Sep. 19—Tennessee College of Applied Technology at Crossville can move forward with planning for a satellite campus at the Interchange Business Park.

The Crossville City Council agreed to donate a 7.96-acre lot to the school, following a required 30-day advertisement period.

"We're full," TCAT President Cliff Wightman told the council during its work session the week before.

The main campus on Miller Ave. is serving about 400 students, though it was designed for about 300 students. The campus does not have additional land for expansion either.

But TCAT has been using a lot in the business park for its truck-driving program for about 11 years.

Wightman hopes to build a 4,500 to 5,000-square-foot facility at the site, just smaller than the new building at the main campus on Miller Ave. at 10th St.

The new building would serve industrial programs such as truck driving and production logistics and provide a meeting space for use by industries for training or conferences.

"What better way to market that entire industrial site than having a TCAT on campus?" he said.

Interchange Business Park is home to the construction-ready building pad owned by the city. The 20-acre site can accommodate a 200,000-plus square foot facility, completed in 2018.

Councilman Scot Shanks moved to approve the donation of property to TCAT, supported by Councilman Rob Harrison.

TCAT trains up to 70 students each year to earn their Commercial Drivers License. City manager Greg Wood asked for consideration from TCAT to reserve one space in the CDL program each year for the city. The street department often needs to send personnel to train for a CDL.

Councilman R.J. Crawford asked Shanks and Harrison to amend their motion to include the required advertisement period prior to the property transfer.

The city's charter allows city voters to call for a referendum on any sale or property transfer during that 30-day period. A referendum to oppose the property donation would require a petition signed by 10% of the city's eligible voters.

The motion was unanimously approved.

In other business, the council approved the following items:

—$295,625 budget amendment to correct the 2022-'23 fiscal year budget

—$1.9 million budget amendment for increased costs on the Northwest Connector phase 3 project

—Street closure Sept. 22 at 1:30 p.m. for the Cumberland County High School homecoming parade. Streets impacted will be Miller Ave., Stanley St., Main St. and Fourth St.

—Lease for Catoosa Utility Department building on Plateau Rd., at $1,550 per month

—Contract for service warranty for Catoosa Utility District with MicroComm for the telemetry system, at a cost of $7,400

—$15,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation-Aeronautics Division for maintenance at Crossville Memorial Airport

—Renewal of the 2023 employee health insurance plan, which includes a 9.71% increase. Coverage will remain the same for 2023. The city budgeted for a 10% increase

—$21,640 bid from Precision Products for a GNSS Network Reference Station Kit

—$63,329.40 bid for a turbidimeter for the water plant

—$13,555.83 bid for replacement of the north lift station of the wastewater treatment plant

—$12,780 to rebuild a MIOX cell at the Holiday Hills Water Plant

Heather Mullinix is editor of the Crossville Chronicle. She covers schools and education in Cumberland County. She may be reached at hmullinix@crossville-chronicle.com.