Cookeville OKs Bond For Police Station, Fire Trucks

Cookeville City Council authorized the issuance of $19 million in bonds to pay for the Cookeville Police Department construction and the purchase of two fire trucks.

“This resolution before you represents the first step in the process to issue general obligation bonds,” Finance Director Brenda Imel said.

The next step in the bond process will be publishing notices about the issuance. City council will approve the detailed documents prior to sale at the August meeting, Imel said.

The bonds will pay for a new aerial truck and a new pumper for the Cookeville Fire Department. The approved price tag for the police department construction stands at just under $14 million.

The council also approved moving forward with a possible design for the third floor of the new police department. At a work session last week, council members asked that the finishing of that space be considered now, instead of doing it at a later time. Council approved a $26,975 agreement to have Architectural Design Group design the third floor.

“This amends the original contract signed with them back on April 30, 2018,” Police Chief Randy Evans said.

Evans said the architect provided the cost estimate this week.

Council members have not decided to build out the third floor, but rather just look into the cost estimates to see if it makes fiscal sense.