Metro Council Rundown (12/03/24)

RESOLUTIONS

• HOW SAFE DO YOU FEEL? (Withdrawn) Accepting a grant from the Nashville Police + Public Safety Alliance to fund for software to measure resident safety perceptions and trust in law enforcement through ongoing surveys to guide public safety strategies.
• SURVEILLANCE TECH (Failed) Approving a sole source contract with Fusus, LLC. to integrate and expand surveillance camera technology.
• REMEMBERING ALYSSA LOKITS (Passed) Honoring the life of Alyssa Lokits who was murdered while walking the Mill Creek Greenway trail. 
• ASSESSING THE LANDFILLS (Passed) An Environmental and Climate Justice Community Change grant to provide funding for the North Nashville and Bordeaux Hubs and Spokes Project to focus on developing Resilience Hubs, Resilience Spokes, and a Feasibility Assessment for a closed landfill.
• YOUR NEW TRANSIT COMMITTEE (Passed) Requesting the creation of a transportation improvement program implementation advisory committee and regular updates to the Metropolitan Council.
• GANGLAND INTERVENTION (Passed) State Crisis Intervention Program grant from to provide mental health services and mentorship programming opportunities for the Juvenile Court Gang Resistance Intervention Program.
• FOOTING THE BILL (Deferred One Meeting By Rule) Setting the General Obligation Bonds of Metro in the amount of $527,170,000 to fund various projects contained in the Mayor’s proposed capital spending plan for FY25. It provides $413,267,000 for the General Government, $98,400,000 for Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, and a total contingency amount of $15,503,000.
• DIPPING INTO THE RESERVE FUND (Passed) Appropriating $18,573,000 from the General Fund Reserve Fund for the purchase of equipment and building repairs for various departments in Metro:

$3.2 million for the Department of General Services safety upgrades to Metro facilities, major maintenance and repairs, and for new and replacement fleet vehicles 

$400,000 for the Department of Finance

$5.5 million for the Department of Information Technology Services

$50,000 for the Mayor’s Office to remodel

$33,000 for the Metropolitan Historical Commission for Trail of Tears route signage

$2.59 million for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department for the Emergency Contingency Section mobile unit, CSI mobile forensic services unit, and expansion of Crime Scene Investigations clean area

$1.3 million for the Metropolitan Parks and Recreation Department

$1.5 million for the Department of Water Services - Division of Waste Services

$2 million for the Nashville Department of Transportation for technology upgrades, right-of-way facilities equipment, maintenance, and repairs, and repair equipment for street light footers/conduit repairs

$2 million for the  Nashville Public Library

• PARTICIPATORY BUDGET MONEY (Passed) Appropriating $400,000 in one-time American Rescue Plan Act funds to fund Tennessee College of Applied Technology (TCAT) for the creation of a workforce development apprenticeship program voted on during participatory budgeting.
• ARTS COMMISSION COMMUNITY LEADERS (Passed) Approving the criteria for the Community Arts Leaders of Nashville Internship Program for the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission.
• DISCRIMINATION SETTLEMENT (Passed) Authorizing a $50,000 settlement with Sara Shea “Sally” Davis regarding gender discrimination complaint regarding the promotional process in the Metropolitan Department of Parks and Recreation.
• ASSESSING THE EAST BANK (Passed) Accepting up to a $99,750 grant from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation to investigate brownfield sites adjacent to the East Bank.
• NASHVILLE COULD PLAY HOST TO TRANSIT CONFERENCE (Passed) Expressing support for the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure’s application for Nashville to host the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) Designing Cities Conference in 2027.
• ROUTINE TRAFFIC STOPS (Deferred Two Meetings By Rule) Urging the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department to increase traffic enforcement and the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure to improve the physical environment for everyone using the road.

BILLS ON FIRST READING

There were a lot of zoning changes to allow mix-use and multi-family residential units throughout Davidson County on first reading. You can take a look at the agenda here.

BILLS ON SECOND READING

• BL2024-594 (Deferred Until January 21) Zoning Regulations to add a definition for “bar or nightclub” and amend the definition of “beer and cigarette market” The Planning Commission is scheduled to hear this item at its December 12, 2024, and January 9, 2025, meetings. 
• BL2024-609 (Passed) Amending a portion of a Specific Plan for property located at 54th Avenue North (unnumbered), at the current terminus of 54th Avenue North, zoned SP (8.1 acres), to permit up to 320 multi-family residential units in Zone 1 and to modify allowed heights within Zone.
• BL2024-610 (Passed) Changing from CS to SP zoning for properties located at 2501, 2503, 2503B and 2505 12th Avenue South, at the southwest corner of 12th Avenue South and Beechwood Avenue, (0.73 acres), to permit a mixed-use development
• BL2024-616 (Passed) Changing from R8 to SP zoning for a portion of property located at 858 West Trinity Lane, approximately 500 feet west of Horizon Drive, (6.3 acres), to permit 254 multi-family residential units.
•  BL2024-617 (Passed) Proposes utilizing the size of the tree protection zone to determine the natural area calculated for protected, heritage, and historic and specimen trees as part of the conservation development standards. Currently, there is no defined standard to calculate the natural area of trees in the section.
• BL2024-618 (Passed) Urban Zoning Overlay District for various properties located of Interstate 65, west of Interstate 24, and east of the Cumberland River, generally located along Cowan Street from Interstate 65 to Cowan Court, zoned MUI-A and IG, and located within the River North Urban Design Overlay (59.71 acres).
• BL2024-626 (Passed) Redefining Metro’s threshold for competitive sealed bidding or requests for proposals requirement thresholds to the maximum amount permitted under state law.
• BL2024-628 (Passed As Substituted) Approving a participation agreement of up to p to $178,023.52 between Metro and Sojourn Nolensville Apartments, LP, to provide enhanced pedestrian signaling for Sojourn Nolensville Apartments, LP's proposed development, as well as other existing properties in the area.

BILLS ON THIRD READING

• BL2024-599 (Passed) Approving a greenway conservation easement at 135 Kingston Street.
• BL2024-600 (Passed) Approving a greenway conservation easement at 304 Oldham Street.
• BL2024-601 & 602 (Passed) Approving a greenway conservation easement at 1813 Elizabeth Road