The Ripley Board of Mayor and Aldermen voted 6–1 to approve a process to sell roughly 130 acres in the Walker Industrial Park to a company proposing a data‑mining operation, contingent on federal utility authority approval and final agreement from the building owner, the board said.

The board’s approval, moved by Alderman Miss Austin and seconded by Alderman Mister Thompson, allows city staff to finalize sale terms provided the buyer secures Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) approval and the Feist/FICE building owner agrees to the terms. "They would like to close by the end of the year and have something going within 4 months of payment," Mayor Pichy said during the meeting.

Why it matters: city leaders said the buyer’s operation is equipment‑intensive but could produce meaningful tax revenue, expand Ripley Power and Light (RPL) broadband prospects and support more capital investment. City speakers described the project as a potential complement to other local industrial prospects and said the revenue could help stabilize or reduce electric rates.

Details in the record: the mayor said the buyer requested to purchase about 130 acres at "$15,000 an acre or $22,000,000," and that, if the building owner agrees, the industrial board’s outstanding loan would be satisfied and the city would receive about $900,000 from the Fides/Feist arrangement to cover building expenses. The mayor also said the buyer would consummate a $2,000,000 purchase for a portion called Walker East once required approvals and escrow conditions are met. The transcript contains the two price figures as stated by the mayor; the city did not provide a separate written pricing breakdown at the meeting.

Power and permitting: speakers told the board TVA approval is the gating item. The mayor said the community currently can serve about 39–40 megawatts, and the buyer is seeking approval to expand service "to a 120 megawatts" for artificial‑intelligence data‑mining operations. Board members were told TVA charges about $20,000 (and longer study times) for each request at or above 5 megawatts and that the buyer indicated it would cover study costs.

Jobs and local impact: multiple speakers described the opportunity as high‑paying tech jobs, with one remarking on the prospect of "100 or so jobs" paying in the "$50,000 to $100,000" range; the board did not provide a signed job‑creation guarantee during the meeting. City speakers also said revenue could help the city go to the bond market to fund infrastructure upgrades for substations and lines.

Contingencies and next steps: the approval is explicitly conditional. Board members said the sale would proceed only if TVA approves the higher power request, the buyer completes required contract documents and the building owner (referred to as Feist/FICE) agrees to the proposed plan. The mayor said staff would work to finalize the transaction and expected to have clarity the following day.

Vote: the board voted by roll call. Alderman Austin, Chipman, Keely, Long and Thompson voted yes; Alderman Fraser voted no; Mayor Pichy voted yes. The motion carried 6–1.

What the city said it will do next: staff will finalize contract indicators, confirm Feist/FICE’s agreement, and proceed with TVA application steps. No final sale contract was signed at the meeting.