The Elizabethtown City Council held its regular meeting on August 3, 2026, at 20:24 UTC. The meeting opened with a prayer led by Councilman Marty Fulkerson, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and roll call. Key actions included the promotion of two police sergeants, approval of several municipal orders, a first reading of a data center zoning ordinance, and public comments addressing community concerns.
Good Julian. Welcome everyone to Elizabethtown City Council regular meeting for August third, two thousand and twenty-six. I will now call the meeting to order and ask Councilman Marty Fulkerson if he lead us in the invitation, please. Let's pray. Father, we're so grateful for the beautiful day that you blessed us with here. And Father, as we start a new school year, we pray blessings upon those administrators and teachers and support staff as they work hard to help make our students successful. And for the students, as they start a new chapter, new school year, God, we pray blessings upon them, that this'll be the best year yet for them. And may they know that we as a community are here to support them to encourage them and to help them succeed. Father, we're thankful for our community for this great city for those that wear the logo that work hard each and every day to make this the great place to call home. Father, we pray now as we go through this meeting that what we do will bring glory to you. And we pray this in your son's mighty risen name. Amen. And if you would join me in the Pledge of Allegiance, I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Yes, sir. Councilmember Bishop. Present. Very good. At this time, I'm gonna ask Chief Jeremy Thompson if he would come up and introduce introduce us to the two newest sergeants that we're gonna have. Yeah, grab that mic if you don't care. So we're not doing something right to keep people. But tonight we're here to celebrate the the newest two promotions that we have. And recently we were here because we had a couple of retirements, and those retirements led those individuals that left for new opportunities. But what that does is that creates a snowball effect for the rest of us. So when those positions become vacant, uh oftentimes, especially when they're supervisors, then we have to promote a lieutenant, and we have to promote a sergeant to fill that. And then because you all as a council have bought into the leadership plans that we have for our department to lead the city, we were able to increase that lieutenant's position by one. Again, the snowball effect means we needed to promote two sergeants. We had a very competitive list this year. Uh, our process produced six candidates, and tonight we're gonna promote uh sergeant Eric Ryman and Sergeant Jared Hatfield. A little anecdote about both of these um newly appointed or promoted sergeants is they came together uh as laterals. We're not together, but they came to us as lateral candidates, which means when we look out and we're searching for talent around us to bring in an accelerated officer to get out here without going through the traditional academy. These are many of the laterals that we have come through. Um Austin Smith was one of them that was that did come with Ryman. So we've been able to pick the right people. And uh although Eric came to us locally from the Harden County Sheriff's Department, Jerry was just down the road, um, just over in North Carolina. So, you know, it's really close. But we've been able to reach our uh our footprint, our our reach for a long way. So tonight we're here to celebrate those guys. So if you guys will come up and allow the mayor to uh swear you in, and as I say often, get you sworn in here, and then you can go get sworn at out there. Okay, gentlemen, if you would raise your right hand. And if you agree with what I'm about to read to you, just say I do when I'm done, okay. I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth and be faithful and true to the Commonwealth of Kentucky so long as I continue a citizen thereof, and that I will faithfully execute to the best of my ability the office of sergeant according to law. And I do further solemnly swear that since the adoption of the present constitution, I being a citizen of this state, have not fought a duel with deadly weapons within this state nor out of it, nor have I sent or accepted a challenge to fight a duel with deadly weapons, nor have I acted as second in carrying a challenge, nor aided or assisted any person thus offending, so help me God. Congratulations. Chris, you want a good picture? Oh, you're good? Okay. If you all don't mind, come over here and sign this paperwork that just family real quick come up and put their badges on if everybody have to sign that. I didn't notice they were badgeless. They're really not policemen if they don't have their badge on.