August Update

EVENTS

Election Day is August 1 – for state and federal primary races and state and county general elections. The election includes federal primaries for the Senate seat currently held by Marsha Blackburn. She is challenged by Tres Wittum, Gloria Johnson, and Marquita Bradshaw. Nashville now shares three congressional districts with multiple other counties. District 5 covers the southern and eastern rim of the county. Candidates include Andy Ogles, Courtney Johnston, and Maryam Abolfazli. District 6 includes Goodlettsville, Madison, Donelson, East Nashville, and half of Hermitage. Candidates for District 6 include John Rose, Lore Bergman, Clay Faircloth, and Cyril Focht. Candidates for District 7, the northwestern third of the county, are Mark Green and Megan Barry. Many of the state house districts are uncontested in the primaries. Candidates for House District 60, formerly held by Darren Jernigan, include Chad Bobo. Christopher Huff, Tyler Brasher, Shaundelle Brooks, and John Parrish. Voters will be asked to choose which party primary to vote in, and candidates’ names will show up only on their party’s ballot. The county general election includes judges, Property Assessor, and school board. Of those, only one school board race is uncontested – District 1 (Joelton, Whites Creek, Bordeaux) between Robert Taylor and Demytris Savage Short. A sample ballot can be downloaded at the Davidson County Election Commission website.

Early voting had a turn-out that puts us on track for only 20% of voters determining who represents us at the state and federal level. Everyone’s vote matters! Please make the effort to vote. On Election Day voters need to go to their specific voting precinct, which may have changed after the last election. Confirm voting precincts here .The general election day is in November 5. More information is available at the Election Commission website.

Metro Schools begin on August 6 with a half day for pre-K and Kindergarten and full days for grades 1-12. Information on enrollment, meals, immunization, transportation, school attire, and family support can all be found at the MNPS website.

Brush pick-up is scheduled for the following areas:

• August 1 – Area 12: Goodlettsville, Dalemere, Bellshire
• August 9 - Area 1: West Madison, Capital View, Douglas Park, Cleveland Park, McFerrin Park, Highland Heights
• August 19 - Area 2: East Madison, Inglewood, Neely’s Bend, Peeler Park, Maplewood Heights, Iverson, Maxwell Heights, Edgefield, Eastwood, Shelby Bottoms, Shelby Hills, and Lockland Springs
• September 3 – Area 3: Old Hickory, Lakewood, Hermitage, Stones River, Two Rivers, River Trace

Beginning this September, the Metro Historical Commission will offer its second Citizen Historic Preservation Academy. The Academy is an opportunity for Nashville residents to learn how they can participate in local preservation and the related benefits and resources. The Academy meets at historic Metro sites, with an opportunity to tour the sites in some instances. Class size is limited, and the selection process is competitive. The ideal candidate is someone who has the means and desire to share what they learn with others. Past attendees included neighborhood leaders and influencers, architects, realtors, and council candidates. Participants must commit to attending at least 5 of the 7 sessions and submit a letter of recommendation from their metro council member or neighborhood/merchant association. Certificates will be provided for those that fulfill the requirements of the academy. The Academy will take place on Mondays, 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. The tentative start date of the 2024 Citizen Academy is September 23, 2024. (No class will be held on October 7, Metro’s fall break.) The course will end on November 13, with a social event hosted by local, non-profit partner, Preservation Society of Nashville. Interested candidates should send a recommendation from their council member and answers to the following questions to historicalcommission@nashville.gov by August 4, 5:00 p.m.

• Why are you a good candidate for the Citizens Historic Preservation Academy? Please include what you would like to learn from and share with the Academy and any qualifications/special interests you believe to be important. List any past or current community involvement.
• How do you plan to share information you receive in the Academy with your neighborhood?

Root Nashville is our city’s drive to plant 500,000 trees by 2050. This is a public-private campaign led by Metro Nashville and the Cumberland River Compact. Trees are instrumental in absorbing stormwater and filtering pollutants before they enter our streams and rivers; the growth of Nashville’s tree canopy supports the Compact’s goal of improving water quality for residents of the Cumberland River basin . Tree planting season is quickly approaching - and the search for tree recipients and planting sites is in full swing There are a few ways to request free trees for Davidson County homes or neighborhoods this fall:

• property owners can order up to 3 for their yard,
• businesses and organizations can apply for 10 or more at their office, HOA, place of worship, or other community space,
• anyone can suggest a public planting site (like a park or street) via HUB Nashville

Get involved and help grow Nashville’s tree canopy this year - each tree contributes to the Root Nashville campaign’s goal of planting 500,000 trees in Davidson County by 2050. Order at Root Nashville or email hello@rootnashville.org. The Nashville Tree Conservation Corps is also helping with this effort. Their tree sale extends through the winter. More information is at the NTCC website.

The Big Old Tree Contest, one of the Nashville Tree Foundation’s (NTF) most popular and longest running programs, fosters appreciation for the importance of trees by engaging Nashvillians in identifying our city’s largest trees. Trees provide the public benefits by cleaning our air and water, providing lower utility bills, reducing carbon emissions from vehicles, providing cooler climates, and giving shelter and food to wildlife. Mature trees are the most effective, so NTF wants to recognize the biggest and best. Trees of any species in Davidson County can be nominated by anyone. The trees can be on the property of the nominator, a neighbor, friend, or stranger, or on public property. The owner’s permission is suggested but not required. Nashville Tree Foundation is the only organization in Middle Tennessee that awards trees with tree tags. Winners are judged by circumference, height and crown spread. The Big Old Tree Contest is open to all residents and organizations within the Nashville area. Nomination period for the 2024 contest is now open. Deadline for nominations is August 28. Winners will be announced at NTF’s Tree Spree in November. The contest and event are free and open to the public. To view contest guidelines, entry forms and previous winners, visit the Nashville Tree Foundation.

The Transit Citizen Leadership Academy (TCLA) is the Transit Alliance’s award-winning program designed to equip participants across the 10 counties of Middle Tennessee with the tools and resources to understand how transit intersects with our lives, contributes to a higher quality of life, sustains a vibrant economy, and builds pathways to equity.The TCLA is now an eight-session program with presentations led by industry experts and leading professionals. Participants synthesize vital information about regional transit issues through presentations, panels, discussions, homework, and reports. Industry-leading experts lead compelling and fact-based conversations and give participants the knowledge and tools to become thought leaders on the vital role of transit in the region today and into the future.TCLA participants learn about the following:

• the process of funding transit and infrastructure;
• the impact transit has on our economy, health, environment, and equity;
• the responsibilities of local, state, and federal players;
• the importance of regional, corridor, and other studies and plans; as well as
• the emerging mass transit options that can address our mobility needs today and well into the future.

Registration for TCLA 25 is open at the TCLA website. Class sessions are held Wednesdays, 4-6:30 PM, August 14th-October 16th. Classes are in-person at various locations, with some being experiential–meaning we WILL be riding the bus and the train.

For anyone who wants to learn more about how our water gets cleaned and treated for drinking, MWS is accepting applications for the Fall 2024 Citizen’s Water Academy. The Fall 2024 CWS will include five interactive sessions, held in-person over the course of two and a half weeks. This is a great opportunity to learn how MWS manages water from “river to river” and I encourage you to apply. Participants will have the opportunity to interact with MWS Staff and experience the water treatment processes by touring various MWS facilities - including the state-of-the-art Research & Analytical Laboratory and the historic Omohundro Water Treatment Plant. All MWS customers are eligible, but class size is limited, and the selection process is competitive. Through the Academy, MWS hopes to build a diverse network of leaders and influencers, representative of all of Nashville, willing to and share their knowledge within the community. Participants must commit to attend all the sessions below, which will be held at various MWS facilities. The Fall 2024 dates are as follows:

• Thursday, September 26 - “Imagine a Day Without Water” at the K.R. Harrington Water Treatment Plant
• Tuesday, October 1 - “Protecting the Environment” at the Whites Creek Water Reclamation Facility
• Thursday, October 3 - “A Sustainable Future” at the Biosolids Facility
• Tuesday, October 8 - “Protecting Public Health” at the MWS Research and Analytical Laboratory
• Thursday, October 10- “The Value of Water” at the Omohundro Water Treatment Plant

All sessions are held from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. To apply, complete the application available online at Citizen’s Water Academy Application. The application deadline is September 13, 2024. Applicants will be notified of acceptance no later than September 17, 2024.

Neighbor 2 Neighbor presents its biennual Mini-Conference for Neighborhood Disaster Preparedness and Response

Saturday, September 21, 2024 from 8:00 am - 1:00 pm at the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee at 3421 Belmont Blvd.The conference is designed to provide a platform to discuss disaster preparedness and recover for neighborhoods and communities across our metropolitan area and affected neighboring counties. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), disasters can and should be prevented. We can prevent hazards from becoming disasters by helping communities to be prepared, reduce their risks, and become more resilient. The objective is to host 60-70 neighborhood and community leaders and partners and equip them with resources, skills, and other valuable life-saving information.

For more information, contact Hwesi: 615-782-8212

Metro Arts began its Lending Library Collection initiative in 2020 as a direct response to Nashville artists dealing with impacts of the March 3 tornado and COVID-19 outbreak. In 2021, Metro Arts purchased sixty works of visual art from local artists and launched the Lending Library partnership with Nashville Public Library. The Lending Library is a unique art lending program which allows library card holders to browse and check out works of art in 3-month blocks of time. Of the purchased artworks, thirty were based at Madison Branch Library and thirty at Southeast Branch Library. Hundreds of library patrons have checked these works out since the collection launched in 2021, and many works carry a waitlist. At any given time, most Lending Library works hang in patrons’ homes rather than on the library wall. Because of this success, Metro Arts has added 53 new works from local artists to the Lending Library and will distribute them across five Nashville Public Library locations: Donelson, Green Hills, Old Hickory, Hermitage, and East. Library patrons will be able to view the entire collection at the Main Library Mezzanine Gallery from July 11th until August 16th. Artwork can be checked out on the Library website.

ISSUES

Street Light conversion to LED. Nashville Electric Service (NES) and Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) are on their way along the first phase of the conversion of 55,000 of Nashville’s street lights to LED technology. The upgrades will slash energy consumption by 60 percent, save the city $20 million in energy costs and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by 36,000 metric tons over the next decade. This multi-phase project will take place over the next several years and will provide Nashvillians with brighter, safer, roadways, helping Nashville get closer to reaching its Vision Zero goals.NES is currently working to retrofit 6,500 streetlights as part of Phase I. Conversions will first take place in the northern-most areas of the City with progress flowing clockwise across project phases. This progress follows the workflow of system audits currently being undertaken by NES to maintain the accuracy and efficiency of the conversion project itself. Additionally, NES is converting all the high mast lights (tall lights commonly found on highways) around the City to LED during this first phase of the project. For more details see NashvilleStreetlights

Last month the council unanimously passed the language for the Transit Referendum to be placed on the November ballot. If successful, this will create a dedicated source of funding to significantly improve the way people move around Nashville. The plan is built around better service, sidewalks, signalization, and safety. Bus frequency will be increased on major routes, Bus service will run 24/7. Cross town routes and twelve transit centers will reduce the need to go into downtown to get anywhere. Eighty-six miles of sidewalks will be added on an accelerated schedule, and intersections and crosswalks will be improved to increase safety. In addition to getting people out of their cars and riding on a better bus system, this plan will optimize signalization at 600 intersections to reduce the time drivers spend waiting at intersections. This plan has something for everyone. To learn more, or to schedule a speaker, visit Choose How You Move

Earlier in July many citizens and the council, and even junior high buskers were harassed by Nazis in Nashville. Their hateful language and rude behavior were consistently abhorrent, but not always illegal. Metro Code 12.56.040 governs protest marches. For marches exclusively on sidewalks where 20 or fewer people participate, no permit is required. For more than 20, the organizer is required to give the Chief of Police four days notice. The fine is a $50 citation to the organizer. There are regulations against disruptive behaviour, and many council members are asking MNPD to rely on that to stop the shouting and insults. Peaceful protest is protected, but intimidatiion of minority groups is not.

The Emerald Ash Borer **(EAB) has been in Tennessee for several years now, and untreated ash trees are beginning to die as a result. This little beetle out of Asia burrows under the bark, and ultimately kills most of the trees that it invades unless the tree is treated regularly. Because the trees can suddenly fall over once they are weakened, they need to be removed if they are showing signs of distress, which is usually visible first at the top of the trees. Nashville is full of ash trees, and all the ones in parks and on public right of way have been marked with a big blue circle on the trunk. Metro is working to remove any that seem to be a danger to anyone, but there are thousands of trees affected, so it is necessary to prioritize those that are most likely to fall soonest and threaten life or property. Everyone can help by keeping an eye out for trees with the blue circle that have dead branches in their crowns and pale patches on their bark, where birds have removed it looking for the beetles. Distressed trees can be reported on HUBNashville under the tree tab. Homeowners can inspect their own ash trees for signs of infestation and check with a professional arborist about whether the tree can be treated or should be taken down. More information on the EAB can be found on the Metro Water website. Replacement shade trees of another species can be planted this fall through the Root Nashville program. Find information on free trees at Root Nashville.

Boards and Commissions. Metro has over 75 Boards and Commissions that help implement the goals and policies of the Metro Departments. These are made up of citizens from all over the county who bring their diverse perspectives and expertise to ensure good decision making. Board members are appointed by the mayor or vice-mayor and approved by the Metro Council. The Mayor’s Office is always looking for good people to serve. Within the next few months, there will be openings on the Convention Center Authority, Health and Educational Facilities Board, Wastewater, Transportation Licensing, Procurement Standards, and Community Review Board. Davidson County Residents interested in serving can fill out an application on the Boards website.

I hope everyone enjoys this last month of summer. Please let me know what concerns or suggestions you have for Nashville. You can reach me at burkley.allen@nashville.gov or 615-383-6604. Sign up for my newsletter at www.burkley.org.

Burkley Allen
Metro Council At-Large