Jon Ward Appointed First Cookeville Assistant City Manager
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 […]
Cookeville City Council Welcomes Familiar New Faces
Cookeville business owner Cigi England and Kelly Parkison secured seats on the Cookeville City Council during Thursday night’s election, bringing backgrounds in local business and community service to the five-member board, joining Mayor-Elect Chad Gilbert, Vice Mayor Luke Eldridge and Ali Bagci. Cookeville City Council Member-elect Cigi England said the campaign process was a completely […]
Hometown Engineer Chad Gilbert Named Cookeville Mayor
Hometown engineer Chad Gilbert will serve as the next Mayor of Cookeville after securing the most votes in the City Council race. Chad Gilbert said the opportunity to lead his own community follows a campaign focused on his previous four years of service to the city. Gilbert said the election results were the culmination of […]
Crossville Reconsiders Automatic Wholesale Water Hikes
Crossville officials reconsidering a 25 percent wholesale water rate increase after learning that a recent vote to raise city rates automatically triggered the hike for neighboring utility districts. Cumberland Plateau Water Authority General Manager Jeff Dyer said the increase was discovered after he contacted city staff to determine how the budget process affected wholesale pricing. […]
Cookeville Mayor Recognized For Medical Center Leadership
The Cookeville Regional Board of Trustees recognized Mayor Laurin Wheaton for her years of service as she attended her final meeting as a board member. Board Chairman Danny Rader said Wheaton held various committee roles during her tenure. Rader said the mayor previously served as the board chairman for one year while balancing her city […]
Fowler Brings Personal Connection To New Algood Board
Algood Mayor Lisa Chapman-Fowler transitioning from her role as city mayor to serve on the newly formalized Cemetery Commission to ensure the preservation of her family’s resting place. Fowler said the Algood City Council recently appointed members to the commission to provide more structure and official oversight for the facility. Fowler said the city needed […]
Cookeville Council Approves 39 Depot Street Master Plan
Cookeville City Council approving a final master plan for the 39 Depot Street project to transform five acres of downtown property into a cohesive park and retail district. The project includes the development of 15 distinct park spaces and a significant realignment of the local street network to improve traffic flow. The plan also addresses […]
Mills Receives Raise Following Near-Perfect Evaluation
Cookeville City Manager James Mills received a 3 percent pay increase Thursday following a near-perfect annual performance evaluation. City Attorney Dan Rader said the council conducts confidential evaluations each year to measure the city manager’s performance across several categories. “Last year, Mr. Mills’ evaluation came back at 4.93, and I personally didn’t think he could […]
Agreement To Be Approved To Move Jefferson TVA Tower
Cookeville City Council discussed finalizing a plan to relocate a TVA transmission tower at the intersection of South Jefferson Avenue and Neal Street during Monday’s work session. City Manager James Mills said the state allocation will cover nearly the entire cost of the $759,000 relocation project. Mills said after years of work and requests, the […]
Henley Drive Project Completed Almost 8 Weeks Early
A final change order approved for Cookeville’s Henley Drive roadway extension project, with the work finished 52 days ahead of schedule. Public Works Director Mary Beth Elrod said the original contract for the project was set for 150 days. Elrod said the city requested the contractor stripe the entirety of Henley Drive from Jefferson to […]
