Winchester City Commission Work Session and Regular Meeting - October 8, 2025
Winchester City Commission Work Session and Regular Meeting - October 8, 2025
The Winchester City Commission held a work session followed by a regular meeting on October 8, 2025. The work session featured a presentation on the new "Fix It Winchester" mobile app for reporting non-emergency issues and an introduction of the new Greater Clark Foundation CEO. The regular meeting included approval of numerous Downtown Development Investment Fund (DDIF) grants, a resolution declaring October 2025 as City Government Month, and other routine orders. All votes were unanimous.
Consent Calendar
- Minutes from the September 16, 2025 special (4:30 p.m.) and regular (5:30 p.m.) meetings were approved.
- Departmental and agency reports were approved.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Kenny Book requested that the city send a letter to the state to lower the speed limit on Maple Street from Lexington Avenue to the Bypass, citing a near-accident at Washington and Maple Street last month. He also reminded residents to get mammograms and flu shots.
Discussion Items
Fix It Winchester Mobile App
- Presented by Whitney Liggett (Strategic Communications Director) and Brian Sewell (Public Works Director). The app will enable two-way communication, tracking, and public transparency for reporting non-emergency issues like potholes, stop signs, and debris. It will go live on October 27, 2025. Features include auto-detection of duplicate reports, restriction to city limits, and automated responses for state roads. The app is developed by Civic Plus, and a marketing plan is in place.
Greater Clark Foundation Introduction
- Timothy Johnson, the new President and CEO of the Greater Clark Foundation, introduced himself. He has been in the role for five weeks and emphasized collaboration and shared goals with the city in community well-being and economic development. He expressed an open-door policy and desire for partnership.
Regular Meeting Agenda Items
- Resolution declaring October 2025 as City Government Month (unanimous).
- Ordinance accepting 2025 tax assessment, first reading (unanimous).
- General Orders (22 items): Awarded bid for public safety radio microwave system to Southern Communications for $50,716.50; accepted a grant from the Cabinet for Economic Development for $827,436; approved 22 Downtown Development Investment Fund (DDIF) grants for various businesses (ranging from $1,500 to $11,000, totaling approximately $77,000); approved a contract with Public Consulting Group for emergency services; accepted a bid for two EC units from Emergency Transportation Associates for $780,550; and approved change order number one for the Main Street Streetscape project with the Allen Company for $3,489,618.46.
- Personnel Orders: Approved educational certification incentive salary increases, reclassification of Jesse McCoy (achieved road scholar status), employment of Rebecca Damore as part-time paramedic, and employment of Dylan Hunt as full-time paramedic.
Key Outcomes
- All motions passed unanimously. No opposition recorded.
- Fix It Winchester app launch set for October 27, 2025.
- City Government Month resolution adopted.
- Tax ordinance moved to first reading.
- Over $4.2 million in grants, contracts, and bids approved (including main items: $50,716.50 + $827,436 + $780,550 + $3,489,618.46 = $5,148,320.96, plus DDIF grants).
- Personnel changes approved.
- Public works and police department recognized for community efforts, including food donations for fall break.
Meeting Transcript
Let's pray. We just thank you for the rain. We thank you for that. We needed it, dear Lord. We know that you are the great provider. We just thank you for this meeting tonight. We just pray for safety over our first responders for our citizens and for our leaders. And in Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen. Okay, please be seated. And Commission, I need to excuse Commissioner Toole. She is ill this evening, uh, very under the weather at home. So she will not be with us this evening. She I think she was going to try if she felt like it to listen in. As you know, she cannot make any votes unless she is seen and heard both. So I think uh I don't think she's gonna let us see her. So all right, minutes from September 16, 2025 special, 430 p.m. and a regular 530 meeting. Is there a motion to approve? Motion by Commissioner Chenault. Is there a second? Second, second by Commissioner Cox. Any discussion, additions, corrections. All in favor, aye. Any opposed by like sign? Motion carries item three, department and agency reports. Uh we've had our packets and I think everybody's had a chance to review those. Is there anything anyone would like to highlight? Okay, if not, I'll take a motion to approve departmental and agency reports. Motion. I'll move. My commissioner strobe, second. Thank uh Commissioner Shenauth. Any discussion? All in favor, aye. Aye. Any opposed by like sign? Motion carries item four informational items. As you know, I say this every meeting that um this is for info only, just like it's states. I want to skip down and mention two things and then I'm gonna go back up just for a second. Item L uh is a grant that Alicia Martin uh just took a stab at to see if we've never heard of the Joseph P. D. Burnt Bernardo Memorial Foundation, and it is to um purchase equipment for the fire department, and she was sent a check for 20,615 dollars. Right. So we're really proud of that. And also um, if you'll notice the 2026 County City Bridge Improvement Program, we are one of the few that was chosen for that, and that's in the amount of 750,000 dollars. So we will have to come up with a match um at the at the right time. So we'll work on that. And mayor, I just got a notification today.
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