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2026-06-02 - Metropolitan Council

Summary

Built from the official minutes (approved on June 16, 2026). No video or agenda is on file.

  • Regular session, 6:30 PM, with Vice Mayor Henderson present. 33 members present; absent: Kimbrough, Cortese, Benedict, Webb, Welsch, Druffel, Johnston and Benton. Minutes of the May 19 meeting (2026-05-19 - Metropolitan Council) were approved.
  • Public hearing night for the Fiscal Year 2027 budget bills. The operating budget (BL2026-1377) and tax levy (BL2026-1378) passed second reading by voice vote and went back to Budget and Finance; the capital improvements budget (BL2026-1380) passed second reading and was set for the June 9 special meeting. See Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget and Capital Improvements Budget.
  • The main downtown Central Business Improvement District budget resolution (RS2026-1963) failed, 20 yes, 8 no, 2 abstain. See Central Business Improvement District Budgets.
  • The amendment to Rule 46 on Council meeting scheduling failed 23-7-0 after a substitute was adopted. See Council Meeting Schedule Rule.
  • Elected Erica Penley and Annie Klaver to the Transportation Licensing Commission by acclamation. See Transportation Licensing Commission Election.
  • Deferred indefinitely two resolutions about the Electric Power Board and the Nashville Electric Service chief executive. See Electric Power Board No Confidence Resolution.
  • First reading of two data center zoning bills (BL2026-1391 and BL2026-1392), voice vote with Styles no and Eslick and Lee abstaining; a late-filed data center moratorium bill was not introduced after an objection. See Data Center Zoning Rules and Data Center Moratorium.
  • One consent vote, 31-0-0, covered the night's grants, appropriations, honors, settlements and second and third reading bills, including the eviction right to counsel bill on second reading (Eviction Right to Counsel Program).
  • First reading of 39 bills (BL2026-1391 through BL2026-1429): data center zoning, encroachments, and many rezonings, nine of them Specific Plans that the Planning Commission approved with conditions and disapproved without.
  • Three pay plans effective July 1 (general employees, Board of Health, Police and Fire) and a sobering center grant application were deferred under Rule 8.1 (Sobering Center Grant Application).

Invocation

  • Reverend Dr. John Faison, Sr., Senior Pastor at Watson Grove Baptist Church, gave the invocation.

Elections, appointments and confirmations

  • 26-096 Transportation Licensing Commission (two seats, terms to April 30, 2028): Erica Penley (nominated by Spain and Preptit) and Annie Klaver (nominated by Kupin) elected by acclamation without objection. Transportation Licensing Commission Election.
  • Confirmed unanimously, each on Council Member Cash's motion after Rules, Confirmations, and Public Elections Committee recommendation: Ilke C. Hanloser (26-097) and Tim Prow (26-098), both Fire and Building Code Appeals Board, terms to July 19, 2030; Dr. Jeffrey G. Stovall (26-099), Board of Health, term to July 9, 2031; Tom Sturdivant (26-100), Traffic and Parking Commission, term to April 3, 2031.
  • Deferred on Cash's motion (voice vote): Kristofer Carlson, Central Business Improvement District Board (26-101); S. Will Acuff, Social Services Commission (26-106).
  • Withdrawn by Cash: Patrick Hamilton, CBID Board (26-102); Dr. Raymond (Buz) Martin, Hospital Authority (26-105).
  • Re-referred by the Rules Committee to the next meeting: Fabian Bedne, Contract and Compliance Board (26-103); Alphonso Harvey, Hospital Authority (26-104); Mandy Spears, Social Services Commission (26-107). Bedne, Harvey and Spears were confirmed on June 16 (2026-06-16 - Metropolitan Council).

Public comment

  • Registered speakers addressed the Council on matters of interest, within the 20-minute total and two-minute individual limits. The minutes record no names or positions.

Rules of Procedure

  • Rule 46 (Council meetings; scheduling): the Rules Committee recommended approval as substituted. Preptit moved adoption and offered a substitute (voice vote, adopted), then moved adoption as substituted. It failed: Yes (23), No (7) Evans-Segall, Allen, Capp, Hancock, Eslick, Bradford and Rutherford, Abstain (0). Council Meeting Schedule Rule.

Bills on public hearing

  • BL2026-1377 budget ordinance for Fiscal Year 2027: Budget and Finance approved and re-referred it. Toombs requested the hearing; citizens spoke in favor and in opposition. Toombs moved second reading with re-referral to Budget and Finance; voice vote, approved.
  • BL2026-1378 tax levy for the General Services District and Urban Services District operating budget: same process; no one came forward at the hearing; voice vote, approved.
  • BL2026-1380 capital improvements budget for 2026-2027 through 2031-2032: approved by the Planning Commission and by both committees. One citizen spoke in favor. Passed second reading by voice vote on Toombs's motion; referred to a joint meeting of Budget and Finance and Planning and Zoning and to the June 9 special meeting. See Capital Improvements Budget.
  • Voted together under Rule 40: resolutions from RS2026-2000, second reading bills from BL2026-1358 and third reading bills from BL2025-882. Yes (31): Suara, Porterfield, Evans-Segall, Allen, Hill, Toombs, Gamble, Parker, Capp, Harrell, Hancock, Eslick, Evans, Bradford, Huffman, Gregg, Vo, Cash, Kupin, Horton, Taylor, Weiner, Gadd, Preptit, Nash, Ellis, Rutherford, Styles, Lee, Ewing and Spain.
  • Money items: $372,000 from the Administration Fund for a grant to The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to review how human and social services actors respond to community needs (RS2026-2000); $26,484,000 from the General Fund Reserve Fund for equipment and building repairs (RS2026-2002); $21,775,500 for the Administrative Department, Office of Emergency Management and Sheriff's Office (RS2026-2003); a $120,000 personal injury claim settlement from the Self-Insured Liability Fund (RS2026-2014).
  • Grants: a Tennessee Certified Recovery Court Program grant for General Sessions Court (RS2026-2001); Broadband Connected Community Facilities amendment (RS2026-2009); Senior Tech Academy and Nashville After Zone Alliance grant amendments (RS2026-2010, 2011); in-kind grant from the Nashville Parks Foundation for the Elizabeth Senior Center kitchen (RS2026-2012); Summer Food Service Program application for the Kirkpatrick Community Center (RS2026-2013); Office of Family Safety staffing and Heal the Healers applications (RS2026-2015, 2017); a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas grant for investigating drug-related deaths (RS2026-2018); a Healthy Built Environment application for the Jefferson Street Corridor Tactical Urbanism Project (RS2026-2020).
  • Encroachments and railroad agreements: aerial encroachments at Printers Alley (Nite Vibes LLC, RS2026-2021) and at three Martin Street addresses (Nashville Phase III Property Holder LLC, RS2026-2022 to 2024); a CSX agreement for Alabama Avenue sidewalks (RS2026-2019) and a CSX water main encroachment near Harding Pike (RS2026-2025).
  • Honors: Nashville Soccer Club's 100th MLS victory and Hany Mukhtar's 100th goal (RS2026-2027), the Vanderbilt University Power Plant centennial (RS2026-2028), and June 2026 as Immigrant Heritage Month (RS2026-2029).
  • Second reading bills: NDOT fee changes (BL2026-1358); 17 new job classifications (BL2026-1379, Fiscal Year 2027 Operating Budget); the eviction right to counsel program (BL2026-1382, Eviction Right to Counsel Program); renaming Alley #659 "Eliza Alley" and Alley #581 "Birdsong Alley" (BL2026-1383, 1384); Oracle force main relocation (BL2026-1385); a downtown Special Event Zone for the July 4 celebration from 6 p.m. July 2 to 11:59 p.m. July 5 (BL2026-1390); donation of a non-permanent structure in Centennial Park to the Nashville Steam Preservation Society (BL2026-1368); Stones River-Opry Mills greenway license (BL2026-1369); a Nashville Riverboats dock lease for Police and Fire (BL2026-1370); a training memorandum between the Metro police and Vanderbilt's police department (BL2026-1371); sewer and water easements and acceptances (BL2026-1372 to 1375); and Tyco Fire Products and Chemguard water system settlement funds for Water Services (BL2026-1376).
  • Third reading bills: the Solley Drive Specific Plan amendment for 55 multi-family units (BL2025-882, 883).

Resolutions

  • RS2026-1801 urging the Electric Power Board to terminate the Nashville Electric Service chief executive: Bradford moved indefinite deferral (voice vote, approved). RS2026-1954 expressing a lack of confidence in the Electric Power Board after Winter Storm Fern: deferred indefinitely under Rule 8.2. Electric Power Board No Confidence Resolution.
  • RS2026-1963 CBID budget: failed 20-8-2 on Kupin's motion (Yes: Allen, Hill, Toombs, Gamble, Hancock, Eslick, Evans, Huffman, Gregg, Cash, Kupin, Horton, Taylor, Weiner, Preptit, Nash, Rutherford, Styles, Ewing, Spain; No: Porterfield, Evans-Segall, Parker, Capp, Harrell, Bradford, Vo, Ellis; Abstain: Suara, Lee). Central Business Improvement District Budgets.
  • Deferred under Rule 8.1 on committee recommendation: RS2026-2004, 2005 and 2006 (pay plans) and RS2026-2008 (sobering center grant application). The pay plans and the grant application came back on June 16.
  • RS2026-2016 amendment to a state grant for the Tennessee Family Justice Centers Statewide Conference: adopted on Toombs's motion, 29 yes, 0 no, 0 abstain.

Bills on first reading

  • BL2026-1391 and BL2026-1392: data center zoning uses and building-material restrictions. Horton moved first reading; voice vote with Styles no and Eslick and Lee abstaining; referred to the Planning Commission. Data Center Zoning Rules.
  • BL2026-1393 (aerial, aboveground and underground encroachments at 501 South 2nd Street, ECG East Bank, LP) and BL2026-1394 (water and sewer main acceptance, Cothern Properties Phase 1): first reading, referred to Planning and Zoning and Transportation and Infrastructure.
  • Nine Specific Plan rezonings and their building-material companions, each approved by the Planning Commission with conditions and disapproved without: the Richmond Bend and Seymour Avenue plan (BL2026-1396, 1397; Richmond Bend Specific Plan Rezoning); a mixed-use plan on 28th Avenue North (BL2026-1398, 1399); 68 units on Cane Ridge Road (BL2026-1400, 1401; Cane Ridge Road Multi-Family Rezoning); the McClurkan Avenue plan on 19.09 acres (BL2026-1403, 1404; McClurkan Avenue Mixed-Use Rezoning); 79 multi-family units and 100 lots on 42.2 acres (BL2026-1406, 1407; Cane Ridge Road Subdivision Rezoning); a mixed-use plan at Old Hickory Boulevard and Twin Oaks Lane (BL2026-1411, 1412; Old Hickory Boulevard Mixed-Use Rezoning); a 44-unit plan on North New Hope Road (BL2026-1414, 1415); the California Avenue plan on 8.12 acres (BL2026-1423, 1424; California Avenue Mixed-Use Rezoning); and 24 units on Hamilton Church Road (BL2026-1425, 1426).
  • Straight rezonings approved by the Planning Commission: BL2026-1395, 1402, 1405, 1408 to 1410, 1413, 1417 to 1419, 1421, 1422, 1427 and 1428, plus cancelling part of a residential Planned Unit Development overlay on Poplar Creek Road (BL2026-1429).
  • Contextual Overlay Districts along Shepherd Hills and Twin Hills Drives (BL2026-1416) and Cumberland Hills and Northside Drives (BL2026-1420), both referred to the Planning Commission: Contextual Overlay Districts Near Gallatin Pike.

Late bills

  • A data center moratorium bill sponsored by Johnston (absent that night) was offered as a late bill. Huffman moved to suspend the rules to introduce it; the motion met the requisite objection and failed, so the bill was not introduced. Data Center Moratorium.

Bills on second reading

Adjournment

  • The meeting adjourned on motion duly seconded.

Sources