It's Tuesday, July the twenty-first, and I would like to call this meeting to order.

I want to open by acknowledging that this meeting is being held on the unseated stolen land of the Cherokee Shawnee and Yuchi people, and to remind everyone that no one is illegal on stolen land built by stolen labor.

And with that, I'm going to open the announcement period.

If any council members have any announcements, please raise your hands and join the queue or push the button.

And the first person I see is Council Member Heel.

You are recognized.

So if you want to go, you're more I'd love to see you all there.

Congratulations, Councilmember Hugh.

Council Member Styles, you recognize.

So I hope people will make plans to attend.

We have a community parade with our Antioch High School bands.

We have a culture parade, giving away free backpacks, and then in the evening from 6 to 10, we have a free music festival featuring Nashville's own butter and grit, who are now on America's Got Talent.

So hope to see you all there.

Thank you.

Councilmember Harrell, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam Pro Tem.

Um so District 8, we will be having our monthly meeting on July 27th, the last Monday of the month at 6 p.m.

at Hamilton United Methodist Church.

Our guests will be uh Metro Way Services.

Thank you so very much, Councilmember uh Councilmember Kimbrough, you're recognized.

Thank you.

District one will have a community meeting on Tuesday, July 28th at the Ivy Center on Ashland City Pike.

MDHA will be present.

Also, I'd like to alert or bring to everyone's attention that there's a Tennessee State University graduate who also completed one year of law school, who is missing.

If you Google Lakeisha Gunn, L A K E S H A Gun, G-U-N-N, you'll see her picture.

There's a TBI silver alert for silver alert for her.

She's five foot two, one hundred and twenty pounds.

Um my understanding from the family is it hasn't really received the proper attention.

So I want to make sure that everyone knows that this lady is missing.

Um, and share that information with your friends.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Kimbra.

Um Councilmember Sorora, you're recognized.

Thank you, Pro Tem, and I do hope that uh we'll find Ms.

Gone safe and sound, and I will share as well, and I encourage everybody to do so as well.

Um I want to thank everyone that came out Saturday for the John Louis Wayfield and John Louise Way March.

I was very, very hot, but uh she didn't show up.

Thank you, colleagues that came, the vice mayor, the mayor, our speaker, uh Reverend Dyson and Reverend Brown, a whole lot of them.

We have about 15 ministers to serve as a Grand Marshal.

It was uh it was a beautiful day to step out and step in the footsteps of our ancestors.

There's been a lot of matches in Nashville that are code to ensure that change happened, and that's what we were emulating and doing what they did in those days.

But I also want to remind everyone that while it was good for us to do that, uh, we also have to follow it up with action.

So Ellie voting is going on right now.

Uh uh, so we already matched.

Now we need to match to the polls.

We need to go vote.

Uh, and so please go out and let your voices be heard.

Um, the second thing that I wanted to do, uh, Madame Pro Tem is it's my I wanted to welcome a colleague if she will stand up.

Uh, she's a council member from Colorado Spring, Councilmember Kimberly Gould is visiting us, and I wanted to welcome her to Nashville.

Thank you, Councilmember, and welcome.

We hope that you enjoy uh our proceedings.

Enjoy is a strong word that's probably relative, but um, we welcome you uh here to Nashville.

Hope that you get some good food, especially hot chicken while you're here.

Um, Councilmember Welsh, you're recognized.

Thank you, Pro Tem.

Um, I have mentioned this before, but the Heimerdinger Foundation um is a foundation started by the family of uh Mike Heimerdinger, who used to be the offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans who died of cancer in 2010.

Uh the foundation provides foods for people in active cancer treatment in Davidson and Williamson County, um, both for the patient and for another family member or a caregiver, free of charge for 12 weeks.

And for the first time in quite a few years, they have openings.

We have openings.

Uh, when my arm is actually functioning, I cook.

And I actually help people heal.

They don't have problems from my cooking, so it's a really great thing for me too.

Um, but if you would like some information on how, if you are an anti active cancer treatment or know someone who is who could use that support, the Heimberdinger Foundation is there to step right in.

You can contact them through Heimerdinger Foundation online, or you can uh email me, Jenny.welsh at Nashville.gov, and I will give you all the contact information.

It's a wonderful program.

So if you need this support, do not hesitate to do it.

It's 12 weeks free of charge with an option for another 12 weeks for a nominal fee.

So if you need it, take advantage of it.

Thank you.

Thank you, Councilmember Welsh.

Next, we have uh Councilmember Gamble.

You are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Pro TM.

I'd like to announce that there will be a district three quarterly meeting on July 28th at 6 p.m.

at the Madison Library.

We will have a public safety update and discussed three proposed projects uh in the in the district.

So uh we invite everyone to come out on July 28th, 6 p.m.

at the Madison Library.

Thanks.

Thank you, Councilmember Gamble.

Councilmember Nash, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam Pro Tem.

So love to have you.

Have a great rest of the evening.

First, twenty twenty-six.

This is the thirteenth regular meeting of twenty twenty-six, and the sixty-fifth uh regular meeting of the current term of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville in Davidson County.

Will all members of the council as well as the public please rise for the invoction and remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance?

The invocation is being offered uh this evening by Pastor Tommy Clark of the West Nashville Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

We come from different neighborhoods and very different experiences and perspectives, though we we are united by our desire to build a community where every person can live and flourish.

God, we ask that you bless the members of this council that are all gathered here.

God, we ask that you grant our leaders wisdom, wisdom that listens before they they speak.

We also pray that you grant them courage that chooses what is right over what is often easy, and also um we ask that you grant them humility that remembers public service is sacred.

Lord, in a time when disagreement can become what seems to be division, we ask that you teach us a better way.

Remind us that the unity does not really require uniformity.

Lord, we don't have to think alike to work together.

So we ask that you help us meet one another with patience instead of anger, and also meet one another with curiosity instead of suspicion, and also um, of course, respect.

May the decisions that are made here consider not only those voices who are always an easily heard, but also those that are often overlooked.

You know them, Lord.

We pray for them, the struggling family, the neighbor without secure housing, the senior that lives alone, the worker that seeks dignity, and every person longing to uh be part of something bigger.

So uh God, we ask that uh our words be thoughtful and um give us sincere listening and let our actions be guided by a common goodness.

Unite us to a shared commitment to serve faithfully and perhaps leave this city better than we found it.

With gratitude for our community and hope for all its people, we offer this prayer.

Amen.

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.

Thank you very much, Pastor Clark.

Thank you.

Welcome, council and community members.

Early voting is underway at 15 locations across the county.

Registered voters may vote at any of those locations, and 11 days of early voting remain.

Or I guess there's 30, 40, 20 minutes left this evening.

Um polls are open on Tuesdays and Thursdays till 7 p.m.

So please uh text some friends and go do dinner and democracy together.

Please encourage your friends and family to vote early.

Election day is Thursday, August the 6th.

For more information, as always, Nashvilleans can go to Nashville.gov forward slash vote.

Members have received two memos from me this week uh regarding board and commission vacancies to be filled by council nomination and election.

One on the health and educational facilities board, and four on the new Metro Animal Care and Control Commission.

One of the those openings is for a council member.

And all the remaining vacancies are for community members.

So please review those members memos carefully and be thinking about uh good folks uh to serve.

I will take those nominations at the August uh fourth council meeting.

All right.

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

I want to recognize council member Deontay Harrell, who is celebrating his birthday with us this evening.

So happy birthday, councilman.

Is there a motion for approval of the minutes of the meeting of July 7th?

Okay.

There is a motion properly seconded without objection.

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

All right, the minutes of the meeting of July 7th are approved.

Mr.

Clerk, are there any messages from the mayor?

Yes, there is a message from the mayor.

All right, go ahead, please, Mr.

Clerk.

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 interfund tax anticipation notes and the cumulative amount of 208 million dollars.

The tax anticipation notes were authorized through resolution RS 2026-1962 on May 19th, 2026.

Interfund tax anticipation notes provide temporary short-term financing to meet cash flow needs early in the fiscal year until property tax and other major revenues are collected.

The notes are borrowed from other metro funds with available cash balances and are repaid with interest from current fiscal year revenues once those revenues are received.

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

Sincerely, Mayor Freddie O'Connell.

All righty.

Thank you, Mayor O'Connell, and thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Next, uh, we'll start into our agenda.

Uh 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.

Re-referrals uh 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.

Chair Cash, a brief report, please.

No vote totals necessary, simply the name of the board, commission, committee, or entity, and the name of the appointees who were interviewed.

And if a person in the appointment and confirmation process was unable to attend your committee this evening, at what meeting they will next appear, please, sir.

Go ahead, Chair.

Yes, ma'am.

Uh Airport Authority appointment of Wallace Dietz, Arts Commission appointment of Henry Walker, Charter Revision Commission reappointment of Eileen Behan, Charter Revision Commission reappointment of Dewey Brandstetter.

Uh contract and compliance board reappointment of Marcus T.

Booth.

We deferred that for one meeting.

Okay, so we'll uh you all will interview then Mr.

Uh Booth uh at the first meeting in August, correct?

Yes.

Okay, go ahead, sir.

Hospital authority reappointment of uh Dr.

Raymond Martin, hospital authority reappointment of Courtney J.

Pitts, and Social Services Commission appointment of Will S.

Will Acuff.

All right.

Um thank you.

I'd like to move those uh nominees.

Okay.

Well, at this juncture, you're just reporting on people who were interviewed, um, so we don't have to take a vote.

Um now we're into section F of our agenda confirmations.

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

Go ahead, sir.

Yep.

Uh the community corrections advisory board appointment of Jamal Boykin.

Uh we approve seven to zero to zero.

Contract and compliance board reappointment of Michael Ayadavia for a term uh for a term expiring August 28th, 2029, approved seven to zero to zero.

Contract and compliance board reappointment of Matthew P.

Neal approved seven to zero to zero.

Uh Director of Law appointment of Tyler Yarbrough approved seven to zero to zero.

Electric power board appointment of Robert D.

Boone, the second, approved seven to zero to zero.

Employee benefit board reappointment of G.

Thomas Curtis, uh approved seven to zero to zero.

Um, farmers market board appointment of uh Jackson Zeitland.

I think all the rest are they all seven to zero to zero.

Okay.

Uh historical commission reappointment of Clay Bailey by the same vote.

Whoop.

Uh historical commission reappointment of Caitlin Jones approved seven to zero zero.

Historical commission reappointment of Dr.

Marissa Richman with seven votes, approved with seven votes.

Historical commission reappointment of Lindo T.

Wynn, seven to zero to zero.

And the transit authority appointment of Whitney Weeks approved seven to zero to zero.

All right.

Umove those nominees.

Okay.

Um there is a motion to confirm uh all of these appointees, and it is properly seconded.

Does anyone wish to remove an item from this consolidated motion for purposes of an individual abstention or no vote?

All right.

Uh seeing none, all in favor of the remaining uh confirmations, uh, please say aye.

Aye.

All right.

Um council has confirmed all of these appointees.

Um, if you chose to return to the council chamber this evening, uh, do please stand as I call your name, and then we'll have a collective applause uh at the end.

Um so council has confirmed uh to uh the community corrections and advisory board uh the appointment of Jamal Boykin.

Council has confirmed uh the reappointments to the contract and compliance board of Michael Ayadavia and Matthew P.

Neal.

Uh Council has confirmed the appointment uh to serve as the director of uh law, the Metropolitan Director of Law, Tyler Yarbrough.

Uh Council has confirmed to the Electric Power Board, uh, the appointment of Robert D.

Boone.

Uh Council has confirmed to the employee benefit board uh the reappointment of G.

Thomas Curtis to the uh farmers market board.

Council has approved uh Jackson Zeitland.

Uh and then now I see quite a few folks from our historical commission with us uh to the historical commission.

Uh council has reconfirmed the appointments of Dr.

Clay Bailey, the new appointment of Mr.

J.

Brothers, uh the reappointment of Caitlin Jones, uh the reappointment of Dr.

Marissa Richmond, and uh council has also confirmed the reappointment to the historical commission of Dr.

Linda T.

Wen.

And then lastly, to the transit authority, council has confirmed the appointment of Whitney Weeks.

We congratulate everyone, whether here in person or watching from home or on replay, we appreciate your willingness to serve our city, and a special thank you and congratulations to the new Metropolitan Director of Law, Ms.

Tyler Yabro.

Thank you all.

Yes, ma'am.

Yeah, yeah, appreciate it.

Um, colleagues, again, thank you to everyone for your willingness to serve.

Next section G in our agenda, nominations.

Um we will be taking now uh nominations uh for the municipal auditorium commission.

This is to fill two vacancies with terms expiring on June 30th, 2029, with an election now to be conducted at the August 18th meeting.

Members received a memo uh from me about this first on June 15th, and nominations were open at the July 7th meeting with no nominations being made.

Um so at this juncture, the nominations are open, and if you would please enter the queue.

Um, Councilmember Huffman, your recognized sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I'd like to nominate Ron Deal.

Okay, Mr.

Ron Deal.

Okay.

Um council members.

Um again, we have two vacancies.

Are there any further nominations for the municipal auditorium commission?

We have one nomination for two vacancies.

Okay.

Go ahead, ma'am.

You are recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I have a person of the first name.

I don't have the last name.

Oh, Iman questioner.

Iman M-E-N.

Okay.

K-H-O-S-H-N-A-W.

Okay.

Um Councilmember Zwara has uh nominated Iman Kursher and uh Mr.

Huffman has nominated Ron Deal.

Um uh councilmember sepulvita, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I nominate uh Rick Rodriguez.

Okay.

Uh Councilmember Sevillada has nominated Rick Rodriguez.

Are there any additional nominations at this time?

Seeing none, nominations are closed.

Uh the clerk uh will be in touch uh with the nominators and uh your nominees uh to get their information, and again, uh we will hold uh those elections on August 18th with interviews uh to be prior to that.

Okay.

Um all righty.

Next is our public comment period.

Members of the public who are Tennessee residents wishing to speak at uh public comment at council meetings may sign up at the table outside the camp council chamber from 5 to 6 p.m.

on the day of a council meeting.

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

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

Um we have eight folks that have signed up for public comment this evening.

Um the first two among them, if you would go ahead and come forward are Emily Otniss and Manon Hall.

Uh Emily Otniss is speaking on agenda item 1391, uh data center regulations in support.

Uh Emily, go ahead and come forward, please.

You're recognized.

Hello, everyone.

My name's Emily.

I'm an artist, real estate professional, and human being here in the city of Nashville.

I'm proud to be yet another physical reminder of the resistance against data centers, structures that pose serious risks to our communities, our wildlife, and the Nashvilleans who invest so wholeheartedly into the health of this city.

I'm asking you to consider beyond the 520,000 signatures from people who pay taxes, create opportunities, and live their daily lives here.

That passing this legislation is just the beginning of necessary restrictions.

As an artist, I see the impact of AI on creative work every day.

DC blocks claimed theirs would not be an AI facility, but their own website markets them as AI ready infrastructure.

In South Carolina, they bought land, got approved, then came back six months later asking for more because of AI demand.

As a real estate professional, I helped Nashville homeowners navigate an already complex and difficult market.

I know that this community opposition of this scale translates directly into buyer and seller hesitation.

Hesitation that erodes confidence and threatens the wealth of many hardworking Nashvilleans who spend a lifetime building this.

Lastly, we know the Nashville Crayfish is a federally protected endangered species whose entire population lives only here in Mill Creek tributaries that run through the zoo.

The zoo is one of many habitats that could be threatened by data centers like pollution, noise, and environmental disruption.

And no city's resources, land, water, or wildlife, should be ever put at risk for a company like DC Blocks, whose own website lists their priorities as employees first, customers second, and investors third.

Nashville is nowhere on that list.

BL2026 1391 is just the beginning.

Protect Nashville, and thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Next is Manon Hall, also speaking on ordinance 1391 uh regarding data center regulations in support.

Uh following Mr.

Hall will be uh Charles Remke and Whitney Adkinson.

If you want to go ahead and come forward, go ahead, uh Mr.

Hall.

Thank you.

Good evening, Councilmembers.

I'm thrilled to witness these data center protections and regulations passed tonight.

Do not defer.

Still, there is way, way more work that needs to be done to protect us from the harms of data center development.

Council members Porterfield, Horton, Johnston, Suara, Nash, and many others have indicated that important protections and amendments will not be added tonight to keep this legislation from being referred re-referred to the planning commission.

Y'all are saying that this legislation is not enough.

That this is just the start.

And your constituents agree they want more.

More environmental protections, more protections for our air, more protections for our neighborhoods.

We're asking you that after this legislation passes tonight that you wake up and you get to work and you continue to find ways to protect Nashville's from the harms that these data centers bring.

The harms that AI brings to our communities.

And I thank you guys for the work that you are doing.

And we will make sure that work continues.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next is uh Mr.

Remke speaking um on ordinance 1423 regarding uh this development and the aspect of uh murals related to it in in opposition.

Go ahead, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor, Council, and appreciate the work you do.

I'm Chris Rimke, resident district 20, a design build and development professional and acting with Save Our National Neighborhood's partners, artists, and nation's residents.

I've read this bill.

The filed amendment.

I've read this bill, the filed amendment, and the 2023 plan that was discussed at the meeting last night.

Last night, your committee, planning committee passed this bill, believing that the amendment had teeth that wood partners, the developer would fund the preservation of 10 murals.

It does not.

We talked about they talked about intentions.

Are we to believe that Wood Partners, a billion dollar landlord is a philanthropic organization?

The 2026 application documents, traditionally the home for such comments and where you memorialize these requirements, are silent on these issues.

The word mural is not in any of the planning commission documents for 2026.

There's nothing on who requires funds.

There's just an intention.

If nothing happens, that's not documented.

What the what the committee heard was a three-year-old intention spoken for by council member.

Wood Partners was not at the meeting, no written comment or participation in the fund.

Without teeth in the text, there's one obvious option, the one not discussed last night.

Disassemble the murals, stack them in a pile, and leave them for the neighborhood or art guild to pick up.

That's not preservation.

That's solving the developer's problem onto the backs of the neighborhoods and the artists.

Mr.

Horton pledges the developer's attention uh intention.

Prudent practices would cause the developer to have to memorialize these before a vote.

Yes.

BL 2026 1423.

The 10 murals will be an indiscretion and a neglect of stewardship to cultural landmarks.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh, next is Whitney uh Adkinson uh speaking on uh ordinance 1391 regarding data center regulations in support.

Uh following Ms.

Adkinson will be Chris Pipkin and Carly Moffa, if you would go ahead and come forward.

Go ahead, Miss Adkinson.

Hi, my name is Whitney Adkinson.

I live in District 34.

I'm a Nashville Zoo member, previously was a Nashville Zoo docent.

Currently work for the Nashville Humane Association helping animals with medical and or behavioral needs.

Um I would like for you to think about the effects that noise from a data center will have on the zoo's animals.

Research demonstrates that chronic noise exposure disrupts animal behavior, increases stress, interferes with feeding, reproduction, maternal care, and social interactions.

And one year long study conducted at an urban zoo, increased construction noise altered the behavior of every species observed.

Giraffes responded with increased movement, vigilance, grooming, and social behavior, indicating stress, agitation, and threats.

When exposed to noise, they consistently moved to quieter areas of their enclosure.

They spent twice as much time together than normally, perceiving the noise as a threat.

After the noise stopped, they continued stress-related behaviors, such as pawing and stomping, indicating that the harmful effects extended beyond exposure.

Another study found that noise altered the behavior of a female bear in her cub during a six-month postpartum period.

On louder days, the mom spent less time foraging and feeding and more time staying with her cub, indicating that elevated noise disrupted normal maternal behavior.

It was a problem because reduced feeding negatively affects a mother's health and her cub's development.

A four-year study of the effects of noise on bears in a zoo found that chronic exposure caused long-term stress.

Higher noise levels were associated with increased movement, attempts to escape during closure, more frequent scratching, and agitated vocalizations.

Female bears were especially sensitive to noise during lactation, suggesting that chronic noise harms maternal health.

Additional studies have documented negative impacts across many species at the Nashville Zoo, including leopards, gibbons, alligators, alpacas, owls, turtles, birds, tigers, goats, monkeys, fish, cows, snakes, and frogs.

Together, this growing body of scientific evidence demonstrates that noise from a data center will never negatively affect animal behavior.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Adkinson.

Next is uh Chris Pipkin, uh, speaking on a school board matter in opposition.

Go ahead, sir.

Thank you for having me.

Um, unlike most of these people, I don't have a well put together speech.

Um, I'm actually here asking for some help.

Um, you guys should have a document on your desk that Miss Aaron Evans helped me to get in front of you.

I want to give some context to that and uh really raise some awareness to some situations that maybe other people are going through.

Uh my daughter was expelled from Antioch High School for allegedly writing a threatening note about a gun threat.

She turned that note in to the office because she was scared.

She ended up getting expelled.

Um I went out and got a forensic handwriting analysis done on that note based on her handwriting.

You guys have that report in front of you that shows that she didn't write this note yet.

They're still upholding it.

I've been through a lot of appeals processes, and I'm really getting kind of crickets, and I just want that to be made aware.

Maybe somebody else is going through that problem, and it may be something that needs to get some attention in Nashville.

Um I'll continue being at those school board meetings asking for help and trying to get some uh re I guess revision of that of that expulsion.

Um I don't know what you guys can do, but I'm here just asking for any help and attention, and that's that's really all I have.

Thank you, guys.

All right, thank you.

Okay, um, next is Carly uh Moffa uh speaking uh regarding ordinance 1391 data center regulations uh in support.

Uh after Carly Matha will be Richard Massey and lastly, Shawnee Glappion.

Uh go ahead, Carly, you're recognized.

Thank you.

Um I'm Carly.

I uh am a musician in Nashville, and I live, as I've mentioned before, less than a mile from the zoo.

My neighbors and I live in modest brick homes, not industrial buildings.

Um my parents are farmers.

My grandparents are farmers, and I hope one day um sorry, uh I hope one day to also own a farm.

And as a farmer, I learned how sacred water is.

Um, you know, I learned that we're all connected, that what we do on our farm actually affects what the person uh the farmer next to us uh is able to do.

Um and almost most importantly, what I learned from my parents farming is that once um the water system is damaged, it's nearly impossible to fix.

Uh my pop-up is uh was from Italy, and he used to say that knowledge is the one thing that no one can take from you, they can beat you up, they can steal from you, but they can't take away what you know.

And so as someone who would live less than a mile from the zoo, I started researching.

I was hungry.

I'm hungry for knowledge, I'm curious all the time.

And what I found is that even in closed loop systems, as your legislation specifies, um, that water systems have actually been poisoned in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

I'm sure you're all aware of that.

Was actually a process of like a flush.

Um, you know, testing these pipes and the pressure.

They were doing like a flush during the construction phase.

Um, and it damaged, it was a closed loop system and it damaged the water.

And so I um know I'm running out of time, but do you know what specific chemicals DC blocks uses to inhibit the Rust?

All there's so many questions, and so I'm really grateful for the protection that you are all trying to give us.

And I would just ask that you continue to do that, that you continue to question um things that just that we already have learned through other residents living near these data centers, because I've compiled a whole list of common threads um that they experience.

So thanks.

Thank you, Ms.

Motha.

Uh next is uh Richard Massey uh speaking also on uh ordinance uh 1391 regarding data center regulation in support.

Go ahead, sir.

Uh good evening, counsel.

I've come all the way from the other side of the state of Memphis to alert you of the consequences of having AI data centers prop up in your backyards at the in the depths of the night.

Since June of 2024, XAI, which is now space XAI, has built out massive data center campuses in the blackest part of the blackest city in the United States, operating off of methane gas turbines that emit from aldehyde and nitrous oxide 24-7, while the simultaneously draw 800,000 gallons of water each and every day from the Memphis Sands Aquifer.

Much like the proposed data centers here in Nashville, next to the Nashville Zoo, and on Fist University's campus, communities were given little to no notice whatsoever before executives announced that this was already a done deal.

But folks understand that this business model comes with a real human cost.

There's a reason why cities all over the country are paused data center development from Denver to Seattle to Charlotte.

That's because we need ample time to both study and regulate this massive technological expansion that is exploiting entire communities, causing real health problems, jacking up utility bills, and lining the pockets of tech executives.

AI is human output sold back to us at a markup without any compensation or credit.

This technology should work for us, not against us.

And from what we're seeing from North Nashville to South Memphis, AI is harming working class communities that have already suffered from generations of legacy pollution.

Pass this bill that establishes guardrails and data centers.

Go further by mandating environmental impact studies and distance from medium-sized data centers.

Mandate quarterly reporting for power demand and protect folks in Nashville prior to the groundbreaking of both of these proposed data centers.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next and last for public comment is Shawnee Glappion, also speaking on ordinance 1391 regarding data center regulation in support.

Go ahead.

You didn't say, but not least.

That's important.

Oh, yes, last but not least, certainly.

Shiny Glappion here.

I am here because um of course, like you we know data centers, right?

Um I feel like this is gonna pass today.

I don't think you're gonna let me or the community down.

The community has not asked for this to be deferred.

We have asked for stronger restrictions, but we understand that that might have to come later.

So we are asking you to stay locked in with us, continue the fight, continue having these conversations with community.

Let's get this thing right.

But today, let's go ahead and pass what we got.

That's what everybody has asked for.

Community has not asked for deferral.

If you are trying to put a deferral on the table, I'm thinking that you have been uh maybe coaxed by lobbyists or corporation or something, uh, because the community has not asked for this.

They've asked for a lot, but deferral is not it.

So look forward to hearing your um your conversations.

Y'all have a good night.

Thank you, Miss Glappian.

All right, that concludes our public comment portion of the agenda.

Next is uh section I, 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.

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

All right.

The first item proposed uh for the consolidated consent agenda is agenda item two, resolution 2026-207.

Agenda item nine, resolution 2026-2114.

Agenda item 10, resolution 2026-2115.

Agenda item 11, resolution 2026-2116.

Agenda item 12, resolution 2026-2117.

Agenda item 13, resolution 2026-2118.

Agenda item 14, resolution 2026-2119.

Agenda item 15, resolution 2026 dash two one two zero.

Agenda item 16, resolution 2026-2121.

Agenda item 17, resolution 2026-2122.

Agenda item 18, resolution 2026-2123.

Agenda item 19, resolution 2026-2124.

Agenda item 20, resolution 2026-2125.

Agenda item 21, resolution 2026-2126.

Agenda item 22, resolution 2026-2127.

Agenda item 23, resolution 2026-2128.

Agenda item 24, resolution 2026-2129.

Agenda item 25, resolution 2026-2130.

Agenda item 26, resolution 2026-2131.

Agenda item 28, resolution 2026-2133.

Agenda item 31, resolution 2026-2136.

Agenda item 32, resolution 2026-2137.

Agenda item 33, resolution 2026-2131.

Or rather 2138.

Agenda item 34 Resolution 2026-2139.

Agenda item 37 resolution 2026-2142.

Agenda item 38 resolution 2026-2143.

Agenda item 40 resolution 2026-2145.

Next uh proposed for the consent agenda under bills on second reading.

First among those is agenda item 59.

Resolution or rather ordinance BL 2026-1449.

Agenda item 63 ordinance BL 2026-1453.

Agenda item 64 Ordinance BL 2026-1454.

Agenda Item 69, Ordinance BL 2026-1459.

First among those, agenda item 79, ordinance BL 2026-1314.

Agenda item 82, ordinance BL 2026-1362.

Agenda Item 83 Ordinance BL 2026-1387.

Agenda item 87 ordinance BL 2026-1397.

Agenda Item 88, Ordinance BL 2026-1398.

Agenda Item 89, Ordinance BL 2026-1399.

Agenda item 93, ordinance BL 2026-1410.

Agenda Item 94, ordinance BL 2026-1413.

Agenda Item 97, ordinance BL 2026-1417.

Agenda Item 98, ordinance BL 2026-1418.

Agenda Item 99, ordinance BL 2026-1419.

Agenda Item 100, Ordinance BL 2026-1421.

Agenda Item 103, Ordinance BL 2026-1427.

Agenda Item 104, Ordinance BL 2026-1428.

Agenda Item 105, Ordinance BL 2026-1429.

Agenda Item 106, Ordinance BL 2026-1435.

And lastly, propose for the consent agenda, agenda item 112, ordinance BL 2026-1444.

All right.

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

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

Councilmember Porterfield, Madam Pro Tim, you are recognized.

Oh, I'm sorry.

Um, Miss Swara, point of order.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I think item uh 110 was written already to record as item uh B a 1448 instead of 1441.

Um agenda item 110 is in fact uh ordinance 1441.

I believe it was read as 1448.

I appreciate the clarification.

My apologies, thank you.

Um okay, um Madam Pro Tim, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I would like to pull agenda item 41, RS 2026-2146.

Okay.

Um Ms.

Porterfield has requested agenda item 41.

Uh resolution uh 2146 uh be removed from consent.

It has been removed.

Uh councilmember Capp, you're recognized, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Requests a poll number 34 for the purposes of an abstention.

Okay.

Um council member CAP has requested that agenda item uh 34.

Um this is resolution 2139 be removed from consent.

It has been removed.

Um next, council member Terry Vowe.

Um, you are recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Can you please remove agenda item 43, RS 2026-2148, please?

Okay, Ms.

Vaux has requested the removal of agenda item uh 43.

This is resolution 2148.

Um, it has been removed from consent.

Are any other members seeking to remove an item from uh the consent agenda?

All right.

Um uh seeing none, uh, Mr.

Clerk, are all oh I'm sorry, Miss Kimbro.

Uh you're recognized, ma'am.

Go ahead.

Yes, with 61 on consent.

Let me check.

No, ma'am.

It is not on consent.

Thank you.

Okay.

Uh Mr.

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

Yes, all committee reports are in.

Okay, thank you, Mr.

Clerk.

Members, is there a motion for approval of the consent agenda?

Okay, um, properly moved and seconded.

All in favor say aye.

Aye.

All right, council has passed all items on the consent agenda.

Okay, um, next we will go back through uh in agenda order uh for items that were not on consent.

Um, starting with our resolutions in section J of our agenda.

Uh first among those uh is uh agenda item one resolution 2026-2064 sponsors Koopin Druffle Allen Styles Ewing Evans Herrell and Ellis.

This is a resolution urging the National Department of Transportation, multimodal infrastructure, um, and the mayor's office to renew and accelerate its commitment to Vision Zero initiatives to eliminate uh pedestrian fatalities in response to a sharp increase in pedestrian and cyclist deaths in Nashville and Davidson County in 2026.

Sponsor Koopin, you're recognized, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

Committee reports, please.

For the report at the Transportation Infrastructure Committee, Chair Evan Siegel.

At the Transportation Infrastructure Committee recommended a deferral to September 15th with nine in favor, zero against and zero not voting.

Okay.

Um all right.

Uh back to you, Mr.

Koopin.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'd like to move a deferral to September 15th with a brief comment.

All right.

Is there a second?

Okay, go ahead, sir.

So obviously, this is a very important issue.

Um, as since the inception of this bill, I've continued to have to update it as more and more uh folks have been killed on our streets.

Um we need to be committed to vision zero.

We need to work harder to get there.

We've got the money to do it, we've got the resources to do it.

Um, and that's why I brought this resolution.

Uh that being said, NDOT is currently in a RFP process for a Vision Zero program director and a new director of the department, and they had asked that I continue to give a little bit more time so that the new staff members don't walk into a certain deadline or expectation, but rather work with them uh to implement that process.

So I've agreed to that.

Um, hopefully my colleagues will as well, uh, with another deferral to the September 15th meeting, which should give enough time to kind of get closer to that uh destination, but of course, in the meantime have implored N DOT to continue to work towards these efforts because the work can't stop uh in the meantime.

All right, um, there is a motion uh to defer um to the meeting of September uh 15th.

Um it is properly seconded.

Um, Miss Sepulveda, you are recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um, can I inquire when that person will be hired?

Um I'm sorry, I if I think I missed that.

Um, Mr.

Koopin, are you aware?

Go ahead, sir.

Uh thank you, thank you, uh Madam President.

Um I don't know exactly um when that person will be hired.

I know that they're actively engaged in that process.

And when I asked um how much time, um they actually had said end of September, and I don't want to go all the way that far, so I settled on September 15th.

So I don't know if there's an exact date, but I know they're they're actively in that process.

And just to clarify, rather than a person, I believe you said it's an RFP for a program manager, so that would be a firm.

Program manager for the firm and then director for the department itself.

So understood two different things.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I I'm actually gonna vote against the deferral.

I I think we have we have constituents who are dying every day.

We have constituents who uh are struggling currently.

I I don't think we have time to waste.

We have people who are currently at N DOT who are responsible for this program.

I I think that we we shouldn't be wasting more time.

I I think that our children um deserve better.

Our constituents deserve better.

We deserve better.

We have uh signs that are up that um aren't translated in areas of town that need to be translated that say uh somebody in this intersection um was hit by uh a car crossing the road, right?

And people in my neighborhood um can't always read that.

That that's that's unacceptable.

We we need to be more conscious of what we're doing here.

Um it's they have had more than enough time um to address this issue.

And so I I I respectfully I I I don't wish to wait any longer.

And so I'm gonna have to disagree with that.

And I think that council member Koopin was right to file this, and I think that we should put more pressure on N Dot to address this issue.

We we have to do better, and we should have been doing better a long time ago.

So I I'm uh I'm against the deferral.

All right.

Um uh Ms.

Welsh, you're next in the queue on the deferral motion, please, ma'am.

Uh thank you, Vice Mayor.

I have to concur with everything that my colleague uh CM Sepulvita said.

And also just mentioned that this resolution is simply urging NDOT to do something they should have been doing all along.

And in the budget process we just went through, we passed a uh point five percent, point zero five percent tax decrease that all the money came from Vision Zero.

This is we're running around in circles and not doing the things that uh we said that we were going to do.

We fund these things with money from Vision Zero, that's so important, and then we put forward a resolution that urges NDOT to do the right thing for Vision Zero to do everything they possibly can now to stop pedestrian deaths.

I just think this is silly, and I think we can't wait two months to urge them to do the right thing.

So I'll be voting against a deferral.

Thank you.

All right.

Um council member Evans, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I I have been influenced uh by my previous uh speaker colleagues here.

Um normally I would have just supported the deferral uh at the request of the sponsor, but the reality is is that departments will defer um things into oblivion if we allow that to happen.

And to everyone's point, you know, this is a conversation that we have repeatedly, and we see accidents and not a lot happens or not a lot changes.

And so if we're not gonna urge something to happen the last year of this term, then what's we may as well end the term right now for that matter.

So I'm gonna vote against the deferral as well.

All right.

Uh next in the queue, uh, Mr.

Bradford on the deferral.

Thank you, madam chair.

The question I have to ask, and it's a question I've asked before when dealing with N DOT.

Give me a number.

How many more people have to die or be hurt before they do something?

I can't in good conscience support a deferral on this.

Because if some if someone is to get hurt or killed between now and September 15th, this body is complicit.

We cannot complain about N DOT not doing their job if we kick this can down the road.

Well, we'll be just as guilty as N DOT for any future harm caused on our roadways.

So I'm asking my colleagues, I understand the sponsors read rationale, but to the point that was already made.

Some of these departments, if we give them an inch, they're going to take a mile.

So we need to be firm and remind them they have a job to do to protect our constituents, to protect our residents, and we're gonna hold them to that.

All right.

Um uh Mr.

Koopin, would you like to hear from Ms.

Allen uh first, uh, who's yet to speak?

Uh Councilmember Allen, you're recognized.

Thank you, madam chair.

Um I rise in support of the deferral as a as a co-sponsor of this bill.

Um, I think it's important to send the message not just to the departments, but to the leaders of those departments and to the new program director.

Um, I guess it would help me make a decision.

I I think my colleagues make good points about there's no time to waste here.

But is there is there a mechanism for resending this after those um those leaders are in place?

Because I think if it's already been sent to the departments and it's kind of there in the background, it it doesn't have the same force as sending it when those two new leaders arrive.

So can someone answer the question of is there can we guarantee a mechanism that it gets sent twice if we do defer it now according to the regular schedule, and then again once these new leaders are picked.

Um I can put it back to the sponsor in regard to that commitment, right?

I guess he could send the legislation upon the arrival of the new director and otherwise, or would you like me to address it to the sponsor or to special counsel Wilson relative to the council office sending the legislation?

But whoever can answer that question, so I know what I'm working with.

Okay, uh special counsel, go ahead.

Uh council member, there is no uh set timeline or instruction in this resolution about who to send it to and when uh any explicit instruction would require an amendment or special counsel, Mr.

Kooping could just direct the council office to please send it to said persons, correct?

That's also an option, Vice Mayor.

Okay, thank you.

Mr.

Koopin, you're recognized.

Oh, sorry, sir, go ahead.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'd like to direct the council office to send it to those people.

Um, but no, I'd actually um would like to withdraw my motion to defer.

I think that um I appreciate deeply my colleagues' sentiments.

I think that there's you know something we said about again letting people come in and set them up for success.

Um, but I agree.

I've had too many families I've talked to who have been hit and killed.

I've had loved ones hit and killed.

Um again, we've got the money, we've got the resources, we continue to go down this road.

Um this the the kind of the date in this is an ask for um end dot to come to the transportation and infrastructure committee with interim solutions um before December 30th, 2026, which would give ample time um, I think for a new director to come in um and uh vision zero to come in and do this.

Um, but I uh you know, I I again appreciate the department's concerns was was willing to kind of entertain that, but hearing my colleagues speak and and with the importance of this, I would withdraw that and um with that move for approval.

Is there a second for the motion to approve?

Okay, the motion to defer has been withdrawn.

Uh the sponsor has made a motion to approve, and it is properly seconded.

Uh discussion continues on the motion to approve.

Mr.

Benton, do you seek to be recognized on the motion to approve?

Go ahead, sir.

I just had a point of clarification that uh I guess I'm not sure where the E for enforcement comes from.

Because we had 200,000 traffic stops in 2018, and last year we had 48,000.

That's a significant decrease.

Uh that enforcement came from MNPD.

Uh maybe the uh mayor's office could help me understand vision zero better to I don't think NDOT has an enforcement arm for Vision Zero.

So I'm assuming that it's MNPD that would be the one.

And I I don't see us keeping the E for enforcement up.

And I think that's you know there's five pillars, and we're handling the education, encouragement, engineering, and evaluation.

But who does the enforcement?

Um, do you want to address that to special counsel?

I mean, that's M and PD's traffic division, but uh yeah, uh whoever, I mean, I didn't design vision zero, but I I know that's part of it.

That's one of the E's enforcement.

Okay, so your question having been answered.

Do you do you want me to specifically address it to somebody or do you just want to speak this into the space for the record?

Either.

Uh maybe I'm wrong.

Maybe there's another way to get enforcement, but I don't think we're enforcing.

Okay, so your question specifically is at this juncture, who does speeding enforcement for the Metropolitan Government?

Okay.

For vision zero.

Okay.

Um special counsel Wilson.

Do you want to take that, sir?

Uh councilmember, I uh to my knowledge, there is no one specifically targeted for uh enforcement under Vision Zero.

However, the the police department does do traffic enforcement and uh the Department of Transportation does have limited authority, not for traffic violations, but for parking and such.

Uh they would also have some authority to act.

And I know it's almost a ridiculous question, but uh I see this reducing from 200,000 stops to 48,000 over our failure to reduce our deaths, a serious injuries.

So uh how do we get that up?

All right, well, so noted, sir.

Um, we're on the motion to approve.

Thank you.

Okay, um, next in the queue is Councilmember Eastlick on the motion to approve.

Mr.

Eastlick, are you still here, sir?

Okay, um, next in the queue is Councilmember Cash on the motion to approve.

Go ahead, sir.

I'm sorry, go ahead, sir.

That's fine.

Thank you, Chair.

I mean, I remember uh in this term that there have been like uh that MNPD and NDOT have gone out together to to do stuff and they've teamed up to um to to do some enforcement and related to vision zero.

I mean, I think vision zero is a is a you know it's a goal.

It I don't know that it just is this belongs to it's it's end dots largely, but it belongs to all of us and everybody.

I think multiple departments pitch in to try and and do things better.

Uh so I just wanted to put that out of the space.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Cash.

Uh Councilmember Porterfield, Madam Pro Tim, you're recognized.

Thank you so very much, uh Vice Mayor.

I just wanted to um quickly speak into the room.

I think it's really important when we um what we say here goes on the record, and that becomes like the public record, and for the viewing audience and for people that are watching who may not understand like the bigger context, I think it's really important that we um set the narrative straight.

Um we've talked about this uh plenty of times before, prior to any of us being on council, except for maybe Councilmember Allen and I think probably Councilmember Wiener.

Um there was a report that was done, which was the drive and while black report that um showed disparities in black drivers being pulled over here in Nashville and Davison County, and as a result of that, M MPD changed the way that they did traffic stops and traffic enforcement, and they are now doing precision policing, which has uh evidence has shown that to be more accurate.

So while the number of traffic stops have gone down, that's a very data-driven approach, and it is approach that that has reduced uh some of the racial disparities that we've seen in this city.

So we cannot um directly equate the number of traffic stops to the efficacy of what we're seeing with vision zero.

These are two totally separate things, and I just wanted to make sure that that was spoken into the record.

Thank you.

Next in the queue is council member Johnston.

Uh go ahead, ma'am.

Previous question.

Okay.

Um uh councilmember Johnson has called the previous question.

It's been properly seconded.

That's non-debatable and requires two-thirds of those voting.

If you vote in favor of the previous previous question, you want to end debate and move to the vote.

Um, and if you want to continue debate, um you would vote no.

All in favor of the previous question, please say aye.

Aye.

Uh, any voting no?

No.

The ayes have it.

Um we will move uh to the vote.

Okay.

Um, all in favor of uh resolution 20 uh 64, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no?

Any abstaining?

All right, you have adopted this resolution.

Next is agenda item three, uh ordinant or rather resolution 2026-2078.

Sponsors vo, Coopin Tombs, Horton, Allen, Suara, and Ellis.

This is a resolution approving the activities and improvements eligible for tax increment financing in uh the arts center redevelopment plan.

Um Ms.

Vaux, I know last we took up this series of bills.

It was in fact Ms.

Toombs as a co-sponsor.

But are you prepared to do a collective uh motion amongst the two of you all to kind of clear all this out at the same time?

Ms.

Toombs, do you recall that last time how we addressed that?

Would you be okay then?

Um, Ms.

Vowe.

Um okay, Miss Toombs, I'm gonna recognize you um for the committee reports, given what we know the reports to be um, then uh by rule.

Um so uh if we could then Mr.

Wilson, do I have to read them all into the record?

Okay, um, I do have to read them all into the record, Ms.

Toombs.

Um, and so uh some are sponsored uh primarily um by uh Ms.

Vowe, Ms.

Toombs, uh, Mr.

Bradford, and so forth, but they are all related and traveling in a similar manner.

So again, agenda item three, resolution 2026-2078 uh is the resolution regarding the Arts Center Redevelopment Plan.

Uh agenda item four, resolution 2026-2079 is a resolution approving the activities and improvements eligible for tax increment financing in the Bordeaux redevelopment plan.

Okay, and then next is agenda item five, resolution 2026-2080, um, which is a resolution approving the activities and improvements eligible for tax increment financing in the central state redevelopment plan.

Next is agenda item six.

This is resolution 2026-2081.

Uh primary sponsor Coupon.

The primary sponsor on the previous one was Bradford.

Um this is resolution approving the activities and improvements eligible for tax increment financing in the Phillips Jackson redevelopment plan.

You all can see a theme here.

These are all related to the redevelopment plans.

Next is agenda item seven, resolution 2026-2082, primary sponsor coupon.

This is resolution approving the activities and improvements eligible for tax increment financing in the Rutledge Hill redevelopment plan.

And then lastly, um agenda item uh eight, uh resolution 2026-2083.

Primary sponsor Tooms uh is a resolution approving the activities and improvements eligible for tax increment financing in the skyline redevelopment plan.

Um so uh uh Ms.

Toombs if there is no objection from the other primary sponsors, we're gonna take all of these together um at one time.

Um and so uh Ms.

Tombs, if you would uh please provide your uh report, uh Madam Chair.

Thank you, madam vice mayor for items three through nine, budget and finance three through eight.

I'm sorry, budget and finance voters recommended one meeting deferral, nine in favor, zero against zero nine voting.

Okay.

Um uh and given that um being the report um uh for agenda items three, four, five, six, seven, and eight, um, those are all uh deferred by rule uh eight point one uh one meeting.

Okay, so those will all be taken up at the next meeting.

Thank you, fellow sponsors for just letting us be efficient about that one.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um next is uh agenda item 27, uh resolution 2026-2132 sponsors tombs, Evan Siegel, and Hill.

This is a resolution accepting the terms of a cooperative purchasing master agreement with sweeping corporation of America LLC for street sweeping, sewer jetting, and hydro excavation for the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure.

Um Ms.

Toombs you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor.

Um committee reports, budget and finance voters to recommend a two-meet and deferral, nine in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay, and for the report of the transportation and infrastructure committee, Ms.

Evan Siegel.

The transportation and infrastructure committee uh voted to recommend a two-meeting deferral, nine in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay, thank you, madam chair.

Um with that, it's uh back to you for a motion on this resolution, Ms.

Tombs.

Move for a two meeting deferral.

Okay, it's properly moved and seconded.

Um is there any discussion on this uh two meeting deferral motion seeing none?

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no?

Any abstaining?

All right.

Um this has been uh deferred to meetings to the second meeting in August.

Okay, next is agenda item 29, uh resolution 2026-2134.

Okay, next is agenda item 29, uh resolution 2026-2134, uh, sponsors Tombs and Evan Siegel.

This is a resolution approving a contract between the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and Nixon Powers Services LLC to provide factory authorized products, parts, and services for the Department of Water and Sewerage Services.

Uh, Miss Tombs, you are recognized.

Thank you, madam vice mayor committee reports, budget and finance voted to recommend approval.

Eight in favor, zero against one not voting.

Thank you, madam chair.

Um uh chair Evan Siegel, you're recognized, ma'am.

Uh the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee voted to approve eight in favor, zero against, and one abstention.

Okay.

All right.

Um back to you, Miss Tombs for a motion.

Move for approval.

Is there a second?

Okay.

Um uh council member uh Allen, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor.

I just need to be recorded as abstaining.

Okay.

Um right.

So noted, Mr.

Clerk.

Um, if you would note the same.

Um further discussion uh on this resolution.

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Any voting no?

Okay.

And Ms.

Allen, you will be recorded as an abstention.

Okay.

This resolution has been adopted.

Um, all right.

Uh next is agenda item 30, resolution 2026-2135, sponsors Tombs and Swara.

This is a resolution approving an intergovernmental project agreement between the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and the convention center authority of the Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County relating to the financing and refinancing of the Music City Center.

Um, Ms.

Tombs, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor.

Committee reports, budget and finance voted to recommend a one meeting deferral, nine in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay, and for the report of the ad hoc East Bank Committee, uh Chair Evan Siegel, you're recognized.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

The ad hoc East Bank Committee recommended uh one meeting deferral, five in favor, zero against, and zero not voting.

Okay.

Um, and with that, um Ms.

Tombs, uh, that is a mandatory uh deferral uh by rule 8.1.

Um it'll be deferred one meeting.

Uh okay.

Next agenda item 34, resolution 2026-2139 sponsors Cash Horton and Evan Siegel.

Uh this is a resolution authorizing the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County to abandon public fire hydrant assembly and to accept the relocation of public fire hydrant assembly for property located at 2415 Vanderbilt Place, also known as Vanderbilt University Central Neighborhood RC3.

Uh Councilmember Cash, you're recognized, sir.

Thanks, 20 committee reports.

You do, sir, yes.

Yes, committee reports, please.

Okay.

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

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Planning and zoning voted in favor, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay, and for the report of the transportation infrastructure committee, Chair Evan Siegel.

The transportation and infrastructure committee voted um nine in favor, zero against, and zero not voting to approve.

Okay.

Um all right, it's uh back to you, Mr.

Cash, for a motion on your bill.

Move approval so we can move a fire hydrant.

Okay.

Properly moved and seconded.

Uh is there any discussion on this resolution?

Did anyone need to abstain?

Okay, we can do it at the time.

That's fine.

Uh all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no?

Any abstaining?

Uh, Mr.

Capp will be recorded as an abstention.

All right.

Um, you have adopted this resolution.

Next is uh res uh rather agenda item 41, resolution 2026-2146 sponsors Porterfield, Sepulveda Suara, Tombs, Taylor Welsh, Spain, Parker Nash, Styles, Huffman Vaux, Alan Cap, Rutherford, Evans, Wiener, Evan Siegel, Benedict Ellis, Cortez, Bradford, Gamble, and Coopin.

This is a resolution honoring the life of Vonda McDaniel and her legacy of service to the labor movement in Nashville and Davidson County.

Ms.

Porterfield, Madam Pro Tim, you are recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Committee reports, please.

For the report of rules confirmations, uh, Mr.

Cash.

We approved unanimously.

I think it was five to zero to zero.

Okay.

Yes.

All right, back to you for a motion, Miss Pro Tim.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I'll like to move for approval with a comment.

Yeah.

Uh is there second?

Go ahead, ma'am.

Um, thank you.

Colleagues, tonight as we consider RS 2026-2146.

We honor more than a labor leader.

We honor a woman who is the heart and soul of Nashville's labor movement to so many of us, Bonda McDaniel with the Queen Mother of Labor here in Nashville across Tennessee and across our nation.

Vonda had a rare gift.

She saw the best in people before they saw it in themselves.

She didn't just organize workers, she built leaders.

She encouraged us to step forward to find our voices and to believe that ordinary people could accomplish extraordinary things together.

Even if you didn't know Vonda's name or her face, you benefited for her work from her work.

Vonda dedicated her life to this movement to fighting for fair wages and fair working conditions for people across the state of Tennessee and across the nation.

Her fight for working people reached far beyond our city, improving the lives here in Nashville and across this nation.

Bonda was also one of the founding members of Tennessee for All.

We appreciate all of the work that Vonda did, the dedication of her life.

And I hope that we continue to honor her with more than a resolution with more than words, but with our actions and with our lives, that we go forward and look for ways to continue to fight for workers, to fight for working people, and to fight for the labor movement.

Let's honor her by lifting up new leaders by standing with working families and by continuing the work that she dedicated her life to.

We will be after the passing of this resolution tonight.

We will be honoring her here during the announcement period on September the 1st.

So we would like to invite uh all of our council member colleagues as well as labor leaders, union members, and anyone who wants to come out and honor Vonda and celebrate her life and legacy.

And I will also like to invite all of our colleagues to email the clerk and sign on if you've not already signed on to this.

And with that, I would um ask our colleagues to support.

Thank you, um, Madam Pro Tim.

Well said.

Next in the queue, uh, Councilmember Sepulveda, you're recognized, ma'am.

All right.

You got this.

This one's a little hard.

Umda wasn't only my boss, uh she was uh a friend for for many years.

Um for over 10 years.

And um many of y'all know that one of the things that I work on the most when it comes to my work at council is um figuring out how to um how to fight for workers in this city.

And um Vonda was a big part of that.

She has been there every step of the way, and um uh I just don't know how it's gonna be without her.

I never picture her not being here.

And um, she really was the best of us.

And um, I hope that you all will join us on Labor Day.

Will be September 5th, and hopefully it'll be the biggest one yet.

Um the labor movement has been better because of all the work that she has done, not just here in Tennessee, but nationally.

I mean, there's a reason that the president of the AFL CIO came to her celebration of life, and um she touched so many people, and um she has helped so many people, and um I hope that in the remainder of my time on council and um in my work that I could do a fraction of uh the service that she did for everyone.

So please join us this labor day.

Bonda would have wanted y'all there.

Thank you, Miss Pulvida.

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

Madam Chair.

Um, most things have already been said.

So I did, though, want to stand in support of this.

I want to say I have worked with Sister McDaniel for quite some some years now.

She's been a mentor, she's been a teacher.

She's been a way maker, and more than that, I consider her a friend.

Um, so uh I I could not sit there and not stand up to give some praises to her, the things that she represents, and not just her and her represent representation, but of how she has touched other people and gotten them to see the light in a lot of different things and to move on.

So God is blessing her now, and I'm just standing in support.

Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Lee.

Uh, next is Councilmember Swara.

You're recognized, ma'am.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um I'm just gonna read what I wrote when I found out that Vonda passed away.

I couldn't find enough words, but this is just what came to me.

It says, real heroes don't fly.

They stand beside you, they show up, they walk with you, and they walk for you.

Vonda McDonald was that kind of hero to so many.

She spent her life lifting others, making their lives better in ways big and small.

What makes it news so painful is that Vonda was in the euro from a comic book.

She was here with us, living, serving, fighting for workers, for her church family, for our family, and for our community.

She was real, she was present, she was tireless.

Well, all of that will pale in comparison to the memories and stories ailed by the people who truly knew her.

She was a soldier, a fighter, selfless, caring, and profoundly human.

This lost us, but I find comfort in having known Vonda.

And I thank Vonda for everything that she gave, not just to me, but to so many.

We all will leave one day.

But the true legacy of a life we're lived.

Is it the memories of the people that you helped?

The life of your church.

She built organization, she builds people, she builds community, she built Nashville.

And we all miss her.

And I hope that our life is a reminder to all of us to be kind to each other and to be good.

Because someday we will be cold too.

So Vonda, thank you for all that you did.

Thank you for all that you are rest in power.

Thank you, Miss Swara.

Next in the queue, uh, Councilmember Coopin, your recognized sir.

Thank you, Madam President, and I concur with everything that's been said so far.

Um, June 29th, 902 a.m.

I got a text from Vonda inviting me to a town hall um later that week about the future of democracy in our in our city and our state, and just you know, quiet little invite.

And the next morning I texted her saying, yes, I'll be there, um, not knowing that by that point she was already gone.

Um, even so even to her last moments, she was working advocating, sharing, leading, um, and at her viewing and at uh Miss Rosetta Perry's viewing both at the the first Baptist Church.

I found myself looking over to the side pews.

Most people in this room will know exactly where I'm talking about, where she was always seated just quietly looking and leading, and her presence was just was so powerful and you know, uh heard at her celebration of life, just people talking about how um, you know, she she she kind of just caused you to move forward, she caused you to lead, she caused you to be elevated.

It wasn't it wasn't a strong hand, it wasn't a force, it was just she just kind of made it made it happen.

And so um I know that she lives on in so many in this room.

I got to know her for a lot less time than many here, but um, she's deeply impacted my life and my my leadership and how I want to advocate for the labor movement, advocate for the workers of our of our city that we come across.

And so um I miss her terribly.

I still um can't believe that she's gone.

I keep waiting to turn around and see her, see her standing there.

And so, Vonda, you'll you'll be in my heart, you'll be I'm carrying you with me and uh rest in power.

Thank you for all you've done.

Thank you, Mr.

Koopin.

Uh next, Councilmember Hill, your recognized man.

Thank you, man, Vice Mayor.

There's really nothing that I can say that hasn't already been said.

So I just want to say I want to move move to use 12.3.

All right.

And uh everybody that be added that votes yes.

Okay.

Um there is a motion uh to amend um uh the approval motion uh with uh 12.3 um properly seconded.

Um okay, we'll continue.

Um, Miss Stiles, uh, you are next in the queue, ma'am.

Thank you very much.

Um I met Vondo over 10 years ago working with her on the MLK Day committee when she came to bring the labor breakfast back and to discuss how important that was in the movement and her commitment every single year to spread the word about labor.

I was in awe of her then and had tremendous respect for her.

And as I became a council member, had the opportunity to work with her even more.

I think we've talked about the work that she's done, but we haven't spoken about how she was able to get that work done.

And it was the quiet strength that she had that made you move without even knowing you were moving.

She was kind, listen to everyone that's speaking.

In this room, we don't always agree.

But every once in a while we have a moment like this.

And though it's sad, we have a moment to come together united to say that there are some people that are great no matter what your difference is.

And Vonda was that person.

And I still can't believe that we are standing here talking about her and what was instead of what is.

But I'm so grateful that her life was honored the way that it was last week.

I don't know about any of you, but who else gets to have service at the Music City Center?

Come one, come all.

We've got this covered.

And I might say there were short ribs these were not chicken nuggets or tenders that Mr.

Stark paid for.

Um, again, a testament to how amazing she was and how long she served on that commission.

But I mean, I think we can all go on and on and on, but I I just wanted to say Heaven has a has a working angel right now, and I'm grateful that we had the opportunity all of us to have known her and worked with her.

Thank you, Miss Stiles.

Uh, next, Councilmember Gadd, you're recognized, ma'am.

I'd like to um just join in the course, but I wanted to also lift up an additional um organization and group of folks that Vonda invested in.

Um over 10 years ago, there were a group of women um that wanted to come together and uh create um a program to recruit and train women to run for office.

The woman who was at the table from the beginning and was a constant movement in herself, but to bring folks together and to invest in that was Vonda McDaniel with that Emerge Tennessee, got off the ground and trained many of us who are in this room tonight.

And I just wanted to take a moment to recognize one more thing that she's done.

I don't have the words like many of you all do that can be spoken so eloquently, but um, with that, I would like to take at least five seconds of my time for just a moment, and that is a moment of remembrance.

Thank you so much.

Thank you, Miss Gadd.

Uh Councilmember Kimbrough, your recognized ma'am.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I'd like to say that Vonda McDaniel and her father lived in my district.

He still resides in my district.

Um, she was a fine person in all regards.

Good person.

She came from good stock.

Um I appreciated her.

She was a straight shooter, and I appreciate that.

Uh, she told me when I came in some of the things she expected.

And um ironically, I was actually working on one of her suggestions uh at the time she passed, and it's gonna happen.

But um, I just wanted to acknowledge her and say she was a fine person, came from a fine family, and um she will be missed.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Uh thank you to all members for speaking so kindly and so well.

Um seeing no one else in the queue, um, we will move to the vote.

There is a motion to approve with Rule 12.3 applied, such that all those voting in the affirmative will be added as co-sponsors.

Uh all in favor, please say aye.

Any voting no or abstaining?

All right, you have adopted this resolution honoring the life of Vonda McDaniel.

Thank you.

Next is agenda item 43, resolution 2026-2148.

Uh sponsors Vaux, Tooms, Gad, Welsh Lee, Taylor, Nash, Styles, Alan Capp, Evans, Wiener, Evan Siegel, Swara, Benedict Ellis, Struffle, and Coupen.

This is a resolution recognizing July 18th to August 17th as South Asian Heritage Month in Nashville in Davidson County.

Councilmember Vowe, you are recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Committee reports, please.

Um, Councilmember Cash for the report of rules confirmations, please, sir.

We we supported five in favor, zero against zero not voting.

All right, back to you, Ms.

Vauxh.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I'd like to move to approve with a brief comment.

All right, go ahead, ma'am.

Thank you so much.

I'm so honored to recognize South Asian Heritage Month and celebrate the rich history, culture, and contributions of South Asian Americans in National and Davidson County.

Um as you said before, it is just kicking off.

Um it will be observed July 18th through August 17th, and it recognizes the heritage of people with roots in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

It's a really uh special time to celebrate the diversity, resilience, and achievements of these amazing communities.

And I'm really proud to say that it was our council that first formally recognized South Asian Heritage Month in 2024.

And this resolution is really important and deserves to be uplifted every year because it sends a message that every community belongs, that every story is valued, and that the contributions of South Asian residents are an essential part of Nashville's success.

Um we have seen them become entrepreneurs creating jobs, physicians and healthcare professionals caring for our families, engineers and technology leaders driving innovation, educator shaping our future generations, small business owners, um strengthening our neighborhoods, artists enriching our cultures, and public servants giving back to our city.

And from beloved neighborhood businesses like Patel Brothers and Taj Indian Restaurants to nationally recognized destinations like Chohan El in Masala House and Taylor Nashville.

South Asian-owned businesses create jobs, attract visitors, and enrich our culinary landscape, which is really wonderful.

And if you want to celebrate and not just observe South Asian Heritage Month, you can join 615 Chutney this Thursday, where they're gonna have a special event um highlighting uh South Asian local artists like Strange Curry, um, and everyone is invited.

So I just want to remind us that as Nashville continues to grow, I want us to continue to be a welcoming and diverse community.

And today we proudly affirm that our South Asian neighbors are an integral part of our city and our story.

So may this resolution inspire and have greater understanding so that we can have stronger partnerships and continue to celebrate the amazing cultures that make um Nashville and Davidson County a wonderful place to live.

Thank you.

Thank you, Ms.

Boe.

Uh, there's a motion to approve, and it's properly seconded.

We're on to discussion.

Uh Ms.

Swara, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I'm going to be very, very short.

I just want to rise in support of this resolution.

A lot of folks in the South Asian community, uh, also part of the Muslim community.

Um, Russia Falklandis Bangladeshi, so it's Sabina and the whole family that I've been here.

Uh, they've been instrumental in the forced immigrant mosque in Nashville, and a lot of kids being raised in that in that in that uh mosque, including my kids too.

And so uh in addition to being uh uh community members and doctors and everything else, they've also been able to be bridge builders, they've also been good neighbors, uh, and so I want to rise in support and um uh say happy South Asian month.

Thank you, Miss Wara.

All right, um, seeing no further discussion, uh all in favor, please say aye.

Any voting, no or abstaining.

Okay.

Um uh council has adopted this resolution.

Next uh is section K of our agenda, a late resolution, uh, as of yet unnumbered, um, sponsor Tombs.

This is a resolution appropriating a five million dollar grant from the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development to the Metropolitan Government acting by and through the housing division of the Metro National Planning Department for pathways to removing obstacles to housing.

Uh Ms.

Toombs, um, I'm gonna recognize you for potential suspension of the rules.

Go ahead, ma'am.

Thank you, madam vice mayor request this to suspend the rules.

Okay.

Um uh do you have a report on the nature of uh this uh suspension?

Go ahead, sir.

We did.

We um discussed it and uh approved the late filed nature of six in favor, zero against zero not voting.

All right.

Um having heard the report of Chair Cash, is there any objection to the suspension of the rules?

Seeing none, the rules are suspended.

Um so it's uh over to you, uh Ms.

Tombs for a motion uh to get uh the bill before us.

Oh and I see as well we have some committee referrals.

Okay, and did they go in fact to those committees even though it was late filed?

Okay.

Um uh so are you requesting committee reports?

Go ahead.

Um budget and finance voters recommend approval, nine in favor, zero against, zero not voting.

Okay.

Uh for the report of the planning and zoning committee.

Um I do not see Chair Horton.

Um Vice Chair Harrell is moving over to the desk.

This is uh uh late filed resolution uh K sponsor Tombs to get our report here.

Comes Mr.

Horton.

There's a little delay out there on the mezzanine, so ahead, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Uh planning and zoning voted to approve.

Eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay.

Um and uh Chair Cash, you had the report on the late filed nature.

Um, I presume similar six and oh.

Okay, go ahead, Ms.

Times.

Yes.

All set.

Move for approval.

All right.

Um properly moved and seconded.

Uh any discussion.

Any discussion on this uh resolution.

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Uh any voting, no.

Or abstaining.

All right.

Um council has adopted this resolution.

Next is section L, bills on introduction and first reading.

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

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

All right.

Seeing none.

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

Okay, properly seconded uh without objection.

You have approved all items on first reading.

All right, now we're on to Section M bills on second reading.

Uh that were not on consent.

And first among those uh is agenda item 50, uh ordinance BL 2026-1254.

Sponsors uh Cortez, Harel, Bradford, GAD, Sepulveda, Ellis Vozwar, and Benton.

This is an ordinance to amend title six of the Metro Code of Laws regarding the disclosure of personalized algorithmic and dynamic pricing.

Councilmember Cortez, you recognize, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Uh withdrawal with a brief comment.

Um go ahead, sir.

Yes.

Yes.

Uh so this is just a procedural move.

Um, we were going back and forth with the state's uh attorney general's office.

Um they most recently responded about a week and a half ago.

Um so I'm now working with Metro Legal on the enforcement arm of this.

Um we just need more time.

And if I was to defer again, it would be a indefinite deferral.

So I will withdraw and then reintroduce at a later date.

All right, appreciate the explanation.

Uh this bill has been withdrawn.

Uh 1254, sponsored Cortez is withdrawn.

All right.

Um, next um is agenda item 51, ordinance BL 2026-1403 uh sponsor Parker.

Um this has a companion bill in agenda item 52, ordinance BL 2026-1404.

But we will have to take them separately, Mr.

Parker, since there is uh an amendment on the first bill.

Um 1403 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 amending a specific plan for various properties generally located west of Gallatin Avenue, east of Emmett Avenue, south of McClerkin Avenue, and north of Douglas Avenue, zoned SP and changing the zoning on properties from RS5 CS and OR20 to SP.

This is 19.09 acres to permit a mixed use development, all of which is described here in and after we take 1403 up separately for purposes potentially of amending.

Um you can then consolidate it with 1404, which would require certain materials to be restricted in the construction of buildings uh at all the addresses uh mentioned in 1403.

Um go ahead, Mr.

Parker, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

We actually won't be moving the amendment today.

Okay.

Um so can I move on?

Okay.

Um there is a motion uh to approve uh 1403 and 1404.

Um I intend to defer one meeting, both of them.

Okay.

Um uh and go ahead, it is a motion to defer.

Thank you.

Yes, motion to defer with a brief explanation.

Um I have not um had time to connect with the uh the developer of this project regarding some of the outstanding concerns or the um amendment that you'll see in the packet today.

Um and so at their request, we're gonna defer second reading one more meeting, and that'll give me time to have time to connect with them.

So just renew uh motion of deferral of 1403 and 1404.

All right.

Um uh to the first uh one meeting to the first meeting in August.

It is properly seconded.

Is there any discussion?

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no or abstaining?

Okay.

Um both these bills um will be deferred uh to the first meeting in August.

All right, next is agenda item 53, ordinance BL 2026-1430.

This is an or uh sponsors Bradford Ellis Johnston, Evan Siegel, Welsh Vowe, Evans, Huffman, Coopin, and Wiener.

This is an ordinance amending section 2.08.030 of the Metro Code of Laws relative to the publication of the annual operating budget and the capital improvements budget.

Uh council member uh Bradford, you're recognized, sir.

Thank you, ma'am.

Uh Madam President, committee report.

Um, for the report of the budget and finance committee, uh, Chair Tombs, go ahead.

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

Okay, as such, it's rule eight point one, um, uh a mandatory deferral uh with no debate or discussion that will be deferred to the next meeting.

Next is agenda item 54, ordinance BL 2026-1431.

Sponsors Vaux, Horton Cap, Benedict Bradford, Ellis Gad, Porterfield Cash, Hancock Parker, Wiener, Rutherford Harrell, Spain, Huffman, Nash, Sepulveda, and Prep T.

This is an ordinance to amend Chapter 2.147 of the Metro Code of Laws regarding the Nashville Entertainment Commission.

Uh, Councilmember Vowe, you are recognized.

Thank you so much.

Should you should I do my committee reports?

Yes.

Request it from yourself.

Go ahead, ma'am, at a chair.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um, the amendment uh for BL 2026 1431 was zero in favor, seven against, two not voting.

And then the substitute was two in favor, six against one not voting.

Okay.

And the bill itself was six in favor, three against, zero not voting.

Okay.

Um six in favor, three against zero not voting.

That's correct.

Um, okay.

Uh with that report in, it's back to you for a uh motion to get the bill before us.

Thank you so much.

I'd like to move to approve with a brief comment.

Go ahead.

Um go ahead.

Thank you so much, Vice Mayor.

And I want to thank um every single um person in our entire uh council and the community, the entertainment commission, um, and everyone who weighed in.

I know that this is a bill we have been working on, and I know that the community wants to see us move forward, and I'm very excited that um out of committee we were able to um take that first step.

And uh my hope is that we are gonna see um the first executive director of the National Entertainment Commission uh announced soon.

And this is the first step that we need to do as uh the Metro Council um to move that forward.

So I really just invite uh my colleagues uh to please join me um in supporting this bill so that we can um you know honor the people of Nashville and the work of the entertainment commission over the years so that we can move forward.

Thank you so much.

All right, um uh there is a motion to approve.

It's properly seconded, and we're on to discussion.

Uh first in the queue is council member styles, you're recognized.

I would like to move for a one meeting deferral with a brief comment, if I may.

Is there a second?

Okay, um uh okay, there is a motion to defer.

It is properly seconded.

Uh go ahead.

Thank you very much, Vice Mayor.

Uh, what council member Vogue said is correct.

This has definitely been a long time coming.

We created the commission last term, um, hoping that this would move forward in the last three years.

It's it's just been very laborious, and it should be uh a real fun commission and also a great office.

Um the executive director will be of the office, not of the commission.

But today we had an emergency entertainment commission meeting to discuss both of these pieces of legislation, and it was clear by the end of the meeting that there wasn't support for either bill because they want one bill numerous times today.

Um as I spoke with Derek Smith in Metro Legal, who is their representative after the meeting was over.

Uh, he did say that it looked like there was a way forward legally, there's some language that seemed ambiguous.

And so proposing a one meeting deferral.

I'm I'm not into deferrals.

I think most of you know that, but if the greater good can be had here where there's one bill that we can all agree on, I did volunteer in the meeting today to work with the mayor's office.

Uh the mayor's office refused.

And I I think it would benefit our constituents.

This is not about us, our personal relationships.

And this is from our Academy Award nominee.

So we're talking about these are real experts, not we're not quarterback couching here.

At the NEC meeting today, we were shown and discussed all the various versions of proposed legislation, but I don't think anyone on the commission was excited about any of them.

Ultimately, the lack of trust in the mayor's office to follow through on their stated plan, led us to decide not to support the offered bills.

The only hope of optimism was a hope that given a little more time, a new version that could be drafted could be more close, could more closely meet everyone's goals.

And I get it.

And right now we have a lot of projects that are coming to Nashville that need a dedicated office and a one-stop shop that needs an executive director and it needs the support of this commission.

Uh, Mr.

Rosenberg said during the meeting before that they have no expertise in hiring.

So I think we should take that and move forward accordingly.

All right.

Um, so what is before us is a motion uh to defer uh 1431 meeting.

Um it was uh properly seconded, and we are on to discussion on the one meeting deferral motion.

Mr.

Koopin, do you seek to be recognized on the deferral?

Go ahead, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

I'm really turned on the deferral versus not, but uh um you know, I think that the the goal that was stated is important um and to consider as we're considering whether or not to defer for more time.

The commission very clearly today said that they would like to stop seeing the mayor's office and the council members and everybody fighting and just please come together on one bill and hear us.

And and um I I share their frustration at the end of the day, it's important to me to have a commission here that's that's taking up these matters.

Um again, I'm I'm I'm torn on whether we should defer or not, but I do think that the commission was frustrated with the multiple bills.

I did hear um council member styles share a desire to um compromise whether or not the uh substitute itself was sufficient.

Um I did hear that desire expressed.

Um I was hoping that that would lead to a moment with the mayor's office coming together um and getting to one bill so we could unanimously pass something and move forward.

Um, but it sounded like the mayor's office felt that their bill was structurally sound and and didn't want to put any changes into it.

Um so I know that's not a clear direction.

I just don't want to hear how the discussion goes, but I do think that there's a a desire to get to something.

Um, and I think that if we move forward to the I'll just end by saying if we move forward today, um, we're picking one versus the other, and and that means that we're not honoring the commission's wishes of coming together unanimously.

Um, but obviously if we defer, we might have a chance of getting to that, but we also, you know, burn more time.

Um, or we don't have this commission stood up.

So um I want to see how the discussion goes and go from there.

All right.

Uh discussion continues on the motion to defer one meeting.

Next in the queue is Councilmember Eastlick, you're recognized, sir.

Thank you very much.

I'm in support of the deferral.

I was at the meeting this afternoon.

There was no more clarity in the beginning of the meeting to or or the end of the meeting.

The commissioners weren't happy.

There were no real clear answers.

We're still split on the best way to do this.

The commissioners do have concerns about the mayor being in charge of the executive director of this commission, and I think that's something that we really need to look at.

We're looking at starting a snowball right now.

It's 300,000, but before we know it, this will be a full department with a giant annual budget, and we won't be able to stop it.

But we will know as of tonight that we started it on the wrong path.

And if we expect it to end up on the right path after putting it on the wrong path in the beginning, we're just lying to ourselves.

There are some council members that do want to move this forward.

And I feel like my colleague said, it's out of frustration instead of out of completion.

And we don't have to do this tonight.

We can take a little more time, try to get the two the mayor's uh administration and the uh sponsor of the bill to come together on a better plan rather than just throwing our hands up and saying, let's just vote on something and get it done.

So uh would ask the rest of the council to think about this, give two more weeks, just two more weeks to try to find a better solution.

If we don't, it's okay.

We're still in the same spot, but at least we tried.

All right, thank you.

Next in the queue is council member Capp on the motion to defer.

Go ahead, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Those of us in the um Apple committee have been through this uh on various versions of bills related to the entertainment commission for this entire term.

And I know on the floor we've been through it as well.

There's something I'd like to deduce from that experience, which is that all the bills we've passed so far have not resulted in a functioning entertainment commission for this city.

Um it's been stated that uh folks want one bill.

Well, that means that it's down to us to decide how to proceed on this bill.

I think it's highly unlikely that a deferral of this bill will result in a compromise between the idea that the mayor's office has hiring authority over the executive director's position, or that the commission does.

Um, I think it's unlikely that all of the previous deferrals that didn't result in some synthesis between those views will result in one over the next two weeks.

It is up to us to make this decision.

I come at this from a perspective of these commissioners have worked really hard and have had an incredibly frustrating experience over the past few years.

It is up to us to give them a framework to move forward.

If we share an interest in standing up a commission that can function, that will be accountable.

We will all be watching.

We will know whether it succeeds or fails.

Everybody's gonna be paying attention to this.

We've got to give it a structure to work.

Every previous structure that we've tried to do has not resulted in a functioning commission.

We tonight can move forward on a bill that allows that to happen that will then stand up this commission without any further delay.

I urge us to do that tonight.

We can make the decision.

This is how we get to one bill.

We can debate and discuss and decide.

This isn't just something to move it forward.

This is the bill that can that we have debated in committee and discussed as a way of doing a workable framework.

If an executive director is in an office by herself or himself, he or she will not be able to coordinate across metro departments in the way that we are all hoping to happen.

That, for better or worse, can only happen through the impramater of the mayor's office.

We all are asking for that to happen.

So let's make it happen.

Thank you, Colleagues.

Thank you, Mr.

Capp.

Uh Ms.

Fo.

Do you want me to keep okay?

Um, next in the queue, uh, Mr.

Nash, you recognize, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

Um, as one of the older members of this council, I would like to see something passed.

While I'm still able to be here.

Yeah.

The um this has been discussed and discussed and discussed.

And I really think it is time we pass it.

I remember when the commissioners were here during budget talks, and they were asking for the 325,000 some dollars.

And I went back to them and I said, Well, where are you gonna be working out of the trunk of your car?

And they really didn't have an answer for that.

The mayor has now given them an answer.

They can work out of the mayor's office as they grow this commission, as they they develop this business.

We don't need to defer this any further.

Thank you.

All right.

Um, Ms.

Vou, um, you have yet to speak on the deferral motion specifically, and you're next in the queue.

So go ahead, please, ma'am.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um, I do want to point out and in committee, we did discuss the deferral and it um uh failed four in favor, five against and zero not voting.

And um I really um appreciate the sentiments of and comments um and discussion.

Um, but I rise in um against the deferral because uh of the reasons I stated before, and um I think that we are all ready um for action.

I think this allows us to see action um and that we will keep the pressure on um so that we can have um all the different amazing opportunities that this office will present itself, and we need someone to lead that.

And so I encourage my um colleagues to vote uh to vote against the deferral um and uh to vote for the bill.

Thank you.

Right.

Uh Councilmember Evans, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I appreciate being recognized on the deferral.

I am in support of the deferral tonight.

I could not be at the meeting this afternoon because I had a conflict.

Um, but I think the the biggest struggle that I have related to the commission, the members' experience and kind of the feedback that they have provided so far is you know, getting um it right for them means a variety of different things.

You know, we've talked about this idea of incubation and what that really looks like.

I don't feel like I have a firm understanding of define incubation and what level of support are we going to have with the commission and the executive director being in the mayor's office.

What does that look like?

Um and when we talk about, you know, we were talking earlier about N DOT and Vision Zero and things like that.

And if you don't have institutional support that is legitimate, meaning um in this case, the administration that's really willing to put their money where their mouth is.

Remember, we were the ones that had to resurrect this entire process as part of the substitute budget.

It was not part of the administration's budget.

And so I can understand their frustration and their uncertainty as a commission, thinking that we do not collectively have their back based on how that whole process transpired.

And so um when I'm thinking about the level of commitment that I would like to see, I think uh an ability for both stakeholders in this case between the administration and the the prime sponsor uh to work through kind of these issues in conjunction, you know, with uh with Derek and Metro Legal, I think that would be a valid or warranted exercise.

And I under the folks that are like, well, I've heard this during this term, think about those of us who are second termers who have been through this uh, you know, with council member Swopes uh feedback kind of resonating as part of in my head right now uh related to his concerns about our ability to actually execute on this process.

And so I'm gonna support the deferral tonight.

If the deferral fails, I will be voting against um the bill.

So thank you so much.

Thank you, Miss Evans.

Um debate continues uh on the deferral motion.

Next in the queue is Councilmember Parker.

Go ahead, sir.

Previous question, Madam Vice Mayor.

Okay.

Um, Mr.

Parker has called the previous question, it's been properly seconded.

This is a non-debatable motion that requires two thirds of those voting.

If you vote aye in favor of the previous question, you want to end debate and move to the vote.

If you vote no, um, you would like a discussion on this deferral motion to continue.

As I always ask on these um somewhat contentious matters, please um uh by number, not by volume.

Okay.

All in favor of the previous question, please say aye.

Aye.

All of those against the previous question, please say no.

No.

The ayes have it.

Um an abundance of caution.

Um, Mr.

Clerk, if you would please uh load the vote um for the one meeting uh deferral motion slides.

Ms.

Hancock, do you seek to vote?

It was more than a year of the last term.

Okay.

With all votes in, Mr.

Clerk, please show the vote.

Okay, the deferral motion has failed with 10 votes in favor and 25 against and one abstention.

That means we are now back on the motion to approve.

All right.

Ums Stiles, do you seek to be recognized on the motion to approve?

Um okay, go ahead, ma'am.

I think it goes without saying that I'm going to be a no.

I just wanted to say for the record, we are spitting in the faces of every single creative that has told us they don't want this to happen.

We haven't received a single email from anyone in the creative community in this city to tell us that they want this to go in the mayor's office.

So if we're sitting here and we're voting for something that we know these people do not want, and I don't trust this administration to get this off the ground in a year.

I hope that my saying that spurs them to do something that's actually great.

But I don't believe it's going to happen.

But please, please consider this is not about us in here.

This is about the constituency group of creatives.

And there was a lot of frustration, and not one of you that is on this bill showed up at today's meeting or the meeting two weeks ago.

If it mattered that much to you to move it forward, certainly the lead sponsor could have shown up.

But that didn't happen either.

So I I hope I, you know, the idea of putting pressure on the group of people that have spent all of their efforts and energy to stop them from doing anything doesn't really make sense.

So I I hope please reconsider voting yes for this.

Please vote no.

Maybe we could come up with something that could make sense.

All right.

Um discussion continues on the motion to approve um uh 1431.

Next in the queue is council member Coopin.

Go ahead, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

Would uh would this be an appropriate time to offer my amendment, or are we still on Ms.

Styles substitute?

Um we're on the bill, and so um we were never on uh Ms.

Styles's substitute.

She had a motion to defer that has failed, and so a motion to amend is a proper motion if they're and I would like to move to amendment with a brief comment.

Is there a second on the motion to amend?

Um Ms.

Allen has seconded.

Go ahead, Mr.

Koopin.

Thank you, Madam President.

Appreciate this discussion.

I think at the end of the day, we all know that music, TV, film are incredibly important to our city.

Um, and I um appreciate everybody's efforts, even though um there's disagreement on how to get there on the commitment to do it as as um Miss Evans stated originally this was unfunded um in the original budget.

And I appreciate our support here in the body for um getting that funding and getting this moving and making this a topic that the mayor has now pledged full support to.

Um and I have no doubt that if this passes and it goes up in his office, that he will, you know, with full force um hire this person and and you know begin that process.

Um so this my amendment isn't really speaking to this process, but rather codifying how we got to this hire.

Um in the current in the current iteration, um it's set up such that the commission gets to narrow down the candidate shaping the direction of the office, and then the mayor hires um their their selection.

Um and so both the mayor's initial bill and Ms.

Styles' initial bill took that process away.

Um and so this amendment would bring it back.

I think that one of the one of the top things I've heard from the commissioners is to not let this be a politicized office.

Um, whether it's one administration or two administrations or 10 down the road, um, this is a highly political industry.

It's an industry that that um runs the risk of becoming a political football.

We've seen it happen here.

Um, and so uh this amendment would restore the commission's ability to shape the direction um of the of the hires.

The mayor retains the right to hire, he retains the right to reject any of the candidates.

Um, and so I know that there were some concerns from legality perspective over um kind of where where that charter authority is, but I still believe that um this amendment would be okay because again, the the mayor at the end of the day could reject the candidates um and be um receive new ones.

It does also put a shot clock that gives him 60 days to respond once commit um once the members are put put forward.

Um so I think it's a good amendment.

I think it would would help um help the bill help the commissioners feel like they have a sense of purpose.

Um if this amendment doesn't go on and the bill, the mayor's bill goes forward um where this is in the mayor's office for an unspecified amount of incubation time with no opportunity for the commissioners to weigh in.

Um the commission, I mean, I don't at that point I don't even know what the what the goal of the commission then becomes.

Um so my hope is that we can listen to the people and listen to the public as we say we do and at least give the commission some voice um in this matter.

All right.

Um so we are on the motion to amend uh with Mr.

Koopin's uh amendment.

It was properly seconded.

Um you've heard a description of the amendment uh from the sponsor.

Um and so we are gonna continue discussion.

I believe I saw Miss Benedict shaking her head that she does not seek to be recognized on the motion to amend.

Ms.

Welsh on the motion to amend.

Um Ms.

Swara on the motion to amend.

Um is there anyone in the queue specifically seeking to be recognized on the motion to amend?

Um okay, let me go in uh order.

Um again, hands for motion to amend, Bradford Horton.

Oh okay.

I believe first in the queue on the motion to amend is Ms.

Vaux.

Ms.

Vowe, you are recognized.

Thank you so much, Vice Mayor.

Um, I do uh want to just remind everyone that we did discuss the amendment in committee and it failed zero in favor, seven against to not voting.

Um and we had concerns about legal issues.

Um, and I'd like to defer to the mayor's office um for additional input.

Um you're seeking uh a position um from the administration on the uh amendment.

Okay.

Um uh Mr.

Rosenberg, you're recognized, sir.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

Dave Rosenberg with the mayor's office.

Um Metro Legal expressed that this um amendment would not be compliant with the charter because it limits who the mayor can hire into his office.

You can imagine ordinances saying that for any position in the mayor's office that the council gets to pick two finalists or that sort of thing.

So you can see the natural outcome of it.

All that said, the mayor has committed to hiring a commission recommendation if this legislation um passes as filed.

So we thank you for your support.

Thank you, council member.

All right.

Um, Ms.

Vowe, back to you.

Um, yes, and so uh I am rising in um opposition to uh the um amendment um and uh just hope that my colleagues will also join.

All right.

Um uh next in the queue on um the uh motion to amend specifically um uh is next Mr.

Horton.

Go ahead, sir.

Council Councilmember asked all the questions I was going to, thank you.

Okay.

Um is there anyone else in the queue seeking to be recognized on the motion to amend.

Okay.

Um uh seeing none, um, let's go to the vote um on the motion uh to amend.

Um we will try it uh first by voice.

Um if I cannot tell, we will go to the boards.

So again, number, not volume.

Um all in favor of uh the motion uh to amend, please say aye.

Aye.

Uh all against the motion to amend, please say no.

No.

Okay.

Um uh the no's have it.

Um the motion uh to amend uh has failed.

Um and so we continue on discussion on the motion to approve.

Next in the queue for that discussion is Ms.

Benedict, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor.

I call the question.

Okay.

Um uh council member uh Benedict has called the question.

Was there a second?

Okay.

This is a non-debatable motion that requires two-thirds of those of voting.

Um if you want uh to uh end debate, um you would vote in favor of the previous question by saying aye or yes.

Um if you want debate to continue on the motion to approve uh this uh ordinance on its second reading, uh you would vote no.

Okay.

Uh would all in favor of the previous question, please say aye.

Aye.

Uh any voting, no.

The ayes have it.

Um, and we will move uh to the vote.

Um uh Mr.

Clerk, if you would please uh load the vote for 1431.

The motion to approve all votes in.

Mr.

Clerk, please show the vote.

All right, uh the motion to approve on second reading has passed with 27 votes in favor, seven against, and three abstentions.

All right, this bill um will continue uh on to its third and final reading at the next meeting.

Next is agenda item uh 55 ordinance BL2026-1432.

Sponsor Styles, Welsh, Evans, Coupen, Cortez, Hill, Druffel, Swara, and Webb.

This is an ordinance amending chapter 2.147 of the Metro Code of Laws relative to the Nashville Entertainment Commission.

Sponsor Styles, you are recognized.

Thank you very much.

Committee reports, please.

Okay, for the report of the Arts Parks Libraries and Entertainment Committee, Chair Vowe.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

The Apple Committee um voted to indefinitely defer um VL 2026-1432, seven in favor, one against, and one non-voting.

And according to um 8.2, um, because it was um the indefinite deferral was voted by two-thirds of the members voting.

Um, this is indefinitely deferred without debate or discussion.

Understood.

Um that said, um, I do have to go back um to the sponsor because also an option to her is to withdraw.

Um and so the sponsor has been recognized um for purposes of requesting their committee reports.

You have provided it.

I appreciate you clarifying the indefinite defer with 2.3.

Um, and so uh Ms.

Stiles, I'm gonna go back to you.

Um your only option at this juncture um is a withdrawal.

Um, and if you were to speak towards a withdrawal, it needs to be very brief um on the reasoning or the nature of the withdrawal, okay, if that is your choice.

But if it is anything other than that, there is no discussion.

Okay, so that is the option available to you.

I'm just gonna take indefinite deferral.

Okay.

Um uh go ahead, ma'am.

You're recognized.

I'm so sorry.

Okay, so you're good?

Yes.

All right.

Um, this has been indefinitely uh deferred by Rule 8.2.

Okay.

All right.

Well, that was very dramatic way to end that entertainment discussion.

All right, all right, okay.

Next is agenda item uh 56, uh ordinance VL 2026-1434 sponsors Lee and Koopin.

This is an ordinance to amend section 13.20.020 of the Metro Code of Laws relative to required notice and permission for excavations in the right-of-way.

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

Uh yes, madam chair.

Um committee report, please.

Okay, for the report of the transportation infrastructure committee, Chair Evan Siegel.

Um Thank you, Madam President.

The transportation and infrastructure committee um recommended a one-meeting deferral, ten in favor, zero against, and zero not voted.

Okay, with rule eight point one, um, Ms.

Lee, uh, that is a mandatory deferral by rule.

One meeting.

Okay.

I guess I am um next is agenda item 57, ordinance BL 2026-1437.

Sponsors Webb, Coopin, Evans, Bradford, Allen, Ellis, and Benton.

This is an ordinance requiring that all boards, commissions, committees, and authorities of the Metropolitan Government with financial authority or a fiduciary duty record and make publicly available the proceedings of their meetings.

Um Ms.

Webb is not present.

Does another sponsor?

Mr.

Coopin, you are next in the queue on uh sponsorship here.

Um are you prepared to proceed?

I cannot uh thank you, Madam President.

Would you just request your commitment to the case?

Um for the report of the budget and finance committee.

Um uh Chair Timbs.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor.

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

Okay, and for the report of the government operations and regulations committee, Chair Hill.

I think my vice mayor, we recommended the same one meeting deferral, seven in favor, zero against zero nine voting.

All right.

Um per rule eight point one.

Um that is a mandatory deferral by rule.

Um, this uh bill on second reading uh will be taken up at the next meeting.

Okay.

All right.

Uh next is agenda item 58, ordinance BL 2026-1442.

Sponsors Tombs, Evan Siegel, and Allen.

This is an ordinance approving amendment two to a contract between the Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County and Waste Management Inc.

of Tennessee for the provision of solid waste collection and collection of carts.

Uh Ms.

Toombs, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Vice Mayor.

Committee reports, budget and finance voted to recommend approval as amended.

Nine in favor, zero against, zero not voting.

All right.

And for the report of the transportation and infrastructure committee, Chair Evan Siegel.

Okay.

Um all right, Miss Tombs, it's back to you for a motion.

Move for approval.

Okay.

Okay, properly moved and seconded.

Um we are on to discussion.

First in the queue is council member Parker.

You're recognized, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I would like to move the amendment.

All right.

Um it's properly seconded.

Go ahead, sir.

We're on a motion uh to amend.

Thank you.

So we had a lot of great discussion in committee about this amendment, so I'll try to summarize that in the amount of time that I have here.

Um essentially, this this amendment, the main driver of it coming to us is um the shift from the five-day pickup schedule to the four-day pickup schedule.

And it was a request, my understanding, it was a request of the um the contractor waste management to also extend the contract by an additional five years and a um additional 60 million dollars in scope.

Um, you know, that's a pretty um that's a pretty extensive um extension there.

Um and if you think about when we first signed this contract, um, we had just um move the solid waste function out of public works.

It was temporarily housed at Metro Water Services, who did a phenomenal job handling it through some really difficult times.

We had the failure of one of our major haulers.

Um, and and they managed to to kind of keep the wheels rolling there.

So huge thanks to Metro Water for that um that incredible work.

But but you know, we're not in that situation anymore.

Um, we're not in a situation where we have contractors failing left and right.

We're in a situation where we've established a professional um dedicated department of solid waste.

Um, and I think like with the um sort of parallel contract with another major hauler waste pro, I think that this contract should go out to bid rather than be extended by amendment five years and sixty million dollars.

Um I think that's the most appropriate thing to let our new solid waste department, the director, the um professional staff that we have uh work with metro procurement to make sure that we get the best contract um for taxpayers uh that we can and not extend this by five years.

So essentially what we're doing here, we're enacting the other necessary parts of the contract amendment, but what we'd be doing is removing the sections that extend it by five years and add sixty million dollars to the contract total.

So um I would ask colleagues to please uh support this amendment and we'll get this out to bid and we'll get a new contract next year.

All right, thank you for the explanation.

All right, we are on a motion uh to amend with Mr.

Parker's amendment, and we're on to discussion.

Councilmember Porterfield, you're recognized.

Thanks, Vice Mayor.

I got in the queue in case the council member needed extra time.

Seeing as though he does not need any, I will just say that I am uh rising in support and thankful that he brought this amendment.

Alrighty.

Councilmember Gadd, you're recognized.

Uh thank you so much, uh Madam Speaker.

I also rise and support this of this amendment.

And specifically, I want to recognize and thank the the new director over at uh our our our new department of waste services, uh, the amount of work that she has done in order to try to get um waste management to the table, who has been robbing the city for um generations of resources um and their incredibly poor performance.

Um and they're they don't even there's so many things that have been uncovered during her a pushback on this company.

So I'm while I applaud where they've been able to get this contract from an incredibly unwilling and angry uh provider who wants to who tries to monopolize this try this this area of services.

Um I do rise in complete support of uh council member uh Parker and this amendment and um hopefully that will also demonstrate um that uh we expect uh more.

So while I'm very thankful for the department and the leadership for the incredible work they have done to get us into a place that we are, um I definitely rise in support of this amendment.

So thank you.

All righty, thank you.

Is there any further discussion uh specifically on the motion to amend?

Uh Ms.

Ellis, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam President.

I couldn't press my button fast enough to echo council member gad's uh comment.

And I just wanted to say to the public um if you're listening, waste management picks up your trash.

Email your council member, let them know that you want to switch to uh a metro route.

All right.

Um so we are in the motion to amend any further discussion on the amendment.

All right, seeing none, um, we'll try it by voice.

All in favor of the motion to amend, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no?

Any abstaining.

Okay.

Um, so uh we have uh put the amendment on the bill.

Ms.

Tombs, um, sponsor, I'm looking to you.

Do you wish to renew your motion to approve as amended?

Thank you.

I didn't have her mic on, but she did say move approval as amended.

It was properly seconded.

Is there any further discussion on the motion to approve as amended?

Or this bill on its second of three readings.

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Any voting no?

Any abstaining?

Okay.

This is passed its second reading as amended.

Next is agenda item 60 ordinance BL 2026-145-0.

Um, sponsors Cortez and Ellis.

This is an ordinance directing the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and the Mayor's Office through the Office of Youth Safety and requesting the coordination of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools to jointly develop an education and information sharing initiative aimed at identifying and countering the growing threat of online extremist content that targets and exploits young people in Nashville and Davidson County.

Sponsor Cortez, you are recognized, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor Committee reports.

Okay, for uh the report of the budget and finance committee, Chair Tombs.

Budget and finance voters recommend a three meeting deferral, nine in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay.

And for the report of the public health and safety committee, Chair Huffman.

Thank you, Professor Mayor.

Uh public health and safety recommended to defer this three meetings, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay.

Um all right.

So it's back to you, uh, Mr.

Cortez for a motion, sir.

Go ahead.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Uh, make I'd like to make a motion for a three-meeting deferral with a brief comment.

Okay.

Um properly moved and seconded.

Um, yes, sir, brief comment.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

Uh it was brought to my attention that the fantastic Reverend Davy Tucker and his team at MHRC have done some work on this.

So we're gonna have a meeting of the minds to make this bill even stronger.

And I look forward to working with him and his team.

Thank you so much.

Okay.

Um uh there is a motion uh to defer three meetings properly seconded.

You've heard um an explanation uh of the sponsor um for his support of that motion.

Is there any further discussion on the three meeting uh deferral motion?

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Um any voting no or abstaining.

Okay.

Um the second reading of this bill will be deferred uh three meetings.

Thank you.

Next is agenda item 61, ordinance BL 2026-1451.

Uh sponsor Tombs, Horton, Kimbrough, Bradford, Vaux, Coopin, and Allen.

This is an ordinance approving amendment six to the Arts Center Redevelopment Plan, amendment number one to the Bordeaux redevelopment plan, amendment number one to the Central State Redevelopment Plan, amendment number six to the Phillips Jackson Redevelopment Plan, amendment number nine to the Rutledge Hill redevelopment plan, and amendment number one to the skyline redevelopment plan.

Okay, Ms.

Tombs, you are recognized.

Thank you, madam vice mayor committee report.

Budget and finance voted to recommend approval as amended.

Eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

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

Thank you, Vice Mayor P and Z considered the bill and the amendment.

We voted in favor of the amendment.

Eight in favor, zero again, zero not voting, and in favor of the bill as amended, eight in favor, zero again, zero not voting.

Okay.

Um with those committee reports in, it's back to you, Ms.

Tombs, uh, for a motion to get this before us.

Move for approval.

All right.

Is there a second?

Okay, there's a motion to approve, it's properly seconded, and we're on to discussion.

First in the queue is Councilmember Allen.

Go ahead, ma'am.

Thank you, Madam Chair.

I'd like to move my amendment with a brief explanation.

Okay, is there a second on the motion to amend?

Okay, go ahead, ma'am.

Thank you.

So this this bill basically adds some things that came out of a study that then council member Mendez did that um that required uh a review on a on a periodic basis, and also that set the uh amount of the loans that could be paid back by um the the tax that is in collected on the increment at 75 percent.

And it gave MDHA the ability to change that 75 percent if they needed to based on written criteria that they developed.

And um, so that's what's in this amendment for all all of all of these different development districts.

What my amendment would do is just simply to add notification if MDH chooses to do that that the council would get written notification that that has happened.

Um because otherwise, we um we have no way to know that um projects that are worthy projects and infrastructure that needs to happen um is is using up every bit of the new property taxes, and none of that is available for schools, and that was the whole reason that whole process was done in the first place.

So, not decreasing their ability to make that change at all, but just asking that we get written notification when that change happens.

So I would ask for support.

All right.

Um there is a motion to amend, properly seconded.

Um you have heard a description of the amendment uh by its sponsor, Ms.

Allen.

Is there any discussion on the motion to amend?

Seeing none, all in favor.

Oh uh Ms.

Kimbrough, go ahead, ma'am.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I just wanted to say on this, um, I'm going to abstain.

Um I ask that they remove my name because I never put my name on there.

But one of the reasons I am going to abstain is because my community gets concerned and they want to know more about TIFF and the MDHA project.

And MDHA has agreed to come to our next meeting, which will be Tuesday.

And this might just be great, but I just wanted the community to hear from MDHA before I don't know um showed my support for the bill.

So I'm going to abstain for those reasons.

Okay, on both the motion to amend and the motion to approve as amended.

Yes.

Okay.

Thank you.

All right.

Is there any further discussion on the motion to amend?

Seeing none.

All in favor of the amendment, please say aye.

Any voting no?

Any abstaining?

Ms.

Kimbrough will be recorded as a no on the motion to amend.

Rather, apologize, an abstention.

Okay.

Um so uh the amendment has passed, and Ms.

Tombs, um, if you would please let me know.

Do you seek to renew your motion to approve as amended?

A move for approval is amended.

All right.

Um okay.

Uh there is a motion to approve on second reading as amended.

It's properly seconded.

Is there any further discussion on this bill on second reading?

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Any voting no?

Any uh abstaining.

Uh Ms.

Kimbrough, you will be recorded as an abstention on this second reading.

Okay.

This bill has passed its second reading as amended.

Next is agenda item 62 ordinance BL 2026-1452.

Sponsors, Evans, Huffman Spain, Eliscad, and SWARA.

This is an ordinance establishing the opioid settlement steering committee's role in guiding the strategic use of the Metropolitan Government's opioid settlement funds through a clear, transparent and data-driven process.

Uh sponsor Evans, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I would like to move for one meeting deferral with a very brief comment.

Okay.

Did you want to get your committee reports uh prior to doing so?

Uh sure.

We can um uh Mr.

Huffman, uh, what is the report of your public health and safety committee, please?

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Uh public health and safety recommended to defer this one meeting eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay.

Okay, so that is rule eight point one.

Um uh Ms.

Evans.

Um that that is our kind of order of business there, right?

Like if I acknowledge you, you request committee reports, it's 8.1.

So there's no debate and discussion.

Okay.

I I know you have some context to provide the body, and you kindly put something in, but we've got a council connect post.

Um worries.

Sorry about that.

Okay, 8.1 is applied here, such that there's no um debate or discussion that is deferred uh by rule one meeting.

Okay.

Um uh next is uh agenda item 77, uh ordinance BL 2026-1489 sponsors uh Horton, Porterfield, Coopin, Parker, Spain, GAD, Benedict Ewing, Cortez, Wiener, Rutherford, Greg, Nash, and Herrell.

Uh, this uh is an ordinance authorizing the Metro government to acquire the fee interest in a parcel of property, parcel ID number, ooh, y'all 133 000 1350 through negotiation or condemnation for office warehouse training and other uses.

Uh council member Horton, you are recognized, sir.

Uh thank you, Vice Mayor.

Move for approval, please.

Okay, there is a motion to approve on uh second reading, properly seconded.

Um, and we are uh on to discussion.

Um let's see, do we need committee reports at this juncture?

Oh, I'm sorry.

Um so uh Mr.

Horton, um committee reports, planning and zoning voted in favor, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay.

Um uh and for the report of the budget and finance committee, Chair Teams.

Budget and finance voted to recommend approval, six in favor, one against one not voting.

Okay, now with those committee reports in, please, sir.

Move for approval, please.

Okay, all right.

Um there is a motion to approve on its second of third reading.

Um there is uh a very deep cue here.

Um uh Ms.

Benedict, you are at the top of it.

Um you're recognized.

Thank you, madam vice mayor.

I move to call a question.

Okay.

Um uh the question has been uh called.

Um uh this is a non-debate, it's has been seconded.

This is a non-debatable motion.

It requires two-thirds of those voting.

Um if you wish to end uh debate on this bill, uh you would vote aye.

Um if you wish to continue with the debate, uh you would vote no.

Um we will try it first by voice.

Um if I cannot determine um the two-thirds, uh, we will move to the machine.

All in favor of the previous question, please say aye.

Aye.

Uh those voting no, please say no.

No.

Um I believe the ayes have it.

Um so um this has passed its second.

Oh, I'm so sorry.

Okay.

I apologize.

That was kind of surprising to me because this is a major matter, and um we're not gonna have debate.

Okay.

Okay, there is a second for um putting the vote of the um uh calling the question to a roll call.

Is that correct?

Okay.

Um sorry, folks.

Um so we called the vote.

We were moving subsequent.

There has been a request.

It has for a roll call, it requires how many seconds?

Three.

It requires three seconds.

Okay.

Okay.

Um Mr.

Mr.

Clerk, um, can you uh load the vote for the previous question, please, sir?

Okay.

Uh with all votes in, uh, Mr.

Clerk, please show the vote.

Okay.

Um the motion to call the previous question requires two thirds of those voting in the affirmative.

Thus the motion has failed with 20 votes yes and 15 votes no, um, which means we will continue uh with discussion on the motion uh to approve on second reading.

Um Ms.

Benedict, you have already been recognized.

Um, Mr.

Clerk, I think that needs to be cleared from the queue.

Next in the queue is Ms.

Evans Siegel.

Uh thank you, Madam President.

I would ask if the sponsor um who moved to approve would consider um amending her motion to move to approve with a re-referral back to committee.

I have some open questions to finance.

I got pretty short answers to those questions, and I think it would be helpful to talk about them in committee.

Okay, so Mr.

Horton is the primary sponsor.

And so Mr.

Horton, I apologize.

I'm so used to budget matters being that's fine.

Um so there is a request uh by Ms.

Evan Siegel about your uh willingness to amend your motion to approve um with a re-referral uh to uh committee.

Budget and finance to budget and finance.

No objection to that.

Uh but we're happy to amend.

Can I do that now?

You may I'd like to move to move to amend my motion to approve to a motion to approve with a re-referral to budget and finance.

Okay.

There is a motion uh to approve on second reading with a re-referral um uh to the budget and finance committee.

Is it seconded?

Okay, um, and so discussion uh continues uh on that.

Um is there anything that you wanted uh to say with the rest of your time, Zevin Siegel?

Nope.

Okay.

Um uh so there is a motion to approve um with a re-referral to budget and finance.

It was properly seconded.

Discussion continues.

Councilmember Johnston, you're recognized.

Thank you.

I um appreciate the re-referral back.

You know, this is a significant um piece of legislation.

It's probably one of the more um bold moves that I've seen in my seven years for sure.

Uh and so to have no discussion, I thought was um not responsible.

And I get there's risks of this, that, and the other.

Um, but we are the legislative body, and I think it is worth this the worth the discussion, and so I'm happy to do that in committee.

And so I will um I will hold my comments and concerns.

I I would like to hear from our new legal director because this started under a previous legal director, and it's the new legal director that should be that will be carrying out whatever possible um uh condemnation efforts, and so I would love to hear her uh thought process on this.

And that can be done privately, I don't mind.

Um, but I'm gonna be abstaining because I don't feel comfortable because I don't know.

Um I don't feel comfortable voting yes or no.

Um, and so I hate abstaining, but that's the only thing I feel comfortable doing, and this is in my district, the parcel that we're talking about.

Um it would have a you know a massive effect.

And so uh my concern is taxpayers' liability, quite frankly.

And um until I can get to a comfort level to support that.

I I appreciate let's talk about you know negotiation.

I don't have a problem with negotiation, bold move imminent domain.

And so I just want to have a comfort level there that we're not putting our taxpayers in this in a situation of liability.

So I will be abstaining.

Thank you.

All right.

Um next in the queue, Councilmember Allen, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam President.

I need to be recorded as abstaining.

Okay.

Um Ms.

Stiles, uh, you are recognized on uh motion to approve on second reading.

Go ahead.

Thank you very much, Vice Mayor.

I think this is irresponsible legislation.

I I'm definitely voting no.

I think this is a guaranteed lawsuit.

We have all kinds of issues.

I don't know what you're saying to me, but okay.

Um okay, you done?

Okay.

So as I said, I think it's irresponsible.

We are constantly talking about how we spend our money, and I just don't think where are we going to get this money from.

Even it goes back to committee.

I don't think that we get a good answer for this.

This feels like a knee-jerk, feel good reaction because everyone else had a plan except the mayor's office, and so now we just throw out eminent domain.

We don't have a plan for what the land would be for.

It's just nonsense.

So everyone should vote no.

Uh right.

Uh Councilmember Spain, you're next in the queue.

Go ahead, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

Move for your question.

Okay.

Um, all right.

Uh Mr.

Spain has called the previous question.

It's properly seconded.

This is a non-debatable motion that requires two-thirds of those voting.

Um, um, uh Mr.

Eastlick has requested a roll call vote for the previous question.

Are there three seconds?

Second.

Okay, that is three.

Um, so uh Mr.

Clerk, if you would please load the vote.

Um this is the previous question.

A yes vote for the previous question ends debate.

Uh a no vote means you want to continue debate on this matter.

This is on the previous question.

With all votes in, Mr.

Clerk, please show the vote.

Okay, the motion has passed, and the previous question has been called with 32 votes in favor, three against, and one abstention, um, which means that we will then move to the vote.

Um, knowing that we have some no's um and abstentions, um, uh, even though this is on second, um, uh, Mr.

Clerk, if you would please uh load the vote um uh for 1489 on its second of three readings, please, sir.

Mr.

Benton, are you seeking to vote, sir?

All votes are in.

Um, Mr.

Clerk, if you would please show the vote.

All right, um, this motion to approve on second reading uh has passed with 27 votes in favor, uh, three against and five abstentions.

Um, this will be um by the motion uh re-referred to budget and finance committee on its third reading at next meeting.

Okay.

That concludes our items on second reading.

Um we're on to third reading, uh section N of our agenda.

Uh next is agenda item 81, uh ordinance BL2026-1361 sponsors Benedict Cap Koopin and Evan Siegel.

This is an ordinance to amend chapter 17.37 of the Metro Code of Laws to establish an East Bank Design Review Committee within the downtown code.

Okay.

Um Ms.

Benedict, you are recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Could I have my committee report, please?

Um, let's see.

This is on third, so planning and zoning.

Um Chair Horton, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um PNZ considered the bill and amendment two.

Uh we voted in favor of amendment two, five in favor, three against zero not voting.

Amendment one was not considered.

We considered the bill as amended by amendment two, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay.

Uh back to you for a motion to get this before us, Miss Benedict.

Move approval.

Is there second?

Okay.

You have the floor still.

Okay.

Um Mr.

Koopin is next in the queue.

Go ahead, sir.

Thank you, Madam President.

And thank you to my colleague for bringing this and working hard to make sure the voices of East Nashville are represented on the East Bank DRC.

I did have an amendment, and I would like to move amendment two with a brief comment.

Was it two?

Is there a second um for the motion to amend with amendment two?

Okay, go ahead, sir.

Thank you.

Um, and so uh one of the uh seats that would be on this DRC replacing the urban residence association seat um would be from the imagined east bank area.

Um and in the legislation it had a kind of hold on it um until a thousand residential units receive certificates of occupancy.

Um the concern that I heard was for about quorum, uh making sure that people can come to that meeting.

Um I spoke to the the sponsor at the committee meeting yesterday, and she had asked if I had anybody in mind for that seat or if I knew you know people over there, and at the time I'd said, well, you know, no, just I just know that there are you know six hundred some odd people over there in that area.

Um, and an odd twist of fate later that evening, um, a constituent from the Oxpo reached out to me about a greenway along the river, and I said, Hey, can we can I pick your brain on something and asked about this legislation?

Um, and you know, said do you know do you think that the people in your building would care about this?

Would they want to sit on something like this?

Is it too far away?

Um again, trying to represent my constituents, and he was very excited.

He said that he would actually love to serve um on the potentially on this on this seat.

Um, so there are constituents there.

There are about 600, um, six or seven hundred.

There's a lot more coming, so I don't see the reason to wait for the thousand person mark.

I think we've got multiple people that are um ready ready to serve.

I think that we have projects coming down the pipeline.

It's a great idea to have this committee, um, but I would would hate to wait any longer to have a voice of someone that lives in that area on this commission committee.

Um again, I understand the quorum issues.

I don't think that'll be an issue given the conversation I had um with this individual today.

Um so I'd urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

All right.

Uh there's a motion to amend uh with amendment two.

Um you've heard an explanation of the amendment uh by the sponsor, and so we are on to discussion on the motion to amend.

Is anyone seeking to be recognized on the amendment?

Seeing none.

All in favor of amendment two, please say aye.

Any voting no?

Any abstaining?

Okay.

Um uh Ms.

Benedict, is it your desire to renew your motion to approve?

As amended.

Thank you, ma'am.

Um is her second?

Okay.

Um so uh this is on its third and final reading.

Um there is a motion to approve uh as amended with amendment two.

Uh is there anyone else seeking discussion?

Okay, seeing none.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no?

Any abstaining?

All right.

This is passed its third and final reading as amended.

Okay.

The bill you've all been waiting for.

Agenda item 84, um uh ordinance BL 2026-1391.

Sponsors, Horton, Porterfield, Gad, Huffman, Welsh, Tombs, Prep T, Benedict, Spain, Parker, Weiner, Vaux, Bradford, Coopin, Ewing, Johnston, Sepulveda, Evans, Cortez, Hill, Allen, Taylor, Cap, Gamble, Greg, Suara, Harel, Dreffel, Benton, Nash, and Rutherford.

This is an ordinance amending Title 17 of the Metro Code of Laws to add various new data center uses and related definitions and conditions to the zoning code.

Um, Mr.

Horton, um, I know this bill has a companion, um, but at this juncture, uh, let's just work with 1391.

Okay.

Um, and so you are recognized, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Uh, committee reports.

Um, before I give them, I put a cheat sheet on everyone's desk, um, so you don't have to try to memorize what I'm about to say.

Um, but amendment one, uh, we recommended approval, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Amendment two was not considered.

Amendment three was not considered.

Amendment four, we recommended approval, eight in favor, zero against, zero not voting.

Amendment five, we voted for recommended approval, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Amendment six, we recommended approval, eight in favor, zero against, zero not voting.

Amendment seven, we recommended against approval, zero in favor, eight against zero not voting.

On amendment eight, we recommended against approval, zero in favor, eight against, zero not voting.

Amendment nine, we recommended against approval with zero in favor, eight against, zero not voting.

For amendment ten, we recommended approval.

Eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

For amendment eleven, we voted uh recommended approval.

Eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

For amendment twelve, we recommended approval, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

For amendment thirteen, we've recommended approval, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

For amendment fourteen, we recommended against approval, zero in support, eight against zero not voting.

For amendment fifteen, uh we recommended approval, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting, and then uh the bill as amended with the recommended amendments.

We voted in favor, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Uh and with that, I would like to move for approval uh so that I may then move amendment one, please.

Okay.

Um all right.

Uh so there's a motion to approve, it's properly seconded.

Uh the primary sponsor still has the floor, and in that time, he has moved uh amendment one.

So there is a motion to amend with amendment one.

Um it is properly seconded.

Um anything you want to say on the amendment, sir.

This is a housekeeping amendment and corrects section numbers.

Okay.

Is there any discussion on amendment one?

Is anyone in the queue seeking to be recognized on amendment one?

Um uh folks, I presume um some of you who are in the queue uh are there uh for purposes of discussion once the bill is amended relative to its approval.

So as someone makes a motion to amend, um, because the queue is a little bit deep here.

I will just ask for a show of hands if anyone wants to speak specifically on that amendment.

Okay.

Um uh so seeing no one seeking to be recognized on amendment one.

Is that correct?

Seeing no one, okay.

All in favor of uh amendment one, please say aye.

Any voting no?

Uh any abstaining?

Okay.

Um, Mr.

Horton, do you want to renew your motion to approve uh as amended?

Like to move for approval as amended with amendment one, please.

Okay.

Are there any other amendments uh that you would like to offer at this time, sir?

No, ma'am.

Okay.

All right.

Um, so we uh continue on discussion first in the queue.

Um uh Ms.

Benedict.

Do you seek to be recognized?

Okay, she's saying no.

Um uh Ms.

Tombs, uh, do you seek to be recognized?

Uh go ahead, ma'am.

Thank you, madam vice mayor.

I'd like to move amendment number 15.

Okay.

Um there is a motion to amend uh with amendment uh 15.

Um uh anything that you want to share about this?

Uh some quarterly reporting from the zoning administrator to the council.

Okay.

Um is there any discussion um on the motion to amend with amendment 15?

Okay, raise your hand if you want to speak on amendment 15.

Seeing none.

All in favor of amendment 15, please say aye.

Any voting no or abstaining?

Okay.

Um, Mr.

Horton, I'm just gonna keep going back to you.

You don't have to stand, but if you'll just nod that you seek to like continue to renew your motion to approve as amended, we'll just roll through.

Okay.

All right.

Um, so uh we are continuing on the bill on the motion to approve.

Um, at present, as amended with amendment one and amendment 15.

Um, we continue.

Um Miss Benedict, do you intend to offer any amendments?

You just want to speak at the end.

I want to speak on the bill.

Okay, you may.

You can't that's proper at this time.

Go ahead.

Oh, no, no, no, no, at the end, once everything is amended.

Okay.

Um uh next in the queue is Ms.

Porterfield.

Um, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I would like to move amendment number six.

Okay, um, there is a motion to amend with amendment uh six.

It's properly seconded.

Anything you want to share about amendment six, ma'am.

Uh yes, Vice Mayor.

Uh amendment six would uh require a public notice or uh data centers for both small and medium-sized data centers.

Uh this public notice will be mailed out to um properties within one thousand feet of the subject property.

Uh no more than 21 days following the application of any permit um related to the proposed data center development.

Um also in the event that there is a renter, um, the notice will be mailed out to both the property owner as well as the uh mailed address of the property.

Um also I just wanted to share that I would not be moving amendments um seven and eight.

I know that we all have an overwhelming desire to make this legislation as strong as possible.

Um, and we also want to uh make sure that we're being cognizant of um not doing anything that would potentially um delay passage of the legislation.

So I just wanted to stand for anyone who was not in committee yesterday.

I know a lot of constituents asked us for um additional uh amendments to like strengthen this legislation so for anyone that wasn't there yesterday, just making sure that people understand that there are some additional things being worked on.

Um, but if it had to be re-referred back to plan it in an effort to um continue with this legislation, I won't be moving those additional amendments.

Okay.

Um all right.

Uh so you've heard a description of amendment six um by Ms.

Porterfield.

Um it was uh properly seconded.

Um is anyone seeking to be recognized specifically on the motion to amend with amendment six.

Anyone in the queue?

Um raise your hand if you're wanting to speak on amendment six.

Okay.

Um all in favor of amendment six, please say aye.

Aye.

Uh any voting no or abstaining.

Okay.

Um, Mr.

Horton, uh sponsor, is it your intent to renew your motion um uh to approve as amended?

Okay, on we go.

Um next in the queue um is council member Cortez.

You're recognized, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um, I just want to speak to that.

I'm going to withdraw amendment two and three um for the sake of getting this bill passed, and I will bring these back at a later date.

Okay, amendments two and three um will be withdrawn and not offered.

Okay, thank you, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um uh next uh in the queue is Councilmember Johnston.

Go ahead, ma'am.

You're recognized.

Thank you.

I'd like to move amendment five, please.

Okay.

Um uh there is a motion to amend with amendment five.

It's properly seconded.

Anything you want to share about the amendment?

Yes, so it um requires an emergency response and power resiliency uh plan to be submitted to the fire marshal, the um Office of Emergency Management Zoning Administrator and NES prior to approval.

We did have some concern yesterday about the timing of that, but codes has assured me that we can do that before an occupancy.

Um, and so the language was fine, and so again, I rem renew my uh motion for motion for approval.

Thank you.

Okay, with amendment five.

Um okay, there's a motion to amend with amendment five.

You've heard an explanation of the amendment uh by its sponsor.

Is there anyone seeking uh discussion on amendment five specifically?

Um if so, if you would please raise your hand.

Okay, seeing none, all in favor of amendment five.

Uh please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no or abstaining.

Um, Mr.

Horton, is it your intent to renew your motion uh to approve as amended up to this point?

Okay, so um there is uh a motion to approve um as amended uh presently with amendments one, four, five, uh six, and fifteen.

Oh no.

One, five, six.

Oh, yeah, I got ahead of myself.

I marked four because of some other issues.

All right, I'll have a lot of things on here.

Got a plan here, listing, checking, circling.

Okay.

Motion to amend uh with amendments one, five, six, and fifteen.

Okay, on we go.

Discussion continues.

Councilmember Huffman, speaking of amendment four, go ahead, sir.

Very timely.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Uh, I'd like to move amendment four.

However, I need to make a motion to amend that on the floor for housekeeping reasons.

Okay.

Okay.

Um, I know that we spoke and kind of talked through you know the motion to amend the amendment and so forth.

Subsequently, I did uh speak with special counsel about that in the proper order.

So if I may, I'm just gonna go to special counsel um so uh he can share with us how uh to get um potentially this late filed amendment that makes a minor uh text change per your proposal.

Uh special counsel, can you speak to um Mr.

Huffman's uh late filed amendment relative to his amendment for um and how that should proceed, please, sir?

Vice Mayor, a uh late filed amendment approved by the council member was drafted and sent to the inboxes of all council members in the clerk's office.

Uh uh a viable way forward would uh simply be to move to suspend the rules to consider the late filed amendment.

Okay.

Um uh are you so moved?

So moved, yes.

Okay.

Um is there any objection um uh to the motion to suspend the rules um so Mr.

Huffman can make a minor edit to his amendment four with the amendment um that you all have uh previously been sent.

Seeing no one seeking uh to object to the suspension of the rule, the rules are suspended, and so you may offer specifically your late filed amendment, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

And uh, as I said, this is uh minor change.

Essentially, the only uh change here is it removes the word telecommunication and replaces that with fiber and broadband.

Okay.

Um I appreciate uh the explanation uh there.

Um uh anything else you would like to say about that amendment specifically.

No, no, ma'am.

That's okay.

Um on the motion uh to amend with Mr.

Huffman's amendment.

Uh go ahead, Miss Porterfield.

Thank you.

Rising complete support.

Just want to confirm that that does not require a re-referral back to plan it.

If we could confirm that from plan.

Um planning staff, if you can uh please confirm that for us.

Sure, the late file would not require a re-referral.

Okay.

Um thank you for that uh confirmation.

Madam Pro Tim.

Um uh is there any further discussion on uh the Huffman uh late filed amendment?

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Any voting no or abstaining?

Okay.

Um this amendment is also on the bill.

Um okay.

Sponsor, is it your intent to renew your motion to approve as amended at present with all these amendments?

Okay, on we go.

Um next in the queue is Councilmember Gamble.

You're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I would like to move amendment 10.

Um Councilmember Gamble has moved uh amendment uh 10.

It's properly seconded.

Anything you want to share about the amendment, Ms.

Gamble?

Yes, thank you.

The amendment defines uh the terms PUE, which is power usage effectiveness, and WUE, which is water use of usage effectiveness.

These terms are used for describing metrics for measuring uh performance of energy and water usage with data centers.

The amendment also requires data center operators to monitor and report the PUE and WUE metrics annually to the zoning administrator who will make those reports available to the public.

And the intent of the amendment is to ensure best practices and good resource stewardship and energy and water efficiency reporting and transparency.

Thank you.

All righty.

Um uh there is a motion to amend uh with amendment 10 um by Ms.

Gamble.

You have heard uh an explanation uh by the sponsor.

Is there any discussion on the motion to amend with amendment 10?

Um if anyone is seeking discussion on that amendment specifically, please raise your hand.

Seeing none, all in favor of amendment 10, please say aye.

Any voting no or abstaining?

Uh sponsor Horton, uh, do you renew your motion to approve as amended?

Okay, on we go.

Uh right, we're adding amendment 10.

Um next in the queue for discussion is Councilmember Gadd.

Um Ms.

Gadd, you're recognized.

Um okay.

Um next after that, because Ms.

Benedict wants to speak on an amended as the end, is Mr.

Capp.

You are recognized, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

I have three amendments to move.

I'll start by moving amendment number 11.

Okay, sir.

Um uh properly seconded.

Go ahead.

Thank you.

Uh, this amendment requires the zoning administrator to publicize uh the compliance reports required elsewhere in the legislation.

All right.

Um uh there's a motion to amend with amendment 11 uh properly seconded, and you've heard uh the explanation of sponsor uh cap.

Uh is there any discussion specifically on amendment 11?

Um if you seek to be recognized on that amendment, please raise your hand.

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no or abstaining?

Okay.

Um uh Mr.

Horton, um, he is nodding his head.

On we go.

Um motion to approve uh as amended.

Go ahead, Mr.

Cap.

You still have the floor.

Move amendment number 12.

Right.

Um uh anything you want to say about amendment 12, sir.

Briefly, Vice Mayor, thank you.

This tightens up some pretty important definitions in the legislation.

Um first of all, it defines emergency use um to to really require a true emergency uh when backup power generation might be required, and it also specifies truly renewable and sustainable sources of energy uh rather than using more capacious uh terms that could be a little too flexible.

Um so with that I ask your uh support.

All right.

Um there's a motion to amend with amendment 11.

You've heard a description of that amendment by its sponsor, Mr.

Capp.

Is anyone seeking to be recognized specifically on amendment 11?

Raise your hand if so.

Seeing none, all in favor of amendment 11, please say aye.

Point of order of amendment 12.

I am so sorry, sir.

I apologize.

Okay.

Um to clarify, there is a motion to amend with amendment 12 as described by council member cap.

Is there any discussion on amendment 12?

I appreciate the point of order.

Um if you seek to be recognized on amendment 12, please raise your hand.

Seeing none.

All in favor of amendment 12, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no or abstaining?

Okay.

Uh Mr.

Horton, uh, do you seek to renew your motion to approve as amended at this juncture?

Okay.

Um, Mr.

Cap, it's back to you.

Move amendment 13, please.

Okay.

Um uh go ahead, sir.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

This requires um owners and operators to require sound monitoring systems at the property line.

All right.

Um, so there is a motion to amend with amendment 13.

Um, so there is a motion to amend with amendment 13.

Um, you have heard a description of uh the amendment uh by its sponsor, Mr.

Cap.

Is anyone seeking to be recognized specifically on the motion to amend with amendment 13?

If so, please raise your hand.

Seeing none, all in favor of amendment 13, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting no or abstaining?

Okay, um, amendment 13 uh is on the bill.

Um Mr.

Horton, do you seek to uh approve as amended?

Okay.

Um uh all right.

Um Miss Benedict, you have remained at the top of the queue for all this time.

Uh you are uh recognized.

Go ahead.

Thank you, madam vice mayor.

Previous question.

Okay.

Um there is a motion uh to call the previous question.

Um uh it is properly seconded.

Uh and it requires two-thirds of those voting.

Uh we will try.

Yes, ma'am.

Go ahead.

Could you please say what the motion is, well, that previous motion is with the number the amendment numbers, please.

Right.

So first we will dispose of the previous question, but subsequent to that, when we do uh if the previous question prevails and we move to the vote, then I will restate all the amendments that are on the bill at that time.

Okay.

So um uh at this juncture, Ms.

Benedict has called the question, um, which would end debate.

Um, and so uh if you want to end debate, you will say aye.

Um if you want to continue uh with discussion on this bill, you will say no.

Uh all in favor of the previous question, please say aye.

Aye.

Uh any voting, no, please say no.

Okay, that's pretty clear.

Um that was two-thirds of the of uh those voting.

The question has been called.

That means that we will now go back uh to the motion uh to approve.

Um, and of course, no sooner had we done that, I lost my place, found it.

Okay.

Um so uh we're gonna move to the vote and uh the motion uh to approve as amended with amendments one, the Huffman late filed bill, amendments five, six, ten, twelve, thirteen, and fifteen.

Y'all okay.

Did did we put 11 on there, y'all?

Yes, Mr.

Special Counsel.

Okay.

Sorry, y'all.

Um I did state the late file off the top.

One late file, five, six, ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen, and fifteen.

All right.

Motion to approve as amended with the amendments just stated.

Uh the question has been called, so there is uh no debate.

Um so we will uh move uh to the vote.

We'll try it first by voice.

All in favor, please say aye.

Aye.

Any voting uh no?

Any abstaining?

All right.

This bill has passed its third and final reading as amended.

All right.

Um, Mr.

Horton, uh, we also have uh agenda item 85, ordinance BL 2026-1392, uh, which requires uh certain materials to be restricted in the construction of buildings uh that were in uh 1391.

Um you're recognized, sir, on that bill.

Move for approval, please.

Okay.

Um do you have your committee report on that portion?

Recommended approval.

Eight in favor, zero again, sir and I voted.

Okay.

Move for approval.

Yep.

Um there's a motion to approve properly seconded.

Is there any discussion on this uh required companion bill?

Seeing none, all in favor, please say aye.

Any voting, no or abstaining.

Um okay, that too, 1392 has passed its third and final reading.

Okay, next, uh, we move on to uh agenda items 95 and 96.

They are companions to each other.

Um agenda item 95 is ordinance uh BL 2026-1414, sponsor Evans.

This is an ordinance to amend title 17.

The Metro Code of Laws is only ordinance of the Metro government by changing from RS 15 to SP zoning for property located at 6114, North New Hope Road, approximately 352 feet north of Central Pike.

This is 3.0 acres to permit 44 multifamily residential units as well.

Agenda item 96, uh also sponsor Evans.

Uh it is uh ordinance BL2026-1415.

It is the companion to 141414 and requires certain materials to be restricted in the construction of buildings.

Uh Ms.

Evans, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Committee reports, please.

Um for the report of the planning zoning committee, Chair Horton.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

PNZ uh considered both items and recommended a one-meeting deferral for each.

Okay, and so by rule um 8.1, uh both uh 95 and 96, uh, as they are companions to each other, are uh deferred by rule one meeting uh for rule 8.1.

Okay, next um is agenda item 101 and 102.

Um this is ordinance uh BL 2026-1423 and uh agenda item 102, it's companion ordinance BL 2026 1424.

Uh both sponsors Horton 1423 is an ordinance to amend title 17, the Metro Code of Laws of Zoning Orange to the Metro Government of Nashville and Davidson County by amending a specific plan on property located at 5901 California Avenue at the southeast corner of 60th Avenue North and California Avenue.

This is zoned SP.

It's 8.12 acres to prevent a mixed use development.

And again, 1424, which is the companion to 1423 and requires that certain materials be restricted in the construction of buildings.

Council Member Horton, you're recognized.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Committee reports uh planning and zoning um considered bill 2026 1423 and its amendment.

We recommended approval of the amendment.

Eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Recommended in favor of the bill as amended, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

We considered the companion bill, 1424 and recommended approval, eight in favor, zero against zero not voting.

Okay, if you would, sir, um, you can consolidate the motion afterwards, but if you would move approval of 1423, as I do see you have an amendment.

Move approval of 1423.

Okay, is there a second?

Okay, back to you, sir.

Move approval of the amendment.

Okay.

Is there a second for the motion to amend?

Okay.

Uh any discussion on the amendment.

Move approval of the bill.

Oh, no, no, discussion is amended.

No.

Okay.

Um, is anyone seeking to be recognized on the motion to amend Ms.

Allen?

Uh, on the motion to amend.

You're recognized.

Yes, we amend advice president.

We we've just had a lot of emails um with with um statements of concern about the mural.

So I would um ask if the the sponsor and perhaps the planning commission can offer assurance that this amendment does indeed preserve that mural um so that it will be publicly available and what what mechanisms are there to ensure that that actually happens.

I'm gonna put it back to the sponsor first to respond.

Okay, um uh uh go ahead, Mr.

Horton.

Thank you, Vice Mayor.

Um this is not a new project.

This is an amendment to an existing SP approved by my predecessor back in 2023.

Um it's being amended to remove a condition that required the reuse of portions of the existing building.