Tag Archives: James Mills

Over 900 Coookeville residents behind on their utility bills have until June 1 to pay them off before services are disconnected. City Manager James Mills said payment plans can be catered to each customer’s needs. “We don’t want to disconnect people, we want them to have the ability to, opportunity to, pay their bills,” Mills said. “We can’t continue this ... Read More »

Cookeville City Government will begin a phased reopening of City Hall next Tuesday. City Manager James Mills said the number of visitors entering the building will be limited. Guests will be encouraged to wear masks. Officials also urge residents to continue using alternative methods to conduct city business, such as continuing to use mail or online resources to pay bills. ... Read More »

Cookeville City Manager James Mills gave council members a second option Tuesday to include pay raises in the new fiscal year budget. During a second day of budget work sessions, Mills detailed a plan for city employees that would include possible two percent merit raises and a $100 longevity increase per year. Mills said the merit raise insures those employed ... Read More »

Cookeville’s proposed city budget will include no property tax increase while pursuing what City Manager James Mills calls “a very conservative approach.” Mills outlined the $29 million budget in Monday’s first council work session. Finance Director Brenda Imel said the budget represents a 5.5 percent reduction in income from the current fiscal year’s plan. “We’re in good financial shape,” Mills ... Read More »

Carl Sells will takeover as Cookeville’s new Human Resources Director upon the retirement of current director Gail Fowler. City Manager James Mills made the announcement Monday. Fowler will step down June 26. Sells began working for the city in 1996 as an officer for the Cookeville Police Department. He moved to the HR department in 2017 as Safety Coordinator. Sells ... Read More »

If a group wants to move forward with a downtown Cookeville hotel, the process will essentially be starting over. “Everything is expired in terms of approval, so they basically have to start over,” City Manager James Mills said. “We consider it basically starting from scratch.” Incentives provided by the City of Cookeville for a downtown hotel project have expired. Construction ... Read More »

The Cookeville City Council approved an agreement Thursday to bury power lines adjacent to Stephens Street Baptist Church. The church will pay the city $16,000 and deed land to the city for future road improvements. City Manager James Mills said the agreement makes sense because improvements to the Stevens Street/Willow Avenue intersection have been a long-time priority for the city. ... Read More »