[17:08] Today, JUNE 9th.

[17:15] 2026. This is a s

[17:17] well, all members of the

[17:18] council as well as the public,

[17:20] please rise for the invocation

[17:22] and remain standing for the

[17:24] pledge of allegiance. I will

[17:26] remain seated for now to

[17:32] delivers tonight. Tonight's

[17:33] us.

[17:35] Entitled of history and

[17:39] hope. We have memorized america,

[17:41] how it was born and who we have

[17:44] been and where. In ceremonies

[17:47] and silence we say words.

[17:48] Telling the stories. Singing

[17:51] the old songs. We like the

[17:54] places they take us. Mostly we

[17:57] do the great and all the

[17:59] anonymous dead are there. We

[18:01] know the sound of all the

[18:03] sounds we brought. The rich

[18:06] taste of it is on our tongues.

[18:08] But where are we going to be

[18:12] and why? And who? The

[18:13] disenfranchized dead want to

[18:16] know. We mean to be the people

[18:19] we meant to be. To keep on

[18:21] going where we meant to go. But

[18:23] how do we fashion the future?

[18:26] Who can say how except in the

[18:28] minds of those who will call it

[18:33] now? The children, the children.

[18:35] And how does our garden grow?

[18:38] With waving hands? Oh, rarely

[18:40] in a row. And flowering faces

[18:43] and brambles. That we can no

[18:46] longer allow. Who were many

[18:49] people coming together. Cannot

[18:51] become one. People falling

[18:54] apart. Who dreamed for every

[18:57] child. And even chance. Cannot

[18:59] let luck alone. Turn doorknobs

[19:03] or not. Whose law was never so

[19:05] much of the hand as the head.

[19:07] Cannot let chaos make its way

[19:11] to the heart. Who have seen

[19:12] learning struggle from teacher

[19:15] to child. Can not let ignorance

[19:19] spread itself like a rot. We

[19:21] know what we have done and what

[19:23] we have said and how we have

[19:26] grown degree by slow degree,

[19:28] believing ourselves toward all.

[19:31] We have tried to become just

[19:34] and compassionate, equal, able,

[19:37] and free. All this in the hands

[19:40] of children, eyes already set

[19:43] on a land we never can visit.

[19:46] It isn't there yet. But looking

[19:48] through their eyes, we can see

[19:51] what our long gift to them MAY

[19:54] come to be. If we can truly

[20:01] remember, they will not forget.

[20:03] I pledge allegiance to the flag

[20:06] of the united states of america

[20:08] and to the republic for which

[20:12] it stands. One nation under GOD,

[20:14] indivisible, with liberty and

[20:19] justice for all.

[20:23] All right.

[20:24] Welcome, council and community

[20:26] embers on a very stormy

[20:28] evening. Happy pride month to

[20:31] everyone again with a capital

[20:32] improvements budget required to

[20:34] pass the council no later than

[20:35] JUNE 15th and our next regular

[20:37] council meeting scheduled for

[20:39] tuesday, JUNE 16th and focused

[20:40] on consideration of the

[20:42] operational budget. We'll move

[20:44] right into our agenda. Without

[20:46] objection, we will suspend the

[20:48] calling of the roll and ask the

[20:50] clerk to please record the

[20:51] names of the members present

[20:53] throughout the meeting. Is

[20:54] there a motion for approval of

[20:56] the minutes of the meeting of

[20:59] JUNE 2nd, 2026? All right.

[21:00] There is a motion properly

[21:03] seconded. So without objection.

[21:05] And seeing no one seeking to be

[21:07] recognized a change to the

[21:09] minutes. All right. The minutes

[21:12] of the meeting of JUNE 2nd are

[21:13] approved. MR. Clerk, are there

[21:15] any messages from the mayor?

[21:17] There are no messages from the

[21:17] mayor.

[21:21] Thank you, MR. Clerk.

[21:24] All right. First, on our

[21:25] section agenda rather, is

[21:28] section e, the public comment

[21:29] period. Members of the public

[21:30] are tennessee residents wishing

[21:33] to speak in public comment MAY

[21:35] sign up at a table outside the

[21:37] council chamber from 5 to 6

[21:39] P.M. On the day of a council

[21:40] meeting. Public comment is

[21:42] limited to 20 minutes total at

[21:43] council meetings, and each

[21:45] speaker is allowed up to two

[21:48] minutes to speak. We have four

[21:51] persons who have signed up for

[21:55] public comment this evening.

[21:58] Turn on the public podium, mike.

[22:03] First is zach, juliet and zach

[22:05] will be followed by lauren

[22:08] curry. Zach is speaking on

[22:12] agenda item f one late filed

[22:14] ordinance in support. Go ahead

[22:16] sir, you're recognized.

[22:17] Thank

[22:19] you. Most of the backlash in

[22:21] response to the zoo data center

[22:26] has, for obvious reasons, been ecology. But what if

[22:28] we pretend for a second that

[22:29] the developers aren't lying to

[22:31] our faces, and that they really

[22:33] can make it safe? I expect that

[22:35] most of us would remain

[22:38] staunchly opposed. I think the

[22:39] morefundamental problem we

[22:42] have with ai is that we're all

[22:43] too familiar with the type of

[22:45] people who are pushing it on us.

[22:47] These are the same type of

[22:49] people who gambled away our

[22:52] economy in 2008, the same type

[22:54] drowning us in medical debt,

[22:55] the same type of people who

[22:58] started an opioid crisis on

[23:00] purpose. In short, the type of

[23:02] people who will happily ruin

[23:04] millions of ordinary lives to

[23:07] make money. If we had any%

[23:10] reason to believe that those

[23:11] power cared about what happens

[23:14] to us, then maybe we'd be able

[23:16] to embrace ai as a tool with

[23:18] the potential for some good.

[23:21] But as it stands, we have no

[23:23] choice but to see it as a

[23:25] weapon. And right now, a

[23:27] handful of billionaires are

[23:28] holding that weapon to the

[23:30] heads of everybody in this

[23:32] country who works to make a

[23:34] living. What are we supposed to

[23:36] do once they've destroyed the

[23:38] market for our labor? The only

[23:42] thing we have left to sell.

[23:45] They don't care about us. Fine.

[23:47] But if they can get away with

[23:50] not even needing us, then they

[23:52] will watch as we starve in the

[23:55] streets. This council should

[23:57] realize the anger isn't just

[23:59] about the fact that our zoo is

[24:01] obviously the wrong place for a

[24:03] data center. It's about a war

[24:05] being waged by the obscenely

[24:09] rich on all the rest of us. And

[24:11] frankly, until you stop it,

[24:15] you're on their side. Thank you.

[24:19] Thank you. Next is lauren curry.

[24:20] Lauren will be followed by

[24:23] heather schwartz. Lauren curry

[24:25] is also speaking on agenda item

[24:28] f one, a late filed ordinance

[24:31] in support. Go ahead.

[24:31] Members

[24:33] of council, thank you for your

[24:34] service to nashville and for

[24:35] the opportunity to speak

[24:36] tonight. My name is lauren

[24:38] curry. I serve on the board of

[24:39] the national zoo. I'm an

[24:41] attorney at sherrod row and a

[24:43] former metro nashville police

[24:45] officer. Tonight, I'm asking

[24:47] for one thing. Please support

[24:49] the johnston bradford temporary

[24:51] data center moratorium. This is

[24:53] not a vote to permanently ban

[24:55] data centers. It's not a final

[24:56] vote on this ordinance. It's

[24:58] simply a vote to allow the

[24:59] legislative process to begin on

[25:01] an issue that deserves careful

[25:03] review. As a lawyer, I believe

[25:05] in process. As a former police

[25:07] officer, I understand the

[25:08] importance of acting before a

[25:10] problem becomes irreversible.

[25:12] This council will have the

[25:13] opportunity to fully consider.

[25:15] Should have the opportunity to

[25:16] fully consider this issue

[25:18] before any project becomes

[25:20] vested. The need for a

[25:22] temporary moratorium is

[25:23] straightforward. Metro zoning

[25:25] code does not currently define

[25:27] data centers as a distinct land

[25:28] use, yet today's data centers

[25:30] are. Unlike traditional

[25:31] commercial facilities. They

[25:34] involve significant power

[25:35] demand, backup generators,

[25:37] cooling systems, lighting,

[25:38] noise, and round the clock

[25:40] operations. Those impacts

[25:42] deserve your careful

[25:42] consideration, particularly

[25:44] when a proposed data center

[25:46] seeks to locate immediately

[25:48] adjacent to one of nashville's

[25:50] most important educational and

[25:52] conservation resources at the

[25:53] national zoo, as well as a

[25:55] metro school. I also want to

[25:57] thank member roland

[25:58] horton and others on this

[25:59] council for your leadership in

[26:01] bringing forward permanent

[26:02] zoning legislation for data

[26:03] centers. The zoo strongly

[26:05] supports that effort. This

[26:07] moratorium is simply a bridge

[26:08] that would allow this council

[26:10] to complete that work and

[26:12] consider that it's narrow, it's

[26:13] temporary, and it expires when

[26:15] that permanent legislation

[26:17] takes place. If members have

[26:18] concerns, there will be

[26:19] opportunities to consider and

[26:21] amend that legislation. More

[26:23] than 350,000 people have signed

[26:25] a petition for this issue to be

[26:27] taken up. The public is paying

[26:28] attention. We're asking this

[26:29] council to please carefully

[26:32] consider this issue. Thank you.

[26:36] Thank you. Next is heather

[26:37] schwartz, also speaking on

[26:40] agenda item f one, the late

[26:42] file ordinance in support.

[26:43] Heather will be followed by man

[26:46] in hall. Go ahead. You're

[26:46] recognized.

[26:47] Hi everyone. Thank

[26:49] you for having me. I'm doctor

[26:50] heather schwartz. I'm the head

[26:51] veterinarian for the nashville

[26:53] zoo. And I'm here tonight to

[26:56] ask you to support to support

[26:58] suspension of the rules. So the

[26:59] johnston and bradford temporary

[27:01] data center moratorium can be

[27:03] placed on first reading. As the

[27:05] health director and the animal

[27:06] and the veterinarian for the

[27:08] zoo, it's really simple.

[27:10] Nothing good comes from placing

[27:11] a disruptive data center next

[27:13] to animals living in carefully

[27:15] managed habitats. The center

[27:16] will be placed right against

[27:18] our breeding and propagation

[27:20] centers for very fragile

[27:22] species like clouded leopards

[27:24] and future okapi, and large

[27:26] birds like our hyacinth macaws.

[27:28] Our animals depend on

[27:29] consistency, stability and an

[27:31] environment designed around

[27:32] their health and welfare.

[27:34] Constant mechanical noise, the

[27:36] vibration, bright lights,

[27:37] generators, all of that.

[27:38] Running 24 over seven is

[27:40] definitely going to be

[27:42] disruptive to their well-being.

[27:43] And that is our number one

[27:45] focus of the zoo is the welfare

[27:46] and well-being of our animals.

[27:47] I actually was just doing

[27:48] welfare assessments on our

[27:50] animals today to ensure that

[27:51] all are living happy and

[27:53] healthy lives. And I'm also the

[27:55] clouded leopard ssp veterinary

[27:56] advisor, meaning that's one of

[27:57] my main focuses, is that

[27:59] species we hold more than

[28:00] anybody else in the united

[28:02] states and their breeding

[28:04] center, literally, you can look

[28:05] from their door and see the

[28:07] center. That is howclose it

[28:10] will be. So metro has invested

[28:11] millions of dollars into this

[28:12] institution, including recent

[28:14] infrastructure investments that

[28:15] allow the zoo to grow and serve

[28:18] more families. So the zoo is

[28:19] nashville's preeminent family

[28:20] friendly destination. I'm proud

[28:23] to be a part of 16

[28:24] years. It's about education and

[28:26] conservation for the entire

[28:27] community to learn about all

[28:29] that we do and about animals

[28:30] around the globe. So tonight we

[28:33] are asking, not asking council

[28:34] to make a final decision on

[28:36] every detail of this moratorium,

[28:38] but please allow this bill to

[28:39] get on to first reading tonight.

[28:41] Let the process move forward,

[28:43] give council and the public the

[28:44] chance to protect the animals,

[28:49] the zoo and the public

[28:49] investment nashville has

[28:49] already made. Thank you.

[28:49] Thank

[28:52] you. Next and last is

[28:53] mendenhall speaking on data

[28:55] centers generally in opposition.

[28:56] Go ahead sir.

[28:57] Hi. I'm going to

[28:58] go through some facts about

[29:00] them. Big tech corporations,

[29:01] investors and the government

[29:03] are working in partnership to

[29:05] manufacture an ai boom,

[29:06] resulting in the rapid

[29:07] expansion of data centers, the

[29:09] facilities that are needed to

[29:11] power artificial intelligence.

[29:13] As of MARCH 2025, the U.S. Had

[29:15] over 5400 data centers, while

[29:17] the rest of the world combined

[29:20] had 1469. The propaganda of ai

[29:22] is a massive cover up of the

[29:24] violence that ai is actually

[29:26] weaponized for racial

[29:28] racialized violence, genocide,

[29:30] surveilling and purging workers,

[29:31] automation of health care

[29:33] denials, and keeping people

[29:36] criminalized and locked up data

[29:37] centers. Massive energy

[29:39] consumption consumption can

[29:40] disrupt electricity flow to

[29:41] homes and crews, increasing the

[29:43] risk of electrical fires,

[29:45] blackouts and brownouts. Power

[29:46] outages threaten the safety of

[29:48] residents who cannot have

[29:49] access to air conditionin

[29:50] during heat waves, utilize

[29:52] medical devices or risk carbon

[29:53] monoxide poisoning due to the

[29:55] improper use of generators.

[29:57] Every day, people regularly pay

[29:59] data center energy costs for

[30:00] the wealthiest companies in the

[30:01] world, from georgia to ohio,

[30:03] the industry has fought against

[30:05] concrete obligations to ensure

[30:06] its costs aren't passed along

[30:08] to ratepayers. Meanwhile,

[30:09] energy costs have gone up for

[30:11] regular consumers, directly

[30:12] attributed to data centers and

[30:13] associated energy

[30:15] infrastructure. An analysis of

[30:16] the electricity prices across

[30:18] the country found that monthly

[30:19] electricity costs have gone up

[30:22] as much as 267% over the last

[30:23] five years, in locations near

[30:24] substantial data center

[30:26] activity in georgia, which in

[30:27] 2025 surpassed northern

[30:28] virginia to become the fastest

[30:30] growing data center market to

[30:31] an amazon hyperscale data

[30:32] center. A typical resident

[30:35] customer is paying $43 a month

[30:37] more per month, or 560 more per

[30:39] year on their electricity bill

[30:40] than they were two years ago.

[30:42] An investigation found that

[30:44] business and business insider

[30:45] found that more than 230 data

[30:46] center locations were in

[30:47] communities highly overburdened

[30:50] by environmental pollutants and

[30:51] regions already burdened by

[30:53] public health challenges

[30:54] stemming from environmental

[30:58] racism and gentrification.

[30:58] All

[31:00] right. Thank you. That

[31:02] concludes our public comment

[31:06] period. Next is agenda item f

[31:10] one. This is ordinance bl2026.

[31:12] Unnumbered sponsors johnston

[31:14] and bradford. This is an

[31:16] ordinance declaring a temporary

[31:18] moratorium upon the acceptance,

[31:19] processing, approval and

[31:22] issuance of zoning, building or

[31:25] grading permits for data center

[31:27] developments on property within

[31:30] nashville and davidson county.

[31:32] Sponsor johnston, you are

[31:34] recognized.

[31:35] Committee reports

[31:37] are moved to suspend the rules.

[31:39] First move to suspend the rules

[31:40] first. Then I'll go to the

[31:41] report of chair.

[31:42] Okay. I'd like

[31:43] to move to suspend the rules,

[31:44] please.

[31:45] Chair. Cash for the

[31:47] report of the rules.

[31:47] Confirmations committee, please,

[31:48] sir.

[31:50] We we considered the late

[31:52] filed nature of the ordinance

[31:54] and voted five in favor. Zero

[31:56] against zero not voting.

[31:56] All

[31:57] right. Members, having heard

[32:00] the report of chair cash, is

[32:01] there any objection to the

[32:03] suspension of the rules to get

[32:07] this matter before us? Seeing

[32:09] none, the rules are suspended.

[32:11] And so it's back to you sponsor

[32:13] johnson for a motion to get the

[32:14] bill before us.

[32:14] Thank you. I'd

[32:16] like to move approval with a

[32:16] brief explanation.

[32:17] Please go

[32:18] ahead, ma'am.

[32:19] Thank you. So I

[32:21] appreciate my colleagues not

[32:23] objecting to the suspension of

[32:26] the rules. This moratorium is

[32:27] complementary to the bill that

[32:29] is currently in place,

[32:31] sponsored by councilmember

[32:33] horton. It I think that

[32:34] everybody can agree that time

[32:38] is of the essence for both of things. The moratorium is

[32:40] very straightforward. It is

[32:41] temporary. It's very narrow in

[32:44] scope. What is not necessarily

[32:46] is the policy which is so

[32:49] important that we get it right.

[32:50] Text amendments are already

[32:52] very complicated to do and take

[32:54] a lot of time and effort on our

[32:55] planning staff. I know that

[32:56] we're planning to suspend the

[32:57] rules at the planning

[33:00] commission to change the two

[33:02] meeting deferral, normally by

[33:04] rule to a one meeting deferral,

[33:06] which is further compressing

[33:08] this already sort of short

[33:10] timeline. I really want to make

[33:12] sure that we get this policy

[33:13] right, not just get it done. We

[33:16] MAY not need this moratorium.

[33:18] We MAY not. And that's fine. I

[33:19] would rather have it and not

[33:21] need it than the other way

[33:23] around. But in case we do come

[33:25] across some issues where

[33:26] planning staff needs more time,

[33:28] the commission votes a certain

[33:30] way, or maybe we find ourselves

[33:32] in disagreement about certain

[33:34] aspects of of the policy

[33:35] because we all want to get it

[33:36] right. And we understand that

[33:38] timing is of the essence and we

[33:39] don't want to be rushed. The

[33:41] moratorium would be in place to

[33:42] pause any development until we

[33:44] can get it right. Again, it is

[33:45] short. It is 90 days or until

[33:47] the bill passes, whichever

[33:49] comes first. And I appreciate

[33:51] your support.

[33:52] All right. We are

[33:56] on to discussion on this bill.

[33:58] First in the queue is

[33:59] councilmember benedict. You're

[33:59] recognized.

[34:00] Thank you, MADAM

[34:02] Vice mayor, I rise in support

[34:05] of this ordinance. I do

[34:07] appreciate all that we've heard

[34:08] from the public. We've seen a

[34:12] lot in our inboxes online, of

[34:16] course, and I, as the public is

[34:18] disgusted by this as I am as

[34:20] well, and we have to do

[34:21] something about this. And I'm

[34:23] committed. I've actually

[34:26] co-sponsored the bill 1391

[34:28] because this is important for

[34:32] us to get right. I, I, I was

[34:34] curious why this was late filed,

[34:36] but that's a non-issue at this

[34:37] point. I think at this point, I

[34:39] just want to move forward with

[34:40] it. I think we had an

[34:42] opportunity to get this in

[34:44] before. Nevertheless, we do

[34:50] have. We must do something. And

[34:51] that's what we're hearing from

[34:52] the public, is that something

[34:53] must be done. So I believe

[34:54] we'll continue to work with

[34:56] metro departments to see what

[34:59] we can do relative to any

[35:01] permits that have been or could

[35:03] be issued. I want the public to

[35:04] understand that, and I also

[35:05] want the public toknow that,

[35:06] you know, from my colleagues

[35:08] I've spoken with here on the

[35:09] floor, and it looks like a lot

[35:11] of them are in the queue and

[35:13] will speak that we are with the

[35:15] public on this. We want to make

[35:17] sure that any data centers that

[35:20] come into the city are highly

[35:21] regulated. With that, I stand

[35:23] in support. Thank you.

[35:23] Thank

[35:26] you. Next in the queue is

[35:28] council member tombs. MADAM

[35:30] Chair, you're recognized.

[35:30] Thank

[35:32] you, MADAM Vice mayor. I just

[35:34] have a few questions. I think

[35:35] director wilson MAY be able to

[35:39] help me with. Can you? Because

[35:41] I know most of the interest

[35:42] from the public is surrounding

[35:44] the proposed data center next

[35:46] to the zoo. And I know there's

[35:48] a lot activity around that.

[35:51] That parcel of property.

[35:52] Director wilson, can you speak

[35:55] to the the vesting of rights in

[35:56] the property and where we are

[35:59] in that that process.

[36:00] Special

[36:01] counsel wilson, you're

[36:02] recognized.

[36:03] Council member I

[36:04] will I can speak generally

[36:06] about the process and how

[36:09] vesting works in this case. Or

[36:12] in any case, typically, if a

[36:14] building permit has been

[36:17] applied for that, the applicant

[36:19] vests in the process. In this

[36:22] in this case, essentially, they

[36:23] will have the ability to

[36:26] continue to have a decision

[36:27] made about whether that permit

[36:31] is granted or denied by metro.

[36:34] If and then if that permit. If

[36:36] that permit is granted, then

[36:38] they are vested in that

[36:40] regardless of a moratorium.

[36:44] Okay. And in regard to the

[36:48] moratorium, if this goes on, if

[36:49] the moratorium legislation goes

[36:53] on, first reading tonight, we

[36:54] don't have a moratorium in

[36:57] place. Correct.

[36:58] Special counsel?

[37:00] Yes, councilmember. That's

[37:02] correct. There would be no

[37:04] moratorium in place until the

[37:06] bill was passed on third

[37:07] reading. Okay.

[37:08] And then my

[37:09] final question, because I do

[37:10] want to point out that there

[37:12] are currently data centers in

[37:13] nashville. We have over a dozen

[37:18] of them. So if this moratorium

[37:19] were to pass, once it gets

[37:21] through the legislative process

[37:23] or even the other legislation

[37:24] that we have that's pending,

[37:26] that puts parameters around

[37:30] data centers, is there would

[37:32] there be any impact to existing

[37:34] data centers.

[37:36] Special counsel?

[37:38] No council member, any existing

[37:39] data centers would not be

[37:43] affected by by pending

[37:44] legislation. If they've already

[37:45] been if they've already

[37:47] constructed data centers.

[37:47] Okay.

[37:48] Thank you, director wilson, and

[37:50] thank you, vice mayor. I am in

[37:52] support of passage of the

[37:54] moratorium legislation, but I

[37:55] thought that it was important

[37:56] to get some of that information

[37:57] out, because there's some

[37:58] misinformation floating out

[37:59] there in terms of the presence

[38:01] of data centers in nashville

[38:03] and how this particular

[38:05] legislation impacts data

[38:07] centers coming into nashville

[38:08] or existing in nashville. So I

[38:10] just want to get some

[38:11] clarifying information out

[38:13] there, but I am in support.

[38:15] Thank you.

[38:15] Appreciate that.

[38:17] Thank you. Next in the queue is

[38:19] council member porterfield.

[38:20] MADAM Pro tem, you're

[38:21] recognized.

[38:22] Thank you, vice

[38:26] mayor. And I appreciate

[38:27] everyone's passion around this.

[38:29] I agree with council member

[38:32] benedict and that we must do

[38:33] something, and I'm thankful to

[38:35] say that we are doing something.

[38:36] We are in the process of doing

[38:40] something. I believe that we

[38:43] all or mostly agree that the

[38:45] data centers, as we are

[38:46] discussing, is something that's

[38:48] going to be harmful to the

[38:51] community. Now to councilmember

[38:52] tombs point, there are

[38:54] different types of data centers,

[38:55] different sizes of data centers.

[38:57] Anything with a server can be

[38:58] considered a data center. So

[39:00] just for the record, not all

[39:01] data centers are harmful. But

[39:03] in most cases, when weare

[39:04] having these conversations

[39:05] about data centers, we're

[39:07] talking about these mega data

[39:08] centers that are causing these

[39:10] environmental concerns. And I

[39:11] believe that the majority of

[39:13] this body believes that those

[39:15] types of data centers are

[39:16] harmful. What we don't agree on

[39:18] is the approach and how we can

[39:21] best address this issue. Now

[39:23] there are two. If this passes,

[39:24] there will be two pieces of

[39:26] legislation tracking at the

[39:28] same time, a temporary

[39:29] moratorium that will be in

[39:31] place until the permanent

[39:33] legislation is passed, as it is

[39:34] tracking now, both of those

[39:36] pieces of legislation would

[39:37] pass on the same evening.

[39:39] There's no reason to think that

[39:41] one of those pieces of

[39:43] legislation will be delayed. It

[39:45] is similar to if you are about

[39:48] to have dinner and you have a

[39:49] snack an hour before dinner,

[39:50] that makes sense because you

[39:52] still have an hour to wait

[39:53] before dinner. But if the snack

[39:55] and the dinner are ready at the

[39:56] same time, there's absolutely

[39:58] no reason to have a snack at

[39:59] the same time as dinner. I also

[40:02] have concerns about the

[40:03] definition of a data center

[40:05] being too broad in this

[40:07] legislation. I feel that that

[40:09] can have negative impacts on

[40:10] existing data, or that can have

[40:12] negative impacts because it is

[40:14] not a good definition or more

[40:16] refined definition of a data

[40:17] center. And then most

[40:19] importantly, I'm concerned with

[40:21] the legal challenges. So

[40:22] moratoriums have been subjected

[40:24] to legal challenges. There have

[40:25] been two recently, one in hill

[40:28] county, texas, where they

[40:30] recently rescinded their

[40:33] moratorium after a $100 million

[40:34] lawsuit was filed by the

[40:36] developer. There was another

[40:37] one that was recently

[40:39] challenged in cave city,

[40:40] kentucky. So my concern is that

[40:43] if we pass this temporary

[40:44] moratorium, we are leaving%

[40:46] ourselves open and subjected to

[40:47] legal challenges when we can

[40:49] just pass the legislation that

[40:50] we already have. On first

[40:52] reading. I think there's been a

[40:53] misconception. I'm glad

[40:54] councilmember tombs got this on

[40:56] the record. Constituents have

[40:58] been led to believe that this

[40:59] moratorium will go into effect

[41:01] immediately, and it doesn't. It

[41:02] still takes three readings,%

[41:03] just like councilmember

[41:04] horton's legislation, which we

[41:06] have already passed on first

[41:08] reading, which has more than 25

[41:09] sponsors. There's no reason to

[41:10] think that that legislation is

[41:12] not going to pass. It can still

[41:14] be amended if there are changes

[41:16] that need to be made on it. So

[41:17] I don't support the moratorium

[41:18] for the reasons listed. I'm

[41:19] afraid that it's going to

[41:21] subject us to legal challenges.

[41:23] Again, we all have the same

[41:25] concern here. We just have a

[41:27] difference in our approach.

[41:27] All

[41:29] right. Thank you. Next is

[41:31] council member horton. MR.

[41:33] Chair, you're recognized.

[41:33] Thank

[41:35] you, vice mayor. I rise in

[41:36] support of many of the

[41:37] sentiments expressed by

[41:38] councilmember porterfield

[41:40] earlier, and would like to

[41:42] expand on or emphasize one

[41:43] additional part. And the the

[41:44] more permanent legislation that

[41:46] we have proposed. We define

[41:48] data center as well as

[41:49] distinguish between different

[41:50] types of data centers with

[41:51] prohibiting the large

[41:53] hyperscale ones imposing strict

[41:54] rules and environmental

[41:55] protections on others, while

[41:56] also recognizing smaller and

[41:58] more accessory uses like you

[42:00] might see in a library,

[42:03] computer lab, or a it closet at

[42:04] a neighborhood business. I

[42:05] think, unfortunately, this

[42:07] moratorium makes no such

[42:08] distinguishment and lumps in

[42:09] the massive hyperscale data

[42:10] centers with the high school

[42:12] computer lab and bans all of

[42:14] them. I think if this

[42:15] legislation, progressives

[42:16] progresses, I think that's

[42:17] something that we can workshop

[42:18] and make sure that we're not

[42:20] throwing the baby out with the

[42:22] bathwater on this. And so if it

[42:23] progresses, hope that the

[42:24] sponsor would be willing to

[42:25] refine the definition of this,

[42:27] to make sure that it's as

[42:28] narrow and targeted as possible

[42:30] or as needed.

[42:31] All right. Thank

[42:33] you. Next in the queue is

[42:34] councilmember. You're

[42:35] recognized sir.

[42:36] Thank you,

[42:37] chair, and thank you to my

[42:38] colleagues sponsoring and all

[42:40] the folks that are, you know,

[42:41] speaking about this, we've

[42:43] heard resoundingly from

[42:44] nashvillians that this is a

[42:45] major concern and problem that

[42:47] we need to address. And I

[42:49] appreciate my colleagues dinner

[42:50] analogy. I'm getting hungry now.

[42:52] Thanks. Thanks for that. But I

[42:54] do kind of expanding on that

[42:55] analogy. I think it's it's a

[42:57] fair thing to look at. But as

[42:58] we know, if you sometimes you

[43:00] have to have a snack before

[43:01] dinner because you don't know

[43:02] if dinner is going to take a

[43:04] little longer than you think to

[43:06] cook. So I think that having it

[43:08] be having the two bills tracked

[43:09] together is not necessarily a

[43:11] bad thing. It MAY mean that on

[43:12] third reading, there's some

[43:13] adjustments that need to be

[43:14] made, or a bill that does pass

[43:16] or doesn't pass. But I think

[43:18] having I'm always a fan of

[43:19] having options versus not. And

[43:20] with something that we just

[43:21] cannot afford to get wrong, I'd

[43:23] rather have those tools in the

[43:24] toolbox and move forward than

[43:26] than not. And I think that

[43:27] especially when you look at

[43:29] areas like the zoo and you look

[43:30] at these large scale data

[43:31] centers where we don't know all

[43:32] the environmental impacts, we

[43:34] don't know what this does, you

[43:36] know, one year, five years, ten

[43:37] years down the line having

[43:38] something to say. Let's take a

[43:40] beat, let's think about it.

[43:41] Let's make sure we're getting

[43:42] this right. I think there's no

[43:44] no downside to that to me, and

[43:45] I appreciate that there's

[43:46] potential legal concerns or

[43:47] things like that. But again,

[43:49] these are first reading, of

[43:50] course. And so we'll have time

[43:51] in committees to deliberate

[43:53] further. So I stand in support

[43:53] of this moratorium of

[43:55] COUNCILMAN Horton's bill. I

[43:56] appreciate that the council has

[43:57] very quickly and robustly

[43:58] jumped into this complex issue

[43:59] and look forward to further

[44:01] discussion on the matter.

[44:01] All

[44:03] right. Thank you. Next in the

[44:05] queue is council member cortez.

[44:06] You're recognized, sir.

[44:06] Thank

[44:08] you, vice mayor. Why does it

[44:09] feel that nearly every

[44:11] community in america is being

[44:12] asked to accept a data center

[44:15] it never requested and often

[44:17] doesn't want? Nothing in modern

[44:18] american history has expanded

[44:19] this quickly with so little

[44:22] public enthusiasm and so little

[44:24] public input. When communities

[44:25] ask questions about the impact

[44:27] on their neighborhoods, their

[44:29] electric grid, their water

[44:30] supply, their quality of life,

[44:32] we see data center developers

[44:34] scoff and tell them that the

[44:36] decision has already been made,

[44:37] and their pitch is always the

[44:39] same jobs, investment, economic

[44:41] growth. But the reality is

[44:43] often much different. Thousands

[44:45] of square feet of industrial

[44:47] development, massive energy

[44:48] consumption, constant generator

[44:50] noise, heat pollution,

[44:52] increased strain on public

[44:53] infrastructure, and legitimate

[44:54] concerns about water use and

[44:56] environmental impacts, all in

[44:57] exchange for a handful of

[44:58] permanent jobs and profits that

[45:02] the community won't see. And

[45:04] somehow, when communities ask

[45:05] for better health care, better

[45:07] schools, lower childcare costs

[45:09] and stronger infrastructure,

[45:11] we're told that progress takes

[45:12] time. But when some of the

[45:13] wealthiest individuals on earth

[45:15] need more computing power or

[45:16] need something moved forward,

[45:18] the public and private sectors

[45:19] suddenly find a way to move

[45:19] -

[45:21] forward at lightning speed. Why

[45:23] can we mobilize extraordinary

[45:24] resources to serve companies

[45:26] with massive lobbying power,

[45:27] but struggle to do the same for

[45:30] working families? I'm not

[45:32] opposed to technology. I'm not

[45:33] opposed to innovation. I'm

[45:34] certainly not opposed to

[45:37] economic development. But the

[45:38] economic development should

[45:39] improve the lives of the people

[45:40] who already live in the

[45:41] community, not ask them to bear

[45:43] the cost while somebody else

[45:45] collects the profits. This

[45:46] industry is changing daily, and

[45:48] we have reports from across the

[45:49] country that data centers

[45:50] create measurable harm to

[45:51] property values nearby to

[45:53] nearby homeowners. Why should

[45:54] that cost be borne by our

[45:56] neighbors, especially when the

[45:59] profits flow elsewhere? Working

[46:00] families should not be forced

[46:02] to subsidize billion dollar

[46:03] industries, the value of their

[46:04] homes and the character and

[46:07] livability of their community.

[46:08] We are seeing the importance of

[46:09] this legislation hit our

[46:10] community in real time. The

[46:12] proposal, located next to the

[46:13] national zoo, doesn't affect

[46:15] just a piece of land. It

[46:16] affects the environment around

[46:18] the zoo, the experience of

[46:20] families who visit the zoo, and

[46:21] the quality of life of

[46:22] residents who call that area

[46:24] home. Our community should not

[46:26] be asked to sacrifice their

[46:27] character and livability so a

[46:28] tech company can expand its

[46:30] footprint. This legislation is

[46:32] an insurance policy to

[46:33] COUNCILMAN Horton's fantastic

[46:35] and comprehensive zoning

[46:36] changes. It will create

[46:37] protections for our neighbors.

[46:39] If we need an extra round of

[46:40] discussions to really hone in

[46:41] the nuance of the protections%

[46:43] that our neighbors deserve, I

[46:44] ask my colleagues to support

[46:46] this piece of legislation on

[46:47] first reading, and ask for your

[46:48] commitment to making even

[46:49] stronger over the next two

[46:51] readings. Thank you.

[46:53] Thank you,

[46:54] councilmember johnson. You are

[46:56] next in the queue, but already

[46:56] having spoken, you have two

[46:58] other colleagues. Okay, we'll

[47:00] proceed next then with council

[47:02] member gad, you're recognized.

[47:02] Ma'am.

[47:03] Thank you so much, MADAM

[47:05] Speaker. And thank you to my

[47:06] colleagues who've already

[47:08] spoken and who have lifted this

[47:09] matter up for us to consider

[47:12] this evening. Like, like others

[47:15] that have expressed the

[47:15] incredible concerns that we

[47:17] have over these large scale

[47:18] data centers, are real, and

[47:20] what we all need is something

[47:21] more permanent with the

[47:25] framework and incredibly proud

[47:26] of. My colleagues have already

[47:28] begun begun that work and look

[47:30] forward to continuing that. And

[47:32] for our colleagues support on

[47:34] that. I think the concerning

[47:34] -

[47:36] thing, as we move forward with

[47:40] this particular late filed

[47:42] moratorium legislation, I will

[47:44] hope that we do address a few

[47:45] things that have already been

[47:46] expressed, which is the

[47:47] concerns of over how it is

[47:49] drafted as we move forward.

[47:51] Right now, it looks like could

[47:53] likely apply to a new library

[47:55] working to get built due to how

[47:56] it's defined. When we think

[47:58] about data center. So what I

[48:00] hope will happen is that we

[48:02] have further restrictive

[48:03] conversations, and then also

[48:05] make sure we're positioning

[48:06] ourselves in the best way to

[48:08] protect our communities and our

[48:09] resources, which is looking at

[48:10] the landscape, whether it's

[48:12] this company or other companies

[48:14] and how they have navigated

[48:16] this conversation and other

[48:18] communities. A lot has

[48:20] been through lawsuits that

[48:22] they've been they've actually

[48:24] used legal challenges to

[48:27] prevent jurisdictions from

[48:29] having the rights that we want

[48:30] to continue to maintain and

[48:32] restrict. So as we move forward

[48:34] with this, this conversation, i

[48:35] know the sponsor will will do

[48:37] this, make sure that we are

[48:40] being very thoughtful. So

[48:42] through those, there MAY be

[48:44] adjusted language to make sure

[48:45] we're actually focusing and

[48:47] doing the things we need to do,

[48:49] and making sure we're also

[48:51] getting our framework in place

[48:53] through some additional

[48:54] regulations so we can meet all

[48:56] the needs that all of our

[48:58] community members are

[48:59] expressing. I think many of us

[49:01] are aligned in that. It's

[49:02] something that we don't want to

[49:05] see in our neighborhood. We're

[49:06] sympathetic. I know I am with

[49:07] the national zoo. It's

[49:09] something we don't want to see

[49:10] resources taken from that or

[49:12] any one of our communities that

[49:14] we live in. So look forward to

[49:16] continued discussion. And I

[49:17] appreciate my colleagues have

[49:20] already spoken on this.

[49:20] All

[49:22] right. Seeing no one else in

[49:23] the queue seeking to be

[49:25] recognized, and we will move to

[49:27] the vote on this matter. That

[49:29] is on its first of three

[49:31] readings. Okay. That only

[49:32] requires a simple majority. So

[49:35] we will do that by voice. All

[49:38] in favor, please say there is a

[49:39] request for a roll call vote

[49:43] that requires three seconds.

[49:47] Okay. All right. So with that,

[49:50] MR. Clerk, if you would please

[49:58] load the vote. So this is MISS

[50:00] Johnston and MR. Bradford's

[50:02] ordinance as of yet unnumbered

[50:05] on its first of three readings,

[50:07] there was a request for roll

[50:10] call, and it was properly

[50:16] seconded. So you will vote by

[50:32] tablet.

[50:36] With all votes in. MR.

[50:39] Clerk, please show the vote.

[50:41] all right. This motion has

[50:42] passed. This bill has passed

[50:44] its first of three readings

[50:47] with 26 votes in favor, one

[50:50] against and zero abstentions

[50:52] for colleagues and the public.

[50:54] This bill will be assigned a

[50:56] bill number for its referral to

[50:57] the planning commission and

[50:59] then its subsequent time on our

[51:01] agenda. But that is still to be

[51:08] determined. Okay. All right.

[51:11] Now we're in section g, a

[51:12] little bit of a duplication

[51:14] there. We had a double f on our

[51:15] sections of agenda, but we're

[51:18] going to call this section g

[51:21] our consolidated consent agenda.

[51:23] All three or rather all third

[51:25] reading ordinances on this

[51:26] agenda are included on the

[51:28] consent agenda, if recommended

[51:30] for approval unanimously by all

[51:31] committees to which the item

[51:33] was referred. Items on the

[51:35] consent agenda will be voted on

[51:37] at a single time. The item

[51:38] number, along with the

[51:40] ordinance number of the items

[51:41] on the consent agenda will be

[51:43] read by me. This is a very

[51:45] short list. Today, members of

[51:46] the council MAY remove any item

[51:48] from the consent agenda by

[51:50] request before the consent

[51:56] agenda vote is taken. All right.

[51:58] Proposed for the consent agenda

[52:07] is agenda item two. Ordinance

[52:10] bl2026-1383. Agenda three

[52:16] ordinance bl2026-1384. Agenda

[52:23] item four ordinance bl2026-1385.

[52:26] And then lastly, agenda item

[52:33] five, ordinance bl2026-1390. Do

[52:35] any items need to be removed

[52:37] from the consent agenda? If so,

[52:39] members can please join the

[52:43] queue to request that. All

[52:45] right. I am seeing none. MR.

[52:46] Clark. Are all committee

[52:48] reports in for items on the

[52:49] consent agenda?

[52:50] Yeah. All

[52:51] committee reports are in.

[52:51] All

[52:54] right. Thank you, MR. Clark.

[52:56] Members, is there a motion for

[52:59] approval of the consent agenda?

[53:00] Okay. Properly moved and

[53:03] seconded. All in favor, say aye.

[53:05] Council has passed all items on

[53:08] the consent agenda. And now

[53:12] we'll go back to the sole item

[53:17] remaining on our agenda. This

[53:26] is agenda item one, ordinance

[53:27] bl2026-1380. Sponsor teams.

[53:29] This is an ordinance adopting

[53:36] the 2026 to 2027 through 2031

[53:38] to 2032. Capital improvements

[53:39] budget for the metropolitan

[53:40] government of nashville and

[53:42] davidson county as the official

[53:43] capital improvements budget of

[53:44] the metropolitan government of

[53:45] nashville and davidson county

[53:50] for the fiscal year 2026 2027.

[53:53] Council member tombs, you are

[53:55] recognized, ma'am.

[53:56] Thank you,

[53:57] MADAM Vice mayor, committee

[53:59] report, budget and finance

[54:01] voted to recommend approval as

[54:02] amended. Seven in favor, zero

[54:03] against zero not voting.

[54:04] All

[54:05] right. And for the report of

[54:06] the planning and zoning

[54:08] committee, chair horton, you're

[54:08] recognized.

[54:09] Thank you. Vice

[54:10] mayor. Planning and zoning

[54:11] voted in favor of the amendment

[54:12] by council member capps. Seven

[54:14] in favor, zero against zero not

[54:15] voting, and voted in favor of

[54:17] the bill, as amended. Seven in

[54:18] favor, zero against zero not

[54:18] voting.

[54:20] All righty. With those

[54:21] committee reports. And it is

[54:23] back to you, MADAM Chair, for a

[54:25] motion to get this before us.

[54:26] Move for approval.

[54:27] Okay. It's

[54:29] properly moved and seconded,

[54:33] and we are on to discussion.

[54:34] MISS Benedict, you are first in

[54:36] the queue. Go ahead, ma'am.

[54:38] Thank you, MADAM Vice mayor.

[54:39] I'd like to sign on to council

[54:40] member capps amendment, and

[54:41] therefore I'd like to move it.

[54:44] All right. You will be signed

[54:49] on. There is a motion to amend

[54:50] with the amendment offered by

[54:54] council member capp and council

[54:56] member benedict. It is, I

[54:59] believe, a housekeeping type

[55:01] amendment. And so with that,

[55:03] MISS Benedict, you are anything

[55:06] elseyou want to say about this

[55:06] amendment?

[55:07] It is indeed a

[55:08] housekeeping amendment. Thank

[55:09] you for that, MADAM Vice mayor.

[55:11] This is an item that's already

[55:13] in the city. This is just

[55:14] defining the properties around

[55:16] it. There was a mistake in

[55:16] there. And so this is

[55:18] correcting that mistake. I

[55:20] renew my motion.

[55:21] Okay. Is there

[55:23] any discussion on the motion to

[55:26] amend seeing none. All in favor

[55:28] please say aye. Any voting no

[55:30] or abstaining. MISS Tombs,

[55:31] would you please renew your

[55:32] motion to approve.

[55:33] Move for

[55:33] approval as amended.

[55:34] Thank you.

[55:36] All right. Colleagues, is there

[55:39] any discussion on the capital

[55:41] improvements budget on its

[55:43] third and final reading, as

[55:46] amended? All right. Seeing none.

[55:49] All in favor, please say aye.

[55:52] Any voting no or abstaining.

[55:54] Okay. This has passed its third

[55:55] and final reading. This

[55:57] concludes this evening's agenda.

[55:59] Our next council meeting will

[56:02] be on tuesday, JUNE 16th. Is

[56:06] there a motion to adjourn? We

[56:18] are adjourned.

[56:19] This has been a

[56:21] service of the metro nashville

[56:22] network. If you would like to

[56:25] see this presentation again, or

[56:26] for more information on this

[56:30] and other programs, visit

[56:33] nashville.Gov.

[56:52] Visit Nashville..

Metropolitan Council on 2026-06-09 6:00 PM

Agenda

Transcript