Bradley County approves intergovernmental loans to fund Cleveland school turf projects; one commissioner votes no

Bradley County commissioners voted May 18 to approve two intergovernmental loan resolutions to fund turf projects at Cleveland City Schools. Mayor Davis explained the loans as one long-term loan for site and related work and a second shorter loan for turf materials; he said county staff will send the approved resolutions to the state for the required approvals.

During the presentation the mayor described the first loan as a 20-year loan for site work and longer-lasting items and the second as a 10-year loan for the turf itself. In the same discussion the mayor used two similar dollar figures for the first loan, referring first to "$2 million" and later saying "2.1 million"; he described the second loan as "$1.294 million" (also referred to as "$1.3 million" in the transcript). Mayor Davis told the commission the trustees' office rate will reset annually and said the county and trustees agreed to a 2.9% starting rate for the first year.

Each loan resolution was moved, seconded, and approved in separate roll-call votes, each passing 11 in favor, one opposed (Commissioner Slater), and two absent. Commissioners were told the state must sign off on the intergovernmental loans because the loans are through the trustees' office.

The commission did not detail construction schedules or contractor awards during the meeting; Mayor Davis said state approval would be the next procedural step.