OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Paducah City Commission Meeting - February 10, 2026

City Commission — Tuesday, February 10, 2026
BodyPaducah, Kentucky
SessionCity Commission
DateTuesday, February 10, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:34:56

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

Commissioner Thomas.

0:01

Present.

0:01

Commissioner Wilson.

0:02

Present.

0:03

Mayor Bray.

0:04

Present.

0:05

I'm gonna ask Commissioner Thomas to do the invocation, and then we'll all remain standing.

0:10

And we have uh special guests tonight, Cubs Scout Troop 2470, and they have a little uh presentation and pledge allegiance they're gonna do.

0:19

So we'll do the invocation first.

0:24

Terrible father, thank you for allowing us to come together today.

0:27

Continue to cover us and give us the wisdom to make the best decisions for our city moving forward.

0:31

We pray it in your son Jesus' name.

0:33

Amen.

0:42

Color guard, take your places attention.

1:03

Color guard advanced.

1:21

Color guard halt.

1:47

Color guard dismissed.

2:03

Can we have a hand for that Cub Scout?

2:14

Thank you very much.

2:18

That was very special.

2:19

We appreciate uh all the parents being here, and um what a great job.

2:25

What a great job.

2:30

Okay, City Manager, are there any additions or deletions to the agenda?

2:37

Mayor, we have one addition this evening, and that is for a resolution supporting the Riverport Authority grant application for Riverport West.

2:44

That'll be added to your agenda as item number two and just before the ordinance adoption.

2:49

And we have one deletion this evening uh and due for uh some conflicts.

2:55

Uh the tree advisory board presentation will be at our next meeting instead of tonight.

2:59

Okay, great.

3:00

Thank you very much.

3:02

Okay, we have no public comments uh tonight, and um uh I do have a special guest tonight.

3:08

Uh I want to introduce um Ken Herndon uh to the group.

3:13

Uh Ken is a graduate of uh Lone Oak High School, and uh he's uh he's a self-proclaimed uh political junkie.

3:22

Uh he is a councilman uh in Louisville and has been involved involved with politics uh you know most of his life.

3:30

And I'm gonna let him come up and uh he and I've gotten to know each other the last year.

3:35

I'm gonna let him uh come up and tell us about himself and uh make a few remarks.

3:41

Well, first of all, thank you, Mayor Bray, Commissioners, uh, Mr.

3:44

Manager, Miss Madam Clerk, and everybody.

3:46

Uh greetings from upriver.

3:48

Uh I'm in town this trip to celebrate my mother's 90th birthday, which was yesterday, so I think she's watching, so hello and happy birthday again.

3:57

Uh shortly after taking off, as Mayor Bray said last year, I was introduced to Mayor Bray uh via a mutual friend, and I've gotten to know him since.

4:05

Uh we first broke bread, or I more accurately should say broke bread pudding waffles at uh Gold Rush Cafe, uh which by the way, if I lived here would be my satellite office.

4:16

Uh and we visited often in uh both in Louisville and here, and I thank you, sir, for the invitation to stop by today.

4:23

Uh as I as the uh she said, uh I've lived in Louisville since 1982 and having graduated from Lone Oak in 1975.

4:31

Our 50th uh reunion was just last year, and Murray State in 1979 with a bachelor of fine arts degree, as well as a lifelong interest in politics.

4:42

Uh it is now my honor to represent the fourth metro council district in Jefferson County's merged government.

4:47

The fourth includes all of Louisville Central Business District as well as our original neighborhoods immediately adjacent.

4:53

Uh every kind of person who lives in Louisville lives in the Fourth District.

5:00

It is where Louisville was born and is rich in history and diversity.

5:02

It is the economic engine of Kentucky and welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year who come to drink a lot of bourbon at our distilleries and visit attractions that include the Mohammed Ali Center, the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, uh Louisville Slugger Museum and Bat Factory, Louisville Slugger Field, Lynn Soccer Stadium, the KFC Yum Center with the Cards Play Basketball, the Kentucky Science Center, and the Roots 101 African American Museum, where I've been have had the pleasure to be the design director for the past four years.

5:32

Paducah and Louisville have much in common.

5:35

We are both Proud River towns.

5:37

We were both founded by Clarks, us, George Rogers, and you William.

5:41

And we are both made up of beautiful distinct neighborhoods, and we share a love for the arts.

5:46

In fact, in my early years, I took art classes at the Yeiser Center, and that's where my budding art career began.

5:53

I continue to draw upon upon that background at Roots 101 in my current office.

5:58

And I freely openly admit that I love politics.

6:03

Uh like me, I'm sure you've gotten the question, why do you want to be in politics?

6:09

And uh, we all know that it can be a rough business.

6:12

But um, as I'm sure you also know, if done right for the right reasons, it can feed our souls.

6:19

Uh Margaret Mead said, Oh, I guess I'm sorry, you are you are one of five, you are but five among many, and we are only twenty-six among many more.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural█████████████████████████████████33%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████████████26%
Solid Waste Management██████████10%
Affordable Housing█████████9%
Transportation Safety█████5%
Public Engagement█████5%
Community Engagement███3%
Economic Development███3%
Budget Equity Analysis███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Paducah City Commission Meeting - February 10, 2026

The Paducah Board of Commissioners met on February 10, 2026, with Mayor Bray presiding. Commissioners Henderson, Smith, Thomas, and Wilson were present. The agenda was adjusted to add a resolution supporting the Riverport West grant application and to remove the tree advisory board presentation to a later meeting. No public comments were received. The meeting included a special presentation by Louisville Metro Councilman Ken Herndon, a Paducah native, who addressed the commission.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved minutes from January 16 and January 27, 2026, meetings.
  • Personnel actions.
  • Municipal orders authorizing: a contract with International Association of Firefighters for a fire ground survival course ($45,000); a contract modification for the Paducah Sports Park project (walk-in refrigerator system, $8,775); an addendum for Hotel Metropolitan executive search services; initiation of a request for proposals for the City Hall Stabilization Project; and acceptance of a bid from Jim Smith Contracting Company for the 2026-2027 street resurfacing program.
  • All consent items were approved unanimously (5-0).

Discussion and Action Items

  • Resolution Supporting Riverport West Grant Application: Commissioner Wilson presented the proposal for a new Riverport West facility near the Triple Rail Economic Development Site. The project requires $15 million in state matching funds for federal grants (BUILD, PIDL, and RAISE). The commission adopted the resolution unanimously (5-0) to support McCracken County’s application.
  • Golf Cart Ordinance (First Reading): An ordinance creating regulations for golf carts on city streets with posted speed limits of 25 mph or less. Requirements include inspection, permit ($25), insurance, sunrise-to-sunset operation, valid driver’s license, slow-moving vehicle emblem, and prohibition on roads over 35 mph (except crossings). Violations are misdemeanors with fines up to $500 and/or 30 days imprisonment. The ordinance was adopted unanimously (5-0) after discussion.
  • Street Name Change Ordinance (Second Reading): Renamed Downs Drive to Steve Doolittle Drive in recognition of Stephen D. Doolittle’s public service. Only the segment between Park Avenue and the two car dealerships is affected; Stewart Nelson Park Road remains unchanged. Adopted unanimously (5-0).
  • Surety Agreement Ordinance (Second Reading): Authorized a surety agreement with Chapman Property Development LLC, accepting a $150,000 bond and the street acceptance plat for Melanie Lane, with maintenance responsibilities transferring only after all improvements are completed. Adopted unanimously (5-0).
  • Rental Occupancy Permit and Inspection Ordinance (First Reading): Proposed to repeal and replace Chapter 42, requiring annual registration and inspection of rental units. Fees: $50 per unit (max $500 per owner). Self-attestation allowed in some cases. A moratorium permits registration without fine until January 1, 2027 for units occupied before March 1, 2026. The ordinance was introduced and referred for further discussion.
  • Budget Amendment Ordinance (First Reading): An amendment to the FY2025-26 budget adjusting several funds, including capital projects (+$675,337), radio fund (+$211,000), grant fund (+$2,950), health insurance fund (+$500,100), and insurance fund (+$88,600). The ordinance was introduced.
  • Bulk Item Collection Pilot Program: Public Works Director Chris Yarber presented a pilot program for residential bulk item pickup. Residents may place up to three large items (furniture, appliances, etc.) at curbside on the Sunday of their designated week. Prohibited items include electronics, tires, construction debris, hazardous waste, and appliances containing refrigerants. Collection will occur by zone (one zone per week). The program aims to improve neighborhood cleanliness and is subject to evaluation after spring cleanup. No action was taken; a future report is expected.

Executive Session and Subsequent Action

  • The commission entered executive session to discuss a specific business proposal. After reconvening, they adopted a municipal order approving a development agreement providing incentives for property at 3470 James Sanders Boulevard. The motion passed unanimously (5-0).

Key Outcomes

  • All ordinances and resolutions presented for adoption were passed unanimously (5-0).
  • The rental occupancy ordinance and budget amendment were introduced and will be considered for adoption at a future meeting.
  • The bulk item pilot program will be implemented and assessed after the spring cleanup.
  • The commission authorized a development agreement for a business incentive.

Meeting Transcript

Commissioner Thomas. Present. Commissioner Wilson. Present. Mayor Bray. Present. I'm gonna ask Commissioner Thomas to do the invocation, and then we'll all remain standing. And we have uh special guests tonight, Cubs Scout Troop 2470, and they have a little uh presentation and pledge allegiance they're gonna do. So we'll do the invocation first. Terrible father, thank you for allowing us to come together today. Continue to cover us and give us the wisdom to make the best decisions for our city moving forward. We pray it in your son Jesus' name. Amen. Color guard, take your places attention. Color guard advanced. Color guard halt. Color guard dismissed. Can we have a hand for that Cub Scout? Thank you very much. That was very special. We appreciate uh all the parents being here, and um what a great job. What a great job. Okay, City Manager, are there any additions or deletions to the agenda? Mayor, we have one addition this evening, and that is for a resolution supporting the Riverport Authority grant application for Riverport West. That'll be added to your agenda as item number two and just before the ordinance adoption. And we have one deletion this evening uh and due for uh some conflicts. Uh the tree advisory board presentation will be at our next meeting instead of tonight. Okay, great. Thank you very much. Okay, we have no public comments uh tonight, and um uh I do have a special guest tonight. Uh I want to introduce um Ken Herndon uh to the group. Uh Ken is a graduate of uh Lone Oak High School, and uh he's uh he's a self-proclaimed uh political junkie. Uh he is a councilman uh in Louisville and has been involved involved with politics uh you know most of his life. And I'm gonna let him come up and uh he and I've gotten to know each other the last year. I'm gonna let him uh come up and tell us about himself and uh make a few remarks. Well, first of all, thank you, Mayor Bray, Commissioners, uh, Mr. Manager, Miss Madam Clerk, and everybody. Uh greetings from upriver. Uh I'm in town this trip to celebrate my mother's 90th birthday, which was yesterday, so I think she's watching, so hello and happy birthday again. Uh shortly after taking off, as Mayor Bray said last year, I was introduced to Mayor Bray uh via a mutual friend, and I've gotten to know him since. Uh we first broke bread, or I more accurately should say broke bread pudding waffles at uh Gold Rush Cafe, uh which by the way, if I lived here would be my satellite office. Uh and we visited often in uh both in Louisville and here, and I thank you, sir, for the invitation to stop by today. Uh as I as the uh she said, uh I've lived in Louisville since 1982 and having graduated from Lone Oak in 1975. Our 50th uh reunion was just last year, and Murray State in 1979 with a bachelor of fine arts degree, as well as a lifelong interest in politics. Uh it is now my honor to represent the fourth metro council district in Jefferson County's merged government. The fourth includes all of Louisville Central Business District as well as our original neighborhoods immediately adjacent. Uh every kind of person who lives in Louisville lives in the Fourth District. It is where Louisville was born and is rich in history and diversity. It is the economic engine of Kentucky and welcomes more than 10 million visitors a year who come to drink a lot of bourbon at our distilleries and visit attractions that include the Mohammed Ali Center, the Kentucky Center for the Performing Arts, uh Louisville Slugger Museum and Bat Factory, Louisville Slugger Field, Lynn Soccer Stadium, the KFC Yum Center with the Cards Play Basketball, the Kentucky Science Center, and the Roots 101 African American Museum, where I've been have had the pleasure to be the design director for the past four years. Paducah and Louisville have much in common.

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