News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The City of Algood gave the approval to amend the Rail Trail Authority agreement yesterday.
Keith Morrison is the Algood City Administrator.
“The amendments to this authority agreement are renaming the trail from the Tennessee Central Heritage Rail Trail to the Tennessee Central Trail. It also removes the town of Monterey from the agreement as an owner and a member,” Morrison said. “It reflects the change in authority members to be appointed from ten members to eight members, removing Monterey.”
Morrison said the Rail Trail Authority agreement began in 2005 and included Algood, Cookeville, Monterey and Putnam County.
Monterey did not pay for their portion and chose to withdraw from the authority, Morrison said.
“So the Rail Trail Authority only has a lease to the Monterey city limits now. Anything inside the city limits is insured and maintained and the lease paid for by Monterey themselves. Not as part of this agreement or as a part of this authority.”
Morrison said the amended agreement reassigns the percentage of ownership and contribution equally among the partners.
“This means we are an equal partner now in thirds with Cookeville and Putnam County. Overall it isn’t going to affect the trail,” Morrison said. “We work well with Cookeville and we work well with Putnam County. We have a great partnership and a great opportunity with the trail. So we will continue to move forward with that.”
Morrison said Leadership Putnam will appoint the eighth member.
The Rail Trail Authority decided to change the trail to a more marketable name, Morrison said.
“There was a contest conducted by the Rail Trail Authority several months ago to rename the trail. They felt like the Tennessee Central Heritage Rail Trail was a very long name and was not easily marketable,” Morrison said. “So using the Tennessee Central Trail that they received as part of the submissions, that was the chosen name. It will allow them to easily abbreviate to the TCT.”
The Rail Trail Authority can move forward with marketing the trail now, Morrison said.
