City reviews $258 million investment plan on The Murfreesboro Post

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City reviews $258 million investment plan

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By: JONATHAN FAGAN, editor@murfreesboropost.com

Posted: Sunday, August 19, 2012 5:37 am

Thursday's meeting of the Murfreesboro City Council included a lengthy discussion of the 2012-2016 Capital Improvement Plan and scheduling of a public hearing for changes to sign ordinances for industrial sites, such as Amazon's warehouse.

Amazon Inc. has requested amending sign rules for heavy and industrial zoning so that it may erect directional signs on its Joe B. Jackson Parkway property for purposes of informing employees and visitors appropriately.

The company, which is nearing completion of its 1,000,000-square foot facility, has also requested a larger sign than is allowed under the city's current industrial zoning.

"The size of sign that is allowed would barely fit the trademark symbol alone when you're talking about the size of sign that is needed for such a massive facility," City Planning Director Joseph Aydelott said.

Aydelott then recommended a Thursday, Sept. 27, public hearing on the matter, and the council unanimously approved the date, and later voted to reschedule a Sept. 20 public rezoning hearing for the Jarrell property along Memorial Boulevard to the same date.

The council then considered the 2012-2016 Capital Improvement Plan, which encompasses 92 projects totaling $258 million.

City Manager Rob Lyons said the vast majority of the total is allocated for roads, public safety and education, and is well under warning levels laid out three years ago as part of a comprehensive financial performance plan.

"We're not hitting any of those warning levels," he said.

Lyons urged the council to review the plan as a whole and offer guidance at this stage to city staff as to which projects would gain the council's approval when it returns for final financial approval.

"At this critical juncture we are seeking consensus from council members regarding each project," he said. "We will then seek bond funding and return to the council for final approval."

Councilwoman Madelyn Scales Harris requested a line-by-line discussion of the plan, and the council began to take up each item one at a time, but Councilman Eddie Smotherman soon interjected with his own concerns.

"I'm all for funding new radios for cops, safety, etc., but I have a problem increasing debt in a recessionary period," he said.

"So what if we borrow the money but then not approve the project later?" Scales-Harris suggested.

Lyons responded by saying this particular point in the process was the best time to let staff know whether or not the council supports funding for the projects.

He said the Tennessee Municipal League Bond Fund is more like a line of credit, in which the city will be approved for a certain amount of borrowing at a specified fixed interest rate, but may not use all of the money and will only be charged interest when the money is actually used.

"It usually takes us about three years to completely use the funding, so we are not being charged interest on the total amount during that time," Lyons added.

He said that the city is "very aggressive" in paying off its debts, adding that "87 percent of the debt is payed in less than 10 years," and pointed out the city stands to save a tremendous sum by quickly taking advantage of current "historically low interest rates."

Councilman Shane McFarland noted that because the bond issuance is drawn down over a three-year period, the city is "actually paying debt off faster than it is borrowed."

The council then resumed its line item discussions, and Smotherman came to question a new golf course project proposed by the Murfreesboro Parks & Recreation Department.

"I don't want to get the city in a position of competition with other courses such as Indian Hills or Stones River," he said.

Parks and Recreation Department staff responded by informing Smotherman that the course would only be used for "teaching purposes."

"So why can't we teach at the VA Golf Course, which we are already paying for?" he asked.

"We do not want to spend further capital on land that we lease from the federal government," McFarland answered.

Scales-Harris then suggested abandoning the line-by-line process she had earlier requested, saying she had changed her mind after Lyons informed the council the plan would be coming back for final approval.

Mayor Tommy Bragg agreed to the request, and noted that all associated committees had worked with each department to determine high-priority capital projects before the plan reached the council.

Councilman Doug Young motioned to accept the plan in its current form, Vice Mayor Ron Washington seconded, and the plan gained unanimous initial approval.

Tagged under City Council, Murfreesboro, Politics, Taxes

Member Opinions:

By: bota on 8/19/12
Not mentioned in the golf teaching debate is the fact that all of the high schools plus MTSU have golf programs. Golf is a credit course at MTSU and the high school kids are already learning to play somewhere. There does not seem to be any demand for this facility and the cost does not include the staffing and maintenance. All the courses have teaching pros on staff now. This does not seem like it will be a self supporting facility.