Maynard lists areas of focus for Metro ECD

Affordable housing, development fees top wish list

Email | Print By Nate Rau

At-large Councilman Jerry Maynard has provided seven topics of conversation for his second special meeting on spurring economic development for Metro.

The meeting will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the Metro Council chambers on Tuesday.

At his first meeting, Maynard invited Metro Director of Finance Rich Riebeling and Paul Ney, the director of economic and community development for Mayor Karl Dean. Since that first meeting, Maynard has solicited suggestions from fellow Council members and the public on suggestions for topics they would like to see explored.

In a letter to Riebeling and Ney on Monday, Maynard listed out the seven areas of interest moving forward.

The suggested areas of emphasis were:

- Creating a plan for development of affordable housing options.

- Conducing a comprehensive review of fees charged to developers for land use changes and development by Metro departments like Planning, Codes and Water.

- Creating a plan for developing incentives for infill development, particularly in blighted areas.

- Evaluating a plan for public infrastructure dollars to retro-fit Metro facilities for LEED certification.

- Evaluating the feasibility of eliminating the Urban Services District and the General Services District to create one uniform tax rate.

- Evaluating the feasibility of requiring Davidson County residency for Metro employees.

- Developing a plan to take maximum advantage of any federal economic stimulus funds.

“I think we are starting the year out right with what I am sure will be the first of several meetings about economic development in Nashville,” Maynard wrote in the letter.