Putnam Co OKs More Money For Martin Creek Road Water

Putnam County Commissioners will invest another $360,000 to move the Martin Creek Road water project forward.

The joint venture between Putnam County, Jackson County, and the Double Springs Utility District will extend public water into the area using American Rescue Plan funding. County Commissioners agreed to a monthly $3,000 payment Monday night over the next ten years.

The additional money will help keep water quality at the required level, according to a memorandum of understanding between Putnam County and Double Springs. Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said with the size of the Double Springs district, the utility cannot afford to do maintenance and depreciation in the short term.

“It’s just really hard for these small districts to sustain that cost,” Porter said. “Especially when there aren’t many users on the line to start.”

Porter said the current date in the memorandum of understanding includes a ten-year monthly payment for a total additional investment of $360,000. Once more meters come online, Porter said the district will have revenue to offset the maintenance costs.

“First two or three years, it’s not going to happen,” Porter said.

The monthly payments are also part of the county’s Rescue Plan funds. Porter said the county may need to do similar arrangements with other water extension projects going on in the county such as a project with the town of Monterey to extend water lines south to the county line.

Porter said once approved by commissioners, the project will move forward to the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation for approval. He expects bids to go out late in 2022 or early 2023.

Once the bid is awarded, Porter said he hoped the construction could be completed in about 12 months.

The State Comptrollers Office must sign off on the memorandum.

Commissioners also approved the purchase of a small parcel of land adjacent to the business park in conjunction with the city of Cookeville.

The land sits just off the Tennessee Avenue exit of Interstate 40. The land was home to the Rice Inn Billboard for many years and family members at the time of the business park’s construction, did not want to sell the small parcel.

Mayor Randy Porter said now, the piece of land is subject to an estate sale. The family wanted to give the city and county the best chance to get the deal done.

The $6,000 purchase price will eliminate the easements with land the city and county already own adjacent to the property.