§ 12.44.080. Free metered parking for vehicle owners that purchase carbon offsets.

A.

Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 12.44.040, no parking payment shall be required for a vehicle parked in a parking metered space located within the boundaries of the Downtown Central Business Improvement District, as designated by Section 2.177.010 of the metropolitan code, for a duration not to exceed the posted time limit on the meter if the vehicle is displaying a valid sticker issued by the Davidson County Clerk evidencing that the vehicle has purchased the required carbon offsets as provided in this section. The county clerk shall determine the proper place on the vehicle to which the sticker is to be affixed so as to maximize visibility for the benefit of the parking patrol officers.

B.

The carbon offset vehicle stickers shall only be available for private passenger vehicles. In order to obtain the free parking sticker, the private passenger motor vehicle owner shall purchase carbon offsets from a qualified nonprofit organization that uses the carbon offset funds for carbon counterbalance projects within the area of the metropolitan government. Such carbon offsets shall be purchased for the calendar year in which the free parking sticker is to be issued. For the purposes of this section, a "qualified nonprofit organization" means an organization that has obtained its tax exempt status from the Internal Revenue Service and provides an acceptable protocol that will lead to the registration of its project with Gold Standard, the Verified Carbon Standard, the Climate Action Reserve, or another comparable third-party carbon offset registry or verification method approved by the department of public works. All offsets sold by a qualified nonprofit organization for use under this section must be registered with Gold Standard, the Verified Carbon Standard, or another comparable third-party carbon offset registry or verification method approved by the department of public works.

C.

The Davidson County Clerk shall have the authority and responsibility for issuing carbon offset vehicle stickers for qualifying motor vehicles. Each sticker shall be valid for a period of one year and shall be issued at the time the motor vehicle is registered. The private passenger motor vehicle owner shall present to the county clerk a certificate from the qualified nonprofit organization evidencing that the dollar amount of the carbon credits purchased coincides with the carbon footprint of the motor vehicle for which the parking permit is sought, and that the carbon credits will be used for a carbon offset project that will be registered with Gold Standard, the Verified Carbon Standard, the Climate Action Reserve, or another comparable third-party carbon offset registry or verification method approved by the department of public works.

D.

The county clerk shall be entitled to collect an annual fee of ten dollars from the applicant for each carbon offset vehicle sticker issued. All fees collected for the carbon offset vehicle stickers shall be deposited in the general fund of the general services district to assist in offsetting the administrative costs incurred by the county clerk for issuance of the stickers and enforcement of the ordinance by the department of public works.

E.

The provisions of this section pertaining to the issuance of parking stickers for carbon offset vehicles shall become effective July 1, 2011, and shall expire and be null and void on June 30, 2013, unless extended by resolution of the council of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County. This provision, commonly known as a "sunset provision," is included to ensure that the effectiveness and necessity of this section is reviewed by the metropolitan council after its adoption.

F.

The department of public works shall have the authority to promulgate the necessary regulations consistent with this section to further its implementation.

(Amdt. 1 to Ord. BL2010-825 § 1, 2011; Ord. BL2010-825 § 1, 2011)