The Metropolitan Council met in regular session on Tuesday, August 4, 2026, at 6:30 PM in the Historic Metro Courthouse. The meeting included public comments, public hearings on numerous zoning and development proposals, confirmations of mayoral appointees, nominations to boards and commissions, and votes on resolutions and ordinances. Key highlights included approval of the Vanderbilt University Innovation Neighborhood specific plan (with an amendment and deferral of third reading), passage of contextual overlay districts in Madison, a salary increase for the Sheriff, and authorization to acquire property via condemnation for office space.
Which today we will practice our duolinguous. All right. Uh I first want to acknowledge that we are sitting on Chickasaw, UG, and Shawnee Lan. Uh sorry, I'm moving things around. Um a reminder that um no one's illegal on stolen land built with stolen labor. All right, we do have two honorary presentations tonight, one by council member Evans and one by council member Wiener. Um, first is Council Member Evans. Councilmember Evans, are you ready? In the meantime, while we have those two presentations that will be getting ready. If there are council members with um announcements, if you could go ahead and get in the queue, that would be great. Um, this is a presentation on RS twenty twenty-six-2113, a resolution commemorating the installation of the four hundredth one box in Nashville and Davidson County, and recognizing the history and growth of the one box naloxone program. Whereas opioid overdoses have taken a devastating toll on families and communities across the country, including here in Nashville and Davidson County, and whereas naloxone can reverse an opioid overdose if administered in time, and whereas placing naloxone in publicly accessible locations gives bystanders, employees, school staff, and community members the ability to respond quickly during an emergency, and whereas one box units are overdose emergency response kits that provide naloxone and clear instructions for use, helping people take immediate action while emergency responsors responders are on the way, and whereas Nashville's one box work began through the leadership of community partners who understood that overdose response tools are needed in the places where people live, work, gather, and visit. And whereas in January 2023, Gibson Gives, through its training and empowering musicians to prevent overdose TEMPO program, announced an effort to place one box kits in live music venues throughout Nashville in partnership with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department and Overdose Prevention Partners and Whereas Sergeant Mike Coates and MNPD played an important role in building relationships, educating partners, and helping install one box units in locations where they could save lives. And whereas, following Sergeant Hotz's promotion to Lieutenant, Sergeant Anthony Cucci helped carry the program forward by continuing the MNPD's outreach, coordination, installation support, and whereas Barbara Brown, a retired critical care nurse, served as MNPD's specialized investigations division overdose prevent prevention specialists has supported overdose response work by helping connect overdose survivors with treatment, recovery, and community resources. And whereas Benton McDonough, Director of the Mayor's Office of Nightlife, along with his team, including Herschel French, Kelly Kaplan, and Kenita Price, helped move the program into more hospitality and entertainment venues by connecting the effort with business owners, operators, and venue leaders, and whereas over time, one box units were installed in bars, restaurants, music venues, sports venues, and other high-traffic community spaces, and whereas Metro partners have reported that one box units have been used in overdose emergencies and credited with helping save 18 lives in Davidson County and whereas the program later expanded to Metro Nashville Public Schools, beginning with an installation in McGavic High School and continuing with plans to place one box units in school community spaces across the district with support of Metro Nashville Public Health Department, and whereas the University of Tennessee Institute for Public Service recognized the collaboration between nonprofits, community partners, and the Metropolitan Government with this 2025 Project of the Year Award. And whereas the success of the one box program reflects what Nashville does well, bringing together public safety, public health, schools, non-for-profit, businesses, venues, and community leaders to meet an urgent need. And whereas in the installation of four the installation of the 400th one box on May 4th, 2026, a spring suit's make a major masons. Max, oh my god, Zofat. Max and Major Milestone in Nashville's walk to place life-saving overdose reversal medication closer to the people who may need it. Whereas this milestone represents more than the number of boxes installed, it represents lives that may be saved, emergencies that may be met with action, and a city choosing preparation over indifference. And whereas the Metropolitan Council wishes to recognize the many partners who helped make this work possible, including MNPD's Lieutenant Mike Coates, Sergeant Anthony Cucci, overdose prevention specialist and retired critical care nurse Barbara Brown, Trevor Henderson with the UT Smart Initiative, the Mayor's Office of Night Life, the Metropolitan Public Health Department, Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, Tempo, the Drug the Drug Intervention Institute, hospitality and entertainment partners, and community advocates. Continued collaboration is critical to maintain existing one box units, expand overdose prevention education, and ensure that naloxone remains accessible in public and high traffic spaces throughout Nashville and Davidson County. Now, therefore, be it resolved by the Council of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Section One, that the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as commemorating the installation of the 400th one box and commending the public private nonprofit school public safety, public health, and community partners who have worked to achieve this milestone in Nashville's overdose prevention and emergency response work. And section two, this resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville in Davidson County requiring it. Thank you. Thank you, everybody. I want to um bring up uh Lieutenant uh Mike Hotz from MNPD, and then uh director of nightlife, Benton McDonough, um, so that way they can say a few things. Thank you very much, Councilmember. I appreciate it. I very much appreciate the support of the council as well as my chain of command who have given their steadfast support on both sides to uh bringing creative solutions to this epidemic that is plaguing Nashville more than many other similar cities across the country, and they brought us from being one of the cities with the second highest rate of overdose in the United States of America to being one of the cities with the highest percentage reduction in overdose fatalities thank thank you very much. Uh just wanted to uh thank uh uh council member Evans and uh everyone on uh Metro Council as well as the uh the mayor's office. Uh we've had a lot of support uh in this program, and uh I think we we wouldn't be as successful if we had not had every single one of every single one of you and every single one of uh the members of our of our team that that are here. And uh we often laugh about it because uh councilmember Evans uh put us all to together and uh had had me meet meet with uh uh Lieutenant Hotz and uh with Trevor one day, and we and we talked about the fact that um every one of us played an integral part in uh making this program what it was, and so I really do appreciate the support uh that we've had from from everyone in this room. So it means a lot. Thank you very much. Thank you. And I think one thing that they negated to say is that they're actually up to 500 one box installations now, and that's in big response to um Sergeant Anthony Cucci, who could not be here, as well as Metro Nashville uh public health department for supporting uh with all the naloxone supplies that the team needs. So thank you all very much. All right, congratulations on your 501 bucks. All right, while they take a picture, uh just a reminder that council members who have announcements to go ahead and get in the queue. Uh the next presentation will be by council member Wiener. Um and you all we are at 611. So let's go ahead and move to the next presentation. Councilmember Wiener. Thank you so much. I would like to call up whoever wants to stay here and help us thank and recognize Officer Benjamin Cantrell, who is the West Precinct's quality of life officer. He is amazing. We were so fortunate to have him with us during public health and safety. And um very interesting conversation ensued. So without delaying any further, I'm gonna go ahead and start.