Note: Commissioner David Guess was unable to attend this meeting.
Approve Tower Lease for 911 Radio Upgrade
The 911 radio upgrade project currently underway in Paducah and McCracken County is designed as a five-tower system to meet coverage standards. The system includes the City and County’s existing three towers and the addition of two private tower locations that require lease agreements. The Paducah Board of Commissioners approved a lease agreement with SBA Towers X, LLC to use the existing tower located at 672 Sheehan Bridge Road. The lease agreement with SBA is for an initial term of 10 years with the option to automatically renew for four additional terms of five years each. The lease agreement for the second tower is in the negotiation stage.
Adding Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Service as Payment Option
The Paducah Board of Commissioners introduced an ordinance to add a new option for citizens and property owners to pay their real estate and property tax bills over the phone. This year, the City will be offering Interactive Voice Response (IVR) services that allow citizens/property owners to call an 888 number at any time of day to pay their bill over the phone with a card or check without the need to speak to a finance agent. Services will be offered in English and Spanish. There will be an initial service fee of $0.50 per transaction in addition to e-check and credit card processing fees. Currently, there is an online portal for the payment of tax bills. Plus, bills can be paid by calling the City of Paducah Finance Department during normal business hours. The City of Paducah issues approximately 15,000 property tax/real estate bills annually.
Natural Gas Franchise Agreement with Atmos Energy
The Paducah Board of Commissioners introduced an ordinance for a franchise agreement between the City of Paducah and Atmos Energy. Kentucky’s Constitution (Sections 163 and 164) and Chapter 96 of KRS authorize cities to require public utilities, including providers of natural gas, to operate under franchise agreements and to grant them the right to use public right-of-way upon certain terms. The City issued a request for proposals for a non-exclusive natural gas franchise in March with Atmos Energy providing the only proposal. This agreement is for a 20-year non-exclusive franchise agreement. In return for the use of right-of-way space, Atmos will provide to the City 2 percent of revenues. For the community, the agreement also states that Atmos will repair any damage it creates “to any part of the public right-of-way and will restore, as nearly as practicable, such property to substantially its condition immediately prior to such damage.”
Appointments to Boards and Commissions
- Appointment of Jewel Jones to the Paducah Code Enforcement Board.
- Appointment of Katie Flowers, Fowler Black, Mary Katherine Dossett, Colleen Stovesand, Misty Freeman, and Dee Gregory to the Civic Beautification Board.
Additional Meeting Information
- Mayor George Bray recognized Commissioner Buz Smith and Commissioner Raynarldo Henderson for representing the City of Paducah at recent UNESCO events in Portugal and Australia, respectively.
- Municipal Orders approved for the declaration of trust and trust partnership agreement for the Kentucky League of Cities Worker’s Compensation Trust and the trust participation agreement with the Kentucky League of Cities Insurance Services – General Insurance Trust.
- Municipal Order approved authorizing a contract with Trace3 for the purchase of hardware and software for E911.
- Ordinance approved for the fiscal year 2025 budget for the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Program.
- Ordinance introduced to close 78,335 square feet of city-owned right-of-way between 2600 and 2621 Husbands Road and 2730 Husbands Road and 2585 John Puryear Drive and 185,805 square feet of property between 2600 and 2630 John Puryear Drive and the City of Paducah’s floodwall levee. The adjacent property owners requested this closure.
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