News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Cookeville City Council members are gathering information as they begin to prioritize capital projects and create a long-term plan.
Mayor Laurin Wheaton said the council would like to have a work session to discuss these plans in more detail. She said they plan to use input from department heads, city officials and community wants to inform their next steps.
“Each department has a list of things, their wants and their needs, so as a council, we want to make sure we’re actually taking action on those items,” Wheaton said. “And so in order to do that, we really need to have the information gathered, have it all given to us so we can start processing it and then start checking off our list.”
For example, Wheaton said she knows one of the big pushes for this council is infrastructure like Interstate Drive sidewalks or improvements to the major intersections. Wheaton said these projects could also be on a smaller scale like more pickleball opportunities or improving the city’s quality of life with other activities.
Wheaton said once the council has gathered all of its information, they will begin the conversations about how projects can be funded and when. She said they will also take into account how the city can utilize other entities such as T-DOT or grant opportunities to make the projects come to fruition.
“A lot of projects I won’t see come to fruition during my term but I know they need to happen so how can I go ahead and get the word going on those so that in 10 years we can say that we’ve got everything done so let’s get this thing done,” Wheaton said. “So for me, it’s about what can be done in my term but also what can I be planning for?”
Wheaton said council will continue to make sure they are planning not just for immediate projects, but for future growth.
