General Hospital request for additional subsidy jumps from $10 Million to $16 Million.

In November, Metro General Hospital announced it would be seeking an additional $10 million subsidy from the city. This would have been  the second $10 million cash infusion of this fiscal year on top of the regular $35 million annual subsidy. And, the regular subsidy has been increasing. In 2015 the regular budgeted subsidy was $27.6 million, increasing to $35 million in 2016. Now, Metro General has announced that they do not need an additional $10 million subsidy from the city, but $16 million!  They say $6 in anticipated insurance payments did not come through.  When is enough, enough?

Following the first $10 million additional subsidy this year, Mayor Barry announced a third-party assessment of the hospital's finances and leadership structure. The City has also been holding weekly meetings with the staff to address the financial and management issues.  From the response to the request by the city's finance director when the request was for $10 million, the administration was clearly displeased that the request was being made. To read about that  request and the city's response as reported by The Tennessean, follow this link. Now, the request has jumped to a whopping $16 million. To read the Tennessean's report, follow this link.

The mayor has again expressed her disappointment but has filed a resolution with the council requesting the money. Two million of the $16 million would be delivered to the hospital immediately and and the other would be held in reserve to be doled out as needed.

The hospital must pay staff and vendors so the Council will have difficulty in rejecting the request. The Council could however, approve just enough to fund the immediate payment of bills and force the Hospital Authority to come up with a plan that will make the hospital viable. Unless changes are made the subsidy for General will continue to balloon. There has to be a limit!

I hope that one of the few fiscally responsible conservatives in the Council would take to the floor and publicly state that it is time to privatize or close Metro General.  While we have a few Republicans in the Council, when it comes to the way they vote on any of the few issues where political philosophy should inform an opinion, more often than not, almost all of the time, they vote exactly like their progressive Democrat colleagues. This is an issue where those who identify as Republicans or conservative should take a stand.

Metro General is the city's charity hospital.  There is no charter requirement that the city fund such a hospital or no state requirement.  Metro General is a money pit and is no longer necessary.  I suspect the reason no one seriously considers getting out of the hospital business has more to do with the voting power of the Black community and pride of the Black community in having a Meharry Medical College in Nashville, than any real need. Funding Metro General is a way to subsidize Meharry Medical college. In my view, Metro Nashville needs to get out of the hospital business just as we got out of the nursing home business a couple years ago when we privatized Bordeaux Long-term Care and Knowles Home Assisted Living and Adult Day Services, saving the city $10.5 million a year.

Metro General has been struggling for years. Many years ago there was a need for local governments to provide charity hospitals and many cities did. As healthcare changed and low income people no longer had to go to the charity hospitals but could go to the hospital of their choice, the justification for such safety net hospitals became less persuasive, but with government slow to change, many cities continued their funding of charity hospitals as did Nashville.

Over time other changes occurred which made General even less viable, such as more people being treated as outpatients rather than being admitted into hospitals and length of stay in hospitals being shortened. A more recent change has been the impact of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). The Obama administration cut subsidies to hospitals that treat the uninsured. The logic for this was that more people would have insurance and there would be less need for the subsidy.  This policy had lead to closing of hospitals, especially in rural areas, but has effected the income of all hospitals.

Metro General Hospital opened as the City Hospital on April 23, 1890 as Nashville’s first full-service hospital. In 1891 the hospital started a school of nursing and in 1913 it opened a pediatric ward. The hospital grew and flourished until after World War II when admissions began declining. As more hospitals opened in Nashville customers had more choice. St. Thomas opened in 1898 and then Baptist Hospital, first known as the Protestant Hospital, opened in 1917. Park View which was the first in what was to became a chain of hospitals known as HCA opened in the mid 1960’s. Vanderbilt Hospital opened in the 1970’s and there have been numerous expansion and additions of other hospitals since then.

Not only did more choice mean less demand for General, but when Medicare and Medicaid were signed into law in 1965 that meant that low income people could go to any hospital and not depend on city charity. By the 1990’s General was facing a crisis. Not only did low income people have choice, but General, dependent on Metro’s level of funding, did not have the resources to acquire the latest in technology and equipment. Also the building, by this time a hundred years old, was in need of rebuilding or major rehabilitation.

Maharry Medical College was also facing a financial crisis in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. In an effort to help both institutions, in October 1991 Nashville approved of a plan to merge the Meharry Hospital with Metro General. The merger phased out services at the Metro General Hospital site on the bluffs of the Cumberland, now known as “Rolling Mill Hill,” and relocated services to Meharry-Hubbard hospital. General Hospital became the teaching hospital for Meharry Medical School and metro heavily subsidized the 116-bed facility.

General has had a difficult time competing with the many other hospitals in the area despite Metro’s generous subsidy. Despite Metro’s continued subsidy of the hospital, the hospital struggles to attract patients. All Metro prisoners are treated at Mehary-General and Metro employees are given an advantageous deal if they will use Meharry, and yet still the hospital struggles.

In 2012 the city commissioned a study of Meharry-General conducted by the firm of Alvarez and Marsal. The study found that as currently operating Meharry General was not sustainable. One thing plaguing Meharry is that it cannot fill its beds. They only have an occupancy rate to about 42%, but even if they operated at full capacity they would have a per patient loss per day of $1,602. The per patient loss is higher with fewer patients, but the overall loss would be greater with more patients. This study is dated of course and I do not have current occupancy rates, but obviously things have not gotten better.

The consultants offered a range of options for addressing the situation, ranging  from “maintaining the status quo to re-purposing the hospital as an ambulatory care facility with reduced inpatient services to a full scale re-design of the business model focused entirely on outpatient and clinical service.”

A couple years ago, Metro spun off its nursing homes and saved the city $10.5 million a year. A city owned nursing home is as about as archaic as a city poor farm, yet ending metro’s ownership and operation of a nursing home was not without its opponents and yet the city did it. Even Megan Barry voted to privatize Boudreaux and Knowles.  It is time for Metro to get out of the hospital business!

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Petitions for and against UT band playing the inauguration

 Counter petitions support UT band playing in inaugural parade

by Rachel Ohm, Knoxville News Sentinel - Feelings about the University of Tennessee's Pride of the Southland marching band playing in President-elect Donald Trump's inaugural parade go both ways, as a handful of counter-petitions have been started in response to one asking the university to withdraw the band from the parade's lineup.

On Saturday, a day after it was announced that the band would play at the inauguration, Goodlettsville resident Scott Lillard started a petition protesting their participation and garnering more than 3,300 signatures by Thursday.

Four other petitions were started on change.org this week supporting the band's participation in the event, collectively gathering about 410 signatures by Thursday.(continue reading)

Petitions aim to stop bands from performing in Inaugural Parade

by Rachel Ohm, USA Today Network - A petition calling on the University of Tennessee at Knoxville to stop the university marching band from playing in the parade down Pennsylvania Avenue had garnered more than 1,750 signatures by Tuesday night, according to the petition on change.org.

"As either proud residents of Tennessee or proud University of Tennessee alumni, we are greatly disturbed by the behavior exhibited by Donald Trump both during and after the recent presidential campaign," says a letter accompanying the petition, which was started by Tennessee resident Scott Lillard, of Goodlettsville. (continue reading)



Sign the Petition supporting the UT Pride of the Southland band marching in the inaugural parade

by Rod Williams - An inauguration should be considered a national civic event not a political event. 

Participating in the inauguration does not signify that you were a supporter of the  new president, but that you support the orderly transition of power.  It is nothing more than standing for the pledge or singing the national anthem.

When Republicans call out Democrats for disrespecting President-elect Trump, Democrats will say Republicans equally disrespected President Obama. That is simply not true. There was no organized effort to pressure entertainers and university marching bands to not perform at the inauguration.  Liberals who claim to favor open dialogue, freedom of expression and oppose bulling are engaging in bulling in unprecedented fashion.  We are witnessing Trump supporters being beat up and having their cars vandalized by thugs and "respectable" people are ridiculing and ostracizing and threatening the livelihood of people who are simply willing to honor the institution of the presidency. 

Join me in signing the petition to Support UT Pride of the Southland. Support them marching in the inaugural parade.

Other petitions supporting the UT band marching in the inauguration can be found here, and here,

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SURVEY: NFIB members support Tennessee's occupational licensing review

Press release, NASHVILLE, Jan. 5, 2017—Small-business members of the National Federation of Independent Business support Tennessee’s ongoing occupational licensing review, said Jim Brown, the association's state director. The evaluation is a requirement of Public Chapter 1053, the Right to Earn a Living Act.

Sixty-two percent of NFIB members responding to a survey believe the licensing review is a good direction for Tennessee, while 19 percent oppose and another 19 percent are undecided. Brown said NFIB will not be advocating immediately for specific licensing reforms until the House and Senate Government Operations committees complete their reviews. 

Last month, NFIB and the Beacon Center of Tennessee co-published a “How to Guide” for the Right to Earn a Living Act. The manual provides legislators, industry leaders and the public a series of questions to ask to ensure entry regulations and licensing exist to protect consumers’ health and safety, not create barriers of entry into professions.

“In the 1950s, just one in 20 workers needed a license to work. Today, it has skyrocketed to nearly one in three,” said Brown, noting the time to obtain a license (average of 222 days) and costs (average of $218) have prohibited an estimated 15,000 Tennesseans from getting a job. “NFIB recognizes certain licensing schemes are strongly merited, but some professions could regulate more efficiently through greater market competition, better enforcement of the Consumer Protection Act, inspections, bonding and insurance, registration, and certification.”

Other results from the 2017 NFIB Tennessee Member Ballot:

• 75 percent of Tennessee members oppose the state adopting its own equal pay act in addition to the 1963 federal law, while 17 percent support, and 8 percent are undecided
• 53 percent oppose legislation requiring arbitration on consumer contracts to be non-binding, while 16 percent favor, and 31 percent are undecided
• 47 percent oppose requiring all costs and fees in commercial transaction to be disclosed, while 42 percent favor, and 11 percent are undecided

NFIB will monitor several issues of importance to small business, including transportation reform and gas tax proposals, healthcare reform, and any reforms to the franchise & excise tax.

NFIB is the nation's and Tennessee's leading small-business association. To learn more, visit NFIB.com/TN and follow @NFIB_TN on Twitter.

NFIB is the nation’s leading small business association, with offices in Washington, D.C. and all 50 state capitals. Founded in 1943 as a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, NFIB gives small and independent business owners a voice in shaping the public policy issues that affect their business. NFIB’s powerful network of grassroots activists sends their views directly to state and federal lawmakers through our unique member-only ballot, thus playing a critical role in supporting America’s free enterprise system. NFIB’s mission is to promote and protect the right of our members to own, operate and grow their businesses. More information is available online at www.NFIB.com/newsroom.

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Sen. Mark Green launches bid for governor

by Jake Lowary, The Tennessean, NASHVILLE — Sen. Mark Green has filed formal paperwork with the state that indicates he will seek the governor's office in 2018.
Dated Jan. 4, the paperwork with the state Registry of Election Finance, states Green is seeking the office for governor. The Clarksville Republican has been making fundraising stops and on a statewide listening tour for several weeks.

Green is the first to formally file paperwork ... (link)

Sen. Mark Green introduces 10 bills, targets taxes

by Jake Lowary, The Tennessean - Sen. Mark Green introduced 10 bills on Wednesday, several of which target key initiatives like taxes and capping annual individual public assistance benefits that are likely to add to his resume as he nears an expected 2018 gubernatorial run. (link)

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Trump to name Nashville's Bill Hagerty ambassador to Japan

by Joey Garrison, The Tennessean - Nashville businessman Bill Hagerty is President-elect Donald Trump's choice to be the U.S. ambassador to Japan, according to a source close to the Trump transition team.

The appointment would bring Hagerty — a private equity investor who has held a key position in Trump’s transition — to a country where he has strong ties, having lived and worked there in the past.
Hagerty, 57, served as commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development under Republican Gov. Bill Haslam from 2011 to 2014. (link)

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In the Council meeting of 1\4\2017, Airbnb comes under attack, dog bill dies, Father Breen honored, Metro nursing home management addressed.

At four hours and 14 minutes this is a long council meeting. I watched much of it in double speed and skipped over some of the boring public hearings. If, you want to be sure I didn't miss something important, you may want to watch the meeting for yourself. If you are going to watch it, you really need a copy of the agenda and the staff analyis, To access those documents as well as my commentary on the agenda, follow this link. Over two hours of the meeting is devoted to the public hearing on Short Term Rental Property regulations.



This council meeting is moderated by Councilman Bill Pridemore, President pro Tempore of the Council filling in for the ailing Vice Mayor David Briley. The invocation is offered by Father Joseph Patrick Breen, the retired former pastor of St. Edwards.  Unfortunately, his mic is not turned on and you cannot hear his prayer. Following the prayer and pledge, their is a ceremony recognizing Father Breen. Father Breen was a beloved pastor St. Edwards Church for many years. During the decade of the eighties when I represented Woodbine in the council I had some dealings with Father Breen and I attended a couple funeral at St. Edwards presided over by Father Breen. I also had some constituents who were parishioners of St. Edwards.  Father Breen was well respected by his church and the community. For the presentation honoring Father Breen see timestamp 3:15 -9:9.

Appointments to boards and commission are confirmed without surprises or any dissenting votes. The proposed changes to rules and procedures for the Council are explained and approved with only a little discussion and pass on a voice vote. There are five resolutions on pubic hearing, all for exemptions from the minimum distance requirements for obtaining a beer permit. One is deferred, the others pass and none are controversial.

Bills on Public hearing are mostly zoning matters that would affect no one except nearby neighbors. Public hearing on zoning matters are boring unless the development is next door to you. I don't even attempt to form an opinion on each rezoning bill. Below are the Bills on Public Hearing of interest.

BILL NO. BL2016-394  is a bill disapproved by the Planning Commission that rezones several properties on Whites Creek Pike from RS40 to CL zoning.  The only reason I am calling attention to this bill is because it is a bill disapproved by the Planning Commission. At the request of the sponsor, it is deferred indefinitely.

BILL NO. BL2016-491  requires that building façades fronting a street shall provide a minimum of one principal entrance (doorway) and a minimum of 25% glazing. Glazing means glass work. That seems awfully restrictive. Some owners building their dream house may not want a front door or that many windows. I emailed the sponsor asking her for an explanation of why this bill was necessary but never did get a reply. The sponsor is absent and the bill is deferred two meetings.

BILL NO. BL2016-492  clarifies and modifies Short-term rental (STRP) rules.  In

October of 2016, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeal ruled that Metro's existing Short Term Remtal Property rules were unconstitutionally vague. This bill attempts to correct that defect and defines terms. It really doesn't do anything new. It clarifies and it incorporates recent changes passed by the Council to the STRP regulations.

The bill identifies three different type of STRP: Type 1, owner-occupied; Type 2,  not owner-occupied; and Type 3, not owner-occupied multifamily. The bill sets limitation on the number of the different types allowed per census tract and it sets occupancy limits. It sits the minimum and maximum length of stay for an STRP.  Why if someone wanted to rent a STRP for more than thirty days, they are not permitted to do so, I don't know. This bill requires that the owners contact information be posted within the property and the owner be available 24/7 to answer calls from renters. It spells out how complaints are handled and says that if a permit is revoked a new permit cannot be issued for that property for one year. It established a fine of $50 a day for operating a STRP without a permit. It also does a lot of other things.

The rules appears overly restrictive and I do not like this bill and would like to see less regulation. Much of what people complain about such as noise and parking is already covered by other code previsions. Also, has some of the thousands of planned hotels and motels rooms get build, I suspect the demand for Airbnb lodging to level off.

Since any change to this bill is likely to impose more regulations rather than less, if I were in the Council I would vote for this. Sometimes as legislator one is faced with the choice of voting for something he does not like in order to stop something from passing that he would like even less.

On the street on which I live there is a STRP diagonally across the street and another two doors down from me.  I never have had a problem with them. The owner of the properties has came by to visit with me and gave me her phone number and told me to call her I ever have reason to complain. I don't mind seeing the young girls in town for bachelorette parties come and go and families playing touch football in the front yard.  Some people are just not happy if other people are having fun.

There are a lot of people in the audience in favor and a whole lot more in opposition. Those in support are mostly short-term rental hosts saying they support for the revised ordinance.Those in opposition think the bill does not go far enough. Some argue that STRP drive up local rental rates by taking what would be rental units off the market. Others complain of living next door to these units where people make excessive noise and party all night. One speaker talks of orgies taking place.  I would have to see that to believe it, but that is what is being said. Many of the speakers want type three STRP amended out of the bill and prohibited. Some want type two and three taken out and a few want all STRP banned. A lot of the opposition is organized. Among those in opposition are neighborhood activist John Summers and John Stern. Councilman sledge makes arguments against the bill as do Councilman Weiner, Elrod and Glover. Glover makes a motion to defer two meetings and it passes. I expect amendment to be offered to prohibit type two and type three STRP. To see the discussion see timestamp 38:14- 2:50:52. To see media coverage of this issue follow these links: WSMV,  Nashville Airbnb fans, foes collide at Metro Council ...  and The Tennessean, Nashville Airbnb fans, foes collide at Metro Council.

SUBSTITUTE BILL NO. BL2016-493  addresses sidewalks. It tightens up the requirements that developers build sidewalks. Under this bill, under certain circumstances a developer of a duplex would have to build a sidewalk in front of the house even it there was no other sidewalks on the street. It makes it more difficult for a developer to pay an "in-lieu" fee instead of building sidewalk. This public hearing is deferred to the first meeting in February.

None of the resolutions are of much interest and they all pass or are deferred.  Bills on First Reading are lumped together and pass by a single vote as is the norm.

Bills on Second Reading

BILL NO. BL2016-461  require employees of Metro to report fraud and unlawful acts committed against the Metropolitan Government to the Metropolitan Auditor. It is deferred one meeting.

BILL NO. BL2016-484 would make it more difficult to locate landfills, solid waste disposal facilities and solid waste processing facilities in Davidson County. It adopts a state standard for approval that is already established as an option for local governments. Included in what this would do is it would require Council approval of "the plans" for such facilities not just the location of the facility and it would require approval by ordinance, not just a resolution, and it would establish criteria for evaluation. It is deferred two meetings.

BILL NO. BL2016-496 would prohibit vehicles from parking in electric charging station spaces. This was on Second Reading last meeting also and deferred to this meeting. It is again deferred, deferred two meetings.

BILL NO. BL2016-527  is a bill that would require outdoor pen enclosures for dogs be larger than what the current law requires. This bill would require the pen be at least 900 square feet no matter how small the dog. This is deferred indefinitely.  To read the Tennessean report on this issue see, "Nashville proposal to overhaul dog pen, fence rules to be scrapped."

BILL NO. BL2016-529  would approve the removal of  certain buildings and structures on the Fairgrounds. This is part of a Fairgrounds improvement plan in which some existing building are to be torn down, but not the racetrack. These building are to be replaced. The Charter requires Council approval to tear down any building at the Fairgrounds. This bill is not a plan to destroy the Fairgrounds but part of a plan to improve the facility. It is approved by voice vote.

BILL NO. BL2016-540  cancels the lease agreement with the management company than manages the Autumn Hills nursing home, formerly a Metro operated facility that is in the process of being fully privatized. It would also rescind the Council’s approval of the Purchase and Sale Agreement between Metro and the Vision Real Estate Investment Corporation for the sale of the 76 acre property, I think. That is what the staff analysis said, but comments from the floor throw that in doubt. This is a complex issue.  For those who want a deeper understanding of the issue, you may want to watch the Budget and Finance Committee where this was discussed in more depth. This facility is the Knowles Home Assisted Living and Adult Day Services facility. I have not watched the committee discussion of this bill and do not know if I would think this is a necessary action or not. I just hope this does not put Metro on a path to taking over a facility permanently. I would hope we would completely privatize this facility and get the city out of the nursing home business. For more on the issue follow this report from News Channel 5: Council Begins Process To Get New Autumn Hills Management and Nashville seeks new operator for troubled Autumn Hills facility. The bill passes on a voice vote. To see the discussion see timestamp 3:47:00 - 4:05:32.

Bills on Third Reading. There is not much of interest and no controversial bills.

BILL NO. BL2016-494 reestablishes the Metro Property Tax Relief Program assistance to low-income elderly residents of the county.  There is a State Property Tax Relief  Program and this bill increases the amount of that relief by matching what the State provides. Follow the link for more information. If you or someone you know are elderly and low income, look into this.  Due to escalating property values, many elderly low-income residents would be forced out of their home if not for this tax relief program. This passes on a voice vote.

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Nashville Airbnb fans, foes collide at Metro Council

by Joey Garrison, The Tennessean - A raging fight over Airbnb and other short-term rentals in Nashville spilled into the Metro Council on Tuesday night, with neighborhood activists demanding new stricter limits and hosts defending the popular form of lodging.

The two sides squared off at a public hearing that lasted two hours on a bill outlining regulations for short-term rental properties, or STRPs, to replace a prior ordinance that a judge ruled unconstitutional in October.(link)

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Diane Black named interim House Budget chairman

by Joel Ebert , USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee- U.S. Rep. Diane Black on Tuesday was named interim chairman of the powerful House Budget Committee, placing her at the crux of the fight to repeal Obamacare.

The interim title appears to be necessary until Rep. Tom Price, the outgoing committee chairman, is confirmed as Secretary of Health and Human Services.

"As interim Chairman for the House Budget Committee, I am ready to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to repeal this law that has burdened families and businesses and turn the page to a new healthcare system that lowers costs, spurs free market competition, and ultimately empowers patients — not Washington bureaucrats. I look forward to bringing my decades in healthcare as a registered nurse, my insight as a Member of the Ways and Means Committee, and my unique experience navigating Tennessee’s own health reform crisis to this role. I am grateful to my colleagues for this opportunity and am ready for the important work ahead," Black said. 

   Rep. Phil Roe was named chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs. U.S. Sen. Bob Corker, who was once considered a candidate for vice president and Secretary of State, chairs the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander is chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.(link)

 ###

Congressman Diane Black Named Interim House Budget Committee Chair

Vows to work to repeal Obamacare, implement free market healthcare solutions

Diane Black Press release, Washington, D.C. – Congressman Diane Black (R-TN-06) was named interim House Budget Committee Chairman today pursuant to House passage of H. Res. 6. The announcement follows outgoing Chairman and Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Tom Price’s (R-GA-06) decision to suspend his duties in anticipation of his Senate confirmation hearings. A registered nurse by background, Black brings more than 40 years of healthcare experience to the role. She released the following statement:

“The passage of Obamacare is the reason I ran for Congress. As interim Chairman for the House Budget Committee, I am ready to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to repeal this law that has burdened families and businesses and turn the page to a new healthcare system that lowers costs, spurs free market competition, and ultimately empowers patients – not Washington bureaucrats. I look forward to bringing my decades in healthcare as a registered nurse, my insight as a Member of the Ways and Means Committee, and my unique experience navigating Tennessee’s own health reform crisis to this role. I am grateful to my colleagues for this opportunity and am ready for the important work ahead,” said interim Chairman Diane Black.

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(Update 2) What's on the Council agenda for 1-3-17: New Short-term rental rules, taking back over Knowles Home,

The Metro Council will meet Tuesday, January 3, 2017 at 6:30 PM in the Council chamber at the Metro Courthouse.   Council meetings are really boring and I watch them so you can be a well-informed citizen of our city and still not have to watch the council meetings. If, however, you are going to watch the council meeting, you really need the agenda and  the Council staff analysis, otherwise you will be clueless about what is going on.  Follow the highlighted links above to view the agenda and staff analysis. Below is my commentary and analysis.

After the call to order, invocation, pledge and approval of the minutes of the last meeting, the next order of business is the approval of Rules of Procedure of the Metropolitan Council for the coming year. Usually this is a pretty tame exercise but sometimes if someone feels the rules worked against their interest or the vice mayor treated them unfairly, there may be an attempt to modify some rules and it could be contentious but I don't anticipate a fight over the rules.

There are five appointment to Boards and Commissions on the agenda and you can expect them all to be approved unanimously.

There are five resolutions on public hearing, all to grant an exemption to the minimum distance requirements for obtaining a beer permit.

Bills on Public hearing, most of the time, are zoning matters that interest no one except nearby neighbors and I don't even attempt to form an opinion on each zoning bill.  I only call attention to those that have an impact beyond one neighborhood or that for some reason I think will be contentious. I also like to point out bills which are disapproved by the Planning Commission. A bill disapproved by the Planning Commission must get 26 positive votes to pass instead of a simple majority of those present. The Planning Commission will disapprove a bill if it is contrary to the General Plan.  Here are the bills of interest:

BILL NO. BL2016-394  is a bill disapproved by the Planning Commission that rezones several properties on Whites Creek Pike from RS40 to CL zoning. That is a rezoning from a residential zoning to a commercial zoning. For a description of the different zoning classifications follow this link.

BILL NO. BL2016-491  requires that building façades fronting a street shall provide a minimum of one principal entrance (doorway) and a minimum of 25% glazing. Glazing means glass work. That seems awfully restrictive. Some owners building their dream house may not want a front door or that many windows.  I would have to hear a good argument as to why this is necessary before I could support it. I have emailed the sponsor asking for an explanation and will post an update when I get a reply.

BILL NO. BL2016-492  clarifies and modifies Short-term rental (STRP) rules.  In October of 2016, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeal ruled that Metro's existing rules were unconstitutionally vague. This bill attempts to correct that defect and defines terms. It also incorporates recent changes passed by the Council to the STRP legislation. It identifies three different type of STRP and sets limitation on the number of the different types. It sits the minimum and maximum length of stay for an STRP.  Why if someone wanted to rent a STRP for more than thirty days, they are not permitted to do so, I don't know. This bill requires that the owners contact information be posted within the property and the owner be available 24/7 to answer calls from renters. It spells out how complaints are handled and says that if a permit is revoked a new permit cannot be issued for that property for one year. It established a fine of $50 a day for operating a STRP without a permit. These rules appears overly restrictive and I oppose this bill but expect it to pass. We already have parking and noise ordinances and I just do not see the need for this volume of regulations.

I expect to hear a lot of people speaking in favor of this bill at the public hearing and some will say the regulations do not go far enough.  I hope some STRP owners or people who want to become STRP owners speak also in opposition, but I suspect the wheels are greased and it would do no good. In my view, by over regulating STRP, the city is addressing a problem, if it is a problem, that would resolve itself if left alone. There are thousands of new motel rooms either approved or  proposed for Nashville.  The lodging shortage is being resolved. Also, operating a STRP is hard work and is not as lucrative as one might think. I expect the number of properties being converted to STRP to level off even without government action. I expect some will revert to long-term rental.  On the street on which I live there is a STRP diagonally across the street and another two doors down from me.  I never have had a problem with them. I don't mind seeing the young girls in town for bachelorette parties come and go.  Some people are just not happy if other people are having fun. 

SUBSTITUTE BILL NO. BL2016-493  addresses sidewalks. It tightens up the requirements that developers build sidewalks. Under this bill, under certain circumstances a developer of a duplex would have to build a sidewalk in front of the house even it there was no other sidewalks on the street. It makes it more difficult for a developer to pay an "in-lieu" fee instead of building sidewalk.

There are 11 resolutions on the consent agenda. Resolutions on "consent" are passed by a single vote of the council instead of being voted on individually. If a resolution has any negative votes in committee it is taken off of consent.  Also any council member may ask to have an item taken off of
consent or to have his abstention or dissenting vote recorded.  None of the resolutions are of particular interest. Most of the resolutions are accepting grants. One resolution allows the Metro Transit Authority to borrow money in anticipation of receiving grant funds that have been awarded to MTA. I think that sounds reasonable.  One is settling a claim against the city for an accident in which a police car hit another car and the accident was caused by the police officer. In cases like this, if Legal recommends settling, then I always assume it is best to settle.

There are 19 bills on First Reading. First Reading is a formality that gets bills on the agenda. They are not discussed by committee until after First Reading.  Almost always, bills on First Reading are lumped together and pass by a single vote.  I do not examine bills on First Reading.

Bills on Second Reading

BILL NO. BL2016-461  require employees of Metro to report fraud and unlawful acts committed against the Metropolitan Government to the Metropolitan Auditor.

BILL NO. BL2016-484 would make it more difficult to locate landfills, solid waste disposal facilities and solid waste processing facilities in Davidson County. It adopts a state standard for approval that is already established as an option for local governments. Included in what this would do is it would require Council approval of "the plans" for such facilities not just the location of the facility and it would require approval by ordinance, not just a resolution, and it would establish criteria for evaluation.

BILL NO. BL2016-496 would prohibit vehicles from parking in electric charging station spaces. This was on Second Reading last meeting also and deferred to this meeting. I have never done it but I have been tempted to take one of those spaces myself.  I attend a monthly luncheon downtown and park in the parking garage below the library.  When the garage is full, I have driven though the garage repeatedly looking for a space to park and I have seen the empty charging stations and been tempted.  There are three of them, I believe.  I have never seen them in use.  If I were in the Council, I would ask for a report of how often they are used and how much revenue the city is losing by providing those spaces for charging stations. Maybe we only need one or none at all. 

BILL NO. BL2016-527  is a bill that would require outdoor pen enclosures for dogs be larger than what the current law requires. This bill would require the pen be at least 900 square feet no matter how small the dog. This is to be deferred. Update: This is to be deferred indefinitely or withdrawn. The sponsor is scrapping this ill-conceived bill. To read the Tennessean report see, "Nashville proposal to overhaul dog pen, fence rules to be scrapped."

BILL NO. BL2016-529  would approve the removal of  certain buildings and structures on the Fairgrounds. This is part of a Fairgrounds improvement plan in which some existing building are to be torn down, but not the racetrack. These building are to be replaced. The Charter requires Council approval to tear down any building at the Fairgrounds. This bill is not a plan to destroy the Fairgrounds but part of a plan to improve the facility.  Don't be alarmed. This protection was put in the Charter by referendum following former Mayor Dean's attempt to abolish the Fairground and make the property available for redevelopment for other uses.

BILL NO. BL2016-540 would cancel the lease agreement with the management company than manages the Autumn Hills nursing home, formerly a Metro operated facility that is in the process of being fully privatized. It would also rescind the Council’s approval of the Purchase and Sale Agreement between Metro and the Vision Real Estate Investment Corporation for the sale of the 76 acre property. This facility is the Knowles Home Assisted Living and Adult Day Services facility, not the Bordeaux Long Term Care facility. I had previously, in another post, confused the two. This would not affect the Bordeaux facility which is under a separate agreement. I hope the Committees of the Council carefully consider this ordinance and this does not put Metro on a path to taking over a facility that Metro had previously been on a path to completely privatize. Metro should totally get out of the nursing home business. For more on the issue follow this report from News Channel 5: Council Begins Process To Get New Autumn Hills Management.

Bills on Third Reading. There is not much of interest and no controversial bills.

BILL NO. BL2016-494 reestablishes the Metro Property Tax Relief Program assistance to low-income elderly residents of the county.  There is a State Property Tax Relief  Program and this bill increases the amount of that relief by matching what the State provides. Follow the link for more information. If you or someone you know are elderly and low income, look into this.  Due to escalating property values, many elderly low-income residents would be forced out of their home if not for this tax relief program.

To watch the Council meeting, you can go to the courthouse and watch the meeting in person, or you can watch the broadcast live at Metro Nashville Network's Government TV on Nashville's Comcast Channel 3 and AT&T's U-verse 99 and it is streamed live at the Metro Nashville Network's livestream site. You can catch the meeting the next day (or the day after the next) on the Metro YouTube channel.

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Rep. Steve Cohen compares Trump to Fidel Castro

by Michael Collins , USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee - WASHINGTON – Rep. Steve Cohen on Tuesday compared President-elect Donald Trump to former Cuban president Fidel Castro, saying the two leaders had similar personality traits and ties to Russia. (link)

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First Nashville baby of the new year is again a baby born to an unwed mother

The Tennessean reports that the first baby born in Nashville in 2017 was an illegitimate child named Kinston Ashby, born to Mykyla Ashby.  The report does not specifically say the mother is an unwed mother and that the child is illegitimate but no mention is made of a father.  From the details of the story we can assume the mother is unmarried. Since no father is mentioned and the child takes the last name of the mother we may assume the mother does not know who the father is or chose to not make the father take responsibility for his offspring. Why she is having a child as an unwed mother and who the daddy is would seem to be relevant questions, but they are not asked. "Illegitimate birth," and "unwed mother" are terms no longer used in polite society shaped by liberal values and fathers are considered superfluous.

Children born out of wedlock is the leading cause of poverty in America and breakdown of the family is the cause of  crime and various other social ills, especially in the Black community.  According to U.S. Census Bureau out of about 12 million single parent families in 2015, more than 80% were headed by single mothers. Today 1 in 4 children under the age of 18 — a total of about 17.4 million — are being raised without a father and nearly half (45%) live below the poverty line.  In contrast, among children living with both parents, only 13% are counted as poor.

In 2015, out of more than 10 million low-income working families with children, 39% were headed by single working mothers or about 4.1 million. The proportion is much higher among African Americans (65%), compared with whites (36%).  Only one third of single mothers received any child support,and the average amount these mothers received was only about $430 a month.

The strongest predictor of whether a person will end up in prison is that he was raised by a single parent. Seventy percent  of inmates in state detention centers serving long-time sentences were raised by single (never married) mothers.

The birth of a baby to a single mother should not be a cause for celebration but sadness and shame and regret.   For source material follow this link  or simply do a search engine search. The statistics and analysis of the correlation between children born to single mothers and societal ills is readily available. 

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As Karl Dean explores run for governor, Will Pinkston goes on the attack, says Dean does not understand public education.

Associated Press ,NASHVILLE, Tenn. —...Dean has been traveling the state and taking its measure in recent months. ... Dean said he will decide whether to become a gubernatorial candidate in the first quarter of 2017. He said the early start of a bid to succeed term-limited Republican Gov. Bill Haslam would be necessary to overcome the fundraising and organizational challenges Democratic candidates face in Tennessee.

“Obviously Republicans have a lot of advantages,” Dean said.

Dean acknowledged that a successful gubernatorial bid would have to attract a large number of Republican voters. ...

Longtime Democratic operative Will Pinkston, ...  said Dean’s policies were at odds with public school families in Nashville.

“He fundamentally did not understand public education and, as a result, Nashville saw eight years of turmoil in our school system,” Pinkston said.

Dean is unapologetic about his pro-charter position, which he said is in line with other big city mayors and with President Barack Obama. “The important message for me is that charter schools are public schools,” he said. “It’s a different way of management, it’s a way that gives parents more choices and has produced very positive results in Nashville.”

“I don’t regret my support for charter schools and I think it’s consistent with being a good Democrat, and in line with some very, very good Democrats,” he said. (read it all)

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