* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. ONE [00:00:01] MINUTE. [1. CALL TO ORDER] OKAY. I'D LIKE TO, UH, CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER. THIS IS A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL, AND A LIVE WEBCAST OF THE MEETING MAY BE VIEWED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE. NOTICE AGENDA AND INFORMATION ON THE CITY OF NASHVILLE CITY'S WEBSITE INFORMS MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT THEY MAY SUBMIT A GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT OR A PUBLIC COMMENT ON A SPECIFIC ITEM IN A NUMBER OF WAYS. IN PERSON BY SUBMITTING ONE OF THE CA SALMON COLORED, UH, SPEAKER SLIPS, EMAILING NO LATER THAN FOUR HOURS BEFORE THE MEETING. ALL WRITTEN COMMENTS, UH, RECEIVED WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO CITY COUNCIL PRIOR TO THE MEETING AND PUBLISHED ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE IF RECEIVED BY THE DEADLINE. WITH THAT, WILL THE CITY CLERK PLEASE CALL? ROLL. THANK YOU. COUNCIL MEMBER YAMANI HERE. COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ. PRESENT, VICE MAYOR BUSH. HERE. MAYOR MORRISON. PRESENT. MAYOR MORRISON PRESENT. MY MIC IS ON. OKAY. AND, OKAY. THANK YOU. AND WE WILL, UH, NOTE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER MOLINA IS ABSENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. AND, UH, IF WE COULD PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I'LL ASK, UH, MEMBER RODRIGUEZ, WILL YOU LEADERS PLEASE RAISE THE RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART. READY VEGAN, MY P TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS? ONE NATION. ONE NATION NATION UNDER GOD IN IDI WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. OKAY. UM, [4. PUBLIC COMMENT] WE WILL NOW HEAR PUBLIC COMMENTS ON ITEMS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THIS AGENDA. AND, UM, LET'S SEE. YOU HAVE ANY REQUESTS OTHER THAN THE ONES HERE? WE HAVE ANYTHING ON ZOOM OR ANYTHING ELSE FOR THIS? NO, WE DO NOT. OKAY. SO, OKAY. THE REST OF THE SPEAKERS I HAVE HERE, OKAY. WITH THAT, WE WILL NOW HEAR FROM PUBLIC SPEAKERS ON, THERE ARE TWO ITEMS AND, UH, FIVE ONE AND FIVE TWO, IT WILL BE ONE MINUTE PER SPEAKER. AND WITH THAT, UH, FIVE ONE, WHICH IS AN EXISTING LITIGATION, UH, FIRST OF ALL, WE START WITH LOUISA MCCARTHY, MICKEL POLANCO, MICHAEL AGUIRE, THEN DOYLE MORRISON. HELLO, MARIAN. COUNSEL. ONE MINUTE. YEP. YOU'RE NOT LISTENING. WHEN THE PEOPLE BRING PROBLEMS TO YOUR ATTENTION, THAT'S WHY YOU LOST A $10 MILLION CASE YESTERDAY. WE FEEL THE SAME WAY AS OFFICER ASHLEY WHEN NO ONE ADDRESSED HER PROBLEMS. YOU DIDN'T LISTEN TO ASHLEY. YOU'RE SIDESTEPPING, YOU DON'T WANNA INVESTIGATE YOUR SUGARCOATING. WHAT HAPPENED IN YOUR RECENT REPORT? THE JURY REACHED A DIFFERENT VERDICT THAN YOU BECAUSE THEY LISTENED AND DID SOMETHING, A TREMENDOUS PRICE TO PAY TO LEARN A LESSON. HAVE YOU LEARNED YOUR LESSON? THANK YOU. OKAY. VIKA, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL AGUIRE, FOLLOWED BY DOYLE MORRISON. GOOD AFTERNOON. I JUST WANNA DO A, UH, FAST FORWARD ON WHAT, WHAT WILL HAPPEN THE DAY AFTER WE FINISH OUR TRIAL AGAINST THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY. AND, UH, SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT MS. ASHLEY WAS ASKED AT HER TRIAL WAS, DID NATIONAL CITY OR ITS SUPERVISORS KNOW, OR SHOULD THEY HAVE KNOWN OF THE HARASSING CONDUCT? WELL, IN OUR CASE, IT'S GONNA BE, DID NATIONAL CITY OR ITS SUPERVISORS KNOW, OR SHOULD THEY HAVE KNOWN OF THE UNDUE INFLUENCE AND CONDUCT OF, OF THE PROJECT? AND THE ANSWER IS YES. UH, DID THE CITY COUNCIL TAKE EFFECTIVE ACTION TO DETERMINE IF THERE WAS UNDUE INFLUENCE? AND THE ANSWER WOULD BE NO. THESE ARE ALARMING QUESTIONS THAT, UH, I HAVE, UH, FOR THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. DID THE NEIGHBORS AND THE BUSINESSES COMPLAIN OF UNDUE INFLUENCE? AND THE ANSWER IS YES. EXCUSE ME. THIS IS ON AN EXISTING LITIGATION? YES. AND, AND THIS, THIS IS AN EXISTING LITIGATION. NO, THAT'S NOT. THE EXISTING LITIGATION IS LISTED, IS CUMMINGS VERSUS CITY OF NATIONAL CITY. YES. AND I'M ADDRESSING THE QUESTIONS AS WE, WE WOULD BE ASKING THE SAME QUESTIONS COMING IN A DIFFERENT LITIGATION. OKAY. ONE MORE QUESTION WAS, NATIONAL CITY'S CONDUCT A SUBSTANTIAL FACTOR IN CAUSING HARM TO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND OUR BUSINESS? AND THE ANSWER IS YES. OKAY. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DOYLE MORRISON, FOLLOWED BY ALICIA MORRISON. SORRY, SORRY. I CALL, OH, I, I'M SORRY. MICHAEL AGUIRE WAS NEXT. OKAY. YOU'RE RIGHT. WHEN [00:05:01] I WAS CITY ATTORNEY, I INHERITED A $90 MILLION JUDGMENT. AND IT'S ALWAYS A PROBLEM TO GET THAT KIND OF JUDGMENT AGAINST YOU. UM, THE MISTAKE IS TO BLINDLY SUPPORT THE INDIVIDUALS THAT WERE INVOLVED AND NOT TO BRING IN LEGAL COUNSEL THAT ARE REALLY CAPABLE OF HANDLING A CASE OF THIS SIZE AND DIMENSION. AND NO OFFENSE TO YOUR CURRENT CITY ATTORNEY, BUT IT WAS A BIG MISTAKE NOT TO BRING IN A HIGH LEVEL LITIGATOR WITH A SPECIALTY IN THIS AREA. THAT WAS A MISTAKE. AND IT'S A VERY EXPENSIVE MISTAKE. I HOPE THAT YOUR INSURANCE WILL COVER IT, BUT TO THE EXTENT THAT IT DOES, YOU'RE GONNA BE PAYING THAT $10 MILLION BACK FOR YEARS TO COME. AND AGAIN, ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF HOW MUCH DAMAGE IS DONE WHEN YOU DON'T LISTEN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. NOW, DOYLE MORRISON WILL BE FOLLOWED BY ALICIA MORRISON. UH, GOOD EARLY EVENING. UH, EVERYBODY, DOYLE MORRISON. AND MAN, I'VE BEEN COMING TO THE CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS AND THE PLANNING COMMISSION MEETINGS, AND I'VE BEEN GETTING MORE INVOLVED. AND MAN, A, A SONG COMES TO MIND AND, AND THE WORLD KEEPS TUMBLING DOWN. THE WALL KEEPS CRUMBLING DOWN, AND NATIONAL CITY IS NOT SEIZING TO AMAZE ME. AND I KNOW THAT I'VE TALKED WITH, WITH ALL OF YOU HERE, MAN, WHAT A DIFFICULT TIME TO BE SITTING UP THERE. UM, WITH ALL THIS GOING ON AMONGST, AMONGST THE CITY, I PERSONALLY, UM, FELT LIKE MY NEIGHBORHOOD WAS UNDER ATTACK, UM, BECAUSE OF THE, UH, A DEVELOPMENT. BUT, BUT THIS IS THE CORE OF WRONGDOING, AND IT MAKES ME HIGHLY CONCERNED. AND I, I, AS WELL AS I'M SURE ALL OF YOU ARE HIGHLY CONCERNED. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THAT, UH, THIS IS GOING ON. THANK YOU. OKAY. UH, UH, ALICIA MORRISON. GOOD EVENING, COUNSEL. MY PHONE WAS BLOWING UP THIS MORNING FROM MY NEIGHBORS. DID YOU SEE THE ARTICLE? $10 MILLION. WOW. THAT'S, THAT'S A HEAVY BURDEN TO CARRY. BUT MY HEART GOES OUT TO THAT POOR WOMAN WHO WAS SEXUALLY HARASSED, AND SHE CAME AND REPORTED IT AND ASKED FOR HELP. AND SHE WASN'T GIVEN THE DUE PROCESS THAT SHE SHOULD HAVE BEEN DESERVED, THAT SHE SHOULD HAVE DESERVED, YOU KNOW, REACHING OUT TO HER SUPERIORS. AND NOW IT'S HAVING TO, TO COME OUT OF, YOU KNOW, YOUR POCKETS. AND IS THAT GONNA AFFECT YOUR TAXPAYERS? YOU KNOW, YOUR POPULATION HAS GONE DOWN. NATIONAL CITY'S POPULATION HAS GONE DOWN FROM 2010 TO 2020. THAT'S, THAT'S A, THAT'S A LARGE BUMP. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS ON FIVE ONE. WE'VE GO TO FIVE TWO, UH, MIKE, I HAD A, I HAD A SLIPPED FIVE. OH, PAUL. OKAY. I THINK WHAT YOU DID, YOU, YOU FILLED OUT TWO OF 'EM FOR FIVE TWO, SO, OKAY. SO WE'LL COUNT ONE OF THOSE FOR FIVE ONE. GO AHEAD. UM, GOOD EVENING, EVERYBODY. UM, SO THE, THE IMPLICATIONS OF, UH, THE CUMMINGS DECISION HERE ARE ALARMING, OF COURSE, CERTAINLY FINANCIALLY, BUT, UM, MORE IMPORTANTLY, FROM A, AN ETHICAL STANDPOINT, CONSIDER OUR CITY'S ATTORNEY AND HIS FORMER LAW FIRM'S INVOLVEMENT IN THE CASE. ALSO, THINK ABOUT WHAT LEADERSHIP HAS FAILED TO DO AS IT RELATES TO THE IMP IMPLEMENTING, LIKE CULTURE CHANGING COMPREHENSIVE ENFORCEABLE PRACTICES THAT PROTECT OUR EMPLOYEES AND THE CITY AGAINST FINANCIAL RUIN. UM, AND THEN CONSIDERING, YOU KNOW, THE LITTLE BIT OF INSIGHT THAT I HAVE BEING ON CIVIL SERVICE, YOU KNOW, I'D, I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM CHIEF FERNANDEZ ABOUT WHAT HE'S DONE SINCE HE STARTED HIS TENURE AND WHAT HE PLANS TO DO, UH, IN THE DEPARTMENT TO KIND OF CORRECT THOSE ISSUES. SO, TO WRAP UP, EXPLAIN THE PROCESS UTILIZED IN SELECTING, UH, DEVANEY P MORRIS TO REPRESENT THE CITY IN THIS CASE. WHERE IS THE PUBLIC RECORD ON THAT PROCESS? HOW WILL YOU DEAL WITH THE FINANCIAL FALLOUT OF, OF THIS DECISION? [00:10:01] TRUST IN GOVERNANCE IS ERODING FOR THOSE PAYING ATTENTION. YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT. THANK YOU. UM, WE WANT AN ARTICULATION AND JUSTIFICATION FOR THE HIRING OF THESE LEGAL REPRESENTATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ED NIETO. GOOD JOB. UH, YEAH, I WOULD, UH, YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST WONDERING, UM, THE $10 MILLION IN THE NEWSPAPER WAS, IT'S TRAGIC. IT'S TRAGIC FOR BOTH THE CITY, FOR THE VICTIM. TRAGIC FOR THE ONES LEFT BEHIND IS TRAGIC. BUT MY QUESTION HERE, AND I HAD TO SAY, HATE TO SAY THIS, IS WHAT DO WE, HOW ARE WE GONNA COVER THE $10 MILLION? DO WE HAVE AN ACCOUNT FOR THIS? AS IT, I MENTIONED, I THOUGHT I HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT INSURANCE. YOU KNOW, EVEN THEN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT, UH, I THINK THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO KNOW. I MEAN, THAT'S A THIRD OF THE, THE POLICE FORCE, UH, BUDGET, YOU KNOW, THAT'S CONCERNING. THAT'S VERY CONCERNING. SO AN EXPLANATION WOULD BE HELPFUL TO RELIEVE SOME OF THIS TENSION. UM, AND ALSO, UM, AS PAUL POINTED OUT, UNDERLYING CAUSE FOR ALL THIS IS ETHICS. YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE AT THE POLICE, WHETHER IT BE IN THE FORTHCOMING DISCUSSION, IT'S ETHICS, AND IT'S JUST NOT AN ISOLATED CASE. IT'S, THERE'S BEEN TWO YEARS I'VE BEEN COMING HERE. THERE'S BEEN ETHIC ISSUES CONSISTENTLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. OKAY, NOW, FIVE, TWO, UH, MICHAEL LAGER, FOLLOWED BY LOUISA MCCARTHY, FOLLOWED BY, UH, MCKAYLA POLANCO. YOU KNOW, WHEN A, A PITCHER, UH, THROWS SEVERAL BALLS THAT ARE HIT OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN, THE PICTURES RELIEVED AND NEW PICTURES BROUGHT IN. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED. YOU NEED A FRESH START. NO OFFENSE TO BARRY. I KNOW HE'S A NICE PERSON, BUT BARRY HAS CHOSEN TO BLINDLY SUPPORT THE MAYOR NO MATTER WHAT. MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, I'M SHOCKED BY HIM LOOKING THE OTHER WAY. WHEN THE MAYOR DID, UH, WHAT HE DID, WHICH WAS TO IMPROPERLY INFLUENCE THE ELECTION OR THE, UH, PROJECT, WHICH HE KNOWS AND HIS ASSISTANT KNOWS. AND, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY CAN TALK ABOUT IT WHEN THEY FLY BACK TO WASHINGTON DC TOGETHER TO COMMISERATE. BUT THE POINT IS, IT'S TIME FOR A NEW CITY ATTORNEY. IF YOU IGNORE THE $10 MILLION, HOW MANY MORE $10 MILLION HITS CAN YOU AFFORD? AND ESPECIALLY THE NEPOTISM OF BRINGING HIS OLD FIRM ON TO HANDLE A CASE THAT THANK YOU FOR, YOUR COMMENT WAS NOT APPROPRIATE. THANK YOU. LISA MCCARTHY, FOLLOWED BY LINCOLN PLANKO, FOLLOWED BY ED . YOU KNOW, I HAVE HISTORY HERE SINCE 1998 WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, AND THERE'S A LOT OF THE STAFF THAT I HIGHLY RESPECT. BUT I WAS DISGUSTED TO HEAR ALL THE NONCHALANT COMMENTS OF HO JOSE TEEZ CHIEF. YOU KNOW, THE FISH STINKS FROM THE HEAD DOWN. AND IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG, THEN YOU DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. YOU'RE, YOU DON'T JUST TURN A BLIND EYE. AND YOU HAVE SMEARED BY THE LACK OF LEADERSHIP, BARRY SCHULTZ, BY THE LACK OF LEADERSHIP AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THAT THERE'S PROBLEMS GOING ON. SAME WITH YOU, A CITY MANAGER THAT HIDES BEHIND HIS PHONE. THERE'S POLICE OFFICERS THAT CARE, AND YOU TAINTED IT WHEN THE SAME DISGUSTING BRUSH OF THE PEOPLE THAT DID THE WRONG FULL, UH, HARASSMENT TO MS. ASHLEY. AND SHE WILL NOT BE FORGOTTEN ON HER FIGHT. AND I HOPE YOU GET SUED EVEN MORE. LANCO FOLLOWED BY EDWARD NORTON, UH, , I MEAN, UH, FOLLOWED BY, UH, LILIANA MENTA. I AM REALLY SAD TODAY BECAUSE THESE, UM, PROBLEMS KEEP COMPILING PILING UP ON OUR CITY. AND IT'S NOT A DAY TO BE HAPPY. IT'S A DAY TO BE, UH, ASKING FOR, FOR, FOR A TRANSFORMATION THAT SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE CHANGED. THERE HAS TO BE A CHANGE. LIKE ANY COMPANY, WHEN THERE'S THINGS THAT ARE GOING WRONG IN A COMPANY, THERE'S USUALLY A COST FOR WHATEVER IS HAPPENING. WE NEED TO FIND WHAT IS THE EFFECT, WHAT IS THE EFFECT, WHAT'S CAUSING THAT EFFECT. AND WE NEED TO BE ASKING OURSELVES SOME REALLY, REALLY DEEP QUESTIONS AS TO WHAT'S GOING [00:15:01] ON. AND USUALLY 80% OF THE COMPANY WILL BE GOOD, AND 20% WILL BE NOT SO GOOD. WE NEED TO BE ASKING, WHO IS THE 20% YOUR CAUSING THESE PROBLEMS? THANK YOU VERY MUCH. UH, NIETO FOLLOWED BY LILIANA ARMENTA, FOLLOWED BY JULIANA. I'M JUST GONNA PICK UP OR, 'CAUSE THEY SAID A LOT OF THINGS. I WAS GONNA SAY, WHAT'S THE EFFECT? THERE'S A COMMONALITY BEHIND ALL THIS, AND IT'S JUST THAT THIS ONE INSTANCE, LIKE I SAID, IT'S BEEN INSTANCES FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS. THIS IS JUST NOT AN ISOLATED CASE THAT YOU CAN TURN YOUR HEAD FOR AND SAY IT IS JUST ONE SHOT. SO YOU ALL KNOW THAT. LEMME SAY, I CAN GO ON ABOUT RODRIGUEZ'S, UH, INFLUENCE ON THIS, BUT IT'S JUST NOT RODRIGUEZ. IT'S THE WAY THE CITY HAS TURNED ITS CHEEK, AND THE MAYOR HAS TURNED, I MEAN, THE ATTORNEY HAS TURNED ITS CHEEK ON A LOT OF THE, UH, INJUSTICES THAT HAVE HAPPENED IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. WHAT'S HAPPENED IS SENT IS THAT I THINK THE LACK OF ETHICS IS PERMEATED THROUGH THE CITY. AND I THINK ETHICS NEEDS TO BE EMPHASIZED AND REESTABLISHED. AND Y'ALL HAVE TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE TO THE ETHICS THAT, THAT, THAT YOU'RE PROFESSING, THAT, UH, CAUSED THIS PROBLEM TOO. OKAY, UH, LILIANA AMTA, FOLLOWED BY JULIANA, FILLED BY ALICIA MORRISON. GOOD EVENING MAYOR, VICE MAYOR COUNCIL MEMBERS. I'M DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE ETHICAL AND FINANCIAL DECISIONS OF OUR CITY ATTORNEY. I TEND TO USUALLY SUPPORT MY FRIEND'S BUSINESS VENTURES, BUT MR. SCHULTZ TAKES IT TO A WHOLE NOTHER LEVEL BY LOOKING OUT FOR HIMSELF FOR HIS FRIENDS AND HIS FORMER COLLEAGUES. FOR EXAMPLE, HIS FORMER COLLEAGUES HAVE RECEIVED NUMEROUS CONTRACTS FOR CANNABIS REGULATIONS, SUPPORT ISSUES, AND THE CUMMINS CASE. AND WHY USE OVER $9,000 OF OUR TAXPAYER MONEY TO DEFEND A STATE BAR COMPLAINT AGAINST HIM? IT WAS HIM, NOT THE CITY ATTORNEY, NOT THE CITY. SO WHY USE CITY MONEY AFTER I FILED A HARASSMENT COMPLAINT AGAINST COMMISSIONER OR COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ? MR. SCHULTZ RESPONDED IN A MEMO, OUR OFFICE DID SEEK THE REVIEW OF OUR ELECTION LAW OUTSIDE COUNSEL. MY QUESTION IS, WAS THIS OUTSIDE COUNSEL, HIS FORMER COLLEAGUES, HIS MEMO ALSO STATED, COUNCIL MEMBER RODRIGUEZ USED THREATENING AND INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC TO DISPARAGE A RESIDENT AND PLANNING COMMISSIONER. THAT'S ME, YET HE CONCLUDED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT. NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN THAT WAS WARRANTED. OR WAIT, NO ACTION IS WARRANTED. IS THAT BECAUSE OF HIS FRIENDSHIP WITH COUNCILMAN RODRIGUEZ? THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. STILL, I HAVE MORE . I KNOW, I KNOW. UH, JULIANA, FOLLOWED BY ALICIA MORRISON, FOLLOWED BY DOYLE MORRISON. I WANTED TO ADDRESS SOME CONCERNS I HAVE ABOUT SCHULTZ. IT IS CONCERNING TO ME HOW MR. SCHULTZ USED CITY MONEY AGAINST A CASE THAT WAS AGAINST HIM AND HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH NATIONAL CITY. IT IS CONCERNING HOW HE CONTINUOUSLY HIRES HIS OWN PAST LAW FIRM TO HANDLE CITY, CITY MATTERS WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING AT OTHER WARRANTS AND IS MORE CONCERNING HOW HE SAID HIMSELF. JOSE RODRIGUEZ USED THREATENING AND INFL INFLAMMATORY RHETORIC TOWARDS MY MOM, BUT YET LITTLE TO NO ACTION WAS TAKEN. THERE'S JUST A LOT OF THINGS TO ADD UP TO THE QUESTION OF IF WE CAN TRUST HIM, HE MADE OR HE DIDN'T MAKE AN EFFORT TO TALK TO ME AND MY MOM PERSONALLY ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED OR HANDLE CASES CORRECTLY AS SHOWN YESTERDAY. I JUST FEEL LIKE THERE'S A BIG QUESTION MARK WITH HIM, AND I FEEL LIKE I DON'T TRUST HIM, WHICH I DON'T THINK THAT ME OR THE COMMUNITY DESERVES. UM, THANK YOU. THAT'S IT. UH, ASHLEY MORRISON, FOLLOWED BY DOYLE MORRISON, FOLLOWED BY PAUL WADOWSKI. ASHLEY OR ALICIA? UH, I'M SORRY, ALICIA. I'M SORRY. OKAY. I AM GONNA USE AN ANALOGY HERE FOR THIS BECAUSE THIS IS ABOUT A PERFORMANCE REVIEW, IS MY UNDERSTANDING. SO YOU THINK ABOUT WHEN WE PAY OUR BILLS, IF WE PAY OUR BILLS ON TIME, IT HELPS OUR CREDIT SCORE, WE GET A GOOD CREDIT SCORE, WE GET BETTER INTEREST RATES, WE GET MORE AMOUNTS. SO IN COMPARISON, UH, MR. SCHULTZ HIRING HIS OWN PREVIOUS LAW FIRM, UH, LOOKING AT THE BAR, I SAW THAT THERE WAS TWO COMPLAINTS AGAINST HIM. ONE FOR NOT, UH, PAYING A FEE ON TIME OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO I CAN SEE HOW THAT NOT PAYING YOUR BILLS ON TIME OR NOT PAYING A FEE ON TIME, [00:20:02] IT DOES, IT, IT LACKS CREDIBILITY. IT, IT, UM, DOESN'T LOOK GOOD WHEN YOU HAVE AN OWN COUNCIL MEMBER FILING A COMPLAINT WITH THE BAR ASSOCIATION. SO THANK YOU DOYLE MORRISON TO BE FOLLOWED BY PAUL WADOWSKI. HELLO AGAIN. I'M HERE TO SPEAK IN REGARDS TO THE PERFORMANCE REVIEW FOR, UH, BARRY SCHULTZ. AND, UM, LAST MEETING, I, I MENTIONED THAT ON THE SWEETWATER PROJECT, THE INDEMNITY WAS LEFT OPEN, UH, OPEN-ENDED FOR THE DEVELOPER. THE LAST LINE WAS INCREDIBLY CONCERNING FOR ME, AND I WOULD THINK THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PICK THAT UP AND PROTECT THE INTEREST OF THE CITY AGAINST THE DEVELOPER IF THINGS WENT UH, AWRY. AND THAT JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU THAT, UM, IN THIS PERFORMANCE REVIEW, UM, I THINK THAT YOU ALL SHOULD LOOK DEEP AND HARD, AND I THINK YOU GUYS SHOULD LOOK AT HIS AS A, UM, POOR REVIEW AS WELL AS ALL THE OTHER THINGS THAT PEOPLE HAVE BROUGHT FORTH TONIGHT. SO, THANK YOU PAUL WADOWSKI. A AGAIN. UM, YEAH. SO THE CITY ATTORNEY'S ETHICAL AND UH, FINANCIAL DECISIONS HAVE BEEN DETRIMENTAL TO THE CITY AND EXPOSED TO SUBPAR LEVEL OF INTEGRITY AND PROFESSIONALISM. UM, PLEASE EXPLAIN THE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE $9,400 PAYMENT, UM, AUTHORIZED BY THE CITY MANAGER. UH, TO MR. SCHULTZ, PLEASE. UH, GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 1 0 9 0 PROHIBITS STAFF FROM DEALINGS IN WHICH THERE IS FINANCIAL GAIN OR THE APPEARANCE OF SUCH AN INTEREST AND MR. S'S DECISIONS, UH, SURROUNDING HIS OLD FIRM. AND THE NOD TO THOSE DECISIONS BY STAFF LEADERSHIP SUGGESTS, UH, THAT THEY THINK THAT THEY CAN OPERATE WITH IMPUNITY AND CERTAINLY WITHOUT PUSHBACK FROM THE PEOPLE THAT THEY SERVE. SO THE CITY NEEDS TO DO THE RIGHT THING HERE AND RECONSIDER BARRY SCHULTZ ROLE HERE. THANK YOU. WITH THAT, THAT'S ALL THE SPEAKERS WE HAVE. UH, AT [5. CLOSED SESSION] THIS POINT WE, I WILL TURN THIS OVER TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY THAT INTRODUCE US IN TO CLOSED SESSION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. WE HAVE TWO ITEMS FOR TONIGHT'S CLOSED SESSION. THE FIRST IS CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL INVOLVING THE EXISTING LITIGATION. THE MATTER IS CUMMINS VERSUS CITY OF NASHVILLE CITY. THE SECOND ONE IS A PUBLIC EMPLOYEE EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, THE POSITION TO BE REVIEWED AS CITY ATTORNEY. OKAY. WITH THAT, WE ARE IN CLOSED SESSION REAL QUICK. WE CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE. THIS ONE HOUR BEFORE, LIKE WE HAVE TWO IMPORTANT ISSUES. NOW WE HAVE 30 MINUTES. NO MORE MOVING FORWARD PLEASE. AND WE NEED PROPER TIME TO EVALUATE THESE THINGS, BUT LET'S HURRY UP AND GO INTO CLOSED SESSION. ALRIGHT, I'D LIKE TO CALL THE MEETING BACK TO ORDER. WE ARE OUT OF CLOSED SESSION, BUT UM, WE ARE GOING TO PUT IT INTO RECESS AT THE MOMENT AND WE ARE GONNA TAKE UP AT THE END OF THE COUNCIL MEETING BACK INTO CLOSED SESSION. UM, WITH THAT, UH, WE'RE, I WILL, UH, CLOSE THIS PORTION OF IT. WE'RE GONNA TAKE ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TO GET OUR STUFF BACK TOGETHER HERE AND THEN START THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING. THANK YOU ALL PLEASE. EVERYONE DO HOLD IT TO FIVE MINUTES. I'LL BE STILL GONNA BE CARDING ME. OKAY? OKAY. OKAY. SO THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR CLOSED SESSION AGENDA WAS THE CUMMINS VERSUS, UH, CITY OF NATIONAL CITY CASE. UM, AND THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY ACKNOWLEDGES THE JURY'S VERDICT IN THAT CASE INVOLVING ASHLEY CUMMINS, WHEREIN MS. CUMMINS WAS AWARDED $10 MILLION IN DAMAGES FOLLOWING CLAIMS OF HARASSMENT AND DISCRIMINATION. THE CITY IS EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE OUTCOME AND IS CURRENTLY REVIEWING ALL OF THE LEGAL OPTIONS, INCLUDING A POSSIBLE APPEAL. THE CITY REMAINS COMMITTED TO ENSURING A FAIR AND INCLUSIVE WORKPLACE FOR ALL EMPLOYEES AND WILL CONTINUE TO UPHOLD THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONALISM WITHIN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. NOTWITHSTANDING THE CITY'S DISAPPOINTMENT, THE CITY AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WILL CAREFULLY ASSESS THE VERDICT AND DETERMINE WHAT LESSONS CAN BE LEARNED. THE CITY WILL CONTINUE WORKING DILIGENTLY TO SUPPORT A WORKPLACE CULTURE THAT VALUES RESPECT AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. THAT'S WONDERFUL. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALRIGHT. WITH THAT, WE WILL [00:25:01] ADJOURN THE COUNCIL MEETING AND THEN WE WILL PROCEED TO GO BACK INTO CLOSED SESSION. THANK YOU, MAYOR. THANK. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.