Metropolitan Council - Regular Meeting

By acknowledging that this meeting is being held on the unceded stolen land of the Cherokee, Shawnee, and Yuchi people, and to remind you all that no one is illegal on stolen land that was built by stolen labor. And with that, we have our first presentation of the evening, a proclamation from Councilmember Emily Benedict that should leave everyone feeling warm and furry, a proclamation recognizing Doug the Pug on the occasion of his 12th Council member, you are recognized.

Thank you, pro tem. So here's a proclamation recognizing Doug the Pug, as you said. So whereas Nashville is home to many remarkable individuals whose creativity, generosity, and spirit leave a lasting impression upon communities both near and far, and whereas among those cherished local figures is Doug the Pug, Born May 20th, 2014, a canine companion whose joyful presence and unmistakable personality have delighted millions across the globe and...

Whereas, through a social media presence spanning millions of followers, Doug has become widely recognized for his playful costumes, uplifting content, and appearances alongside celebrated entertainers, public figures, and cultural icons, all while proudly representing Nashville on an international stage and...

Whereas beyond his fame as a beloved internet personality, Doug has helped demonstrate the meaningful bond between humans and animals, using his platform to encourage kindness, laughter, compassion, and connection during times when such comforts are often needed most. And...

Whereas through the work of the Doug the Pug Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization established in 2020, Doug and his family have supported people facing serious illnesses by helping facilitate therapy dog visits and moments of comfort, hope, and companionship and...

Whereas it is fitting that we recognize Doug the Pug not only for his cultural impact and accomplishments, but also for the happiness and encouragement he has brought to countless people around the world, proving that even the smallest pause can leave an enduring mark.

And now therefore, I, Emily Benedict, District Seven Council Member of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County, along with the undersigned members of council, do hereby recognize Doug the Pug on the occasion of his birthday and extend sincere appreciation to Doug and his family for the joy, compassion, and canine charm they continue to share with the people of Nashville and the world.

And council member, after the photo, we will give Doug the opportunity to give a few remarks. Sniff the mic, Doug.

Got a little snort. Ready?

In all seriousness, my name is Leslie Mosier. I have had the honor of a lifetime of doing Doug the Pug as a full-time job for the last 11 years and I fully believe that we would not have 18 million followers and have had the immensely amazing experience if it weren't for this incredible city supporting us every step of the way. We are incredibly grateful Doug spread so much joy and this is an incredible way to kick off his birthday celebration. Thank you so much.

Thank you so much and happy birthday to Mr. Puck.

We also appreciate that Doug showed up in a tuxedo for this occasion.

custom designed in London, England.

Thank you so very much.

Thank you so much. And we also have, in addition to Doug and co, Doug and friends, we do have additional special guests with us today. I want to take a moment to recognize and welcome the members of Starbucks Workers United who are here with us to visit. And we have a welcome message. All right, you all are recognized.

Hi. Sorry, I'm going to fix this speaker real fast. Hi, my name is Lindy. I'm a lifelong Nashvillian, also been a fan of Doug the Pug for a considerable amount of years, and a Starbucks worker of more than six years. Over those six years, I worked my way up from barista before eventually leaving store management. I'm back to being a shift supervisor now. I've seen this company from nearly every angle and what became impossible to ignore is just how much Starbucks relies on the labor of green apron workers while giving us less and less in return. The baristas are the face of this billion-dollar company. We are the ones making the drinks, calming angry customers, running floors understaffed, and keeping stores afloat every single day. And yet workers are still struggling to get enough hours, struggling to pay rent, and struggling to access basic stability. Starbucks may be leaving Seattle for Nashville, but wherever they go, workers will be organizing and fighting for something better. Recently, Starbucks announced plans to build a corporate headquarters here in Nashville. Around that same time, CEO Brian Nichols stopped by a nearby store, 10 minutes away from mine, for a polished little photo op. But noticeably absent from that visit were the union stores and organizing workers across the city. I think that says everything. Because Starbucks doesn't want to actually meet their workers behind the smiling advertisements and carefully curated branding. They want Nashville's culture. They want our labor. They want our growth, our tourism, and our tax breaks. They don't just want workers to have power. And while executives pose for cameras, baristas are being pushed harder than ever before. Workers are dealing with impossible drive-through times, severe understaffing, increasingly complicated drink builds, and now disciplinary threats over not writing one word on a cup. As if forced positivity written in Sharpie is somehow gonna fix burnout, poverty wages, or exhaustion. And despite that, workers are still organizing anyway. Across the country, we've grown our union by thousands and won nearly 700 elections because baristas are demanding what Starbucks still refuses to give us, a fair contract, real protections on the job, and dignity at work. The Long Hollow Pike store in Goodlettsville recently won their union election. Last week. Workers in Johnson's City organized too. And those victories matter because they prove something corporations hate hearing. Starbucks only works because we do. Nashville was not built by CEOs. It was not built by billionaires flying in for press tours and ribbon cuttings. This city was built by workers, by the people pouring the coffee, driving the trucks, cooking the food, cleaning the buildings, stocking the shelves, and surviving in a city that becomes more expensive every day while corporations make record profits off of our labor. So if Starbucks wants to make Nashville its home, then workers are going to make sure the city hears our voice too. And no matter how many corporations move here chasing profit, workers in this city are going to continue organizing, continue fighting, and continue demanding dignity because the city belongs to the people who keep it running. Today, we're asking Metro Council and the people of Nashville to stand with Starbucks workers and call on Starbucks for a fair union contract. No contract, no coffee.

Thank you all so much. Thank you all so much for being here today. Colleagues, if anyone has any announcements, please go ahead and get in the queue. First, I see Council Member Stiles. Council Member Stiles, you are recognized.

Thank you very much. First, I wanted to thank everyone that participated this past weekend in our first all Antioch cleanup. It was really great. We had a really good time and we're going to do it again, Saturday, October 3rd. So there'll be information about that because even if you don't live in Antioch, maybe you want to help us come on out and clean it up. And then I also wanted to make a reference because I think I'm, I'm probably going to be leaving shortly, and I won't be here to talk about it. I did have a resolution regarding the Energy Board and lack of confidence in how they have handled Storm Fern. It's been deferred a meeting. It's unfortunate. I don't think the report is going to tell us anything we don't already know. We weren't prepared. People failed, and our constituents failed. would like to hear about accountability. They don't wanna read a white paper. We will, but they won't. And we have made them wait long enough and delaying legislation where we can hold people accountable, I think is negligent on our part. So I wanna be sure that I got that out before I leave. Thank you.

Next, we have Council Member Hill. Council Member, you're recognized. My apologies, Council Member Coopin is next, and then we will have Council Member Hill.

I think you're gonna have to give me some of those tickets to make up for that, I don't know. Thank you, thank you, Madam Pro Tem. A couple of quick things. The NBID board meeting, first board meeting for our Midtown Business Improvement District is Wednesday, June the 3rd at the Ayrton, 4 to 5.30 p.m. Really excited about that. We've sat most of the board members and are working on budgets and all that great stuff. Also, obviously, very exciting news today, hearing about a Super Bowl coming to Nashville in 2030. I've talked about this a lot today on posting and things like that. We'll continue to talk about it. It's really important to me that this event is not just another event that fuels downtown, but is something that the entire city can benefit from, small businesses, local residents, workers, et cetera. So, you know, it's in early stages, but if people have any suggestions or ideas, please reach out to me. I want to make sure that this is something that all corners of Nashville really benefit from and really get to be a part of. And then just for tomorrow, there is an event that the NCBC is putting on a community celebration tomorrow. It's at six 30 streets open. There's music at seven 30 and a live broadcast at eight o'clock. So thank you to the CBC and everyone who worked hard on this effort. And again, let's, this is a real opportunity. I think to show, to show our city that we can do things differently and really make it impactful to all. Thanks.

Thank you, Council Member Kupin. Next we have Council Member Hill, you're recognized.

Thank you, Man Pro Tim. With this weekend being Memorial Day weekend, I'm going to continue what I think is my 20 year. And I go to the Veterans Cemetery at McCoy Lane. There's an old military tradition that you place a coin on the headstone to show that someone came by. I'll be there this weekend or Monday at 9 a.m. at the Middle Tennessee Veterans. If anybody wants to come with me, you're welcome to be here. I'll have a handful of rolls of coins to place on. on headstones and remember, this is a weekend that we honor those who gave all.

Thank you, Council Member. Next we have Council Member Prepte. Council Member Prepte, you're recognized.

I BELIEVE COUNCILMEMBER SWARA WAS AHEAD OF ME. I'M SORRY.

EVERYBODY WILL GET A CHANCE. SO YOU'RE ALREADY ON. YOU GO AHEAD AND I GOT YOU NEXT COUNCILMEMBER.

THANK YOU, MADAM VICE MAYOR OR MADAM PROTEM. FIRST AND FOREMOST, THIS I want to speak on a rather solemn moment for our nation. Over the past 24 hours, we've seen more details come out about the shootings that took place in San Diego. And I just want to say to every single person who's affected by this tragedy, in particular to our Muslim American community members, that my heart breaks for you all. to be targeted for who you are is unconscionable at a bare minimum. And so I just wanted to say to every member of the community who's been affected by this tragedy that we see you, we stand with you, and that we will continue doing everything that we can in this city to make sure regardless of where you come from, how you pray, who you love, that you are welcomed, that you are loved, and that you are protected. Thank you. I also want to say on a happier note that tomorrow, May 20th, is my nephew Atticus's 12th birthday. So wanted to say on behalf of the Metropolitan County Council of Nashville and Davidson County, happy birthday, Atticus. Thank you.

Happy birthday, Atticus. We may have a little song before it's all over with. Council Member Sora, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam Pro Tem, and thank you, Council Member Preptit, for your comment. That was one of the things I was going to speak to. I actually even plan to play a little message that I got earlier in the week, last week, a very nice message left for me by someone. And I spent all of today even talking to folks online that were justifying that the people that died actually deserved it. One of the guys that I spoke to talked to me about how He hated me so much. And the question is, why? You don't even know me. And so for that, I do appreciate what Council Member Preptich said. And I will continue to say that for all of us, it is very important that it should not matter who the perpetrator is. It should not matter who the victims are. Every time we see any of these things, we should always, always confirm them. Nobody deserves to be gunned down or killed like that. And it should not matter who the victims are. And so I will continue to do that. And I hope that we all do that as well. And my prayers goes to the people in San Diego, that community over there. And I'm going to continue to pray for them. The shooter too, their family are dealing with things. So I'm going to continue to pray that the good Lord comfort and hold all of them and give them peace and tranquility. like no one else can. But on a happier note, I want to announce two things. One, this Saturday, Councilmember Tasha Ellis is hosting a program about legacy and aging well. What that means is how people can prepare for retirement, but also have a financial legacy and build generational wealth for their family. This program will be done in partnership with the mayor's office, the National Center for Empowerment, the United Way, and the host of other people, and I will be participating on the panel with her. If you're in Southeast, please do come out and join. If you have people that are elderly, please encourage them to come. There will be people on staff that will give them free advice. There'll be a lot of resources that will be shared again. I'm just going to support. It's Council Member Tasha Ely's program. The other thing that I wanted to share also is that I started my budget conversation this last Sunday with the mayor's budget. And then this next Sunday, it will be every Sunday now from 3 to 4 p.m. And thanks to the vice mayor, and I'm going to let her announce that later, but she did do something very great that allowed us to be able to meet online. as council member to be able to be part of a conversation, something we've not been able to do. And so based on our effort, we can do that to some extent now, but I'll let her announce that, but I'm letting all of you know that you can join online if you so choose. And this Sunday, we'll be talking to the chair of the MPS budget, Dr. Bethina Nebel-McKinney. So I hope you all will join us for that. Thank you. And thank you, Madam Protemp.

Thank you so very much, Council Member Sora. Next, we have Council Member Vo. You are recognized.

Thank you so much, Pro Tem. We have a lot going on in District 17, as always. This Thursday, May 21st, the SNAP community will be having a meeting and they'll be discussing various updates in the community. from NDOT updates and some projects. So if you would like to join that, that's from 6 to 7.30 p.m., and that's virtual. And then next week, next Wednesday, from 6.30 to 7.30, I'm having a community meeting at 3rd and Mildred, just discussing noise and business and changes happening there. So that will be happening at 3rd and Mildred. Everyone is welcome. And then on May... The Chestnut Hill Neighborhood Association is having their annual barbecue at Dudley Park from 12 to 3. It is free and everyone is welcome. And on... Oh, also tomorrow. I forgot this. Tomorrow, Browns Creek, they'll be doing a walk and talk at Fair Park with Cumberland River Compact from 530 to 7. So if you want to learn more about Browns Creek, please join that. And I want to make sure that y'all know that my town hall Save the Date is Saturday, June 13th at United Record Pressing. That will be from 3 to 4 p.m. And then a great project that's happening in the community in partnership together, the National City Cemetery and the William and Edmondson Homesite, they are going to be doing a rock painting together as part of the Enslaved Memorial Project on June 6th from 10 to 11.30 a.m. if anyone would like to participate. And I want to make sure that anyone in the community is aware that June 8th is Japan, their national team will have their open training day. And so the community can come and get free tickets. And that will be happening at Giotis Park. at 6 o'clock. So I also want to just take this moment to congratulate National Soccer Club. They've had two huge milestones just this past few days. On May 13th, they had their 100th win milestone. So yes, huge win. Congratulations. And also want to congratulate Hani Mukhtar, who hit his over 100th goal on May 17th. So congratulations, Hani, and all the great things happening in District 17. Thanks.

Thank you, Council Member. We only have a few more minutes, colleagues, so if we could just keep that in mind with the number of announcements we have to make. Council Member Ewing, you're recognized.

Even understanding what you just said, I'll be very quick. On June 6th, I wanted to give as much advance notice as possible that there will be a community drop off on the 7th of June, 8 to 12 at Bellevue Middle School, $5 per vehicle. We're accepting items for shredding, furniture, electronics, et cetera. So look that up on June 6th. on the Bellevue community websites, the various websites. Also, I just wanted to wish Council Member Hill, who is out of the room, a happy, happy, happy birthday. So happy birthday to Council Member Hill.

Thank you so very much, Council Member. Council Member Gamble, you're recognized.

Thank you, Madam Pro-TM. I would like to announce that there will be a District 3 quarterly meeting this Thursday, May 21st. 6 p.m. at the Madison Precinct on 400 Myatt Drive. We'll have a public safety update from Deputy Chief Greg Blair and also discuss proposed projects on West Old Hickory Boulevard and Mulberry Downs. So I want to invite everyone in District 3 and anyone who wants to come and hear about things going on in District 3 to attend our District 3 quarterly meeting on this Thursday, May 21st, 6 p.m., Madison Police Precinct. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Gamble. Council Member Harrell, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Pro Tem. So District 8, we have two developer meetings coming up dealing with potential developments that are coming to our district. May 21st at 6 p.m. virtual, we'll be discussing 5995 Mountain View Road. And on May 28th at 6 p.m. virtual, we'll be discussing 441 Maxwell Road, 6 p.m. Thank you.

Thank you, Council Member Harrell. Council Member Sepulveda, you are recognized.

Thank you, Madam Pro Tem. Real quickly, Nashville LC is number one in MLS, which Council Member Vo forgot to say. This Saturday, well, yes, this Saturday, May 23rd, the Union's Veterans Council of Middle Tennessee with the AFL-CIO will be placing flags at headstones at the Nashville National Cemetery, and you could RSVP. It will be from 8 to 12 p.m. It is also a labor lunch this Thursday at 11.30 at Homegrown Taproom.

Thank you, Council Member Sepulveda. Last call for any final pressing announcements? All right, seeing none, the announcement period is closed.