Council Wraps for the Year

It doesn’t take an undigested bit of beef, a blot of mustard, a crumb of cheese, or a fragment of underdone potato to sometimes feel delusional while watching Metro Council, though last night’s final meeting of 2024 was visited by a few ghosts of the past. It only lasted for two hours, but it’s worth noting that more happened in the margins of the silence than on the council floor. 

For starters, five council members voted against a lease agreement for Liberty Collegiate Academy public charter school. Though the resolution passed, one commentator on Bluesky—an X alternative favored by the left—pointed out the silent protest insinuated by the snub: “People voting no the moment ‘charter school’ is mentioned is one of those things Dems should stop doing.” 

More continued to be said without being said during the passage of three other resolutions connected to topics that have previously haunted the council. The vote on a resolution to accept School Resource Officer grant money that would put SROs in Nashville elementary schools invoked another round of unspoken disapproval. City officials rejected funding for SROs last year, pushing back against the state’s public safety measure following the Covenant shooting. At the time, Metro School’s Director Adrienne Battle said that placing officers in primary schools “criminalizes childhood behavior.” Though the council approved the funds this time around, four council members voted against it and two abstained. 

Shortly after, Council member Delishia Porterfield stood strong in her silent protest as the only no vote on the resolution allowing Morgan Wallen to hang a neon sign outside his downtown bar. The council originally rejected the country crooner’s request during a transparently biased vote in May. Last night, 30 council members approved the aerial encroachment, while six joined Porterfield by abstaining. 

The council rounded out the passively aggressive evening by approving an amended version of Councilmember Jeff Preptit’s legislation that was originally introduced in response to neo-Nazi demonstrations downtown. The initial bill took on a Big Brother-esque element, allowing Metro to monitor online jokes shared by Metro Nashville Police Department officers. Since July, Preptit has gone back to the drawing board several times trying to refine the legislation, while assuring his colleagues that it would not target police. That being said, the first line of the final version of the resolution passed last night reads, “a resolution requesting the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Davidson County Sheriff's Office, Nashville Fire Department, and Civil Service Commission to review current personnel policies and enact new regulations regarding participation in hate groups and paramilitary gangs as well as the misuse of water cannons and fire hoses.” 

As the council went about their business, Mayor O’Connell weighed in on the approval of his $527 million Capital Spending Plan outside the Metro Courthouse. “By prioritizing schools, transportation infrastructure, maintenance in parks and libraries, and customer service, we are delivering on the priorities that we -- along with members of Metro Council -- know communities share,” he said in a press release. “This plan continues our focus on making Nashville more affordable and improving quality of life.” 

But it was his social media posts that had us reading between the lines. Though O’Connell still posts on X, he is noticeably less active there ever since he made the switch to “bluer skies.” When addressing the passage of his CSP on Bluesky, the mayor mentioned the “infrastructure and related investments” it will add to his transit initiative, as well as the “significant return on investment from solar projects” he anticipates. He happened to leave those two posts out of his X thread. Wonder why. MEGAN PODSIEDLIK

🖋️ Edited by Megan Podsiedlik.

🏙️ Prioritizing Invisible Cities Tensions surrounding the East Bank deal still seem to linger among council members. At last night’s meeting, several amendments were proposed during the passage of the mayor’s $527 million Capital Spending Plan. Though the council approved the East Bank development deal, stadium proposal, and Fallon Group’s plans for the 30-acre Initial Development Area, it's clear there are still some sour grapes. 

Councilmember Joy Styles proposed an amendment to the CSP that would reduce funds allocated for the East Bank infrastructure by $130,000. Though she decided to withdraw her amendment, her comments shed some light on the situation. “I am grateful…that there was a positive conversation,” Styles told her colleagues. “And definitely some conversation about not just focusing on big budget projects, and remembering that the CSP is for all districts. And so, when we have needs, those need to be considered as well and not just invisible cities and such.”

👇 Tactical Takedown Not a creature stirred when a resolution to approve a $220,000 settlement with Kayla McKenzie and Dornetta Peterson came up on last night’s council docket. The two were mistakenly targeted in a stolen vehicle case by Metro Nashville Police Department detectives in August, subjecting them to a “tactical takedown” by the department's Vehicle Crimes Unit. The settlement was approved, and according to the Banner, Councilmember Joy Kimbrough “confirmed that she represented the two individuals in the matter,” which is why she abstained from voting on the consent agenda.

🐄 Selling The Cattle To Save The Farm State officials are urging Tennessee State University to make up some financial ground by selling off underutilized campus property, but will the new interim president, Dwayne Tucker, take their advice? Since his appointment this past Friday, Tucker has made clear that he intends to bring stability during his short term. According to Tennessean, he has also promised state lawmakers that he will be working on a financial plan through the holidays.

DEVELOPMENT

• Richard Sandoval to open downtown Nashville restaurant (NBJ)
• MDHA committee OKs proposed Cummins Station patio (Post)
• Lipscomb acquires campus-area property once again (Post)

THINGS TO DO

View our calendar for the week here and our weekly film rundown here.

📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.

🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.

👨🏻‍🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide and yearly festival guide.

TONIGHT

🎄 Amy Grant & Vince Gill Christmas at the Ryman @ Ryman Auditorium, 7:30p, $50+, Info

🪕 The Po Ramblin' Boys @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info

🎸 Stefanie Joyce @ The Underdog, 10p, $10, Info

🪕 Bluegrass Night @ The American Legion Post 82, 7p, Free, Info

📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.

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