News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Rail Trail Authority wants to amend its bylaws to allow authority members to serve beyond two consecutive three-year terms.
Cookeville City Council will consider the change Thursday night. City Manager James Mills said the authority would like to keep its members beyond six years.
“The issue here is getting good people on there and having some of the good people have to leave because they’re not eligible for reappointment,” Mills said. “This allows you to be reappointed every three years if the authorities and the appointing bodies want that to happen. And that’s what they’re asking us to do, is strike the clause that prohibits them from being reappointed more than two times.”
Mills said the city does something similar with its Planning Commission. Members currently serve two consecutive three-year terms. Under the current bylaws, members are not eligible for reappointment.
Former Council Member Charles Womack will present the bylaw change Thursday. All the member communities of the Rail Trail Authority must approve the bylaw change.
The rail trail currently stretches from Algood to Cookeville’s depot. Officials are working to extend the trail from Algood to Monterey. A westward extension would take the trail from the Cookeville Depot, across Willow Avenue to Cane Creek Park.
