Gilbert Pushing For Sewer Plan For Annexed Areas

Cookeville City Council Member Chad Gilbert wants to see the city develop a detailed plan to provide sewer to annexed areas of the city.

Gilbert said putting a tentative plan in place gives residents clearer expectations. It also allows the city to plan and budget. He said sewer is vital to increasing a city’s infrastructure.

“You get sewer infrastructure to an area, all of a sudden, it’s more ripe for development, and growth and the things that a city needs for tax base and income,” Gilbert said. “And the whole network working together, as you would say, works better.”

Gilbert said years ago, cities did not have to develop as many criteria or reach as clear an agreement with residents of areas before annexing them as they do now. He said there are residents in the city that were annexed some 20 years ago who likely expected to have sewer by now, but do not.

“It’s not going to happen overnight,” Gilbert said. “It’s not going to happen next year. But I think a scheduling of that, maybe even over a decade or so, is appropriate.”

Gilbert said areas around I-40 interchanges without sewer are prime candidates to get it installed as soon as possible. He said the interchanges on Tennessee Avenue have a greater need than ever with the addition of the new fairgrounds.

“Developers hate unknowns,” Gilbert said. “And it’s just, well we don’t have sewer, they’re just going to pass it over whether it’s in our city or somewhere else. Interstate interchanges are just obvious places to put tax-generating revenue development, so I think they all need it.”

Gilbert made the comments Thursday night as the city heard its annual progress reports on areas annexed into the city. The required report outlines what city services have been provided and what remains. In most cases, sewer services were the only one not being provided.

He said if septic tanks have a lifespan and when that lifespan runs out, there can be a period between that point and the point where sewer can be installed that is difficult for residents and business owners to manage. Gilbert said he believes the city has the best department heads in the state and they have done a great job avoiding that, but the time has come for a more detailed plan to be discussed.

“How do we make sure that we take our resources and do all we can, but still stay in balance,” Gilbert said. “Don’t bite off more than we can chew, but bite off all we can.”

He said this council is committed to infrastructure and getting over this hurdle would open the door for growth across the city.