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The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved a contract with the United States Air Force and Arnold Air Force Base (AFB) for the usage of tennis courts on the base.

City staff consisting of city administrator Jennifer Moody, Finance Director Sue Wilson, city attorney Stephen Worsham and local insurance agent, John McCord of Lester, Greene, McCord, and Thoma Insurance, were the primary point of contacts working with AEDC staff regarding renewal of the 5-year license agreement for public use of the two tennis courts on AFB property in Tullahoma.

Alderman Bobbie Wilson brought the motion before the board upon her swearing in as a board member in late August of 2022.

“Mrs. Moody forwarded me an email from a concerned citizen about the contract that we had to lease the tennis courts with AEDC,” she said at the Sept. 26 meeting of BoMA. “I requested for that to be added to a study session for this evening, and it was not. It was added to a study session for January of 2023. AEDC is considering demolition of the tennis courts, and right now, citizens don’t have tennis courts to use. I am afraid that if we don’t push this up, it will not be addressed in time.”

The Tullahoma Tennis Association had expressed their concern that the courts would be demolished before the board took action. Later discussions amongst the board considered paying the Lakeview Country Club for public use of their courts, but that was quickly disregarded.

Conversations with AFB caused concern amongst the board with details in the contract concerning the required insurance and maintenance of the grounds and courts that the city would uphold. These concerns were managed in later conversations with base commander Col. Randel Gordon.

Extensive background was provided at the Oct. 24, 2022 BoMA study session. At this time, Gordon’s waiver attached to the agreement has the binding force of law and addressed all of the city’s expressed requests and concerns related to the insurance required to maintain this agreement, according to Moody in an agenda memo.

The motion was approved with a unanimous vote by the board, effectively putting the contract between the city and the AFB into motion.