On First Reading: ARP Funding for MNPD, Recycling Issues, Ugly Sweaters

@startleseasily is a fervent observer of the Metro government's comings and goings. In this column, "On First Reading," she'll recap the bimonthly Metro Council meetings and provide her analysis. You can find her in the pew in the corner by the mic, ready to give public comment on whichever items stir her passions. Follow her on Twitter here.

At a Christmas-themed meeting Tuesday night, Metro Council debated American Rescue Plan funds and punted on a rule change that would lower the threshold to call for a public hearing. 

A Christmas Council

As I walked up to the courthouse doors, through the wafting cigarette smoke from CM Robert Swope — who would make an excellent Scrooge in a Council production of A Christmas Carol — I thought to myself, “What the hell am I doing here? Christmas is almost within my grasp, and I’m going to sit for hours in the courthouse." A bevy of Santa hats dotted the Council floor. CMs Colby Sledge and Zach Young wore dueling ugly sweaters. Not to be outdone, CM Kathleen Murphy sported a headband of rainbow Christmas tree lights. And of course, Vice Mayor Jim Shulman was there in all his fake-bearded-Santa glory to emcee the night’s events.

Anyway, as far as I can tell, the Council only takes off one month every four years — the month of September in an election year, as the new Council body is elected and seated. September 2023 can’t come soon enough. 

You Win Some, You Lose Some

MNPD will be getting 128 new police SUVs for Christmas, thanks to updated American Rescue Plan (ARP) guidance from the Biden administration and a Council body that seems allergic to appropriately prioritized spending. CM At-Large Bob Mendes fought (and lost) the good fight, arguing that MNPD’s fleet needs predated the pandemic and shouldn’t be addressed using one-time federal funding. Here’s hoping Mendes has better luck when MNPD comes back asking for $6 million in ARP funds for TASERs. (This is an actual real-life funding request coming to a Metro Council meeting near you in the not-so-distant future. I could not make this shit up if I tried.)

It wasn’t all bad, though. Proving that they do occasionally get it right, Council approved $40.2 million in ARP funds for affordable housing. CM At-Large Steve Glover — who would make an excellent Grinch in a Council production of How the Grinch Stole Christmas — couldn’t pass up the opportunity to vote against a historic investment in our communities, citing concerns about ... inflation? Your guess is as good as mine. 

You Have Been Heard

A proposed amendment to the Council Rules of Procedure brought by CM Erin Evans would lower the threshold for councilmembers to call for a public hearing on a bill under consideration. Currently, public hearings are only required for specific types of bills, like zoning matters. If Council wanted to hold a public hearing on a different type of bill — like oh, I don’t know, license plate readers? — two-thirds of the members present would have to vote in favor. 

Evans’ amendment would lower that to a simple majority. “I think we need to encourage more public communication about topics that affect our entire county,” Evans said during a Rules Committee meeting Tuesday. 

I thought this would be a no-brainer. I was wrong. Rules Committee members expressed a variety of concerns that mostly boiled down to, “We hear enough from people as it is,” and the amendment was deferred for “further research.” 

CM Colby Sledge, no doubt recalling an infamous 2010 incident regarding Fairgrounds legislation — it’s always the Fairgrounds, folks — had one highly specific point of inquiry: Which CM gets to call for the public hearing? Evans is considering this and may revise the proposed rule.

’Tis the Season to Recycle

You’ve probably heard by now that Nashville has a bit of a trash problem. After years of issues with contractor Red River that have only grown worse in recent months, Metro is stepping in to try to stop the bleeding. To do this, they’ll be diverting trucks from recycling routes, which means no recycling pickup for at least a month — maybe longer. Just in time for the most recyclable holiday of the year.

District 19 residents may be in luck, however, as their CM Freddie O’Connell has transformed into a one-man recycling army, launching “Project Christmas Curbside” in an effort to ease the recycling burden on his constituents. He’s literally driving around D19 in a van, taking people’s recycling to convenience centers, like we live in some kind of small town where people help their neighbors and shit. Some may call this altruism; I call it getting a leg up on the Best of Nashville 2022 competition.

Happy Holidays, readers! I’ll be back in the new year with more Council content.