[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6251431,"mediaKeyId","3195668-ca4e16c9ced4604d23ba0d18eda18236","parentId",3195668,"title","Public commenter urges deferral of BL2025-811, questions Homeless Planning Council classification and Metro Legal role","audioSeconds",147,"startMs",24000,"endMs",171000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3195668-ca4e16c9ced4604d23ba0d18eda18236&start=24&end=171","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3195668-ca4e16c9ced4604d23ba0d18eda18236/thumbnail_24000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6251431/Tennessee/Public-commenter-urges-deferral-of-BL2025-811-questions-Homeless-Planning-Council-classification-and-Metro-Legal-role","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6251431-f89915e23fbb2b20c071001cd076c266/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147720&Signature=LpRGFZoO4AtQgqF6BzAQr16Lhn2yKRPLKayNOm06X1m7ITPKNFwO0uAfvnVe0yVMImN1d358L8KBuOcf3oOXbZL5wgIXDbU~QDdgkSyxbZkpo0hdK5xA8UV4yuStTP5JeHJyFJdu07ZqXtQ4zrVNx3ctborj-I1C~w-DS5lTlGr6-OuG4ys1E-wCnHdez4CCRbyEn4QH1c8Q71NKcqPQ3sro58DaOdRo5bT4Nmd3KEE-bzZVExs0VdyqBHPdXqcm~M9aaTgzisBMrexWQGP2oLzScw8wwML-VqE2dGIphR5vt0~IipuxS6VkpQkkSgX~VrX7BdsG7ipmIh0ZyphzVA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Nashville, TN","date","2025-05-06T08:14:51.637Z","article","A member of the public asked the committee to defer bill BL2025-811, saying the legislation may not have been properly referred to boards and commissions and that supporting resolutions or letters could be missing.

During public comment, the speaker identified as Steve Ryder asked for deferral and said he was unsure that the bill had been referred to necessary boards and commissions or that those bodies had issued letters of support. “On this particular bill, I'm asking for, deferral. The reason why is I don't know, if this has been properly referred to the different boards and commissions. There should be a resolution by them or some sort of letters of support,” he said.

Ryder also raised concerns about the Homeless Planning Council and Metro Legal’s role. He said Metro Legal has taken the position that the Homeless Planning Council is a board or commission of Metro government, a conclusion he disputed. He pointed to three differences he sees between typical boards and commissions and the Homeless Planning Council — confirmation by the rules and confirmation committee, authority to hire and fire or evaluate an executive director, and the existence of a route of appeal to chancery court — and said those processes do not occur for the Homeless Planning Council as they do for other boards.

Ryder additionally alleged a conflict of interest in Metro Legal representing both the Office of Homeless Services and providing legal advice to the Homeless Planning Council and requested that Metro Legal “identify that they their client is the office of homeless services, not the community of care as planning council.” He closed his comments by asking the committee to consider the deferral.

The committee proceeded with its agenda; council and staff responses to the specific request for referral verification or to the legal representation question were not recorded in the meeting excerpted here.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","05/05/25 Metropolitan Council Committee: Budget & Finance","oneSentenceSummary","A public commenter asked the Budget & Finance Committee to defer BL2025-811 pending referrals and letters of support and raised concerns about whether the Homeless Planning Council is a board or commission and a potential conflict in Metro Legal representing both the Office of Homeless Services and the planning council.","taxTitle","Budget & Finance Meetings, Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee","taxId",69310,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6251436,"Council approves surveillance-technology agreements for NDOT, Waste and Water departments after privacy briefing",732,3600000,4332000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3195668-ca4e16c9ced4604d23ba0d18eda18236&start=3600&end=4332","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3195668-ca4e16c9ced4604d23ba0d18eda18236/thumbnail_3600000.jpg","/articles/6251436/Tennessee/Council-approves-surveillance-technology-agreements-for-NDOT-Waste-and-Water-departments-after-privacy-briefing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6251436-c1b8bba390cfb451818488db63db64fa/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147720&Signature=WmLnyU1mZqOLfz6XSS6agqHFd~AfOeHaZJl8zH0fEDHTY4CFLO33bMfIyatPs0VFXyyjHxYAbAppfVNzbiojuPeogqWlJsS9NnvjrOo4xHHuKaR~tjze1VNX3MEqh9CTqfGqYq7Z0st4wIT-O9G4ZRwQcnC2f2OqDwi7L4qVwO9~YcGVuPNJQJ3I828JB~wHOpCb5st8qm9AaUrema5-D8GVcKGo9hdLrEW6vUVkATUl8tJa61lceWR23RTaqpXMFmdM8g-~5nUmdTduhOLEFass0TpebCl39XvtLZuXgI8DfK1DfEfCzaH9LljFuVnYYBIURa6lQzx~Qwam1fD00g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Budget and Finance Committee approved four resolutions authorizing Metro departments to use surveillance or telematics systems under statewide cooperative agreements, and committee members sought clarifying details about data capture, retention and public‑notice requirements under Metro code.

The council approved resolutions authorizing the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) to deploy Samsara camera systems on salt trucks, the Department of Waste and Sewerage Services to use a Rubicon (now including Ralware) camera system and a Verizon Connect telematics platform, and Zonar Systems telematics for DOT inspections. All four motions passed on voice votes recorded as 10 in favor, 0 against.

Staff described the systems’ purpose and data handling. NDOT council liaison Matt Purvis said forward-facing cameras on salt trucks provide live views of roadway conditions during winter events and are used for operational monitoring and driver training; he said the software “blurs all, personally identifying information, license plates aren’t connected” and that the footage is primarily focused on the roadway. Waste services director Tracy Thurman said the Rubicon system’s cameras face inside garbage trucks to detect container contamination or obstructions and a separate camera on the loader arm confirms containers were serviced; she said no personally identifying information is captured for external use. Fleet representatives described Verizon Connect as a telematics product that provides GPS location and vehicle diagnostics (engine codes, idling), and Zonar as an electronic pre- and post-trip inspection capture tool (a “wand and puck” system) that replaces paper inspections required by federal DOT rules.

Legal and code context: Metro Department of Law staff and Director Darby read and summarized Metro Code section 13.0808, which defines “surveillance technology” broadly to include devices that can collect, retain, process or share audio, visual, digital location, thermal, biometric or similar data connected to an identifiable person, and notes the requirement for a public hearing before entering agreements with private entities to acquire or use surveillance technology or the information it provides.

Committee members asked whether cameras capture faces or license plates (staff said no in these specific implementations) and whether products include optional camera features; departments said cameras are not being used for facial recognition and some vendors offer cameras that Metro staff do not plan to enable. NDOT, Waste and Fleet staff said the systems provide operational and safety benefits (route monitoring, contamination detection, documentation of DOT inspections) and that records will be retained for internal use and training. Chair Porterfield and council members agreed to move forward but also noted the public‑hearing requirement under Metro code when a private entity relationship raises surveillance concerns.

The committee approved each authorization by voice vote; the resolutions and recorded outcomes are on the meeting record.","The Budget & Finance Committee approved four resolutions authorizing departments to use surveillance or telematics technology under cooperative purchasing agreements after staff described purposes and a Metro code definition requiring public hearings for surveillance tech.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6251442,"Finance presents FY26 recommended budget; property tax, fund-balance restoration drive changes",2966,152000,3118000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3195668-ca4e16c9ced4604d23ba0d18eda18236&start=152&end=3118","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3195668-ca4e16c9ced4604d23ba0d18eda18236/thumbnail_152000.jpg","/articles/6251442/Tennessee/Finance-presents-FY26-recommended-budget-property-tax-fund-balance-restoration-drive-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6251442-adaf8a0b387eb154aad2a189d30b6f80/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147720&Signature=l~esVANnK9Fp0T3ZK9-vgR4HCJYG0DVxqdNLiCPtzBgbyAXSV5HV3gAfD0R6HiXmeBXPLHTmatT5Sm07dxLy8szcgfu2AH68A0fqlWvIHGFnmrjMwHqvjFknJMTheNBaZd5YhMClE6LkP7~wSnwT9QR3GhnX3vUUw5FerPOCpc2B7gSNidufCZCF1N3~bZGbRyeikCWpC9F4jRMTyuLJWeRbhorpeW90W~PHwKD~H4bCSwbwRH2x91Z~bLhghBtfflgQVa0dDMjc~6nKJhCeR5jGP1UHtavIsj-UlUbyy14Nk3ppCZ2Uq~NAo~I46sLNE4fMp2bSwdVnLybkJmiPrg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Budget and Finance Committee heard a presentation from the finance director and budget staff on the mayor’s recommended fiscal year 2026 operating budget, a $3.8 billion plan that relies largely on increased property tax revenue and restorations to fund balance targets.

The presentation, delivered by Janine Reed, Director of Finance, and Erin Pratt, budget officer, outlined five pillars of Metro’s financial condition and said the FY24 audit was “clean” — an unmodified opinion from external auditors. Reed said the government and enterprise net position both increased in FY24 and that the administration received no material weaknesses from the auditor.

Officials said the recommended FY26 budget totals about $3.8 billion, a 15.6% increase driven by a combination of new revenue, a limited use of fund balance and accounting shifts tied to a USD/GSD study. “Our current budget stands at $3,800,000,000,” a finance staff member said. Finance said approximately $529 million of the increase is split between $20 million of planned fund-balance use and $509 million of new revenue growth.

Why it matters: Finance told council that non-property revenues are growing slowly — about 1.6% excluding property tax — and that the budget relies on property tax increases to avoid cutting services to schools, public safety and other core functions. Finance staff said about 57% of Metro’s revenue is derived from property tax, with local option sales tax and intergovernmental revenue the next largest sources.

Key changes and policy moves: the budget restores fund balance to the targets the council adopted last year, establishes a new budget sustainability reserve (funded at $74.8 million in FY26), and shifts several expenditures between the Urban Services District (USD) and the General Services District (GSD) following the USD/GSD study. Finance staff explained that many expenditures that historically sat in the USD will move to the GSD because services (fire, police) are countywide in effect; staff emphasized that “the USD rate is on top of the GSD rate,” meaning USD households still pay USD levies in addition to GSD levies.

Schools, pay plan and public safety: the recommended operating funding for Metro Schools is roughly $1.5 billion (excluding fund-balance restoration and the sustainability fund), with about $132 million in operating increases year over year. The budget includes $55.8 million for the pay plan in tax-supported funds (a 1% across-the-board adjustment and 2% merit eligibility). Public-safety and service investments called out in the presentation included $15.3 million for the Nashville Fire Department (new truck company, additional personnel and an EMS unit), increased staffing for emergency communications, continued and expanded school resource officers, and additional funding for the Office of Youth Safety and violence-prevention positions.

Risk and timeline: finance staff described economic growth as decelerating (post‑pandemic normalization rather than decline) and cited uncertainty around federal grants, inflation and national market volatility. The committee was given a schedule: departmental hearings begin May 12, first reading of the operating budget and tax levy is May 20, a public hearing and second reading are scheduled for June 3, and final (third) reading is set for June 17; the Metro charter requires adoption by June 30.

Questions from council members focused on federal grant risk, the state Board of Equalization review of the certified tax rate, the mechanics and distributional effect of the USD/GSD study, and how appeals and uncollectible property tax allowances are handled. Finance said the certified tax rate (CTR) filed with the state remains subject to concurrence by the state Board of Equalization. On appeals, staff said the CTR includes an “appeal allowance” and property-tax budget modeling includes a collection allowance (about 3%).

The committee did not adopt the operating budget at the meeting; finance staff will return for departmental hearings, work sessions and further council review in May and June.","Finance staff presented the Metropolitan Government's recommended fiscal year 2026 operating budget, highlighting a $3.8 billion recommendation that relies on higher property tax revenue, fund-balance restoration, a new budget sustainability fund and shifts after a USD/GSD study.","actionData","errors"]

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Public commenter urges deferral of BL2025-811, questions Homeless Planning Council classification and Metro Legal role

Council approves surveillance-technology agreements for NDOT, Waste and Water departments after privacy briefing

Finance presents FY26 recommended budget; property tax, fund-balance restoration drive changes