Tag Archives: City Of Cookeville

Cookeville’s West End Connection will hold its first Darwin Dash on Memorial Day. The race will raise funds for West End preservation including the records and memories of the Darwin School, the only African American school during segregated education in Cookeville. West End Connection’s Lori Strode said it’s important to preserve Darwin’s history. “I feel like if we didn’t who ... Read More »

Several Cookeville City Council members want better accountability of the money provided for the Fourth Of July Fireworks. Better Cookeville, started by former Mayor Ricky Shelton, produces the fireworks show. City Manager James Mills said Better Cookeville has asked to increase funding to $20,000 in the new fiscal year. Council Member Eric Walker said the city requires financials of the ... Read More »

Cookeville City Manager James Mills proposed some $1.3 million in increased salaries for police officers and firefighters during the next budget year. Mills said the proposed budget includes a roughly $10,000 raise for all police officers in the lower grades, a $5,000 raise for firefighters, and a $9,800 raise for paramedics. “We’re talking about major improvements in pay for police,” ... Read More »

Cookeville City Council voted Thursday night to move from a self-insured health insurance plan to being insured by an outside vendor. The plan expected to save the city over $1 million on its next fiscal year spending. Finance Director Brenda Imel said rising medical costs as well as the increasing complexity of the system made the decision the right one. ... Read More »

Cookeville City Manager James Mills received a 4.9 out of 5 on his annual evaluation by city council members. City Attorney Dan Rader compiled the numbers based on council member evaluations in six different categories. “This is one of the highest, if not the highest, evaluations I’ve ever received for a public official,” Rader said. “So I think it would ... Read More »

Cookeville’s Public Works Department is already prepping for winter storms by purchasing road de-icing salt. Director Greg Brown said that de-icing salt plays a key role in driving on icy roads. However, he said there can be a point where it becomes less effective. “The colder it is the less efficient the salt works,” Brown said. “So when it gets ... Read More »

Cookeville City Council will consider a negotiation of the purchase of facilities from Upper Cumberland Electric to serve the city’s Water Intake Pumping Facility. Water Quality Control Department Director Ronnie Kelly said that they would purchase a primary meter and a depreciated transformer feeding the intake from UCEMC. “In August there was a tree that fell across the electric line ... Read More »

Work on Cookeville’s Cedar Avenue road project continues. Public Works Director Greg Brown said that widening and sidewalks from 4th Street to 7th Street are done. Crews continue working towards completion of the west side of Cedar from 4th Street to 2nd Street. “You know we do this in addition to our regular jobs,” Brown said. “So we work on ... Read More »

Cookeville City Council will consider awarding bids for the widening of East 10th Street Thursday night. City Manager James Mills said that the price tag for phase one came in at $1.2 million, an increase of some $600,000. “The budget was assumed that we would do the work on this project,” Mills said. “That (Public Works Director Greg Brown) Greg’s ... Read More »

The city of Cookeville is set to open bids on salvageable materials from the former mini storage units on North Cedar Avenue. City Manager James Mills said that the sale of materials would be the first step in demolishing the storage units to allow for more parking in the downtown area. He said that the city council was surprised to ... Read More »