News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Algood’s water tower will be coming down.
City Council voted Tuesday to begin taking bids for removing the 59-year-old structure.
Mayor Lisa Chapman-Fowler said the city had no other option but to get rid of the tower.
“To my heart, it represented a piece of Algood history,” Chapman-Fowler said. “However, you cannot make decisions just based on what your heart tells you. You have to make decisions for the city that are fiscally responsible.”
Chapman-Fowler said she couldn’t justify spending and estimated $263,000 to repair the tank versus $55,000 to tear it down.
The tower went out of service more than 20-years ago and has some structural issues. Consulting Engineer Matthew Tucker said the tank has some structural issues that need to be addressed within 3 to 5-years.
“The primary concern is the bowl itself, that’s the part at the top that holds the water,” Tucker said. “That becomes a liability because as the tank deteriorates from the inside out, the metal gets thin. If you start losing structure in the bowl, eventually it wants to fall down on itself.”
During Tuesday’s city council meeting, City Administrator Keith Morrison said the city will also look at auctioning off the water tower.
“A mayor from another city suggested that they sold one (water tower) through auction,” Morrison said. “In that case, the person came and took it down. Of course, you would have the liability and would have to make sure they were insured and bonded and responsible for any damage.”
The city held several public meetings this year for residents to provide input on the decision. A suggestion box placed outside city hall received at least 35 votes for taking down the tower and 11 for repairs.
Morrison said he hopes to begin taking bids for removal or have the tank listed for auction by the end of the winter. He said the goal is to have the tank removed by Summer 2020.
