EVENTS
Brush pick-up begins July 3 in Area 8 (Green Hills, Hillsboro West End, Belmont Hillsboro, Percy Warner, Devonshire), July 10 in Area 9 (Bellevue, West Meade, Hillwood, White Bridge, Cherokee Park, Richland West End, Sylvan Park, Sylvan Heights, Hadley, Fisk Watkins Park), July 21 in Area 10 (Whites Bend, Charlotte Park, Cockrill Bend, Nations, TSU, College Heights, Germantown, Buena Vista), and July 27 in Area11 (Joelton, Whites Creek, Marrowbone, Scottsboro, Bells Bend, Bordeaux, Haynes Heights, Haynes Manor). Download the map and schedule at the brush pick-up webpage..
Broadway will be closed from 8th Avenue to 14th Avenue starting July 5 through September 7 for bridge reconstruction. Cars will be rerouted to Church Street and Demonbreun. There is more information at the TDOT web page..
Neighbor 2 Neighbor’s next Leadership Forum will focus on how the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhoods can best be organized under the next mayoral administration to support local neighborhoods and neighborhood organizations. In addition, The Housing Fund will give a 20 minute presentation on their work with affordable housing across Metropolitan Nashville and Davidson County. The forum is Saturday, July 15, 2023 from 9:30 am - 11:30 am at the Hermitage Police Precinct on 3701 James Kay Lane. Leaders of neighborhood associations, crimewatch programs, homeowners associations, resident and condo associations, neighborhood coalitions and other neighborhood groups are encouraged to attend. The forum is free, but advanced registration is appreciated. Sign up at N2N’s webpage. For more information, call N2N at 615-782-8212.
WeGo Public Transit modifies existing routes, schedules, and bus stops in order to improve overall service twice a year. They make the changes based on ridership trends, service reliability, and route productivity. Changes are generally implemented in the fall (late September/early October) and the spring (late March/early April). Changes are proposed for this fall to routes 29 Jefferson Street and 84 Murfreesboro Pike. Routes 7 Hillsboro, 8 Eighth Avenue, 75 Midtown ,77 Wedgewood will be operating more frequently. Service on routes 3,4,7,22,23,50, 52,55, and 56 will be extended to 1:15 AM These changes are all part of the Better Bus Plan to make riding the bus more convenient and dependable. A summary of proposed changes is on WeGo’s webpage . Riders can mail comments to WeGo Public Transit Community Engagement, Attn: Public Meeting Comments, 430 Myatt Drive, Nashville, TN 37115; call Public Comments at 615-862-5686; or email comments to WeGoTransit@nashville.gov through July 17, 2023.
Jefferson Street Jazz and Blues Festival will be Saturday July 22 at Tennessee State University’s Ed Temple track (3651 Walter Davis Blvd). Festivities include music, arts and food featuring local and national jazz and blues artists and food and retail vendors from the North Nashville community. The Jefferson Street Jazz & Blues Festival builds cultural awareness, attracts diversity and commemorates the historic Jefferson Street Corridor through the sounds of jazz, blues, funk, gospel, soul and R&B. Not just a music festival, this event pays homage to the historic treasures and challenges that make the Jefferson Street community a unique and vital part of Nashville. Doors open at 4 pm and performances begin at 5. Ticket proceeds go towards the Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership (J.U.M.P.), an organization committed to developing and promoting cooperative economic development, revitalization, education and public safety programs in North Nashville. Learn more at the Jefferson St. Jazz & Blues fest website. .
Local Elections are fully underway. The last day to register to vote in the upcoming election is July 6 at govotetn.gov . Early voting runs from July 14 through August 29 at all early voting locations. Absentee ballots can be requested until July 26, but delivery can take a couple of weeks so don’t wait till the last minute. Anyone who will be out of town on election day or who is over the age of 65 can request an absentee ballot. Election Day is August 3. Voters can verify precinct locations at https://www.nashville.gov/departments/elections/find-polling-place . Mayor, Vice-Mayor, and all 40 council seats are up for election. The Tennesseean and Nashville Banner have good summaries of most candidates, and a number of forums can be watched on Youtube for voters who haven’t attended any yet. I am up for re-election, and I invite you to visit my campaign website at www.burkley.org . There will also be a State Primary election for the District 51 seat (Madison area) vacated by the passing of Representative Bill Beck, and a general election for District 52, to which Justin Jones was temporarily reappointed by the Metro Council. More information is available at the election commission website..
Once again the Big Machine Music City Grand Prix race will take place downtownon August 4-6. Many downtown streets will be closed for the event. Tickets for the special August 6 WeGo Star excursion train are on sale. Attendees can ride to and from downtown for $15 plus a $2 processing fee. The train departs Lebanon at 9 a.m. with stops at Hamilton Springs, Martha, Mt. Juliet, Hermitage, and Donelson. The return trip departs Riverfront Station one hour after the race ends.
Governor Lee has called for a special session of the state legislature to consider gun violence reduction legislation. This is tentatively set for August 21, but the governor has not yet issued the special proclamation that makes it official. A website has been set up to receive public input in advance of the session. It is important for legislators to hear that most people support better protections. Nashvillians can express their support for the session and lay out concerns on the input form..
ISSUES
The Metro Budget, which passed in June is now implemented for FY2024, which began July 1. The budget is $3.36 billion, which includes a fully funded school budget that will add Classroom Associates at each school to reduce the need for substitutes, and it provides $30 million for affordable housing. The budget also includes a 6% cost of living adjustment (COLA) for all Metro employees, which should help with recruitment of hard to fill positions. This budget funds new positions in the Fire Department so they can come much closer to the four firefighters per station that is the industry standard. This increases safety for the firefighters and lowers response time. The budget also includes funding to Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) to implement our Vision Zero Action Plan to improve dangerous intersections and reduce traffic fatalities. There is also funding for more sidewalks and traffic calming in neighborhoods, construction of infrastructure for all modes of transportation – improving traffic signalization for cars and buses, improving bus stops, building more bike lanes, and ensuring all infrastructure is in good repair. We are funding WeGo’s Better Bus plan to run buses more frequently and later into the night. The full operating budget can be reviewed on the Budget website . There is no increase in the property tax rate of $3.254/ $100 of assessed value.
With summer comes an onslaught of mosquitoes, which are more than just a nuisance. Mosquitoes pose a serious health risk to our local communities. With many vector-borne diseases present in North America, it is important to limit mosquito populations with a fully integrated approach. The most effective way to reduce mosquito populations is to consistently remove any standing water anywhere in your yard. This can include birdbaths, empty buckets, toys. Mosquitoes can reproduce in a surprisingly small amount of water, but denying them that tiny bit can stop the cycle. Another strategy is to bait them with a “Mosquito Bucket of Doom” It’s a quick, easy, cheap, and super-SAFE way to reduce the mosquito population in our yards. This is made from a bucket + water + handful of weeds + BTi dunk, which can be bought at any hardware store. The active ingredient is BTi, a bacteria found in the soil which targets only mosquitoes in their larval stage. Larvicides are far more effective than adulticides (the sprays). BTi will not harm any other creatures including birds, pets, most insects (except black flies and fungus gnats), and pollinators. Here’s the link to the DIY Mosquito Bucket of Doom..
Metro is always looking for interested, qualified citizens to fill the Boards and Commissions that guide how Nashville grows and operates. Any voter registered in Davidson County is eligible to apply for a position through the Board portal at the Board and Commission web page. There are openings coming up on the Board of Health, Historic Commission, Metro Development and Housing Authority, Procurement Board, Short Term Rental Appeals Board, and Stormwater Review Board.
Metro Waste Services (MWS) is working hard to ensure that everyone’s garbage is picked up efficiently and that we are sending as little as possible to the landfill. Nashville currently sends most of our waste to Rutherford County’s Middle Point Landfill, which is close to running out of capacity. As part of our Zero Waste Master Plan, Nashville is expanding compost and recycling options to reduce what needs to go to the landfill. MWS offers great information on composting and How to Recycle Right. There are on-demand webinars and virtual workshops on the Waste Services website..
That’s the news for July. I hope everyone had a great holiday. Please let me know what issues are on your mind. Contact me at 615-383-6604 or burkley.allen@nashville.gov. Sign up for my newsletter at burkley.org.
Regards,
Burkley Allen
Metro Council At-Large