News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam County Commissioners approved the county applying for a State Industrial Access project Monday night which could be part of a Baxter-area development.
The county, the Cookeville Putnam County Chamber of Commerce and the city of Baxter are working together on Project Global. County Mayor Randy Porter said the project could bring 100+ jobs to the region.
“Possibly four new companies will be coming to Putnam County, high paying jobs, $25 an hour plus on most of these,” Porter said. “And so if we file for this SIA, the state would then build the road project that gets into the land of where it needs to go to for these companies. And the county would be out a very small cost of that project.”
The land is located off Highway 56 with a portion in the Baxter City Limits and the rest in the county. Porter said should the project come to fruition, the county would only be responsible for about three percent of the road costs with the state paying the rest.
The names of the companies involved or the industry involved remains a secret.
“They want to be confidential because they’re worried about their competition out there knowing what they’re doing,” Porter said. “So we have to be very confidential on a lot of this stuff. And it’s a lot of meetings and a lot of conversations to make them come together. But when they do come to fruition, it’s very good for the county.”
Putnam County officials have said the priority has changed in recent years, as they have said no to several companies wanting to locate here.
“We’re not interested in the low paying jobs, but the high paying jobs, Porter said. “So we think it’d be a good deal. And it’s the first part of the process. It will take several months for all this to go through if we get approved, and we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.”
The county would pay its portion of the road project from economic development funds, should the project happen.
In other business, the commission accepted the donation of some 7.1 acres from developers of Forsynthia Farms for the possible development of a park. The 48-lot subdivision is being developed off Moss Road. Commissioners also approved the county applying for grants to possibly purchase playground equipment or pay other costs of the development.
The commission’s roads committee approved a 35-mph speed limit on Brindley Hollow Road, located off Nashville Highway in the western portion of the county. Residents had asked for the change based on safety concerns.
