Elizabeth Town City Council Meeting – March 9, 2026

The Elizabeth Town City Council met on March 9, 2026, and approved multiple municipal orders for infrastructure projects, including a land purchase for a new mountain bike park, and denied a zoning change for a property on St. John Road. The meeting opened with a prayer and pledge of allegiance, and a moment of silence was observed for a recent community loss.

Consent Calendar

• Approved minutes from February 17, 2026.
• Passed second reading of Ordinance #4-2026 to close a portion of Sutton Lane, incorporating it into Commerce Drive (unanimous 6-0).

Municipal Orders

• Wastewater Treatment Plant Berm Repair: Accepted bid from Phillips Brothers Construction for $97,279, with change order authority up to $9,727.90. Approved unanimously.
• Pine Valley Drive Water Main Extension: Accepted bid from Gary W. Clifford Enterprises for $156,833.30, with change order up to $23,525. Approved unanimously.
• Freeman Lake Park Tennis Court Resurfacing: Accepted bid from Tennis Technologies for $110,126, with change order up to $16,518.90. Councilmember Bishop voted no, citing unresolved issues with a previous resurfacing at Winchester Park Neighborhood Association. Staff noted Tennis Technologies had done good work on other city courts. Passed 5-1.
• Freeman Lake Park North End Parking: Accepted bid from Caulfeld Brothers Construction for $698,200, with change order up to $104,730. There was a ~$270,000 gap between bids, but staff confirmed the bid was within 10% of the engineer's estimate. Approved unanimously.
• Highland Park Sanitary Sewer Improvements: Accepted bid from Dirt Works Unlimited LLC for $188,010, with change order up to $28,215. Approved unanimously.
• KBI for LoTA Aluminum: Extended industrial development incentives for LoTA Aluminum's new manufacturing facility in the TJ Patterson Industrial Park. Approved unanimously.
• QEDA Funding for Valley Creek Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant: Authorized application for a forgivable loan up to $30 million for expansion, in collaboration with Hardin County. Approved unanimously.
• KPDI for Economic Development: Authorized application for up to $2 million from the Kentucky Product Development Initiative for public improvements at Gill Nicely Industrial Park, with a local match up to $400,000. Approved unanimously.
• Land Purchase for Trooper Lake Preserve: Approved purchase of 38.36 acres from Parish and Neelam Patel for $20,000 per acre (appraised value), to be added to existing 75 acres for a new mountain bike park. Funding from Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund. Mayor thanked Zeb Weiss for assistance. Approved unanimously.
• Denial of Zoning Change for 707 St. John Road: Accepted the Planning Commission's recommendation to deny a map amendment from suburban residential to high-density residential and regional commercial. Councilmember Tyler voted against the denial, arguing the property owners had made significant changes and that traffic concerns were addressed. The motion to adopt the denial passed with one dissenting vote (5-1).

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made.

City Council Information Items

• Next city council meeting scheduled for March 16, 2026.
• Recognized Barb Jones, Human Resources Manager, as an Elizabethtown Community and Technical College distinguished alumnus.

Key Outcomes

• All municipal orders were adopted: most unanimously, the tennis court resurfacing and zoning denial passed 5-1.
• The council went into closed session pursuant to KRS 61.810 for deliberation on real property, litigation, and personnel, with no action expected afterward.