Putnam To Spend $5.7M On Capital Projects

Putnam County will budget some $5.7 million in capital expenses during the new fiscal year.

The projects are part of a five-year plan instituted by County Mayor Randy Porter when he took office. The plan not only includes the project outline but budgets dollars to cover it.

“You can see for the next five years, the highest year we’re looking at is 2028, in 2029, which is about $6.3 million,” Porter said. “That’s because it’s got a big roof in it. Our capital project, as I told you last year, were coming down. We got a lot of stuff done that we needed to do. The dollar amount for our capital project is going forward, is less than half of what it’s been been for some of the past years.”

Among the new projects this fiscal year, resurfacing of tennis courts and the construction of the county’s first pickleball courts at the Cookeville Community Center. Porter said the new courts will be built where the basketball courts used to be located.

“Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport there is,” Porter said. “If you go out at these courts, especially during good weather at night, folks are lined up out there waiting for a court to open up. I’ve had more people come at me wanting some pickleball courts and wanting the tennis courts resurfaced.”

At the new county Soccer Complex, capital funds would be used to light the new fields and replace old existing lighting. Porter said much of that lighting was installed around 2001.

The county will also replace its cardboard and paper bailer, purchased in 1999. Porter said the county makes roughly $300,000 annually on selling those recycled products.

“We have reworked it,” Porter said. “We have changed out wiring and parts and everything, and it’s to the point that it’s not going to go much longer. We don’t want to lose that $300,000 plus a year that we’re getting out of the recyclable.”

Construction continues on the new fairgrounds off Tennessee Avenue. Capital funds will be used this next fiscal year to light the two main parking lots. Crews will also install street lights on the main road and the side roads connecting the facilities.

“My goal is to try and make sure that before we get into very far close to the fair next year, we’ve got all of this done,” Porter said.

Some minor roof projects will be bid this year including the Gentry Community Center, the Vocational Rehab Facility, and repairs to the Algood Middle School roof. Porter said the county also wants to replace the small bucket truck used to replace lights.

County commissioners will pass the final budget, including the capital projects, in late July.