Metro agency will hand out more aid for energy bills

One Metro Nashville agency has already seen 3,590 families this year — a major spike over last year — requesting assistance with energy bills because of the tough economy and rising costs of food, gas and electricity. "We're seeing a lot more people, and it's likely to double over last year," said Lisa Gallon, spokeswoman for the Metro Action Commission, which helps low-income families. "We are seeing a lot of first-time customers in our agency who historically were able to handle those expenses." Her agency and others will split $80 million in U.S. Department of Health and Human Services funding that just came to the state to help low-income families pay for rising energy costs. That's up from a $30 million grant last year. It's unknown how much Middle Tennessee and Metro's allocations will be, but officials say it needs to be substantial. On Oct. 1, a rate hike went into effect for customers of Nashville Electric Service and Middle Tennessee Electric Membership Corporation. Nashvillians' monthly electric bills have increased 10 percent to 20 percent to cover the cost of coal and other fuels used to generate electricity, according to the Tennessee Valley Authority. It's a temporary adjustment that may go up or down in January. There were 5,993 Metro families who requested help with their energy bills last year, Gallon said. Statewide, 80,000 residents were served, according to the Department of Human Services. The state expects that figure to double, said Glenda Shearon, assistant commissioner for adult and family services in the department. "It's very good to get this news as it gets chilly," Shearon said. "And with electric bills going up, it works out that the funding was increased." Contact Chris Echegaray at 615-664-2144 or cechegaray@tennessean.com.

Deaner elected Metro public defender

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer • September 16, 2008 The Metro Council just elected Dawn Deaner to be Metro’s public defender for the next 20 months. Deaner, an associate public defender since 2003, takes over the position that Ross Alderman held until his death in a motorcycle accident last month. She will be eligible to run for countywide election in May 2010. Deaner received 26 of 39 votes, defeating four other candidates on the first ballot. Contact Michael Cass at 259-8838 or mcass@tennessean.com

Metro opens police office in Hickory Hollow Mall

By SUZANNE NORMAND BLACKWOOD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • August 15, 2008 Commander Mike Alexander As a way of increasing police presence in the Hickory Hollow area, the Metro Police Department has set up an office inside Hickory Hollow Mall. Officers assigned to the Hickory Hollow area and flexteam members will use the office to do paperwork. Officers also will have a kiosk set up at the mall for recruiting purposes. Commander Mike Alexander of the Metro Police South Precinct said, to his knowledge, this is the only time in recent years that Metro police have set up a permanent office in a place such as a shopping mall. He said it's convenient for the officers who need a place to take care of administrative duties. Also, he added, "we want to do what we can to increase officer visibility in the hope that we will prevent crime, deter crime or lessen the likelihood that someone will become the victim of a crime in the Hickory Hollow area." Alexander said the decision resulted from several meetings with mall management. He said the mall decided to take a proactive approach to public safety, and communication was the key to getting started. Metro police will be working closely with mall security to ensure the mall environment is safe, he said. The goal, Alexander added, "is to improve the safety and quality of life of people in the area." "This won't be a catch-all," said Metro Councilman Sam Coleman, who has discussed with members of the Hickory Hollow Business Alliance the possibility of also hiring a private security firm to enhance security in the area. But it is the beginning of a public safety presence, he said. Police will try to recruit Alexander said the kiosk would have information about law enforcement careers as well as civilian positions. Recruitment would be targeted to people of all eligible ages, he said, but the opportunity for youth outreach is particularly a plus. "It gives us a chance to be a positive role model to any youth who may be in the mall," he said. Alexander said he hopes the community embraces the new partnership Metro police have begun with the mall and sees it as a positive addition. He noted on the recent success of the Fed Up march and rally, which took place in conjunction with Nashville Night Out Against Crime. Fed Up is a movement led by youth for the purpose of stopping youth violence.

Metro schools fail for fifth year in row

District loses more control to the state By JAIME SARRIO • Staff Writer • July 29, 2008 Metro Nashville Schools continued its slide toward total state control as student test data released Monday made it the only Tennessee district to fail five consecutive years. There were bright spots. African-American students, who didn't consistently meet math or reading benchmarks the last four years, made progress in every area. And without this year's higher benchmarks, Metro probably would have met federal standards, state officials said. While expected, the news was unwelcome. "It's hard to be real excited when the district goes into restructuring," Interim Director Chris Henson said. Meanwhile, neighboring Robertson County, the only other Tennessee district where years of failure prompted state involvement, raised student achievement dramatically enough to move back toward total self-governance. The verdicts were in the state's annual school progress report under the federal No Child Left Behind education law. The results are based on standardized test scores from the 2007-08 school year, graduation percentages and attendance rates. Under No Child Left Behind, increasing percentages of students have to read and do math on grade level, with the goal of 100 percent of students by 2014. The law pays particular attention to subgroups of students: African-Americans, foreign-language speakers, special education students and others. Based on how many students hit targets, districts and individual schools face increasing levels of discipline under the law, starting with some students having the option to change schools and ending with a district or school's total dismantling. The required percentages increased this year from 83 to 89 percent of K-8 students proficient in reading and 79 to 86 percent in math. In high school, they rose from 90 to 93 percent in reading and 75 to 83 percent in math. As a result, 172 schools statewide missed benchmarks for the first time, up from 106 schools last year. But 28 schools across Tennessee came off the disciplinary list completely for making two years of adequate progress, including Walter J. Baird Middle in the Lebanon Special School District. Three Sumner County schools, Hawkins Middle and Portland and Westmoreland high schools, posted enough gains last school year to show an improving trend. If they repeat the success next year, they will get off the list. On the other hand, the Murfreesboro city school district, which serves about 7,200 kids in grades pre-K through 6, landed on the unflattering list for missing federal targets two years in a row. Not enough non-English speaking students tested proficient in math and not enough Hispanic students reached proficiency in English. Last year, the state devoted $8 million to improving failing Tennessee schools. Next year, that will increase to $20 million. State is in charge In Metro, the state has an unprecedented amount of control over the district's day-to-day affairs, and school officials must draft plans for a possible takeover. The troubled 75,000-student district ultimately failed to meet state requirements because of the reading and language arts scores of students who speak only limited English. Advocates for those students said more consistency in the quality of English Language Learning programs districtwide would help. "We have these extreme opinions," said Cesar Muedas, former president of Comité de Padres Latinos (Committee of Latino Parents). "Something is going on, because there should be an in-between." State officials would not talk Monday about what the future holds for Metro, but they said more details will be announced at a special board meeting next week, said Connie Smith, executive director of accountability for the Department of Education. State officials already rearranged the district's top administrators and put new principals at several schools. They also approved the draft budget, revamped portions of the curriculum and next plan to rework teacher training. "We got the people in place to do the job," said Smith, chief architect behind the changes. "All we need to do now is to let things happen and to watch the data." Smith hopes Metro succeeds and becomes a model for the nation. Nine Metro Schools were released from state sanctions, including two high schools — Pearl Cohn and John Overton. Some Metro schools that reported gains were the same schools where principals were plucked from their positions this summer as part of the state's massive intervention. McGavock High met state standards for the first time in four years, but longtime principal Mike Tribue won't be around to enjoy the success — he was reassigned to an assistant principal position at Cane Ridge High School. Hillwood High's Karl Lang was moved to the central office even though his school met benchmarks for the first time in five years. Pattern of failure State officials said they replaced principals in schools that had a pattern of failure over several years, and that they used other indicators such as parent surveys and teacher input to determine who would be moved. But McGavock parent Doris Johnson said the state shouldn't have moved leaders like Tribue who were making progress. "I think it is very unfair," she said. "I don't think the state should have as much of a say in the situation as the school board does." In previous years, Metro school leaders ignored warning signs and state assistance that could have prevented the district from earning the unflattering status, said Connie Smith. Metro also made poor use of its data by allowing only a few top officials access to the district's numbers. State officials envision a district in which everyone down to the school level is comfortable using test scores to figure out which students are struggling. Mayor Karl Dean, who has been heavily involved in the district's improvement, said Monday's results are promising, but the district needs to be doing more. "The results released today give us a clear picture of the particular schools that need our attention, and we can now begin to focus our efforts at the school level," Dean said in a statement.fullcircle

134 Metro police cars parked to save gas

By KATE HOWARD • Staff Writer (Tennessean)• July 22, 2008 The Metro Police Department has parked 134 cars to comply with the mayor’s call to reduce the fleet and save money on gas. With the largest fleet of cars in the city, the police department made the biggest cut. More than 10 percent cut of their fleet of 1,292 vehicles are now parked in a lot off Murfreesboro Road with the keys turned into Metro government. According to a list provided by Metro police, many cars belong to school resource officers who will now be required to drive personal cars to their jobs at local high schools instead of marked patrol cars. Many of the remaining cuts are detectives’ vehicles, patrol cars and vans used for SWAT or evidence collection, and motorcycles used to patrol the downtown. Metro police spokesman Don Aaron said that many of the cars were backup vehicles or cars that department heads thought would be the least likely to affect their core function of patrolling the streets."There's an impact to the extent that there was a loss of some extra vehicles at the precincts, but as far as impacting zone cars in the patrol function, there's not," Aaron said. Mayor Karl Dean in June called for the parking of about 400 cars citywide, for a potential gas savings of up to $1.4 million. At Metro police, the decisions on what vehicles to park were left up to the commanders of each division, according to Aaron. There are also 47 cars that are no longer being taken home by staffers, Aaron said.But patrol officers who live within Davidson County are still allowed and encouraged to take their cars home to their neighborhoods, for readiness in case of an emergency and a deterrent to criminals.While school resource officers have lost their vehicles, Aaron said precinct commanders are working out fixes so every high school has a marked car in the lot once school is back in session. Middle schools may not, he said. Michael Craddock, Metro councilman and chairman of the public safety committee, said he is worried about the impact the cuts may have on the city’s safety.“We just graduated 46 officers Thursday night,” Craddock said. “What are they going to ride in? I’m extremely concerned right this moment that we’re taking police cars off the street. Until I receive an explanation of this, I’m extremely concerned.”Aaron said there's no loss of force on the city's streets, and they have not moved any officers to bike or foot patrols. He said there's no need to worry about new officers, either; trainees work in two-person cars for their first five months, and their needs will be addressed when the time comes. The police will also be adding 86 new cars by September. Some will replace wrecked or inoperable cars, but about 35 will be replenished stock.The Nashville Fire Department also parked 33 of their 329 vehicles and cut their take-home car assignments nearly in half, from 53 to 30, according to information from the mayor's office.But no ambulances or fire trucks are among the cuts, Nashville Fire spokesman Charles Shannon said. Most of their parked cars were also backups.

Metro Nashville joins Google 3D mapping program

Davidson County Metro Nashville has signed a deal with Google Inc. to map the city's buildings in three dimensions, a deal officials say will help the city analyze and promote growth. The agreement makes Metro part of Google's "Cities in 3D" initiative, an effort to create interactive renderings of many of the world's major cities. The map of Nashville can be used to help businesses find new locations and give planners an idea of how new buildings would look by superimposing them on the skyline, the Metro Planning Department said in a statement. The three-dimensional maps of Nashville can be accessed online using the Google Earth program. — CHAS SISKcsisk@tennessean.com

Metro invites anonymous tips on fraud

Efficiency suggestions also wanted By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • July 8, 2008 Metro Nashville wants your help exposing its ugliest warts. The city recently set up an Internet- and phone-based system to solicit anonymous tips about government fraud, waste and abuse from Metro employees and citizens. The system, called SilentWhistle, also accepts suggestions to make the government more efficient. Metro Auditor Mark Swann said his office decided to launch the program because of general concerns about fraud and waste — Metro is a large organization, and complaints may not always work their way up the ladder — but not because of any specific tips or suspicions. "There's always a certain amount of fraud that goes on," Swann said Monday. He said the city has received more than 30 tips and suggestions since employees started getting an e-mail about the program with an endorsement by Mayor Karl Dean on Wednesday. The suggestions have covered employee benefits, places for ID card readers and other issues. As for the waste and fraud tips, Swann said nothing has made his hair stand up yet. "It's all allegations, so it's hard to say," he said. But that doesn't mean the program won't pay off over time. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners reported in 2006, "Our data supports the use of confidential hotlines and other reporting mechanisms as a fraud detection tool.Occupational frauds are more likely to be detected by a tip than by other means such as internal audits, external audits or internal controls." Metro expects to pay $10,000 to $12,000 over the course of a year to Allegiance Inc., the Salt Lake City-based company that hosts SilentWhistle, Swann said. Metro will decide whether to renew the contract once it expires next spring. Clay Osborne, director of SilentWhistle, said Allegiance started the phone hotline in 1992; the Web-based reporting system got going in 2000. Osborne said the company has about 100 government clients, including the federal departments of homeland security and transportation, among 2,200 clients in "every industry you can imagine." To report a problem or make a suggestion, call 888-484-6976 or visit http://nashville.silentwhistle.com. The Web site says the reporting process takes five to 10 minutes.

Metro asking for anonymous tips about fraud, inefficiency

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean)• July 7, 2008 Metro Nashville has started using an Internet- and phone-based system to solicit tips from employees and citizens about government fraud, waste and abuse, as well as ways to run the city more efficiently. The SilentWhistle program allows people to submit tips anonymously to a toll-free phone number or at http://nashville.silentwhistle.com. Metro Auditor Mark Swann said the program, run by a company called Allegiance Inc., has received about 30 tips since city employees started getting an e-mail with an endorsement from Mayor Karl Dean on Wednesday. OAS_AD('ArticleFlex_1'); Metro is paying Salt Lake City-based Allegiance $8,400 for a one-year pilot program, Swann said.

Metro sets early voting schedule

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer • June 23, 2008 Metro voters who like to vote early will be able to go to the polls starting July 18 for the Aug. 7 county general and state primary election. Early voting will be available for 14 days downtown at the Metro Office Building and for five days at four satellite sites, the Davidson County Election Commission announced on its web site, www.nashville.gov/vote. (There will be 12 satellite early voting sites for the presidential election on Nov. 4.) Five Metro school board seats and party primaries for various state and federal legislative races lead the Aug. 7 ballot.

Millions in Preds loan under cloud

By Brad Schrade • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • June 11, 2008 A national arena management company is suing Predators minority owner William J. “Boots” Del Biaggio III, claiming he misled and defrauded them in a $7 million loan last year to help buy the team. The lawsuit by AEG Facilities, Inc. is the fifth suit filed against Del Biaggio in the past two weeks, each claiming he defrauded lenders. The AEG suit is the second related directly to the purchase of the Predators last December. Modern Bank filed suit June 2 to recover $10 million it loaned Del Biaggio to help purchase the team last year. AEG Facilities is a division of AEG, a worldwide entertainment company which manages numerous sports facilities and owns pro teams, including the Los Angeles Kings hockey team. Del Biaggio until last year had an agreement with AEG to try to move a hockey team to Kansas City, where the company manages and owns a stake in the new Sprint Center. AEG’s suit filed Friday in Superior Court in Santa Clara, California came the same day Del Biaggio filed for bankruptcy in Northern California. He owes approximately $70 million to creditors, but has only about $50 million in assets, according to his attorney. A copy of the lawsuit claims that on Oct. 29 last year, AEG loaned Del Biaggio the money. He used various securities he claimed to owned as collateral, the suit claims. Two of the three investment accounts Del Biaggio claimed to own were not his and documentation was “fraudulently altered” to make it appear he owned them, the suit claims. Merriman, Curhan, Ford & Co, an investment company, and Scott Cacchione, are named co-defendants in the lawsuit. Del Biaggio is also facing a federal investigation into his dealings. Del Biaggio owns a 27 percent stake in the Predators. He was the only major out-of-town investor in a group led by local businessman David Freeman. The group bought the team from Craig Leipold last December. The bankruptcy filing Friday revealed that he also owed Leipold $10 million. It was unclear in the bankruptcy documents whether that money was related to the Preds purchase. Leipold and the team would not comment about the details of that debt.The team maintains that Del Biaggio’s troubles will not impact the Predators operations. The team is reportedly seeking to buy him out or find other investors to purchase his stake. That process could be complicated by the bankruptcy filing last week. Metro could face exposure if his troubles impact the team. The city owns the Sommet Center and restructured the team's lease just months, offering favorable terms to help the team operate. In exchange, Del Biaggio and other owners personally guaranteed money to Metro in event they default on the lease or leave town early. Metro Sports Authority, the city’s landlord for its pro sports facilities, will meet Friday to discuss what legal options it may pursue in the wake of Del Biaggio's financial problems.

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 assistance agency short on funds

Posted on WKRN (Channel 2) As we head into the warm summer months, the Metro Action Commission is a frequent source of relief for families in need. But this year, the agency is dealing with a tighter budget than usual. Last year Metro Action received $3.4-million to help assist families with energy costs. This year that number was cut to $1.8-million. Those funds have been depleted since January -- and families are in need of assistance now more than ever. Dub Campbell says he and his wife are barely getting by. He had to stop working because of a medical condition and his wife recently lost her jobs. He said, "We're in kind of a tailspin situation and frankly I don't know how we're going to pull out of it." He's dreading the hot summer months and the energy costs that are sure to come with them. Normally the couple waits until July to begin cooling their home. Lisa Gallon with the Metro Action Commission says need for assistance is on the rise, but there isn't enough money to go around. According to Gallon, "We have been out of funding for quite some time with our energy assistance program." Campbell receives disability pay and isn't eligible for government assistance. Recently, he's had to turn to loved ones for help. He said, "My sister in Texas, she's sent us a few bucks here and there. Never had to do that before. The last year has been especially rough." The Metro Action Commission can accept new applications for assistance starting July 1st.

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.

Metro police say speaker poses as firefighter

Nashville fire officials say they have known about Gregory K. Pillow for years

He has given safety talks at schools, day cares
By KATE HOWARD • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • May 14, 2008

Gregory K. Pillow has earned rave reviews from day cares where he has talked about fire safety, but it isn't clear where he learned so much because Pillow is not a Nashville firefighter — and never has been.

Pillow, who never even applied for a firefighting job with Metro, is being investigated by the Metro police fraud unit for claims that he has been impersonating a firefighter and entering schools and day cares to give fire safety presentations.

While Nashville fire officials said they've known about Pillow for years, he resurfaced this week when someone called the department to verify Pillow's claim of employment.
"We've actually heard he's done a good job," Nashville Fire spokeswoman Kim Lawson said. "But this person has no connection to us, and it's a little odd. If someone is approached, call us or the police department."

According to a fire department memo, Pillow, 33, has been sporadically pretending to be on the job for many years.

A few years ago, a day care called to ask where to send Pillow's thank-you card. Several other calls have come in from day cares asking for Pillow by name to give a presentation, the memo said.

He resurfaced last week when someone called to check his job status at the fire department: he claimed to have worked there since 1995.

A couple years ago, he actually showed up at a fire station asking for a pair of boots to use in a school program, according to the memo. He didn't get them.

Pillow could not be reached for comment.

He's had series of arrests

Michael Hills, who said he is Pillow's fraternity brother from college at Tennessee State University, said he and his friends are completely shocked by the accusations. He said Pillow majored in criminal justice and, as far as he knows, Pillow really is a firefighter in a small town, but he declined to identify the town.

"What I can tell you is, he did go to a training academy" Hills said. "He also worked for a fire department."

According to police records, the majority of Pillow's arrests have been on charges of domestic assault and related probation violations. Tennessee Department of Correction spokeswoman Dorinda Carter said Pillow was convicted of felony aggravated assault in 2003 and served some of a three-year sentence in a local jail.

Police spokeswoman Kristin Mumford said the fraud unit is investigating the impersonation reports. She said they are not aware of any other allegations against Pillow.

Metro Nashville Public Schools spokeswoman Olivia Brown said they have had no reports that Pillow was ever in their schools.

Discretion to book speakers is left up to individual principals, Brown said.
Lawson said the fire department is notifying area schools and day cares about the issue. They sent along a picture of Pillow and a number to call if anyone needs to confirm a speaker.
"It's important for schools and day cares to check credentials," Nashville Fire spokesman Charles Shannon said. "We do not solicit opportunities to go into day cares and schools for fire safety programs. If someone is calling and showing up on their doorsteps, that should be a red flag."

Metro likely to pay $485,000 to settle suit with rape victim

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • May 13, 2008 Metro Nashville is expected to pay $485,000 to settle a lawsuit because its hospital didn't tell a rape victim about drugs that might have prevented her from contracting HIV, and its police department didn't immediately test the rapist for the virus. City attorneys have advised the Metro Council to approve the settlement next week. The assault victim would be paid $250,000; her husband would receive $235,000. The woman, who is now HIV-positive, was raped in 2004. Metro Law Director Sue Cain said police did not have a procedure in place to test the suspect for human immunodeficiency virus, which leads to AIDS, despite a state law requiring immediate testing of rape suspects. The suspect was not tested for several weeks. At the same time, a nurse at Nashville General Hospital at Meharry failed to tell the victim that antiretroviral drugs could have prevented her from contracting HIV. "We think the likelihood is that the courts would find that the protocol being used (at the hospital) did not meet the standard of care and that a policy to have criminal defendants tested should have been in place," Metro Law Director Sue Cain told The Tennessean on Monday. The newspaper does not identify victims of rape or sexual assault. Cain said the 1994 law requiring immediate testing of rape suspects does not say who's responsible for the tests, but it can be inferred that police are. Metro police now take suspects to Nashville General for testing, though it's rare to catch them so soon after the crime. The hospital, which since the early 1990s has offered antiretroviral drugs to employees who work with HIV patients, now requires anyone examining a sexual assault victim to explain what the drugs can do, Cain said. Liability laws would have limited the woman and her husband, who sued the city in Davidson County Circuit Court, to awards of $250,000 each. The husband claimed he had lost the chance to have sexual relations with his wife and has had to take on much more responsibility at home..

Curby steps out on the town

By BONNA JOHNSON • Staff Writer • May 12, 2008 Metro’s green recycling cart, Curby, is showing up all over town at major events to encourage people to recycle their aluminum cans, paper and plastic items. Attendees at the CMA Summer Music Festival in June, the city’s Fourth of July celebration downtown and the Bluebird on the Mountain summer concert series at Dyer Observatory can pitch their recyclables into the carts, said Veronica Frazier of Metro Beautification and Environment. “Special events generate a large number of plastic bottles, aluminum cans and other items that can easily be recycled instead of thrown into the trash, so we’re eager to form partnerships with event planners and organizers to provide recycling at their venues,” Frazier said. Some 30 Curby carts were set out at the Iroquois Steeplechase last Saturday to collect recyclables.

Metro program aims to change nonprofit grant process

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (tennesseam) • May 8, 2008 Nashville nonprofit organizations have about three weeks to apply for $2 million in Metro government grants under a new program Mayor Karl Dean announced today. The "community enhancement grants" will be available to groups working in three areas: domestic violence ($750,000), education/aftercare ($750,000) and community service ($500,000), which the program defines as services "that enhance the lives of Nashvillians and the community in which we live." Dean aides have previously mentioned the American Red Cross and Second Harvest Food Bank as examples of community service agencies. Dean said the city needs a new, less political system for awarding grants to nonprofits. “We have a number of nonprofit agencies that offer vital services to our community, many of which government itself cannot provide and would not otherwise be available. This grant program will ensure that those are the services our resources support and that funding decisions are based on needs and results,” the mayor said in a news release. A panel of reviewers selected by the mayor, the vice mayor and the chair of the Metro Council's Budget and Finance Committee will evaluate applications and make recommendations to the mayor, who will submit a budget amendment for the council's final approval as part of the city's operating budget, Dean spokeswoman Janel Lacy said.Lacy acknowledged that applicants who are turned down by the reviewers could lobby council members for funding in the final budget. She said the program could change in future years "depending on how this year goes." Applications are available today on page 11 of this web site: http://www.nashville.gov/finance/CEF/docs/CEFHandbook.pdf.. They're due at 4:30 p.m. on May 28 and will be reviewed June 10-12. "Pre-application training meetings" are scheduled for May 15 and 16. Times and places for the training sessions weren't announced.

Metro Council to look at mayor's budget deadline again

By MICHAEL CASS • Staff Writer (Tennessean) • May 9, 2008 A proposal to give Nashville's mayor an extra two months to prepare the city's operating budget each year could go to the voters in a charter amendment referendum this summer, Metro Council members said today. The council will decide next month whether to put the proposal on the August ballot, said Councilman Rip Ryman, who is sponsoring the council bill. The idea is to change the deadline for the mayor's budget recommendations back to May 25, which was the original deadline until voters changed the Metro Charter in November 2006. The deadline is now March 25, giving the council an additional two months to review and tweak the mayor's proposal. But Ryman, who chaired the council's budget committee last year and serves on it this year, said the change has made the mayor's job more difficult and hasn't helped the council in a substantive way. "I just don't see that last year or this year we've accomplished anything," he said, adding that full revenue projections from the state aren't available by March 25. "We had it like that for 40 years." Councilman Jim Gotto said he was opposed to going all the way back to the earlier deadline, however. Five weeks isn't enough time for the council to digest the mayor's proposal, talk to all the Metro departments and make changes, he said. The council has to approve the operating budget by June 30."I'm not sure we need as long as we have, but we certainly don't need to go back to the way it was," Gotto said. "That's just ridiculous." Gotto said getting the mayor's budget proposal by May 1 "would probably be sufficient." Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling, Mayor Karl Dean's budget chief, said the extra time would be helpful, "but it's not something we're out there advocating or demanding." Ryman's charter amendment proposal would need to be approved by 27 of the 40 council members to be placed on the August ballot, where it would need approval from a simple majority of voters.

Mayor urges city workers to ride MTA bus

Mayor urges city workers to ride MTA bus Nashville Mayor Karl Dean has put $50,000 in the budget for city employees to ride to and from work on MTA buses. "It helps employees by dealing with the issue of expensive gas, it helps the city with environmental and traffic concerns and just makes us a more commuter friendly city," said Mayor Dean. There are 10,000 city employees, not including schools, and all would be eligible for bus rides. Mayor Dean said he encourages all employees to take advantage because he believes it's good for the city. "This is something I think we should be doing. We should be leading by example. Of all the things in the budget, I am really excited about this and I think it's a step in the right direction," said Dean. The Metro Council has to act on a proposal by the end of June. If it passes, city employees could be riding MTA buses for free as early as this summer.

Fewer Layoffs Expected In Metro

Channel 5 News May 5, 2008 08:33 PM CDT NASHVILLE, Tenn. - A few months ago, Mayor Karl Dean announced that massive budget cuts could cost 200 Metro employees their jobs. Now, it appears the number of layoffs will be lower than initially expected. Metro Public Works and Parks and Recreation departments stood to lose the most employees, but now that's changed. A number of employees set to be laid off are finding other jobs within local government. Human resources director Dorothy Berry said her job is difficult as she tries to find new employment for what began as some 200 Metro employees. Metro Council members such as Jerry Maynard have the final say on a tight budget. The next few weeks will be intense as departments try to meet a late June budget deadline. "It will entail reviewing all of the departments' budgets," Maynard said. "It will entail determining what our priorities are." There are disagreements over who to let go and how to spend the money. A fire department plan to cut some employees salaries is already raising eyebrows. "But the chief has made a decision and made a recommendation to us that you rollback some positions instead of laying some people off," Maynard said. Metro may be able to work out their budget issues, but the so-called wildcard in this whole situation is the state budget. The state budget hasn't been finalized and it impacts the local budget, Maynard said. According to Gov. Phil Bredesen's office, the governor may reveal his budget plans sometime this week. It could include some layoffs. The Tennessee Funding Board discovered last week that the state could have a budget shortfall of $585 million next year. Bredesen has not yet indicated how many state's employees could face layoffs. As for the Metro's budget, council members continue their budget hearings Tuesday. The council has until the end of June to adopt a new budget plan. If not, Dean's proposal automatically goes into effect. To see Video Click Here