WHEREAS, legislation is currently pending with the Metropolitan Council that would allow for the construction of a new minor league baseball stadium and mixed-use development on the former thermal transfer property; and

WHEREAS, the memorandum of understanding regarding the financing and construction of the ballpark and mixed-use development provides that the Industrial Development Board will serve as a conduit for financing of the project, and the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency will enter the necessary agreements to provide for the tax increment financing for the construction of the project; and

WHEREAS, the Nashville Sounds, and Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse, the proposed mixed-use developer, use good faith efforts "to ensure that minority, women, and small business enterprise firms are given the maximum reasonable and practical opportunity to compete for and participate in the procurement activities for the project, and to establish a minimum goal of fifteen percent (15%) of the contracting and related work be awarded to Diversified Business Enterprises; and

WHEREAS, the Metropolitan Council is extremely interested in seeing that a fair and reasonable amount of the work associated with the construction of the ballpark and mixed-use development be awarded to minority and disadvantaged businesses, and that a preference be given to local minority businesses; and

WHEREAS, it is fitting and proper that periodic progress reports be provided regarding the use of minority and disadvantaged businesses in the construction of the ballpark and mixed-use development.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:

Section 1. That the Metropolitan County Council hereby goes on record as requesting the Nashville Sounds and Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse to provide the Industrial Development Board and a designated person at the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency with monthly progress reports regarding the use of minority, women and small business enterprise firms if and when the ballpark and mixed-use development construction projects commence, and that a preference be given to local minority businesses.

Section 2. The Metropolitan Clerk is directed to send a copy of this Resolution to Nashville Sounds General Manager Glenn Yaeger and to Bill Struever, the President and CEO of Struever Bros. Eccles & Rouse.

Section 3. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.

Sponsored by: Brenda Gilmore