The Vardaman Board of Aldermen authorized Mayor James Casey to seek appraisals for a couple of pieces of property the town is considering purchasing and selling.
Jeff Hamilton
The town board has expressed interest in purchasing the Vardaman Hardware building and the old bank building next door to it on Main Street from the Sutherland family.
The tentative plan would be to move Town Hall and the fire department into those buildings and sell the current Town Hall and fire department buildings. The town is also looking to sell the sweet potato festival committee building on Main Street.
The board met in a recessed meeting Tuesday night to discuss the ideas.
Mayor Casey informed the board the Sutherlands have said they have an appraisal on their buildings and have agreed to a negotiated price based on that appraisal.
Attorney Paul Moore Jr. said the town needs to have a copy of that appraisal to proceed, and if it can’t be produced then another appraisal will have to be done.
“I’m a long way from voting to buy the property,” Alderman Jeff Hamilton said. “I’m worried about the (cost of the) renovations.”
Mayor Casey asked Town Clerk Barbara Tedder and Alderwoman Peggy Skinner to go look at the interior of the buildings and seek an estimate on potential renovation costs from a local contractor.
The town’s intention is to take apply funds received from selling the existing properties toward the total costs and also take out a loan with Three Rivers Planning and Development.
“Let me be clear, I’m not opposed to this,” Hamilton said. “I just want to have everything in order before we commit to anything.”