Last Night at Metro Council
🏛 Council recap · No new ICE facility in TN · Boring Co. to meet with the council · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Council meeting recap... It turns out ICE is not building a new detention center in Tennessee... Boring Co. to meet with the council tomorrow... And much more!
Who funds your Councilmember? Checkout our new Council Watch tool. We analyzed every donation to every council member to show you whether they're funded by their constituents or someone else. Higher grades go to those who raise more money locally. (Explore)
Things That Never Happen But Should Join us this Thursday, February 19th for an evening with Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist. This is the third installment of the Pamphleteer's new monthly event series. Paying Bard-level subscribers receive free access to this and future events. (Buy Tickets)
Like what we do? Forward us to a friend
The council treads lightly regarding the response to Fern during last night's meeting.
From Megan Podsiedlik
Mayor Freddie O’Connell kicked off last night’s council meeting with a speech rehashing Metro’s response to Winter Storm Fern. O'Connell's rare appearance in front of the body came after he officially announced his appointees to the 2026 Winter Storm Response Commission.
These nine members will make recommendations for improvements to better prepare for future storms:
- Former Nashville Mayor and Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen will serve as chair
- Vice Mayor Angie Henderson
- Pro Tem Delishia Porterfield
- Vanderbilt University Director of Emergency Management Johnny Vanderpool
- Local NAACP President Timothy Hughes
- Business Manager for LiUNA Local 386 Ethan Link
- Owner of Easley Communications Cassandra Easley
- General Manager of Dickson Electric Darrell Gillespie
- Former Speaker of the Tennessee House and former Tennessee Valley Authority board member Beth Harwell
The council delayed the resolution urging Metro’s Electric Power Board to terminate Teresa Broyles-Aplin as CEO of Nashville Electric Service until March 3. A petition asking for the ouster of Broyles-Aplin has less than 50 signatures, while over 300 NES employees signed a letter in support of the CEO.
Though disappointment with NES is widespread—nearly 1,500 people have signed a different petition demanding NES provide billing credits for residents who experienced outages lasting more than 48 hours—it appears locals want more clarity regarding the response to Fern before bringing down the hammer. In addition to the mayor’s commission, NES will be selecting a company to conduct an independent review of its response.
Unlike the Council’s Special Joint Committee meeting last week, members didn’t use last night’s meeting to hash out the city’s response. Instead, they approved a few pieces of legislation related to the storm without much fanfare.
The council passed resolutions asking President Trump to approve FEMA assistance for residents and the Davidson County General Sessions Court to create a special Winter Storm Housing Support Docket to prevent evictions. On first reading, the body also passed a late-filed bill authorizing a one-time Metro Water bill credit to those affected by the storm and a bill to reassess properties that were damaged.
✹ THINGS THAT NEVER HAPPEN BUT SHOULD
Welcome to America in 2026. You're sitting at the End of History. Nothing will ever happen again.
The steady march toward the impossible vision of a borderless world governed by rooms full of perfectly rational leaders incapable of committing evil in thought word or deed continues apace.
Will anything–can anything happen–that shakes us from our stupor? Is "Nothing Ever Happens" the law of the land? What should happen that hasn't happened?
Join us Thursday, February 19th as we sit down with Sean Davis, CEO and co-founder of The Federalist, to discuss whether anything will ever happen again and more. (Buy Ticket)
This event is for the benefit of The Pamphleteer and free for paying, Bard-level subscribers.
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
Who bankrolls your councilmember? We analyzed every donation to every council member to show you whether they're funded by their constituents or someone else. Higher grades go to those who raise more money locally. (Take a Look)
HEADLINES
- 🧊 No, ICE will not be building a new detention center in Tennessee. After days of speculation and rumors swirling online, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials say the agency has not purchased land or a facility in Wilson County. (NewsChannel 5)
- ⛏️ Elon Musk’s Boring Co. to meet with Metro Council tomorrow. The council has delayed its resolution condemning the company that plans to build an underground tunnel in Nashville connecting downtown to the airport. The company will field questions about the Music City Loop in front of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow. (Metro Nashville Network)
- ❌ Board of Professional Responsibility wants Nashville historian and attorney disbarred. According to the disciplinary panel, David Ewing fraudulently charged fees and misappropriated money from a client. (Scene)
DEVELOPMENT
- Local Church Plans Affordable Mixed-Use Project On Jefferson Street In Nashville (Now Next)
- Dickerson Pike Fairfield By Marriott Tops-Out In North Nashville (Now Next)
- H.G. Hill scraps plans for Germantown development, lists prime site for sale (NBJ)
- Inglewood property eyed for cafe now listed for sale (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
🎸 Advance Base @ DRKMTTR, 8p, $14.74, Info
🪕 Songs & Stories by Larry Cordle & Friends @ Station Inn, 8p, Info
💀 Tennessee Dead @ Tennessee Brew Works, 6p, Info
🪕 Bluegrass Night @ The American Legion Post 82, 7p, Free, Info
🎸 Kelley’s Heroes @ Robert’s Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.