Algood City Council approved AEI and Kimley Horn Tuesday night to design concepts for the new city park project.
The council chose between two engineering and contracting consultant firms, Kimley Horn/AEI and Performance Service Business Development. After a long deliberation period, Council Member Roger Williams recommended AEI based on his work with them on county projects.
Vice Mayor Luke Hill said both firms made the decision difficult and were excellent options, but seconded the motion.
Mayor Lisa Chapman-Fowler said the next steps of the project involve designers making suggestions of changes and additions to the plans based on public demand and quoting them.
Fowler said the council heard firm plan presentations Monday. Fowler said the public turnout influenced the council to call each firm to answer questions from the crowd.
Fowler said the council included the public on the decision, as the park will impact future generations.
“It’s going to be another generation, not mine, that will be using the park more,” Fowler said. “And we want to consider what there needs are going to be. And we don’t want to get into a situation where we are paying for this on the backs of all of our citizens for the next 20 years or something. We want to be able to afford what we are going to do.”
The council raised concerns about project funding and asked the public whether they should operate slower or faster on the park. Fowler said the council should operate slowly in small portions, while Hill said the public seemed to encourage faster progress. Williams said sales tax would pay for the project. Williams and Hill agreed they could pay for the park using bonds, as the city has a good bond rate.
Residents shared concerns regarding fundraising for the park. Resident Jason Schooner said funding could delay progress on the project when fundraising and community support are unexplored, viable options. Schooner said the longer it takes to build the project, the more costly it will become.
“(It) will be half built, and we will be half happy, and will have a hap-hazardous park,” Schooner said. So I like the idea of lets get what we can get through the love these people who are already here, get that dough, make a little budget, and if we need more than we know how much we need, versus ugh we are going to take out so much, put the burden on us a little.”
Hill said both firms identified ways for the council to seek grants to pay for the project. AEI and Kimley Horn bid every aspect of the work out and apply for grants up to $7 million in total five to ten times per year with a high success rate.
AEI partnered with Kimley Horn for the renovations to Dogwood Park in Cookeville. Kimley Horn designed Cane Creek Park in Cookeville.