Of course, everybody was.

But uh he got started talking.

They would oh we supposed to be in an hour two and a half hours.

You can bring up everything.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

It's six o'clock with a bit we that's not a good sign.

Six o'clock.

Time for us to begin our meeting.

It's good to see all who've come.

Um I don't sling this term around loosely, and he knows it.

I'm gonna ask my friend, former pastor of the first Baptist Church on the bypass to come.

Be a fort and lead us in prayer.

Good to see you, my friend.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

That means a lot to me too.

Let's pray together.

Father, we thank you for this day, and we recognize that despite our busyness, we understand that this day's a gift.

And God, we embrace it for all its worth because we know that it comes from you, because every good and perfect gift comes from above.

And so I pray that we who are on the outside, that we would support and encourage them, but particularly that we would pray for them.

And that they would feel supported and encouraged.

That we're pulling on the same side of the rope.

Because this is all about you and wanting us to live life to the fullest.

And God, I pray for them, and I pray for us, and I pray for all of us in our community that we would take the Apostle Paul's sweet words to heart.

That whatever's true, whatever's noble, whatever's right, whatever's pure and lovely and praiseworthy, that we would think on those things, and that we would put them into practice.

And God finally, I pray for all of these people who serve you and us.

Because we understand also that they have families, and we ask your sweet blessings on their families, that they would be able to spend time together, do things together, make memories, and years from now they will recall any number of things, but most importantly that they would recall that you have given them this life, and that they have enjoyed living in this community.

And it's in your name that we pray.

Amen.

Amen.

Thank you, sir.

Let me mention this for those who have come to the meeting tonight.

If you'd like a copy of the agenda where that gentleman just pulled one out, you can get that at any time.

We're honored to have a local scout with us to lead the pledge of allegiance.

Representing Troop 401 is Mr.

David Wills, Scout Second Class.

He is an honor student at Berea Community High School where he is in his freshman year.

In addition to scouting, David is a multi-sport athlete with baseball as his favorite.

David has been a member of Scouting America since 2016, and his goal is to reach the rank of Eagle Scout.

Let us know if we can help you here.

Thank you, David, for leading us in our Pledge of Allegiance this evening.

Please proceed.

Please rise for the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States to the Republic for which is you want to tell us anything about your troop while you're there.

Don't feel obligated, but if you like to.

It's really fun.

If you have any children or grandchildren, we could use the extra people.

Thank you all for having me.

Thank you very much.

As I find myself saying so often, Jennifer, there's hope, there's hope, there's hope.

I had an opportunity just before we started to uh spend just a couple of minutes with David and uh share with him that uh as he uh mentioned something about public service and uh to ask if he'd ever considered such, and for him to always remember that public service is just that, it's public service, and uh you may decide to become an elected official.

I know that we'll be the much better off if you are.

Have a wonderful evening.

We'll call the meeting to order.

Madam Klerk, please call the roll.

Commissioner Brewer.

Here, Commissioner Cole here, Commissioner Gobel, here, Commissioner Newby.

Here, Mayor Blyth.

Here, thank you.

We have a presentation this evening.

Uh and uh among those certainly that I consider very special.

I've said it once before, and I'll stop talking, Lisa, throw something at me, and I'll stop talking.

But uh Philip Seyfrit's dad was my dean of men at EKU when I was a student there.

My my battle of Richmond reenactment.

Philip Seyfrey.

The question is, did you have to go to his office?

Oh I heard about it.

It was an old team.

So the best thing about Seyfrit going first is that the meeting can only go up from here.

So, but just want to take a minute, talk about the relentless overdrive edition of the Battle of Richmond 2005, excuse me, 2025 reenactment.

When the weather starts getting hot, everybody knows it's time for the Battle of Richmond.

And this year, it'll be on Saturday and Sunday, August 23rd and 24th.

It is early this year, but the last weekend of August is also Labor Day weekend, and it's just difficult to do that.

The gates open out at Richmond Battlefield Park.

They're out there on 421.

At 10 a.m.

they close at four.

The battles are at 2 p.m.

each day.

And we did doing the battles a little bit different this year.

We're each day is going to have their own battle scenario.

And on Saturday, the scenario will be the fight begins.

And then on Sunday, the scenario will be the battle for the Richmond Cemetery.

Now, I'm out there about every day, and just so everybody knows the barrels have had babies out there.

The construction barrels.

So when you come out, pay attention, it's not that bad, but just don't let it, you know, you might want to allow yourself a little bit extra time.

Okay.

This time.

So we're also pleased to we're going to have the our period baseball game back.

The Cincinnati Red Stockings will begin play the Georgetown gentleman.

And we're doing something a little different this year.

This will be our fourth year of doing it.

And we've always given them a trophy.

But they really neither group really can display it anywhere because they work out of somebody's garage.

So we do a little something different, a little better.

This year they're going to be playing for the big red stick.

It's engraved here, Battle of Richmond, Kentucky, 2025.

The ball game is at 10:30 on Saturday only.

And you may want to bring your own chair.

We'll have some seating, but it does get limited.

And then there'll be activities going on all day, both days.

Just check there at the information tent.

It's $15, cash only, no plastic for parking yet.

We're working on that.

So just come out and hopefully we can knock it out of the park again.

So any questions or anything.

We've got we've already have hit our limit on canning.

The only year we've had more canning was the year the two the 150th anniversary.

We had more canning than we're actually at the battle itself.

So we're we're up to and we love it loud.

So thank you all.

Appreciate the support.

The other city departments have been great to work with.

And come out and see us and burn up with the rest of us.

I got to fire one of them suckers last year.

That's right.

I remember that.

Bring your cotton.

Whatever you want to do.

Sure.

Pretty please.

Thank you.

Where you want him, Kelly?

Here.

You all just stand right here, yeah.

Okay.

You can get up there with them and uh let the mayor hold the bat.

Let me oh, that's dangerous.

Craig.

That's dangerous.

And it's it's a period correct bat.

There's a company.

Uh-oh, newbie.

I like to take it some more.

Oh gosh.

Oh, I'm getting nervous.

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes.

Let's pop that back here.

Let's get ourselves looking at it.

Watch me kick it over.

All right, Bill.

Yeah, there you are.

All right.

Thank you.

Thanks.

Our second presentation for the evening.

Uh is from another gentleman with whom I've had the privilege for many years.

What are we talking, Craig?

30?

At least 40.

Probably more like 40, yes.

Yeah.

And uh in that uh chemical weapons disposal uh project, which uh a year and a half or so ago or a couple of years ago reached the point that we've been working toward for years, and then in the process now of cleaning up, don't want to get ahead of you, but uh welcome Craig too.

I consider a friend.

You've had to work in some circumstances and situations, and he has been right there for us.

Grateful for you.

Appreciate it.

You've given your life, in essence, your life to this project.

I still got a little left out.

It ain't over yet.

Lord will see the end of it.

Yes, indeed, Greg Williams.

Thank you, May.

Thanks, everybody.

Appreciate you all uh taking the time.

As uh the mayor and I were kind of joking about it's been a long long haul, and I was telling Mindy before the meeting started.

I remember back in 1980 five or six, um the public affairs manager for the Army Chemical Disposal Project had a meeting over at Perkins, and she had some slides, and she said somebody asked, How long is this gonna take and how much is it gonna cost?

The national program.

All eight U.S.

sites and the one in the Pacific.

And she looked down at her notes and she says, Well, we're anticipating being done by 1994.

Yes, sir.

And we anticipate the entire national program is going to cost 1.8 billion dollars.

Okay.

Yes, sir.

Now it's 1.8 million dollars.

Now it is 2025.

We're almost done.

And it's the cost nationally is about 40 million.

So they missed their schedule by a little bit, and they're a little bit over cost.

Uh but you know, it's almost done.

So that's the important thing.

Okay, economic impact is the first thing I want to talk about.

The employees out there are down to 906.

I believe it's 904 today.

Uh they had a job fair out at the county fairgrounds uh earlier today, which I went to, uh, and it was packed.

And there had to be 25 vendors out there from all sorts of industries, uh, horse farms, everything you could name was out there, and they were people online at each table waiting to get talked about what they had to offer them and so on and so forth.

Many of those people out there are workers that are currently still on the project.

They're all looking for something to do next.

And uh, so we're down from about 1400 to uh about 906 at the moment, and there's another what they call RIF reduction in force coming up next month that will eliminate about 200 more jobs.

So it's on a downhill slide as we knew it would be.

You can see acquisitions, you know, more than 208 million dollars spent in Kentucky companies, 112 million have been spent in Madison County.

That's nothing to sneeze at, and we're gonna miss that uh those payrolls and that tax and all that stuff, and that's why we've been working real hard on trying to relocate these people into an industrial base here in Madison County as much as we can.

This slide is about the safety at the facility, and I have to tell you, as I said in many forums, it is a heroic effort that these people have done working with the most lethal chemicals on the planet, and no one getting killed, no one getting seriously injured by agent contamination.

There's been a few trips and falls and a couple of lost time accidents, but if you think about in terms of the 101,000 munitions that have been treated at that plant of nerve gas, mustard gas, various kinds of extremely toxic materials.

You have to shake your head in appreciation and in wonder about how they did all that with nobody uh getting seriously injured.

So we congratulate both the military side of things and the contractor side of things for that.

You can see on the slide uh as of June 30th, they've completed 17 million hours without a lost time accident.

Their safety record is one notch below an accountant who sits behind a desk.

More accountants get hurt than these people that work with these weapons, so it's quite a remarkable remarkable story, and it deserves everybody's praise to both the contractor and the aqua team.

Uh we're in our last phase of when I say we, I mean they, uh or we as a community, uh are in our last phase of destroying the remaining chemical contaminated parts.

The weapons have been gone since June of 23.

There are contaminated rocket warheads from the M55 rockets that were agent contaminated in the process.

Those were restored in the IGloos, and now they're being treated both in the SDC 1200 and in the SDC 2000.

I got a call yesterday morning at 10 o'clock from the uh site project manager for Aqua, and she said, guess what?

The V uh GB is gone.

They completely got rid of all the GB contaminated rocket motors and rocket warheads, rather.

And so that's a tremendous accomplishment.

Because I don't know if you all know it, but of the all the agents out there, GB is the one that creates the most risk to the surrounding community because it volatizes off and will float through the air, whereas Mustard and VX kind of sit there, and unless you do something with it, it doesn't go anywhere.

But GB spreads quite rapidly and can go far, and now it's all gone.

There is no more GB chemical warfare agent at the Bluegrass Army Depot in Richmond, Kentucky.

So that's something that we've all been waiting for.

I know I have.

And uh and they're now working on the VX contaminated rocket warheads, and they anticipate that to be completed sometime in the very near future.

And I would say probably by next month, end next month, all the VX will be gone, and that means no agent will be out there.

It'll all be destroyed, which is a tremendous accomplishment.

The main plant is going through the closure process.

They have done quite a bit of different types of accomplishments within the closure phase.

If you think about all the ancillary components of how that plant works, how it was uh received the weapons from the IGloos, how the workers had to transport them, unload them, all of this.

I mean, it's a multi multifaceted operation, and they are just about completed with the munitions disposal building proper, the main plant, getting it decontaminated, getting it certified agent-free, and that facility will be demolished.

That will not no longer be there.

The footprint upon which that exists has other infrastructure and ancillary components to it that other people are interested in possibly using either the depot proper or defense contractors or public-private partnerships between contractors in the Army and the depot and so on.

And there's some encouraging news about discussions that are going on out there.

Uh they're not for public disclosure at the moment, but it is encouraging.

There are two uh operations that are looking to locate there, and as you might imagine, since it's on federal property, it's a little convoluted about how to get through the process and actually establish something there.

But that's just the way life is uh being in the Army myself, you know, there's a right way, a wrong way in the Army way.

And the Army way usually takes twice as long as any other way that I've ever witnessed.

Other items uh are include the igloos themselves that house the weapons.

Those are being uh closed and carefully monitored for any agent residual that might be there.

Not only are they doing air monitoring to see that none of this is volatized off inside the IGLU, they're also taking concrete chips, samples, getting them analyzed to make sure that there's no agent has permeated into the concrete inside these IGLOs.

The Army is planning on using those IGLUs for something else once it's certified agent-free and KDEP, the Kentucky Department of Environmental Management of Protection rather, um, certifies and checks that box off in the permitting process.

Um you can see that a lot of employees, like I said, uh you know been let go.

Uh, and you can see on the next chart uh the downgrading of the number of employees as we proceed.

Um the interesting thing is that both Bechtel, Parsons, their subcontractors, the Army, the community, the county, the cities, uh, the economic development district, all these people have been working together trying to see if we can't locate these people here in our town, in our county, in our region, so that they don't all disperse elsewhere.

Many of the uh workers are work for the corporations who will reassign them to other locations.

Bechtel, for example, Bechtel International is one of the largest engineering companies in the world.

They have operations in around the world.

So some of these people will pack up and wind up in Bahrain or someplace, doing whatever they'll do.

Um so but we are doing our best collectively to try and keep as many of these people here as possible, and you can see from this chart that there has been some success in that regard.

And other companies have other numbers associated with local employment.

Excuse me.

A lot of retirees.

People have been working on this project out there for 20, 30 years, and they're done.

So that's good for them.

But we're doing everything we can, and again, I want to emphasize that job fair today.

I was totally impressed with the number of people and the number of vendors.

The number of vendors was just very impressive.

I mean, the the big building out at the fairgrounds was lined up wall to wall, every every opportunity for a booth to be set up, there was a booth set up.

And so it was uh there was hospitals there and uh engineering firms and and so on and so forth.

Oh, guess what?

Um that's what this slide says.

Um it was uh it was a really great event.

So here's the projected schedule for ultimate completion.

If you look at the bottom, you'll see July 2026 is the site demolition expected to begin.

So we have from now until July of next year before they declare the any facility that may have been exposed to agent, will be now demolished after it has been certified to be agent free.

Uh it's a long process.

The long pole in the tent right now is the permitting process.

Every time they reach a milestone out there, whether it's clearing out an IGLOO, whether it's uh clearing uh uh declaring the munitions disposal building agent-free, whatever it is, KDEP, Kentucky Department of Environmental Management has a responsibility to make sure that the permit surrounding that particular activity has been met according to the regulations.

So as they go through each piece, they check that box, check the next box.

Permit, I don't know how many of you people have worked with regulators at either environmental or other types of entities, especially in the federal government, which we love.

Um, but it the boxes never end, it seems like.

But I've been reassured that they will end.

Uh I'm working closely with KDEP to keep track of where they're at, where they anticipate to be at, and so on and so forth.

So that's going to take another another year, probably from the start of demolition.

27, late 27 will probably anticipate it to be the final check on the regulatory process.

And once that's done, I'm retiring.

Um, so we're looking forward to that date as well as is my wife and family and so on.

Now, last slide is uh entitled the depot's future.

I want to go on the record and say that I am not authorized to speak on behalf of the Bluegrass Army Depot.

I am authorized to speak on behalf of the chemical weapons disposal project because I chair the governor's commission on that.

Robert will tell you I've been involved in it forever.

Uh I co-chair the advisory board with uh Judge Taylor.

So that one I'm in good territory, no problem.

But I want to say again before I say this, I'm not authorized to present on their behalf.

With that in mind, I've been inquiring because there's been a lot of press and a lot of discussion about oh, the depot's going to close, what are we going to do?

All those jobs will disappear.

The way that decision is going to be made is the joint munitions command, which you see at the tail end of this slide.

They are the decision maker on what happens with that depot.

Whether the work is increased, decreased, whether the place is closed down and all the jobs are shifted to some other depot.

They oversee all the depots in the United States.

And that's why I interact with them on what the status is.

Above them is an outfit called the Army Material Command, which deals with every every aspect of the Army within the United States.

Joint Munitions Command deals with munitions specifically, which is the Bluegrass Army Depot's primary mission.

If you look at the short sentence in the middle, that basically says where that decision making process is.

And it is nowhere at the moment.

So I want to belay any people who think they know that we heard the depot's going to close and everybody's leaving, or whatever you might hear, and whatever you might read, and whatever you might say yourself, no decisions have been made.

It's under review.

Our congressional delegation is being very cooperative with trying to ensure me that facility is not BRACT based realignment and closure.

That that facility is not closed or realigned to take a lot of the jobs and ship them to other depots somewhere else.

There is very some very positive developments, negotiations, discussions that are going on right now between the depot's business entity and public private partners, particularly a couple of defense contractors.

Until the I's are dotted and the T's are crossed, nobody's going to say anything because then rumors start.

Oh, this company is going to move in.

There's going to be 600 jobs, and everybody's lined up at the depot gate, and there's been no contract let yet.

So we want to avoid that kind of thing.

So I just want you to know on the record, this is from the joint material command, the overseeing entity of the depot, and that's their position as of two weeks.

A week and a half ago.

So once things start becoming solid in regards to new entities moving in, we will let everybody know.

And that's my presentation.

I appreciate your time and interest, and I'll take any questions you may have.

Is the funding still going on from CSAP to funding for CSEP runs out?

I believe it's in September, if I'm not mistaken, but I'm not positive about that.

So where's the funding going coming from when they start tearing down the building?

That'll be in the Army's budget, not FEMA.

Okay.

Yeah, the CSAP funds come from FEMA, Federal Emergency Management Agency into the state, state into the county, and then into the So there will be no more funding coming to Madison County.

Not for not for emergency management associated with the chemical weapons.

No, that's that ship is gonna have sailed here pretty soon.

Any other questions?

I'm sorry.

I'm not sure as of yet.

They just announced this one a week and a half ago.

Today's was amazing.

I believe there will be at least one, possibly two, as the number of employees diminish.

Mayor.

Commissioners, thank you so much.

And Mindy said, is this the last time we're gonna see you?

And the answer is unfortunately no.

I didn't make them that way.

I'll probably be back at least once, but probably twice as we reach these significant milestones.

I want to keep everybody informed about where things are at.

And of course, as far as the depot proper goes, uh we're all interested in how that's going to transition for the future because it is a significant economic uh uh powerhouse for this region.

So we're hopeful that uh that'll continue.

That's it.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Appreciate you all.

Thank you so much, Greg.

Thank you, Mayor.

All right.

In our packets, we have minutes from the regular meeting held July 22 at 6 p.m.

If you've had a chance to look at those, may we have a motion, please.

We'll accept the minutes as presented.

I move.

Second.

Commissioner Newby, Commissioner Cole.

Is there any discussion about any aspects of them?

Except are Madam Clerk, please.

Commissioner Cole, yes.

Commissioner Goebbels, yes, Commissioner Navy.

Yes, Commissioner Brewer.

Yes.

Mayor Bly.

Yes, thank you.

Order 25-116.

In order of the City of Richmond adopting a new policy for the Richmond Police Department and entering into a memorandum of agreement with Madison County Emergical Emergency Medical.

That's a new word.

Emergency medical services, Madam Clerk, please.

Whereas the Richmond Police Department is in the process of rolling out a new policy and program for the department, and where it's been recommended practice to adopt these sections of the policy and procedure manual as completed and reviewed.

And whereas this policy has been reviewed by all parties, including the city attorney, and foresees this new initiative to be a great potential growth in the success in the future.

Now therefore, be it ordered by the City of Richmond Board of Commissioners that the following policy and procedure for the Richmond Police Department is hereby adopted by the Richmond City Board of Commissioners as an official policy for the department.

Section 2.21 police paramedic.

This policy is attached here to this order and shall be a permanent part of the order.

The policy adopted by this order shall also be a part of the Richmond Police Department policy and procedure.

The Board of Commissioners finds it to be in the public interest that the collaboration proceeds between the Richmond Police Department and Madison County Emergency Services, the EMS, for the term which is set forth below in the memorandum of understanding attached to this order.

The mayor is hereby authorized to execute on behalf of the city.

This order shall be in full force and effect upon reading and adoption by the Richmond City Board of Commissioners.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

That's order 25-11.

May we have a motion, please bring the floor for discussion and approval.

So move.

Commissioner Brewer.

Second.

Commissioner Newby, is there any discussion?

Mayor, this is a memo of understanding between the Richmond Police Department and the Madison County Emergency Medical Services.

Uh Officer Addison Atkin is spearheading this.

If there's a catastrophe, natural disaster or fatality, we have that person in place that that's a certified paramedic.

So I think it'll help the whole department in training and the Madison County uh EMS board has already approved this and it's been in the works for some time.

So it's a good thing.

Thank you, sir.

Any further discussion?

Order 25-116.

There being no additional.

Madam Clerk, please.

Commissioner Goebbel.

Yes.

Commissioner Newby.

Yes.

Commissioner Brewer.

Yes.

Commissioner Cole.

Yes.

Mayor Blythe.

Yes, thank you.

And the Madam Clerk, is this the one, the specific document to be signed by the Chief here, or does he have his own?

This one.

Yeah.

Okay, thank you.

Order 25-117, in order of the City of Richmond hiring an inspector for the Section 8 department.

Madam Clerk, please.

Whereas the Section 8 Housing Department is in need of a full-time housing inspector, and whereas the position was advertised and interviews conducted, and whereas the city manager has recommended a hire for the position.

Now therefore, be it ordered by the City of Richmond Board of Commissioners that the following individuals hired contingent upon their successful completion of the city's pre-employment requirements as the Section 8 Housing Inspector, which is an at-will employee for the Section 8 Housing Department, effective August 13, 2025.

Pay grade 4.

This order shall be in full force in effect upon reading and adoption by the Richmond City Board of Commissioners.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

That's Order 25-11.

Maybe have a motion, please, bring to the floor for discussion and approval.

So moved.

Commissioner Cole.

Second.

Commissioner Newby, is there any discussion?

There being none.

Madam Kirk, please.

Commissioner Newby.

Yes.

Commissioner Brewer.

Yes.

Commissioner Cole.

Yes.

Commissioner Goble.

Yes.

Mayor Blythe.

Yes, thank you.

Thank you, Susan, for being here tonight.

Order 25-118, in order of the city of Richmond hiring an employee for the finance department.

Madam Klerk, please.

Whereas the city wishes to hire a newly created position to assist with increased workload within the finance department.

And whereas the position was advertised and interviews conducted, and whereas the interview committee has recommended a hire for this position.

Now therefore be it ordered by the City of Richmond Board of Commissioners that the following individual is hired contingent upon their successful completion of the city's pre-employment requirements as finance assistant director to for the finance department effective August 13th.

Pay grade 7.

Shay Hearst.

She is an at will employee and will serve a one-year probationary period.

This order shall be in full force in effect upon reading and adoption by the Richmond City Board of Commissioners.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

That's order 25-11.

May we have a motion, please to bring the floor for discussion and approval.

So moved.

Commissioner Goble.

Second.

And Commissioner Newby.

Is there any discussion?

Mayor, I think so.

Yes, sir.

Jay Santa can introduce yourself.

Yes, good evening.

I am Shakespeare.

Um really excited to join the city.

I am pretty local, went to high school Maria, college here in Richmond, and just have a lovely name.

Really looking forward to what I can bring in the table.

Well, welcome.

Thank you.

I know Sharon's excited to get the help.

Yeah, yeah.

That's a busy department.

Any further discussion?

That being none, Madam Clerk, please.

Commissioner Brewer.

Yes.

Commissioner Cole.

Yes.

Commissioner Goble.

Yes.

Commissioner Newby.

Yes.

Mayor Blythe.

Yes, thank you.

Order 25-11.

North of the City of Richmond declaring property surplus and providing for its disposition.

Whereas pursuant to ordinance chapter 34.02, the disposition of surplus personal property declares a list of property which shall be submitted monthly to the city manager and then to the mayor and commissioners for classification of property.

Now therefore, be it ordered by the City of Richmond Board of Commissioners that the August 2025 property described with the list as submitted by the police department, which is attached here too, is declared surplus and no longer needed by the city and is not suitable for the purpose of which it was intended.

It is hereby authorized that this property be disposed on gov deals.com.

This order shall be in full force and effect upon reading and adoption by the Richmond City Board of Commissioners.

All righty, thank you, Madam Clerk.

That's order 25-11.

Maybe of a motion, please bring to the floor for discussion and approval.

So move.

Commissioner Brewer.

Second.

Commissioner Gobel.

Is there any discussion?

Looks like there's four mopeds and two things looking at here.

Why are so many getting taken?

Amigo.

Daniel, you didn't want those.

Okay.

Let's some good stuff get away.

Yeah.

Any further discussion?

There being that, Madam Clerk, please.

Commissioner Cole.

Yes.

Commissioner Goebbel.

Yes.

Commissioner Newby.

Yes.

Commissioner Brewer.

Yes.

Mayor Belith.

Yes, thank you.

Order 25-120.

The order of the City of Richmond accepting a resignation by the city attorney.

Moving on to the next item.

Listen, I asked you once before.

If we say no, yeah.

I think we've started doing that already.

Oh, you're right.

They'd have something to say about it.

By the way, where is he?

He bolted before we accepted it.

Yeah, yeah.

As if to think.

He's probably still got his role ball, I guess.

He probably has, yes indeed.

Um we'll explain what that's about in a lot in a little while.

Um I think we did some not that it makes a difference.

By resolution, was it resolution?

No.

Resignations.

Do you anybody remember?

Maybe it's just me.

Oh, yeah.

We used to call them certain.

I haven't done that in a while.

Yeah, ceremonial or ceremonial or not.

That's okay.

Let's just go ahead and throw him out.

Let's just do it this way.

Ceremonial.

Ceremonial.

That's what it was.

I knew there was something because it's if we voted no, what happens?

Yeah, you're right.

But uh, Madam Clerk, please.

Somebody else's that we didn't want to accept too.

I can't remember who's that.

Yes, indeed.

Yes, indeed.

Okay.

Whereas Tyler S.

Frazier in the administration department has submitted his resignation notice to the city.

Now, therefore, be it ordered by the City of Richmond Board of Commissioners, accepts the resignation of Tyler S.

Frazier in the administration department effective July 31st.

The Board of Commissioners would like to thank Mr.

Frazier for his exceptional service and dedication since 2020.

This order shall become effective immediately upon adoption by the Richmond City Board of Commissioners.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

That's order 25-120.

Maybe of a motion, please bring to the floor for discussion and approval.

I move.

Commissioner Newby.

Second.

Commissioner Brewer.

Any discussion?

Tell it to the judge.

See, we you knew we wouldn't get away tonight without some good ones.

Thanks for some more, Mike.

I don't think his little girl Katie was too hot on him even.

But uh he was uh top notch counsel for this city and uh had a cool head, uh honest demeanor, and a lot of the reason where we are with our progress has to do with him.

He talked me off the ledge many times, so uh great great legal counsel for some awesome challenges that he led us through and uh very knowledgeable and knew where to go in order to get uh the information.

His specialty in real estate, too, has really helped us with the properties we've acquired.

So that was a big soul, too.

You know, that's gonna be a good one.

You know what?

That's and that's going to uh benefit him and everybody else around him with what he's gonna be doing next to the case.

And of course, that was uh a great deal of the discussion I had with the some of the other judges afterwards.

That's the first thing they noted was who he was as a human being, as a person, as a citizen, and that that uh I told him definitely mixed emotions.

Sure.

Uh no further discussion.

Madam Clerk, please.

Commissioner Goebbel.

Yes.

Commissioner Newby?

Yes.

Commissioner Brewer?

Yes.

Commissioner Cole, yes.

Mayor Blythe.

Yes, thank you.

Order 25-121.

Order of the City of Richmond adjusting employee status within the police records department.

Madam Clerk, please.

Whereas the police records department is in need of an additional senior clerk due to the high work volume, and whereas there is an employee within that department that currently has applied for that position, which meets all the requirements and has requested to be reclassified to that position.

And whereas the police department has budgeted for this adjustment.

Now, therefore, be it ordered by the City of Richmond Board of Commissioners that the following employee in the police department has hereby changed their employment status from records clerk to senior records clerk, effective August 18th, pay grade four.

Tristan Crane, she's an original employee from August of 2023.

This order shall be effective immediately upon adoption by the Richmond City Board of Commissioners.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

That's order 25 121.

May we have a motion, please bring to the floor for discussion and approval.

So moved.

Commissioner Cole.

Second.

Commissioner Brewer.

Any discussion?

There being none, Madam Clerk, please.

Commissioner Newby.

Yes.

Commissioner Brewer.

Yes.

Commissioner Cole.

Yes.

Commissioner Gobel?

Yes.

Mayor Blythe.

Yes, thank you.

Order 25-122.

Order of the City of Richmond accepting a resignation by an employee in the Parks Department.

Whereas Justin Brock in the Parks Maintenance Department has submitted a resignation notice to the city.

Now therefore, be it ordered by the City of Richmond Board of Commissioners.

Accepts the resignation of Justin Brock from the Parks Department effective August 4th.

The Board of Commissioners would like to thank him for his service and dedication since 2022.

This order shall become effective immediately upon adoption by the Richmond City Board of Commissioners.

Thank you, Madam Clerk.

That's order 25-122.

Maybe we have a motion, please bring to the floor for discussion and approval.

Commissioner Brewer.

Second.

Commissioner Goble.

Is there any discussion?

There being none, Madam Clerk, please.

Commissioner Brewer.

Yes.

Commissioner Cole.

Yes.

Commissioner Goble.

Yes.

Commissioner Newby.

Yes.

Mayor Blythe.

Yes, thank you.

Order 25-123.

An order of the City of Richmond adjusting employee status within the finance department.

Madam Clerk, please.

Whereas the finance department is in a need of an additional senior clerk due to the high volume of work.

And whereas there's an employee within the department that currently has applied for the position, which meets all the requirements and has also requested to be reclassified to that position.

And where's the finance department has budgeted for the adjustment?

Now therefore, be it ordered by the City of Richmond Board of Commissioners that the following employee in the finance department has here by hereby changed their employment status from finance clerk to senior clerk, effective payroll date, August 18th.

Pay grade three.

Ryder Cavadigan.

This order shall be effective immediately upon adoption by the Richmond City Board of Commissioners.

Thank you, ma'am.

Maybe we have a motion, please bring to the floor for discussion and approval.

A move.

Commissioner Newby.

Second.

Commissioner Brewer, is there any discussion?

Mayor, I would just uh think you all remember interviewing Ryder for another position within the city.

He's a rising star.

Big help to Sheridan Finance.

Smart young man.

Excellent, excellent.

I think a wonderful background, if I remember correctly.

Yeah.

Any further discussion.

There being none, Madam Clerk, please.

Commissioner Cole.

Yes.

Commissioner Goble.

Yes.

Commissioner Newby.

Yes.

Commissioner Brewer.

Yes.

Mayor Bloy.

Yes, thank you.

Has anyone come tonight in the audience to uh make any comments or to present anything before the commission?

No one.

And Madam Clerk, anything coming through the office that we should present tonight?

All right.

Mr.

City Manager, please.

Just two items tonight.

Madison County schools start tomorrow, so everybody please be patient with the traffic.

Leave early if you can.

The other thing I have is we're well on our way in our five-year comprehensive plan.

We've had two stakeholder meetings, a public meeting, and next Thursday.

Uh the consultant will make a presentation to this board along with the planning and zoning board in our work session.

So moving right along.

All right.

Thank you, sir.

Let me just say this about the schools because someone mentioned to me today asked me today about uh any plan and and uh Major Deaton don't want to discuss it now, but just I pass this along while it's on my mind.

Um you know this will be the opening for Madison, the new Madison Middle on Goggins Lane on Goggins Lane.

And as a friend of mine, my church when he sings a certain song wants to go back and sing a second verse again.

He says, I don't believe you heard me.

On Goggins Late.

Now I know your department has things well in hand.

But just know that there are some folks who are asking us, you know, what should I go another way?

And I'll tell you one thing in particular they did mention, and I wasn't aware of this, but there are folks who will use the parking lot of White Oak Pond Church to cut through.

Oh, off of Barnes Mill.

You mean coming off of Barnes Mill and cut the church?

Cut through to Goggins or Goggins, cut through that back driveway entrance.

Come out on uh just just uh Chief Richardson.

Chief Richardson has met with the school board, and we do have a plan in place.

Uh uh Josh Farline and and another guy tonight are putting new turn arrows right there at that intersection.

I think they have a pretty good plan because you go in left on cattlemans, you go all the way back, and you have to come back around and drop them off and come out one way.

Right.

So hopefully it'll flow okay.

I'm sure there'll be some bumps in the room.

Madison Middle actually put out a video that shows you how to go.

Go good.

Yeah, yeah.

Super.

And eventually there'll be a connector road from Cattleman's Drive to Barnes Mill, so you'll have another entry and exit point as well.

Thank you.

That's about a year out, but it's in the works.

And that's all I wanted was to make sure the public knew that we're on it.

Well aware of uh potential.

Just like the traffic on the interstate, I'm on that too.

Yeah.

On it.

You mean you don't control that?

Everybody thinks we do, but that's okay.

And too, Mayor, there was a video that went out by the transportation person, and they just said buses are going to be late.

Like, just be prepared.

There's a lot less bus drivers because there's a shortage, and so if you want to go watch that video or pass it along, put it on Facebook, share it.

Thank you.

Um, there's some really good information there.

This is a uh this is a new thing right now.

Yep.

So thank you.

Thanks to all of you.

Uh Commissioner Newby.

I have nothing, sir.

All righty.

Well, since we're talking about uh traffic and how busy Richmond is, um, we also want to just remind everyone that EKU starts back.

So um the students will be moving in this week throughout this week, and um one night this week, I think Thursday night even they actually close down Lancaster and do the freshman walk and uh do that, welcome them to Richmond.

I know a lot of us participate in that, looking forward to it.

Um, but it's gonna be busy, you know, just like you were talking about Goggins.

Um it's gonna be busy around campus with the move in, and then um classes start next week, so we're pretty much there.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Uh thank you.

Just this quick uh note.

You know, we can't blame also, and I'm glad you said what you said.

We can't blame uh the students when they come in, you know.

I always talk about the freshmen in their cars for the first time.

We can't blame them.

Trust me, ladies and gentlemen.

Richmond has enough bad drivers already by itself, not to students.

Commissioner Brewer.

Is there uh an ordinance or about mowing grass?

I had this from in I think Jim and I talked about this before, where you cut grass and throw it into the road.

Yes, there is.

There is.

So what is what is that uh procedure?

I mean, I've had a lot of people.

We can send codes enforcement out and they will warn them of it, and then if they do it again, there'll be a citation.

Um I had the postmaster call me a couple weeks ago because we had a codes enforcement stop one of his employees that was blowing grass out into the road.

Yeah, and I explained to him, well, he was just doing his job.

You you can't do that, but yeah, we do have uh an ordinance against that.

So can they get to that on our website that uh order or ordinance that it is?

Yeah, yeah, you can.

But if there's a problem somewhere, if you give us an address, we can send a codes enforcement out to look at it.

I I don't all it was what's asked to bring that up, so I do okay that's it.

That's all I have already, thank you, sir.

And Commissioner Goebel.

I'm good, thank you.

All righty.

Uh just quickly, um, have you finalized the list for street paving?

I have.

I sent it to you in an email, and it uh was advertised Thursday and they're due on the 22nd.

22nd, I think.

Oh, let me let me apologize that for asking.

Uh let me make also you're aware I've been out of commission somewhat for a while.

And and the way I like to put it to be nice and smile, Lisa threw me out of the office for two weeks.

We did.

I think they've had all they could take, and then they said, get out.

If you're if I'm catching the roads that didn't make the list, give them to me.

And if we're way under budget, we might be able to add them to the thank you.

Thank you.

I can do that immediately.

Uh that's it tonight.

Tasty Tuesdays.

I saw the trucks gathering.

Let me encourage if you've never been to one.

And those uh those vendors uh have top quality stuff.

So uh it's a wonderful time.

You may want to take a chair, uh, your own lawn chair, and uh just kind of enjoy the atmosphere.

Uh that's that's it.

Old hearts and minds clear.

Let's see, you will uh let us know if the change in interviews for tomorrow.

Yeah, I'm waiting to see, but we're gonna try to move the nine to ten o'clock so we don't have such a gap in between.

Shouldn't be a problem, it's a zoom call, so I'll let you know either tonight or first thing in the morning.

That's fine.

Yep.

Thank you, sir.

All hearts and minds are clear.

We'll entertain a motion to adjourn.

A move.

Second.

Commissioner Newby.

Commissioner Cole.

Madam Clerk, please.

Commissioner Gobel.

Yes, Commissioner Newby.

Yes, Commissioner Brewer.

Yes, Commissioner Cole.

Yes, Mayor Blythe.

Yes, thank you so much.

Good to see you all.