Yeah, yeah, but I got a big old side.

It made me feel tired.

They make me feel tired.

Oh, where are we at?

Don't call that now.

I mean, I already got siding nerve pain and all that.

Sides in my eyes.

I've got our contacts.

Looks like I had a few.

I feel the downward slope.

Fine, how are you?

Okay, if I could ask everyone to please stand.

For the pledge of allegiance.

Just a minute, I gotta sign my name real quick.

Sorry, Joy.

To be led this evening by Mr.

Stephen Day, who is our new HR director.

Stephen, why don't you come to the podium for us?

So people can know who you got.

Maybe he wants to stay on.

Maybe say something, and she probably should say it's location.

Please remain standing, and our invocation will be led by our police chief, Travis Thompson.

We thank you for the opportunity to get in here tonight and conduct the business of the city.

We pray for everyone in the room tonight, and especially the commissioners up here on the board that they'll hear everyone out, but everyone will hear them and that we can peacefully assemble and just thank you for all that you do for us and the many blessings you give us.

Amen.

We'll officially call the meeting to order.

And first thing on our agenda is item two, departmental and agency reports.

Is there a motion to approve?

Motion by Commissioner Chenault.

Is there a second?

Second by Commissioner Strode.

I think you were out there.

Commissioner Cox by a second.

All in favor, aye.

Any opposed by like sign?

Motion carries.

Item three, informational item.

Usually I just say that's for information only, but we need to ask according to our attorney um three coupuse themselves.

Commissioner Final and Commissioner Fox, just for about two seconds and let us see if anybody has any comments.

Yeah.

They'll be right back.

You want to say why you're recusing so folks know you're not leaving?

Have it at that board.

And Joe's uh reason Joe's stepping out is his wife owns property on Lincoln Street uh through an inheritance, and that's been clarified by our item 3A from the Department of Local Government saying that he is no longer under a conflict of interest for his wife's property, but he is still under a conflict of interest for um being on the urban renewal board.

So that's why they've had to recuse themselves.

So do either of you two ladies have any comments, questions about uh Lincoln Street.

Well, since we had them leave, I will say uh Chief Thompson, thank you for your letter.

I enjoyed reading it, and um who's not here to be embarrassed, but I can tell you and she's whitely are hanging out because I I like that you're working on a five-year strategic plan.

I think that's important, and I'm excited to see what else you bring.

Thank you, Commissioner Tool.

Thank you.

Okay, you want to get them we can come back.

So again, all those items are just for um information.

I just want to highlight one thing, which is uh item B.

Um week before last, I think it was.

I spoke to um a group of students ages third grade through twelfth grade, and they were at a writing camp uh for girls only.

It was very interesting.

And afterwards, I received a packet of letters from these girls saying thank you.

I just have to share this one with you, is all I'm gonna share.

Okay, it says, Dear Mayor Reed, thank you for your time and gifts.

They got like an ink pen and a sucker that you gave us.

I appreciate it so much, and I'm glad that you talked about the drug dog Gin Z Gin Sink.

It's spelled G-E-N-Y-Z-I.

Because some bad people carrying drugs around here, and here a list and here's a list of stuff I want in Winchester.

Okay, ready?

This is how the thinks and thoughts of the child.

One, she wants an Ulta.

Two straight kids connect concert.

I don't even know who straight kids are.

It's a Korean top band.

She wants it in Winchester.

So I know she'll enjoy.

She wants a canes.

She wants a Sephora.

And she wants a lot of good fee.

So I just want to share that with him from the hearts of kids.

Great work sometimes.

Okay, let's move down to item four work session.

Um we put this on tonight to take up our entire work session time.

If you'll note at our last meeting, we decided to uh to do this this evening, and the uh downtown folks were asked if they would, and I will read specifically if you'd like to request that specific topic be included on the meeting agenda.

Please email city clerk Joy Curtis no later than noon on Thursday, August 14th.

We encourage early submission to ensure your items are given appropriate attention.

And everyone should have received that.

So at this time, I'm going to turn it over to the city manager to uh take it from here.

Yes, Mayor.

We're going to start out first of all uh with an update from Jesse on the project.

So we do Jesse will come up.

Uh folks that right now with me I'm Jess McCoy City at Engineering Tech.

Um, I was actually just walking around there before I come down.

Uh they tomorrow they're moving along pretty good.

Um they're gonna be pouring the strip down Main Street color stamp.

So all that'll be going in.

Um they're hoping to do that.

They were passionate this morning after that's not in with some co-packs to get ready to move traffic over to the low side, and then uh starting next week, they are going to get rid of the fences on there, put up some cones and barrels so it starts looking a little more open for everybody.

Um then the papers will be going in late next week, early the week after.

Umrail is in the process.

We should be putting that up probably by the end of next week, if not early we have as well.

Um then mostly that side will be finished, and then uh just a few little touch ups, and then once they move over to the low side, it should move along pretty good because it's just digging out the curves and pouring some spots back.

Uh they've had the landscapers start coming in and start putting dirty in, start getting that crapping ready.

So uh other than that, everything's moved along.

We're just trying to work through some things and uh get a nice project in the end.

Are we still looking at substantial completion for November 1?

That and then uh should be November uh December 1st, so final completion.

So we're too good for the uh critical parade doesn't matter.

Thank you, Jesse.

Appreciate that.

So we did ask for uh topics to be submitted, and we've got one email with five topics on there, and I'm gonna address uh those um right now, and I think see this power.

Um, so the topics were contractor oversight, accountability, and infrastructure, uh the tode enforcement, downtown reopening plan, and long-term downtown collaboration respection and inclusion.

So not sure how many slides we'll have to say, yeah.

Good.

All right, so let's um address issue number one contractor oversight accountability and infrastructure.

The question is Palmer Engineering and Allen Company have not consistently adhered to the scope or requirements outlined in the RP, resulting in delays, lack of communication, and potential quality concerns.

First of all, I think it's important to understand that this project is a Kentucky Transportation Cabinet KYTC project.

They are the ultimate decision makers on all aspects of the work.

The Allen Company has been awarded the bid and has given us the authority to oversee the project on a day-to-day basis.

Chris Frazier is the main contact for the Allen Company serving as the project manager.

Additionally, Palmer Engineering has been assigned an on-site inspector for the project.

And the city of Winchester can Palmer provide advice and support as needed, but really don't direct the day-to-day work.

That comes from Allen.

Also want to give a shout out to Jesse.

He's on the project every single day.

I think we can all say this has been doing a great job uh being on the project and overseeing things for the city.

It's important to understand that public projects might not operate the same as private projects, unlike private construction, where property owners and businesses can direct the contractor's daily work.

In a public project, decisions must follow all the state rules and guidelines.

The project is being carried out in phases, and at times those phases might overlap to maintain efficiency and to keep the project on schedule.

While there is no detailed timeline for each phase, the project is defined by a start date and an end date.

And to this point, there have been no delays.

Communication has been a top priority throughout the process.

To date, updates have been provided through 17 newsletters, individual visits, daily text updates, coverage in the Winchester Sun, multiple public hearings and meetings.

This is above and beyond the amount of communication that is dedicated to a lot of other projects.

So I think we're putting a lot of effort into communication for this project.

I also want to address the quality concerns.

Now these are taken pretty seriously, and if issues are identified during construction, then they are noted and tracked, and a full punch list process is conducted at the end of the project to ensure that all concerns are addressed.

We encourage anyone to share any specific concerns with us so that they can be addressed appropriately.

And I do know that we are addressing things that to make sure that we get things fixed.

And finally, questions have been raised about fines and damages.

These are only applied if the contractor fails to complete the project on time.

And at this point, the project is progressing on schedule.

All right, next slide.

Is he going to follow a typical work session format where we're work sessioning?

He's going to address the questions that were received at the city from the to the city clerk.

That's all we got.

He's going to answer those questions and then let everybody else have the chance to speak.

So just hang on.

We'll try and address the questions we did receive.

All right.

The next question comes from the TIFF funds.

Business owners have limited visibility into how downtown TIFF funds are collected, managed, and spent.

And then whatever the increase is from the base of 2019, those property taxes go into this special TIFF fund.

So there's no extra tax that anybody pays.

The current TIFF amount in the city's funds is 137,924 and 30 cents.

And this has been clearly stated that the funds will serve as the city's portion of the grant match for the Main Street High Side project.

Would you repeat that amount again, please?

Yes.

137,924 and 30 cents.

Thank you.

These TIP funds will help reduce the amount that the city has to borrow for the 20% match for the grant project.

Decisions regarding the use of these funds are made through a structured process outlined by the state statute.

The city manager makes a recommendation and final approval is given by the city commission.

At this time, there have been no funds expended from the TIP, and they have uh collected in that account since we started in 2021.

It's also important to note that the city is not currently soliciting any ideas on how to spend these funds.

This is because the TIFF allocation is designed for the grant match right now and tied directly to the high side project.

This is city revenue, and this is how we are applying it to build downtown up.

Visibility has not been limited, and the city maintains transparency through monthly financial reporting and annual audits to the city commission.

If anyone interested in reviewing detailed reports on the TIFF funds, they may request them by filing an open records request, just like anything else that we have.

This process ensures that the funds are managed responsibly with oversight from both city staff, elected officials, and the cabinet for economic development.

Number three.

Currently, there are over 20 open code violations that are being addressed right now with the city in the downtown area.

In addition, the abandoned and blighted property ordinance has recently been strengthened, and the related tax to that will be assessed this year.

Whenever possible, issues are first handled through verbal communication in order to resolve concerns quickly and cooperatively.

If that does not resolve the matter, the process escalates to a formal notice of violation.

We recognize that code enforcement can feel subjective, and for that reason, we strive to apply the rules with fairness and consistency.

Our approach is incremental, working with property owners and businesses step by step to achieve compliance rather than rushing to punitive damages.

The city's goal is to maintain a safe, vibrant, and welcoming community while respecting the investment and efforts of our local businesses and property owners.

And we encourage anyone to report a code violation if they see it and will follow up on it.

Businesses risk missing the opportunity to capitalize on renewed public interest.

Additionally, businesses are often asked to donate to city-led events rather than receiving financial support for their participation.

First, I want to say when you say reopening, downtown is not closed.

Downtown is still open.

The project is going on and downtown is not closed.

It remains open for businesses, and we want to make sure that everyone is aware of these.

We're going to support infrastructure, quality of life, parks and recreation, housing, downtown, safety, and workforce training.

All right, number five.

Business owners and employers, employees have repeatedly expressed frustration over being excluded from decisions that directly impact their operations.

This lack of communication and inclusion has led to a perception that business concerns are minimized or ignored.

And in some cases, owners are considering relocation.

I want to be clear that city values its partnership with downtown businesses.

Opportunities for input are available through public hearings, commission meetings, personal visits, emails, phone calls, texts, so that every voice can be heard.

We also recognize that each business is unique.

Our goal is to work with the owners individually when possible to address different needs.

And who would want to pass up that kind of money to beautify our downtown?

In this project and others like it, the city is committed to creating a thriving environment where businesses can grow and succeed.

Above all, our focus is on mutual respect and long-term support for downtown.

We want more projects like this.

And working together, that means all of us in the room, we can ensure that the heart of our community remains strong, vibrant, and welcome.

Any questions from the commission?

Commissioners?

I'm good.

I've got comments when we if that's go ahead.

First one is you you said about the Allen Company and Palmer's.

Do they have a representative here?

I think that shows how much they're they're concerned about why we think.

Well, I won't say 90%.

I I think that's a low number, has been after the fact.

Folks have heard stuff after it happened.

It's things like tearing up the sidewalks on the low side.

How long ago was it?

Seven and a half weeks ago.

Huh?

July 12th.

July 12th, over a month ago.

But yet they still haven't been fixed.

Why not fix them right or why not tear them up right before you fix them?

I won't say it's been disrespect to the people who have a business on Main Street.

I'd say it's contempt.

They don't care what the folks on Main Street think.

And it has bled onto us.

Well, I care about each and every one of you and your businesses.

And I think everybody else does too.

The problem is between here and your business.

And all of that between us has failed you.

That's all I have to say.

Commissioner Toole, in comments right now.

I not right now.

No.

Um, I'd rather hear, I mean, yeah, for sake of brevity and timeliness.

I'd rather get from them and then chime in.

We got a good 35 minutes left.

So it's I'd rather kind of see what folks have to say.

Thank you.

Okay, this Joy, we did not have to do a sign-in sheet.

We did not do a sign project.

Okay, so who's gonna speak on behalf of downtown or an individual?

Just raise your hands.

I know who you are and I'll I'll go first.

Don't we go back to the code enforcement slide?

Um state your name.

We got me on.

We all agree there's there's lots of room for potential improvement.

But my question is who owns that property.

That's property owned by the city, and I have informed public works to clean that up today.

Okay.

Um and I think that that's the code enforcement vehicle mark in that market spot.

It's planning on painting.

I think that's about the summary of the code enforcement problem.

Uh so we talk about fairness and and all those things, but take a look at that.

It's up there by the building, the old unemployment office right behind there.

Yeah.

Laura, just thanks your name, please.

Laura Freeman.

Uh I'm owner of one South Main, 31 East Broadway, and majority owner in uh Mount Folly Enterprises.

Um I've got many things to say.

Uh the first is respect for the business owners, and I want to talk about that.

The TIFF money, the the increment financing comes from our ability to have businesses and fixing these buildings up so that they become more valuable.

That's the gap.

And uh so you know you need to understand, give us credit for that.

I'm spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, everybody else in here is too, on these buildings, and to have our sales fall by 50% to have uh construction going on so that people couldn't move work to have um uh well, you know, I've let's see, I've been flooded out right now three times.

Uh one at Car Wright, one in January, one in April.

Uh claims have been denied.

Um, and I've you know, I'm yeah, it's pretty clear on the way I had to do, and it's on you, not on me.

And so respect and inclusion is not just a word, it needs to be reality.

Clap collaboration needs to be reality.

The downtown rehabing plan, a ribbon cutting, really.

We need a real ad agency in here that knows what to do, or the businesses are going to continue to fail.

They've already felt a bunch of them already have failed.

And um, and you're gonna have an empty main.

Is that what you want?

But so I think that you need to think about that, and that's what I've said.

Thank thank you, Laura.

Anyone else?

James.

So uh my name's James Wellman.

Uh Alan High Street Collectibles and two South Main Street.

Um, so uh I kind of wanted to mainly talk about uh the infrastructure point.

Um and uh I love everything that you said, Bruce.

It was really good.

Uh but there was some cracks in it that I could see uh whenever it came to the communication site, especially.

Um so I have to correct myself it wasn't July 12th, it was uh June 23rd.

Um I have the text message that I got that day at 1005.

Um and it was just stating that they started the demo on the low side, and that was when I found out that they were busting up in front of our business, so and it's been broken up since then.

Yes, but thankfully that wasn't gonna get it.

Yeah, um, but uh, but still, you know, yes.

If I'm gonna put a fifth post in, right?

I'm not gonna dig the hole in June to put the uh the fifth post in in September.

Right.

Yeah, I mean I know there might be a method that'd take an engineer to figure out that.

Right.

Um the other thing that I do want to like put out there as a disclaimer is uh we all did not come here to attack anybody today.

Um it's actually the complete opposite.

Uh we appreciate the fact that you gave us this opportunity and this chance to speak and get support from you all.

Um the reason why we're asking for it is because the contract is with the city and the Allen company on Palmer Engineering.

You know, we have no say on the compliance of it and if they actually stick to it.

There's a couple key points that I did want to bring up uh in the project plans itself um that would be protecting us right now.

Uh one of those points uh kind of going into Laura's situation.

Um it actually stipulates you here.

No, he had a late line.

Okay, sorry.

He uh he had sides for me and stuff like that.

So I was going to be able to pull it up and show you all.

But it strictly stipulates that if the contractor hits any utilities, they are liable for the damages.

So the fact that Laura had to wait four months, you know, to even get an answer and then get denied, that's you know, unset and pro contract, black and white legal agreement, they're liable for it.

They're the one that hit the utilities, and even in the contract, it stipulates that they have to avoid that.

So it's negligence on their part, and that claim should have been expedited.

And you know, me as a project manager previously, we already had that set in place to where claims like that, because we knew they were going to happen.

It happens in any construction site.

Um, we had somebody like a point of contact that was already there to expedite claims.

So two to four weeks, that's when the claims were submitted, filed, and they were also paid within four weeks.

So more or less like what I was saying is like we're just asking for support in enforcing what's in the contract.

That's uh that's mainly what we're trying to get at.

The other thing that I would like to bring up too um is that in the contract as well, it states that businesses have to have access to their front door.

Now I understand because of you know, laying sidewalk and all kinds of stuff, I understand that there's going to be some instances where they can't necessarily do that.

Um, then it needs to be reworded in the contract because at the end of the day, it's black and white.

The contract in a courtroom, that's what they go by because that's the official agreement between the two.

Uh, I know this because I've been in multiple courtrooms for this specific matter myself.

Um, and me being the project manager, I made sure that they like followed through on every single compliance that they put into the contract.

So that way it protects people.

Um because it's in the contract, uh, by the way, the utilities thing that's in two places in the contract, not just one.

So uh, and then the other thing that I noticed in the contract, there was no compliance officer on either side, typically when it especially contract of this size, there's supposed to be a compliance officer to where somebody's boots on the ground, making sure and enforcing the contract is upheld, all parts of the contract.

Another part of that contract is any time the traffic changes, the city and KYTC is supposed to be notified within seven days.

So if that's the case, then you know the city would be able to allow us seven-day notice of any specific traffic changes.

Now, one could argue traffic meaning vehicular.

Well, in this case, that's not the case because the tap grant is specifically for pedestrian infrastructure.

So the traffic in this case is foot traffic.

So more or less, I bring all this up just to show you and give you firepower, basically, to enforce the contract itself.

If the contract was enforced, trust me, a lot of these problems wouldn't be as bad.

Now, decline in customers, that's gonna happen.

We understand that.

We do wish that there was a little bit more support set in place beforehand because you know that's gonna happen.

That should have been noted in the beginning.

I know I haven't sent you all an email uh on September 3rd um discussing you know potential failures of businesses and decline in sales and all kinds of stuff, uh, which I was hoping.

We haven't heard anything about it yet.

So if you all had a plan set in place, uh we don't know.

Um, but that should have kind of gave you your warning of like, hey, you need to put something in place as a buffer or cushion to support these businesses throughout this process so that way they don't fade.

Now, sure, construction projects happen with the city.

We understand that.

And uh no, we don't want them to stop because it approves the city.

We understand that as well.

But in the same sense, even a small gesture of something would be nice.

Uh the 250 dollars, that's kind of like a slap in the face and an insult because it just kind of like makes us seem like that's the value that you see that we bring.

Um, I know you guys are not in charge of that grant, though, or anything like that.

Uh, you should help donate to it and stuff.

I understand that.

Um, but if that's the case, then there still needs to be some support from the city to help the businesses throughout this process with the lack of sales instead of just being like, it is what it is, you know, like whatever happens, happens.

So really what we came here asking for today is just support for the contract and enforcing the contract, not necessarily fines or anything like that on the Allen company, even though those should have been put in the contract to begin with.

Uh because they're not now, you know, that's a whole other legal issue.

The attorneys will have to go at it and you know, deal with the contract in that sense.

I do think that there should have been a fine set in place for the closing of businesses because that would have reduced the strain on the city significantly, especially putting in there that businesses have to have access to their front door for customer use.

Uh it specifically states that.

So even if it was like a small fine of $750 a day that a business had to close due to the construction, but it was a fine on their end, it's not coming out of the city's pocket.

No, it's coming from there.

So I think like I was going back to more or less all we're asking for is support.

So I appreciate what you said, uh, Commissioner Cox.

Thank you.

Um, and like I said, I appreciate you all put on this meeting for us, and uh thank you for giving us the opportunity actually speaking voice our concerns.

And thank you for your comments, James.

Anyone else?

Mason Mason 70 South Main Street.

Um I first have to say that yes, everybody hates the Allen company, and they're all mad over it, and just I understand that they've been really good in my eyes.

I've I've been sitting down there all this time watching.

Yes, I had to be closed for three days for that concrete work to be done, and yes, there are issues that will have to be repaired out of that later, but it's not on these contract, it's not on these guys out there working, and I I've seen people be mean to them, talking to them awful, they're just doing their job, and I think they've been doing a really good job of it.

Something else we have to remember.

I've been here 10 years downtown on Main Street for 10 years, and we never had foot traffic, we've never had people just scrolling at any given time for any given reason.

We've had to draw them in.

We've had to do uh a beer cheese or uh a pioneer festival.

We've never had foot traffic, and I'm hoping this will change that, that this will help us have foot traffic.

But I think that we're I think we're progressing well with it.

I don't know what your all's end of it is, and I know there's been damages and things, but I think those will be careful, I think they'll be taken care of.

But this has always been our slow season, downtown, at least for my business, but it hasn't affected that for me.

We've actually done better this year than we have any year that we've been in business because of the people wanting to come, see what's going on and complain about trying to get into my school or that's what they came for.

But they came, they shopped, and they let they buy, yes, without any incident.

But I just don't want us to give those guys as hard a time as I think they've been given because it's work that has to be done.

We've all built houses, we've all built barns and garages, and didn't get to move into it when we were supposed to.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mason.

Anyone else?

Mr.

Flynn, would you like to address anything since this project started under your tenure?

I know I'm quite putting you on the spot, but I did send you a text.

You did um probably not like what I'm gonna say, but I'm gonna say it anyway.

Um I think when we started um this project, and I don't recall if I told you all or not, but I think I did um the intent.

Um I knew it was gonna have a dramatic impact on the downtown businesses, and I knew there was going to be days that uh we're gonna be struggles, and uh, you know, when you get through them to the middle of the project, and um we're finally up over uh what I'll call the hump now, and you're going down the other side of this thing.

Um, you see that uh there's things that uh could have been done or should have been done.

And um I know there's monies in that TIFF.

I know there's DDIF monies uh that are there, and I think you know, during COVID, we um the city had dispersed funds to those businesses that were impacted.

It wasn't much.

I don't even recall how much we did.

But I think that uh these business owners and especially, and I don't know how you I don't know how you do it.

Um I haven't said and figured it out and figured out the money, but those monies are for downtown, and those monies were raised because they've increased the value of their properties of downtown and their investments in downtown.

And as such, this project impacts the entire downtown from one end to the other.

I don't care if it's in that block or not, it impacts everywhere you go in downtown.

I think that the city commission ought to look at a way to take the funds that you've got and figure out something that's equitable for those that are in this block, they get something a percentage, and it's definitely a higher percentage.

And then those that are outside that block get something because they've been impacted too.

You can look at Lomas, you can look at the ones on the other side of the Broadway there, they were impacted.

Those monies, in my opinion, that's what they're for.

They're for these folks that are here, those folks that uh have invested their their hard-earned monies, their days.

Mason's been here 10 years, and you know, I'm glad to hear him get up here and say uh about the contractor.

Um, Island Company's done a good job.

They've they've struggled in areas.

I'm not gonna say that they haven't.

They've not notified Jesse every time that they should have notified just.

Um Palmer's dropped the ball in a few areas as well.

And I'll get up here and say that and then say it without uh any hesitation.

But at the end of the day, um, we all have our faults.

Uh we're humans in this, and and we uh make mistakes, but we got to own up to our mistakes.

We gotta have broad shoulders and say that we made a mistake.

But there's one thing that will help, and money helps.

And seeing that the city cares about what's going on out there, I think will lessen some of the uh um the scrutiny, uh if you will, and some of that.

Now, the things that have happened with the flooding um and and those types of things, you know, those are insurance and that's where lawyers are going to battle it out in court and and you know, may the best man win.

But at the end of the day, I think there's things that the city commission can do to help relieve some of the issues and deal with some of the things that uh they're talking about as far as their financial loss and bringing others in because if they see that you care for them, you're gonna recruit other businesses to come down as well.

Thank you, Mr.

Flynn.

Appreciate that.

Thank you, Mike so much.

Sure, Adam.

Yes.

Um as you can get my name and brought up again, so I want to address it.

I send you guys a lot of stuff.

Um, and on this, when they're talking about collaboration respect, inclusion, I did send an email in September, and I think I've talked to each of you probably independently that we were going to lose businesses during the project and it was going to be terrible.

I knew construction, I had a good understanding of what the project was going to look like.

But why did nobody if we have time to prepare a speech?

Why did nobody sit down with me and say, what are you talking about?

How can we help these businesses?

Well, what are you getting at there, Adam?

Like, oh my God, they're gonna be impacted.

What does that mean?

Like, but it's 11 months later, and it takes Mike Flynn getting up here to say the same thing I did in September.

Yeah.

Well, and like if we talked earlier, say that you're gonna get one of these folks to have to go to their accountant and spent 400 to get a letter that says their business has been uh faced, spend 400 to get 250 back for the city.

It's just because your electric bill.

I mean, I I see these people's electric bill out and expensive.

I mean, that that isn't electric bill.

That's not their insurance, that's not their overhead.

That's not and that's what I would have talked to you guys about in September.

And I I look that we are taking Mike seriously because it is a big construction project, and we are we have a big ass here, and to ask is be so affordative in a way that understands that every small business in America, probably most of them, they're two bad months from being bankrupt.

I mean, that is being in small business.

We battle that, we go through waves of it, and these folks are doing the same thing.

And so when we're looking at a six-month project, that's why I said back in September we are gonna lose businesses because most small businesses are two months away from going out of business.

So we can extend that by saying their sales are down 50%.

I think it's in four months.

Um, so what could we do?

What could we have done?

How do we allocate we scrap the grant program all together and take the whole 30,000 dollars just to keep downtown alive?

I mean, those were the things that I would have talked to you about.

Um, but I you know, I'm not a good mic or absolutely, but he and I didn't talk about it.

And so when we talk about collaboration, respect, inclusion, there's a lot of things that get attention that I don't even brought in on it.

It's the ones that affect us the most.

Um I would have helped you whether there wasn't 20 frustrated people behind you.

It is sit me down and less speeches, let's do more battle planning.

And that's really what everybody wants.

If they want to feel cared about, they want to feel appreciated.

Offer to retain an attorney to look at the contract on James's behalf.

But that would be great gesture.

Like, is he right?

I don't know.

I've not read the contract.

Like that would be a really good gesture on the city's behalf.

Is does this small business owner know more about your contract than you do?

I don't know that, but it it would be a very good gesture on the business owner to have.

Has there been a re I don't know, I have no idea.

Um, but those are the things these people are asking for small little things.

We're not asking for you to you know, write a hundred thousand dollar check to fix the Lord building.

We're asking for you to understand that there's been a problem.

Uh, we're asking you, and I have been like Mason said I've been treated wonderfully by the guy down, you know, they've been very respectful.

Even the guys at Palmer, not giving them the business.

Mike will tell you, I've blessed them at them, the whole project.

They've all treated us well, and I I know that they're working as hard as they can.

But you're the ones that you're the boss.

James isn't the boss can't do anything.

I can't do anything.

Mike can do is call Mike and say, What the hell are we doing?

Um that's about all I got.

But September is when I said what Mike just said happened.

And here we here we are.

And could we have done more?

And it would have saved you guys so much headache, so many less emails, so many less phone calls, so many less people, crack rover Shannon.

We would have had so much less so much less complaining of negativity if we would have had a proactive approach to the thing that we knew was coming.

And we know that there's gonna be a huge impact when we shut the road down when we shut the sidewalks down.

It's just inevitable.

And do we need to do the project?

Absolutely.

The sidewalks were falling apart, but we also could have done some stuff to cushion the bottom, and I think we still can.

I think we can make people feel like that.

They're hard work, they're team.

But they're appreciated.

That's it.

And that's all that I think that's all everybody wants, right?

We just want to feel appreciated that we're all in, we're two months away from being in bankruptcy.

We're and that's what it is to be a small business owner.

Well, and I mean, like what happened at Larve, why it happened at Amanda's.

I mean, I listen to the reds game, or I watch wrench games on television as often as I can.

Listen to UK sports, and if you listen to UK sports on the radio 10 times in a game, there's this simple commercial for before you dig.

And obviously, somebody at the Allen company needs to be made to listen to a Reds game, so they'll hear about before you dig because it's the law.

But if you're gonna dig down, you have to know where the utilities are.

If you do it at your house, they're gonna fine you five thousand dollars.

If you hit a gas line, you're going to die.

That's why it's there.

Simple, basic stuff that was ignored.

And everybody in this room knows I was against this mess from the beginning.

And I hope we never do another one in this town because I don't think this town can survive it.

I'll be dead, I hope.

But you know, oh, we can't go back now.

So, how do we survive what's coming next?

Right.

We have to have a battle plan, not a game plan.

This has to be a battle plan.

Well, Laura was talking about about the importance of the grand reopening.

I mean, like we got to make up for four months of 50% loss in sales.

What can we do to bring 5,000 people down here?

I mean, that's what I don't know.

I don't truly don't know how to do it.

And I feel like if we get there, the these big records people human that we have experience in all sorts of fields.

Not everybody started as a collectible shop owner or a mercantile shop owner.

Everybody came from somewhere to get to where they're at.

You put all these people's ideas together, jumble them up, sure we can get 5,000 people down here.

I mean, I have to be some kind of event.

And folks, you know, it has to be more than once, too.

Because if you talk to the people in Moorhead, their downtown businesses have still bounced back from what happened from the wonderful project they did uh up there a few years ago that two years ago they had to go in and take out what they had done.

And they're business still have it back to back.

It's gonna be a while.

And I just wanted to go serve back.

That's why these points were put together.

There was some there was some thought and right and reason.

It wasn't that you know we were trying to remind you that you have a city sidewalk project on it.

No, I know that there's a say project.

That would be great.

We all know your contract, all of the outcome, all that stuff is, but it's all part of the bigger picture is what happens on the other side of this.

Do we have any businesses left?

Uh what can we do?

Do we take some of the tip money to real party?

I mean, I don't know.

These are all just wild, wild ideas that need to be evaluated so that Mason's here another 10 years.

Um so that Laura's still being so that everybody like we've still got a downtown because imagine what the public's gonna say if you spend five million dollars in tax money and all the businesses are boarded up, like we need that's the worst case scenario that could possibly have.

So, what can we do to ensure that in December there's people Christmas shopping down here?

Um that that's that that is at least correctly group where I'm wrong.

That's been you know consensus because um it's not that well, everybody has a personal opinions on Project No Project, but what comes after?

Mike said it.

We're already we're doing this, Bruce said we're already in the project.

What's on the other side?

What can we do?

How do we save businesses?

How do we take the ribbon cutting same thing and turn it into something grand that's the heart of downtown?

Like let's get the kids to have enough plays with what we do.

Fireworks downtown the first time.

I have no idea, but inclusion, collaboration, respect.

That that's what we're talking about is like let's do this thing together.

Let's save the downtown.

We've got a beautiful facade, and I want to do shopping.

And Adam, I just want to say that it's not like we didn't expect that there was gonna be hardship, and we worked very hard last year to think of ways to have businesses apply for some funds to recoup their losses.

That's where we developed the DDIF grant.

And it's three thousand dollars total.

Um, so that was um above and beyond what we'd given that uh Mike referenced when we did the flooding and things like that.

Um, because I knew that this project was gonna need more than just what we gave out the last time.

We developed it to try to be uh fair and equitable.

Is it enough?

I knew that it wasn't gonna be enough, but what is a good amount?

So in the budget, we divided it out, and that's where we came.

Now, that's not to say that the project's not over.

We're still taking requests, and I think you know, the option is is that we're gonna hear, and we need to really evaluate where everybody's at and make sure that we're uh treating everyone fairly in uh if we give out any extra funds or anything.

But if I understand correctly, I don't think anybody's gonna apply for it yet.

So obviously we already had too much money to that grant.

We should have allocated zero, and we should have had a brainstorm the grant.

You're asking people to do booking, and they may never even done their life before to do it or even know what you're talking about.

Well, and we talked about it in the meetings, and we really hashed it out, and we had um good discussion about what should be go back and forth, how it should be um set up.

And then this group would ask you who was at those meetings, respect collaboration and inclusion.

And I think we had downtown people give input on that meeting.

We didn't know.

If I was at a meeting, and I may have been where you told me that we were requiring a financial statement to receive receive relief funding, I would have been the voice of that's ridiculous.

Um I would I would have been that voice, and I would assume that every business owner in here would have said the same thing because that's like taking out a bank, yeah.

Why would I go take out a bank role for damage or something that caused my business to lose out?

Why would I want you to have all my kind of things?

But it's done things when it shouldn't have changed.

Well, I'm here to say that we it's not set in stone.

We can change that if we need to.

That's great.

And we should do so that's what I'm you know.

I'm open to that idea, but I do want to say that we developed that a year ago.

No, and I I am not trying to bring my ass.

Well, I would have to pull all the meeting notes and everything, but we we talked about it.

That they've been brought up so many times.

That's true.

And it was brought up in us as all y'all.

And if it was an option to change it, you know, I'm bird, but it would talk about it then.

Yes, so Mr.

Cox to get this meeting to even have it, and now all of a sudden you're what ready to work.

And now all of a sudden you're well ready to work.

And I mean again, and I'm I'm not trying to, but I'm just kind of shot that that was just well.

I just want everybody to know that we were we were working ahead of this.

We were trying to anticipate what you would need and to make sure the process was fair.

So we had input, and that's where we ended up.

So last week, and you've been working all week, and now you're going to get together with us and come up thinking solutions.

We touched on that before me.

For a while, that's all right.

Ask for a meeting with me to come to a downtown business meeting.

No, we we've orchestrated downtown Mississippi because that's for business owners and building homes.

Okay, where did you want me to come and speak?

Like this right here.

Okay.

Well, I'm sorry.

Can I uh chime in my questions because we're getting down to the wire possibly?

Sure, Commissioner Clarkson.

Well, mine's really quick.

If Amanda's walking up, I can ask while she's walking.

Well, I just want to know is there an exact number that's allocated for this grant?

You said 3,000 a businesses.

There are overall number.

It is it the whole DDIF.

No, it's not the whole DDIF.

So in collaboration with Clark County Community Foundation, they wanted to make sure the established grants were a priority.

And then any remaining funds uh would go down to the um DDIF grant for high side businesses.

But also, we just didn't know we estimated a rough number, but we don't know how many applicants we would have for that grant.

If we ran out of money, I think we could look at making sure that we have enough money to provide something for all the people that applied for, but we just don't know what that means.

Mr.

Joel, to your point.

This is the downtown grant is supposedly so important, is subordinate to all the other grants.

Am I correct?

It's only if no of the other grants are applied for.

And that's what you know was in this meeting.

So it's whatever's left over, and it ends up being great by a week business like ours was $12.50 per day.

As I joke from day one, you'd be better off to go sign up for jury duty because that's about the same amount you getting, plus you have a bigger account to come up with you now.

I think we were going to monitor it along the way and make sure that if there was enough if there were more applicants than what we had, you know, we wouldn't have this last game to what was stated.

Was it any more documentation that you guys have to consult with us any class, even because I keep saying we've been trying for April just to get this conversation, and we know how many businesses are impacted because you know what's down there, so those are the businesses that you're gonna give it to, so it doesn't matter who I mean can anybody apply for that grant, whether they suffered out here or not, because that's what I'm hearing.

You know that there's an X amount of spaces rented or a lease from the time the project began and earlier till today.

Business is known, should have been but a check if you all were concerned about that issue.

They weren't supposed to apply for a loan or apply for a grant and give you our life's blood and all those things because you all know what's down.

Know what's in those affected areas, so that's not a question.

You know what's there.

I know what's there.

I can walk down there and count myself.

Manda to follow up there.

Um first of all, thank you for actually giving us the opportunity to meet tonight when it was suggested two weeks ago.

That was huge, so it is greatly appreciated because I feel like now we can like have a forum.

Maybe maybe that's moving forward.

And then there's a lot of things we can't change, you know.

Maybe you want into it, we could have done better.

It's all in the past.

So my personal view is that what can we do moving forward to actually work together instead of saying we're supporting and doing all that, but actually collaborating.

I have 14 years of corporate event planning experience.

I'm happy to help, not oversee, but to help if we want to plan something huge, I think that would be incredible.

Hire a professional person if Whitney doesn't have and if that's not her role or whatever, but use the money, hire professional to come in, contact the news stations, anything we can because I know you know it was specified we're not closed.

We kind of are though.

I mean, I am open, but I get calls every day.

Are you guys even open?

Are you even open?

And we're posting on social media, we're doing everything we can, but you know, if you drive by and you see guys Jack Cameron in front of my door, does not look like we're open.

However, the guys have been great.

They will tell you I always ask they need drinks or snacks.

I am the place to come to her out there.

Um but I do want to see us work together.

That's why I moved downtown.

I don't mean to get emotional.

I've tried really hard.

Um move downtown to thra.

And everyone around us is closing.

There are more people, more businesses who've they spread that they may not make it until November.

Do you all plan to protect us?

Or is this going to continue to the end of the project?

And that is what I'm asking.

Thank you.

Thank you, man.

Anyone else?

Well, I would just like to add that there does need to be an event when this thing is over with.

There's going to be the idea for the event needs to come out of this room, not from this table up here.

You guys need to need to plan what you want.

I don't even own the floor down here.

I just wanted to have people to port downtown.

Quite a few people.

So we have and uh these brings where they have the best thing.

Sorry.

All right, I was supposed to come up here first and kind of talk about the group what we proved up.

The group is not an association.

We have no file walls, no LLC, no anything.

It's a group of people that were all admins on the first project.

The window license are so anything you got on this list was just the people who happened to be there at all at that point.

Okay.

I understand they're very real points.

Like they weren't made to make use for them or moved because they're actually all people do.

Okay.

Um everybody up here, political futures, important futures.

You can have brand open.

With us.

Do by yourself.

Really gonna rip them.

Okay.

We want to be here.

We don't want to fail.

All we really want is people who were our teachers, leaders, whatever, to say hey.

It's still okay, guys.

We still have that.

That's all anybody up for wants.

And we've lose you out for years with respect.

And feeling like it's gonna be okay.

And I won't feel that across the board on Elderbot.

So I don't feel like there's anybody in here that I haven't personally helped in some way.

I know there's nobody never wronged here.

And for my business and for Winchester, I'm just wanting to be able to step up.

We were more important than I don't know.

You gotta be right up next to your great.

We can't do it.

Okay.

Thank you, John Paul.

Anyone else?

I'm getting ready to adjourn for our next meeting.

So are the commissioners speaking together now?

Yeah, we will select these.

I've got two more.

Are you all okay with that?

Yeah, no, over time.

Whatever, yes.

Okay.

Okay.

Jada speak.

So I'm Jada Brady, and I'm coming up here in a different capacity.

Um, I joined together with John Paul, and what he did not say was how this project has been impacting his own building and some of the things that we wanted to bring to downtown business or to downtown Winchester.

One of them being some different events.

We've had to cancel several events over this lab, this project, because of what has happened with the low side in regards to the sidewalks.

Um, during Beer Cheese Festival, we did a big promotion for a uh murder mystery event, and we had to cancel because the sidewalks had been taken out, and there was no communication that that I'm aware of that I have been told in regards to that happening.

And so that is concerning.

Beyond that, we were moving things out of his basement the other day because of the water that is in the basement.

Now I know that that's been brought up to the Allen Company and to Palmer, and there really hasn't been any direction or um any positive movements as to how that's going to get repaired and fixed.

But as we know, it continues to rain here in Kentucky for whatever reason, and the water continues to drown his basement, um, which is damaging, you know, different materials and things like that.

That is a space to have events and those, you know, as anybody who does events, those things are expensive to replace.

And um, so those are the things that aren't being said at this point.

I do have some affiliation with that particular project.

Like I said, we're trying to get some different events and things like that to downtown.

I have a lot of love for downtown.

I do think that the project on the whole will be beautiful once it's finished, but I have been a little bit disappointed about some of the communication challenges on a couple of different subjects in regards to this um board and with downtown or even with myself personally um with the PDA office.

Thank you, Jada.

Was there someone out to you have an old vapor who is not speaking to the chain?

And then you've never listened to a single word of everything.

But I did talk to a former couple of former advice.

I was a bankers here in town.

Um one of their concerns was getting the tax returns and exposing them, let a lot of people see it.

And it kind of struck me back when we did the PPP bones.

Why don't we collect just the quarterly sales or one person collected could be all labeling company A B C D because we'll never have your name?

And then I'll shred on the people back.

And we can see how people say how about it anger, I always want that.

Money is less going to go to Texas.

So well, that's money.

So if we came up with what these sales have dropped over the line, it's gonna be hard because some businesses weren't around forward.

But we'll you can allow for that.

We do 3D deal.

See what people's sales have dropped.

Come up with a number.

We may not have that much money, but at least we'd have a number and see proportionally who's been hit the hearts.

Come up with something, maybe get with the foundations that have some money.

Say, look, what do you do?

And again, your name would not be on because BC.

Can we say I'll be back with close day?

Thank you, Kim.

Commissioner Paul.

Um we can't do that.

I like um and I appreciate you saying that, sir, because that has been something that I've been thinking a lot about.

And in the group text that I am on, um, ask that question as to if we had more monies, how does that work?

Does company A on the high side, is their loss the same as company B on the low side, the same as the company across from Leeds Theater, right?

So there's a lot of different equations at hand.

And I would love to see um a collaborative effort in that sense of how we figure out what makes sense of if we can get money.

Uh I'm entertaining the idea of a motion and the power of the commission to allocate percentages of the work session can't no uh to allocate a percentage of TIFF funds, though.

Well, I'm definitely I do something.

So we'll have to, I assume revisit that in a non-special called meeting.

Um but I'll say out loud just so we're loud and clear to the tune of 50% of the TIFF funds um as a maximum amount again if it's not met, it doesn't get paid out.

Um, but that 50% of that TIFF amount is 68,962 and 15 cents round numbers.

I was trying, but uh so just being being a special called meeting.

Um yeah, I can't do much about that now.

But um I think at the pleasure of the commission, we can't.

And Mr.

Dightman, with your approval, I'm gonna um ask the commission um and charge the city commission, the city manager and the city treasurer to look for ways to for better lack of words up the ante and to revisit um potential allocations that we can do and let's see if we can't move forward in a positive way with this issue.

So if I can't really pick Mr.

Martin, I don't know, CDBG grants.

I was reading up on that a little bit.

That might also be an option to help an open COVID.

We have an open CDBG, and you're only allowed to have one open time.

There we go.

And it's in the mainstream.

Okay.

Um yeah, I'm for that idea.

Does that say palatable if we do that to challenge them to look and bring the Auntie up as much as we possibly can?

I think the combination of that plus new cheese funds, which is what we already promised prior to which you write for the 100,000 dollar bars.

Beer cheese that allocated 30,000, I think.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay, let's don't shoot as well at all from the house.

But they're additional here she'll be a lot reports that they're cheese funds that can help uh increase that.

Right.

Okay.

I'm going to ask the city manager and the city treasurer to come back to our next meeting with some options.

So without further ado, we're 10 minutes late on our 530 meeting, but it's been good.

The hearer base opinions.

I've taken lots of notes.

Appreciate everyone.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Thanks for bearing with downtown.

It has not, I promise you, it's not been easy for the five of us sitting up here.

Um we've lost a lot of sleep and a lot of headaches and and uh we feel your pain, and that's where we do, whether you think we do or not.

So is there a motion to adjourn?

I moved.

Motion by Commissioner Cox.

Is there a second?

Commissioner Chanel.

All in favor, aye, aye.

Any opposed by white sign, motion carries.

We'll take a five-minute break and be right back for 5:30.

Oh, yeah.

If there's anybody that wants to speak at the meeting concerning items not on the agenda, please sign in up at the podium.

No, thank you.

No, you're on a sign in.

I'm calling the meeting, the order here in sex.

At this time, I would like to ask our circuit court clerk, Mr.

Tony Kirk, to come to the podium and lead us in the Pledge of Allegiance this evening.

Mr.

Clerk.

Thank you, sir.

I would leave it a lot.

The United States of America.

One nation under God and indivisible with liberty.

And Justice.

If you please remain standing, I'd like to ask our deputy city clerk, Diana Lane, to lead us in our invitation.

Where is she?

Where is Diana?

Okay, Bruce, go ahead.

Yes, let's put a grace assembly father.

We thank you for this day.

We thank you for everyone here tonight.

We just ask a special blessing upon them.

We thank you for their participation in our local government.

We just pray for our leaders, um, our board of commissioners.

We just pray for our first responders' safety and well-being.

Ask us to uh just decide everything in your name we pray.

Amen.

Please be seated.

I think we have uh three commissioners, a wall.

So we cannot business.

Okay.

Officially call the meeting to order.

First thing on our agenda this evening is uh we have some special guests with us who are not unfamiliar to us, um, are part of us, and gonna do some recognitions tonight.

And our first presentation would be Senator Greg Elkins' presentation of the Kentucky League of Cities, Friends of Cities Award.

And I'm gonna ask Mr.

JD Cheney uh to come forward at this time and welcome to Winchester by the way, sir.

Thank you, Mayor.

It's been a couple of years, and I always love coming to the Winchester, and I want to thank you all for letting me come through Winchester because I promise you been on I 75 coming from Lexington to Richmond to where I live.

This is a lot quicker than uh than it is going straight to I 75.

So I do appreciate it, Mayor and uh commissioners and distinguished staff.

Uh it's always a good reason to be able to come to a city to honor the legislative uh work of uh of a legislator uh from a city.

We all we love doing that.

Our board of directors selects uh uh handful of legislators who step up and stand out uh on legislative issues, especially for local governments and city governments in particular with the with the League of Cities.

So it's not the easiest award uh to achieve, and uh we're here tonight to be able to do that.

So we appreciate you providing the venue.

I'm gonna surprise you all by not holding this microphone as long as I usually do because I do want the opportunity.

Uh we have a new director of government affairs for the League of Cities, Miss Gracie Kelly, who I want to introduce to you all, who is uh is now uh heading up our efforts in in Frankfurt and with the state legislature uh and doing a fantastic uh job on behalf of cities.

Uh so she's she's minimizing uh my time in Frankfurt, which might be a good thing.

I know the senator will agree on that too.

So I want to introduce you all if you haven't had a chance to meet uh Miss Gracie Kelly, our director of government affairs, who will uh talk about tonight's award recipient, uh Senator Greg Elkins, who who by the way, I just I want to say this, has stood up even when it's not so cool anymore to talk about home rule and local decisions being made at the level level.

I can tell you you can look if you want to see a consistent ally and believer in the system that the local governments, the government closest to the people ought to be the one making the decisions can always count on Senator Elkins to give you to give you that answer.

So if you would please uh let me introduce Gracie Kelly, KLC's director of government affairs.

Thank you all.

So I might get in trouble for saying this after we leave, but we had um several legislators that we give legislative awards, but this one is the one that I'm most excited about.

Um Senator Elkin, he there's not a better person you could have in Frankfurt representing you all.

Um he is extremely loyal, he's a friend, and every single issue that comes up, every bill, you know, there's over a thousand bills filed.

If he thinks it impacts local government in general, cities or counties, he texts me, he asks, you know, what's the impact for KLC?

What's the impact on his cities?

And that is a true gift.

As JD said, the legislature as a whole, I would say is starting to shift a little bit.

You know, JD and I can't just walk into a meeting and say this violates home rule, and then immediately the honor side.

Um it's not as simple as it used to be.

And so I think you're all extremely lucky to have someone like him to represent you all, has the experience uh, you know, working in local government and that truly just wants to be an advocate for a cities and counties.

Um a couple bills in particular that I wanted to mention.

House Bill 555.

This was one of our uh huge bills of session.

So we had 10 KLC initiatives that made it across the finish line.

Like I said, there were over a thousand bills filed, and about 150 of those were uh bills that behave well.

So the fact that we had 10 KLC bills get across the finish line, that's that's a big deal.

Um, and one of those bills, like I said, was House Bill 555.

Senator Elkins helped carry that throughout the Senate and garner support.

Um, what that bill does is allows a little bit of flexibility when it comes to municipal audits in some of our smaller cities, as many of you all I'm sure are aware.

We have an issue of auditors that want to conduct city audits.

And so this bill raises the population threshold of cities that are eligible to their audit every other year.

Um JD wrote this bill, it was a great bill, had a lot of impact.

It impacts over a hundred cities and giving them just a little bit of flexibility.

So that bill in particular is one that we're really grateful for Senator Elkin's support.

And um, we're just happy to be here and present this award to him.

And I will ask if you want to find if we can get a uh picture and we will issue a press release at Senator Elk.

Thank you.

Do you want us to come down there, Gracie, or do you want to um whatever protocol is?

Well, we usually come down there, but okay.

I guess we'll give this if it's okay to let Senator Elkins talk too.

We would love to do good three.

Thank you.

Congratulations.

Yeah, no, yes, there you go.

Occupy your name a little bit on the camera.

So look here for one second.

Thank you.

I tried to be remote.

Okay, now we're force.

Sure.

It would make more sense if you did.

Before uh Senator Yelkin speaks, I want to tell him for each of us how much you mean to us individually.

As a commission and as a city.

And you have protected us well in Frankfurt.

You've stood up for us.

You're first at bat for us, and we appreciate it more than you'll ever know.

And we just pray you're there for a long time.

Thanks.

You know, when uh Gracie called me about this award, uh, she said, where do you want to do it at?

Said, Well, I'd like to do it in the city of Winchester.

Nowhere else I brother.

So it's it was a no-brainer where to be at when it came time to do this.

So I worked with Diana and Joel, and we've worked out a schedule to make this happen on this night.

I'd like to say this.

So one thing that I was proud and happy to take to Frankfurt with me was the idea that local government really is where the rubber hits the road.

It's the boots on the ground.

I I say this all the time.

I can go to Kroger's or I can go to Lowe, and people will come up to me and they'll want to talk about a bill or a policy or something.

And generally it's a good conversation.

Generally it's a happy, friendly conversation.

We shake hands, we smile and which not always the case, but most of the time it is.

But I know when I served in local government, I know what the mayor and the commissioners, magistrate, council members go through and they go to Lowe's or to programs.

A lot of times those conversations are more about a problem that someone has because they know they can come to you to solve those problems.

They can't come to me to solve a problem, and I say all the time.

What Winchester needs isn't necessarily what Caduca needs or what Lexington needs or what Blue will need or even Frenchburg.

And it's uh so we need to leave that control with you as much as we can.

And I've I've always done that, and it isn't always about sponsoring bills, sometimes it is about carrying it on the Senate floor.

Sometimes and Gracie and JD and I worked on some bills this year that we we took some bills that weren't very flattering to for the city that weren't very good, and we've made some corrections to them and made them more palatable.

And we knew they were going to cross the finish line, so we tried to just make them better for the cities and the counties.

And you know, I really appreciate the fact that that they're willing to come to me and allow me to help them to do that because it means a lot to me to support our local government.

Uh it's what uh it's the philosophy that I took to Frankfurt with me.

It's the philosophy that I'm going to keep while I'm there.

And if I lose that, I hope that somebody will tell me it's time to come on.

So that's it.

I also want to say I am you're very blessed to have a police chief, yeah, have a fire chief to have here that they both do an outstanding job in the community.

We're just a blessed community, and uh, I appreciate being a part of it.

Thank you for allowing me to stand here in front of a microphone and talk because everybody knows when I get a microphone.

Thank you all, and thank you for thank you, Senator, and congratulations on your vote.

Okay, next on the agenda, we have the East Hill Foundation check presentation to the Winchester Police Department for the purchase and training of a new therapy dog and Marcy Miller.

If you will come forward, Marcy Martin, sorry.

Marcy, here's my glasses.

I'd like to do a little um background on this.

Um as uh can I Jensy.

Um he got you know whatever I feel able to still hear.

Um but during that time uh he had help from uh uh um flyer put out because we're trying to cry a fundraise for uh a can I do you all know they're extremely expensive to purchase train and everything uh through that flyer.

Uh Marcy actually reached out to Australia Gather with this opportunity for the Eastel Foundation, which uh they allow family members to give out uh certain monetary values throughout throughout uh year time period.

Um and through that the ESA Foundation through Marcy purchase does a complete uh pay for the entire training process.

That's what we give her just an objective time, but I want to make sure that we brought that up this this meeting as well.

Um so then that's the word we all know that we all stayed in March.

Um, and it's got a sudden and me and uh she's talking to looking at the process of how long it takes to get a therapy dog, correct?

And do go through the the logistical process of it and the training and everything, and it can be an eight-month to a year process.

So with that being said, we weren't ready for a dog now, but we knew it was a tool that we had to have in the future because it didn't have to have a community.

Uh so we started the process, we started looking at pricing.

Uh, we found a place we really liked.

Um, Captain Collin and myself went up there to the facility and looked at it.

It's extremely extremely professional facility, and they do top match work.

Um it is a 22,000 dollar price tag, though.

Uh, through that, um, I started looking at ways to get money.

Um, Superintendent Howard immediately led six thousand dollars, which we've already received from the school board and approved, and it's uh tanner checked over to Alicia.

Um, on top of that, I asked uh Officer Gavard if he would reach out to Marcy because I've had a contacts shot in the dark.

Uh being a man of faith myself, I believe in power of prayer and and things happening for a recent.

And Marcy told me the other day we met on Friday um and she said that originally she had given the given her done her allotment hour.

And then it turns out literally the day that I texted, somebody came back and said they didn't need 10,700 of the of her money.

And so that being said, she we went to the process, say bosses went through for officer gaver and gensing like the grant application, which I can't give you all the time until you all doing that.

Um we were awarded the grant.

Um the check is over here on graphic.

And with this, along with uh Chief Office and working with you all and uh Dr.

Matthew on uh the city's contribution selling the cost of the city roughly 4500 to get a 20,000 dollar certified therapy dog.

Um so Marcia, I don't know if you want to you want to speak.

I don't know.

I will push up spot.

No problem.

No, actually, we're uh a family foundation out of uh western New York.

So it so I always feel so blessed that we're allowed to because our family members are dispersed.

So I always feel very blessed that we're allowed to give away allotments to things that interest us, you know, things that are able to help our community.

So it's been a real honor.

I've done several grants, you know, with Winchester and of course county grants.

So it's just fun thing for me to do.

So very blessed to do that.

Thank you.

Thank you for caring about this community.

I don't know if uh sorry, the bishop works.

Well you have that.

And then I'm sure Alicia will take the check.

So yeah, I'll be here.

Chief, don't you want to go down, please?

I'll hear this.

I love the chief of the annual lane.

Well, I suppose I got and Marcy Martin, thank you very much.

Thanks so much.

Greatly appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Thanks.

Yeah.

I will be paying for that the uh local uh forfeiture funds.

Right, sure.

Thank you.

So there will be no C impact.

Gotcha.

All right.

Item C, we have with us this evening, someone who has not been with us before, but we're thrilled that he's here tonight.

And this is our circuit clerk, Tony Kirk, and he is going to address.

We all know about the administrative office of the courts looking for a new state office building.

And uh Mr.

Kirk's gonna update us and let us kind of know what's going on in that process.

So Tony, it's all yours.

Thank you very much.

I think the last time I was at this board was early 2000 when you were promoting me to sergeant.

So it's so through the leadership of Senator Elkins, then we have obtained through AOC a 68 million dollar for uh to be able to construct a new courthouse center.

Um we will conduct that first meeting on August 29th at one o'clock, it will be in the fiscal courtroom across the street, and it is open to the public.

Um that will that will be at least a six-year project before the um they are saying if everything goes well, five and a half years, we might get a shovel on the ground at that point.

Uh, usually the first thing I get asked is where the heck are they going to build this thing at?

And I'm sure that that's on everyone's mind.

The when it all comes down to it has to be we have to, there's a lob and stuff before we even get to that point.

Um I know me as a board member, I have no appetite for it moving anywhere outside the the downtown area.

Uh AOC guidelines specifically state that you try to uh put that courthouse and they put near the footprint of the original courthouse.

So hopefully it will continue to be downtown.

Um but there are six people on that board, the first one being Judge Executive Liz Yates, myself, Judge Cole Mayor, uh Judge Earl Ray Neal.

Uh we have a citizen board member, which is Ed Verner, and the bar picks one, and that is Judge Julia Adams.

So those are the six forty three.

Um we will be meeting on the 29th.

I will hand out an agenda for that you chop and cow around.

Um that's the agenda for our 29th meeting that I'll answer any questions if you have.

Mr.

Kirk, will you repeat that amount?

You say six to eight.

Okay, that's what I thought.

Okay.

Yeah, okay.

And and so I'm happy to hear you say that your intent as well as what it should be, is that it's within the footprint of the current one because I mean, hopefully, I never need to know this firsthand, but I'm pretty sure you need to be able to transport inmates to court pretty easily.

That is correct.

So specifically by foot meeting that would definitely be a you know, you don't want to share at the barmer of the jail to have transport a prisoner all the way across town.

Sorry.

Sorry, I was happy to hear that.

Thank you.

But we do need to clarify one thing, possibly.

I think there is a misunderstanding in the community that we're gonna be turning tearing down the current courthouse.

Yeah, and if you would clarify that, please.

Right.

That that Fort House is a dual purpose for house.

Uh that will go back to the ownership of the county at that point.

And then so that will become a county building along with along with the annexes across the street where my office is at now.

All that would become county offices at the board.

Will your office stay over there?

Will it move to it will move to the that's part of those 60,000 square feet?

Is that my office goes over there as well?

Is there not a family court representative on that committee?

There is not a family court representative.

Is there a reason for that?

Uh they AOC in their that's how they set that up.

The longest serving uh circuit judge is the one who is who they appointed.

Okay, thank you.

Any questions for Mr.

Kerr?

Commissioners?

Thank you for sitting through the first part of this.

We appreciate it.

You're welcome anytime.

I know 4:30 was much more convenient for you today, but we're sorry that we had something else already on there.

So thank you very, very much.

Thank you, Tony.

Thank you.

Okay, items uh three, old business.

Uh update on Kentucky Main Street program.

I believe that's Dr.

Mainley.

Yes.

So um by request uh Mr.

Wolfort, uh, for the logo to be removed.

Um well for the city of Winchester downtown to be removed from the main street logo I followed up with phone call with Craig Potts at the state historic uh preservation office.

And I asked him for guidance on what that process would look like, um, how that would work.

Um, and he conveyed to me that uh basically uh that's been their logo for over a decade.

It has been tweaked um a little bit over that decade.

Uh and he considers that and inspired by downtown um Winchester uh image and not a full accurate representation of downtown Winchester.

He also said that anyone can take a photo of downtown Winchester and claim copyright.

Since the city does not have copyright on that image, um it's in the public domain and they can use it and they want to keep it.

So um I included a memo of that conversation.

He said if you can cite any legal authority that you have, I consulted with Mr.

Dykman, and we don't feel like the city has any legal right to ask them to remove that.

So um I included that information in the commission packet for you because I know we voted on that last time.

Um, but as of right now, there's no legal way that we can request to have um our downtown removed from the main street logo.

So basically he said no.

Correct.

Okay, any questions, comments?

Chad right now.

Chad.

Um that's why he's still since there is no main street winchester, and since that's hit a brick wall, then probably what we'll do.

Um just because this is kind of a sticking point is we'll draft a letter and send it to the rest of the main street programs across the state, uh, essentially telling them we got out of program.

We're allowed to be on the program.

It's a failing program.

There's many people that are ditching it every day, and every time you all look at the logo, then it's a reminder of a city that has wants absolutely nothing to do with it.

So that'll be our forgive me for saying what our pissy way of handling it.

So uh yeah, that's what we'll do.

I appreciate your work on.

Okay, thank you.

Thanks.

And city manager, thank you for following up on that.

You're right.

You shape the information.

Item four uh ordinances, these are for second reading, and these will require a voice vote, madam clerk.

Uh 4A.

This is a summary, a joint ordinance of the city of Winchester, Kentucky and the County of Clark, Kentucky, amending Article 6.12, downtown business B2 of the Winchester Clark County Zoning Ordinance, establishing text regulating first floor residential dwellings within the B2 zoning district.

Okay.

Is there a motion?

Motion by Commissioner Strode.

Is there a second?

Very second by Commissioner Chenault, Lamb Clerk.

Commissioner Schnauze.

Yes.

Commissioner Strode.

Yes.

Commissioner Cox.

Yes.

Commissioner Toole.

Yes.

Mayor Reed.

Yes.

Okay.

Motion carries.

Yes.

Item 4B.

This is a summary of joint ordinance of the City of Winchester, Kentucky, and the County of Clark, Kentucky, amending Article 8.6, development plans of the Winchester Clark County Zoning Ordinance in adherence with chapter 100.275 of the Kentucky Revised Statutes KRS.

Okay.

Is there a motion?

No more.

Motion by Commissioner Chenault.

Is there second?

Second.

Second by Commissioner Cox.

Any more discussion?

Madam Clerk.

Commissioner Schnauze.

Yes.

Commissioner Strode.

Yes.

Mayor Reed.

Yes.

Commissioner Cox.

Yes.

Commissioner Tul.

Yes.

Okay.

We'll move down to item five, ordinance for first reading.

Madam Clerk.

This is a summary.

An ordinance creating an establishing forbid a non-exclusive electric franchise for the placement of facilities for the transmission, distribution, and sale of electrical energy within the public right-of-way of the city of Winchester for a tenure of duration, imposing a franchising fee of three and a one-half percent franchise's gross annual revenues from the sale of electrical energy within the city of Winchester and reserving the right to impose a franchise fee in an amount up to 5% franchisees' gross receipts per year from the franchisee's sale of electricity to electric consuming entities inside the city of Winchester's corporate limits and further providing for compliance with relevant laws, regulations and standards, indemnification, insurance, cancellation or termination, and bid requirements all effective on date of passage.

Okay, is there a motion?

Sounds like we're not gonna pass it.

Is there a motion?

Wait a minute.

We have a discussion about uh motion.

I'll make the motion so we have a motion by Commissioner Strode.

Is there a second?

We can discuss it anyway.

Is there a second?

I'll second it for the for the for the purpose of discussion.

I got thank you.

Okay, so yeah, it's questions, and I don't know if I'm sorry to look over it.

City manager or Brian is who well, do you want me to explain?

Yes, please.

So let me explain a little bit.

Um so we originally agreed that the franchise fee would be uh three percent that we would ask, and currently um we it can go up to five percent.

So we were going to match it with our other franchise um with like Columbia Gas at 3%.

Mr.

Dykman had a good idea.

Um, you know, we had residents that uh were needing their trees, uh, the stumps grinded out, and Mr.

Duncan said, you know, this would be a good opportunity to see if KU would agree to uh helping residents grind their stumps out from the trees that they trim.

Uh we went through that negotiation process and that was unsuccessful.

And um response to that, we said, well, okay, we will take that language out if we up uh the percentage to three and a half percent, and then we would uh use that half a percentage to help residents grind their stumps out that had trees trimmed from KU.

So that's where the three and a half percent the city will retain that half percent of that franchise fee to help our local residents out with their trees.

Well, the problem with that is KU doesn't pay the three and a half percent.

We pay it, it's on our bill every month.

Doug the you know the response that we got from their corporate attorney is that they don't do that uh that you know it would set a precedent across their entire service area and they don't do it so I mean we can't sue them and make them do it they never grind it out stomps the other case no no they said they don't do it and you know they'll trim they'll try and you know they had the soft language we'll try and work with the with the landowner and we'll cut the cut it make sure that it's not uh we remove anything that we cut but we're not grinding stomp sign so I you know where do you go from there I don't know you have to hire a spump somebody that does well that's what we thought that the extra half percent would go to the tree board and let them use it for helping uh citizens and stump removal and if there's anything left over plant trees I mean this would be nice to have a lot of trees and more trees but if KU cuts out a cuts down a tree in my yard Bruce shouldn't have to pay extra so that the city can grind out the stunt but if they don't if they're not a stump grinder they they cut the tree down but they're not a stunt grinder well let's tell them that sure you don't do this but we're setting a precedent in Winchester we're not going to approve the franchise agreement until you do that if that's the will of the commission that's what we'll tell them and then what happens we don't have a franchise and then we'd be losing revenue because they wouldn't sign well I don't know that when does the when does it expire in the fall yeah October and fall you know KU is not willing to do this I think this is a great compromise and a great way to help our citizens to get get their stumps grinded because it wasn't really any fault of their own that the tree had to be trimmed.

So I think this is a great way to do that.

Now whether KU passes that on to their customer that's up to them or not oh yeah if you look at their electric bill every month it's got franchise fee on it.

Yeah it they they pass it on there's a franchise free uh fee on there and there's a school tax on there that they collect and then they remit back to us but they don't pay that they're just the pass through and I think it would be wrong to charge the people of this community to pay for something that KU causes and ought to fix.

Kind of a catch 22 I mean right or wrong we can't force I mean we can't sue them to make them do it.

So standing they're not let's call them tomorrow and say we're a word we're not going to approve your new franchise and they say why not for I oh the thing about it is did it didn't we talk about putting this in an ordinance we we put it in in the franchise but it it you know they won't do it in an ordinance they won't do it in the franchise no but I mean didn't didn't we talk when the fella on College Street came over here about ordaining the fact that if you cut down a tree if you are a third party entity cutting down a tree in somebody's yard you you are responsible to clean it up yeah we did so if they're not in viol and we ordained that right no well let's put that in an ordinance first and say okay we have voted on this it is now September your your franchise fee expires next month here is our ordinance are you going to follow it or are we going to fine you a thousand dollars an instance we went through the ordinance and we just didn't think it was very successful to be able to do that or did we have the legal right uh to force them to do that.

If it doesn't cut down the trees, they have they have a contractor that does it.

Right.

And we said we would if they don't clean up their mess, we tell them they can't have a business license here.

Are you asking me a question?

But I I mean didn't we discuss that?

Yeah.

We do discuss that.

And we put it in the proposed franchise.

And they said no.

So can we force the road party contractors to pay for it?

They're gonna pass it all to pay you.

Well we tell the third party contractors, you do it, or you don't have a business license here, and you cannot operate in this, and KU will not let them operate here if they don't have a business license.

What does it do to the home?

It it cleans up the homeowner's lot after they cut down a tree that he owns.

And who do we franchise with?

And then the city goes dark.

That's not a franchise, right?

Pay you is not going to weekly a million dollars a year.

Yeah.

Pay is not going to say, okay, we're not going to supply electricity to Winchester.

That's too much money they get.

And we get how much revenue?

Um a million dollars.

A million.

So if they give us a million dollars, that means they are collecting over 30 million from the people of Winchester.

I guarantee you they're not gonna pull the plug, guys.

Okay, we have a first.

I think what they said was though Shannon that they weren't gonna do it because it would start a precedent for them everywhere.

And that's why they didn't want that right, Bill.

That's what they said.

I didn't bring I didn't bring it in.

I do think that's a great area for the city as well to start intervening with the private property owner about a tree that was cut down.

So if it wasn't KU, what if what if someone else came through and cut it down and then the where's where's gray area?

Where's the line drawn?

Um we have to do this by October.

Yes.

Who did most of theirs when it w R I mean?

So we've got to, and then it's got to go to bid, and then so we had to put it on this agenda to meet the guidelines of the channel.

Mr.

Dykman, your advice.

I mean, we can try and do an ordinance.

We can do an ordinance, but uh I don't know that that would solve a problem.

Um the thought that we had was that the extra half point would raise what about a hundred thousand dollars round figure, and that would be we don't have a hundred thousand dollars worth of stones to cry in the city that I know of that would help we thought where the funds would be allocated and and separated for would be the tree board and let them decide because it may not be to to you know to to uh Hannah's point, it may be somebody's tree that blew down in a storm, and if we've got the money to help them to do that and clean that up in the city, then it's everybody's bad.

Um I mean it's it's we can write an ordinance whether or not that they'll abide by it is another question.

Um they don't have to, but the contractor I know what you're saying.

I know what you're saying.

Well, uh if we used it, if we get a million dollars a year and we up it half a percent, which I am not going to vote to raise a tax on the fee, that's 167,000 a year.

Yeah, I'm I'm sure that you know, but I can't see charging a little old lady up on Hill Street another half a percent on her her her electric bill to cut cut down a tree or uh to grind a stump in my yard.

You know, a lot of our services are spread out amongst this population of our cities.

Um and we're all sharing the cost on that because we realize it's for the goods of our services, our city, our safety and things like that.

So you know, it's ultimately up to you on how you want to proceed with this.

And this isn't joint, right?

So this would not like them.

Why is that that it's not joint, that it's only within the yeah, yeah.

But why should the electric company have a higher franchise fee than the gas company or the crop cut fee?

You know, that's three percent.

You know, well, let's vote.

But so are we saying it goes from three to three and a half with the opportunity to take it to five if you chose five is just in the statute, yeah.

So they always put that they always put that in.

One point something right now.

Yeah, it's one.

I think it's one point five to three point five.

So three.

So more the dub.

I mean, I'm just clarifying.

So at best at three percent, we'd still be doubling the tax.

Maybe I'm just like not paying attention.

I don't know, but and I'm a honey homeowner, and this seems like an awful big hullabaloo over tree stumps.

Just saying.

If California grind out of stump, then that's to cut down a three.

Interesting.

Just never really.

Okay, what's the pleasure?

We have a motion and a second on the floor.

So we're going from a point and a half.

Is that what we said?

Go one.

1.5 to 3.

So would it be like a moot point to go from 1.5 to 2?

I'm sorry, I'm just looking at you, but more five.

We're trying to match at least the three other three.

I'll like the three.

I think I have um I've got a product.

I would look later when they didn't like the end.

So then three and a half, I'm gonna run up as a suggestion to then move that like half a percent into a different account so that we can um track those other funds and make sure I'm sure that they're I'm being unused uh for that purpose.

Um so it's one and a half now, and we're getting a million dollars a year.

I think it's more like 1.9.

When we went through our budgeting process, we agreed that the franchise was being renewed this year and that we based our revenues on the three percent.

Then when the tree negotiation wasn't successful, um, we thought that if we dedicated some funds to help citizens grind out their stumps, that would be a good option.

How much more income does that bring into the city by going to three or three and a half?

Well, uh three uh three and a half, the I'll gather percent would be put into a separate fund and would not be utilized with the general fund.

Um we bring in almost 200,000 a quarter right now.

Um it although it fluctuates, it's depending on prices and stuff like that.

Um citizens.

Um we have it one quarter of the year being the one uh one and a half and uh one line or whatever it is, it's on something I'm close to that, and then three quarters of the three percent, and we have that at a million dollars on random so we anything that we that the commission fund makes a decision on will affect the bottom line of the revenue based on that question any more questions, comments.

So you you base the budget on the three, yes, ma'am.

Is it the three percent?

Well, I'm the one to withdraw my second.

Okay, we have a motion on the floor for commissioner strode.

Is there a second?

Are we gonna write this out a little more detailed about the 0.5% and maybe like end of fiscal if whatever's left there, we will spend the next fiscal on trees or no?

Well, we are specifically taking a per quarter once this new agreement um takes per quarter per quarter.

Oh, they pay us, I guess it's up per quarter for the previous quarter, right?

Um, so then we would take a half a percent from that um check to then give so how long are we gonna sit on that money from grinding stumps or not and choose to put it towards like put growing trees?

I guess I'm interested to see going to the tree.

Okay, I guess I'm interested to see how quickly we're gonna turn these things.

Like I don't want it to be five years, and we're like, oh, who definitely needs to be.

Once we get then I would uh do a purchase order for the difference obviously given the tree book is that accepted?

I want trees on the bypass.

Well, I say once the word got out there, right?

I'm just saying they could apply for seven places.

Okay, is there a second?

I'll second it.

Second by Commissioner Toole.

Any further discussion?

All in favor, aye.

Aye.

Any opposed by like sign?

No.

Okay, motion carries.

Okay.

First reading only.

That's correct.

All right, number six, orders general A through C.

Commission um Madam Clerk.

Uh Commissioners Cox and Chanel, you uh reading room seven.

Okay, Commissioner on us there.

Oh, it's a nuts.

We're getting there.

This might be it for a while for you all.

Okay.

An order approving a contract of sale between the city of Winchester, Kentucky, and Lucas Carter for property located at 44 Seaboard Street for the purpose of the Lincoln Street C D B G redevelopment project phase two.

And uh Lucas Carter is the um what is he?

He is the power of attorney, I think, for all of these people that are heirs to this property.

Okay, is there a motion?

So motion by Commissioner Toole.

Is there a second?

Second Commissioner Strode.

Any discussion?

All in favor, aye.

Aye.

Any opposed by like sign, motion carry six B.

We need to bring them back, those yeah.

No, just leave them out there.

Well, yeah, there was a person.

We have to get something to eat.

Goodness gracious.

You can't grade words.

You were able to commission or sorry.

Davis say that.

Did you all read the nuts?

Okay.

Item six B, madam clerk.

An order declaring a 2008 Chevy Silverado Vehicle surplus and transferred to the Winchester Clark County Parks and Recreation.

Is there a motion?

Okay.

Motion by Commissioner Toole.

Is there a second?

Second.

Second by Commissioner Strode.

Any discussion?

All in favor, aye.

Any opposed by like sign?

Motion carries item six C.

We are withdrawing that from the packet tonight.

I will explain to you why the housing authority is the only board that we have in this city and county that I'm aware of where you have to have an equal representation of Democrats and Republicans on the board.

So the lady that was very interested in doing and we were thinking about appointing tonight is Jenny Davis.

I woke up the other night in a panic and called Diana and said, Is Miss Davis a Democrat or Republican?

You can't say whether she is or not.

Well I didn't say that.

Oh yeah.

Um if she's a Democrat or Republican.

So basically she was not able to fill that seat.

So we're back to square one.

It's very hard at a 400 properties in the housing authority to find someone that's willing to be the head of the residence.

So that's why it was withdrawn.

Okay, madam clerk, seven personnel orders eight through D.

An order reclassifying Travis Stirville from full-time single role EMT to full-time single role paramedic.

All in favor, aye.

Let me get a motion first.

I'll motion by Shannon.

Second by Commissioner Toole.

Yes.

Any discussion?

No.

All in favor, aye.

Any opposed by like sign?

Motion carry seven B.

An order granting educational certification incentive salary increases to certain personnel.

Is there a motion?

So motion by Commissioner Toole.

Is there a second?

Second by Commissioner Chenault.

Any discussion?

All in favor, aye.

Aye.

Any opposed by like sign?

Motion carry seven C and order employing Nicholas Newman to fill the position of part-time single roll emt.

Is there a motion?

Motion by Commissioner Toole.

Is there a second?

Second.

Second by Commissioner Cox.

Any discussion?

All in favor, aye.

Aye.

Any opposed by like sign?

Motion carries 7D.

And order employing David Barnett to fill the position of crossing guard.

Is there a motion?

Motion by Commissioner Chenault.

Is there a second?

Second by Commissioner Strode.

Any discussion?

All in favor, aye.

Any opposed by like signs?

Motion carries.

Thank you, Commissioner Tool.

All right.

Number eight.

Uh comments from the general public.

Joy, did anyone sign up?

I do not believe anybody signed it up.

No, I think it's mostly us.

Nobody has just us.

All right.

Does anyone have any items for closed session?

I'm going to give us time to do comments in just a second.

But is anyone going to have anything for closed session?

No, ma'am.

But no, no.

Okay.

All right.

Let's go ahead and take commissioners, uh, city manager and county and city attorney's uh comments.

Let's start backwards tonight.

City manager.

I do not have any comments tonight.

Okay.

Mr.

Attorney.

I would like to uh take notice and congratulate the GRC boys golf team who had the uh they had the Cardinal Classic, had teams from all over the state and smoked one won by 10 shops.

Congratulations.

We need to bring them in recognize them for them.

They've got a great team and a young team.

Yeah, a young team too.

Yeah, it's good.

That's great.

Thank you for your comment.

Commissioner Tool.

Um, in the ordinance that we approved tonight about the electricity um franchise.

I would like, I guess I don't know if that takes away the first vote, but I would like to see within the ordinance mention of 0.5% going to the tree board.

So that it's not reallocated elsewhere when the money is around.

Mr.

Dynamit.

I think this is just dealing with the franchise.

I think internally we can make probably do it by ordinance or order that that whatever that that half a percent okay go to the tree board because you know our thought was that there won't be a hundred thousand dollars worth of trees grounded out, but giving that money to the tree board who really don't have any money.

Uh could do a lot for the town, I think.

Um there's a lot of places that could use trees and trees are are good for for uh for recruiting and everything else.

A tree city is a good thing, and it it would allow us to do that.

If we're allowed to, I'd love to see it rolled in with beautification.

I think that's a good and so however that's drafted, whether it's an order or whatnot, I think we need to work on that.

And then I wanted to just kind of reiterate what I said at the work session um in regards to the TIFF funds.

You know, I encourage, I know that they will work, our financial director, city manager, Whitney, whomever else.

Hopefully, we can find some grants with Alicia.

Um but I'll just throw out there that I think the end game number is about a hundred thousand, and whether it's pulling 30 from beer cheese and 68 from TIFF or 50 from beer cheese and 50 from TIFF or whatever.

I know I am only one person, but I think that is a beautiful round number.

As we said, you're talking about grinding stumps for the community.

I think we could do a whole lot better by helping our downtown.

I agree.

You don't hear your argument, I don't think of the no, so but hopefully, I I hope that we can make uh move on the next meeting because I mean it is time is of the essence for some of these buildings now, you know, first of the month, payments, all of that.

So thank you, thank you.

Commissioner Cox, nothing.

I totally agree.

I think TIF money is the luck and beer cheese has already allocated money, and I know there is more money there, Whitney.

So we can we can check on that.

We had committed 30,000.

I think it was 15 a year for the next two years, was it not?

But there is there is other money there that we could do.

Okay, yeah.

Well, the city treasurer and the city manager have been charged with coming back with options for so what to do at the next meeting.

So I would have sorry to interrupt you, Mayor, as we're kind of talking under you, Miss Kitty, and I apologize.

I'd be interested to see, but we want to make sure that beautification of the projects can happen as well.

So if that is within the scope of the project and that funding, or if that money has to come from a source like TIFF, I think that needs to be completely determined to know if we have money for yeah, because there's landscape.

We're gonna need landscape.

You're gonna need somebody take care of it, yes.

Yeah, we need landscaping up front.

We're gonna have a bush out.

Well, I told Jason that too.

That's all we have mulch.

And another thing I would like to say Pioneer Festival is we're 10 days out, you all it's very early this year.

And I was very surprised they're having their judicial center meeting on that on Labor Day Friday of that weekend.

I thought that's kind of a strange time.

Anyway, um, and I want to thank up front the police, the fire, public works, WMU, and the city.

It takes a village to put this festival on and a lot of hiccups this year because we have to work around the project.

Um, we learned some things during beer cheese, so we will not keep people behind the courthouse this year.

We'll leave them all up front and center.

But um, I think we're if we have some good weather, it'd be nice if it'll cool off a little bit.

But um, it is good for our community, and we have a lot of nonprofits that are um setting them up booze, and this year we had trouble getting nonprofit to do trash because so many of the civic groups had other commitments.

So we have two Boy Scout groups and their parents, that's what it takes of doing trash.

So um don't make a good little hunk of money for those two days.

So I would encourage all of you all to support us.

The downtown businesses are going to set up outside.

We're finding a place for them in the block that's closed right now.

And I would like to say a special thank you to Jesse who takes hits every day.

And um, I just I thank him so much because I think you're doing a great job, and you're trying to keep everybody apprised of what's going on, and you don't know sometimes.

You you yourself don't know what's going on, you know, until it happens.

Well, and that's been tough, you know.

I think that's been the biggest thing is the communication for everybody, and I think that's not your fault or our fault.

That is the contractor's fault.

You know, they were supposed to let us know, and they weren't supposed to start everywhere at once and work down.

So we've learned, I guess, from this project.

It's going to be great when it's finished.

I was glad to hear Mason speak up tonight, but Mason's on Facebook every night, hawking his business.

So that's why he gets people in there.

So I think we can all work together too for the uh grand opening.

I know the chamber talked about putting in some money uh for that.

So I think we could have a the downtown's um help and and you know, anybody that's interested to be on that committee.

Okay, Commissioner Chanel.

Uh I think we need to help the business owners as much as we can as soon as we can.

And I think from here on out, the uh Alan Company and Palmer engineers should be asked to attend these meetings, whether that goes well or not, but I think they need to be here from here on out because I think they just kind of bailed out tonight.

I think they're catching a lot of heat, and they don't want to step in the kitchen, and the kitchen is right here.

So I think from here on out, I think they need to be here in everything, whether that happens.

I don't know.

City manager can invite them to every meeting.

They need to be invited.

So and I like to thank the chief for setting up that uh Washington environments.

I think they've been successful handing our tickets, so I hope it keeps going.

That's all I got.

Okay, the only thing I have is reminder on next week 27th, we'll be cutting a ribbon on Fulton Road at 1030 a.m.

So invite everyone to come out and be part of the group.

And then on August 30th at 10:30, we'll be cutting ribbon on the splash pad, and that will open that weekend for kids and maybe some adults to decide to get in there and have fun.

I think Bruce helped me on this or Joe, you're on the parks board.

I believe they're gonna keep it open um every weekend in September.

Yes, ma'am.

And any weekends that look like they're gonna be hot, like Indian summer and that kind of stuff.

Um, they're gonna try to keep it open, even maybe some October.

Yes, that is yes, ma'am.

That is correct.

Okay.

Okay, seeing no further business, is there a motion to adjourn?

Motion by Commissioner Cox.

Is there a second?

Second, second by Commissioner Chenault.

Any discussion all in favor?

I everybody have a great rest of your evening.

We are adjourned.

Bruce and Brian.

Every time it rains, we're spending water on Braun Jackson Street where we put the bridge out.

And it has become a it has mosquito.

That's not good.

No well.