Metro Nashville Council has published the agenda for its February 15, 2022 meeting.
License plate reader (LPR) use, mental health professionals and the Metro Nashville Police Department, zoning, easements, contracts, and grant approvals are issues that dominate the Metro Council’s meeting agenda.
Councilmembers Bob Mendes and Erin Evans filed BL2022-1114, an ordinance on first reading that amends Section 13.08.080 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws pertaining to the use of License Plate Reader (LPR) technology to change the way personally identifiable information is defined.
“Personally identifiable information” or “PII” shall mean any representation of information that permits the identity of an individual to whom the information applies to be reasonably inferred by either direct or indirect means. Further, PII is defined as information: (i) that directly identifies an individual (e.g., name, address, social security number or other identifying number or code, telephone number, email address, etc.) or (ii) by which any governmental department or agency intends to identify specific individuals in conjunction with other data elements, i.e., indirect identification. (These data elements may include a combination of gender, race, birth date, and other descriptors). Additionally, information permitting the physical or online contacting of a specific individual is the same as personally identifiable information. This definition includes information that is maintained in either paper, electronic or other media.
Councilmember Bob Mendes filed BL2022-1115, an ordinance on first reading that amends “Section 13.08.080 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws pertaining to the use of License Plate Scanner (LPR) technology to exclude assisting with immigration enforcement as an allowed use of LPRs.”
This legislation would ban cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement using LPR technology. Metro Council approved a six-month pilot program at the last meeting, with Mayor Cooper’s support, utilizing LPR technology.
Councilmembers Zulfat Suara and Sharon Hurt filed RS2022-1391, a resolution “urging the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department to expand its use of mental health professionals in responding to calls involving an individual experiencing a mental health crisis.” This resolution is in response to the January 27, 2022 incident where officers from Metro Nashville PD shot and killed Landon Eastep on Interstate 65. The resolution says that Mr. Eastep had a history of mental health problems and no mental health professionals were on the scene of the incident when Eastep was shot and killed.
The vast majority of other resolutions as well as bills on first, second, and third reading deal with grant approvals, zoning, easements, and contracts.
As is typical for Metro Council meetings, there may be late-filed resolutions or ordinances. Metro Council meets on February 15, 2022 in the Metro Courthouse at 6:30pm.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Bob Mendes” by Bob Mendes. Photo “Erin Evans” by Erin Evans. Background Photo “Nashville City Hall” by euthman. CC BY-SA 2.0.
