CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – The Montgomery County Budget Committee has approved additional funding for construction costs related to the new Animal Control center and branch library building being built at 435 Jordan Road.

The amount, not to exceed $600,000, is needed because of soil conditions the county didn’t anticipate, according to County Mayor Wes Golden. “This drove up the cost of getting the foundation ready for both of the buildings out there, as well as parking lots. This is to cover those costs,” he said.

County spokesperson Valerie Linares later told Clarksville Now that engineering director Nick Powell said poor soil conditions and a wet spring season created a situation that forced the county to remove compromised soil throughout the site.

“The contractor has cut out anywhere from 2 feet to 5 feet of soil depth from the site to either find solid soils that can be built upon or to be able to bridge over the bad soils with stone or clay soil backfills,” Linares said. “This has hit the project contingency to the point that there are not enough funds to continue without additional funding.”

All of the rain the site received in the spring and early summer made it difficult for the compromised soil to be dug out and replaced with anything other than rock in order to get it compacted correctly. Up to this point, the project has experienced around a two-month delay due to soil and weather conditions.

The opening for the new Animal Control center and branch library buildings is still anticipated for the fall of 2025, as originally planned. The County Commission will consider spending the additional funds at their next meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 3.

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Correction: The upcoming informal County Commission meeting will take place on Tuesday, Sept. 3, due to Labor Day.