What to Watch

Here are the matters before Council that are at the top of my “watch list.” If there is anything on your watch list that you want to share with me, please reach out.

• How we review contracts. Last Council meeting we reviewed two bills related to technology expenses. During the review process of these bills, the Council was asked to approve contracts well in excess of current spending under the justification of “flexibility in future spending”. When Council approval is sought for an amount not actually tied to spending, it makes it difficult to analyze true need and longer term expectations around spending. In other words, it becomes almost impossible for the Council to adequately preform our oversight obligations. As we move into a new year, one of my goals is to dig into how we approach contract approvals, with the goal of moving towards a more transparent, understandable, and predictable contract approval process.

• Changes to subdivision regulations. As mentioned in my previous newsletters, the Planning Department has been working on updates to cluster subdivision regulations. I have some concerns about the proposed ordinance’s requirements regarding “useable open space” and will continue to watch this bill as it goes through Council and public hearings.

• Housing Updates. As many of you may know, modernizing our zoning code and removing outdated barriers to building housing were some of my primary platforms during the 2023 campaign. During my first few months in office, I have been working quietly behind the scenes to bring a pro-housing, pro-neighborhood set of ordinances to Council. Many of the changes needed to update our code are simply clarifying updates, for example, adding missing definitions for commonly used terms (e.g., “half-story”), updating the defined terms for DADUs so they are used consistently, removing requirements for separate bathrooms, rephrasing our 1984 duplex provisions for more efficient administration, and using disability-inclusive language. Other changes needed are more substantive, however. Fortunately, there is a wealth of information about what changes are working in other places and might be needed in Nashville. Given land values in Nashville and market delays in adapting to zoning changes, none of these changes would create any near-term changes. But when used in concert and with intention, these procedural and substantive updates would ultimately lead to more housing while acting consistently with Nashville Next, using a neighborhood-focused scale, and putting into place anti-displacement mechanisms. Be on the lookout for more details about my proposed changes, research, and reasoning as we move into 2024.

East Bank Updates

Generally, I would expect the Mayor’s office to have a fairly comprehensive status update regarding the East Bank and master development plans in March of 2024, give or take a month. An East Bank Committee meeting will be held on January 17, 2024, and we should have more updates on negotiations and timing at that point.

In the meantime, if you’re a contractor looking to work on the Stadium, the Titans have set up an informational website. I encourage everyone to check it out.

News Around Town & Helpful Links

The State’s legislative session will be gearing up soon. Those curious about what to expect should follow up with their State representatives and senators. Senator Charlane Oliver will be holding a Virtual Town Hall on January 9, 2024 at 5:30 p.m.

Public calendar notices can be found here.

Please consider mowing over your leaves and letting them do their work feeding your lawn. Also, where possible, it is best to leave twigs and brush to overwinter. The leaves, twigs, and brush are valuable habitats and nutrients for our environment, and they provide beautiful visual interest, too! But, should you need it, you can find the brush pickup schedule here.

For fastest repair and attention, please submit all maintenance requests into Hub Nashville.

NES is working to replace old street lights with new ones. Until that process is complete, please report streetlight outages here.

Something to Leave You With

The first Council meeting of the year will be January 16, 2024.

I just finished reading Roman Stories. I just started Demon Copperhead, and I am currently eagerly awaiting notice of several books’ availability on my Library’s Libby app!