Greetings District 1:
Its with a heavy heart that I am sending this my final email as your councilman. If you have not already heard, I received the appointment from the Metro Council last Tuesday evening to be the next Division III General Sessions Judge here in Nashville. Judicial ethics prevent me from being both a judge and your councilman. As of 2:00 pm Sunday, January 7, 2018, I will be submitting my resignation to Vice Mayor Briley resigning from my role as the District 1 Councilman so that I may begin my new full-time position as a judge. Since I have been your council representative, I have worked hard along with each of you to accomplish the following measures:
* Passed the Whites Creek Urban Design Overlay helping preserve the rural characteristics of the Whites Creek community. BL2017-680, May 2017
* Passed the Clarksville Pike Urban Design Overlay that goes from West Hamilton all the way to Kings Lane and gives the community a consensus as to what we would like to see in the commercial corridor as it pertains to development standards. BL2017-845, September 2017
* Passed legislation to rescind the contract with the current operators at Autumn Hills Assisted Living Facility where the residents were being fed for approximately $1.80 per day. BL2016-540, January 2017
* Within thirty (30) days of being elected, I appealed to Mayor Megan Barry who agreed to install a $3 Million Dollar stormwater project in Bordeaux Hills, which should begin in early 2018. Bordeaux Hills did not have storm drains and has drainage problems and hopefully this will cure it. BL2017-791, July 2017
* MDHA proposed a $4.5 Million Dollar forty (40) unit town home complex on the Bordeaux Hills redevelopment district property located on County Hospital Road. I was able to persuade MDHA to provide us with the same quality of project they are putting elsewhere in Nashville and that was doubled to a $9 Million Dollar project that was going to contain affordable housing at the 120% of the average median income therefore not further concentrating poverty in the area and trying to raise the average median income. BL2017-929, November 2017
* I had Mullins Park in the Whites Creek Greenway completed and dedicated. May 2017
* Passed an ordinance in Metro Council that requires approval by the Metro Council of all public land sold or leased to third parties in Metro. BL2016-484, May 2017
* Sponsored and ordinance that requires surplus real property with a value in excess of $500,000.00 to be appraised by a licensed appraiser to ensure our tax payers receive fair market value. BL2016-524, January 2017.
* I acquired improvements to the Joelton Park ball fields and concessions area. June 2017
* Most notably passed the Jackson Law that would require any new landfills or expansion of current landfills to come through the Metro Council and the State would have to show deference to our decision. The days of lying in front of bulldozers are over. BL2016-484, May 2017
* Passed an ordinance to stop those with grading permits in residential areas and attempted to try and in an effort to stop the countless dump trucks going up and down Cato Road in front of
Cumberland Elementary. BL2017-908, November 2017
* I had Trepid Heights, Haynes Park, and a portion of Eatons Creek repaved. June 2017
* I had sidewalk improvements made to Joelton Elementary and Joelton Middle School and in planning for the first sidewalk on West Hamilton should begin in early spring 2017.
* I have partnered with the Sheriff’s Department and Public Works to have community cleanups in Scottsboro, Joelton 2 times, Bordeaux Hills and Clarksville Pike. As a result, we have picked up over 100 tons of garbage from the District 1 community. A huge thanks to the best beautification commissioner in the entire county, Jonathan Hall, for his leadership on these projects. If you see him out, be sure to thank him!!!!!!
* I played an integral role on the Budget and Finance Committee in getting the Assistant District Attorneys salary increases to match their counter parts at the Public Defenders Office and Metro Legal. August 2017
* I had an integral role in the Budget and Finance Committee for procuring a large sum of money for Mr. and Mrs. Fitzgerald’s nonprofit known as “In Full Motion.” August 2017
* Implemented a new Metro policy between Planning and Metro Water regarding sewer capacity letters in our rural areas that have a T2, T1 or a CO land use policy to help preserve the rural character of our communities. November 2017
* Convinced Metro Parks to install better lighting at Paradise Ridge park in Joelton which should be finished very soon.
Finally, I am very proud that I have increased communication in our district by having countless community meetings, email updates and social media posts. Hopefully I raised the bar and set a new standard for what we can expect from our future council representatives. This is an incredibly important job and can really have an impact on the lives of those who live in our district. I have dedicated my decisions to the will of those I represent and we have made great strides in bringing communities of Bordeaux, Joelton, Whites Creek and Scottsboro together. However, we are just beginning and there is much more work to accomplish in our district and united together we are unstoppable.
When I stepped into this role all I brought was my promise that I will do my best to improve our district and I hope each of you believe that I have stayed true to my word. One of the biggest honors of my life to date was the belief you had in my abilities to be your councilperson and overwhelmingly electing me to that position. My daughter Adriana and I have made some great friendships in this role and I look forward to continuing my public service as Davidson County’s newest judge.
The District 1 leadership council met recently along with vice mayor Briley to discuss the transition. The Vice Mayor is trying to convince the election commission to move the election for my replacement up to May 1, 2018. However, as of now it appears that the election for my replacement will be held in August of 2018. If it is in August 2018, the Vice Mayor will appoint an At-Large councilperson to serve as our interim representative. Until then, I would encourage each of you to contact any At-Large Councilperson to assist you as they represent all of us, including me. They are John Cooper, Erica Gilmore, Bob Mendes, Sharon Hurt and Jim Shulman. The main number for the council office is 615-862-6780. The above council members can also be reached via email which is the same as mine – nick.leonardo@nashville.gov; john.cooper@nashville.gov etc. My cell number will remain the same and feel free to contact me if you do not receive a response from any of the above individuals.
Thank you for allowing me the privilege to serve.
