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💰 How Does Nashville’s Budget Process Work?

Now that Metro Council’s annual budget hearing is behind us, it falls to Budget and Finance Committee chair Councilmember Kyonzté Toombs to take everyone’s feedback and come up with a substitute budget. On today’s podcast, Toombs discusses how the process works, and budget requests from community members and her colleagues. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

• On Friday, Mayor O’Connell proposed five pieces of legislation he’d like Metro Council to consider, like funding the Office of Entertainment and Nashville After School Alliance. [Nashville.gov]

🔥 Did Negligence Cause the Library Garage Fire?

Metro Nashville’s insurer, Travelers, is suing the Nashville Downtown Partnership and its contractor Block by Block for alleged negligence that led to last year’s downtown library garage fire. While Metro owns the garage, NDP manages it, and allowed Block by Block to store fuel inside. The lawsuit estimates damages at more than $10 million. The garage remains closed, though Councilmember Sean Parker hopes the lawsuit is the next step in reopening it. [Nashville Banner]

• The litigation comes on the heels of a contentious council vote that rejected the NDP’s proposed budget by only one vote. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

🪧 Residents Speak Out Against Data Centers

Hundreds of thousands of people have signed a petition against DC BLOX’s proposed data center beside the Nashville Zoo. South Nashville resident Drew Small took his opposition a step further by visiting neighbors with more information, and launching the website No New Data Centers. [WKRN]

• Small is encouraging community members to attend Thursday’s planning commission meeting and make their voices heard during the public comment period. [Instagram]
• It looks like the data center will be much larger than DC BLOX initially reported. [Nashville Scene]
• The zoo’s petition opposing it continues to gain momentum. [Change.org]
• Meanwhile, North Nashville residents have also started petitions opposing Fisk University’s proposed data center. [WKRN]

🌊 NDOT’s Flood Warning Pilot Program

The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure is launching a flood warning pilot program on Old Glenrose Avenue in South Nashville. The program would close off flood-prone roads with automatic gates. The setup includes flood sensors, cameras, and real-time monitoring to track rising water levels. NDOT has yet to set a timeline for installation. [WKRN]