2026-09-01 - Metropolitan Council
Summary
Built from the official minutes (43 pages). No video or agenda is posted on this page.
- Regular session called to order at 6:30 PM; 35 members present, 6 absent (Welsch, Kupin, Horton, Taylor, Weiner, Gadd). Minutes of August 18, 2026 approved.
- Elections: Wiltshire elected to the Health and Educational Facilities Board (21 votes; Dr. Ouida Davis 12, Howard Jones 1, Keith Randall 0). Two at-large seats and the nonprofit seat on the Metro Animal Care and Control Commission filled by Parenteau (18 in round one), Geng (18 in round two) and Dyce (19 to 14); Bradford elected non-voting Council member by acclamation. See Metro Animal Care Commission Elections.
- Hill elected President Pro Tempore, 20 to 14 over Preptit (President Pro Tempore Election).
- Appointments: Community Corrections Advisory Board appointees Boykin, Grayer and Umberger deferred on Sepulveda's motion; Brand, Summers, the five Convention Center Authority appointees, Pomeroy and the Health and Educational Facilities Board nominees were re-referred to committee (Convention Center Authority Appointments). Confirmed unanimously: Angie Gleason (Midtown BID board), Michael Montgomery and Erika Wollam Nichols (Entertainment Commission), and Council Members Allen and Bradford (Solid Waste Region Board).
- Public hearings: two short-term rental distance exemptions for 178 Second Avenue North (Units 103 and 305) adopted 27-0 each (Short Term Rental minimum distance exemption).
- Zoning on second reading: Baptist World Center medical Specific Plan passed with speakers for and against, Bradford abstaining (Baptist World Center medical development); Old Hickory Boulevard, Buena Vista Pike, Meridian Street, 3rd Avenue South, Argle Avenue, Hamilton Church Road and Loftin Avenue bills passed; LaVergne Couchville Pike deferred after one opposition speaker.
- Deferred to October 6: Cane Ridge Road 68-unit rezoning (Cane Ridge Road Multi-Family Rezoning), child care terminology bill BL2026-1433, County Hospital Road rezoning BL2026-1481, online extremism initiative (Online Extremism Youth Education Initiative) and the NDOT cumulative-effects bill. Withdrawn: BL2025-1149 and BL2026-1386; Cortese withdrew RS2026-2189 (WeGo Journey Pass for construction-careers residents).
- Consent agenda (resolutions RS2026-2225 on, plus second and third reading bills) approved 31-0, including five PILOT agreements (Multi-Family Housing PILOT Agreements) and BL2026-1513 on second reading (Housing Trust Fund Grant Contracts).
- Resolutions: Fairgrounds backup-generator Hazard Mitigation grant 33-0; $5,720,989 appropriation for NDOT and the Midtown BID 30-0-1 (Midtown Business Improvement District Funding); two Parks and Library grants 30-0; memorial resolutions 32-0; Dolly Parton resolutions 33-0 (Dolly Parton Airport Renaming Request).
- Third reading: West End mixed-use rezoning bills 30-0-1 with Capp abstaining (West End Mixed-Use Rezoning); hotel tax allocation bill 27-2-1 (Tourist Accommodation Tax Allocation); drone first responder rules 27-3-1 (Drone First Responder Rules).
- First reading: 29 bills including 19 zoning bills (among them Barnes Road Residential Development and McCann Street Multi-Family Rezoning).
- Opioid settlement oversight bill passed second reading as a substitute (Opioid Settlement Funds Oversight). Public comment period held; speakers are not named in the minutes.
Elections and appointments
- Health and Educational Facilities Board (term to September 30, 2032): Wiltshire 21, Davis 12, Jones 1 (Eslick), Randall 0.
- Animal Care Commission and President Pro Tempore results are on the issue pages linked above.
- Nominations: Christy Borthick for the Human Relations Commission (nominated by Eslick; election October 6). Will Rosenthal and Chase Markham, the remaining Health and Educational Facilities nominees, were re-referred after Brian Drobnick's nomination was withdrawn.
Short Term Rental minimum distance exemption
RS2026-2222 and RS2026-2223 approved by the Government Operations and Regulations Committee; Harrell requested the hearings; citizens spoke in favor; both adopted 27-0 (seven absent).
Baptist World Center medical development
BL2026-1467 (20.20 acres, R6 to SP, medical uses). Toombs requested the hearing and moved second reading; voice vote, Bradford abstaining.
LaVergne Couchville Pike rezoning
BL2026-1511 (RS10 to R10, 5.01 acres). One citizen opposed; Harrell moved to defer after discussion; voice vote.
Cane Ridge Road Multi-Family Rezoning
BL2026-1400 and BL2026-1401 deferred to the October 6 public hearing on Lee's motion.
Old Hickory Boulevard Mixed-Use Rezoning
BL2026-1506 and BL2026-1507 passed second reading after a hearing with no speakers; Parker abstaining.
Development Transportation Impact Analysis
Druffel withdrew BL2025-1149 and moved to defer BL2026-1526 to October 6.
Opioid Settlement Funds Oversight
BL2026-1452: substitute adopted and bill passed second reading by voice vote on Evans's motions.
Midtown Business Improvement District Funding
RS2026-2227 ($5,720,989) adopted 30-0-1 (Porterfield abstaining); BL2026-1521 second reading by voice vote, Porterfield abstaining.
Tourist Accommodation Tax Allocation
BL2026-1493 passed third reading by roll call, 27 yes, 2 no (Evans-Segall, Parker), 1 abstain (Kimbrough).
Drone First Responder Rules
BL2026-1498 passed third reading 27-3-1 (no: Hancock, Webb, Eslick; abstain: Styles).
West End Mixed-Use Rezoning
BL2026-1445, 1446 and 1447 passed third reading 30-0-1; amendments by Cash and Allen adopted by voice vote.
Barnes Road Residential Development
First reading with late-filed substitute offered by Rutherford (109 multi-family units, 78 single-family lots).
McCann Street Multi-Family Rezoning
BL2026-1553 and 1554 (311 units) passed first reading.
Multi-Family Housing PILOT Agreements
RS2026-2230 to 2234 adopted on consent, 31-0.
Housing Trust Fund Grant Contracts
BL2026-1513 passed second reading on consent.
Dolly Parton Airport Renaming Request
RS2026-2261 adopted 33-0 after the previous question; RS2026-2260 adopted 33-0.
Other business
- Settlement of a personal injury claim for $125,000 from the Self-Insured Liability Fund (RS2026-2243), and a $147,272.01 donation toward sanitary sewer infrastructure (RS2026-2253), passed on consent.
- BL2026-1514 (annual employee surveys) deferred under Rule 8.1; BL2026-1389 (Bell Road rezoning) deferred under Rule 8.1.
- Late-filed items and memorial resolutions for Catherine Dominy and former Council Member Jamie D. Isabel (32-0 each).
- The animal-care results use the tally printed in the minutes (the tally prints "Jordan" Parenteau; the nomination list prints "Jourdan").