Rocket Fuel Required

Metro Council braces for a budget marathon during tonight's meeting.

From Megan Podsiedlik

In honor of Jim Shulman, I’d encourage you to stock up on Red Bull if you’re planning to tune in to tonight’s council meeting. The former vice mayor was often seen tossing back the ole rocket fuel during his COVID-era tenure whenever he knew a meeting was going to run long—and tonight’s budget hearing is sure to be a doozy.

There is no time limit for tonight’s hearing, where the body will likely hear from community members, special interest groups, Metro workers, and other organizations regarding the budget. Members will then have a chance to take the public input into account before finalizing any changes to the mayor’s budget ahead of the June 30 deadline.

NES Two resolutions regarding the Nashville Electric Service’s response to this year’s ice storm are on the docket. One would urge the Electric Power Board to terminate NES's CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin, and the other would denounce the performance and leadership of the Electric Power Board.

Both measures were previously deferred to allow time for a review process in the wake of Winter Storm Fern. The council may defer the votes once again given that the mayor’s Winter Storm Response Commission won’t hear from NES until Thursday.

Data Centers & CBID Councilmember Rollin Horton’s new bill that would place operational restrictions on data centers will likely pass its first reading without discussion, but it seems a resolution to approve the Central Business Improvement District budget will draw debate. Councilmember Delishia Porterfield expressed concern about money earmarked for public safety to hire Tennessee Highway Patrol officers and whether there will be any information sharing between federal agencies.

Eviction Counsel The body will also weigh in on whether to create an authorization framework for Nashville’s Eviction Right to Counsel program. The legislation would allow the council to fund the program year-to-year in the budget or through private/charitable funding.

The Eviction Right to Counsel program was originally established as a pilot using one-time Covid stimulus cash. This year, Mayor Freddie O’Connell proposed to keep it afloat in his budget by allocating $2.4 million to fund it through the Planning Department. 

You can follow along with the Pamphleteer’s user-friendly Council Watch Agenda starting at 6:30 p.m. tonight.

✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH

New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your council member, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)

HEADLINES

• 🪫 Resolution to oust NES CEO back on Metro Council agenda. Members may consider a resolution that calls for the termination of Nashville Electric Service (NES) CEO Teresa Broyles-Aplin during tomorrow’s meeting. The legislation has been deferred multiple times following a deadly winter storm to track with the mayor’s commission reviewing the city’s bungled emergency response. The measure urges the Electric Power Board to remove her and requires voting support from three-fourths of the body. (WSMV)
• ⚡️️ NES announces underground power line pilot program. The Nashville Electric Service is accelerating its tree-trimming cycle to every three years (from four), adopting a less aggressive "horseshoe" approach with AI for risk-based targeting, despite a Metro Council resolution calling for a reassessment. The utility also approved a $9 million pilot to bury power lines in four Nashville neighborhoods and $44 million in storm-response upgrades, while holding off on rate increases this year. (WSMV)
• 🔌New commercial developments could face underground utility requirement. Last week, the Metro Planning Commission discussed a bill that would require new non-residential developments to bury power lines. The proposal would expand Metro's existing code, which already mandates underground utilities for new residential developments that include the construction of new public or private streets. The council is expected to consider the measure on second reading July 7. Meanwhile, the Commission plans to offer a substitute clarifying that Metro agencies would not be responsible for undergrounding costs, among other revisions.  (MNN)
• ⚖️ Nashville General Sessions Court welcomes first-ever court social worker. Laura Frazier has been hired as General Sessions Court’s first-ever court social worker to help people involved in criminal, civil, and traffic cases connect with resources such as housing, healthcare, mental health services, and employment support while navigating the court system. Court officials say the new role is intended to reduce barriers and address underlying challenges that often accompany legal proceedings. (Fox 17)

✹ WELCOME TO TENNESSEE

🌲 Governor Bill Lee, alongside the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) and the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development (TDTD), unveiled the first installation of the state’s new “Welcome to Tennessee” signage program, beginning with a dedicated photo-op sign at the I-26 Unicoi County Welcome Center in Erwin. The unveiling marks the first visible milestone in a statewide effort to enhance the scenic quality and visual experience along Tennessee’s major highways.

NEED TO KNOW

• ⛔️ CMA Fest road closures in Nashville. The biggest CMA Fest impacts are in downtown Nashville through June 9. Major closures include portions of Broadway, 1st Avenue North and South, Demonbreun Street, Molloy Street, Rep. John Lewis Way, and Titans Way, with some streets fully closed and others reduced to a single lane during setup, the festival, and teardown. (Tennessean)
• ✈️ BNA Central Core to close as part of $3B expansion. Nashville International Airport's 18-month Central Core renovation is underway. Closures include the terminal's main bank of elevators, escalators, and stairs, as well as the Plaza Level pedestrian bridge and access area. Travelers arriving from the terminal garages will now be routed through Level 1 (Ground Transportation) and alternate pathways to ticketing and security. Baggage Claim Devices 6 and 7 have also been temporarily removed. (FlyNashville)

DEVELOPMENT

• Hotel near Opryland sells at $11 million discount (NBJ)
• Lost & Found in Inglewood Is Now Open for Lunch (Scene)
• Prince St. Pizza eyes early summer debut in downtown (Post)
• Music Row building listed for $3.49M (Post)

THINGS TO DO

View our calendar for the week 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.

TONIGHT

🪕 Troubadour Blue @ Station Inn, $20, 8p, Info

🎸 Twang Tuesday @ Acme Feed and Seed, 7p, Free, Info

🎸 Honky Tonk Tuesday @ Eastside Bowl, 8p, $10, Info‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌‌
+ two-step lessons @ 7p, The Cowpokes @ 8p

📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.

Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan