Mayor Announces Anti-Foreclosure Grants

Channel 4 News NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Friday morning, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean was on hand to help announce anti-foreclosure grants for the mid-state. With the grants, eligible households may get up to $2,500 to be used for counseling, "rescue" funds or money toward plans to reduce losses. Eligible families are those whose income does not exceed $49,000 and who are only two payments behind on their mortgage. The household must also be willing to accept free financial counseling to be eligible to apply for part of the grant. The $200,000 anti-foreclosure grant was given to Nashville Friday by the Woodbine Community Organization.

Teach for America coming to Metro schools in 2009

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • October 16, 2008 Teach for America will place 50 new college graduates in Metro classrooms next fall, providing an infusion of new teaching blood that Mayor Karl Dean and other education leaders hope will give the struggling school district new hope. Dean and Teach for America announced the decision to a roomful of Metro government and business leaders, including some who quickly raised $1 million to convince the New York-based organization to come to Nashville a year earlier than would have normally been possible. "We could not wait another year," Dean said. Teach for America recruits highly motivated college graduates, gives them intense training and puts them in struggling schools in return for a two-year commitment. The program started in 1990 and is in 29 other areas, including Memphis. It planned to put 30 teachers in Metro until Wednesday, when it decided to boost the total to 50 - a number that will be matched in 2010-11. Dean also announced the completion of a $1 million fund raising drive for the New Teacher Project, which will work to help Metro schools recruit teachers more effectively; the creation of a Community Foundation fund to help pay for his other education initiatives; and the appointment of Laura Hansen, the Metro school district's continuous improvement coordinator, to lead the mayor's initiatives. Hansen will start working in the mayor's office early next month. Contact Michael Cass at 259-8838 or mcass@tennessean.com.

Nashville Improvement Projects Put On Hold

WSMV-TV updated 7:13 p.m. CT, Tues., Sept. 30, 2008 NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Nashville Mayor Karl Dean said he's committed to capital improvement projects like sprucing up the downtown riverfront and improving school buildings. But the spending plan approving a lot of those desired projects is on hold, thanks to the turbulent financial markets. "We can't ignore what's going on at national level," Dean said. "Last week, in terms of fiscal bonds being sold, it was at an incredibly low number, so this is not the time to be pushing ahead." On Tuesday, Dean was scheduled to announce his $200 million capital spending plan, but he put everything on hold. That's because the city finances improvement projects by issuing debt through municipal bonds. Those bonds are usually among the most stable on the market, with billions of dollars of municipal bonds typically sold every week, but not right now. "I'm very concerned," said Metro Councilwoman Vivian Wilhoite. Wilhoite said she understands the mayor's move, but can't help but worry her number one wish just won't be in the stars. "We definitely need a community center in southeast Davidson County," she said. While the parks department agrees with Wilhoite, she hasn?t received the funding for a couple years now. Currently, there is only one community center in Antioch. "When you consider we are the fastest growing community in all of Davidson County, that's not enough," she said. Fewer projects may be approved than in the past due to the financial times. The city's finance director said too many were approved by the past administration, so this year's plan was already going to be lean. Dean doesn't know how long it will be before he proceeds with the capital spending plan, but Tuesday morning, he estimated about a week or two. Even before the turmoil on Wall Street, the plan was already delayed while the city assessed its bonding capacity.

Nashville mayor enlists neighbors to clean up community

By HARRIET VAUGHAN • Staff Writer • August 1, 2008 In a rush to beat the rain, Gary French is out cutting his neighbor's grass. His neighbor is a single woman who often needs an extra pair of hands to help out. That's not a problem for French, who's lived on Calvin Avenue in Inglewood for 10 years. In fact, he's known up and down his street for helping his neighbors with odds and ends around their homes and in the yard. "That's the way I was raised. I've always cared and taken interest in my neighbors and my neighborhood," he said. French is the kind of neighbor Mayor Karl Dean wants to duplicate across the county with his latest initiative, Community Matters. He launched the program this week in Inglewood. Community Matters is designed to offer two months of coordinated assistance from the city's Codes and Health departments and the Davidson County sheriff's office. Neighborhoods prone to codes and health violations will be partnered up with the agencies to alleviate excessive citations. Residents and members of the county agencies will be looking for violations such as excessively tall grass, broken windows, illegal businesses and illegally parked vehicles. Metro Beautification will help residents keep litter and large bulk trash items off the streets. The program will begin in target communities in Inglewood and East Nashville and move to neighborhoods around the county. It's a relief That's a relief for residents such as 79-year-old Ann Smart. She and her husband built their East Nashville home 30 years ago. She says she's watched the neighborhood take a turn for the worse. "When we built our house, it was a good neighborhood. It has just gone down so much and it bothers me. Some people just don't take care of their places anymore," Smart said. Dean hopes to change that. As part of Community Matters, the mayor's office will conduct a two-hour training session for neighbors and neighborhood associations, teaching them how to identify codes violations and what to do if they spot one. If a resident does not correct the violation noted by a neighbor, they will be reported to the appropriate agency. The agency will give them a time frame to fix the problem. If the resident refuses, he or she will be summoned to appear before a judge and could be given jail time. "If someone's shutter is falling off, report that. If someone's car is parked illegally with illegal tags, report that," said Scott Wallace, a neighborhood liaison for the mayor's Office of Neighborhoods. "We can't be everywhere and if we can stay on top of that, the neighborhoods will prosper." Program will help Paul Koumanelis, owner of Pizzereal restaurant in East Nashville, is excited about the program. He opened his restaurant four years ago. Clean streets and safer surroundings could mean more business in what was previously a home on North 11th Street. "I think it's cool. Things are already on the upswing and this will really help," he said. Koumanelis says often, people walk up and down the street near his business and litter. At least two homes within one block of his restaurant are in violation of city codes. Brady Banks, director of the mayor's Office of Neighborhoods, says Community Matters is a proactive approach to reclaim neighborhoods gripped by crime and neglect. Banks says the surge in county resources in target areas under the program will not deplete the staff responding to needs in other neighborhoods. A complete report of violations corrected will be published at the end of each 60-day program. The results will also be available online. Contact Harriet Vaughan at 615.259.8048 or hvaughan@tennessean.com.

Sunday June 29 2008 At the Historic Ellis Garage

Mayor Karl Dean

Council Member Vivian Wilhoite

and the

Una neighborhood Watch/Association

Invite you to the

Dedication and Unveiling of the UNA Historical Marker

Sunday June 29, 2008

3:00 PM

At the Historic Ellis Garage

Corner of Smith Springs and old Murfeesboro Roads

Parking available at UNA Elementary School

2018 Murfreesboro Road

We hope you will join us!

Photo by Mindy Schwartz

District 29 Families, Come One, Come All to

Mayor Karl Dean’s
Sunday, August 3 from 2 to 5 pm at the Sommet Center (formerly the Nashville Arena), 501 Broadway in Downtown Nashville. This is a great event and my sons truly enjoy this day tremendously. A day of fun that is filled to gear up for a successful school year! Don’t forget, Mayor Dean asks that you please bring one or more non-perishable food item to help feed the hungry in Nashville. Stop by the Metro Council members table for giveaways and to say hello to your favorite councilmember. I will be there for sure! What a great way for Davidson County families to start the school year! For more 1st Day activities information click here for Mayor Dean’s at http://www.nashville.gov/mocy/firstday/2008/index.htm

See you at the festival!

Vivian!

Council looking to restore $1 million to MTA

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean)• June 16, 2008 The Metro Council is poised to restore $1 million to the Metro Transit Authority's budget for the upcoming fiscal year, a move that would save some public bus routes from the chopping block. Councilman Erik Cole, chairman of the council's Budget and Finance Committee, said the substitute budget the council plans to vote on Tuesday night would reflect the high priority the council is placing on public transportation at a time of bruising increases in gas prices. "It would be a terrible year to send a signal that we didn't care about public transportation," Cole said. MTA's board voted last month to raise bus fares and eliminate seven routes to help make up a $2.9 million shortfall driven by spikes in the cost of diesel fuel. Mayor Karl Dean's budget proposal for the year starting July 1 would cut MTA's funding by $400,000 even as the authority said it needed $2.5 million more than it's getting this year. Dean, who planned to increase funding to public schools and not much else in a tight fiscal year, has said he wishes he could have done more for MTA. Paul Ballard, MTA's chief executive, said the authority would wait to see the final numbers approved by the council before announcing the routes it would restore. "But it's good news," Ballard said. "It's great news." Any shift in budget funds comes with a cost, however. Cole said the $1 million would come from an assortment of "administrative accounts and contingency funds," including money set aside to help some Metro departments relocate before a capital funding shortage forced the city to reconsider those plans. The mayor's office, the council office and the Metro Arts Commission also would see their funding reduced somewhat beyond what the mayor proposed, Cole said. "We really wanted to demonstrate that we could spread out the impact," he said. The $1 million includes $200,000 Dean had already committed to MTA, Ballard said. Those funds would let MTA continue serving Metro magnet school students, who don't receive transportation from the school district. The council's Budget and Finance Committee meets at 4 p.m. today in the council chamber at the Metro Courthouse. The full council meets Tuesday at 6:30 p.m.

Metro sidewalks plan draws comments, criticism

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • June 10, 2008 A draft revision of Metro Nashville's strategic plan for sidewalks and bikeways has been released by Metro Public Works, which is accepting comments and questions - and getting some criticism - about the plan. The draft is available at the Nashville Public Library and at http://www.civicinc.com/MetroStratPlan/ProposedUpdatesSPSB_5-30-2008.pdf. To comment or ask questions, send an e-mail to info@nashvilleplan.com. Bell Lowe Newton, president of the Woodlawn Area Neighborhood Association, said some parts of the plan make little sense to her and her neighbors. Sidewalks are planned for some side streets where there's little vehicular traffic, but not for the busier roads that lead to them, she said. But city officials and consultants seem to be listening to the neighbors' concerns, Newton said. "We're looking forward to working with Metro," she said. The city completed its original strategic plan in 2003. Mayor Karl Dean called for an update last fall, and five community meetings were held earlier this year. The draft plan says Public Works has built or repaired 124 miles of sidewalks and constructed 94 miles of bikeways since 2003.Jim Snyder, who oversees capital projects for Public Works, said the city plans to start giving more weight to existing sidewalks' physical condition and the possibility of coordinating improvements with other Metro projects, such as schools and parks. Residents who attended the community meetings said they'd like to see more sidewalks near greenways, schools, retail centers, hospitals, parks and community centers, Snyder said. Here are some tips for viewing the plans: 1) Go to www.nashvilleplan.org and click on "View Sidewalks Project Information and Maps" 2) Click on "Funded Projects:Maps & Schedule" (right corner) 3) Click on "Project Search" (right corner) for proposed projects or "Interactive Viewer" to see what is already funded. 4) Once you're in Interactive Viewer:- Go to fourth box on left, "Find"- Click "By Address" 5) Go to bottom of page (scroll) and type in street and cross street 6) Hit the Locate button7) Go to magnifying glass icon

Metro's gas-saving plan

Reported on WKRN (Channel 2) The city of Nashville is tightening its belt even further, and you won't be seeing as many Metro vehicles around town. Monday, Mayor Karl Dean cut the city's fleet of cars and trucks by 10-percent, or 400 vehicles. It's all about saving money - mostly on fuel. The Mayor also wants department heads to re-evaluate how many of the 900 take-home vehicles can be used less. Metro expects to spend $2-million more for gas this year than they budgeted. General Services Director Nancy Whittemore said, "It's something we all have to deal with at home or at work and it's something that's gone beyond what we thought it would." Metro also plans to replace ageing cars and trucks with smaller vehicles and hybrids. Right now, there are only six hybrids in the fleet. In Metro's Fire Department, 17 employees will lose their take-home cars -- and Metro's fire chief insists the move will not affect public safety. "We're not taking away a car that that's critical to our response for major fire department operations," Fire Chief Steve Halford told News 2. Metro's firefighters will also be encouraged to make fewer trips to grocery stores and restaurants during their extra long shifts. They must use Fire Department vehicles in case a call comes in during their meal.

Metro will trim fleet to save gas

Fewer cars can be driven home By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer •(Tennessean) June 2, 2008 Metro Nashville will reduce its vehicle fleet by 10 percent and make other changes to try to gain ground in an ongoing battle against the high price of gas, Mayor Karl Dean will announce today. The elimination of 400 vehicles should save the government more than $1.4 million a year, the mayor's office told The Tennessean Friday. "We're already in tight financial times," Dean said. "When you add in the increasing cost of fuel and growing concerns about the environment, it's clear these changes need to be made." Dean also will order department heads to: • Reduce the number of vehicles taken home by employees. More than 900 vehicles are assigned to employees 24 hours a day, but they shouldn't be without "strong justification," Dean's office said. Most of the take-home vehicles are in the Metro Police Department. Dean expects patrol officers to continue to take their cars home at night, while police administrators probably won't have the same need, spokeswoman Janel Lacy said. • Try to buy smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles, including hybrids, when it's time to replace old ones. • Require employees to turn off their engines rather than leaving them idling during brief stops. Metro is making the changes as fuel prices continue to rise. An average gallon of regular unleaded gas cost almost $3.84 in the Nashville area Friday, according to AAA. Metro Councilman Mike Jameson said the changes would be good for the environment as well. "It's important that the city demonstrate by example," he said. "And this certainly seems to be in that vein." Councilwoman Megan Barry said she'd like to see the city use the savings to help the Metro Transit Authority, which plans to cut bus routes and raise fares to deal with a $2.9 million budget shortfall in the upcoming fiscal year. "My hope is that those dollars might help other Nashvillians get from Point A to Point B in a cost-efficient way," Barry said. MTA will add six hybrid-electric buses, which will cut gas and maintenance costs, to its fleet by the end of the year. Departments cut back A few Metro departments have already implemented some of the changes Dean is calling for. Fire Chief Steve Halford said he cut back on his department's take-home vehicles after taking the job in 2001. "When I got here, it seemed like everyone had a take-home vehicle," he said. Halford, who also is the acting director of the Mayor's Office of Emergency Management, said he's planning cuts in both departments in the next two weeks. Fire will reduce its take-home vehicles from 55 to 38, and OEM's after-hours fleet will drop from 13 to eight. The two departments, which have nearly 1,200 employees, also will eliminate 12 vehicles altogether from their combined fleets. "It's the first time since I've been in Metro that I've seen this degree of trying to reduce costs," Halford said. "It's a good thing, and we all have to contribute." Metro Water Services used to let its engineers take vehicles home at night so they could go straight to inspection jobs in the morning. Now that only happens if an engineer's first job of the day is near his or her home. "We've essentially removed them from the take-home vehicle list unless there's just a good demand for it," said Deputy Director John Kennedy. Kennedy said he expects the department to make other changes eventually. In response to questions from council members at a budget hearing Thursday, Parks Director Roy Wilson said park police officers are his only employees who take city vehicles home. Parks also has a no-idling policy "during these difficult times with fuel prices," Wilson said.