Dear ,

It’s been a mild, wonderful June in Nashville so far, and I hope the turn to summer has found you well. Please see below for the latest District 6 updates.

Parks Department

The Parks Department is conducting a community survey, as part of its effort to update its system-wide strategic plan. That may sound boring but it’s actually important and awesome! Community feedback can drive decisions about what improvements are made to the parks in our district, so I encourage everyone to submit ideas. (Friendly suggestion to get you started: We need a bathroom out at Cornelia Fort Airpark! I have been working hard to make the case for that within Metro, but community support can help a lot!)

It’s a quick and easy survey — you can fill it out here, anytime before the end of July.

Council Reduction Act Case

As you know, we have recently gotten an adverse decision in the Council Reduction Act case from the Court of Appeals. This decision overturns our victory at trial and, if it is upheld, will cut our Council in half, to 20 members at most (at minimum doubling the population of each district), effective at the 2027 Metro election.

As you also know, I sharply disagree with this decision. The size of the Metro Council is a decision of the people of Nashville, as defined by our Charter and as protected by the State Constitution. (See Judge Armstrong’s dissent for a clear statement on this crucial point). The people of Nashville have repeatedly affirmed their preference for a Council structured as it currently is. We must pursue an appeal of this case to the Tennessee Supreme Court.

While we will comply with court orders, let me say this: One of the many troubling aspects of the Council Reduction Act is that it aims to divide our city against itself. But I believe Nashville is better than that. We will move forward with dignity in our work for the city, and I will continue to focus on serving the people of our district.

New School Zones

One of the best things about serving on the Council is those tangible improvements. You may have begun to see this work starting already last week, but new and improved school zones (more visible markings, flashing beacons, radar feedback displays, and improved signage) are being installed over the summer around several schools in our district: Warner Elementary, Explore Community School, and East High and Middle (the last, of course, being across the street from District 6, but most of the school zone is very much within it!) I am excited for this step toward safety for our students, and for everyone.

New District Beautification Commissioner

I am pleased to announce the appointment of a new Beautification Commissioner for our district. Her name is Carter Koontz and she’s going to be a great asset to our neighborhoods. She will be focusing on cleanups and on planting trees. We are already at work planning a district tree-planting event for the fall (stay tuned!) and she is already identifying locations for the city’s street tree planting program. If there are locations along your street where a tree could be planted, please let us know! If you are interested in helping host a clean-up in your area, or have any other ideas, please feel free to reach out to either of us as well. Her email is [email protected], and I am grateful to her for her willingness to serve. A brief intro/bio is pasted below:

As always, please reach out to me directly at [email protected] or 615-864-0008. You can also use Hub Nashville for an array of city services and other Metro requests. 

Hope to see you soon. Yours in service, Clay