State and Local News That Matters
At the regularly scheduled meeting on November 14, the Sumner County Board of Commissioners in an unprecedented move voted to return the Comer Barn to the Rogers Group and give back a $250,000 grant to the State of Tennessee.
The resolution rescinds all previous actions and resolutions accepting ownership of the Comer Barn, relinquishing previous deeds so that ownership and control is given back to the Rogers Group.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – The East Bank Stadium Committee (EBSC) held its first of five public comment sessions Monday night at the East Nashville Magnet High School.
The EBSC was formed in June by Vice Mayor Jim Shulman to lead the efforts related to any potential legislation and to serve as a central place to gather information for the Council and the public, but will not be taking any votes.
At the Thursday evening meeting of the East Bank Stadium Committee, a council member praised an economist’s presentation about public investment in sports stadiums as more valuable than the paid report the council approved a company to do.
Professor of Economics, Finance and Quantitative Analysis at Kennesaw State University, J.C. Bradbury, delivered an information-dense presentation in rapid-fire fashion to the East Bank Stadium Committee (EBSC), of which Council Member Delishia Porterfield (District 29) was highly complimentary and appreciative, especially in comparison to the Vision Stadium Group (VSG) report that had a cost of at least $250,000.
At its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening, Metro Council gave approval for Mayor John Cooper’s office to pursue a solicitation for development of a portion of the Nissan Stadium campus.
By voice vote, an amended RS2022-1828 was approved unanimously, having advanced through three committees unanimously after it had been deferred at a previous Council meeting.
GALLATIN, Tennessee – Sumner County’s Board of Commissioners passed a resolution Monday night that calls out Sumner County Schools (SCS) for having books in the system’s libraries that contain pornographic material and divisive concepts, in apparent violation of two different sections of Tennessee state law.
After about 90 minutes of debate and hearing from SCS Chief Academic Officer Scott Langford, the measure passed with a vote of 15 yes, 5 no and 1 abstention, after an earlier debate that resulted in adding the item to the agenda.
In Sumner County, voters overwhelmingly approved conservative ballot measures and chose Republicans in the November 8 state-level elections as well as many municipal general elections, even though the latter are non-partisan.
With a total of 52,879 votes cast of 130,654 registered voters, the turnout was 40 percent, according to the unofficial results posted by the Sumner County Election Commission.
There is not a manual that states the NFL standards for stadiums, even though the language of “first class” is carried forward from the current stadium lease agreement and incorporated in the term sheet between Metro Nashville, the Sports Authority, the Tennessee Titans and the to-be-formed StadiumCo for the new stadium.
Burke Nihill, President and CEO of the Tennessee Titans (pictured above) shared the insight with the Nashville Metropolitan Sports Authority, at a special-called meeting held on Thursday, November 10 at Nissan Stadium, the team’s current home.
At the end of the November 7 meeting of the East Bank Stadium Committee, a representative for the Tennessee Titans came forward and agreed to make public a plan to renovate Nissan Stadium developed on behalf of the team that Mayor John Cooper’s office has claimed is “proprietary.”
After questioning by several of the committee members, James Weaver, partner at Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis LP and representing the Titans said they would be happy to share the plan with council.
At the end of the November 7 meeting of the East Bank Stadium Committee, a representative for the Tennessee Titans came forward and agreed to make public a plan to renovate Nissan Stadium developed on behalf of the team that Mayor John Cooper’s office has claimed is “proprietary.”
After questioning by several of the committee members, James Weaver, partner at Waller, Lansden, Dortch & Davis LP and representing the Titans said they would be happy to share the plan with council.
PALM BEACH, Florida – As the November 8, 2022, election night results rolled in to Mar-a-Lago, the resort membership club and primary residence of 45th U.S. President Donald J. Trump, he was uncharacteristically reserved in his comments and interactions with those in attendance.
With some polls closing as early as 7 p.m. Eastern time, including the swing state of Georgia, it became evident early on in the evening that the forecasted “red tsunami” was going to fall well short of predictions.
When Nashville Mayor John Cooper and the Tennessee Titans announced on October 17 that they had reached an agreement to build a new stadium, a 27-page term sheet was released that outlines the principal terms and conditions for the financing, development, construction, operation, use and occupancy of the multi-purpose, enclosed stadium.
The term sheet, however, is subject to the negotiation, preparation, execution and delivery of seven “Definitive Agreements” by the four parties – Metro Nashville government (Metro), the Nashville Sports Authority (the Authority), the Tennessee Titans (the Club) and a to-be-formed entity under common control of the Titans referred to as StadiumCo.
When Nashville Mayor John Cooper and the Tennessee Titans announced on October 17 that they had reached an agreement to build a new stadium, a 27-page term sheet was released that outlines the principal terms and conditions for the financing, development, construction, operation, use and occupancy of the multi-purpose, enclosed stadium.
The term sheet, however, is subject to the negotiation, preparation, execution and delivery of seven “Definitive Agreements” by the four parties – Metro Nashville government (Metro), the Nashville Sports Authority (the Authority), the Tennessee Titans (the Club) and a to-be-formed entity under common control of the Titans referred to as StadiumCo.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – At the Wednesday meeting of Metro Council’s specially formed East Bank Stadium Committee, members heard from the Tennessee Titans promoting their recently introduced community benefits platform and an advocacy group that recommended formal agreements for the communities that are to be served.
The Titans announced their ONE Community benefits platform just days after the joint announcement with Mayor John Cooper that the parties reached an agreement for a new football stadium.
NASHVILLE, Tennessee – At the Wednesday meeting of Metro Council’s specially formed East Bank Stadium Committee, members heard from the Tennessee Titans promoting their recently introduced community benefits platform and an advocacy group that recommended formal agreements for the communities that are to be served.
The Titans announced their ONE Community benefits platform just days after the joint announcement with Mayor John Cooper that the parties reached an agreement for a new football stadium.
The resolution to approve the term sheet, which gives an overview of the terms and conditions of the agreements and transactions for the financing, construction and operation of a new domed stadium adjacent to the existing Nissan Stadium which will then be demolished, was deferred for two meetings. Both the Budget and Finance Committee and the Public Facilities, Arts and Culture Committees had previously voted to defer for two meetings.
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The resolution to approve the term sheet, which gives an overview of the terms and conditions of the agreements and transactions for the financing, construction and operation of a new domed stadium adjacent to the existing Nissan Stadium which will then be demolished, was deferred for two meetings. Both the Budget and Finance Committee and the Public Facilities, Arts and Culture Committees had previously voted to defer for two meetings.
The much-anticipated report from VSG (Venue Solutions Group), which claims to substantiate the estimated $2.1 billion in projected costs to renovate Nissan Stadium was released Tuesday.
The previous estimates for an upgrade to the stadium to the “first-class condition” required in the 1996 stadium lease agreement at costs ranging between $1.75 to $1.95 billion is what is driving the argument for a new stadium.
The much-anticipated report from VSG (Venue Solutions Group), which claims to substantiate the estimated $2.1 billion in projected costs to renovate Nissan Stadium was released Tuesday.
The previous estimates for an upgrade to the stadium to the “first-class condition” required in the 1996 stadium lease agreement at costs ranging between $1.75 to $1.95 billion is what is driving the argument for a new stadium.
Two Gallatin councilmen who purchased property that the city needs for a street widening project suggested that they may donate to the city the land necessary for the right of way.
The property in question is located on East Smith Street, on the back side of Sumner County’s $100 million justice center approved by the county commission in 2019 and currently under construction.
Two Gallatin councilmen who purchased property that the city needs for a street widening project suggested that they may donate to the city the land necessary for the right of way.
The property in question is located on East Smith Street, on the back side of Sumner County’s $100 million justice center approved by the county commission in 2019 and currently under construction.
Metro Council Member Courtney Johnston (District 26) says that the recent request by the mayor’s office that the city’s legislative body approve the stadium term sheet between Metro Nashville and the Tennessee Titans is a matter of “the cart before the horse.”
Johnston initially made the point during the October 26 meeting of the East Bank Stadium Committee, at which time the mayor’s representative Finance Director Kelly Flannery asked for approval of the resolution attaching the term sheet, a 1 percent increase in the hotel occupancy tax (HOT) and advancing a request for proposal to search of a developer for the Stadium Campus, and reinforced it several times relative to more than one point during a telephone interview with The Tennessee Star on Saturday.
The near $300 million in capital improvements recommended in a 2017 report by Venue Solutions Group (VSG) would have resulted in an average of $12 million in expenditures per year for the following 20 years.
The 159-page Facility Condition Assessment was prepared on behalf of Metro Nashville Government (Metro) and the Metro Sports Authority (Authority) to benchmark the condition of the Tennessee Titans stadium.
Nashville’s East Bank Stadium Committee met Wednesday evening in the Council Chambers at City Hall to take its first critical look at the Tennessee Titans stadium proposal announced last week by Nashville Mayor John Cooper and the team.
The meeting was held a day after the team shared renderings of its new potential stadium, created by the same architectural firm that worked on Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium.
The Sumner and Trousdale County newly drawn Tennessee House District 35 Republican primary is a three-way race with one of the candidates being a registered Democrat in another state and another living out of the district.
The State House District 35 seat was held by conservative Republican Representative Jerry Sexton until the recent redistricting, which put Sexton in House District 10 currently held by Representative Rick Eldridge (R-Morristown). The new District 35 encompasses the portions of Sumner and Trousdale Counties that has been represented by Terri Lynn Weaver (R-Lancaster).
The attorney behind 4GoodGovernment and its Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act, Jim Roberts, told The Tennessee Star that the proposed Amendment 1 to the Charter of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County forever eliminates citizens’ ability to amend the charter for any reason.
Roberts is well-versed on the topic of Metro charter amendments, having successfully navigated the petition process for the Nashville Taxpayer Protection Act (NTPA) twice, but a lawsuit by Metro government kept it from being put on the ballot.
Five Republicans are seeking the nomination for the Tennessee House District 32 open seat, created by the retirement of five-term Representative Kent Calfee (R-Kingston).
The winner of the Republican primary on August 4 will face off against Democrat Jan Hahn, who is running unopposed in the primary, to represent citizens of Roane and a small portion of Loudon County. The district includes not only the city of Oak Ridge, but the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, production site of the Manhattan Project’s atomic bomb, as well as the Y-12 National Security Complex.
The vote of five members of the City of Hendersonville Board of Mayor and Alderman (BOMA) halted a ballot initiative that would allow residents to vote on term limits for the city alderman and mayor.
The vote on Ordinance 2202-09 relative to term limits for members of the board of mayor and alderman, which was up for a second reading on Tuesday, June 28 and required a two-thirds majority to pass, failed for receiving just eight of the necessary nine positive votes.
GALLATIN, Tennessee – The Gallatin City Councilman who proposed de-annexation of an individual property owner for complaining about the city defended his proposal, even as he agreed to “put it to bed” at the council’s work session Tuesday, June 28.
“I was just trying to do this to help,” claimed Shawn Fennell, Councilman at Large, to the standing room only crowd in the Dr. Deotha Malone Chambers at Gallatin City Hall.
While every office in Sumner County in which a partisan election has been held is currently controlled by Republicans, Democrats are making a run at several seats during the 2022 election cycle.
On the August 4 combination ballot that includes the general election for county offices and a primary for state and federal offices, Democrats are vying for eight of the four dozen total seats electors will be voting on.
The Gallatin City Council made a proposal at its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening to de-annex the property of a resident who pulled a petition as a candidate in the November election for the Gallatin City Council earlier that same day.
De-annexing the property would effectively eliminate the owner from running in a city election.