Group says city owes it $250,000

The Trust for Public Land says Chattanooga's capital improvement budget is $250,000 short of what the city promised to help preserve land on Stringer's Ridge, but city officials deny they ever made a hard-and-firm commitment to provide the money.

Rick Wood, executive director of the nonprofit land preservation trust, said the city promised $150,000 last year and $350,000 this year. The 2009-10 capital improvement budget shows a commitment of $100,000.

"It puts us in a bind," Mr. Wood said Wednesday.

Richard Beeland, spokesman for Mayor Ron Littlefield, said the city is doing what it can given budget constraints.

"It is an extremely difficult year," he said. "Everybody has been cut. Unfortunately, we're only able to offer $100,000 at this time."

The Trust for Public Land acquired 92 acres atop Stringer's Ridge in December 2008. It borrowed almost $2.5 million from its national organization in its quest to save the land from being overdeveloped.

Stringer's Ridge is a backdrop to downtown Chattanooga's skyline and was the site of Union artillery emplacements during the Civil War.

Mr. Wood asked the city in October 2008 for $500,000. The City Council in November approved a resolution for $150,000, records show. But there never was any written agreement committing an additional $350,000, city officials said.

"Was it a formal resolution? No," Mr. Wood said. "Was it a firm commitment? Yes."

Councilman Andraé McGary raised the issue in a committee meeting last week. City Council members plan to discuss specifics of the capital improvement budget Tuesday.

Mr. McGary said that if the city makes deals with private entities, there should be a clear understanding of what could happen if the city doesn't live up to the bargain.

In this case, the Trust for Public Land may have to sell at least five acres for development, he said.

"The options are not pretty," Mr. McGary said.

Parks and Recreation Administrator Larry Zehnder said he understood that the trust requested $500,000 and the city agreed to $150,000.

"I don't think there were any additional promises made for the $350,000," he said.

Councilwoman Sally Robinson said she believes the city made a commitment for the additional $350,000. She said a suggestion to spread the cost over two years hadn't been fully discussed.

"I don't know what we're going to do to make good on our end of the promissory note," she said.

Mr. Wood said he did not know how the Trust for Public Land would react if the city wants to make separate payments.

"I have to answer to a board I owe money to," he said.