And to the republic for which it stands.

One nation.

Thank you for the opportunity to be here tonight.

We thank you for the commissioners that are here.

We pray to be with them as we make difficult decisions for the city.

We thank you for our citizens and most of all for our staff and our employees and our first response.

We just praise me in your name and we thank you for all you do for us.

Amen.

Everyone please be seated.

And we'll call the meeting officially to order.

First uh thing on the agenda is excuse Commissioner Strowe.

Um from this meeting at 4 30.

We'll do the same at 5 30.

And she will not be here during the month of February.

So we will do it at our next meeting as well.

Item number two minutes, and then it's January 20th, 2026 special 430, regular 530, and January 2022 26 special 12 noon meeting.

Is there a motion?

So moved.

Motion by Commissioner Cox.

Is there a second?

Second by Commissioner Toole.

Any discussion, additions, corrections?

All in favor, aye.

Any opposed by like sign?

Motion carries.

Item three, departmental agency reports.

Is there anything anyone would like to highlight?

Yeah.

Uh Chief.

What items?

Um G.

G.

Chief, I can't see you back there.

I'm amazed at this.

I mean, now is this every run or like my neighbor had to have help getting into his house yesterday?

Does that include that?

It should, yes, sir.

Okay.

Yeah.

Well, this wasn't an emergency.

This was just she called because she couldn't get him in the house by herself.

Yes.

And and uh and the I would say this capsulates a lot of the numbers.

Yeah, I mean that I I mean that one E F you you're doing six run today.

Yes, sir.

You know, there's a lot of runs that take place that are close to the fire station that that are phone calls that just came up on the door ground doctor, for example.

Um we do a lot of assistance over there for the residents that are not you know captured.

I wish people knew, well, in a way, I I wish people knew just how much assistance you gave to people when they when they fall and can't get up by themselves and they're not transported and stuff like that.

But I'm afraid if you advertised it, you'd get twice as many calls.

Yeah, I appreciate you saying that.

Yeah, yeah.

I know there was one guy who fell nine times in two weeks, and we finally went over there and built a rail in his house.

Use you know the one I'm talking about, I guess.

Yeah, anything else for no thank you.

Anything else you if not, I'll take a motion to approve departmental agency reports.

So I moved motion by Commissioner Cox.

Is there a second?

Second, second by Commissioner Chenal.

Anything else anyone wants to highlight?

If not, all in favor, aye.

Any opposed by like sign, motion carries item four, informational items, item information only.

And let's move to item six, the public hearing.

Has everyone signed in, madam clerk.

I believe that Mr.

Hort needs to sign in, but he can do that later if you want to.

Yeah.

Everybody else has okay.

Except for you, I'm sorry.

I figured your name is okay.

I'm gonna ask uh Mike Flynn to come forward and make a presentation.

This is a public hearing uh on the fifth street storm sewer culture, a long town branch, and we're interested to see what you have to say, sir.

Yes, ma'am, just a little background before I introduce our project uh manager and uh the project engineer for the job.

Um many of you know a couple years ago we did the uh 5th Street Colsac project.

We went in placed a cul-sac at the uh end of 5th Street uh to alleviate some of the uh parking concerns and some other things that we had there and it also improved um trash collection and some of the other things that were needful uh in that area, and then it provides an opportunity uh for future um potential extension and connection to another side street, which would be sixth street.

Uh, if we went that way, if we're able to do it, uh there's a lot of ifs that are there, but the potential does exist for that.

As we were doing that project, we identified some stormwater issues that existed just to the uh side where WMU's property um uh connects there, and then the major uh tributary of town branch runs through that area.

And while we were doing some of the survey work there, Brian Ward, who was uh acting as project uh manager for that job for Palmer, um we identified some issues with the uh culvert that was there, and as such, uh we ended up taking that project and dividing it up uh into two parts, phase one and phase two, phase one being the roadway construction, phase two being the stormwater construction in order to improve um the water quality that's in the area, and then look at potential um uh flooding issues that were there as well in order to hopefully improve those.

Now that we didn't know for sure they had to do some modeling, and uh John can uh inform you about that.

Uh but uh that was the encapsulated, and then we moved to the funding side of it.

How are we going to fund it?

Well, the city was uh uh awarded a grant uh in the amount of 350,000 in order to construct the project, and that grant uh uh came from a uh a section of the divisional local government in order to do that.

So uh we're thankful that uh we were able to get the money to help us.

We've not bid the project as of yet.

These are the next steps uh in doing that.

We wanted to bring it publicly and present it so you all know what's going on as well.

And in order to uh let the general public know what's going on here, and uh uh we're we're hopeful for a good project.

Hopefully, we can get this constructed uh in this calendar year.

Um, our our time frame uh is set forth to do that.

So I think that we uh will be able to do such and uh looking forward to a successful project.

And with that, John has a uh presentation.

John, come on up.

And if you'll notice anything about John, I'm gonna break the ice a little bit.

Uh John just he smiles a lot, and uh you'll you'll get uh a smile out of him from that, but uh very technical, knows what he's doing with this, um, and did a uh very intensive hydraulic analysis of the uh stormwater flows that are there.

So I'll let John Point Hello, thank you for having me today.

I think I was told this is a clicker, but it might be uh laser pointer, I'm not sure.

It's a laser point.

Okay, so then on my list, yeah.

So thank you, Mike.

You already uh introduced me here, gave a lot of the background.

So I think we can skip ahead here to the next slide, and I'll get into some of the details.

So Mike mentioned that uh the city received grant funding for this project, and the specific grant that we received was from the Kentucky Division of Water Store Sewer Overflow and Stormwater Reuse Municipal Grant for green infrastructure assistance program.

Um this grant is meant to be used to implement green infrastructure, and I'll explain a little bit about what that means specifically.

Um, also note there's zero match from the community.

The entire 350,000 was awarded without any match.

Um the purpose of this grant program is to improve water quality and improve the conditions of wildlife habitat.

So what does green infrastructure mean?

Um, what's the alternative to green infrastructure?

Uh, right now at the Fifth Street area.

Currently, there is one channel that's an open channel that's kind of to the side, and I'll give some pictures for that.

That's currently green infrastructure.

There's also next to that channel, there is gray infrastructure, which is about a 150-foot uh box culvert that looks kind of similar to the situation there where you're seeing the box culverts under the road.

Um, and in a lot of cases, gray infrastructure is very important.

It's it's stable, um, it'll last a long time, it's strong.

Um, if you have a road on top of your culvert, you definitely want gray infrastructure to be able to support uh the cars and the loading of that road.

Um, in this case at Fifth Street, the culvert is just there's nothing there really.

Um could you go back to me one mid size there?

Um, and the alternative to gray infrastructure, obviously, green infrastructure.

You're looking at an open stream, um, you're looking at trees, you're looking at vegetation, um, lots of water quality benefits, lots of habitat benefits you're seeing there compared to what you get with the gray infrastructure.

So here's what we're looking at with Fifth Street.

Um, we already did the culvert construction, and we already did some work on that side channel there.

I have that labeled on the left, town branch overflow channel, and then on the right, the red box is essentially where the culvert is that's proposed to be removed as part of this project.

So that's I have that labeled as the town branch main channel, and it goes through this box culvert.

And then a picture there that I actually took that picture.

I've been in the stream and looked through that box culvert and looked through the side channel.

Brian and I both have been there and um given it a lot of thought about what it looks like and what we can do to improve it.

And here's also some pictures, just so you can put it in your head of what that side channel looks like.

This picture on the right is looking as if you are the red arrow from the left picture.

Um, so the blue line there is town branch where the normal flow will go.

But if the flow gets one or two feet too high, then the normal flow level, it'll start getting into that green path, which is when it goes into that other overflow channel to the side.

And really, if we look at this situation overall, what we're seeing now is what's really controlling what's going on here.

And what that is is there are two kind of two paths that it can take.

The overflow channel can take one path under both of these railroad culverts.

There's a single red box culvert that passes under the both of the railroads at the same time.

Um, and there's a picture of the entrance of that culvert on the left there.

You can see it's a circle metal corrugated metal pipe.

And then on the right, there's two separate culverts, um, one going under the first railroad and then another series going under the next railroad.

Um, and they both eventually end up on the other side of the railroads here at town branch there.

And this the reality is based on the modeling, based on the flood insurance study that was done for this area by uh FEMA, they've recognized that this area and these culverts are not sized large enough to convey the amount of water that's really coming through this area.

Um we recognize that the efforts to potentially make changes to these pipes is much greater effort, um, more expensive to get through under the railroads to work with the railroads in particular.

Um, so looking at this situation is kind of a future next step.

And right now we're focused on doing what we can to get the whole area set up and prepared so that if in the future there's um an ability to make some changes to these culverts, it'll be ready for that to happen.

So, what we're trying to do now, um, you might remember that big red uh rectangle that was there before.

So we're move removing the rectangle culvert will be removed, and it's being replaced with an open stream channel.

And here's what that looks like on the design plans.

Um, rated at three to one slopes.

This has been designed with the equivalent hydraulic capacity of what the culvert has, um so that there's no reduction in how much flow can pass through here.

Um the conditions straight shot intended to match um the conditions as they are now with the proposed design.

We're also gonna come in and put in some native plantings.

I listed some of the ones I picked out, Eastern Red Bud, American sycamore, silky dogwood, northern spice bush.

Um these are all native to Kentucky, these all work well and will grow in the conditions of being close to the water.

Um this is where we're getting a lot of the water quality benefits because all of these native plants and native shrubs, um, if there's any pollutions or any erosion that's happening in the area, um, these plants can help kind of latch on to those pollutants and treat them and latch onto the soil so there's less erosion potentially.

And looking at the Oval area, um, if anyone's concerned about how they're gonna get to this site, um, planning on accessing through the existing WMU storage lot there.

Um, so the the construction equipment will go through that storage lot and then cross over, and um we're anticipating there will be minimum disturbance to any of the homeowners at this point.

May I ask why I was gonna be in the middle of the picture of circles there?

You know, if it's the old sewer treatment thing.

Okay.

And also, I'm glad I left a note here to remind me.

The entire project of what we're working on right now is on city-owned property.

So here's some additional explanation of why it's a water quality benefit for from gray infrastructure to green infrastructure.

So when you have gray infrastructure as it is now, the concrete of the culvert is kind of separating the stream channel is separated from the water that's in the groundwater.

But when you have an open channel stream, like is pictured there, the water in the stream and the water in the ground can mix with each other.

And underground there are microbes and bacteria that are healthy and safe for the stuff that's in the stream, and those microbes and bacteria can treat if there's any pollutants or if there's anything bad in the stream, those microbes can will naturally treat that stuff that's in the water.

So we're trying to promote the mixing of the groundwater in the stream channel, and we do that by removing the gray infrastructure and putting in the green infrastructure.

And then also this is a picture just to explain what I was talking about with the repairing buffer, um, adding in all these plants and trees as water is trying to come in from the sides, um, those plants and trees will protect any flow that's trying to get into the stream there.

It acts as a buffer as a shield for anything trying to get into the stream from that's all I have.

I tried to keep it um not too detailed here.

So this is the best presentations of our code.

Good job.

Thank you very much.

I appreciate that.

That was good, John.

Anyone have questions, concerns?

This is a public hearing.

So if anyone in the public wants to make a comment as well, you're welcome to do so.

Any commissioners first?

That property, I'm sorry, no, you go ahead.

That property's been fenced.

Will it remain fenced?

Wasn't that whole area fenced off?

And it will remain fenced with the same type of fence.

I give it three months before there's frogs and crowd ends in on my own through what we impact the product will I have.

Yes, yes.

Um, I think you're right.

I would personally I I do this job for the frogs and the plants and animals, so I think you're right, and I would be very happy if that's what happens.

Um I can't address I say that because a few years ago uh in Oregon County, we dug a new pond.

There's nothing around it, no water flowing into it within six months.

It had frogs and fish and everything in it.

I don't know if birds fly over drug fish in it or what.

But yeah, and also just to clarify for anyone upstream of where the culverts being removed, um, and also could you go back a couple slides for me?

Just like to have a picture of the just any one of the ones that have the picture of the history cul-de-sac and the culvert on it.

Um yeah, the next one is good.

So upstream of where the culvert is being removed is already open channel.

So we're just trying to make sure that this section matches what's already upstream.

So I hope that the frogs come in and everything, and I wanted to clarify that there's already some there's things there, it's already like this, and we're just making sure the whole length is going to be like this instead of this this 150 feet that's in a culvert.

So as Mike reminded me, I can go a little bit over the the details of the hydrologic analysis and the hydraulic analysis.

Um the intent there was to try and evaluate how this change is going to impact the elevations of the 100-year 24-hour, also known as the 1% annual chance flip plane.

And as I was trying to explain how the water flows through this system, essentially it's the railroad culverts.

And could you go one slide back for me?

Yes, these railroad culverts in this situation are the holes that the water can't get through.

But once it gets through the box culvert, it's still stopped by these pipes that are going under the railroad.

So if for instance you were able to remove the railroad pipes, but hadn't already removed the storm sewer culvert of the box orbit that we're removing now, then the box culvert would become the thing that water can't get through.

So we're kind of removing the thing ahead of the railroad culverts, but ultimately the modeling is showing that until anything is done with these railroad culverts, the 100-year floodplain elevations are gonna be the same.

And then and well, we're never gonna be able to remove those because the railroad there's an answer to anybody.

It's optimistic, but we're trying to give us a chance to succeed.

There's still a bunch of bunch of train traffic on that.

That goes to the industrial part, I think.

You know, so how old do you think that culvert is?

How old do I think it is?

Some many people.

More than a hundred years old.

What do you think, Brian?

How old do you think it is?

That's pretty neat.

Yeah, yeah.

A teen eighties, eighteen nineties with the blocks and what and those luggage.

There's one up in Ephel County that looks almost identical to that.

And it has a little plaque on it.

I can't remember what it says, but it's A something.

We don't really build culverts like that anymore.

I know at least it'll be a good job for you and the folks to do.

I appreciate the intention of bringing instruction in and not impacting.

Yeah.

You really have done a good job on this.

Thank you.

Appreciate it.

Anyone in the public like to make a comment or you might sign up to speak or anything from here?

Okay.

And can you go to the last slide and I'll remind you guys if you do have a call in in the future, you can contact me.

Um I'm available.

If you don't remember the number, you can just look up Palmer Engineering and call that number.

Or you could also email me at JPipe at Palmanette.com and then our contact from the city Bruce, who's representing us.

So you can contact him if you have questions.

Thank you, bud.

Yes.

Okay.

Motion to close the hearing.

Okay.

Second by Commissioner Chanel.

Any further discussion?

All in favor.

Aye.

Hearing is closed.

Okay, back to our agenda.

Item number six comments from Mayor, Commissioner, City Manager, and City Attorney.

You're good.

Commissioner Cox.

I just want to say how creation of I have to everybody that banded together to help.

I I mean it's amazing when you get a weather event like this, what folks do and whether it be that the public works department put up at the end of my drive driveway, that'll be there till March.

You know, but uh but you know, it I I was in Lexington last Thursday four days after after the event driving down mana war, and it took me longer to get from Winchester Road to Richmond Road than it did to get from Lexington to Man of War because you couldn't go over 10 15 miles miles an hour because it was months rough and it you know and what air guys do and what what what both chiefs do to make sure that everybody's taking care of now we uh we are working on some things with the social churches to make sure that we are better prepared in case of a weather event for that uh we were kind of caught in a bad spot if a lot of electricity would have gone out and everything because our old shelter uh was at a church that really didn't want to want us there anymore.

So uh we're we're we're starting actually next Tuesday to do some things where we're where we will get that back in line.

So anything else?

No, Mr.

Tool.

Um I would like once again to ask the city of Winchester Facebook page to turn comments on, and maybe just in light of this evening and implement weather and working from home and things as such.

Maybe Mr.

Day, I don't know if we'd have an opportunity to do an optional or brief Zoom training, people to learn how to work their zooms and their phone and computer, helping things through implement weather and all the kind of things.

Maybe we can do it with something.

Thank you, sir.

That's it.

Okay, city major.

Um I just want to echo Commissioner Cox's uh appreciation of fire, police, EMS, public works.

I mean, fine, outstanding job uh during this last uh winter storm, and I got a call uh just a few minutes ago that they've called school law again for tomorrow.

Yeah, so other than the bus turnarounds out there haven't even been there, yeah.

They are full of snow, yeah.

So the buses can't turn around and plus four guys.

Anything else?

That's all okay.

Uh Mr.

Attorney, anything?

No, Mayor, thanks.

Okay, and I just had a couple comments.

I want to echo what Shannon was saying about uh the response we had from the community.

I think Bruce and I attended 11 meetings on management of the storm.

Uh as you know, the judge and I did issue a declaration of emergency, and I think this has been an emergency.

Um we also uh to echo you further.

I was at a restaurant in Lexington last night, and a lady stopped me when I came in and she said uh I live in Mount Sterling.

And I said, Yes, ma'am.

She said I pass through your county every day when I go home, and that is the cleanest county I've ever seen.

So Brian hats off to you off of the city streets and the county for the county roads.

Also, you all I know have been sleeping on cots um during the storm with blankets over you and trying to get a few hours of sleep.

It's more than commendable, and thank you for what you all PD has done, fire department's done.

Um, and I also thank the health department for stepping up uh a local church, did not want that to be used this time as a shelter, and the health department stepped in and cared in.

So we had a warming center and emergency uh place for folks to go.

So uh if there's nothing else, I'll take a motion to adjourn 430 meeting.

So motion by Commissioner.

Is there a second?

Second, second by Commissioner Cox.

All in favor, aye, aye, any opposed by so motion carrying will be back at five o'clock.

Okay, if everyone please uh our city clerk joint purpose will lose the pledge of allegiance followed by our invitation by Commissioner Cox.

And to the Republic or Justice for all please remain standing.

Pray with me, please.

Dear Lord, we thank you for this day, Lord.

We thank you for all the things we take for granted each and every day that we have a warm bed and heat and light.

Lord, we uh ask for your blessings on our community and on our employees and first responders that you would take care of care of them, Lord, better than they take care of then themselves.

We we we pray your blessings on our community, Lord.

We just ask that everything we do do here as a commission tonight would be pleasing in your sight.

We pray these things in the name of Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

Amen.

Please be seated.

We will officially be called to order, and I would like to excuse um Kitty Stroke from being here in person, but make a note that she is on with us.

Um she can be seen and her correct.

Yeah, but she cannot is not allowed to take any action unless she could be both seen and hurt.

So that's why we're doing it.

Okay, kitty, you with us.

Let's assume she's on mute.

Okay, let's assume either.

And yeah, let's see if the agenda office.

There she is.

There she is.

And she's still on mute, it looks like.

You're muted.

Vote like a role of an emperor.

Yes and no.

She's trying to unmute yourself.

Okay, I got you.

Okay, all right.

Item number two.

Let's go.

Ordinance, second reading.

Um, madam clerk.

An ordinance approving the change of zoning classification with the tracts of land containing 29.67 acres, more or less located at 722 Colby Road and 2020 bypass road.

Winchester, Kentucky, from professional office P1 zoning to general business B4 zoning.

I will make that motion.

Is there a second?

I'll second second by Commissioner Toole.

Uh let's do a roll call vote, madam clerk.

Uh Commissioner Schnauze.

No, I discussed this second.

Yes, please go right now.

Um, I understand this is not a public hearing, and so you can't respond to this, but this is what I brought up last time, and I'd like to reiterate it in hopes that we can if this project happens to do it in such a manner that the construction entrance is off the bypass side, please.

And that there's some, I mean I'm not a road engineer, but I would love to see some type of consideration of the Colby Road entrance being a right easement on and right off.

So before you even get to the turning into the shopping center, you would have a right hearing off in between the shopping center and heart and returning right.

So I know again I'm not a road engineer.

Um, but I'd really like the state and whomever else is relevant to take a good look at that.

And one other thing I will tell you, I talked with the development company, and they are going to try to repurpose the quilt that's on the barn into the new facility.

So we uh have a little bit of established there, and uh so I do want to mention that.

So now madam clerk, roll call.

Commissioner Schnau.

I'll approve.

Commissioner Strode, yes, Mayor Reed, yes, Commissioner Cox.

I'm still a note, Commissioner Tool.

Yes, okay, motion carries item three orders, general orders, a b and c mad clerk, order A.

An order accepting the resignation of Deborah Barnes from the Clark County Winchester Heritage Commission.

Is there a motion?

So moved.

Motion by Commissioner Tool.

Is there a second?

Second by Commissioner Chenault.

Any discussion?

All in favor, aye.

Any opposed by like sign?

Motion carries item three B.

An order appointing Lisa Johnson to fill down expired four-year term of Deborah Barnes on the Clark County Winchester Heritage Commission.

Is there a motion?

So by Commissioner Cox.

Is there a second?

Second.

Second by Commissioner Strode.

Uh any discussion?

All in favor, aye.

Aye.

By like sign.

Motion carries item three C.

In order approving a memorandum of agreement between the city of Winchester and the Clark County Board of Education.

Is there a motion?

So motion by Commissioner Toole.

Is there a second?

Second.

Second by Commissioner Chennault.

Any discussion?

All in favor, aye.

I need sign.

Motion carries item four, personnel orders, item eight.

And let you read it, and then we're going to turn it over to Chief Thompson.

Okay.

And order employing Austin Smithson to fill the position of police officer three.

This is Austin Smithson.

He goes by his little name Blake.

Well, Blake, welcome aboard.

We're glad to have you.

You'll be a great asset to this community.

And we look forward to working with you.

So we feel sorry for you, but sorry, Daniel.

But uh, we're very proud of you and glad you're gonna be part of this.

And maybe we interviewed Blake a couple of weeks ago.

We interviewed 12 laterals that they just part of us interviewed today.

And I'm just gonna ask him that I prepared you for this, so she'd be surprised to share with you all the way once work for Winchester.

Okay, like you talked to said, I'm born and raised here in Winchester.

Um I did move away uh going to LCA.

I was uh Mayor Reed knows my grandparents were next to a neighbor store.

She remembers when I was a little kid running around, caused a bunch of havoc, and uh uh this is my home.

Uh moved back.

I live out on a old road of our province church.

part of this interview of the day and i'm just gonna ask him that i prepared you for this so it should be surprised just to share with you all the right one work for winter okay like you thomson said i'm born and raised here in winchester um i did move away uh going to lca i was uh um mayor read knows my grandparents were next door neighbor stores she remembers when i was a little kid running around caused a bunch of havoc and uh uh this is my home uh moved back i live out on a old road of our province church um i want to serve my community that i live in i've been small for since i was 18 i did uh most of my time in garret county uh amazing community major with the people amazing department that won my home in this list thank you for coming home just appreciate anything we can do as a commission to help your individual let us know thank you chief anything else just a vote okay i'll uh is there a motion you're gonna i just realized a couple minutes ago when commissioner tool and i were talking who who you are golly do i feel i would okay i'll make the motion to employ alustin blake smithson as um new police officer three is there a second i'll second second by commissioner cox any further discussions all in favor aye any opposed by a like sign motion carries we're gonna give you a big hand and welcome b and order accepting the resignation of Bruce Manley City Manager uh I'll make that motion with regret is there a second I'll second it second by commissioner tool any discussion all in favor aye aye by like sign motion carries okay let's see item number five comments in the general public has anyone signed up to speak Alicia can you check for me there is 16 no names no all right we've already done our comments and so therefore I'll take a motion to go to adjourn to closed session for and we're gonna go for personal matters KRS chapter 61810 F okay I make a motion we go to close or we adjourn to close session for personnel chapter 61810 F and at the end of that no sir we must have taken okay and uh and then and then we'll return I guess all in favor no I need a second I'll second okay thank you whatever that motion was motion okay long motion oh I know you do all right let's go to the city manager's office and anybody wants to stay we'll be back sometime all right motion to adjourn to this closed session takes some if you would have failed you would be okay where you that was a whole