by Rod Williams, Dec. 19, 2023- Below is the email newsletter report on the Council agenda provided by Rae Keohane. Rae is a local active Republican. She reads and studies each Metro Council agenda and shares her opinion on items of interest and shares her email to those on an email distribution list. Having done this myself in the past, I know how time consuming this can be. If you would like to be included on Rae's email distribution list, contact her at raekeo@aol.com. In addition to her reporting on the Council, Rae is a facilitator of the Nashville Conservatives breakfast group.
Hello BRANDON AND ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL !
Since you will be voting on several matters of concern below is my opinion and questions about some matters before you tonight.
I would appreciate some responses to my questions.
I spend a few hours on this each meeting I would appreciate a response to my questions.
I and many others will be WATCHING you all on TV!
RS2023-131 I SUPPORT With one question do we have data on how many people have been gainfully employed by participating in this program? A resolution authorizing the Metropolitan Mayor to execute an Interlocal Agreement for the Northern Middle Tennessee Local Workforce Development Area in accordance with the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.
RS2023-132 I SUPPORT A resolution authorizing the Metropolitan Department of Water and Sewerage Services to transfer control of two parcels of property to the Metropolitan Government.
RS2023-133 I SUPPORT A resolution amending Ordinance No. BL2023-1690, as amended, to provide a stormwater capacity fee appeal process and to amend the applicability of the new section 15.64.035 of the Metropolitan Code.
RS2023-141 If I am reading this correctly, we are paying $6 million for a 5 year contract to service copier, printers and other office machines. Has anyone done an analysis of how many times each machine has to be serviced? Has anyone provided and analyzed how many machines this covers? This data could then be compared to whether or not this is a good deal for the TAXPAYERS! This is the kind of analysis my department had to do as part of operations in my former company. A resolution approving a contract between the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and RJ Young Company LLC, to provide multifunction devices, copiers, printers, related devices and services for Metro General Services Department.
RS2023-142 I missed the cost of this agreement it is not in the analysis? A resolution accepting the terms of a cooperative purchasing master agreement for mailing equipment, supplies and maintenance services for the General Services Department.
RS2023-143 I SUPPORT A resolution accepting a grant from the Friends of Metro Animal Care and Control to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the Metropolitan Board of Health, to provide funding for emergency medical care for shelter animals and the Pet Pantry, a component of the Safety Net Program.
RS2023-144-145-146-147-148-155 I SUPPORT A resolution approving amendments three and four to a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to the Metropolitan Government, acting by and through the Metropolitan Board of Health, to provide for the prevention, surveillance, diagnosis, and treatment of HIV/AIDS and to administer a Minority AIDS Initiative program.
RS2023-xxx( Evans) I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT! A resolution authorizing the waiver of certain permit fees for the repair or rebuilding of property damaged as a result of the December 9, 2023 tornado.
BL2023-81 ANOTHER SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT?? $25 MILLION for 5 years are you serious? I see commercials for security/hosting systems for commercial and personal all the time. PC MATIC IS AN AMERICAN COMPANY WHICH provides these services has anyone investigated this option? I mean it is not like the company that does this needs to be in Nashville or even Tennessee! An ordinance approving a sole source contract between the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and Carahsoft Technology Corporation, to provide hosting and security services for Nashville.gov, and licensing and support services for departmental systems.
BL2023-1 ANOTHER $10 MILLION FOR 5 YEARS I am STILL not sure why this is a sole source contract there are many companies who provide these services and I am sure some of those companies are in TENNESSEE. Maybe you can ask these folks to make it easier to search for past legislation on the website. An ordinance approving the contract between the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (“Metro”) and Net Tango, Inc., to provide website maintenance and development support for Metro’s website, Nashville.gov, and for other Metro governmental agency or department websites, as needed, and which will replace the expiring contract between the parties (contract number 432814).
BL2023-60 I SUPPORT. An ordinance to amend Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws, the Zoning Ordinance of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, by changing from RS5 to R6 zoning for property located at 2400 Buchanan Street, at the northwest corner of 24th Avenue North and Buchanan Street and located within a Contextual Overlay District (0.26 acres), all of which is described herein (Proposal No. 2023Z-077PR-001).
BL2023-70 I SUPPORT! An ordinance to amend Section 13.08.040 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws related to the offering of merchandise for sale on or near public property.
Just in this agenda you are spending $41 MILLION TAXPAYER DOLLARS in SOLE SOURCE CONTRACTS FOR the next 5 YEARS. And that is without counting the $47 million for NES TO CHANGE LIGHTBULBS! You know a million here a million there and it adds up to real money!
I renew my objection to the NES I am absolutely furious over this $47 million contract how many years will it take to recoup so-called SAVINGS by changing to LED bulbs?????????????????
This should not have been approved and I think I brought that up when the matter was before you all earlier this year and what did I get CRICKETS not one of you responded.
Nashville has a SPENDING problem and a management problem not a too little tax problem.
As always thanks for your time and attention.
Rae
❍ LAST METRO COUNCIL MEETING OF THE YEAR
Tonight’s meeting will kick off with a few appointments and reappointments: William H. Freeman is set to remain a board member of the Airport Authority amidst ongoing legal battles. Meanwhile, John P. Nefflen, a litigation attorney and former musician, is up for appointment to the Arts Commission, where he’ll hopefully do something about the missing grants. Another notable appointee on the list is a former council member and current associate director at BMI, Jeff Syracuse: if approved, he’ll be a part of the new Music, Film, and Entertainment Commission.
THUMBING THROUGH THE DOCKET
Another payout just shy of a quarter million dollars to cover a few more claims regarding the unconstitutional sidewalk bill, will be on the agenda tonight, as well as the usual affordable housing-related legislation alongside lengthy discussions regarding HIV/AIDS funding and Metro water/sewer use fees.
Other notable items include a bill concerning the Central East Bank Redevelopment Area’s sewage infrastructure, a resolution to integrate an Adaptive Signal System downtown to address traffic congestion, and a late-filed resolution waiving permit fees for those rebuilding damaged property in light of last week’s tornadoes.
LED NO-BID AGREEMENT CONTROVERSY
Lastly, the Nashville Electric Service may make an appearance tonight; yesterday, representatives from the utility provider dropped into multiple committee meetings to address the Tennessee Lookout’s recent article about their no-bid contract with Memphis-based Path for the installation of 55,000 LED streetlights.
During yesterday’s Transportation & Infrastructure Committee meeting, Vice President of T&D operations at NES, Vaughan Charles, defended their decision. Charles explained that had NES introduced a bidding process, it may have delayed the city’s transition to LEDs by up to two and a half years.
“NES had done our very best job at trying to figure out what we think this cost was going to be if NES were to perform this work ourselves,” said Charles. “So between having this vendor who had demonstrated their capabilities, and their ability to complete this project, their estimates were 10 percent less than what NES had had.”
Not only did representatives defend their no-bid decision with Path, they explained how converting sooner will result in safer streets because smart LED lamps are brighter and alert NES when they go out—something the current fixtures don’t do.
NDOT Director Diana Alarcon also clarified that the sooner LEDs replace the current high sodium lighting used, the sooner the energy prices to illuminate Music City will go down. “There's probably roughly 60 percent savings once you convert from an HPS light fixture,” added Joey Streisal, Sr. Associate Engineer with NES.
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