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Cookeville council approves $15,000 now and budgets $20,000 more for Leslie Town Center lighting repairs
Summary
The council approved a $15,000 special appropriation to help replace lighting in the Leslie Town Center conference room and asked staff to include an additional $20,000 in the next budget cycle to cover the remaining city share.
The Cookeville City Council voted unanimously Feb. 20 to provide $15,000 to the Public Building Authority to replace the lighting system in the Leslie Town Center’s Estes Williams room and to direct staff to include an additional $20,000 in the next budget year to cover the remaining city contribution.
The appropriation came after a presentation from James Mills, city manager, who said the Public Building Authority (PBA) had solicited bids and that D and D Enterprises Inc. submitted the lowest responsive bid of $69,355. The PBA requested the city pay half of that cost, $34,677.50, under terms of the lease that generally split major repairs between the PBA and the city.
Catherine, a Public Building Authority representative, told the council the current lighting system had discontinued ballasts and could no longer be repaired, leaving portions of the room without functioning lights. She said the PBA had built maintenance reserves and had spent about $150,000 in leasehold improvements since 2021 but did not budget specifically for this replacement.
Mills said he believed a contribution was appropriate but recommended a minimum city payment of $15,000 because the repair had not been included in the current fiscal-year budget. Council members raised timing and precedent concerns and discussed whether the PBA could cover the full cost now and be reimbursed in the next budget.
Councilman Walker moved to approve the city manager’s recommendation. Vice Mayor Eldridge seconded. Council later amended the motion to provide $15,000 immediately and ask staff to include $20,000 in next year’s budget to cover the remainder of the city’s share. The amended motion passed on a 5-0 vote.
Catherine said the work is scheduled to begin June 16 and that the PBA had roughly $44,000 in maintenance reserves on hand. Mills and council members noted the city has previously funded larger repairs at the facility, including a roof, and emphasized planning for future maintenance during the budget process.
The council thanked the PBA representative and emphasized follow-up during the next budget cycle to identify any additional planned improvements that may require city assistance.
