Lewisburg council approves streetlights, appoints trustee and authorizes letter of intent for industrial site grant

At the Lewisburg City Council meeting, members approved three routine measures and authorized staff to pursue a state site-development grant for an industrial property.

The council voted to adopt Resolution 26-01 to install three 60-watt LED streetlights with arms on Cambridge Court and two 60-watt LED lights with arms in Cheatham Estates. The motion was offered by Councilwoman Michael, seconded by Councilwoman Burns, and passed on a roll call vote with councilmembers recorded as voting 'Aye.'

Council also approved Resolution 26-02 to appoint Debbie Montgomery, the city’s treasurer, as a trustee for Lewisburg’s defined benefits pension plan. The motion was made and seconded and carried during the meeting.

On a major agenda item, the council authorized the director of economic development to submit a letter of intent to apply to the Select Tennessee site-development grant program for roughly 90 acres in the I‑65 Commerce Park. Presenters said the program allows site-development grants up to $5,000,000 and due-diligence grants up to $100,000. The state typically provides a 70% match for Tier 2 communities with a 30% local match; presenters said a prior Select Tennessee site visit could reduce the local match by shifting the state/local percentages toward 85% state and 15% local contribution.

“The site development grants can be $5,000,000 maximum,” the council presenter said, describing eligible activities such as utilities, grading, brownfield remediation and construction of speculative buildings. The presenter emphasized that the letter of intent ‘‘is only to authorize Clint, our economic development [director], to send a letter of intent’’ and that even if the city later approves an application, it would not be obligated to accept grant funds until a future decision: “At any time, even if we approve of the grant, we do not have to take it.”

Council members were told the proposed application would not obligate city funds at this stage; due diligence and state-mandated evaluations, including possible engineering and site certification, would determine the scope and any later match requirements. The council approved the letter of intent by motion and roll call; presenters said the South Central Tennessee Development District or similar administrator would oversee grant compliance and that administration line items on grants typically cannot exceed 4% of grant awards.

The meeting included several other procedural approvals — minutes for a Jan. 27 special call meeting and the January 2026 bills and December 2025 financial statements — each advanced by motion and roll call.

All formal actions on these items were approved during the meeting; council members did not commit city matching funds at this stage for the Select Tennessee grant and said further study and due diligence would determine any future costs.