News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The sentiment among Pickett County Commissioners Monday night favored renovating Pickett County High School rather than building a new facility.
County Executive Stephen Bilbrey said that a consulting architect has inspected the building and that renovating would cost anywhere from $2 million to $10 million. Building a new school would cost anywhere from $20 million to $40 million. Commissioner Tony Beaty said with a steady decline in student enrollment a new building that would require the county to raise taxes would not make sense.
“Do we want to take on a $20 million to $40 million building with the decline in students and the possibility of it getting even worse with the voucher system,” Beaty said. “So I mean at this point in time I’m leaning toward the modernization and letting them handle the circumstance.”
Commissioner Chris Masiongale said he thinks the county should focus on renovating the school and also decide how much the county is willing to pay for the renovations.
“I think we just need to focus on the modernization one,” Masiongale said. “But I think we all need to get together and decide what has to be done and then what we want to be done.”
Consulting Attorney Evan Wright said the county should make a decision quickly as capital improvement funds would be available to the county to pay for the renovations should the state pass the Education Freedom Act. Beaty said he agreed with Wright and that the county should not ponder on the decision to renovate.
“We need to lean toward the renovation of this old building and like Evan said go ahead make our mind up and get our name in the pot and move forward with this cause if we drag our feet and I’m not saying all of us but I mean if we drag our feet on things we are going to lose out and I think we have lost out enough.”
Bilbrey said he would meet with Director of Schools Diane Elder to schedule a joint meeting for sometime in January to further discuss options.
Beaty said the county also needs to consider that the $1.2 million landfill still needs to be closed and soon the county will need to address the county jail before it is decertified. Bilbrey said as part of the renovation the roof on the K-8 building would be replaced. Bilbrey said the consulting architect estimated that a complete renovation that would address an extensive list of issues would cost around $5 million to $6 million.
Bilbrey said if the commission votes to renovate they would allow the school system to borrow money for the renovations.
In other business, Commissioners approved an application for the Community Development Block Grant. Bilbrey said the grant would help the County obtain a tanker truck that could hold up to 2,000 gallons of water. Masiongale said tanker truck would be a big help to the county’s fire department.
The commission approved to surplus a tractor from the Landfill and Transfer Station. The commission appointed Kathy Mitchell to the Industrial Development Board. Mitchell is taking the spot of Dr. Andrew Todd as he recently passed away.
