Mayor names England Park in honor of Flood Victims
New Park utilizes property purchased by Metro through the FEMA Flood Buyout program
Nashville, TN –Mayor Karl Dean dedicated England Park, a new park at 800 Del Ray Drive, this afternoon. The park is named in honor of Andrew and Martha England, who lived on Del Ray Drive and perished during the historic flood of May 2010. It is located on flooded property purchased by Metro through the FEMA home buyout program. Mayor Dean said, “England Park is a testament to the spirit of Nashville and a reminder of the power of volunteers. In the middle of a community that came together to help one another recover from the flood, we now have a place for neighbors and families to gather and enjoy one another.” The 9-acre park is a unique public/private partnership that included: Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, Metro Parks, Make-A-Smile (MAS) organization, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, Metro Water Services, Metro Public Works and several businesses including locally based, Correction Corporation of America and the Rogers Group. “England Park is located on Richland Creek and will be a great place for neighborhood families to bring kids to play, have picnics and for people to walk and get exercise. It was flooded out homes and is now a beautiful urban park,” said Metro Parks Director, Tommy Lynch. The teams started work on Monday, April 30 and have installed picnic tables, swing sets, a new playground, a three-quarter mile walking trail, and built a parking area at the Del Ray Drive location. The effort started when MAS contacted Sheriff Daron Hall and the Mayor’s Office about bringing volunteers to Nashville to provide a safe, enjoyable place for families and children to play in an area affected by the 2010 flood. Sheriff Hall contacted Metro Water Services and Metro Parks. MAS brought in volunteers and donations from all over the country, local businesses donated supplies, while Metro departments pitched in to help with the work. They also completed a picnic shelter and three-quarter mile walking trail at Joseph Mullins Park, which will eventually connect to Hartman Park via the Whites Creek Greenway. Joseph Brown Mullins Park, located at 4300 Drakewood Lane, is named after an African American pioneer in the Bordeaux area. Mr. Brown was a teacher and founder of the Bordeaux “C” School located on Ashland City Highway.
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Make-A-Smile is a group of correction and detention volunteers who raise money, volunteer their time and talent, all at their own expense to help others by restoring and building playgrounds in communities hard hit by natural disasters. The group of corrections professionals, primarily from the North American Association of Wardens and Superintendents came together after Hurricane Katrina to help Gulf Coast Communities. Others who contributed time, effort, and materials include: Corrections Corporation of America, Correct Care Solutions, CrossBridge, Inc., Jack’s Barbeque, Monel’s Dining and Catering, Overby Construction, Swett’s Restaurant, Tennessee Business Enterprise, The Mulch Company, Trevecca Community Church, Wendell Smith’s Restaurant, and the city’s Greenways Commission.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – In his fifth State of Metro address, Mayor Karl Dean today announced a fiscal year 2012-2013 operating budget that moves the city forward by investing in schools and public safety, while also reducing the overall budget for other Metro departments by $3 million.
Additionally, Dean is proposing to adjust the property tax rate upward for the first time during his tenure, saying a 53 cent increase would generate about $100 million in new annual revenue. The impact on a typical Nashville homeowner would be approximately $16 a month, or $192 a year, using the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors’ median home price of $145,400.
“I refuse to be the mayor who turns back the clock on public safety and education,” Dean said. “I choose to continue our forward momentum.”
In Dean’s proposed $1.71 billion budget, the new revenue would allow the city to continue to invest in education and hire up to 100 new teachers, increase the starting salary of new hires from $35,000 to $40,000 and add two new non-traditional schools.
When it comes to public safety, the new revenue would allow the city to retain 50 police officers first hired with a federal COPS grant, provide staff and equipment to operate a new DNA crime lab and fund two new positions in the District Attorney’s office to specifically handle domestic violence cases.
“No mayor wants to stand up and talk about raising taxes,” Dean said. “But we’re not Washington. We can’t run a deficit, and we can’t print money. The easy answer, the political answer to our situation, would be to let the city go backwards, make Draconian cuts and frame the consequences with some anti-tax mantra.”
The tax rate adjustment also would allow the city to invest in employees by giving nearly all Metro workers – about 95 percent of them – a 4 percent salary increase. Department heads and some senior managers would get a lower 2 percent increase.
Without the property tax increase, “We could lay off 200 police officers, 200 firefighters, 200 teachers, close all four regional community centers, all five regional libraries – and still not come close to making up even half of what the tax rate adjustment will generate,” Dean said.
Dean is proposing to protect Nashville’s most vulnerable residents by extending the Property Tax Relief program. The proposed budget includes increasing Metro’s contribution to the program in order to double the match that the state of Tennessee provides. The proposal also would double the number of tax relief recipients who have their tax bills paid in full based on the appraised value of their home.
“By doing this, the more than 6,400 elderly, disabled and disabled veterans in our community who participate in this program will be greatly protected from the property tax adjustment,” Dean said.
During today’s speech, Dean announced elements of a new capital spending plan, the city’s first since 2010. He will propose approximately $300 million in strategic investments in the city’s infrastructure, including $100 million for schools and $200 million for the general government, in a plan to be submitted to the Metro Council later this month.
The capital spending plan for schools is the largest since the 1990s. It will include more than $20 million for improvements to Stratford High School, funding to build a new gymnasium for Hume-Fogg Academic Magnet High School, expansion and renovations at seven elementary and middle schools and funds to purchase land for a new elementary and middle school in Southeast Davidson County, as well as to purchase land for a future expansion of Julia Green Elementary.
The capital spending plan also will propose additional investments in sidewalks, paving and bikeways; continuing work on riverfront redevelopment; acquiring additional property for the Open Space plan; and continued expansion of greenways and improvements of parks, including Centennial Park and Shelby Park. It will also propose construction of a new Bellevue library and expansion of Bus Rapid Transit services to Murfreesboro Road.
Dean gave his State of Metro address at the new Cumberland Park on the East Bank of the river. Nashville singer-songwriter Chuck Mead was the special musical guest.
Since taking office, Dean managed the city through the Great Recession and historic flooding at a time when city revenues grew by a mere 2 percent, compared to the four years prior when revenues grew by 20 percent. Nevertheless, he fully funded education and maintained funding for public safety. He reduced the government workforce by 668 full-time employees as he decreased department budgets by 10 percent to 15 percent, resulting in some $59.2 million in cuts.
“Today I can confidently say that the State of Metro is strong, and our prospects for the future are even better,” Dean said, “Not by chance, not by luck, but because of the strategic decisions we’ve made to cut where we needed to cut, invest where we needed to invest and not let financial pressures sway our commitment to the things that matter most – the three things I talk about all the time – education, public safety and economic development.”
State of Metro Highlights
Nashville, TN - In his annual State of Metro Address, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean on Tuesday proposed raising the property tax by 53 cents to fund his proposed $1.71 billion budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
The property tax increase would raise the rate to $4.66 per $100 of assessed value, generating approximately $100 million a year for the city.
Even with the increase, the rate would still be lower than it was when Mayor Dean took office five years ago.
The impact on the average homeowner would be about $16 a month, or $192 a year, using the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors' median home price of $145,400.
Click here for FULL STORY (and video) courtesy of WKRN Nashville News 2
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (March 22, 2012) - Mayor Karl Dean today announced that the Nashville General Plan, which was developed in 1992 as Concept 2010, will be updated to create a 25-year vision for Nashville’s growth and development. Rick Bernhardt, Executive Director of the Metro Planning Department for 12 years, will take on additional duties as Project Manager in charge of the General Plan.
On Wednesday, the Metro Planning Commission’s Executive Committee voted to renew Bernhardt’s contract as planning director and allow him to focus on the General Plan. Metro attorney Doug Sloan, who has served as legal advisor to the Metro Planning Department, will move to the Planning Department to assist with the day-to-day management as Interim Planning Assistant Executive Director.
“Rick has extensive experience at all levels of planning and has our city’s best interest at heart when it comes to land use,” Dean said. “Updating the Nashville General Plan is critical to providing a strategic path for our city and identifying ways for our community to grow and prosper while preserving the natural and cultural features that make Nashville special.
“Additionally, I am pleased that Doug will assist in managing the Planning Department in the interim,” Dean said. “I first worked with Doug when I was Legal Director and again now as Mayor. He is a practical, sensible lawyer and stands out as being a problem solver. He understands the important function of the department in providing design guidance and shaping public policy related to growth and development.”
Bernhardt has worked 42 years in planning and land use, and he plans to retire when the project concludes. The new General Plan is expected to be completed in three years.
“Bringing the General Plan up to date is important to the Planning Commission as we look to how Nashville will develop in the future,” said Jim McLean, chairman of the Planning Commission. “When Rick informed us of his plans to retire, we felt his expertise and institutional knowledge was crucial in developing our next General Plan. Also, by assigning the task in-house, we avoid spending taxpayer funds to hire a contractor to do the work.”
The General Plan will include significant community input as it develops a citywide vision to support economic development; expand education, housing and employment opportunities for residents; expand the application of environmentally-sound and sustainable development practices; and increase neighborhood livability.
“I am very excited about the commitment of the Mayor and Commission to update our General Plan for the first time since 1992,” Bernhardt said. “It is a great honor and privilege to be able to personally focus my time and energy directly on the development of a consensus community vision and roadmap to achieve that vision for my hometown.”
Bernhardt started his career as a planning assistant and senior planner for Metro. He later served as director of the Hopkinsville-Christian County, Ky., Planning Commission and as planning manager in Gainesville, Fla. He served as director of planning and development in Orlando, Fla., and as a town planner for the EDAW Inc. planning and design consulting firm before returning to Nashville as executive director of the Metro Planning Department in 2000. He has a master’s degree in city planning from Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Auburn University.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Mayor Karl Dean announced the city’s newest health challenge will be a free, citywide Mayor’s Field Day with the Tennessee Titans at LP Field on Saturday, May 5 as a way for residents to come together and learn fun ways to be active outdoors. Activities will include an obstacle course, scavenger hunt and on-field games in a relaxed, tournament-style format.
Field Day will be entirely free and is open to the public. Youth and adults of all ages and fitness levels are invited to participate. Field Day will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and also will include an educational fitness fair. The event is being hosted in partnership with the Tennessee Titans, and current and former Titans players, Titans cheerleaders and Titans mascot T-RAC will participate in the day’s activities.
The Mayor’s Field Day builds on the momentum of last year’s Walk 100 Miles with the Mayor program, in which more than 4,000 people participated, and the Mayor’s Challenge 5K Walk/Run, which drew more than 5,000 participants last fall.
“Obesity is a major problem in our state and increases the risk of a number of deadly diseases, including heart disease and diabetes,” Dean said. “We have been working aggressively on improving the health of our residents for a while now with fitness challenges, offering healthier food choices in our schools and farmers’ markets and promoting places to exercise, like our parks and greenways. A community Field Day continues that commitment and is a great way to show our citizens, particularly our young people, that the key to good health is being physically active, and you can do that in a lot of fun ways.”
Dean announced the Mayor’s Field Day today at Wright Middle School, where he participated in a relay race with students, Blaine Bishop, a former All-Pro Safety with the Tennessee Titans, and T-RAC.
Healthy snacks and water stations will be provided during the Mayor’s Field Day, and the new Cumberland Park will be open on the east bank just south of the stadium for attendees interested in packing a picnic lunch. In addition, the LP Field parking lot will be open for tailgating, and food trucks will be on site offering healthy meal options for purchase. Free parking will be available at LP Field in lots A, B, C and D.
Games and activities are intended for teams of 10 participants each. Children 5 years of age or older and adults of all ages are encouraged to participate. Each team must be captained by one adult (18 years of age or older). Team captains do not need to have a completed team when they first register. Additional members may join at a later time. Individuals and smaller teams are welcome to register, but may be partnered with other groups to complete activities.
Online registration opens today. For more information and to register, visit 
www.mayorsfieldday.com.
Mayor’s Field Day is being made possible by the support of several community partners, including NashVitality, the Nashville Sports Council, Hands On Nashville, Active Buys, Adventureworks, Metro Parks and Recreation, Metro Public Health Department and the YMCA of Middle Tennessee.
Mayor Karl Dean and U.S. Congressman Jim Cooper today visited a riverbank stabilization project along the Cumberland River in Old Hickory, where the repair of extremely eroded slopes is nearing completion. The flood recovery project restored portions of the backyard areas of 36 homes in the Waterford subdivision.
“There is much to be proud of in the way Nashville has recovered from the May, 2010 flooding, and this project is another success story,” Dean said. “By stabilizing the riverbank, we protect residents, their homes and their property values, and we prevent future erosion. I appreciate the help of our federal partners in securing funds to help these homeowners recover.”
By the time work finishes in early March, about 115,000 tons of large rock will have been placed along the nearly 40-foot high earthen riverbank that is being rebuilt. Some residents lost as much as 40 feet of their backyard areas due to erosion.
The historic May, 2010 flooding caused severe erosion and created a very unstable condition for several homeowners in the Waterford subdivision. In the months following the flooding, the riverbank continued to fail and erode further, severely damaging about 2,500 feet of property along the riverbank. The rock stabilization should provide long-lasting protection of homes from the erosive effects of the Cumberland River
“I am glad we could help these families, but nearly two years after the flood, things still aren’t back to normal for all of our citizens,” Cooper said. “There is still work to be done along the river and elsewhere. We are continuing to find ways to mitigate these problems, and when we can, we will.”
Metro received $5.4 million in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service’s Emergency Watershed Protection Program. The city provided $600,000 in local funds, and Metro Water Services oversaw management of the project. The city also worked to obtain the easements necessary for the project to proceed. The project is estimated to have created 24 jobs.
During the visit, Dean and Cooper spoke with residents and watched as workers used equipment and barges to unload and place large rocks along the rebuilt slope. Also attending was Metro Councilman Darren Jernigan, who has worked to help impacted homeowners since the beginning; representatives from the Offices of U.S. Sen. Bob Corker and U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander; and representatives from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
Post-flood Riverbank Stabilization Project at Waterford Subdivision (Fact Sheet)The historic May, 2010 flooding caused severe erosion and created a very unstable condition along the Cumberland River at the Waterford subdivision. In the months following the flooding, the riverbank continued to fail and erode further, threatening lives and properties. The method chosen to repair the eroding riverbank was armoring the existing riverbank with rock riprap.
Mayor Karl Dean issued the following statement in response to action today by the Nashville Farmers’ Market Board, which called for a full financial and operational review that would be conducted under the direction of the Metro Finance Department:
“Our job is to make sure that departments are run responsibly and serve as good stewards of public funds. I expect prompt remedial action to the issues uncovered by our Finance Department.
“I feel strongly that the Farmers’ Market can be so much more than what it is today. It is a gem in our city, and I would like to see it develop into a major attraction where individuals have access to fresh, local produce and information about healthy food choices. To do that, we must first ensure that the resources we put toward it are used in the proper way. I will continue to monitor the situation closely.”
View the Finance Department memorandum
Mayor Karl Dean and the Tennessee Charter School Incubator announced that national charter school leader Todd Dickson has been recruited to Nashville to start a network of high-performing charter schools in 2014.
The Incubator will host Dickson as its senior fellow for two years while he finalizes his plans to create a charter management organization of eight to 10 college-preparatory public charter schools focused on measurable outcomes. The schools would be located in Nashville, and Dickson intends to submit a charter application to Metro Nashville Public Schools to open at least one school in 2014.
Dickson, executive director of Summit Preparatory Charter High School in California, is well-known for educational successes with economically, ethnically and racially diverse populations. In 2010, Newsweek magazine named Summit Prep as one of the top 10 transformational schools in the country, and the school’s model was also highlighted as an education solution in the highly acclaimed documentary Waiting for Superman. Since 2007, some 96 percent of Summit graduates have earned acceptance to four-year colleges.
“Securing a highly sought-after leader in education reform like Todd is an outstanding achievement for the Tennessee Charter School Incubator and the city of Nashville,” Dean said. “Of all the places Todd could have gone, we are pleased that he has chosen Nashville to launch his charter management organization. I commend the great work of the Incubator and others to position Nashville as a top destination for those leading innovation in education.”
Mayor Dean helped launch the Tennessee Charter School Incubator in 2009 to recruit high-quality charter operators to Nashville and Tennessee. Dickson is the first national charter leader to participate in the Incubator.
“After reviewing options in other states, such as California and Colorado, I knew that Tennessee was where my wife and I wanted to be,” Dickson said. “One of the key factors in our decision was the Incubator’s fellowship offer. The opportunity allows me to develop my network and provides me with the resources and support I will need to launch my charter management organization in 2014.”
Dickson will join the Tennessee Charter School Incubator in July. The Incubator will provide training, resources and support for Dickson as he builds his professional network and develops plans for his charter management organization.
“Thanks to Mayor Dean’s extraordinary leadership in education reform efforts, the climate is right for charter schools in Nashville,” said Greg Thompson, CEO of the Tennessee Charter School Incubator. “Rebecca Lieberman, our director of talent recruitment, is leading the effort to recruit top performers like Todd to Tennessee. We firmly believe that we must have the right leadership in place in order to launch and support high-quality charter schools.”
About the Tennessee Charter School Incubator
As the first statewide charter school incubator in the country, the Tennessee Charter School Incubator was launched with one purpose: to close the education achievement gap in Tennessee by supporting the creation of high-quality charter schools in Memphis and Nashville.
www.charterexcellence.org or follow the Incubator on Twitter@TNCSIncubator.
Mayor Karl Dean announced today that Terrence L. Cobb, Director of the Metro Department of Codes and Building Safety, will take on additional duties as the Director of Development Services in the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Community Development. Cobb will start in the Mayor’s Office on Feb. 1.
Dean also appointed Wendy S. Tucker as a Senior Advisor on Education. Tucker, who has been co-director of the Special Education Advocacy Center of Tennessee, starts Jan. 17.
As Director of Development Services, Cobb will assist and serve as an ombudsman to businesses, commercial property owners, developers, contractors and others as they navigate the construction and development processes across several Metro departments. He also will review and improve permitting and other regulatory processes so that they are more streamlined and business friendly.
“Terry has a lot of common sense and knowledge from his 20-plus years as Metro Codes Director and his previous experience as a licensed general contractor,” Dean said. “He knows how to get things done. I am confident in his ability to create an efficient process for our development community to make Nashville an even more business-friendly city.”
Cobb is a Nashville native with a bachelor’s degree in business management from Tennessee Tech University. He is a past president of several organizations, including the Home Builders Association of Middle Tennessee, the Nashville Apartment Association and the Tennessee Building Officials Association. He is a senior life member of the board of directors of the National Association of Home Builders. In 2010, Cobb received the International Code Council’s highest honor, the Bobby J. Fowler Award, for his contributions to the building safety and fire prevention industry.
Tucker will concentrate on school reform and special education, two important issues as Dean continues to focus on improving public education.
“Wendy did great work as a co-chair of the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Special Education and will be a passionate advocate for reforming our schools and the way we educate students with disabilities,” Dean said. “While we have made many improvements in the school district these past four years, there is still much more work to be done. Wendy is the right person to help move public education in Nashville forward.”
Tucker holds a bachelor’s degree from the Newcomb College of Tulane University and a law degree from Tulane Law School. She was an assistant public defender in Davidson County from 1993 to 2000 and was in private practice from 2000 to 2010 in Nashville, focusing in part on education law. She is also an adjunct faculty member at Vanderbilt Law School.
Tucker previously served as co-chair of the Mayor’s Advisory Council on Special Education, which Dean formed in 2008 to assess the programs and policies for students receiving special education services from Metro Nashville Public Schools. Tucker is a former board president of the Arc of Davidson County. Additionally, Tucker conducts parent training sessions on special education law for parents of students with disabilities. She is married to Jonathan Wing, a Senior Assistant Public Defender, and they have two daughters, Langan, 9, and Frannie, 2.
Mayor Karl Dean and Metro Councilman Ronnie Steine have been appointed co-chairs of the National League of Cities’ (NLC) 2012 Council on Youth, Education, and Families. The one-year appointments were made by NLC President Ted Ellis, Mayor of Bluffton, Ind.
The appointments reflect the national recognition of the leadership they have shown on issues facing children and families. Dean’s innovative initiatives in support of youth and education include the SCHoLAR’s Academy to prepare Metro Nashville students for college; Limitless Libraries; the Music Makes Us music education curriculum; the Metro Student Attendance Center; the Nashville Afterschool Zone Alliance and the Tennessee Charter School Incubator.
“I am grateful for this opportunity to lead the Council on Youth, Education, and Families and to share our experiences in helping to improve education and youths’ lives here in Nashville. Nothing we do as a city is more important, and we have a great story to tell,” Dean said. “I look forward to working with Councilman Steine and others to help foster even more innovative ideas to strengthen families and improve the wellbeing of our children and youth here in Nashville and in cities across the country.”
NLC’s Council on Youth, Education, and Families was established in 1999 to promote and support municipal leadership on behalf of the nation’s children, youth and families.
“The YEF Council does such important work for young people nationwide,” Steine said. “I look forward to partnering with the Mayor in this leadership role. It will certainly give us an opportunity to share all we are doing here in Nashville and possibly pick up a good idea or two from other cities.”
While the Council has been led by many prominent mayors and city councilmembers, the partnership between Dean and Steine represents the first time in recent memory that a mayor and city councilmember from the same city have shared a leadership role on an NLC council or committee.
“Both Mayor Dean and Councilmember Steine have established themselves as national leaders in the effort to improve outcomes for children and families in our nation’s cities and towns,” said NLC President Ellis. “Their willingness to work together in bringing Nashville’s many innovations and accomplishments to NLC’s leadership group on these issues speaks volumes about their commitment to our next generation, and NLC will be stronger and more effective as a result of their ground-breaking collaboration.”
Mayor Johnny DuPree of Hattiesburg, Miss., and Karl Nurse, Council Member in St. Petersburg, Fla., will serve as Council vice chairs. The Council also oversees the work of NLC’s Institute for Youth, Education, and Families.
“We look forward to learning how this innovative leadership approach can add a new dimension to the Council’s work,” said Clifford Johnson, the Institute’s executive director. “If successful, we hope it will serve as a model for other NLC leadership groups in the years ahead.”
The Institute for Youth, Education, and Families helps municipal leaders take action on behalf of the children, youth and families in their communities. NLC launched the YEF Institute in January 2000 in recognition of the unique and influential roles that mayors, city council members and other local leaders can play in strengthening families and improving outcomes for children and youth.
The National League of Cities is the nation’s oldest and largest organization devoted to strengthening and promoting cities as centers of opportunity, leadership and governance. NLC is a resource and advocate for 19,000 cities, towns and villages, representing more than 218 million Americans.
