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Dear NAACP Members,
I am very concerned about the closure of Bordeaux Hospital. I am very disturbed that the mayor is not being transparent in his end game for Bordeaux Hospital and the land on which it sits. Council member Jonathan Hall has proposed a bill that keeps the hospital open until December 2021. Councilmember Hall's bill does not fix the problem but it does give us time to force the mayor to reveal why he really wants to close Bordeaux Hospital.
The closure of Bordeaux Hospital is only one piece of the puzzle. The mayor has a plan and he is purposely keeping Nashville residents in the dark. The mayor is comfortable with Bordeaux Hospital closing because he has another plan for this land. I am concerned that the mayor's intent is to put something on this land that does not enrich the lives of the people in 37218. I believe that we should pause the closure of Bordeaux Hospital to evaluate the end game for the land and the building.
On November 29, 2020 the Executive Committee met with Councilmember Jonathan Hall regarding keeping Bordeaux Hospital open. He explained that Bordeaux Hospital can remain open until December 2021 if the following actions are taken:
1. $5 million in CARES Act Funds are released for hospital operations,
2. $1.4 million from the Metro Nashville Emergency fund are released for hospital operations,
3. $2.6 million that was previously allocated for the operation of Bordeaux Hospital remains unused and should be made available for hospital operations, and
4. Have 21 council members to vote to use the funds listed above to keep Bordeaux Hospital open until December 2021.
Bill BL2020 505 (attached below) has been presented to the council by Councilmember Hall and is attached to this email. This bill allows the council to vote to keep Bordeaux Hospital open until December 2021. This bill is on its 2nd reading at the Metro Council Meeting on December 1, 2020 at 6:30 p.m. at Music City Center, 201 5th Avenue South, Davidson Ballroom, Nashville, TN 37203.
Councilmember Hall is asking the residents of Nashville to put pressure on Mayor Cooper to prevent the closure of Bordeaux Hospital by: 1. Forming a coalition with other organizations such as Urban League, church pastors, Central Labor Council, SEIU etc. to make public statements that keep the citizens of Metro Nashville informed of the mayor's intentions and propose solutions to prevent Bordeaux Hospital from closing; and
2. Getting 21 council members to vote to keep Bordeaux Hospital open by flooding their offices with phone calls and emails that explain our desire for Bordeaux Hospital to remain open.
Action Step: I ask that you cut and paste the following script in the emails that you send to the council members:
Dear Council member ______, I formally request that you vote yes for BL2020 505 presented by Jonathan Hall to keep Bordeaux Hospital open through the 2021 fiscal year. Sincerely, ____________ a resident of Metro Davidson County.
You can also adapt this script for leaving a voicemail or sending a text to the council member. You can find council member email addresses and other contact information at https://www.nashville.gov/Metro-Council/Metro-Council-Members.aspx
I have attached Resolutions RS2020 613 & 665 below to provide you with the background on the availability of the funds requested and some of the council members that support this bill.
COVID-19 has forced us to have only virtual meetings which often leaves me feeling disconnected. I would like to know what our members are thinking about this subject. Very few people have contacted me about this issue. Please send your thoughts and concerns to naacpnashville2019@gmail.com or the office (615) 329-0999.
Sheryl Guinn, NAACP Nashville Branch President
Your friends in the movement NAACP Nashville Branch
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