City Council - Regular Meeting

I will call the Pville City Council meeting for Thursday, December 4th to order. May I have a roll call, please? Councilman Baji, here. Councilman Walker, here. Mayor Weaten, here. Vice Mayor Eldridge, here. Councilman Gilbert, here. Five present.

Thank you. At this time, I would like to ask those that wish to do so to stand for the invocation given tonight by Pastor John of First United Pentecostal Church, followed by the pledge of allegiance. Right. Father, thank you for this day that you've given us, all the blessings that you bless us with. Thank you for opportunity to live in the greatest place of the world, and that's in the United States. Lord, I ask that you just bless our leaders tonight as they lead us in making decisions that will be beneficial for the citizens of this community. Help them to have wisdom and let them be blessed in all that they do. We give you praise for it in Jesus name. Amen.

Amen. I pledge to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you, pastor. Item three, consider approval of agenda as presented. Are there any changes? Do I have a motion? So move. Motion made by Vice Mayor Eldridge, seconded by Councilman Gilbert. Um, wait, I'm not hospital. I was about to say all those in favor say I. No. Um, any discussion on that? Go ahead and take a vote.

Still waiting for a vote. All votes correct. Yes. Motion carries. Thank you. 5A. Consider approval of minutes of council meeting held on November 20th, 2025. Is there a motion? Second. Motion made by Vice Mayor Eldidge, seconded by Councilman Walker. Any discussion from the public act? Discussion from council here. Take a vote. Yeah. Okay. Bad batteries. Yes. Motion carries.

Thank you. For the consent agenda 6A, set a date 11526 for a public hearing and consider on first reading ordinance 0251018 amending the zoning code section 221 CL local commercial and section 222 CG general commercial to permit subdividing commercial units on individual lots upon review by the planning commission. 6B set a date 1 1526 for public hearing and consider on first reading ordinance 0251019 closing and abandoning a portion of Baron Court. and 6 C consider awarding bid for 300 KVA transformers. Is there a motion on the consent agenda? So move. Motion made by Councilman Gilbert. Is there a second? Second by Vice Mayor Eldridge. Any discussion from the council? Okay, vote on that.

All votes correct. Yes. Motion carries.

Thank you. On to new business. 7A. Hold a public hearing and on proposed amendments to the city of Cookville's urban growth boundary. Mr. Ward. Thank you, Mayor and Council. Um, the town of Monterey has initiated the process of amending the Putham County growth plan by proposing an amendment to their urban growth boundary. Proposed amendments must be reviewed and approved by the county, each incorporated areas legislative body, and the Putham County growth coordinating committee. The planning division has developed proposed amendments to the city of Kougall's urban growth boundary to submit to the coordinating committee in conjunction with Monteray's proposed amendment. This process requires the council to uh to provide an updated report concerning the current proposed urban growth boundary. Uh the city council must hold two public hearings, one tonight, one is scheduled for our next meeting on December 18th prior to submitting any revisions to the coordinating committee. Uh it is also anticipated the Putham County Joint Economic and Community Development Board uh will be appointed as the coordinating committee for this process. Since 2000, the city of Cookville has annexed a total of 9,099 acres or approximately 14 square miles within the current urban growth boundary. The city's received requests to annex parcels located outside of our UGB. Areas uh annexation outside of the UGB primarily can only occur by referendum. Areas inside the city's urban growth boundary can be annexed without a referendum by owner consent. The planning division has proposed expansions of the urban growth boundary to the east, south, west, and west as depicted on the submitted exhibit. Um, our current urban growth boundary consists of about 15 square miles or 9,562 acres. Uh, the proposed amendments that are depicted in the darker areas around the the the boundary uh include approximately 6.6 square miles or 4,225 acres. uh that would bring our total UGB area to 21.48 square miles. The proposed UGB expansion has been reviewed uh by the Cookville Energy

Department, our water quality control department, and our public works department to discuss extension and maintenance of city infrastructure. As we discussed at work session Monday, uh you know, this does not mean that properties are going to be annexed. If you are in the UGB and you want to be annexed, that can be accomplished by owner consent. Um, and these are areas we anticipate the city will be growing um into in the next, you know, 20-year period. So, I um tonight's action is to just hold a public hearing and receive comments and uh we would be considering any action on this at the next meeting. Thank you. Is there a motion? So, move. Motion made by Councilman Bach. Is there a second? Second.

Second by Vice Mayor Eldridge. Uh this is a public hearing, so we will open the floor for anyone who'd like to speak on this agenda item. Okay, seeing none, we'll close the public hearing portion. Any comments from the council? Okay, we will go ahead and vote then.

I think we need some new batteries. I correct. Yes. Motion carries. Thank you. 7B. Hold a public hearing and consider on first reading ordinance 0251 11120 reszoning 208 East Steven Street tax map 53K group J parcel 20.00 from RD single family and duplex residential to CL local commercial. Mr. Ward

mayor and councel here is a general location of the property under consideration for resoning. Here is a location map of the subject property. It's an aerial view. The existing parcel consists of approximately 0.2 acres. The resoning request including street rideways uh contains approximately 0.25 acres. The property is currently zoned RD single family and duplex residential as are adjacent properties to the west and south. The properties bordered by CL local commercial to the east and north. Uh the application noted the reasonzoning request was submitted to combine with parcel 21. Once combined, the site will be redeveloped with addition to the structure and adding parking. adding a parking lot on parcel 20 to remove parking in front of the current business. Uh partial 20 current contains a single family residence. According to the applicant, resoning would allow for the existing non-conforming office to the east to be expanded and the additional parking area would eliminate the non-conforming parking that backs out onto East Steven Street for for this current business location. [gasps and sighs] Um here's our future land use plan for this area. Uh the the future land use plan designates the property is best suited for local commercial and mixed density residential uses. Uh the CL zoning would be would comply with this designation. Here's a submitted survey of the uh property with the existing home. Here we have some aerial views. You can see this is Whittenberg land surveying adjacent. That's who submitted the request. So this uh resoning was uh approved by the planning commission as recommended by the planning division. I recommend your approval. Happy to answer any questions.

Thank you. Is there a motion? So motion made by Councilman Gilbert, second by Councilman Baji. This is also a public hearing. So is there anyone who'd like to speak on this agenda item? Being none, we will close the public hearing. Any discussion from council? So John, just for clarification, this is going to allow them to correct that nonapplying client. They have submitted that in the application, right? That is existing non-conforming parking. We recommend that it's it's dangerous to back out there. Uh the applicant has informed me it is their intent to eliminate that when they act when they build a new parking lot on this track.

Any other comments? Thank you for that clarification. All right, we will go ahead and take a vote on this. All votes correct by yes. Motion carries. Thank you. 7 C. Consider authorizing the city manager to ex exercise a purchase option agreement and proceed with purchase of property located at 180 Miller Road, map 39, parcel 2011.07. Mr. Mills,

mayor, council members, as we discussed uh Monday to our work session, the Kwell Button County Animal Control Board recently approved the purchase of the property at 180 Miller Road. Um, it consists of about 1.3 acres. There should be a survey or a area photograph in there, John. Um, the property [clears throat] is owned currently by Cindy Bellis. On this property, there's a 3,000 foot commercial structure which was built in 2014. Um, as we talked about on Monday, it's in excellent condition. It's been inspected by our codes division personnel and by the public works department. Within this building is the Major Michael Shipless Bay Neuter Clinic. Um, and as we talked about Monday again, this building was built specifically for the purpose of an animal clinic or a veterary hospital. And um, I think it served that purpose well. Um, her desire in making this offer to the city and the county and the animal control board is that it remain [clears throat] being used for the purposes of a spayneuter clinic. Um, the structure is currently leased to Wags and Whiskers Pet Rescue uh, Inc. which operates the spayneuter clinic there at the facility and we have a representative here if you have any questions of her tonight. U they also own all the equip equipment in the clinic and if purchase our intent would be to assume the lease which will currently expire February 26 and then um do a lease extension or a new agreement with Wags and Whiskers. The whole goal here, the whole purpose of this is that we can be assured of the continued availability of a spayneuter clinic here in Cookville. And it's really needed um with our uh for our animal shelter. Jennifer's here tonight, but that's a vital service to be able to spay and neuter and control the population of uh of animals here in Cookville. Um we uh I won't go into any more detail. We've gone in this quite a bit except to let you know the price is 399,000.

We would purchase this through funds that were bequeaf to the um animal control board um which exceed over a million. I believe it's actually 1.3 and then we've actually drawn Jenny over $200,000 in interest. We've saved this money for the many years for capital purchases. None of that money is used for operational expenses. So this fits perfectly for what those I believe those requested monies should be used for and that's how we would fund this. Um there will require a budget amendment which Mr. Nwander will be presenting in a moment. But in summation, I'm going to request your approval to exercise the option agreement and proceed to purchase the property located at 180 Miller Road subject to the receipt of a clean title report at a price of $399,000. If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them.

Thank you. Is there a motion? So move. Motion made by Councilman Baji. Is there a second? Second. Second from Vice Mayor Eldridge. Any discussion from the public? Discussion from council. I'll say as someone who has two dogs from the shelter who have probably taken part in this service. Thank you very much. Um I appreciate that this opportunity came about and this is something that we continue for the community because our shelter already does such a great job and being able to partner with Wags and Whiskers to continue this. Um thank you all for making sure that this happens and Mr. Mills as well. And there's some really cute Chihuahua puppies that I saw online that I think they've already been all I think so I know two three for sure

my kids that okay well I know there'll be plenty more that can be adopted and loved on. So [laughter] uh any other discussion from the council okay seeing none we'll go ahead and vote

all votes correct yes motion carries. Thank you. 7D. Hold a public hearing and consider on first reading ordinance 025122 amending the fiscal year 2026 budget for the city of Cookville, Tennessee animal control fund. Miss Niceander.

Good evening, mayor and council. Um, this ordinance amends the animal shelter budget for fiscal year 26 with a decrease of fund balance of $425,000. it. The increase in expenditures is appropriate funds for the purchase of the property that was discussed in the previous agenda item. We do anticipate some revenue based on the current agreement for rent and some costs for insurance and minor repairs and maintenance, but those should offset each other operationally. I'm happy to answer any questions, but recommend your approval. Thank you. Is there a motion? Go ahead. Motion made by Councilman Baji, seconded by Councilman Gilbert. Second.

Okay. Uh the that will we got got a motion and a second. So this is a public hearing as well. Anyone who would like to speak on this item? Seeing none, we'll close the public hearing. Any discussion from the council? Okay, we'll go ahead and take a vote. Now it's you two.

Are you supposed to be talk to it? I guess motion carries. Thank you. 7E. Consider approval of change order number two for the expansion of the energy department facility located on West Davis Road. Mr. entertaining.

Mayor and council members, uh, this change order covers phase two of our new energy facility, uh, for the concrete and structural steel. WNO is recommending Stout Contra concrete with a low bid of $1,255,16411 and Cherokee Steel with a low bid of $748,54586. Uh this uh this phase did come in under budget of2,764,54468. So it's about $341,000 under our budget for this this phase. Uh it's going to be completed in three subphases. One is the main building that you see in blue and then the next will be the out buildings uh the metal structures uh in in sub phase 2 and then the purple is some remodeling and reconstruction they'll have to do for the existing building. Uh well the cost you see there the stout concrete as I mentioned 1,255,164 uh Cherokee steel for $748,545 uh contract contract work by WNO Construction for $65,38423. We are doing a proposed 5% contingency for anything that may come up for $100,185.50 50 and then contract allowances for permits, bonds, and contractor's general conditions of $254,186.76, which brings the total change order to 2,423,46646. And I would recommend your approval.

Thank you. Is there a motion? So move. Motion made by Vice Mayor Eldridge. Is there a second? Second. Second by Councilman Walker. Uh any discussion from the public? Discussion from council. Still under budget. I'm sorry. still under budget. Yeah, this this one here, this phase will be 341,000. I think the first phase was a little over 400,000 under budget. So, we're doing really good on the budget. Congratulations on that. Yeah, get a lot of out of order. Yeah, he's doing a great job on this. She's put a lot of time in this. Thank you. It's a big deal. Thank you. Thank you.

Any other comments? Okay, seeing then both votes correct. Yes, motion carries. Thank you. Thank you. That concludes the agenda portion of our meeting. Is there anyone who'd like to speak to the council on any non-aggenda items? Seeing none, we do need to receive a report on our debt obligation. Uh that is 9A. Miss Nice Wanderer, you would like to present that.

Mayor, council, when we issue debt, we're required to file a report on debt obligation with the Tennessee Comprollers Office Division of Local Government and Finance. Council is required to accept this report. It's basically a summary of our debt obligation. We recently sold obligation funds series 2025 dated November 21st of 2025. The amount of bonds was 10,525,000 and the true interest cost is 3.43849%. The purpose of the bond is for road improvements, fire station construction, facility renovations, and park improvements and the 39 depot project. We sold the bonds at a premium of $642,17.70 and the bond issue cost was 149,32177. We still maintain our Moody's rating of AA1, which is the second highest rating for long-term debt, and it signifies a high credit quality and very low credit w risk for an issuer. I'm happy to answer any questions. The full report is in your packet, but I recommend your acceptance of our report.

Thank you. And we need a motion in a second to vote on this. Correct. Okay. Um, any comments from the public? Okay. Well, let me get a motion first. Do I have a motion? So, move. Motion made by Councilman Gilbert. Do I have a second? Second. Second by Vice Mayor Eldridge. Any discussion from public, from council? Okay, we'll go ahead and take a vote to receive this report.

We're little remotes. It's too cold. There you go. All votes correct. Yes. Motion carries. Thank you. Um, I would like to remind everyone that we've got our Christmas tree lighting this Sunday at the at Dogwood Park. Starts at 6:00, rain or shine. Um, so please come celebrate the Christmas season with us with the singing, the tree lighting, readings, all that wonderful stuff. And, um, that's all I have. Any other comments?