Nashville extends coronavirus safer at home order until at least May 8

The Tennessean - The decision broadens a divide between Davidson County and surrounding counties, where Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee permitted restaurants, stores and gyms to re-open this week. … Nashville coronavirus cases have spiked over the past week, and the outbreak is still trending upwards in the city...(link)

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What happened at the April 21st Council meeting: 90-day notice to raise rent passes, recycling contract advances, Waffle House shooting law suit settled, new scooter regs pass.

This meeting is over three and half hours long conducted remotely electronically with less than ten people actually in the chamber. To access the agenda and staff agenda analysis, follow the links. Here are the highlights.

Selection of the Metro Auditor: This proved contentious but I do not know one candidate from the other so don't know why or who was supporting whom. Three candidates are recommended by the Audi Committee ranked in order of preference. The three candidates are Lauren Riley, Paul Morris, and John Valtierra. There is a failed attempt to defer the appointment. The Council confirms Lauren Riley by a vote of 37 in favor and 3 abstentions.  To view the deliberation see timestamp 28:30 - 1:13:02.

Resolution RS2020-286 is a non-binding resolution requesting flexibility in rent and mortgage collection in the city of Nashville and supporting the moratorium on evictions and foreclosures to provide housing security in light of the COVID-19 outbreak. This passes on consent so it is passed without opposition. These type resolutions carry no weight and accomplish nothing.

Resolution RS2020-287 is a non-binding resolution requesting the Mayor’s Office and the Metropolitan Department of Public Health partner with Meharry Medical College to seek grant funding to track, study, and report on the impact of COVID-19 on minority and rural communities. When directed to the administration or an agency of government this type memorializing resolution is taken more seriously than when directed to the State or the Federal government or society. Entities dependent on Metro financing listen when the Council speaks. This passes on consent.

Resolution RS2020-202 is "a resolution approving an intergovernmental agreement by and between the State of Tennessee, Department of Transportation, and The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, acting by and through the Metropolitan Department of Public Works, for signal maintenance for I-440 Traffic Operational Deployment of Blue Toad Spectra Power over Ethernet (PoE) Data Collection Devices, State No. 99111-4604-04; PIN 125652.00 (Proposal No. 2020M-004AG-001)." This is deferred again. This is they type thing that normally would pass easily, however there is an issue that I suspect, but don 't know, that  may have made this controversial. Many neighbors of the expanded I-440 corridor have complained of lighting pollution. Some have said that prior to the expansion that they were not bothered by the I-440 lighting but now it shines in their house like a spotlight. Over 500 neighbors of I-440 have signed a petition complaining about the lighting. Normally the Council would have little leverage to influence the State to address these concerns. This may have been held up to exert influence on the State.  This is just speculation. I don't know if neighbors bothered by the I-440 lights have had any relief or not.
Apparently this data collection system works anonymously collecting Bluetooth signals from paired vehicles and it seems their are some concerns about privacy. That may be the concern and may have nothing to do with trying to exert leverage to solve the unrelated lighting complaint. In any event it is still deferred.

Resolution RS2020-276 settles the claim of Shaundelle Brooks, the next of kin to Akilah DaSilva, who died in the Waffle House shooting last year.  The basis of the suit was that an ambulance was dispatched to the wrong Waffle House when the shooting occurred.  There were other ambulances at the scene however.  This is settled for a sum of $35,000 paid out of the Self-Insured Liability Fund. This is the way things are supposed to work.  After the parties negotiate Metro legal either recommends settling or fights the suit in court.  Last October, the Council attempted to undermine Legal and just give away money.  A resolution to settle the suit, before the Council received a recommendation from Legal, was introduced last October and 25 members voted for it.  Luckily that effort failed. If anyone is interested in seeing how members voted at that time, follow this link.  This resolution passes 40-0.

Bills on second reading

BILL NO. BL2020-223 would permit a waiver from distancing requirements for liquor stores and their proximity to places of worship, residences and libraries.  The waiver would have to be granted by resolution following a public hearing, the same way distance requirement waivers are approved for beer permits. This passes second reading by a voice vote.

Bill BL2020-224 would require landlords to provide notice to tenants prior to a sale of the property.  It is deferred to the May 19, 2020 meeting.

Bill BL2020-237 extends the city's recycling contract with Waste Management.  It passes second reading, however, if may very well be killed on third reading.  With budget restraints and the change in the market resulting in recycling costing the city much more money, this may be one service that has to be eliminated. Recycling is very popular however, and the Council may not be willing to bite the bullet. Several members voice support for recycling. To view the discussion see time stamp 2:35:08- 310:27. For more on this issue see this link. The minutes say it passed on a voice vote, but the vote was clearly recorded. Listen to the video. It passes on a vote of 27 to 12 to one abstention on second reading.

Bills on Third Reading.

Bill BL2019-109 (as amended) makes changes in the city policy toward scooters or what is termed "shared urban mobility devices."  This has been worked on for over a year.  A pervious version was on the agenda at one time and then removed because it exceeded the number of times it could be deferred.  This one has some provisions I like such as requiring more speedy response by fleet owners to complaints of overturned scooters and things and new rules establishing 'no sidewalk use' zones and slow zones. I like that it eliminates the restriction on number of scooter companies that can operate in Nashville, but I do not like that it cuts in half the overall number of scooters and restrict each company to only 500 vehicles.  I think market demand should dictate that. The hatred of scooters seems to have abated somewhat or people have just leaned to live with them, but I still fear that if this does not pass something more restrictive, such as a ban, may pass. I would support this and vote for it if I had a vote. There is no discussion. It passes 40 to 0.

Bill BL2020-149 (as amended) requires a landlord to provide a 90-day notice prior to an increase in rent unless the landlord has a contract with a tenant providing a 60-day notice. This is likely to accelerate the loss of affordable housing in Nashville. I own a little rental house which is where I lived until I moved to my current house.  Being a landlord can be a pain. There is not  a week goes by that I do not get several contacts from an investor wanting to by my house.  I get card, emails and text and calls.  They would tear it down and build a tall-skinny. There are a lot of people like me.  The more bureaucratic hassle it is be a landlord the more attractive those offers from investors appear.  If one gets a tenant who won't pay their rent and you must evict them, that process can already take months, this would add months to an already lengthy process. This will be one more thing to destroy affordable rentals. There is already a State law known as the Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act (URLTA) which requires a 30-day notice.  In my view Nashville should not have a more restrictive rule than other places in Tennessee.  Also, properties subsidized by the Federal, State or local government would not be subject to the law. To see the discussion see timestamp 3:18:46 - 3:37:30. This passes by a vote of 29 to 7 with 4 abstentions.  Here is how members voted:

Yes: (29) Mendes, Hurt, Allen, Suara, Toombs, Gamble, Swope, Parker, Withers, Benedict, VanReece, Evans, Bradford, Syracuse, Welsch, Sledge, Cash, O'Connell, Taylor, Hausser, Druffel, Pulley, Vercher, Porterfield, Sepulveda, Rutherford, Styles, Lee, and Henderson; 

No: (7) Glover, Hancock, Young, Roberts, Murphy, Johnston, and Rosenberg; 

Abstain(4): Hall, Hagar, Rhoten, and Nash.

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Ouida (Welch) Williams 1/21/31 – 4/26/2020, Rest in Peace

by Don Williams, April 29, 2020 -Listen. The spirit of a larger than life East Tennessee personality now sings among the trees and
flowers and in the hearts and minds of her many friends, admirers, and relations. Ouida Faye Welch Williams--who was known to burst into song from time to time--died quietly in her sleep April 26 in Knoxville. She was 89. Among her last words were, "I'm not afraid, and I'm not worried. I'll be okay. I've lived a wonderful life. I have the best family in the world."

Her first name, Ouida, was pronounced WE-da, and a pet peeve was when people turned that O into a Q in print. When we did it as a joke, she usually detected the prank and laughed along. Known for her humor, artistry, courage, resilience, and boundless love of nature, she had a deep and abiding faith. She shared her love of nature and her love of God with everyone she knew, instilling a love of our sometimes crazy world in her accomplished children and grandchildren.

She daily pointed out to us nature's wonders, from technicolor sunsets to slippery salamanders. Such wonders were reflected in the landscapes and portraits she began painting about middle age, and which often won ribbons at fairs. It was also reflected in several poems that saw publication.

An avid reader, she was an accomplished student growing up in Sparta and Caryville, Tennessee, where she skipped two complete grades before her junior year. She recited poems, read the entire set of an encyclopedia and knew most of the Bible by heart.

She often spoke fondly of her childhood, and especially loved living among wooded hills overlooking Caryville, where she was often assigned to draw water from a spring for her mother and two siblings. She loved following deer trails into the woods to make moss-lined castles out of stumps, where she chased blue-tailed lizards and squirrels and birds that sang among the trees and rock formations.

In 1946 she met the love of her life, Ladonuel "Don" Williams, a handsome man who'd just returned from Europe after fighting in the Battle of the Bulge during WWII. A Gospel singer who could whistle like a bird--literally, with chirps and trills unlike any whistler you ever heard--he embarked upon a singing ministry in the 1950s with a guitar player named Earl Mays. Soon the music of "Don and Earl" could be heard on radios all over the United States and in several foreign countries.

Ouida and Don

Rather than pursuing her ambitions, Ouida followed Don with her growing family, in service to his ministry. They lived in South Carolina and Texas among other places before settling in East Tennessee. In 1957 they moved to a stone house in Seymour, TN.

There the couple raised five children among hills, woodlands, creeks and caves that spelled adventure and magic. She encouraged her children to take long hikes and bike rides, and sometimes led them to a new spring where she showed them minnows and craw-daddies, ferns and flowers and other wonders like those she'd loved growing up. She and Don grew giant gardens and harvested as many as 100 quarts of tomatoes or blackberries some summers.

She fed her spiritual needs at Bells Chapel Baptist Church, where she sang and taught Sunday School and directed a youth choir, and later at Valley Grove, where her membership remained until her death. Sometimes it seemed she had nine lives, overcoming car wrecks, broken bones, a cancer scare, burst appendix, diabetes, a pancreas operation and much else. Perhaps her greatest challenge, however, was when her husband died of cancer in March, 1985.

After her husband’s death, Ouida swam away her sorrow and then sought work in stores and shops and took temporary assignments--such as U.S. Census work--before settling into a clerical job at the Sevier County Health Department. Although a widow for 35 years, she remained true to her lamented first love, and even published a poem about his good looks, "The Man Who Loved Mirrors."

She watched with pride as her children grew into accomplished grownups. Her son Rod, an Air Force veteran, served ten years as a Nashville Metro Councilman and now runs one of Nashville's most successful blogs. Her daughter Rebecca's floral creations from her own cut flower farm, Sycamore Creek, have graced numerous weddings and funerals. Her middle child, also named Don Williams, became a prizewinning writer, columnist and publisher. Tim is co-founder and CEO of 21st Mortgage, one Knoxville's largest employers. Kathleen was so inspired by her experiences among woods and trees that she founded the Tennessee Parks and Greenways Foundation, now known as TennGreen, that has saved untold natural wonders from reckless development.

Along the way her children introduced their children and grandchildren to Nana or Granny Ouida, as she's often called. Without exception they adore her and not so long ago looked forward to seeing Nana, for stories or songs or exploring with her or swimming in wild rivers or the ocean. This grand and gracious woman's spirit now rolls down the ages and sings among the trees. Listen. Maybe now she knows how much she's loved.

She is preceded in death by her late husband Ladonuel "Don" Williams; her mother Lena (Carter) Welch Simmons Fowler and father Basil Welch; her sister and brother-in-law Lila Jane McCalman and Pete McCalman, and her brother Basil Welch. She is survived by two daughters, Rebecca Mandel (Dale) and Kathleen Williams-Mooradian (Don); three sons Rod Williams (Louella) Don Williams (Jeanne) and Tim Williams (Amy); grandchildren Wayne Williams (Misty), Jenny Cook (Brian), Rachel Bennett (Joshua), Alexis Williams (Brent), Travis Williams (Carrie), Justin Williams (Magye); Rebecca Moody (Jonathan) and Joey Mooradian; sister and brother-in-law Linda Upchurch and Richard Upchurch; sister-in-law Shirley Welch; eleven great-grandchildren and numerous beloved nieces and nephews. Special thanks to her recent companion Cheri Spivey and her friends Marty, Anna and the Seymour Library Book Club and her little dog Oreo too.

The family will have a private graveside service and a memorial service will be held at a later date. Condolences can be made to Gentry Griffith Funeral Home, Knoxville. The family is requesting that in lieu of flowers contributions may be made to FOSL, Seymour Branch Library, 137 W. Macon Lane, Seymour, TN 37865.

The above tribute was penned by my brother Don. Ouida was my mother.  She was someone that it was joyous to be around. Her wonder and excitement of nature and beauty and so many things was contagious. She was a wonderful mother.  I am going to miss her so much. Rod

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Mayor Cooper proposes 32% property tax hike and deep cuts.

The Tennessean: Nashville would see 32% property tax hike, deep cuts under Mayor John Cooper's budget

News Channel 5: Mayor Cooper's proposed budget includes 32% property tax increase

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Recycling could disappear in Nashville

by Rod Williams, April 26, 2020 -The Tennessean reports today that recycling in Nashville could be coming to an end. According to the article, the reason is budgetary and the fact that instead of saving the city money, recycling cost the city money. At one time the income from the recycled material combined with the saving of diverting material from the landfill made money for the city.  A little over a year ago however, China which was the world's largest purchaser of recycled material, stopped accepting and the prices paid for recyclables has plummeted.

Previously, there were plans to expand recycling to twice a month instead of the current once a month. That plan had already been shelved due to budgetary restraints. With the city facing a projected $300 million revenue shortfall this year due to the Corona-19 virus, the city is taking a hard look at expenditures.

“I’m certainly not against recycling but I think we just have to make these really tough decisions on what truly is essential for Metro to continue operating,” Metro Council member Zach Young is quoted as saying during last Tuesday’s council meeting.

For more on this story, follow this link.

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Councilman Thom Druffel: It's Budget Time.

From the email newsletter of Councilman Thom Druffel, Councilman District 23, April 26, 2020 - I have been receiving questions from many of you about the Mayor's statement on raising property taxes. This is a tough time for all of us, and hearing news about a raise in property taxes is especially difficult. We are all dealing with social distancing, concerns about health, job losses and disruptions to our normal routines. I describe myself as a fiscal conservative, and generally, that means I do not look at raising taxes as a way to solve funding issues.

The situation the city is facing is certainly grave. One of the big reasons that I ran for council last year was my concern about the financial state of our city. Long before the tornado, and the effects of COVID-19, the city had not balanced its budget for the previous two years. Years of overspending created over $4B in debt. That works out to be about $6,500 per person and is one of the highest debts per capita in the country. The condition was so severe that the State required the Comptroller to step in and monitor how the former mayor and council were managing the city's finances. Decisions were made over the past several years that began a pattern of overspending on projects. Those decisions lead the city into deep debt.

On Tuesday, the Metro Council will get our first glimpse of the mayor's proposed budget. Mayor Cooper served on the Council for eight years before running for mayor, so he is very informed about the financial condition of the city. What we will see from him and his Finance Team on Tuesday is the initial Operating Budget.

After that, each Metro Department will submit its budget information to the Budget and Finance Committee on which I serve. We will have the opportunity to speak with each department head and hear their proposed budget needs. From there, we can critically evaluate department budgets and consider cost saving measures.

As of today, we don't have a lot of the detailed information we need to discuss property tax increases. We don't yet have the Mayor's proposed budget. We have not yet gotten a reliable number for lost revenue from the COVID crisis. Federal funds will be coming to the city, but that number is not yet certain.

Even with all of the uncertainties, I can tell you that I am not comfortable with the idea that taxpayers have to shoulder the burden of years of poor stewardship. If we determine that there is not an alternative to a tax increase, I want to make sure that there are safeguards to prevent overspending in the future. There are options, such as sunset provisions, that would put a time limit on property tax increases. As we go through the next several weeks of budget meetings and hearings, I will be gathering information to share with you all. As always, feel free to reach out to me with any questions you may have.

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The Government's good intentions is setting people up to lose their home.

 A mortgage forbearance is easy to get but think twice. 

by Rod Williams - The economic hardship resulting from the Coronavirus will result in a lot of people unable to make their mortgage payments.  As a result, all homeowners with a  government backed mortgages are to be offering a forbearance if they have an economic hardship "directly or indirectly" caused by the Cova 19 epidemic.  This applies to VA, FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac which is about 65% of all home loans.  Futhermore, one does not have to prove their hardship is caused by the epidemic;  the mortgage servicer is to take the word of the borrower. No documentation is required.

This sounds good and for many people it is but what does it mean?  A forbearance is simply a temporary suspension of payments for a short period of time.  During that period of time, the payments simply accumulate and at the end of the forbearance period the lump sum amount of the missed payment and the next month's payment becomes due. 

Obviously, it is not realistic to expect that someone who could not make their payments, will at the end of the forbearance period be able to bring their loan current. At the end of the forbearance period the mortgage company is to consider other options to bring the loan current. The name of what they call it and the details may differ depending on which entity insures your loan but they are similar options. Here they are:

• Extending the forbearance. The initial forbearance is for six months. It may be extended for another six months. If the borrower ask for it, the servicer is to give it.
• Repayment Plan. At the end of the forbearance period if the borrower can afford to resume full payments and a set amount per month toward the arrearage they will be offered a repayment plan.  I have not been able to determine the length of the repayment plan but based on prior experience, I would be surprised if I would last more than a year.  If that is the case and one had the forbearance for six months then one would have a repayment of one an half payments each month.  Few people can afford that. 
• Partial Claim. The month before the end of the forbearance period the servicer (mortgage company) is to evaluate the borrower for a "COVID-19 National Emergency Standalone Partial Claim." The way the public thinks of a "partial claim," is "moving the missed payments to the end of the note." The reason it is called a "partial claim" is that what actually happens, in the case of FHA loans, is that the mortgage lender files a claim for the missed payments with the insurer of the loan (for instance FHA), the insurer pays the missed payments and the borrower then owes the insurer (FHA if an FHA loan) the amount paid on their behalf to the lender. That amount does not become due until the first mortgage is paid off. 
• Modification. If one is not eligible for a stand alone partial claim then one is to be evaluated for other options. Which means, basically a modification combined with a partial claim.  So, the partial claim would be applied, that is, the missed payments put to the end of the note. Then, if the owner could not afford the regular payment, the loan could be recast stretching the loan back out to thirty years.  That might lower the payment enough to make it affordable. Any other options are options in which one loses the house.

The extension of the forbearance will be easy to get. However, all that does is create a bigger problem to solve at the end of the forbearance period. The repayment plan, the partial cliam or the motification are not automatic; one has to qualify. To be eligible for the repayment plan you have to be able to afford it and to be eligible for a partial claim or modification you must meet these requirements:

• Have been current or less than 30 days past due as of March 1, 2020.
• Be able to resume making on-time payments.
• Live in the home.

So, if you were behind on your house payment prior to this crisis, you won't be eligible any options for keeping your home except a repayment plan. 

To "be able to resume making on-time payments," has specific meaning. You may think you are able to do so but you may not meet a lender's definition.  You have to qualify. Ratios as to housing debt and total debt as a percentage of income apply.  So, if you return to work but are making considerably less than you were before you lost your job, you may not qualify as being able to afford the house payments.  If you have excessive debt you may not be able to qualify. If you have two car payments, that may be too much debt. 

My advice to homeowner's struggling to pay your house payment is don't apply for a forbearance if there is any way to make your house payment instead.  For many people the extra $600 a week on top of Tennessee's $250 a week unemployments comes close to matching what they were earning prior to losing their job. When applying for the unemployment, I would suggest not having taxes withheld.  You can worry about the taxes on that money latter.  You need the money now.  

Also, get on a crisis budget. Cut! Cut! Cut! Maybe staying at home you and your spouce could get by with one cell phone instead of two.  Evaluate every debt and decide which is most important.  In my view, if income is reduced paying the house payment is more important than paying student loans. Establish priorities.  If you have two car payments if may be time to stop making the payments on one of the cars and let it get repossessed and keep the house instead. Don't be intimidated by bill collectors. Don't let the bill collector who threatens the loudest make you change your priorities.

If getting a forbearance is the only way to survive this period of reduced income, then get it. Realize however, that the debt continues to pile up and you have to repay it. Make sure you understand the ramifications of getting the forbearance. Research it or better yet talk to a HUD-approved housing counselor.

For more see these links: link, link, link.

Rod Williams is recently retired but worked for over 25 years as a housing counselor with a HUD-approved housing counseling organization. 

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Mayor Cooper announces Roadmap for Reopening

From Mayor John Cooper - We know you are concerned about coronavirus (COVID-19) and what it means for you and your loved ones.

The Metropolitan Government of Nashville has created this website to help you understand the disease and answer your questions. We will update it regularly as new information becomes available.

Nashville is known as a city that cares for each other in difficult times, and we will do the same now. The sooner we take action to prevent the spread of this virus, the sooner we can return to normal life in Nashville.

I urge everyone to visit this website regularly for the latest coronavirus information and to stay

updated on Metro’s coordinated response to keep all Nashvillians healthy and safe.

Roadmap for Reopening Nashville
The City of Nashville has created a plan to reopen. This plan has been created in cooperation with health, business and community partners in Nashville.

The hard truth is that our city will be living with COVID-19 until there is an effective vaccine for the virus. Living with COVID-19 means returning to work with COVID-19.

We must proceed carefully to ensure we do not create a surge that will send us all back home. Nashville’s economy will open in four phases. We will only move to the next phase if there is positive improvement/stability in the metrics for 14 days.

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Democrats bash Gov. Bill Lee's 'risky' decision to reopen Tennessee's businesses

Democrats bash Gov. Bill Lee's 'risky' decision to reopen Tennessee's businesses

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Protestors in Nashville demand "re-open Tennssee."

by Rod Williams - I did not attend the protest to end the lock down and reopen the economy on Sunday.  Apparently there were two days of protest with "hundreds" the first day and "dozens" the second day.  I did not even know about it until it was over. This surprises me because I thought I was well connected to the conservative activist community. I have a lot of conservative friends on Facebook and subscribe to several email list from organizations and activist. I didn't see any Facebook chatter about it prior to the event. I have not been listening to talk radio recently however, so maybe that is how I missed it. Nevertheless, if I didn't know about it, I would think a lot of other people did not know about it. If this many showed up for a not well publicized event, probably thousands would have shown up if it had been well publicized.

If I would have known about it I would not have attended.  I am taking this social distancing thing seriously. It is pretty simple really. I believe it is real and I am in that vulnerable age group.

The older you are the more likely you are to die from this virus, if you get it. If I was thirty and would have known about it, I would have been there.  If I would have known about it, I might would have driven by and given a thumbs up and honked a horn. I would not have been mingling with other people. Even if this lock down is lifted, I am going to remain in isolation until there is a vaccine or it looks like it has ran its course.

I believe we must reopen the economy, however. Let those most vulnerable isolate and everyone else go to work.  Our county is now $24 trillion in debt. As GDP falls that debt is a greater percentage of GDP. That debt can freeze out other borrowing, take a greater percentage of tax receipts to service and may lead to massive inflation. Also, wealth is disappearing. The stock market has tumbled. That wealth is not hid under mattresses but is capital available for borrowing. Savings = Investment. When money disappears, then money available to start new businesses, to expand business and for consumer consumption disappears. Also, many businesses have already gone under never to reopen. Every day we stay closed down, more businesses will close. Some liberals, including a member of my own family, have characterized the concern with the economic impact of this virus as "putting

profits before people." This is not about the size of one's portfolio.  If the economy does collapse, people will die of starvation. The threat of an economic collapse, I think, is real. It does happen in other countries. There is no reason it cannot happen here.

One of the major concerns of protestors is the suppression of liberties. I am not as convinced as some that the Federal,, State and local actions to impose a lockdown are a violation of our rights. I have studied some of this and address it this post, Legal Authorities for Isolation and Quarantine. I do think, however, that when police arrest people for attended a drive-in church service that is over the line.  I also question if the police have the right to demand of one that they show some papers that they are exempt from lockdown requirements.  The tendency of government is to take power and use it arbitrarily.  What rights do governments have to classify some business as "essential" and others not?

I would welcome clarity and think some lawsuits ought to be brought to actually determine the limits and sources of government authority in this matter. Liberty is as fragile as health. We do not want to get accustomed to government micromanaging our lives. For more on the issue of government authority in this crisis see link, link, and link.

According to Channel 2 news, a protestor told them their next protest is scheduled for April 27 at 10 a.m.

To see a Channel 5 video clip of the protest follow this link.
To see 53 pictures of the event published by The Tennessean, follow this link.
To see Channel 2 video clip follow this link.

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Gov. Lee Announces Safer at Home' Order Will Expire April 30, Tennessee Begins Phased Reopening Next Week.

Monday, April 20, 2020, TN State Gov. press release, Nashville, Tenn. -- Today, Governor Bill Lee announced the order for Tennesseans to remain at home will expire April 30, with the vast majority of businesses in 89 counties allowed to re-open on May 1.

“Our Economic Recovery Group is working with industry leaders around the clock so that some businesses can open as soon as Monday, April 27,” said Gov. Lee.  “These businesses will open according to specific guidance that we will provide in accordance with state and national experts in both medicine and business.”

The Lee Administration will work with Shelby, Madison, Davidson, Hamilton, Knox and Sullivan counties and their health departments as they plan their own re-open strategies. “While I am not extending the safer at home order past the end of April, we are working directly with our major metropolitan areas to ensure they are in a position to reopen as soon and safely as possible,” said Lee.

“Social distancing works, and as we open up our economy it will be more important than ever that we keep social distancing as lives and livelihoods depend on it.” The Economic Recovery Group (ERG), composed of 30 leaders from the public and private sector is crafting guidance to assist businesses in a safe reopening. The industry representatives participating in the ERG collectively represent over 140,000 Tennessee businesses that employ over 2.5M Tennesseans. More information about ERG is available here.

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It's OK to be all three

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