Jon Ward will be Cookeville’s first Assistant City Manager, announced during Thursday’s City Council meeting.
City Manager James Mills said the decision to establish the position was not a sudden move but a plan he had considered for at least two years. Ward has served the city for 10 years and will continue his current duties as Community Development Director while taking on the new role.
“The appointment, as I said two weeks ago, doesn’t guarantee that person is going to be our next city manager, but it does that will of course be the next council,” Mills said. “I also want to clarify that I’m not creating a full-time position.”
Mills said the role is designed as a “slash position” to ensure the frugal use of tax dollars. Ward will receive additional compensation for the added responsibilities, which include assisting with day-to-day operations and preparing to potentially serve as interim city manager when Mills eventually steps down.
“He’s somebody already familiar with many of the responsibilities of the city manager position and is involved in most of our ongoing projects and has essentially served as the assistant city manager for the last couple of years,” Mills said. “He’s somebody I trust, somebody I believe cares about the city as much as I do.”
In other business, the council approved a $221,220 change order for the Interstate Drive widening project. Public Works Director Mary Beth Elrod said the additional funds are needed to repair a rough section of the roadway that is currently not traversable at full speed.
“They plan to do this work within the next two weeks and so we’ll have that road open and back accessible,” Elrod said. “So I do recommend your approval on this change order.”
The project is expected to be completed within a three-week timeframe without increasing the overall contract time. Self said the total contract amount for the lane widening project now stands at $718,943.50.
