Drones, Dolly, Development, and More
🏛 Metro Council recap · TN to fully fund Dolly’s Imagination Library · Nashville’s parking problem is driving residents away · Much more!
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Last night at Metro Council: teachers are drowning as council takes on drones, development, tourism taxes, and Dolly.
From Megan Podsiedlik
Last night, honored former MNPS teacher Samira Hardcastle spoke before the Metro Council during public comment. Hardcastle resigned from her position in May, citing issues with being asked to fabricate grades, parent abuse, crushing workloads, and uncertified staff in classrooms.
“Right now, the school board operates as a monopoly with no checks and balances,” Hardcastle told the council. “We need oversight, and we need it today. Please establish a dedicated education committee on the city council for independent oversight and transparency, and officially mandate a full audit of MMPS to investigate what is really happening.”
We asked Hardcastle whether she would support a discrete, third-party hotline set up by the state to help teachers when wanting to report issues without risking retribution from administrators. “In an ideal world, you know, fix the problems, and then we don't need a hotline,” said Hardcastle. “But we can all agree that there's definitely a problem. So I think a hotline is a great idea for now.”
The council went on to pass a number of important pieces of legislation.
New restrictions on police drones The council passed the bill restricting Metro police drones as amended with restrictions on use on its final reading. It also prohibits autonomous/AI-operated Metro drones and bans facial recognition technology across Metro departments.
Vanderbilt Innovation Neighborhood Despite some initial pushback, members of the public seem to be a bit more satisfied with the community conversations surrounding the Vanderbilt Innovation Neighborhood. Council approved zoning for the project, adding amendments addressing building heights, traffic-calming funding, construction mitigation, and community input. The long-term project will transform about 40 acres of surface parking lots on the southwest edge of campus into a mixed-use hub for research, corporate R&D, offices, and related uses.
Music City Center/tourism tax changes With zero discussion, the council approved legislation extending and restructuring tourism-related taxes that help fund Music City Center. Set into motion by legislation passed by the state, the bill updates the tourism-tax rules, changes how tourism revenues can be allocated for the Music City Center and related obligations, extends the additional hotel occupancy tax through 2032, and directs $300 million in excess tourism revenue toward East Bank infrastructure.
Transportation infrastructure analysis The council passed legislation requiring NDOT to conduct more detailed transportation-infrastructure analysis for certain site plans and rezonings on second reading. If passed on final reading, the change could impact the way Nashville approves development.
New Metro appointments There were a number of appointments during last night’s meeting. The most impactful was the appointment of Councilmember Olivia Hill, who was elected as president pro tempore.
Other agenda items Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s bill to establish small business relief programs, including grants for “legacy small businesses,” passed on first reading. A late-filed resolution honoring the late Dolly Parton and urging the Nashville Airport Authority to rename the BNA after the country music icon was approved.
✹ THE ARCHITECTURE OF OUR GLORY
Back to Our Roots We're sponsoring an event with the Meriwether Academy as they host Justin Shubow to speak about how beauty, civic architecture, and public design shape American culture and identity.
Shubow is president of the National Civic Art Society and a former chairman of the U.S. Commission of Fine Arts, best known for championing classical and traditional architecture in American public life.
For gentlemen only. Buy Tickets.
HEADLINES
- 🅿️ Nashville's parking problem is driving residents away from their own city. Increasingly expensive and limited parking is becoming a major frustration for Nashville residents, with the cost and difficulty of parking making some locals reconsider visiting or spending time in parts of their own city. The problem reflects the broader tension between Nashville’s rapid growth, downtown development and the limited—and increasingly expensive—space available for cars. (Tennessean)
- 📚 TN to fully fund Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library statewide. Tennessee legislative leaders are proposing that the state take over 100 percent of Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library program’s book and mailing costs beginning in 2027, rather than splitting those costs between the state and local partners. The proposal must go through the state budget process, but it would eliminate the local funding burden and help secure the program statewide following Parton’s death. (Fox 17)
- 🚧 TDOT informs some Nashvillians road construction will force them to move. TDOT has begun notifying some South Nashville property owners that the planned I-24 Choice Lanes expansion could require their homes or businesses to be acquired and demolished. Letters began arriving in July, although TDOT has not disclosed how many property owners have been notified, saying it wants to protect their privacy. (Tennessean)
- 🏥 HCA Healthcare confirms more layoffs after hit to second-quarter earnings, shifts in market. Nashville-based HCA Healthcare confirmed another round of layoffs, eliminating a “small percentage” of positions across its corporate office and support functions. The cuts come after HCA warned that a shift toward uninsured patients—particularly people losing coverage through ACA health insurance exchanges—was weighing on its finances. (NBJ)
✹ PROPERTY TAX CALCULATOR
What Moved Your Bill? Use our handy new tool to see what contributed to your property tax bill increase: the reappraisal or the rate hike. (Try It Out)
DEVELOPMENT
- Low-cost carrier Volaris looks to add Nashville-Guadalajara nonstop (NBJ)
- 8th & Roast Coffee Co. will close its Midtown cafe (NBJ)
- Gulch apartment tower sells for $88.6M (Post)
- Cumberland Hardware to close on east side (Post)
✹ 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)
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
🎸 esperanza spalding @ City Winery, 7:30p, $100, Info
🎸 Minus the Bear @ Marathon Music Works, 6:30p, $55.80, Info
🪕 Ben Chapman's Peach Jam @ The Basement East, 8p, $19.88, Info
+ ft. Nicholas Jamerson, Tenille Townes, Isaac Gibson (of 49 Winchester), Dylan Zangwill, Lemont Landers, Cryin' Warblers Orry Lee Kennedy Aka Cornbread Cowboi Special Guest Emcee
🎸 Lewis Stubbs Junior @ Dee's Lounge, 7p, $5, Info
🪕 Songs & Stories by Larry Cordle & Friends @ Station Inn, 8p, Info
💀 Tennessee Dead @ Tennessee Brew Works, 6p, Info
🎸 Kelley's Heroes @ Robert's Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
🎸 The Cowpokes @ Robert's Western World, 10:30p, Free, Info
🪕 Bluegrass Night @ The American Legion Post 82, 7p, Free, Info
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.