More Codes staffers, HOA consent rule among legislation to be considered

Bills to be considered at the Metro Council’s Tuesday meeting could ramp up enforcement of current property regulations — and add a new rule altogether.

Two resolutions call for the Metropolitan Department of Codes Administration to “promptly fill existing vacancies and add additional personnel in order to effectively enforce property standards” and, in doing so, to “seek diverse candidates that are inclusive and representative of Nashville’s local demographics and languages.”

The resolutions follow a report late last year by Fiscal Choice Consulting that recommended staffing up the Metro Department of Codes & Building Safety. Among the findings of the consultant’s report: Lackluster codes enforcement was in part to blame for citizens’ complaints about nuisance short-term rental properties.

“People who do not maintain or use their property according to established ordinances may infringe on the rights of neighbors,” the report’s authors wrote. “Neighbor conflicts are always a source of concern, but one emerging issue — increasing impact of short-term rental properties — has raised the visibility of this issue.”

The first resolution, sponsored by District 20 Councilmember Mary Carolyn Roberts, calls out recent wait times at the codes department, including on Feb. 23 and 24 when wait times exceeded eight hours. Additionally, the resolution highlights the discrepancy between the number of property inspectors in Nashville (16) and peer cities including Indianapolis (30) and Austin (65).

In encouraging seeking diverse candidates for the positions, Fabian Bedne, the District 31 councilmember sponsoring the second resolution, compares the demographics of codes administration employees to those of the city at large. According to his resolution, the Metro department consists of 86 percent white employees, while whites make up closer to 60 percent of Davidson County’s population.

“The Department of Codes Administration will ultimately be better served by a diverse workforce that can more efficiently serve an ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse community,” the resolution states.

An ordinance on the agenda Tuesday, also sponsored by Bedne, would require the consent of adjacent property owners or homeowners associations prior to the issuance of a short-term rental property permit. The bill was introduced and passed first reading last month, but is up for public hearing at the upcoming Metro Council meeting.