Tag Archives: Eric Walker

Laurin Wheaton earned the most votes in the Cookeville City Council election, making her the prime candidate for the mayorship. Wheaton said that she was excited about the opportunity to take on the challenge. She said that Cookeville is in a great spot, and it’s not only because of her previous work on the council. “That is because of what ... Read More »

Growth, growing pains, diversity, police and fire coverage, the future of Cookeville Regional, and the need to elect the mayor individually…some of the issues discussed by the 11 candidates for Cookeville City Council Tuesday night. The 11 candidates participated in a 90-minute forum where residents had the chance to ask questions of concern. Candidate Dee Prince said that when it ... Read More »

The new Cookeville Police Headquarters has come in some $326,000 under budget. Police Chief Randy Evans said that the department had budgeted about $400,000 in contingency money should they need to make changes or adjustments. “There were certain things that were passed or missed in the contract, or package pass-throughs,” Evans said. “And then there’s a variety of things like ... Read More »

Is it time for Cookeville to consider updating its zoning standards and requirements? That’s a question Council Member Eric Walker would like to explore. He said that the recent discussions about rezoning Lovelady Road have brought these debates to light. “Anytime you have a large development like this come along you need to look at your growth and how you’re ... Read More »

Would Cookeville be better doing future projects on its own without T-DOT money? Cookeville Council Member Eric Walker said it’s something to consider. Last week, council rebid part one of the Spring Street sidewalk project which started in 2014. T-DOT delays have kept the project from beginning, and the price tag rising. Walker said that in cases like the East ... Read More »

Some Cookeville residents concerned about potholes along the southern portion of Tennessee Avenue. Council Member Eric Walker said construction traffic around several new projects are likely part of the problem. “The biggest thing is is that we’re seeing a lot of potholes,” Walker said. “That was an older road that wasn’t really initially built for that kind of truck traffic ... Read More »

Cookeville City Council’s Eric Walker is officially running for re-election. After picking up his papers Thursday, Walker said that he’s excited to run again. Walker said that the city has gone through a lot over the past four years, and now with the accelerated growth we see in Cookeville he wants to help play a part. “You know when you ... Read More »

The Cookeville City Council will keep Cookeville Regional’s payment in lieu of taxes firm for the next seven years in exchange for an aggressive retirement repayment schedule. Council approved the plan Thursday night with only Charles Womack voting against. The CRMC Board of Trustees must approve the plan. That board meets next week. The council will ask the CRMC Board ... Read More »

Cookeville City Council approved the first reading of its new fiscal year budget Thursday night. The budget features $29.9 million in revenues with some $29.45 million in expenses. Expenses increased some seven percent. Finance Director Brenda Imel said the city will focus on increasing pay for city employees starting with an adjustment to the city’s pay grades. “This will be ... Read More »

A Cookeville City Council resolution that would have required the Cookeville Regional Board of Trustees to provide salary information on every CRMC employee failed Thursday night. The latest in the soap opera surrounding CRMC’s budget and the Ricky Shelton hiring came with Council Member Charles Womack’s surprise resolution requiring the Trustees to submit salary information quarterly. Womack did not discuss ... Read More »