Elizabethtown City Council Work Session Summary – July 27, 2026
Elizabethtown City Council Work Session – July 27, 2026
The Elizabethtown City Council held a work session on July 27, 2026. The meeting opened with recognition of long-serving city employees, followed by a detailed presentation from the Parks and Recreation Director, a proposal for a new facade grant program for the East Dixie corridor (South End), a public comment period addressing stormwater issues in Ashton Park, and council announcements.
Employee Recognitions
- The mayor recognized several employees for years of service: Ricky Marlett (Public Works, 20 years), Ryan Saron (Public Works, 25 years), Pete Chitla (Police Department, 30 years), David Kelly (Gas Department, 30 years), and Ed Pope (City Administrator, a record 45 years).
Parks & Recreation Department Overview
- Parks Director Seth Breitner presented an update. He highlighted the department's summer camp (seven-week session, 40 campers per week, five scholarships, selling out within 24-48 hours). For 2027, the city plans to add 20 spots per week, funded by a new 35-passenger ADA-accessible bus, increasing capacity from 280 to 420 campers.
- American Legion Water Park attendance to date: 32,521, with 39 private rentals, 62 party room rentals, 254 swim lesson participants, and 339 water aerobics participants. Eight food trucks participated this year; the program may expand to seven days per week next year. The pool closes August 9 due to lifeguard availability (minimum 13-15 guards per shift required by state code).
- Capital projects: Completed – University Drive basketball courts (two full-size, lit) and expanded parking; American Legion Park renovations (pavilion, year-round restrooms, pickleball shelter, food truck area, improved sidewalks). Ongoing – Freeman Lake Park north end restrooms and parking expansion (completing September). Upcoming – Trooper Lake planned pump track and seven miles of certified mountain bike trails; $80,000 Green Space grant awarded.
- Statistics: American Legion Golf Course – 6,500 rounds in 12 months, revenue up from $16,000 (first year) to $100,000 this year; 2,700 local athletes use city facilities; 719 contracted field reservations; 151 acres mowed weekly; Freeman Lake Park – 420 shelter reservations, 2,100 fishing permits, 1,400 boat rentals, 37 large events (April-October); O Snap and holiday programs – 2,947 participants; Trails division maintains 30-35 miles of trails; Pritchard Community Center – 951 events and reservations; Gear Is Here program averages 350-400 checkouts per month (50-50 resident/non-resident split).
- Councilmember Marty expressed appreciation for the department's work and noted that recent storms have caused flooding at University Drive (four times) and Freeman Lake Park, which is intentionally flooded to protect downstream neighborhoods.
Discussion Items
- South End Development Incentive Program – City Administrator Ed Pope and Business Development Officer Terry Ship presented a proposed facade grant program targeting existing businesses in the East Dixie corridor (from Haycraft to Lincoln Parkway along 31W, and the downtown area). The program offers up to $25,000 per project (50% reimbursement) for exterior improvements (painting, windows, doors, pedestrian connections, landscaping, parking lot improvements). It is retroactive to improvements made since January 2025. This is a cap, unlike the downtown facade program which has no cap (some downtown grants exceeded $50,000-$75,000). Councilmember Marty questioned the rationale for a cap; Pope explained it is intended to stretch limited annual funds (currently $100,000-$125,000) to more businesses. Councilmember Micah supported the program, noting it encourages property investment on the south side. Pope clarified that the program will be brought for formal action at a future council meeting.
- Stormwater Concerns – Ashton Park – Two residents, Sandy Mattingley (132 Aiden Lane) and Joanne Bovich (624 Tristan Lane), addressed ongoing flooding and mud/debris issues from the D.R. Horton development. They reported that for 22 months, stormwater runoff has caused mud, silt, and debris to accumulate on their properties, sidewalks, and driveways, with water entering garages on Tristan Lane. They provided 50 photos and stated they have over 175 videos and 100 emails documenting the issue. They requested an immediate formal review of D.R. Horton's grading and drainage compliance, a pause on further permits until a permanent solution is in place, and cleanup of debris after rain events. Stormwater Director Rita Davis responded that erosion controls required by EPA and state regulations are slowing water entry into catch basins, causing bypass; that once upstream development is stabilized, controls will be removed and the system should function as designed. She noted recent extreme rainfall (5 inches in 2 hours, 2 inches in 35 minutes) exceeds design standards. The mayor suggested waiting until more lots are developed to assess the full system. Residents expressed frustration and concern about silt accumulation in the pond and safety hazards.
Key Outcomes
- The council heard the parks report and expressed appreciation; no formal action was taken.
- The South End facade grant program will be refined (including potential provisions for landscaping maintenance) and presented for formal adoption at a future council meeting.
- Stormwater Director Rita Davis will continue working with D.R. Horton and the residents, with no immediate change in policy or permits announced. The next city council meeting is scheduled for August 3, 2026.
- Councilmember Tony Bishop was recognized for receiving the inaugural Senator Dennis Parrott Excellence in Government Award from the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce.
- The meeting adjourned without a closed session.
Meeting Transcript
Welcome everyone to Elizabeth Town City Council work session for July twenty-seventh, twenty twenty-six. I will now call the meeting to order and ask Councilmember Tony Bishop if he'd please lead us in the invocation to the public. And I do want to recognize our 20-year employee Ricky Marlett with Public Works. Uh Ryan Saron also with Public Works at 25 years, two 30-year employees, Pete Chitla with our police department and David Kelly with our gas department and one exceptionally special one that is also in attendance tonight, and he loves recognition. So Ed, if you would stand up, please. He has set a record, we believe 45 years with the city of Elizabethtown. And I will not make you give a speech. Yet so just wanted to say how important our teammates are with the city. We have almost 400 of them now, and uh, we couldn't do what we do day in and day out without them. And so when we get the opportunity to recognize them, we want to make sure that we do that because they are the most important thing that we have, and uh, we really appreciate them and the great work that they do. So with that, we will move on to Seth Breitner, our parks director. Seth, who is looking sharp today, is going to give us an update on the parks and recreation department. It's been a very busy past year, and what I hope to do today with the time that we have is just give a small snapshot of what we've been able to do and offer and uh and and all that good stuff. Um today's discussion, I want to focus on a couple of different things. I'm gonna give a little bit of a department overview, um, talk about summer camp, uh, spend some time talking about the water park this summer, uh, talk about some capital projects that we recently finished and ones that we're working on in this upcoming budget. And also, I think I have 10 interesting facts at the very end that many of them I learned something new as I uh talked to our managers and went through this. Um, the first thing I'd like to do is give a department overview. And one of the first things I'd like to introduce to you all is our parks and uh rec management team. Um I'll start Adam Case, if you all would raise your hand. He is over our programs as well as training all of the lifeguards that are at American Legion Park. Uh Natalie Miller, she oversees a lot of the administrative things that we do within the department, as well as the Pritchard Community Center. Sean Pope, he's over our ballparks maintenance. Ballparks has several parks that they oversee, as well as multiple downtown properties that they take care of and things along that line. Terry Shadowan, Terry is over American Legion Park. He takes care of all of the pool operations, making sure that the pool is operating as it should, medium health uh department standards, um, and that we can be open every day, as well as the golf course, Funtopia, and all that. Carrie Wooten, he is over Freeman Lake Park and the Nature Park. Um Freeman Lake Park, as you all know, is very, very busy in our park system. Um, he oversees the day-to-day operations of that, as well as the Elizabethtown Nature Park. And Randall Paulie. Randall is over our trails division, which is all the green space trails within the city. Uh, we have about 30 to 35 miles of green space trails that we take care of on a daily basis, as well as the mountain bike facilities, green space bridges, and and those things. So, within our department, and uh just a little bit about me. I've been with the city 15 years now, which is uh hard to believe, but I am extremely grateful. I started with Elizabethtown Sports Park in 2011, 2014 moved into the parks and recreation department, have been very grateful and then have joyed it ever since. It's the team that makes the things happen in parks and recreation. We couldn't do it without the individuals behind us, but as well as their teammates and the uh seasonal staff that it takes to operate all the facilities during the summer. We have 20 full-time budgeted positions, our seasonal staff, those include maintenance and grounds positions, lifeguards, camp counselors, bus drivers, front desk attendants throughout our parks. The parks that we oversee are Freeman Lake Park, the Elizabethtown Nature Park, American Legion Park, Mike Carroll Soccer, University Drive, Ring Road, Gates, Nicholas, Haycraft, Pritchard Community Center, and like I said, the Green Space Trail system. So what I'd like to do is give you all a snapshot since we're in the middle of summer, some of the activities that have been uh happening lately. The first one I'm gonna talk about is summer camp. So our summer camp is a seven-week-long session. Each camp has 40 campers per week. We offer five scholarships. And this isn't possible without the help of other departments within the city. Our stormwater police department, fire, city events, and public works help assist us throughout the summer. Each week is themed so that when campers sign up, they are able to look at the weeks that we offer. If there's something that interests them, they can sign up for that week. And some of the things that we have are science week. We have a Jurassic Parks and Rec Week. We have a Wilderness Explorers Week.
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