Winchester City Council Meeting - August 6, 2025: Strategic Plan, EMS Dispute, Downtown Concerns
Winchester City Council Meeting – August 6, 2025
The City Council held a work session and regular meeting on August 6, 2025. The work session focused on reviewing the city's strategic plan, assessing progress on projects, and refining priorities. The regular meeting addressed a contentious EMS budget dispute with Clark County, modifications to the Downtown Development Investment Fund (DDIF) map, and extensive public testimony from downtown business owners frustrated by the High Side construction project and lack of communication. Several routine orders and personnel actions were approved unanimously.
Consent Calendar
- Approvals of minutes from June 3, July 15, and July 17 special and regular meetings (motion by Commissioner Poole, second by Commissioner Strode, all in favor).
- Orders accepting resignation of Elizabeth Morton from Planning Commission, appointing Preston Albright to Board of Adjustments, appointing Gary Taylor III to Planning Commission, approving auditing agreement with Summers McCreary and Sparks PSC, awarding asbestos inspection bid for Lincoln Street CDBG project, approving DDIF grants for 24 North Main Street and 5 Cleveland Avenue Suite 202, approving land and water conservation fund deed restriction for Eugene Gay splash park, accepting Jackson Street Bridge removal change order, and personnel orders reclassifying positions and employing new staff (all passed unanimously).
- Resolution authorizing application for up to $827,436 in GRANT program funds (motion by Commissioner Chenault, second by Commissioner Toole, all in favor).
- First reading of two joint ordinances: one regulating first-floor residential dwellings in B2 district, and one amending development plan procedures to comply with KRS 100.275 (both passed unanimously).
Public Comments & Testimony
- Chad Walker (former Main Street Winchester member) expressed frustration that the city was not meeting with the new downtown business group, citing lack of communication on TIFF funds, DDIF grants, and the use of the Kentucky Main Street logo. He requested a collaborative meeting. The council agreed to hold a work session focused on downtown issues on August 19, 2025 at 4:30 PM.
- James Bowman (business owner on High Side) detailed significant financial losses ($1,500 in two days, plus additional closures) due to the High Side construction. He noted that the contractor did not follow the approved plan (sidewalk sections) and that communication was poor. He questioned whether leftover project funds ($412,000) could be used for restitution. City Manager explained those funds are from a line of credit, not city money. The mayor apologized for the inconvenience and promised to look into ways to help.
- Laura Freeman (downtown business owner) supported the idea of compensation for days when businesses were unexpectedly closed due to construction. She noted that the city could create a fund for such disruptions.
- Laura Kramer (building owner and landlord) reported being flooded out three times with mold damage, no compensation from insurance. She emphasized the need for regular communication and a collaborative approach between the city and the downtown business group. She also raised concerns about property tax assessments and the lack of information on TIFF.
- JP (former Main Street/First member) stressed the need for a regular meeting forum for downtown businesses to voice concerns, noting that without it, misinformation and tension grow.
Discussion Items
- Strategic Plan Review: The commission reviewed the 2023-2025 strategic plan, noting completed projects (Fulton Road extension, splash pad, public works grading facility, EMS/fire division separation, retaining wall at Lykins Avenue) and ongoing projects (Lincoln Street housing, storm sewer design, dilapidated property conversion, code enforcement, fire station renovations). Discussion included adding new priorities: merged government services, a penny tax for parks, enhanced planning/zoning staffing, and revising the downtown events goal. The commission agreed to remove completed items and keep EMS/fire separation as ongoing due to facility and personnel needs. They also discussed adding a new strategic area for downtown community events and merging it with downtown development.
- EMS Budget Dispute: City Manager and Finance Director Alicia Martin presented a detailed rebuttal to social media allegations by Magistrate Craycraft. They showed that the city’s general fund EMS operating budget increased only 2.34% from FY24 to FY25, not 57% as claimed. The county’s 39% share of the FY25 deficit is $968,370. The city recommended the county pay that amount, with the city covering $1.2 million in capital expenses from bond financing. The city also clarified that the state auditor was not involved in a 911 billing error; the city found the error and refunded $134,928.93 to the county. The commission supported taking this proposal to the next joint EMS committee meeting.
- DDIF Map Modification: Whitney Leggett proposed expanding the DDIF eligible area from the historic overlay district to also include the TIFF district. The DDIF board recommended the change. The commission approved the modification unanimously.
- Personnel Orders: Several personnel actions were approved, including amending police and communications position descriptions, reclassifying positions, accepting a resignation, and hiring new employees (crossing guards, part-time EMT, and HR Director Stephen Day).
Key Outcomes
- Strategic Plan: Removed completed items; added new discussion points for merged government services and enhanced planning/zoning. Commission directed staff to bring back refined wording for downtown events goal.
- EMS: Commission authorized the city manager to present the proposal (county pay $968,370 operating, city cover capital) at the next joint EMS committee meeting.
- DDIF Map: Approved modification to include TIFF district within the eligible area.
- Work Session: Scheduled a downtown-focused work session for August 19, 2025 at 4:30 PM, inviting downtown business owners and property owners. Staff will send invitations and request agenda items by August 14.
- Halloween and Christmas Parade: Halloween trick-or-treat set for October 31, 2025, 5-8 PM (Halloween Mania 5-7 PM). Christmas parade set for December 6, 2025, 6 PM (both passed unanimously).
- Closed Session: The council voted to enter closed session for personnel matters (KRS 61.810(1)(f)), then adjourned the meeting.
Meeting Transcript
I am it. Yes, that's what we thought. Okay. We're uh here, can you believe Jimmy here? Well, it decided to add a strategic point those we need. What we're gonna do, even with this ALC come back and go through this with us, see what we feel like we've accomplished, what we need still accomplished, what we want to take out the problems, what we want to put on those properties with thirds up for us as always, so I'm gonna try to keep what you have to jump to. Uh really jobs we didn't have to find the job about a year and a half now, of course. Um quite a bit. Uh the previous plan, uh, go through those priority decisions that you all send up back there. Uh what I achieved or not achieved, what's still a priority for you all. Oh, and we maybe may need to be taken off that uh anything that you want to have to I'm so excited to be back here. Um there's back to Tad. I love him dearly, but I'm I'd be here in his head. Um, I should be thinking notes um in Microsoft Word. And so um, if I just miss something or I don't hear you, um I'll just ask me because we didn't have her on the better thing problem. So we do a little bit of a little quickly that we did not have a strip. So that's the reason we have this funding. We all didn't use childhood. All right. So if we'd like to get started looking at uh little interest plan and the hot floor goals and place the way uh you all are along with us that by top federal meetings on that infrastructure and probably light with those uh two years. How is that more how do that change is it any different? Just something to added times that we take off of that. Is that including the current beyond more than five things of farmers or that? That's just the top four goals that's kind of the overarching thing for the profile in the spot for those projects uh how called in those uh areas. Okay, how's the commission feel about leaving those as the top four? You want to change it? Anything we're working on all the loading, you know. We have been um this past two years focusing on a lot of infrastructure, a lot of infrastructure, and I'm hoping this if we stuck to know it's focusing on quality of life and working and bringing some things to the community that are being asked to be brought by our direction. So John, does that include can we make a comment on your current non-boarding projects or of course uh feel free to go ahead and talk about those current ongoing uh which ones have you been able to complete in the past two years with one throughout ongoing still commission to help me with this? Okay, we completed a temporary school water project. We have completed for Fulton Road. We'll be having uh we'll be heading for that on August the 27th at 1030. We have continuing more if you write Shannon or Lincoln Street east, yes. Uh excuse of the west side is complete. The east side we will we hope to start on the first on the east side uh a bit uh after the first of the year. But by by then we are hoping that uh all the stuff is done with demolition, re uh those folks that live there being moved to new locations and things like that, and habitat should be able to start after the first of the year. So we're looking at that project we completed here in 2026. Probably building six houses is going building six houses, finding six families that are that those eight each house on the west side of making free cost habitat about a hundred and ten to a hundred and eighteen thousand dollars on the east side of each house is going to cost between 145 and 16. Thank you for that. So it looks like we've accomplished Fulton Road extension. Lincoln is still a work in progress. One side is complete, and the high side will be complete with the completion date of November 1st. And if the rates are going, it may be completed sooner. So it looks like we've taken care of our roads quite a bit. And this um seven stream project is in design right now, the Palma. Um so we're strank with that will end uh December of 27. So that's kind of designed this year. Um it'll be bid and start work there uh for next year and then finish 27. All right, you're all scalp as we go through your page and splash pad is basically completed. We'll be dedicating that um at the end of August.
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