METRO COUNCIL UPDATE
Allen, Burkley (Council Member)
METRO COUNCIL UPDATE
September 2022
EVENTS
Brush Collection begins in Area 5 (Antioch, Cane Ridge, Paragon Mills) on September 12, Area 6 (Brentwood, Crieve Hall, Grassmere, Abbay Hall, Sidco, WeHo ) on September 21, and Area 7 (Edgehill, 12th South, Battlemont, Green Hills) on September 28. Residents should place sticks and limbs away from power poles so the truck can pick them up. Leaves should be in compostable bags. Please don’t blow leaves loose into the gutter since that can lead to clogging of storm drains and street flooding. Metro’s Street sweeping will pick up a lot of trash in gutters if cars are not parked in their way. Check the street sweeping schedule at https://data.nashville.gov/Beautification/Metro-Water-Services-Current-Street-Sweeping-Sched/p9iq-sxk3/data . Put your street name in the “Find in this Data Set” search box to find your street’s scheduled date. Moving cars off the street makes this a much more effective process.
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Hustle for the House 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville is happening in person on September 17. The race will start and finish at the Nashville Ronald McDonald House at 2144 Fairfax Avenue and follow a certified course through the Hillsboro West End Neighborhood. Runners and walkers can also get moving as part of the virtual run and participate wherever they are. All participants, both virtual and in-person, are invited to dress in their finest disco attire. Sign up here: https://rmhcnashville.com/event/hustle-for-the-house/ Portions of Fairfax, Chesterfield, Marlborough, Richardson, and Elmington Avenues will be closed off starting at 6 am till 10 pm. The Ronald McDonald House provides a “home-away-from-home” for families of critically ill children receiving inpatient or outpatient medical care at Nashville area hospitals.
Metro Government depends on its boards and commissions to implement codes and policies fairly and impartially. These bodies are made up of engaged citizens who care about specific issues and are willing to give their time. Board and Commission Openings currently need to be filled for the Homelessness Commission, Metro Development and Housing Authority, Metro Parks, Health and Education Board, and the Community Oversight Board. Most board positions are nominated by the Mayor’s Office and confirmed by the council. I am always happy to forward resumes for anyone who is interested in serving. The Community Oversight Board has its own unique process. One position is nominated by the Metro Council. Anyone who is interested in serving can send me a resume by, and I’ll send further information. The second position is nominated by a community organization or private petition with 50 signatures. Nomination forms can be obtained at https://www.nashville.gov/departments/community-oversight/boards/community-oversight-board. Nominations are due September 30.
MNPS is looking for businesses to participate in their upcoming virtual career fair for high school students. The majority of high school dropouts occur during students' ninth grade year. The Career Fair is one way that MNPS works to mitigate this. This exploratory event raises awareness and generates excitement to show ninth graders the relevance of their studies and the opportunities their future holds. The Career Exploration Fair also empowers students to make informed decisions about which type of academy to choose for their 10th, 11th, and 12th grade years and other high school plans. The career fair allows companies to work together to present career options for students to explore. Therefore, the main focus of the event is to showcase a broad spectrum of possible careers. Participants can create a three minute video about their business or industry or take part in an Industry Professional Panel Discussion. Videos should include an introduction, footage of the organization/work in action, and an answer to one of the Career Exploration Fair interview questions. The deadline to submit a video is October 1st. Interested companies can sign up at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdKJlF4R7BqPFz95uBuhenh3HQFDO6KQ6BVgItRYYjjDJXa4w/viewform The panel discussions will be held live on November 9, with ninth grade students attending in person. Each panel session lasts around 45 minutes and will be facilitated by an MNPS staff member. Times are to be determined, but preferences for morning or afternoon can be indicated in the panelist interest form linked below.
https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=V4KCxhBkfkC1V7XcchHeVYEMnwWEn-FIjI4GjXgsaTlUOEE0RU1RRkNTNUs0RUYwNVBVS1IwQzlCMS4u . For more information about the video or the panel, email Courtney Morgan (AON Program Manager) at courtney.morgan@mnps.
September and October are bird migration months. The Metro Council issued a bird safe resolution (RS2022-1471) to encourage building and homeowners to minimize unnecessary lighting, which will reduce bird strikes against windows. Nighttime light pollution often leads to collisions with buildings, confuses birds internal clocks, and interferes with their ability to undertake long-distance migrations. Birds are an important part of our ecosystem, pollinating our flowers and crops, eating insects, and providing free music. The Bridgestone Building was the first business to sign the LIGHTS OUT NASHVILLE pledge, and the local Audubon Society chapter is working to bring more businesses on board. Homeowners can sign the pledge and see how you can help protect migrating song birds at www.birdsafenashville.org.
ISSUES
Metro Parks has announced plans for a Rail with Trail along Charlotte Avenue in the North Nashville area. This future greenway will share a corridor with an existing rail line to keep open the possibility of later transit along the same path. For now, though, it will create a pedestrian and bike path off of Charlotte Avenue for exercise, leisure, and alternative transportation. The proposed greenway would tie into the existing 440 Greenway near Centennial Park, follow along an existing rail line owned by Cheatham County Rail Authority (CCRA), and extend to Frankie Pierce Park and the Nashville Farmers Market.
To further its commitment to accountability and transparency, MNPD now has an informative crime information dashboard that provides the public with up-to-date information, reflective of data stored in MNPD's Records Management System. The dashboard, available at nashville.gov/departments/police/data-dashboard , provides data on crimes, vehicle crashes, vehicle stops, use of force, community engagement, and other officer interactions.
MNPD is also fulfilling a request heard loudly during the budget process to further redirect resources toward mental health responses where appropriate. Partnering with the Mental Health Co-operative, MNPD is expanding its Co-Response Crisis Intervention Program, Partners in Care. The initial pilot at the North and Hermitage precincts was so successful that programs are being added this year at Central and South precincts. The pilot program teamed mental health clinicians with officers in patrol cars to respond to calls that . Nashville’s Co-Response Crisis Intervention Program has four important goals:
- Improve access to care for those experiencing a behavioral health crisis;
- Divert those in crisis from the criminal justice system to the health care system;
- Improve safety for those in crisis, clinicians, and police officers;
- Improve coordination and communication across systems and service providers.
A second pilot is expected to begin in January that will pair mental health professionals with Emergency Medical Technicians rather then police. These teams will focus on non-threatening mental health cases where police presence could be an obstacle to communication. Nashville has looked at models in other cities like Denver and Eugene, Oregon, and a task group is working to determine what could work well here. These two programs will depend on our Emergency Communications Department to determine which response is most appropriate.
The MNPD strongly encourages Nashvillians to lock their automobile doors, secure any valuables---especially guns, and REMOVE THE KEYS. As of mid-August, 870 guns had been stolen from vehicles in Nashville. Nearly 70% of ALL guns reported stolen in 2022 (1,262) were taken from vehicles. Going hand in hand with vehicle burglaries is vehicle theft. In a typical week 59% of the automobiles taken were easy targets because the keys were left inside or made available to thieves. Just like guns taken from vehicles, these stolen autos are also routinely involved in criminal activities, including carjackings and robberies.
The Planning Department has released the draft Imagine East Bank Vision, which showcases ideas to realize the community-driven principles for new neighborhoods on the East Bank. Priorities for the 338 acre area include mobility, access, affordability, riverfront activation, and open spaces. Proposals in the draft vision plan include:
- 1.5-miles of Nashville’s first dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes along the north-south East Bank Boulevard that would provide a vital missing piece to the current system to provide connections to areas outside of our downtown core;
- 5.6-miles of protected bike lanes that provide redundancies that would not be impacted by major street closures and provide connections to bikeways throughout our city;
- Planned space for a Mobility Hub that will complement WeGo’s Central Station and could allow for the opportunity to build housing atop the station;
- Affordability goals for each phase of development for a mix of income ranges.
Imagine East Bank is not a rezoning or an actual building proposal. It is largely about setting up the roads and infrastructure so that growth happens in a way the community supports. Since Metro owns only the middle 133 acres around the Titans Stadium, the city can somewhat control what is developed there. The areas flanking the stadium to the northwest and southeast are privately owned, and this document will provide a general plan based on a community-led vision of new neighborhoods for Nashville residents, not tourist destinations, and amenities that provide a great quality of life like open space and neighborhood-oriented retail. The vision will take years, if not decades, to be fully realized, but without this guidance, development of this area would likely be haphazard and not as community focused. Metro Planning staff will continue to seek community input for the draft vision through September 16 including an open house September 13 from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. at the Metro Office Building - 800 2nd Ave S in the 1st Floor, Development Services Conference Room. The Planning staff will make an informational presentation to the Metro Planning Commission on September 8. Feedback can be shared at in-person or virtual open houses, through a survey about the study, at drop-in office hours, or via email. A full list of events can be found at eastbankstudy.nashville.gov. In addition the Metro Council has formed a committee under the leadership of CM Bob Mendes to fully explore the economics and options for the Titans’ Stadium renovation or replacement. The meetings are open to the public on-line or in person at the Metro Council Courthouse and can also be accessed later on the Metro you-tube channel. Upcoming meetings are scheduled:
Sept 14 at 5:30 Update on the status of negotiations
Sep 28 at 4:30 Legal analysis and economic impact discussion
Oct 5 at 4:30 Stadium design and Community Benefits
Oct 12 at 4:30 Stadium 130 acres and relationship to rest of East Bank
Oct 17 to Nov 18 Public Hearings in each quadrant of Metro
(location and time tba)
Nov 2 at 4:30 Committee discussion
Nov 7 at 4:30 Venue Study results presented
All dates are tentative at this point, but they will be listed and updated on the Council’s East Bank Study Committee webpage https://www.nashville.gov/departments/council/resources/east-bank-stadium-committee .
The Metro Council now has a monthly public comment period to allow citizens an opportunity to speak publicly about issues of concern. Held at the beginning of each of the Council’s third Tuesday of the month meetings, the comment period is open to the first ten citizens who pre-register at https://www.nashville.gov/departments/council/public-comment-period .
The new updated Metro Website has a special Metro Council page with a great summary of most of the things Council deals with. Check this out at https://www.nashville.gov/departments/council/resources
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