Revenge of the NIMBYs
🗳 Council rundown · Early primary voting for D7 · Cothren to serve time in the clink · Theo Von crushes on Vandy QB's mom · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Metro Council rundown... Early primary voting for the 7th U.S. Congressional District begins today... Former State House staffer, Cade Cothren, gets a two and a half year prison sentence... Theo Von wins date with Vandy QB's mom... And much more!
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Last Night at Metro Council
From Megan Podsiedlik
Most of the work accomplished during last night’s Metro Council meeting was done through the passage of resolutions. As expected, Councilmember Emily Benedict highlighted the unease residents feel about the property assessment appeals process when the resolution to increase pay for members of the Metro Board of Equalization—which reviews the appeals of property assessments and currently falls under the purview of the Davidson County Property Assessor's Office—was up for vote.
“People already have a diminished view of their government these days, and so when they don't feel heard after all of the work and research that they bring to the MBOE, they start to look for reasons that further erode trust,” explained Benedict. “Giving these board members a pay raise can be perceived as a bias, especially when that raise is paid out of the assessor’s budget. I've heard from tons of Nashvillians that they feel like the deck is stacked against them.”
Benedict expressed support for the pay raise but added non-binding stipulations related to transparency and accessibility via an attached amendment in an attempt to repair trust among constituents. The body ultimately agreed to increase MBOE member compensation, which will be paid retroactively from July 1 onward.
The council went on pass a resolution accepting a $100,000 grant from the Nashville Police + Public Safety Alliance to process backlogged sexual assault kits. They also approved a $10 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation to collect video and sensor data to identify pedestrian safety issues downtown and recommended that Metro conduct a disability audit to assess accessibility around the city.
As for bills, the body approved the 10-year agreement that would make Opry Entertainment Group the new operator for Ascend Amphitheater on first reading, pushed through the bill that would differentiate between regulations set for entertainment transportation vehicles and seated sightseeing vehicles on second reading, and passed Councilmember Jeff Eslick's bills to keep frequent Metro Code violators accountable and Councilmember Benedict's restrictions on vape stores on third reading.
Lastly, the bill that would create the Voluntary Attainable Housing Incentive Program was deferred until November 4 so it can track alongside another of the four zoning bills propped up as affordable housing solutions by the Metro Planning Department. Councilmember Burkley Allen explained that the delay will allow for further engagement with the public.
Councilmember Thom Druffel recently came to the defense of NIMBYs (which stands for "not in my backyard," a pejorative term that describes people who oppose new developments/neighborhood projects) in his latest newsletter when addressing Nashville's new blanket zoning and affordability proposals.
“I completely agree with the goal of affordable and attainable housing, but it requires much more dialogue and peer review,” wrote Druffel, who is likely thrilled that Allen seems to be willing to tap the brakes a bit in order to pursue discussion. “I am very concerned that the process was rushed to provide recommendations before we have a strong review of data, solutions, and options.”
The District 23 council member went on to question whether the city will be able to meet infrastructure needs as density increases and questioned whether there are discrepancies in the data driving Metro’s housing strategies and policies. “Additional details would help us better understand the execution plan and its alignment with our community’s needs,” Druffel wrote, voicing the general consensus expressed by Nashville NIMBYs.
🗳 Early Voting Starts Today! Those who live in Tennessee’s 7th Congressional District can cast their primary ballots during early voting starting today. Republican voters will choose between 11 candidates, while those who pull for the Democrats will choose between four.
Your choices on the Republican primary ballot include State Representatives Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood), Jody Barrett (R-Dickson) and Lee Reeves (R-Franklin), along with former General Services Commissioner Matt Van Epps, Montgomery County Commissioner Jason Knight, Nashville Technology Business Leader Stuart Cooper, J6er and former District 5 Congressional candidate Stewart Parks, former District 5 Congressional candidate Tres Wittum, Franklin Republican Mason Foley, Army veteran and former teacher Adolph Agbéko Dagan, and military and law enforcement veteran Joe Leurs.
As for the Democrats, the field includes a number of General Assembly members. Representatives Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville), Vincent Dixie (D-Nashville), and Bo Mitchell (D-Nashville) are on the ballot, as well as political strategist Darden Copeland.
Early voting in the primaries is from September 17 to October 2. Click here for schedules and locations. The special primary election will be held on October 7, and the special general election will be held on December 2. Full details are available on the Tennessee Secretary of State website.
⚖️ Cothren Sentenced Cade Cothren was sentenced to two and a half years in prison yesterday. In May, the former chief of staff for then-Tennessee Speaker of the House Glen Casada was found guilty of several counts of conspiracy, bribery, fraud, and money laundering related to a shell company scheme involving Cothren’s consulting firm, Phoenix Solutions. Cothren also received one year of probation and a $25,000 fine. Sentencing for Casada, who was also found guilty in the trial, is set for September 23. The ruling and sentencing of Cothren and Casada sets a precedent, and the former speaker could face up to 20 years in prison.
🏈 NCAA Player Eligibility & Pavia’s Mom Has Got It Goin’ On Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia’s attorney headed back to court yesterday to argue in favor of a previous ruling that allowed the star football player to extend his eligibility and play through the 2025 season. The courtroom drama between Pavia and the NCAA may set a new precedent when it comes to player eligibility—the latest addition to an ongoing discussion, as new waiver rules and multiple lawsuits have created conflicting precedents for NCAA players.
In other Pavia news, comedian and podcaster Theo Von has the internet buzzing after winning a date with the quarterback’s mom. During an interview with SEC Network announcers Tom Hart and Jordan Rodgers, it was revealed that Von made a bet with Pavia that if he won the game against South Carolina, he would have to set Von up on a date with his mom.
Ultimately, the Commodores defeated the Gamecocks 31-7. “I don’t even know if I’d do it,” said Von. “I like being his friend. I don’t want to end up being, like, his stepdad or something.”
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
TONIGHT
🎸 Pixies w/ Spoon @ The Pinnacle, 6p, $54+, Info
🪕 Buddy Greene, Jeff Taylor, and Dennis Parker @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
🎸 Martha Spencer @ Station Inn, 7p, $5, Info
💀 Tennessee Dead @ Tennessee Brew Works, 6p, Info
🪕 Bluegrass Night @ The American Legion Post 82, 7p, Free, Info
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Megan Podsiedlik and Camelia Brennan.