City Commission Meeting Highlights - April 23, 2024

Date of Release: 
April 23, 2024

 

Note: Commissioner David Guess was unable to attend this meeting.

 

Proclamations

  • Mayor Bray presented a proclamation to Dr. Svetlana Famina with Mercy Health proclaiming May as Mental Health Awareness Month. Numerous local mental health providers attended the meeting in support of Mental Health Month.
  • Mayor Bray presented a proclamation to Assistant City Clerk Claudia Meeks proclaiming May 5 through 11 as Municipal Clerks Week.

 

Paxton Park Golf Course Presentation

Golf Director Danny Mullin with Paxton Park Golf Course, who attended with several members of the Golf Commission, provided the Paducah Board of Commissioners an update on the city-owned golf course. According to the National Golf Foundation, the number of golfing facilities nationwide has been shrinking since 2006; however, the number of municipal golf courses have been increasing with Paxton Park as one of 64 municipal courses in Kentucky. Mullin also listed several benefits of having a municipal golf course including the green space, environmental benefits and the stormwater storage, health and wellness opportunities, social events and charitable functions, and youth and player development.

 

Amend Code of Ordinances Chapter 14 Related to the Keeping of Fowl

The Paducah Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance amending Chapter 14 of the Paducah Code of Ordinances related to the keeping of fowl in the City. The changes allow the keeping of fowl on smaller lots in Paducah by reducing the distance requirement. To make sure that the keeping of fowl does not become a nuisance to neighbors, the amendments strengthen wording around noise, maximum number of fowl, and cleanliness.

After reviewing ordinances of six other Kentucky cities and researching best practices, the following ordinance amendments were approved:

  • Proximity – Amendment reduces the distance requirement from another residence from 300 feet to 100 feet.
  • Maximum Number of Fowl - The amendment limits the number of fowl to eight on a lot.
  • Noise - Animals emitting excessive noise are considered a nuisance as currently addressed in Code section 14-1.
  • Cleanliness – Amendment strengthens language around cleanliness and the maintenance of coops to address neighbor concerns about odor and pests. Plus, the amendment allows coops only in the rear yard of a property.
  • Penalty & Abatement - The amendment updates the penalty section to include a notice of violation, followed by 30 days to remedy, a fine of not more than $500, and another 30 days to remedy the issue. If the violation still exists after 60 days from the initial notification, there is an additional fine of not more than $500 and abatement procedures. A new section has been added for the abatement of fowl-related issues which is in accordance with the McCracken County Animal Control Ordinance. The City will conduct follow-up inspections every 30 days until the violation is remedied with each subsequent inspection incurring an additional $500 fine, not to exceed $2,500 in total fines. Appeals will be routed to the Code Enforcement Board.

 

Grant Application to Support Hotel Metropolitan

The Paducah Board of Commissioners approved a Municipal Order supporting the application to the Mellon Foundation for a grant on behalf of the Upper Town Heritage Foundation for the Hotel Metropolitan located at 724 Oscar Cross Avenue. This municipal order repeals the action approved at the April 9 Commission Meeting and replaces it with this action. Upon further review by the Mellon Foundation legal department, the Foundation has asked that the City of Paducah serve as the applicant for the grant rather than the Upper Town Heritage Foundation.  This would allow the City to serve as the fiscal agent and be a pass through of funds to the Upper Town Heritage Foundation.

The request is for $1.34 million from the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place grant program. If awarded, the funds would be used for capital improvements to the Hotel Metropolitan and to build the capacity of their board and organization as a whole. As part of this agreement, the City of Paducah would serve as the grant’s fiscal agent and would be jointly responsible for the oversight of the grant program. The partnership details would be defined in a co-stewardship agreement between the City and the Upper Town Heritage Foundation. Contingent upon the grant award and the completion of a co-stewardship agreement, the City of Paducah is pledging a $250,000 grant match for the upcoming fiscal year (FY2025) and contingent upon approval through the annual budgeting process and successful implementation of the co-stewardship agreement, the City pledges additional funding for FY2026 and for FY2027 in an amount of $250,000 for each fiscal year.

 

Boards and Commissions

  • Appointment of Catherine Senn to the Paducah Water Board.
  • Reappointment of Paul King to the Forest Hills Village, Inc. Board

 

Additional Meeting Information

  • Municipal Order approved authorizing Upper Story Residential Grant funds in the amount to $75,000 to BHIK, LLC for the eight apartments located at 219 Broadway.
  • Municipal Order approved authorizing a Kentucky League of Cities Safety Grant application requesting $3000 to reimburse the City for the purchase of a mower that can be used on steep slopes and difficult terrain.
  • Municipal Order approved for an agreement with the Purchase Area Development District (PADD) to pay Paducah’s portion of matching funds for Metropolitan Transportation Planning. The PADD is the designated Paducah-McCracken County Metropolitan Planning Organization staff agency responsible for metropolitan transportation planning.
  • Municipal Order approved authorizing the contract with A&K Construction, Inc. for the project to re-roof and renovate the City of Paducah Technology Department located at 500 Clark Street.
  • Ordinance approved amending the current fiscal year budget to increase revenue and expenditures for the Community Development Block Grant Fund. This budget increase is to account for the $200,000 CDBG grant the City received on behalf of Four Rivers Centerpoint Recovery Center.
  • Ordinance introduced to close the unimproved right-of-way on Colonial Drive and Deer Lick Place as requested by the adjacent property owners. These unimproved rights-of-way are part of the Woodlands Reserve development off of Pecan Drive. The developer is looking at configuring the property into two- to three-acre lots.
  • Ordinance introduced to amend the budget for the 911 Radio Upgrade Project. This amendment moves money that was set aside for an increase in pension payments. These funds have been untouched for several years due to the stabilization of pension rates. The amendment is to move funds to the 911 project for the purchase of radios. Mayor Bray mentioned that the City and County are in the final stages of working on an interlocal agreement and an ordinance for the 911 funding and governance.
  • Mayor Bray welcomed Bonnie Schrock as the new executive director of The National Quilt Museum. City Manager Daron Jordan welcomed all the visitors for this week’s AQS QuiltWeek.

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