TOP PHOTO: Chris Oelgoetz, left, with Community Development Partners and Bryan Gipson, LUB’s Director of Engineering and Operations, Water and Sewer, spoke briefly at the public meeting Thursday evening held by the City of LaFollette and the LaFollette Utility Board at LUB.

By Charlotte Underwood

LAFOLLETTE, TN (WLAF) – The City of La Follette, in conjunction with La Follette Utilities, held a public meeting  Thursday evening to provide information on the City’s application for a $170,000 Drinking Water State Revolving Fund loan. Chris Oelgoetz with Community Development Partners LLC. was at the meeting to field questions related to the project.

The City is requesting a total of $170,000 of State Revolving Loan funds from the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC). These funds will be used for the planning and design services needed on a project to replace 13,300 linear feet of an existing waterline that extends through downtown LaFollette. This loan will have no impact on user rates, according to Oelgoetz.

The 13,300 feet of linear pipe needs replaced on Central Avenue – Jacksboro Pike due to being old and deteriorating cast iron pipe. The old six inch iron pipe will be replaced with 12 inch PVC pipe. 

The funding will cover all design and planning costs. The State Revolving Fund program will provide $85,000 in principal forgiveness, according to Oelgoetz, who said the other $85,000 would have a fixed interest rate of .66 percent at a term of five years. 

The state has reviewed the City’s audits and existing user rates and determined that there will be no impact on the user fees as a result of the $170,000 SRF loan.

This loan is to cover design and planning only on the project. (WLAF NEWS PUBLISHED – 07/29/2022-6AM)

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