, uh, and or if we want to split the administration in response to that, um please go ahead.

So the the ARP funds were all obligated by 1231 24, and they were all passed um by this council through that date.

If there is any reallocation of those funds, it can only go to projects or programs or expenses that had already been obligated.

So they can't be applied for by the public for a new purpose, they have to only um be used for an existing purpose.

And the um those reallocations can be made by finance without council's approval because council approved that to happen, so that we didn't come back for every reallocation throughout the last, you know, as we get near the end of the use of the funds, there's a lot of reallocation.

Somebody's got nine thousand dollars left, somebody's got thirty-two thousand here.

This was a larger amount in that it was um for um originally allocated for a grant.

Um there was also another source of funding for that grant, which has come to fruition, and so therefore those funds became available.

Um that was kind of happening right around the time of the storm.

So that first meeting in February when we had um kind of the outcry of rent assistance, that is when um we kind of knew that grant was gonna happen, and so we released those funds for rent assistance, and that was actually in a press release that Mac was getting.

That was the original 750.

It was just that there was an additional um kind of piece attached to that original legislation.

We said just give Mac the whole 931 so they can cover utilities also.

That's amazing.

I would just ask if the administration could share more information because I know someone personally that has uh one of my constituents rather that um had damage to their property and they have to pay the uh deductible for their homeowner's insurance.

And so if there's money still out there for folks to be able to recover, you know, some out-of-pocket expenses, that would be amazing.

Um and then the last part, I'm sorry, was Mr.

Rosenberg, I'm sorry.

All right.

Um uh Miss Lee, would you want to um provide some time to uh I just need seconds?

Sure.

Okay, all right.

Uh go ahead, ma'am.

Um, can you not take my 30 seconds of Miss Lee's time to let Mr.

Rosenberg respond?

So I think I talked over him.

Sure.

It that's fine.

Um, in the interest of transparency and everybody getting everything figured out.

Go ahead, uh Mr.

Rosenberg, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam President.

Uh council member, we uh announced the 750,000 for rental um utility mortgage assistance in an email to council on February 6th, and then that was publicized um and the process, but we'll send out the information again um to make sure everybody knows how to acquire uh access this.

Perfect.

Okay, and one last point.

Um thank you for obliging me, madam president.

Just doing literally doing back of envelope, Matt.

So if the the six million, so if that's coming out of the metro services, metro water services operating revenue, would that essentially get passed on to taxpayers by increases?

So would they essentially be taking future money that they would actually be paying their water bills for?

Miss Wiggins, if you could provide a quick yes no, please, ma'am.

No.

The way it was explained is there's gonna be an increase in billings because of the increase in usage that was unexpected.

Okay.

And so we're essentially passing that back to the community.

Okay.

All right.

Okay.

Uh with that, um, Miss Lee, you're recognized.

Madam Chair, I actually wanted to call for the question, but I think you have quite a few people on there.

Okay.

Who want to speak?

And so people can see if they want to do it or not.

Um yes, ma'am.

If you choose to call the previous question, it would require a second.

It's not debatable, requires two thirds of those voting to decide if we want to end discussion at this time.

Okay, I'll do it that way to let people decide if they want to hear the ones that you have behind me.

So just to confirm, are you calling the question?

Yes.

Okay.

Is there a second?

Okay.

Um this is non-debatable.

It requires two-thirds of those uh voting.

Um if you are in favor of calling the previous question, that means you want to end uh debate and discussion um on this matter.

Um I think in an abundance of uh caution, Mr.

Clerk.

Um, if we could please go on the machine colleagues and very quickly vote um on uh uh calling the question.

Uh this will end uh debate.

Um if you would, Mr.

Clerk, please open the machine.

If you want to continue debate, you would vote no.

Uh if you want to end debate and move directly to the vote, you would vote yes.

All right, uh Mr.

Clerk, uh please show the vote.

Uh the motion to call the question fails.

It requires two thirds of those voting.

Um the vote is 16 in favor, 14 against, and two abstentions.

Uh so we continue discussion on the motion to approve.

Uh next in the queue is council member Johnston.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

So I just want to correct some math because I went through the actual cost with Metro Water as well.

And one thing that that when we discussed it earlier when Mary J was talking is just the cost of getting water to the to our houses.

What they failed to add in there was the cost of waste water in treating the water as it came out of your house, which is a much higher cost.

And so per gallon, it's a 54% cost of what's billed is the actual cost to metro water.

The actual fiscal note is $5,984,853.

That math is due to however many uh residential customers that are water sewer times that credit, resid uh commercial water sewer times that credit, residential water only times that credit.

All of that adds up to 5,900.

That is the money that is going out.

That is the that is the fiscal note that is that metro water is hit with.

The actual cost is 54% of that to get the water to our homes, nice clean water, and then to treat that water out.

So it is a much higher fiscal note than what is discussed.

And I dealt with that talking with them.

My point is is that this is a very small amount of relief to people that need it, and it's a very small number of people that have been impacted.

Twenty-six percent of people saw an increase.

Twenty-six percent of people saw an increase.

So 74% of people are getting a credit that saw no increase at all.

Out of the 26% of people that saw an increase, 48% of those saw a one CCF increase, which is a normal variance of that.

This is a huge fiscal note for our utility to be spending money that's not solving a problem that we need to solve.

I want to help people.

I think we all want to help people, but we want to help people in a meaningful way, and we're doing that through these ARPA dollars through Mac, and we can figure out a way to get that information to people so that they can have access to these dollars to get the meaningful help that they need.

But if I was impacted by my water bill in a in a serious way, and I got a 25 dollar credit, that's actually gonna make me mad.

But Metro Water Service should not be subsidizing a hotel expense or anything else.

That's not what what our utility dollars should be subsidizing.

This is not a smart use of our utility dollars.

Here we are upset at NES and the power board for not being using being a good fiscal uh oversight of that of that utility, and we're gonna turn around and not be good stewards of this, these dollars.

That's not the right way to handle it either.

All right.

I would I would implore you to vote no on this.

Time has expired.

Um, Mr.

Bradford, you're next on the motion to approve, sir.

Thank you, madam uh vice mayor.

I would like to move for a one meeting deferral with a referral re-referral to the budget finance committee.

All right.

Um there is a motion to defer, and it is uh properly seconded.

Um we are on uh discussion now of a one meeting deferral motion.

Um uh Miss Gamble, do you seek to be recognized on the deferral?

Go ahead, ma'am.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

And I I guess if we do vote for a deferral, I just have a question uh regarding the bill.

I'm I'm reading it and it says that it does uh impact the credit would impact water and sewer.

Uh being that most of my district does receive Madison Suburban Water.

I just want to clarify or find out if someone in the administration can clarify that those uh Madison suburban customers would still get a credit because of the sewer portion.

Um Ms.

Wiggins, can you uh quickly clarify that, please, ma'am?

I do not know the answer to that.

Whether Madison Water, yes, ma'am, Miss Evans Siegel.

If it was answered in committee, um, and my colleague were to call me, would I be allowed to answer that question for her?

Um I can direct the question um to the chair of the transportation and infrastructure uh committee.

Um Ms.

Evan Siegel, you're recognized to respond to Ms.

Gamble's question.

Thank you, Miss Gamble.

Councilmember Benedict um has the same question and asked the same question, and um the response is no.

This is technically a water credit, even though it's coming from the water and sewer department, and because Madison Water is a different entity, that credit would not flow through to folks who get their water through a different water system.

Thank you for that clarification.

All righty.

So we are on a one meeting deferral motion.

Um the motion also includes uh a re uh referral um to the budget and finance uh committee.

Um uh Ms.

Allen, are you seeking to be recognized on the deferral motion?

Okay, go ahead, ma'am.

Um thank you.

I just want to ask the question of what what we're expecting to learn in the next two weeks that we don't have in hand tonight.

Um I uh would you like me to ask the person who has made the deferral motion?

Um, Mr.

Bradford, uh, if you could clarify your reasoning on the deferral motion, please, sir.

Thank you.

So listening to some of the conversations today, it seems like a lot of new information has been coming up, and so and there's a lot of this information I'd like to see in writing from Metro Water from Metro Finance to make sure to the point made earlier.

We are the water board of this county.

We need to make sure that we are doing right by the ratepayers and the people within Davison County.

So that's why I'm asking for the two uh week another two weeks for the deferral for the re-referral to uh budget finance, so that we can get all these questions that have come up tonight answered in writing, not just you know, told to us tonight.

So I think it's just being good stewards of this money that I want to see this re this comeback for budget and finance.

All right, and does that answer your question, Ms.

Allen?

Um, do you seek to speak uh further on the deferral motion?

Um is anyone else uh seeking to be recognized on the one meeting deferral motion?

Um Ms.

Wiener, thank you, ma'am.

Um you're recognized.

Thank you.

I'm gonna call this due diligence.

I think it's a great idea.

I think it just gives us a little backstop for when we make the decision to help people the way we should actually help them.

Thank you.

All right, is uh there any further discussion on the one meeting deferral motion?

All right.

Um we'll try it first by voice, but if it's not clear, we will go on the boards.

Um as I say to members all the time, it is not about volume, it's about number.

Um, all in favor of the one meeting deferral motion, please say aye.

Aye.

Um, all those against the one meeting deferral motion, please say no.

No.

Um, I believe the ayes have it.

Um any abstentions.

All right.

Um that meeting uh bill will be deferred.

1294 will be deferred one meeting with a re-referral to budget and finance.

Um uh Mr.

Benton um had requested a point of personal privilege uh before we adjourn.

Um, Mr.

Benton, you're recognized, sir.

You you don't seek to be recognized any longer.

All right.

Um uh is there a motion to adjourn?

All right.

Um Ms.

Timbs, do you seek to be recognized for a point of personal privilege?

Go ahead, ma'am.

Thank you.

Um, Madam Vice Mayor, other than that, my birthday is tomorrow.

Saturday.

Saturday, March 28th at 1 30 p.m.

at the Bordeaux Library is the first of a four-point four-part Metro budget 101 education series.

So it's open to the public.

So again, Bordeaux Library, one thirty PM Saturday, March twenty eighth, lunch will be provided, and there will be door prizes.

All right, we're going to meet again on Tuesday, April seventh.

Is there a motion to adjourn?

So moved, we are adjourned.

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