Happy Labor Day! We are thankful for the men and women who work hard to build this city and make it run well.
The Metro Run-Off Election is underway! Races still up for grabs include Mayor, Council At-Large, and Districts 4,11, and 29 in Brentwood, Old Hickory, and Antioch respectively. The Tennessean, Equity Alliance, and League of Women Voters, among others, have useful and objective voter guides. Early voting continues through September 9 at all twelve locations, which can be found here. Election Day is Thursday, September 14. On election day, voters must go to their assigned precincts, which may have changed since the last time they voted. Precincts can be verified at on the Metro map app. I am in the run-off, and I am eager to continue my service to Nashville.
After the election, campaign signs should be removed from all public spaces by the candidates within a week. Signs can be recycled by separating the plastic board from the metal frame. The plastic part can go to Turnip Green Creative Reuse at 1014 3rd Avenue South, and the metal frame can be used again if it is not too bent or recycled at any of Metro’s four convenience centers:
- East Convenience Center, 943A Doctor Richard G. Adams Dr, Nashville, TN 37207
- Ezell Pike Convenience Center, 3254 Ezell Pk, Nashville, TN 37211
- Omohundro Convenience Center, 1019 Omohundro Pl, Nashville, TN 37210
- Anderson Lane Convenience Center, 939A Anderson Ln, Madison, TN 37115
Trash and Recycling will not be picked up on Labor Day Monday, September 4. Pick-up will be the day after the regularly scheduled day for the rest of the week.
Brush Collection begins in
- Area 4 ( Donelson, Airport, Percy Priest, Northeast Antioch ) on September 1,
- Area 5 (Antioch, Cane Ridge, Paragon Mills) on September 13,
- Area 6 (Brentwood, Crieve Hall, Grassmere, Abbay Hall, Sidco, WeHo ) on September 22, and
- Area 7 (Edgehill, 12th South, Battlemont, Green Hills) on October 2.
The schedule and map are on the Metro Waste Services website . Residents should place sticks and limbs away from power poles so the truck can pick them up. Leaves should be in compostable bags. Please don’t blow leaves loose into the gutter since that can lead to clogging of storm drains and street flooding. Metro’s Street sweeping will pick up a lot of trash in gutters if cars are not parked in their way. Check the street sweeping schedule on the Metro data website . Put your street name in the “Find in this Data Set” search box to find your street’s scheduled date. Moving cars off the street makes this a much more effective process.
Neighbor 2 Neighbor is beginning the next series of its Emerging Neighborhood Leaders Academy. Sessions include
- September 14 - The role of a Neighborhood Organization and its leaders
- September 21 - Intro to Metro Government
- September 28 - Best Practices for Working with Metro Council Members and Government Departments
- October 5 - How to Organize and Facilitate a Neighborhood Meeting
- October 12 - Engaging Neighbors and Stakeholders
- October 19 - More Resources
All sessions are on Thursday nights from 6:30 to 8 pm at the Neighbor 2 Neighbor office at 2021 21st Avenue South or virtually. The sliding scale fee includes all six sessions. Sign up at the N2N website . Everyone is invited to participate in the ninth annual Good Neighbor Festival on Saturday, September 23 from 5 to 9 pm at Sundial Park, 3788 Central Pike in Hermitage. The festival brings together neighbors from throughout the metropolitan area for a day filled with music, food, and fun.
Hustle for the House 5K and 1-Mile Fun Run benefiting Ronald McDonald House Charities of Nashville takes place Saturday, September 16. The race will start and finish at the Nashville Ronald McDonald House at 2144 Fairfax Avenue and follow a certified course through the Hillsboro West End Neighborhood. All participants are invited to dress in their finest disco attire. Sign up on the RMH website. The Ronald McDonald House provides a “home-away-from-home” for families of critically ill children receiving inpatient or outpatient medical care at Nashville area hospitals.
Metro Government depends on its boards and commissions to implement codes and policies fairly and impartially. These bodies are made up of engaged citizens who care about specific issues and are willing to give their time. Board and Commission Openings currently need to be filled for the Convention Center Authority, Employee Benefit Board, Health and Education Board, Barnes Housing Trust Fund Board, Industrial Development Board, MDHA, Stormwater Review Board, and the Sports Authority. Most board positions are nominated by the Mayor’s Office and confirmed by the council. Interested applicants can submit your resume on-line on the Boards and Commissions webpage by going to the specific board page.
MNPS is hosting a Celebration Parade and School Options Fair Saturday, September 9 at Nissan Stadium. Schools and students will parade down Titans Way - with lots of music and fun , food, giveaways and activities. Students and parents will have the chance to meet educators representing their schools. The Fair is a great way to enjoy a day of community and learn more from school leaders about the unique qualities and programs offered to students.
The WeGo Fare System is changing. Effective October 1, 2023, all bus riders will need a QuickTicket or exact cash to ride WeGo Public Transit fixed-route service. Fares will remain the same, and riders will benefit from a simplified WeGo fare system along with added savings and efficient boarding. To help in the transition WeGo has special promotional rates highlighted below through October 31. Ride with WeGo for half price when you pay using stored value on QuickTicket between August 1 - October 31, 2023. See the WeGo website for more information. UNUSED multi-use passes (Adult: All-Day, 7-Day, 20- Ride, 31-Day; Youth: All-Day, 7-Day, 31-Day; Discount: All-Day, 31-Day, and 20-Ride) can be exchanged through October 31. Partially used passes must be used by September 30, 2023, or the remaining value will be lost. Partially used passes will not be eligible for exchange. Change cards totaling less than $2 must be used by September 30, 2023, or the value will be lost. Change cards totaling $2 or more will be rounded up to the next whole dollar and issued as a stored value on a QT.
September and October are bird migration months. In May Nashville signed an Urban Bird Treaty, and last year the Metro Council issued a bird safe resolution (RS2022-1471) to encourage building and homeowners to minimize unnecessary lighting, which will reduce bird strikes against windows. Nighttime light pollution often leads to collisions with buildings, confuses birds’ internal clocks, and interferes with their ability to undertake long-distance migrations. Birds are an important part of our ecosystem, pollinating our flowers and crops, eating insects, and providing free music. The Bridgestone Building was the first business to sign the LIGHTS OUT NASHVILLE pledge, and the local Audubon Society chapter is working to bring more businesses on board. Homeowners can sign the pledge and see how you can help protect migrating song birds at on the Bird Safe website.
This is my last update for the term. It has been such an honor to serve on the Metro Council these last four years. They have been difficult with a tornado, pandemic, derecho, civil unrest, state overreach, and a downtown bombing, but Nashville is a strong, resilient city. We’ve overcome a lot, and I’m confident that we’ll continue to find better and better ways to deal with our challenges. I’m working very hard to earn the privilege to stay involved, and I look forward to continued service. Please let me know what’s on your mind at burkley.allen@nashville.gov or 615-383-6604. Sign up for my newsletter at www.burkley.org
Regards,
Burkley Allen
Metro Council At-Large