TUPELO, Miss. (WTVA) -- The Tupelo City Council took action Tuesday night, deciding in a close vote to move the Spain house on West Main Street to Mill Village.
They did so on a 4-to-3 vote, but not before those dissenting councilmembers voiced their concerns.
"We're rushing through this. There are too many unknowns for those who are considering voting 'yes' on this," Councilman Mike Bryan said.
The council approved two measures: one pushes forward a bid for $161,000 to move the house, while another ensures the city receives grant money to pay for the brunt of the job.
The city attorney explained that those on the council couldn't approve one without the other. At the meeting, he also advised against voting without knowing contract details.
"Now there are members of this council who want a contract," Councilman Jim Newell said during the meeting. "Tonight, we are gonna be looking at some bids from Tupelo Water and Light, and we're gonna approve those bids, but we're not gonna approve the contract tonight. So why do we have to do it with the Spain House?"
That very notion doesn't sit well with Tupelo City Council President Fred Pitts.
"It bothers me very much," he said.
Pitts said he and two others on the council cannot support such a vague bid without knowing what it's really going to cost.
"It's just too many unanswered questions. Too many 'what if's,'" Pitts said. "We're accepting something that may wind up costing the city $75,000 to $100,000. I just can't support something where I don't know for sure exactly what I'm supporting."
Former councilwoman Doyce Deas, who's on the Tupelo Historic Preservation Commission, said many of those numbers aren't exactly accurate.
"Honestly, some people just don't want to understand that," Deas said. "I can assure you all of these [figures] are going to come in under budget."
That's something three council members said they're still worried about.
