Michael Cass

mcass@tennessean.com

The ball is in Google Fiber's court now after Metro Council members, perhaps trying to emulate the city they represent, got "cool" for a moment.

The council quickly approved an agreement Tuesday to let Google Fiber use city property for the 22-by-11-foot, fiber-filled "huts" that enable the company to offer Internet service at extremely high speeds. Signing off on the deal completes Nashville's to-do list as it hopes to become one of Google Fiber's next locations later this year.

The company announced in February that it was looking at Nashville and eight other cities as possible expansion sites, setting off a flurry of excitement among Music City's software developers, entrepreneurs, hipsters and many other residents.

"This is the cool bill," Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors said as she introduced the third and final vote on the fiber huts agreement.

Councilman Anthony Davis said Google Fiber's arrival would "raise all boats" by offering better Internet connectivity to residents and businesses. It also would allow some families to get online for the first time through a basic broadband plan that would be free after a one-time installation fee.

"I think everyone getting faster and better access is going to create less of a digital divide, because more and more are going to have some basic level of Internet connectivity," Davis said. "It's just going to open up a lot of opportunities."

Metro Finance Director Rich Riebeling said Mayor Karl Dean's administration also hopes to see Google Fiber expand here. Councilman Ronnie Steine said the city has been "really energized" by the possibility.

"There could be no city in the country that would welcome them more than Nashville will," Steine said.

Metro submitted its checklist to Google Fiber by the May 1 deadline but still had to tie up the fiber huts agreement. Google is likely to have follow-up questions on the information submitted and will want to work with city leaders on developing an efficient permitting system, according to a company blog post on May 1.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company then will work with city and state governments to secure a video franchise agreement and will work out pole attachment agreements with local utilities and other companies.

Holding off on charter changes

In other business, the council:

• Deferred voting until June 3 on whether several proposed Metro Charter amendments should be put up for countywide votes in either August or November. Earlier in the day, a council committee rejected a plan that would reduce the council's size from 40 members to 27 in exchange for increasing term limits from two consecutive four-year terms to three. But the committee endorsed a separate proposal that would make the same change to term limits, effective in time for next year's elections, without shrinking the council.

At least 27 council members must support a charter amendment proposal to put it on the ballot.

• Gave the first of three required approvals to Dean's $1.89 billion operating budget proposal and to legislation that would extend health insurance and other benefits to domestic partners of city employees. Both bills will now move into the council's committee system. The council will start holding departmental budget hearings today.

Reach Michael Cass at 615-259-8838 and on Twitter @tnmetro.