Continuing Choas at the Metro Arts Commission

 Metro Arts Commission Interim Director Resigns After Brief Tenure

The Nashville Scene, Jan. 15, 2025- Interim Metro Arts executive director Paulette Coleman tendered her resignation on Saturday after less than a year leading the department.

Coleman was named interim director in April following a botched fiscal year 2024 grants cycle that left artists and arts organizations with little faith in the department’s ability to distribute funds in a timely manner. The situation resulted in a conciliation agreement between the Metro Arts Commission, Nashville artists and other Metro departments to improve the grants process for future years. Coleman was tasked with overseeing the department through that rebuilding phase.

However, according to emails and letters obtained by the Nashville Banner, Coleman was failing to hold up Metro Arts’ end of the agreement, leading artists to question if Metro Arts was about to have a repeat of the FY24 grant cycle. ... second time in less than a year that the department responsible for distributing grants to artists and arts organizations is left without leadership at an essential time.

Former Metro Arts Director Daniel Singh resigned in May with a $200,000 settlement agreement. Before that, he had been on FMLA leave followed by administrative leave since February, leaving the department rudderless. (read more)

For more on the years of chaos at the dysfunctional Metro Arts Commission see the following.

• Audit finds array of problems at Metro Arts: improperly used temporary employees; did not correctly document their scope of work; paid them exorbitant salaries.
• Metro Arts director Daniel Singh agrees to Resign. Gets Paid $200,000.
• Metro Arts Commission Drama Update: Metro HR Concludes Councilmember, Commission Director Intimidated City Employees
• Walk-our Denies Quorum for Dysfunctional Arts Commission Meeting
• How Did Metro Arts Get Here?
• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.

• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

 

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Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.

by Rod Williams, Feb. 28, 2024- Will things ever settle down at the Metro Arts Commission? It is embarrassing that such dysfunction can exist in an agency of Metro Government. If the agency does not get its act together what meager funding they do get is in jeopardy. 

The mess at the Arts Commission has been going on since at least 2016. Back in 2016 the agency underwent a change to promote equity and to engage in more "micro-funding opportunities, education programs and neighborhood-specific initiatives." Prior the agency had focused on funding a handful of high profile established organization such as Children's Theater, Frist, the symphony, ballet and a few others. These were too white for modern liberal sensibilities. Turmoil followed the change in focus.  Conflicts between funding large organizations versus small independent artists continues at the commission. 

There have been scandals, lawsuits, charges of racism and sexism, resignations, oustings, and changes in leadership at the Commission. Commission employees have described the agency’s leadership style as “rely[ing] heavily on intimidation, fear and punishment” and fostering a “culture of individualism, competition and secrecy." Outside organizations have been hired to help the Commission "overcome their racist past and transition to an anti-racist future." Still yet, things do not seem to improve.

This brings us up to now and things are not getting better and the funding for Metro Arts is now in jeopardy. Metro does not spend a lot on the arts. At last year's budget hearings, Metro Arts Commission Chair Matia Powell said peer cities like Austin, Dallas and San Francisco fund their arts communities at around 1% of their overall budget, while Nashville devotes about 0.017% of its budget to Metro Arts (2). 

I am not sure that Metro should spend more on arts. I think arts funding should primarily rely on art patrons. Of course, I feel the same about sports and think sports stadiums should be funded by sports fans. I also am not a big fan of public golf courses. However, we do not spend a lot of public money on arts. If the Arts Commission does not get their act together, they cannot expect more money; they may get less. Here is the latest. 

New Mismanagement Claims Imperil Metro Arts Budget

By Connor Daryani, Nashville Banner, February 27, 2024 - As artists and art organizations continue to plead for an increase to funding for the arts in Nashville, alleged overspending and financial malpractice at Metro Arts could put the meager financial support the arts do get at risk. 

Metro Finance Director Kevin Crumbo revealed on Monday that $2 million earmarked for Nashville arts organizations are in jeopardy due to the mismanagement of the department budget.

“The simple truth is the commission will not be in a position to make additional grant awards if its financial position is already headed to a deficit,” Crumbo at a meeting of the newly formed Arts Commission Oversight Committee said. “Surplus monies may be needed as part of a corrective action plan to avoid a deficit, and if so, less money will be available for grants.”

... “One of the root causes of the Internal Audit review, the Law Department investigation and the additional oversight of our Finance Department are the reports of multiple [Metro Arts] employees who have alleged excess spending over budget, possible violations of procurement and other established financial processes and behaviors at the highest level of management that may violate Metro’s policies governing workplace conduct,” said Crumbo. ... unclear if consultants and contractors were paid in a way that adheres to Metro’s rules ... Not only is the second half of operational grant funding at risk, Crumbo also indicated that the future of Metro Arts funding could be in trouble should the issues not get resolved. 

.... “My understanding of what happened is that at the July meeting, there were some decisions made where race was taken as an express factor, which we believed is unconstitutional,” Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz said at the Monday night Metro Council arts committee meeting. (read much more about this here)

Also see: Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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How Did Metro Arts Get Here?

"Ghost Machine for the East Bank Machineworks" designed by
Alice Aycockis a project by the Metro Nashville Arts Commission.
Credit: Banner Photo/Martin Cherry

A detailed timeline of the issues surrounding Metro Arts, disputes over funding and more

By Connor Daryani, Nashville Banner, March 22, 2024 - What’s controversial about funding the arts? In Nashville, it turns out, a lot.

Metro Arts, the body responsible for distributing grants from Metro to local artists, has been embroiled in controversy over how funding is distributed. The issue has grown to include multiple legs of Metro government, multiple investigations and multiple layers. To better understand the issues, the Banner has created a timeline of key events that brought us to this moment. This timeline will be updated as the situation evolves. 

In 2021 Metro Arts began an overhaul when allegations of racism and mistreatment by leadership were revealed by the Nashville Scene. Those allegations led to the executive director’s departure and, in August 2022, Daniel Singh was hired with the task of bringing increased equity to the arts. 

A report from the Metro Human Relations Commission found that since 1987, the Arts Commission has awarded approximately $61,572,329 to arts organizations in Nashville, and 71 percent of it has gone to organizations with an annual budget of $1 million or more. Singh set out to change this, with the goal of increasing Thrive grant funding, which goes towards independent artists and small arts organizations, but the situation quickly devolved. Over the course of 2023, nearly half of the Metro Arts Commission resigned and multiple investigations were spawned out of events surrounding the grant distribution process, which ended with Thrive artists losing out on funding and operational grants being delayed by months. 

There are at least three ongoing reviews:

• The Metro Human Relations Commission found probable cause of discriminatory action by the Arts Commission and Metro Legal. They plan to hold a public hearing on the matter, but a date has not yet been set. 
• An audit of Metro Arts is expected to be completed “soon,” according to Metro Finance. 
• On April 4, the Board of Ethical Conduct will consider a complaint made by an artist who was supposed to receive Thrive funding. 

How we got here:

December 2022

With Singh at the helm, the Metro Arts Commission adopted a grant funding formula that would fund independent artists and small art organizations at historic levels. Created with community input, this formula aimed to push funding towards independent and BIPOC (Black, indigenous and other people of color) artists and organizations, while still maintaining some level of funding for larger organizations that have historically received funding. 

June 2023 (Continue reading)

Also see: 

• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.
• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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Metro Council Ensures the Chaos at the Arts Commision Continues.

by Rod Williams, May 13, 2024- Anyone who is paying attention knows things are a mess at Metro Arts Commission. We have a director who has been on sick leave due to being a victim of racism and has not worked in months and a Commision that won't fire him without hearing from him, but to hear from him would constitute "work" and he can't work while on sick leave. We had a respected wealthy patron of the arts and a good liberal who is a donor to the Democratic Party and Democrat candidates, who was serving on the Commission, who due to receiving death threats because he was deemed insufficiently woke, resign. We had frivolous ethics charges brought against a member of the Commission for simply doing her due diligence. There have been lawsuits and inability to finalize grants. The Commission unconstitutionally made race-based grant awards that had to be rescinded. The chaos has been going on for years and does not get better. 

What does the Council do? They endorse the chaos and ensure things will not get better. The Metro Council at its last meeting amended the purpose of the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission by adding language specifying that its purpose is to also "promote equity in the arts community." 

The purposes of the Arts Commission were the following: 

A. To promote the study, participation in and appreciation of the visual, performing and literary arts;

B. To support and participate in the presentation of displays, exhibits, recitals, concerts, lectures and symposia;

C. To cooperate with and assist public and private educational institutions, the media, and other private and governmental entities involved in artistic and cultural promotion;

D. To provide information and recommendations to the metropolitan county council and the metropolitan county mayor with respect to the architectural design and aesthetics of public places and property.

Now added to that is:

To promote equity in the arts community 

The ordinance does not define "equity," but equity usually means equal outcomes. It means there should not be a greater percentage of the Black population in prison than the White population nor a greater percentage of White homeowner than the percentage of Black homeowners. It means there should not be a greater percentage of White brain surgeons that Black brain surgeons.  It assumes than any unequal outcome is the result of racism. An equity policy works to correct the imbalance, often without regard to factors such as effort or merit or ability that may contribute to the imbalance. 

Already the Commission had an Equity Statement. Now, equity is one of the legislated official purposes of the Arts Commission. This will give more power to the disrupters who want to fund murals and progressive political art rather than the Symphony. 

The bill had twelve co-sponsors and passed the Council in an unrecorded voice vote. If I had been on the Council, I would have had myself recorded as voting "no." I am disappointed that none of the more conservative members of the body did not do so.

To read the bill and the analysis follow this link. For more on the Metro Arts Commission visit this link and link. To view arts commission funded art, follow this link. For more on the chaos and disfunction at the Metro Arts Commission, see the following:

• More Weird stuff at the Arts Commission. New Interim Director job offered while Director is still Sick from Racism and cannot Defend himself Because that would be Work.
• Ethics Complaint filed against Carol McCoy by Arts Commission Employee, dismissed.
• When will Metro Arts 2023 grant recipients be paid? We don't know. 2024 Grant Reviews put on Hold.
• Metro Finance steps in to take over agency’s finances as embattled director Daniel Singh looks for new job out of state
• How Did Metro Arts Get Here?
• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.
• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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Ethics Complaint filed against Carol McCoy by Arts Commission Employee, dismissed.

Carol McCoy

by Rod Williams, April 18, 2024- Things just seem to not improve at the Metro Arts Commission. I don't see how they could get much worse, but they are not getting better.

The last thing to occur is that an ethics complaint was filed against Carol McCoy, a member of the Metropolitan Arts Commission. The way it looks to me is that she was doing nothing but doing her job as a conscientious member of the Arts Commission. 

Carol McCoy is the former Davidson County Chancellor, who served two decades on the bench. She was first elected Chancellor of the Chancery Court, Part II, Davidson County Tennessee in August 1996 and re-elected Chancellor in 1998, 2006 and 2014. She has an impressive resume and has served on various boards for nonprofit organizations in Nashville.  She was the first female President of the Tennessee Judicial Conference and a founding member of the Lawyers Association for Women. 

Carol has served as a Commissioner on the Tennessee Arts Commission as well as Trustee for Watkins School of Art, Film, and Design. She was appointed to the Metro Arts Commission by Mayor Freddie O'Connell in April 2023, along with three other new commissioners. 

The ethics complaint is that McCoy discussed and voted on matters not on the agenda of Arts Commission meetings thus violating open meetings rules, publicly humiliated a Black female Arts Commission employee by questioning her qualifications and made racist and classist remarks concerning certain members of the arts community.

As to humiliating a Black employee, the employee was the new Director of Finance for the Arts Commission introduced to the Commission during the meetings of November 16, 2023.  The complaint says McCoy "aggressively" asked, "You’re the director of Finance? What qualifications do you have?”. The Complaint says she challenged the qualifications of the Black female employee but not the qualifications of the two White female employees, and this caused the Black employee to become visibly upset and exit the room in tears.

As far as making racist and classist remarks, one of the examples to support that charge is that during a meeting she said the following:

I have been a member of many nonprofits. I don't think I've ever been on a micro agency that has a budget of $25,000. That is not even enough to pay one staff person, so it occurred to me that if you give money to a micro agency or to an individual, how do you do it in such a way it can be accounted for and properly used.

The other evidence to support the charge of racist and classist remarks is that she said this:

People who come in who just want to start a new venture. Their application is woefully poor, you wouldn't award anyone that money until you thought it would be handled properly... The one I remember was the Chinese New Year's festival, it was a little group of people getting together and I think they asked for $5,000 but the grant was just so poorly written, maybe if they'd gone to the center for nonprofits they might have gotten some help.

I can't believe it. In the above examples it sounds like someone simply doing their job. Those are the kinds of questions and comments I would expect from a responsible board member. 

The Metro legal department concluded the complaint, if true, did not violate ethical standards and should be dismissed. On April 5th, the Board of Ethical Conduct unanimously voted to dismiss the complaint (1). 

This is just the latest in the drama that has been going on at the Arts Commission for years. For more on the topic, see the following:

• When will Metro Arts 2023 grant recipients be paid? We don't know. 2024 Grant Reviews put on Hold.
•  Metro Finance steps in to take over agency’s finances as embattled director Daniel Singh looks for new job out of state
• How Did Metro Arts Get Here?

• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.
• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

 

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When will Metro Arts 2023 grant recipients be paid? We don't know. 2024 Grant Reviews put on Hold.

by CHAR DASTON, WPLN, MARCH 29, 2024 - It’s been a week since Nashville’s Finance Director, Kevin Crumbo, announced that he’ll take charge of paying the arts community the grant money promised them by Metro Arts in 2023. This plan is meant to resolve months of delays and disputes over the amounts each artist and arts organization will receive. But Crumbo has not given a timeline for the payments, or explained how Metro Arts will be involved in the process. 

Until the 2023 grants are paid, Metro Arts staff and commissioners say they’re putting the upcoming grant review cycle on hold. That affects a record number of artists and organizations who applied for funding back in January. 

Moreover, Crumbo is hesitant to fund the next round of grants, saying he lacks confidence in Metro Arts leadership. And Mayor Freddie O’Connell has said there may not be additional money to accommodate the higher number of applicants. 

“(Fiscal year) ’25 is not going to be a year where we look to increase investments in ... (read more)

Also see:

•  Metro Finance steps in to take over agency’s finances as embattled director Daniel Singh looks for new job out of state
• How Did Metro Arts Get Here?
• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.
• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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Henry Walker Appointed to the Arts Commission. Congratulations!

Henry Walker

by Rod Williams, July 22, 2026 - Henry Walker has been appointed to the Arts Commission for a term expiring January 1, 2028. 

Henry M. Walker is a Nashville-based partner at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, focusing on state utility regulation and energy law, with a career that includes 13 years as General Counsel for the Tennessee Public Utility Commission. He is also an art collector, an art connoisseur, and patron of the arts. 

Before joining Bradley in 2013, Walker served 13 years as General Counsel for the Tennessee Public Utility Commission. He also worked for the U.S. Department of Justice and as Assistant District Attorney General in Nashville. He was named “Lawyer of the Year” for Energy Law in Nashville by Best Lawyers in 2012 and 2015.

He is vice president of his neighborhood association, Senior Warden at St. Ann’s Episcopal Church, and serves on boards including Tennessee History for Kids, Tennessee State Museum Foundation, and East Nashville Hope Exchange. 

If you remember the old Teddy Barts Roundtable, you may know Henry as a regular on that program, and he has also been a journalist with The Nashville Scene.

For many years, the Arts Commission has been plagued with controversy. I don't know why anyone would want to serve on the dysfunctional Arts Commission, but I am glad good people are willing to do so. You may recall that other prominent people, including philanthropist Will Cheek and former Judge Carol McCoy served on the Arts Commission and either resigned or were forced out. 

I wish Henry all the best as he navigates the challenges of the Arts Commission. Thank you for your willingness to serve in this challenging position.

For more on the Arts Commission, see the following:

Metro Council Ensures the Chaos at the Arts Commision Continues

Ethics Complaint filed against Carol McCoy by Arts Commission Employee, dismissed.

 More Weird stuff at the Arts Commission. New Interim Director job offered while Director is still Sick from Racism and cannot Defend himself Because that would be Work.

Ethics Complaint filed against Carol McCoy by Arts Commission Employee, dismissed.When will Metro Arts 2023 grant recipients be paid? We don't know. 2024 Grant Reviews put on Hold.

Metro Finance steps in to take over agency’s finances as embattled director Daniel Singh looks for new job out of state

How Did Metro Arts Get Here?

Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.

Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.

Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.

Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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More Weird stuff at the Arts Commission. New Interim Director job offered while Director is still Sick from Racism and cannot Defend himself Because that would be Work.

by Rod Williams, May 6, 2024- The Metro Arts Commission should be a case study in the folly of wokeness and government ineptitude. You would think that after years of chaos, they would have to bend the curve and things would have to start to get better as some point, but they don't. Mayor Freddie O'Connell tried to turn the corner by appointing new high-profile commissioners in April 2023, including patron of the arts and wealthy Democrat donor Will Cheek, and former Davidson County Chancelor Carol McCoy and others. It hasn't helped. Will Cheek resigned after getting death threats and intimidations and before a resolution calling for his removal could be acting upon in the Metro Council. Carol McCoy is still there but recently had to defend herself against an unfounded ethics charge. Who would want to serve on the Commission in that environment? 

The most recent development at the Metro Arts Commission is that last week the Commission offered the position of interim director to Paulette Coleman, a former chair of the Arts Commission. Usually, an organization does not have and interim director while having a director but if Coleman accepts the job that will be the case.

The current director, Daniel Singh, is on sick leave. At last week's meeting he was also placed on administrative leave. He is obviously on his way out. Singh has been on sick leave since February 23rd. No, he doesn't have cancer or a heart condition or some other serious injury or illness. He is sick from racism. He says, “The racist behavior of the Metro Government has affected my health." 

The position of Executive Director pays $165,000 dollars a year and the Director has been on sick leave for 14 weeks. That is a lot of money. That is about $25,000 for not working.  Also, I wonder how one knows when they are no longer sick from racism. He has no plans to return to work or resign.  As reported in The Nashville Banner last week, the Commission is considering termination of Singh but is moving cautiously. At last week's meeting a motion to terminate Singh was made but failed.  “I am uncomfortable making a decision about someone’s livelihood without hearing from them,” said Commission Chair Leah Love.

There is a problem in hearing from Singh, however. To hear from him would be considered "work."  Metro legal says he cannot work while on sick leave. 

For more on chaos at the Arts Commission see the following: 

• Ethics Complaint filed against Carol McCoy by Arts Commission Employee, dismissed.
• When will Metro Arts 2023 grant recipients be paid? We don't know. 2024 Grant Reviews put on Hold.
• Metro Finance steps in to take over agency’s finances as embattled director Daniel Singh looks for new job out of state
• How Did Metro Arts Get Here?
• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.
• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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Metro Arts: Grant Panelist Applications Now Open

by Rod Williams, April 21, 2026- Metro Arts Commission is a mess. While it has not been in the news lately, it is my understanding from people knowledgeable of the local art community that things have not substantially improved at Metro Arts. 

For a recap of some of the troubles at Metro Arts, you may recall that a couple years ago, the Director of Metro Arts took months of sick leave, ill from the effects of racism and then he was paid a lot of money to resign. You may recall that Will Cheek was appointed to the Arts Commission and then resigned after receiving death threats. Will Cheek is a liberal from a civic-minded wealthy family.  He has been a big supporter of liberal causes. Yet, he was not woke enough for the activist who held sway and influence at Metro Arts. 

You may recall that former judge Carrol McCoy, who in addition to being a respected judge, has arts credentials, was appointed to the Commission and then resigned after trumped up ethic complaint charges were filed against her. 

The above is only part of the drama that has dominated Metro Arts for years. I have posted about Metro Arts about a dozen or more times over the past years. To read some of those posts, follow this link. 

Some of my conservative friends may think that the government should not even support the arts. That is not my position. I want to live in a city that is aesthetically pleasing and where there is public art and a rich culture. Public funds can help move a city in that direction. My problem is not with public funding of the arts, but with the Metro Arts Commission.

I am posting this notice because we need a broader spectrum of points of view and artistic tastes than those currently dominant at Metro Arts. We need sane, normal people at all levels of the Commission and involved in the arts community.  If you are a lover of the arts, you may want to apply to be one of the people who determine which art projects get funded by Metro. It would be nice to have some institutionalists and traditionalists around the table when decisions are being made. 

 
 

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Metro Adds $3 Million to Cover All Grants Promised by Metro Arts

 Metro Finance steps in to take over agency’s finances as embattled director Daniel Singh looks for new job out of state

Also see:

• How Did Metro Arts Get Here?
• Things are still, still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Mismanagement could Imperil Metro Arts Budget. Race-based funding could be Unconstitutional.
• Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.
• Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.
• Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

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Things are still a mess at the Metro Arts Commission. Metro Arts launches initiative to 'return land, money, and resources' to 'Indigenous, African, and Asian peoples'

 By Rod Williams, Jan. 23, 2024- Things have been a mess at the Metro Arts Commission for years now. To say the Metro Arts Commission is dysfunctional is an understatement. Back in 2016 the agency underwent a change to promote equity and to engage in more "micro-funding opportunities, education programs and neighborhood-specific initiatives." Prior the agency had focused on funding a handful of high profile established organization such as Children's Theater, Frist, the symphony, ballet and a few others. These were too white for modern liberal sensibilities. Turmoil followed the change in focus.

While the agency has this public face as engaging in social justice work, there were internal divisions and lawsuits and allegations of racism and sexism. The agency established an Antiracism Transformation Team to hold “the agency accountable in becoming fully antiracist in its identity and working for equity in all policies and practices with the goal of dismantling all systems of oppression within the arts ecosystem.” The agency also hired an outside organization, "Crossroads Antiracism Organizing and Training group," to help them overcome their racist past and transition to an anti-racist future.  This September 2021 article in the Scene tells the background and status of the Commission as of that time. Of course, reading anything in the Scene one has to filter out the snarky, woke, elitist tone of the Scene to get to the meat of the story. 

Bringing things forward and they are still a mess, and the organization continues to hire consultants to tell them how to be anti-racist. Grants are not being distributed and about half the seats on the Commission are vacant. The Pamphleteer breaks it all down and explains what's going on.  Read the full article at this link. 

Decolonizing the Arts

The Pamphleteer, Jan. 23, 2024 - ..... Since Daniel Singh was appointed Executive Director of Metro Arts two summers ago, controversy and dysfunction have reigned supreme. Not only is the organization’s fifteen-member commission short seven members after a spate of resignations, but the city is also conducting an audit of its financial management after it failed to fully pay out the operating grants it was designed to administer. Much of the chaos has arisen from Singh’s efforts to introduce a “more equitable funding model.”

A presentation circulated internally to staff and members of the Metro Arts Commission reveals that a radical agenda has taken hold at the beleaguered office. Authored in collaboration with Justin Laing of Hillombo Consulting and titled “What Could An Anti Racist Cultural Planning Process Look Like,” the presentation outlines a vision advocating the organization’s adoption of “antiracist planning” to create “antiracist outcomes.” (continue reading)

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Metro Arts Commision still Crazy after all These Years. Racism causes Director to take Sick Leave.

 by Rod Williams, March 7, 2024- Things just keep getting more embarrassing and nuttier at the Metro
Arts Commission. Things have been weird at Metro Ars since at least 2016. Back in 2016 the agency underwent a change to promote equity and to engage in more "micro-funding opportunities, education programs and neighborhood-specific initiatives." Prior the agency had focused on funding a handful of high profile established organization such as Children's Theater, The Frist, the symphony, ballet and a few others. These were too white for modern liberal sensibilities. Turmoil followed the change in focus.  Conflicts between funding large organizations versus small independent artists continues at the commission. 

There have been scandals, lawsuits, charges of racism and sexism, resignations, oustings, and changes in leadership at the Commission. Commission employees have described the agency’s leadership style as “rely[ing] heavily on intimidation, fear and punishment” and fostering a “culture of individualism, competition and secrecy." Outside organizations have been hired to help the Commission "overcome their racist past and transition to an anti-racist future." Still yet, things do not seem to improve.

Since Daniel Singh was appointed the Executive Director of Metro Arts a couple years ago and controversy and dysfunction have remained the norm. Now there are 13 filled seats on the 15-seat commission but at one time the Commission was down to seven. I won't be surprised to see some resignations soon. An audit of the Commission revealed problems. I have not read the audit, and don't know how bad it is, but I understand it revealed problems with financial management at the agency. 

Now it really gets weird. Ex. Dir. Daniel Singh is on sick leave. He has been on sick leave since Feb. 23rd. No, he doesn't have cancer or a heart condition or some injury, nor is he out with the flu.  He is sick from racism. He says, “The racist behavior of the Metro Government has affected my health." Below is his press release:

I am entitled to and am on sick leave. CDC says Racism has a direct impact on the health of BIPOC Communities. The racist behavior of the Metro Government has affected my health.  Your privilege is what lets you ask me about my sick leave use.  At the 3-4-24 MHRC meeting, Rev Tucker talked about how metro arts staff have been weaponized. I am protecting my health from this toxic behavior.

• I attended the Council and MHRC meetings under great duress because I want to show up for the antiracist artists who are fighting for their rights to be funded equitably.

• Notified staff and all appropriate entities about my sick leave.

• Fully committed to an antiracist vision for metro arts. The real question here is will the Mayor and Council fund Metro Arts at the requested 1% of Nashville’s budget as they promised during their campaign?

• My management of staff is repeatedly being undermined by several racist Metro Agencies. Understandably that has a toll on my health.

 For source material and more see link, link, and link. 

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Metro Arts Commission, sicker by the day. Will Cheek to Resign amid Death Threats.

From The Pamphleteer, March 15, 2024- This morning, Arts Commission member Will Cheek announced that he would be resigning his post. In an email to Mayor O'Connell and the other arts commissioners, Cheek cites "death threats" and "intimidation" stemming from his opposition to Daniel Singh's initiative to "increase equity" in the funding process. Back in January, we reported on Singh's initiative to remake Metro Arts into a vessel for antiracism.

The resignation comes as a resolution put forward by CM Joy Styles and sponsored by CMs Jacob Kupin, Erin Evans, Ginny Welsch, Terry Vo, Jordan Huffman, Rollin Horton, and Russ Bradford sought to remove Cheek from the art's commission. The resolution cites Cheek's unwillingness to play ball in expanding equity in the department as the grounds for his removal, referring to the Metro Arts Cultural Equity Statement to make the case.

I could make some jokes here, but all I'm going to do is point you to a public statement made during the Metro Arts Oversight Committee meeting earlier this week in which much blame was placed on Cheek for failures that, by other accounts, arise from director Daniel Singh's poor leadership. Drink every time you hear "white supremacy."

As Metro Finance carries out its financial audit of Metro Arts, it will be interesting to see if this uneasy coalition that has emerged to deflect blame from Singh will persist. I'm feeling bearish about the whole thing and am taking up a short position on this mutiny.

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Metro Arts director Daniel Singh agrees to Resign. Gets Paid $200,000.

by CHAR DASTON, WPLN News,  MAY 24, 2024 - Metro Arts director Daniel Singh has agreed to resign after less than two years on the job. Singh presided over a chaotic grant funding cycle where artists and arts nonprofits waited months to receive the money they were promised.

Singh’s resignation was approved by the Metro Arts Commission at a specially-called meeting on Friday. In return, he’ll receive a $200,000 settlement payment from the city government.

That settlement will prevent Singh from suing Nashville, Metro Legal Director Wally Dietz said during the meeting. link

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The Tennessean: Metro Arts board votes to approve director's resignation settlement; new lawsuit filed link

Rod's Comment: This is good news, but it is a shame that we had to pay someone $200,00 to resign when he deserves to be fired. I am betting that this will not end the drama. For more on the drama, death threats, lawsuits, ethics complaints, resignations, controversies, disfunction, and chaos occurring at the Metro Arts Commission, follow this link. 

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The Phony Moral Exhibitionism on Display at the Metro Arts Commission

by Rod Williams, April 22, 2026- Wokeism really galls me. Sometimes, I think that is the point. It is intended to trigger normal people. It is an in-your-face, ostentatious display of virtue signaling and holier-than-thou phony piety. As an example of what I am talking about, for years, I would get fundraising emails from Dakota Galban, Chair of the Davidson County Democratic Party. He would always follow his name with a "he/him" tag.  He stopped that about a year ago or more. Maybe some consultant told him it alienated some people and the Democratic Party should attempt to appear more normal, or maybe attaching a preferred pronoun to your name simply fell out of fashion. I don't know.

An example much more offensive than attaching a preferred pronoun tag to your name is the Land Acknowledgement ceremonies that some woke organizations engage in before conducting business. To see what I am talking about, watch the first minute and a half of the video of the last meeting of the Metro Arts Commission. They start every meeting with this recitation that says they are occupying stolen land.  As far as I know, the Metro Arts Commission is the only metro commission that engages in this little ritual.

If you look at the history of the world and want to think of it that way, aren't all, or almost all, people everywhere, living on "stolen land?" The country known as England has been inhabited for 800,000 years. Prior to the arrival of the Germanic tribes from the continent, it was inhabited by hunter-gatherers. The Germanic tribes settled there, followed by the Romans; after they departed, the Anglo-Saxon migrations began. That is kind of the way things work. 

So, if the Metro Arts Commission is going to acknowledge that they are occupying stolen land, who was it stolen from? Surely answering "the native inhabitants" does not answer the question. That is kind of vague. Which native inhabitants? I turn to my friendly Google AI looking for an answer:

Indigenous people have inhabited the Nashville area for at least 14,000 years, beginning with Paleo-Indians, followed by Archaic and Woodland peoples. The area was most notably dominated by the Mississippian culture (c. 1000–1450 AD), who built large mound cities. Later, the Shawnee, Cherokee, and Chickasaw hunted and settled in the region before European settlement.  

The Middle Cumberland area was heavily populated, with roughly 130 towns and villages existing within a day's walk of Nashville. These people were agricultural mound builders (e.g., Mound Bottom) who built significant, now-buried cities beneath modern downtown Nashville. Mississippian sites were largely abandoned by the late 15th century due to unknown reasons.

Durning the 1700s–1800s the region became a heavily used hunting ground, often contested by the Shawnee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, and Choctaw. The Shawnee were believed to have been pushed out of the area shortly before white settlement in 1779. The Cherokee remained in the region, with notable figures like Chief Black Fox maintaining camps nearby, until they were forcibly removed on the Trail of Tears in 1838. 

Throughout the centuries, this area was often a crossroads, and many tribes used the rich Cumberland River valley for hunting and trade rather than permanent habitation during the late 17th and 18th centuries. 

So, this area was not really occupied when "we" "stole" it. It was a vast contested unoccupied hunting ground. So, who did we steal it from?  The Shawnee, Cherokee, Chickasaw, or Choctaw? And who did they steal it from?

I question who the "we" is that stole it. I didn't steal it. I don't carry around with me the sins of my ancestors. I don't have any settler's guilt or White guilt or occupier's guilt. I am only responsible for the things I do. Even if I did carry around the burden of my ancestors' sins, they did not live in Nashville, so I still would not be guilty. 

I like the story of Stuart Reges, a professor at the University of Washington who taught an introductory computer science course at that school. The school had a land acknowledgement statement and Regis wrote a statement mocking the concept. The University tried to discipline him, but he fought back and won on First Amendment grounds. (link). This is what he wrote that got him in trouble:

"I acknowledge that by the labor theory of property, the Coast Salish people can claim historical ownership of almost none of the land currently occupied by the University of Washington." 

The Metro Arts Commission has been a dysfunctional mess for years. I wish there was at least one sensible person on the Commission who would speak up and ask to be recorded as not participating in the Land Acknowledgement ritual. That wouldn't solve what is wrong with the Arts Commission, but it would be something. 

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Mayor Barry Calls for funding of light rail transit, new employee benefits, and other massive spending in State of Metro Address

Metro Press Release, April 26, 2017- Mayor Megan Barry called on Nashvillians to “embrace the future” during her 2017 State of Metro Address held at the Bridgestone Arena Plaza, where she discussed Nashville’s transit future while detailing her recommended $2.2 billion fiscal year 2017-18 budget. Metro is expected to have the lowest combined property tax rate in its history at less than $3.16 per $100 of assessed value following the 2017 property reappraisal.

“We cannot wait another year to start the process of building our first light rail,” said Mayor Barry. “I’m very happy to announce that today the work begins to create light rail service on the Gallatin Pike corridor. I’m excited to have the city start the process of making light rail available to our citizens. I’d drive across the river and put a shovel in the ground this afternoon if I could – and I might just do it anyway!”

Following the passage of Governor Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, Mayor Barry announced her intention to work with the Metro Council and community partners to develop and present a transit plan to Nashville voters that will include dedicated sources of revenue to build high-capacity transit along the Gallatin, Nolensville, Murfreesboro, and Charlotte Pikes, along with a Northwest Corridor from North Nashville to Clarksville.

Mayor Barry noted that the Gallatin Pike corridor is an obvious choice to start that process as it currently carries the most transit riders in the region, development along the corridor has demonstrated a market for transit-oriented development, and planning processes have shown that the neighborhoods along Gallatin support comprehensive mass transit.

“Nashville cannot wait any longer to embrace our future,” Mayor Barry said in announcing her intention to move forward with community partners to develop a transit referendum for the voters of Nashville. “We will be a 21st-century, transit-oriented city, and we are not going to look back 10 years from now and say we failed when we had to succeed.”

While looking towards the future of transit, Mayor Barry detailed her proposal to utilize the $119 million in new revenue that is a result of new buildings coming online and continued growth in business and tourism throughout the city. Highlights of the FY17-18 operating budget include:

• $40.6M to promote fiscal responsibility through debt service payments, including $11.4M in reserves for future requirements.
• $879M for Metro Nashville Public Schools, a 4.3%, $36M increase over FY16 to fund higher pay for teachers, literacy and ELL programs, and social emotional learning to help students manage emotions and maintain positive relationships.
• $4M more for the Metro Nashville Police Department to fund 22 new officers for foot patrols that will enhance community policing efforts, as well as 48 new officers, 6 for each precinct, to better match the growth in population and improve response times.
• $1.9M to the Nashville Fire Department to fully fund new EMS Medic units started in FY17, along with 14 new fire recruits and fire inspectors.
• $18.1M in new funds to compensate Metro employees through a three-year pay plan, which will fund increments and 2% open range increases, along with a 2% cost of living adjustment for FY18, with 3% open range and COLA proposed for FY19 and FY20.
• A $7M increase in the Metro Transit Authority subsidy, which is the largest single-year increase ever, to fund the elimination of transfer fees and extend the Music City Circuit to Tennessee State University along the Jefferson Street corridor.
• $500,000 for the Metro Arts Commission to fund temporary public art projects and the THRIVE program to meet the neighborhood demand for public art and creative place-making projects, as well as increase funding for arts grants.
• $500,000 to launch a Conservation Assistance Grant Program to leverage effective partnerships in conserving public and private lands and resources of conservation value in Davidson County.

Along with increases in pay, Mayor Barry announced that she will recommend a new Paid Family Leave policy to the Civil Service Commission that will allow Metro employees to take six weeks of paid leave to care for a new child, or a seriously ill spouse, child or close relative.

“It’s the right thing to do for the health and well-being of our employees, and it’s the right thing to do for their families,” said Mayor Barry about the proposed Paid Family Leave policy. “It’s also the smart thing to do, because we want to attract and retain the best employees.”

Mayor Barry will also be releasing a capital spending plan in May to coincide with the release of the Mayor’s recommended Capital Improvements Budget. Some highlights released during the State of Metro include:

• More than $35M for MTA to purchase 31 new hybrid buses to replace our aging diesel fleet, upgrade the fare collection system, and fund the implementation of the nMotion strategic plan for transit.
• $65M for sidewalks and paving, $3M for sidewalks connected to schools, $2M for bikeways, and a doubling of funds over the previous year for the Mayor’s Intersection Improvement Program.
• $15M for body and dash cameras, along with $8M for new laptops and printer equipment for the Metro Nashville Police Department.
• Funds to build a community center and 2 ice rinks in Bellevue, a pocket park on Jefferson Street, expand the Hadley Park tennis center and start design on a new Hadley Park branch library.
• $25M in general obligation bonds to fund new affordable housing programs.

“Growth has brought many exciting opportunities to our city, but it’s also made it difficult for many residents to stay here. The demand for housing has raised prices throughout the city, and we’ve responded by attacking the problem on multiple fronts,” Mayor Barry said in announcing two new innovative initiatives to fund, build, preserve, and retain affordable housing options.

The first would be to leverage the $25M in bonds to fund new affordable housing programs to purchase and rehab low-income housing that is at-risk of becoming unaffordable to tenants, as well as a program to allow Metro to build new affordable housing on city-owned property. The second is the creation of a new program to allow Metro to offer expedited property tax abatements to incentivize developers to build affordable units and rehab existing units. All of this is in addition to the Mayor’s continued commitment of $10M in operating funds for the Barnes Fund for Affordable Housing, and $2M for the Housing Incentive Pilot Program.

Metro Finance Director Talia Lomax-O’dneal will deliver a more in-depth presentation of the budget proposal to the Metro Council at 1:00PM today in the David Scobey Council Chamber in the Historic Metro Courthouse. Following delivery of the Mayor’s budget proposal, the Council and the Budget & Finance Committee will conduct public hearings as well as hearings with each individual department. The Council is required to pass a balanced budget by June 30, or the Mayor’s recommended budget proposal goes into effect by default.

The State of Metro Address featured the best-selling and most awarded female gospel artist of all time, Nashville native CeCe Winans, whose latest album, “Let Them Fall In Love,” debuted at the top of the charts. Winans performed “Never Have to Be Alone” and “Peace from God” for the crowd of more than 1000 attending the State of Metro.

The Tennessee State University Aristocrat of Bands opened up the event, and Nashville’s 2016 Youth Poet Laureate and Nashville School of the Arts junior Gray Bulla read a poem written for the occasion.

Charles Strobel, founding director of Room in the Inn, gave the invocation for the State of Metro, which concluded with Blessings for Our City from four Nashville faith leaders - Pastor of Church Life Frank Stevenson of Olive Branch Church, Rabbi Laurie Rice of Congregation Micah, Imam Ossama Bahloul of the Islamic Center of Nashville, and Bishop Dr. José Rodriguez of Casa de Dios Apostolic Church - in English, Hebrew, Arabic, and Spanish respectively.

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To read the Tennessean report on the State of Metro address see,  Mayor Barry commits to light rail on Gallatin Pike, kicks off public vote for funding transit,

To read the full text of the address follow this link: State of Metro address.

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Audit finds array of problems at Metro Arts: improperly used temporary employees; did not correctly document their scope of work; paid them exorbitant salaries.

by Nate Rau, Axios, June 16, 2024 - An audit of the embattled Metro Arts Commission, released Wednesday, found a cavalcade of financial, human resources and contracting problems. According to the audit, Metro Arts lacks "comprehensive policies and procedures for critical areas such as grant management and financial transactions." (link)

Go deeper: Read the full audit

Read the Nashville Banner's timeline of issues at Metro Arts

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What's on the Council Agenda Tuesday Feb. 19.

You can get your own copy of the Metro council meeting agenda at  Metro Council Agenda and you can get your copy of the staff analysis at Metro Council Agenda Analysis. Council meetings can be really, really boring if you don't know what the Council is voting on. With an agenda and analysis, they are just really boring.

There are no bills on public hearing.

There are nine resolutions all of which are on the consent agenda and there is one memorializing resolution which will likely become part of the consent agenda. A resolution is on the consent agenda if it passed the committees to which it was assigned unanimously. Since the committees have not met yet, some resolutions which are listed as on the consent agenda may not be on the consent agenda when the council meets. Bills on the consent agenda are usually not controversial and tend to be routine matters, such as accepting grants from the Federal or State Government or authorizing the Department of Law to settle claims against the city or appropriating money from the 4% fund. However, some atrocious memorializing resolutions that were on the consent agenda have been approved from time to time. Resolutions on the consent agenda are passed by a single vote of the Council rather than being considered individually. Any member of the body may have a bill pulled off of the consent agenda. None on this agenda appear controversial.

RESOLUTION NO. RS2013-584 sets the date for the Mayor's State of Metro address. This resolution sets it for May 20, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. at the Music City Center. I think I will attend. This will be a chance to see the new facility. 

Bills on First reading almost always pass. There are nine bills on first reading. They are considered as a group and are seldom discussed. First reading is a formality that allows the bill to be considered. Bills are not assigned to committee or analyzed by council staff until after they have passed first reading.

Bills on Second Reading: It is on Second reading, after bills have been to committee, that discussion usually takes place. There are thirteen bills on second reading and the ones below are worth watching.

ORDINANCE NO. BL2013-358 approves an agreement between Metro, through Nashville Arts Commission, and the Americans for the Arts in relation to the Americans for the Arts 2014 Annual Convention and Pre-Conference which will take place in Nashville, Tennessee. The arts commission is supposed to raise the money for Metro's share of the expense for this project. If they do not, Metro could be subsidizing this convention to the tune of a quarter million dollars. If the representatives of the Arts commission are confident they can raise the money, then the Council should approve this agreement. However, the Council needs some strong assurance that this will not cost the taxpayers.

ORDINANCE NO. BL2013-359 modifies an agreement with the Renaissance Hotel. Since Metro has built the new Music City Center it is necessary to modify the terms of an arrangement the city has with the Renaissance. I would have to assume this is a fair deal to both Metro and Renaissance, however I hope someone on budget and finance has looked at this agreement carefully. 

Bills on Third Reading: There are eight bills on third reading. Third Reading is the final reading. If a bill passes third reading it becomes law unless it is vetoed by the Mayor, which has only rarely happened.

All of the bills on third reading are zoning bill and should interest no one except close neighbors. All of them, except one, have been approved by the planning commission. The disapproved bill is BILL NO. BL2013-353 which would rezone a piece of property on Tanksley Ave to benefit Tire Recappers. This bill has been controversial. 

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Fact Sheet - Sulphur Dell Ballpark Proposal

11/11/2013

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Details of a proposal and financing plan in a significant public-private partnership that allows Metro to build and own a new minor-league ballpark at Sulphur Dell is being presented to members of the Metro Council and Nashville Sports Authority today. The Triple-A Nashville Sounds would lease the ballpark from Metro under a 30-year lease.

Overview

• The project is a nearly $150 million public-private investment in the Jefferson Street/Germantown area.
• The proposal includes agreements with the State of Tennessee, the Nashville Sounds and Embrey Development Corp., a leading multi-family developer.
• A majority of the investment is private, including more than $50 million by the Nashville Sounds for a multi-family/retail development and $37 million by Embrey for a multi-family development. Metro’s participation in the total investment would be $65 million.
• The deal allows the public investment in the ballpark campus to largely pay for itself using five sources of revenue and eliminating some existing budget allocations.
• The deal is a multi-party transaction with approvals yet to be sought from the Metro Council, the Nashville Sports Authority and the State Building Commission.
• Metro is seeking to finalize all property and financing agreements before the end of the year in order for the ballpark to open in time for the 2015 season. First reading with the Metro Council is scheduled for Nov. 19.
• The proposal paves the way for baseball to return to its historic home at Sulphur Dell, the original home of professional baseball in Nashville. Sulphur Dell was home to several minor league teams and the Negro League’s Elite Giants.
• The ballpark will link downtown with the Jefferson Street/Germantown area and offer sweeping views of downtown. A new greenway will offer easy pedestrian access and enhance the ballpark’s park-like feel.

Financing

• What it will cost: Total: $65 million, including $37 million to construct ballpark; $23 million payment to State for land; $5 million for capitalized interest during construction.
  • Sports Authority will issue revenue bonds (30-year term)
• How Metro will pay annual debt payment of $4.3 million:
  • Sources of revenue to make payment
    Sounds lease: $700,000
    Sales tax redirect: $650,000
    Property tax revenue from Sounds development: $750,000
    Property tax revenue from Embrey development: $675,000
    Existing MDHA Tax-Increment Financing (TIF): $520,000
    Total: $3.295 million
  • Budget costs eliminated Sounds obligation: ($250,000)
    Lease at Nashville School of the Arts: ($410,000)
    Total: ($660,000)
  • Annual net operating impact to Metro budget: $345,000

Basic transaction

• Metro gets the following property:
  • Land for ballpark development, plus adjacent greenway land, from State of Tennessee, Embrey and Nashville Sounds.
  • 28 acres at the former Tennessee Preparatory School, which Metro has been leasing from the State.
• State receives money from Metro to construct a parking garage onsite to replace parking lots being developed into ballpark, which will include 1,000 spaces for Sounds patrons, and to construct another parking garage for future State parking.

Metro and State Agreement

• State property transferring to Metro:
• Land for ballpark, greenway and development parcel.
• Tennessee Preparatory School property (on Foster Avenue).
• Total: Appraised value of $21million plus
• What Metro pays the State:
  • $18 million to construct 1,000-space garage for State employees and Sounds patrons.
  • $5 million to construct future underground garage at proposed new Tennessee State Library and Archives.
  • Total: $23 million

Metro and Embrey Development Corp.

• Land swap between Metro and Embrey includes Metro’s right to acquire property from Embrey for the ballpark for $3.45 million, while Embrey has a right to acquire development parcel from Metro for $3.45 million (less reimbursement of duplicative costs).

Lease terms for Nashville Sounds

• 30-year lease, beginning with the opening of the ballpark in 2015 and ending in 2045 unless extended by the parties.
• Sounds will pay rent to Metro in the amount of $700,000 per year.
• Sounds will operate and manage the ballpark.
• Sounds will maintain the parking garage and keep revenue generated during baseball games.
• Sounds will be responsible for ballpark maintenance, while Metro will be responsible for major capital expenditures.

Metro Council Legislation

• Financing ordinance: Approve Nashville Sports Authority issuing $65 million in revenue bonds.
• Real estate ordinance: Agreement with State of Tennessee and with Embrey Development Corp.
• Extending terms of Phillips Jackson Redevelopment District (MDHA) to 2045 and increase the debt capacity by $50 million.

Sports Authority Action

• Adopt resolution at Nov. 11 meeting (today) requesting approval to issue bonds to finance ballpark project.
• Following Metro Council action, Sports Authority must approve issuance of bonds and other financing matters.

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PowerPoint Presentation on Sulphur Dell Redevelopment
Thanks to Metro Councilman Fabian Bedne for making this document available. Above highlighting is mine. Rod

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