[00:00:04]
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
RIGHT, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.AND WITH THAT, 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 INFORM MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC THAT THEY MAY SUBMIT A GENERAL PUBLIC COMMENT OR A PUBLIC COMMENT ON A SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEM IN A NUMBER OF WAYS.
IN PERSON IN THE CITY, IN THE, UH, COUNCIL CHAMBERS BY SUBMITTING ONE OF THESE SCAN SALMON COLORED, UH, SPEAKER SLIPS OR EMAILING NO LATER THAN FOUR HOURS BEFORE THE MEETING, AND ALL WRITTEN COMMENTS RECEIVED WILL BE DISTRIBUTED TO THE CITY COUNCIL PRIOR TO THE MEETING AND PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE IF RECEIVED BY THE DEADLINE.
WITH THAT, CAN WE HAVE ROLL CALL PLEASE? THANK YOU.
PRESENT, AND WE'LL NOTE THAT, UH, VICE MAYOR BUSH IS ABSENT.
IF WE COULD PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
UH, MEMBER RODRIGUEZ, WOULD YOU HEAR US? PLEASE, PLEASE.
YOUR RIGHT HAND OVER YOUR HEART.
READY? BEGIN PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG.
FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND JURY REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS? ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND LAW.
[4. PUBLIC COMMENT (Public Comment will be restricted to Agenda Items Only)]
OKAY.WITH THAT, WE WILL, UH, HEAR PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT ARE SPECIFIC TO THIS AGENDA ITEM.
AND DO WE HAVE ANYONE ON ZOOM FOR THIS? NO.
SO WE ONLY HAVE THESE SLIPS, SO WE WILL TAKE THESE AND, UH, WE'LL BE ON TWO MINUTES.
UM, MR. TED GOTCH, DON'T EVEN SIT DOWN.
UH, CUEVAS BE FOLLOWED BY MARIA SEVERSON.
YOU'VE RECENTLY DISCUSSED POLICY 1 0 5 ISSUES ABOUT WHAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE PUT ON THE AGENDA, AND PERHAPS YOU COULD CONSIDER ASKING THE PUBLIC WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE ON THE AGENDA AS WELL.
THE ITEM YOU CAN SPEAK TO RIGHT NOW IS I AM IS ABOVE CITY MANAGER.
IT'S POLICY 1 0 5 AND IT'S THE CITY MANAGER'S APPOINTMENT.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE A MEETING WHERE YOU CONSIDER ASKING THE PUBLIC WHAT THEY'D LIKE TO SEE IN A CITY MANAGER.
THANK YOU TO COUNCILWOMAN LOUIS MOLINA FOR BRINGING UP THIS IDEA, OUR NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.
IT'S A GOOD, A GOOD DISCUSSION.
HAVE THE REST OF YOU DONE THIS? ONLY LOOKING AT YOU TWO BECAUSE HE'S NOT HERE.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE A VERY IMPORTANT THING TO DO, AND I THINK YOU SHOULD BRING IT UP TO THIS, MEET YOUR REGULAR PUBLIC MEETING AS WELL.
UM, THINGS BEING BROUGHT UP IN DIFFERENT DISTRICTS LIKE THE MURAL, CANNABIS, THE BILLBOARDS, ALL THESE THINGS GOING TO SOMEBODY ELSE'S DISTRICT FROM HIS IDEA.
IN THIS CASE, WE DON'T APPRECIATE IT NOT BEING VETTED BY THE PUBLIC, AT THE NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCIL.
THE BILLBOARD IDEA, THE CITY MANAGER'S POSITION, UM, CANNABIS AS WELL.
ALL THESE ARE IMPORTANT THINGS THAT SHOULD BE DISCUSSED WITH THE PEOPLE IN THE DISTRICT.
YOU MENTIONED SEVERAL TIMES IN THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING ABOUT THE, UH, THE ZONE CHANGE IN THE FIVE APARTMENTS, OR FIVE, FIVE BUILDINGS THERE AT 16TH AND HARBOR AT HARON.
AND YOU'VE MENTIONED MS. YAMANI, THAT YOU HEARD A LOT FROM THE PUBLIC.
WELL, WE ALL WANT TO PARTICIPATE IN THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND YET WHEN SOMETHING IS PUT INTO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD OVER OUR WISHES, WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA REACT AND WE DON'T WANNA APPRECIATE IT.
AND WE THINK YOU SHOULD BE MINDFUL OF THIS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, MARISSA CUEVAS, FOLLOWED BY MARIA JEFFERSON.
IN THE PAST SIX MONTHS, THERE HAS BEEN THREE CITY MANAGERS.
THERE'S SOMETHING ROTTEN IN DENMARK, AND I DON'T SAY THAT TO DISCOURAGE YOU, CITY MANAGER, BUT I HOPE, I RATHER HOPE YOU TO TAKE IT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT ALL OF THESE IMPORTANT ISSUES THAT ARE BRING BROUGHT THAT ARE BROUGHT ABOUT FROM THE PUBLIC.
THE MAYOR AND ASSISTANT HAVE USURPED THE AUTHORITY AND THE POWER OF THE CITY MANAGER IN VIOLATION OF THE NATIONAL CITY MUNICIPAL CODE TO 0.0 WITH THE PERMISSION OF OTHER TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS.
KEEPING THE CITY MANAGER FROM PERFORMING THE DUTY TO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE EFFICIENT ADMINISTRATION OF ALL THE AFFAIRS OF THE CITY, TO SEE THAT ALL LAWS AND ORDINANCES ARE DULY ENFORCED.
AND TO EMPLOY DISCIPLINE OR REMOVE ALL HEADS OF DEPARTMENTS AND ALL SUBORDINATE OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF THE CITY, YOU HAVE A REMARKABLE JOB BEING IN THE CITY WITHIN NATIONAL CITY
[00:05:01]
AND A DUTY TO THE PUBLIC TO ENSURE THAT ALL THINGS ARE HELD IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS, BUT ALSO IN ACCORDANCE WITH WHAT THE PUBLIC WANTS.YOU'LL SEE, UM, MULTIPLE OTHER COMMENTATORS DURING TODAY AND IN THE LATER NIGHT, UM, TALK ABOUT THESE ISSUES IN DETAIL.
BUT LIKE, I I WANT TO REITERATE IS THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS IMPORTANT TO THE PUBLIC.
SOMETHING TO KEEP, UM, LOOKING INTO AND IN YOUR POSITION, ENSURING THAT THE PUBLIC AND NATIONAL CITY, YOU KNOW, THESE ISSUES ARE BEING ADDRESSED.
MARIA SEVERSON, FOLLOWED BY MICHAEL AGUIRE, FOLLOWED BY LUISA MCCARTHY.
UH, SO I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CITY MANAGER IS UP.
I, LAST TIME I WAS HERE AND YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE CITY MANAGER.
IT WAS A, UH, NATIONWIDE SEARCH, WE WERE TOLD, BUT I GUESS THAT IS A NA NATIONAL SEARCH AS AN ONLY NATIONAL CITY, UM, I WISH THE NEW MANAGER WELL.
UH, I AM HOPING THAT THE CITY ATTORNEY CAN WORK WITH THE CITY MANAGER SO THAT HE, I, I BELIEVE IT'S HE OR NOT, SHE WILL, UM, ADHERE TO THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT, WILL UNDERSTAND THE RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER THE BROWN ACT AS FAR AS OPEN MEETINGS, THAT THEY WILL UNDERSTAND THE DUTY TO PRESERVE RECORDS.
UH, WE KNOW WE JUST SAW SOME THINGS HAPPEN WITH THE CLAIMS DEPART, THE CLAIMS FORMS THAT GOT A, A LITTLE BIT OF A SWITCHEROO AFTER WE MADE SOME REQUESTS LAST TIME WE WERE HERE.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT THE CITY MANAGER KNOW THAT THE TEXTS, THE PHONES, THE PERSONAL PHONE, THE CITY CELL PHONE, THE RECORDS THAT THEY'RE, IT'S A TIGHT SHIP WITH MAKING SURE THAT, UH, ALL THE CITY'S RECORDS ARE MAINTAINED AND PROVIDED TO THE PUBLIC WHEN REQUESTED.
UH, MICHAEL AGAR, FOLLOWED BY LUISA MCCARTHY, FOLLOWED BY MICKEL POLANCO.
NATIONAL CITY IS A CITY MANAGER FORM OF GOVERNMENT, AND WHAT THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN IS THE CITY MANAGER CARRIES OUT THE RESPONSIBILITIES IN THE MUNICIPAL CODE, THE COUNCIL SETS POLICY, BUT THE CITY MANAGER ESSENTIALLY RUNS THE CITY.
NOW, THIS IS THE THIRD CITY MANAGER IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, AND THIS IS NEW CITY MANAGERS COMING IN, IN THE CONTEXT OF A LOT OF CORRUPTION THAT HAS BEEN DOCUMENTED, A LOT OF MISTAKES.
THE NEW CITY MANAGERS COMING IN AND THE CONTEXT OF A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR SEXUAL HARASSMENT CASE THAT A JURY OF PEERS DETERMINED WAS A RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT.
IT'S NOT THAT YOU DIDN'T CONDUCT A NATIONAL SEARCH, IT'S THAT YOU REACHED INTO A DEPARTMENT THAT DOES NOT CURRENTLY ENJOY THE CONFIDENCE THAT IT HAD BEFORE THE $10 MILLION VERDICT.
SO YOU CAN CONTINUE TO DO WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND HAVE SOMEONE COME IN THAT WILL HELP CONTINUE TO COVER IT UP, OR YOU CAN REJECT THAT IDEA AND DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
GET AN INDEPENDENT CITY MANAGER THAT COMES IN WITH INDEPENDENT AUTHORITY, DON'T USURP THE AUTHORITY AND LET THAT CITY MANAGER HELP RESTORE THE INTEGRITY AND THE ADMINISTRATION THAT THE PEOPLE OF NASHVILLE CITY REALLY DESERVE.
LUIS MCCARTHY, FOLLOWED BY LANCO, FOLLOWED BY ALEXANDER GUT.
I KNOW YOU MISSED US, BUT WE ARE BACK SLIM PICKINGS FOR DARN SURE.
VERY SAD TO HEAR THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND MUNICIPALITIES ARE ALL TALKING OF WHAT A JOKE NATIONAL CITY IS, HOW PATHETIC.
AND THAT NO ONE WITH REAL CREDENTIALS AND REAL QUALITY WOULD DARE FILL IN TO WORK FOR THIS CITY OF CORRUPTION.
THEY DO NOT WANT TO BE PAINTED WITH THE SAME BRUSH, AS I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER ON, UH, IN MONTHS HERE.
HOW DISAPPOINTING TO SEE THAT WHEN CITY STAFF TURNS A BLIND EYE TO WRONGDOINGS OR, OR IS PART OF WRONGDOINGS, THEY GET PROMOTED, THEY GET A RAISE,
[00:10:01]
LET'S JUST MOVE THEM ON TO ANOTHER POSITION AND GIVE THEM A LIGHT THAT IS DISGUSTING.DOES $10 MILLION LAWSUIT MEAN ANYTHING TO ANY ONE OF YOU? DOES IT MEAN ANYTHING? IS IT BECAUSE IT'S NOT COMING OUT OF IT YOUR POCKET OR BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T WORK HARD ENOUGH? YOUR BACK'S NOT HURTING, YOUR FEET'S NOT HURTING YOUR, I MEAN EVERYTHING TO PROVIDE FOR YOUR FAMILY.
AND THEN YOU PAY TAXES AND THEN YOU HAVE TO PAY FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS LIKE THIS.
AND THE CHIEF DURING BRIEFING, AS YOU KNOW, I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE AND IN BRIEFING, HE SAID, AS WHAT I'M TOLD, OH, WE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG AFTER THE $10 MILLION LAWSUIT SAID, YOU GUYS ARE GUILTY.
WE HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, KIND OF FAMILIAR WORDS LIKE BRICO, WE'VE GOT THE SUPPORT OF THE CITY.
ALRIGHT, UH, MICKEL BLANCO, FOLLOWED BY ALEXANDER GUT.
UM, I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS NEW, UH, CITY MANAGER.
ACTUALLY, I THINK YOU NEED SOMEBODY THAT WILL HELP THE CITY OF NATIONAL CITY, UH, HAVE A FRESH START, UH, MAKE YOU LOOK GOOD.
DESPITE OF ALL THE CONTROVERSY AND THE DIVISIVENESS THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED IN OUR, IN OUR CITY, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
I JUST HOPE THAT THAT PERSON, UM, WILL, WILL COME, UM, WITH AN ATTITUDE OF BEING UNBIASED, BEING UNPARTIAL.
UM, SOMEONE WHO CAN, UM, ACTUALLY, UM, UM, WORK WITH THE, WITH THE GOVERNMENT AND LET HIM OR HER DO THE JOB.
I THINK RIGHT NOW, UH, THEY'VE BEING CLOUDED, UM, BY ONE PERSON OR THE OTHER.
AND OUR SYSTEM WORKS IF YOU MAKE IT WORK.
IF YOU YOURSELVES, DON'T GET INVOLVED IN THE CITY PLANNING DECISIONS WITH THE HR, UH, ISSUES WITH THE CITY ATTORNEYS.
IF YOU LET THE CITY MANAGER DO ITS JOB, IF YOU LET BARRY DO ITS JOB, IF YOU LET THE HR DIRECTOR AND EVERYBODY ELSE DO THEIR JOBS, THE SYSTEM WORKS.
I HAVE STILL FAITH IN OUR SYSTEM.
THE PROBLEM LIES WHEN SOMEONE TRIES TO CORRUPT THE SYSTEM AND THERE'S THE MAJORITY OF TYRANNY.
WHEN YOU ALWAYS HAVE THREE VOTES AND YOU DON'T HAVE AN INDEPENDENT VOTE AS A BODY OF GOVERNMENT, THEN THE SYSTEM STARTS BREAKING DOWN.
SO I'M JUST ASKING ALL OF YOU TO PLEASE BE MORE CONSCIOUS OF THAT BECAUSE YOU'RE VERY, YOU'RE ALL VERY INTELLIGENT PEOPLE, BUT YOU NEED TO USE YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT, UM, EXPERIENCES AND YOUR OWN INDEPENDENT MIND TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS AND LET THIS CITY MANAGER, THIS NEW CITY, CITY MANAGER, WHOMEVER THAT MAY BE, DO ITS JOB.
AND I HAVE FAITH THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THROUGH THIS AND I'M HOPEFUL THAT WE WILL GET THROUGH THIS.
THE NATIONAL CITY'S WEBSITE DESCRIBES THE CITY MANAGER AS BEING THAT OF A CEO, RUNNING THE CITY EFFICIENTLY, SMOOTHLY, COST EFFECTIVELY, BUT ALSO WITH A DEDICATION TO PUBLIC SERVICE.
WHAT IS INEFFICIENT AND WHAT IS NOT COST EFFECTIVE IS THE CITY HAS STILL NOT PRODUCED THE REQUESTED PUBLIC RECORDS.
IN PARTICULAR, THE PUBLIC RECORDS ON HOW THE CITY ABRUPTLY CHANGED ITS PUBLISHED CLAIM FORM AND THE PROCEDURES ON HOW TO SUBMIT A CLAIM, COINCIDENTALLY, WHICH WAS CHANGED RIGHT AFTER THE PUBLIC RECORDS WERE REQUESTED.
AS THE NEW CITY MANAGER, THE CITY MANAGER MUST ADHERE TO THE PRINCIPLES TO BE SMOOTH, TO RUN THE CITY SMOOTHLY, COST-EFFECTIVELY, EFFICIENTLY, AND BE DEDICATED TO PUBLIC SERVICE, NOT TO ANY INDIVIDUAL'S OWN INTERESTS.
[5. CLOSED SESSION]
SPEAKERS WE HAVE AT THIS TIME.WE HAVE ONE ITEM FOR CLOSED SESSION AND I WILL TURN IT OVER TO OUR CITY ATTORNEY.
UH, THE ITEM ON TONIGHT'S CLOSED SESSION INVOLVES A PUBLIC EMPLOYMENT AND THE POSITION TO BE FIELD IS THE CITY MANAGER.
WITH THAT, WE ARE IN THE CLOSED SESSION.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE A SILENT ROLL CALL WITH ALL MEMBERS PRESENT AT THE, UH, AT THE DAIS.
[00:15:02]
WE WILL BE REPORTING OUT OF CLOSED SESSION AT THE END OF THE REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING.AND WITH THAT, THE CLOSED SESSION IS ADJOURNED.
UH, AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA TAKE ABOUT A FIVE MINUTE BREAK, GET OUR, OUR MATERIALS, AND THEN WE'LL START AT THE REGULAR MEETING.