@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.
On Tuesday, the Metro Council considered a bill to eliminate minimum parking requirements in much of Nashville, punted on a terms sheet for a new Titans stadium, and argued about conflicts of interest.
People > Cars
In a win for progress, the council voted to approve on second reading Councilmember Colby Sledge’s bill that would eliminate parking minimums in the Urban Zoning Overlay. The UZO roughly translates to the “urban core” of Nashville — those areas that were originally developed before the mid-1950s — and includes some of the most densely populated and transit-oriented neighborhoods in the city.
There was a strong showing of support during the public hearing for the bill on Tuesday, with people of all ages encouraging the council to do away with antiquated parking standards that place an unnecessary cost burden on development and fail to reflect changes in the way people move around the city.
Opponents of the bill, most hailing from neighborhood associations in bill co-sponsor CM Brett Withers’ East Side district, complained about “spillover parking” from commercial development in residential neighborhoods. But pursuant to Council Rule of Procedure Number 56, whichever side has the cutest baby is the side that wins the public hearing. And the naysayers didn’t have a single baby on their side. So they basically forfeited.
We Need to Talk About the Titans Stadium
Since announcing the terms of a deal for a new Titans stadium a couple of weeks ago, Mayor John Cooper has been on a full-court press tour. He’s done press conferences, appeared on basically every radio show that would take his calls, and is probably coming to a neighborhood association meeting near you soon (if he hasn’t been there already). On Tuesday, council considered a (nonbinding) terms sheet outlining the deal that Cooper and the team are pursuing.
Late last week, CM Emily Benedict previewed a plan to convince her colleagues to vote down the proposed terms sheet, instead of deferring it as the administration had requested. That plan didn’t pan out — council deferred for two meetings, until Dec. 6 — but it did put the administration on notice that the Metro Council isn’t looking to roll over and play dead.
To Abstain, or Not to Abstain?
Cypress Real Estate Advisors is one step closer to securing a controversial rezoning for the former RiverChase Apartments in CM Sean Parker’s district after the council passed the rezoning bill on second reading Tuesday night.
CM At-Large Burkley Allen — one of four CMs lobbied by CREA to sign on to the rezoning bill in an apparent attempt to peer-pressure CM Parker into moving it forward — lauded the process as one that should “become a model for future ways that we develop in Nashville.” Counterpoint: I actually don’t hope that a mass displacement of residents who already have very few options for where and how to survive in Nashville becomes a “model” for future development.
CM Delishia Porterfield — a progressive firebrand, recent state House candidate and former Bernie Sanders delegate who represents parts of southeast Nashville — argued that, while this deal might be better than previous deals have been, that shouldn’t absolve the developers from scrutiny. Porterfield works for Stand Up Nashville, who CREA approached about a community benefits agreement early in the development process. But talks between SUN and CREA stalled months ago, and the Urban League has since taken SUN’s place as CREA’s hand-selected community partner.
In response, CM Zach Young — who normally limits his comments on the floor to “previous question” — questioned the ethics of Porterfield’s decision to speak on the bill. He likened her role to that of a lobbyist, saying he was “quite disturbed” and felt “highly awkward and uncomfortable.”
Things only got messier when Porterfield clarified that she would be abstaining from the vote. Vice Mayor Shulman cut her off, citing a need to “protect our membership.” CM Mendes pushed back, arguing that “the only possible aggrieved party has nothing to complain about, because we’re about to pass [the bill].”
Here’s the thing about abstentions: As a member of a governing body, you cannot be forced to abstain from a vote. You can (and probably should) abstain in situations where you stand to personally benefit from a piece of legislation. But there’s no law that says you must abstain, even in the face of a clear and direct conflict of interest — which this most certainly was not.
CM Young stands by his decision to call out his colleague, who he describes as “a compassionate and terrific friend.” “It is critical that the members of the council maintain the integrity of our body,” Young said in a statement, “and that includes avoiding conflicts of interest.” He also called into question Porterfield’s employment with SUN in general, adding, “Ultimately, I think it’s inappropriate that any member of council accept a paid position with an organization that is so actively lobbying council on multiple issues throughout the year.”
For her part, Porterfield saw no issue with her decision to speak on the bill, saying, “My employer has no financial interest in the legislation discussed last night; therefore there is no conflict of interest. There are no hard feelings on my end — I stand by my comments and look forward to working with CM Young and the rest of the council to serve Nashville and our residents.”
The bill passed easily on second reading. Porterfield, as promised, abstained. So did Mendes.
Today is the last day of early voting! Polls are open until 7 p.m., and you don’t have to vote at your assigned polling place if you vote early. Want to know what’s on the ballot? Patrick’s got you covered.
