City issues are discussed at the Council Agenda Review Meeting

JACKSON, Tenn. — A variety of topics were addressed Thursday evening at the Jackson City Council agenda review meeting. One topic up for discussion was approving the construction of a new $2.9 million city court building on city property next to the police station.

“We spend about $147,000 a year on lease space for city court and for drug court. We feel like by using that same payment, the $147,000, that we can borrow enough money, go ahead, and build a new court building,” said Jackson Mayor Jerry Gist.

Mayor Gist says, a new building would also resolve ongoing maintenance issues.

“Just the odor of an old building, the waste water has been an issue for a number of months and there has been recurring issues with it,” said Mayor Gist, “so we feel like we’re going to be better suited to go into a new building.”

They also talked about making improvements to McClelland Road.

“They’ll make it slightly wider, but more importantly they will make it safer. There have been many accidents out there, and if you know that area, the side of the road is actually just a ditch, so they’ll be kind of rounding that out,” said Councilman Ernest Brooks II of representing Council District 3.

Committee members also talked about the city reimbursing its general fund for expenditures incurred by the health and sanitation fund and Sportsplex fund. This would mean taking a loan totaling $1,700,000.

WBBJ 7 Eyewitness News asked Councilman Brooks further about that plan for the city to take out that million-dollar-plus loan to reimburse itself. He said he was unclear on the issue to make a comment.

City leaders say the issues will be discussed further at the next city council meeting next Tuesday, December 5 at 9 a.m. in City Hall. Council members said the public is welcome to sit in on and participate in that meeting.