$750K appropriated by council used for improvements

By SABRINA GARRETT
The Wilson Post

The City of Lebanon, in partnership with Nashville Eastern Railroad, took a step forward in addressing flooding issues Thursday on Caruthers Avenue.

“They are adding an additional pipe – so that will relieve pressure of the backup water caused by the railroad tracks,” said Lebanon Mayor Philip Craighead, who stopped by to view the progress of the project. “Hopefully that addition will be able to eliminate the flooding issues for a majority of the rain events.”

Following the meeting, in which councilors unanimously voted to withdraw $100,000 per ward for drainage improvements, Craighead explained that in actuality each ward will receive about $125,000 in services.

Noting the work now under way, Robert “Bob” O’Brien, candidate for Lebanon mayor in the upcoming Nov. 6 election, commended the council, specifically Ward 1 Councilor Alex Buhler, Ward 3 Councilor Rob Cesternino and Ward 6 Councilor Kathy Warmath for starting the discussion to address flooding issues, bringing the motion to withdraw $100,000 for each ward’s projects and seconding it, respectively.

“I want to thank the entire Lebanon City Council for taking action on the flooding issue that has plagued our city for far too long,” he said. “The reserve fund should be used for this type of expenditure, not to shore up shortfalls in the city’s annual budget.”

“We have been thinking and talking and studying too long. Now that we have money, we are on top of the problem,” Craighead said. “We have a list and we know of hotspot areas. We are trying to find good use of the money that the council has most graciously committed for the citizens of Lebanon.”

Craighead said that Commissioner of Public Works Jeff Baines has a list of both “minor and major” projects they are planning to address, such as that on Caruthers Avenue. “We are trying to find the best places to spend the money for the biggest return for the citizens,” he said.

Baines said they have already made progress on Park Avenue, near the old McFarland Hospital campus, in alleviating roadway flooding.

“Every time we get a decent rain fall it affects the traffic flow. It is a dangerous situation because those cars can go off the road. We end up having to close the road,” he said of the project that is in process. “The pipe should be in the ground.”

The Public Works Department is also partnering with Stonebridge Properties to target flooding issues on Tennessee Boulevard, Baines said, adding that work will begin in the “next couple of weeks.”

Staff Writer Sabrina Garrett can be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .