Putnam Commission Approves Special Called Meeting To Consider Park View School Funding

The Putnam County Commission will hold a special called meeting sometime in December to consider funding the 5-8th grade wing of the new Park View School.

During a Fiscal Review Committee meeting Monday night, Director of Schools Corby King presented a quote that would require an additional $16.5 million. Commission Chair Ben Rodgers said the county’s budget committee will have to review funding options.

“Mayor Porter and I will get together and look at the numbers,” Rodgers said. “We’ll also look at our future capital projects we’re trying to achieve. Is there something we can delay to help fund this cost? Just all the possibilities that could come out of budget committee.”

Rodgers said it is hard to tell at this time if the money is there. Rodgers said the budget committee will likely meet the first week of December to prepare for the special called meeting.

With the contractor prices only good until December 15th, the commission meeting needs to come before that date. Rodgers was tasked with scheduling the special called meeting.

“After that, the prices could go up or down,” Rodgers said. “We imagine they are probably not going to go down. The commission normally does not meet until the third Monday, and that is December 18th. Well that is too late to give the school board an answer on whether the commission is going to fund any part of it or all. We have to meet before the 15th, and that’s why we are going to do a special called meeting.”

The commission originally approved a $44.6 million bond to fund the K-8 school last year. Bids came in several million dollars over budget. so the project was downsized to a K-4 school. This $16.5 million would fund the remainder of the school.

In other business, the commission approved selling two lots in the Highlands Business Park. The land will serve as “spec sites” for potential future industrial developments. Hollingsworth Company set to develop the land which also lead the Ficosa building in the Business Park.

Mayor Randy porter said the county received about a 25 percent return compared to when the land was first purchased. Porter said the money will be split with Cookeville and sent to the Industrial Development Fund.