OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Winchester City Commission Meeting - February 4, 2026

Board of Commissioners Meetings — Wednesday, February 4, 2026
BodyWinchester, Kentucky
SessionBoard of Commissioners Meetings
DateWednesday, February 4, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 37:52

Transcript — Verbatim
0:00

And to the republic for which it stands.

0:04

One nation.

0:12

Thank you for the opportunity to be here tonight.

0:14

We thank you for the commissioners that are here.

0:16

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

0:19

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

0:23

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

0:27

Amen.

0:28

Everyone please be seated.

0:32

And we'll call the meeting officially to order.

0:35

First uh thing on the agenda is excuse Commissioner Strowe.

0:39

Um from this meeting at 4 30.

0:42

We'll do the same at 5 30.

0:44

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

0:46

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

0:49

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

1:02

Is there a motion?

1:03

So moved.

1:03

Motion by Commissioner Cox.

1:05

Is there a second?

1:07

Second by Commissioner Toole.

1:08

Any discussion, additions, corrections?

1:11

All in favor, aye.

1:12

Any opposed by like sign?

1:14

Motion carries.

1:15

Item three, departmental agency reports.

1:18

Is there anything anyone would like to highlight?

1:21

Yeah.

1:22

Uh Chief.

1:24

What items?

1:26

Um G.

1:28

G.

1:29

Chief, I can't see you back there.

1:32

I'm amazed at this.

1:34

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

1:43

Does that include that?

1:44

It should, yes, sir.

1:45

Okay.

1:48

Yeah.

1:48

Well, this wasn't an emergency.

1:50

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

1:56

Yes.

1:57

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

2:06

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

2:16

Yes, sir.

2:17

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.

2:24

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

2:30

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.

2:44

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

2:48

Yeah, I appreciate you saying that.

2:50

Yeah, yeah.

2:51

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.

3:04

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

3:08

Yeah, anything else for no thank you.

3:12

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

3:16

So I moved motion by Commissioner Cox.

3:18

Is there a second?

3:19

Second, second by Commissioner Chenal.

3:21

Anything else anyone wants to highlight?

3:23

If not, all in favor, aye.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Water And Wastewater Management█████████████████████████████████████████████49%
Procedural█████████████████████████27%
Personnel Matters██████████11%
Engineering And Infrastructure█████5%
Land Use Planning█████5%
Environmental Protection███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Winchester City Commission Meeting - February 4, 2026

The Winchester City Commission held a regular meeting on February 4, 2026, preceded by a special meeting at 4:30 PM. Key actions included approval of a zoning change, a public hearing on a storm sewer project, acceptance of the city manager's resignation, and hiring of a police officer. The commission also recognized response efforts during a recent winter storm.

Consent Calendar

  • Excused Commissioner Kitty Strowe from the 4:30 PM and 5:30 PM meetings and all February meetings due to absence.
  • Approved minutes from the January 20, 2026 (special 4:30 PM and regular 5:30 PM) and January 22, 2026 (special 12 noon) meetings.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were made during the public hearing or general public comment period. One person signed in but did not speak.

Departmental Agency Reports

  • Fire Chief presented statistics on non-emergency assistance calls, noting that one station made six runs on the day of the meeting. He described numerous calls for help with falls, including a resident who fell nine times in two weeks, leading firefighters to build a handrail. The chief cautioned against advertising this service due to potential increased demand. Commissioners expressed appreciation for the fire department's work.

Public Hearing: Fifth Street Storm Sewer Culvert Project (Longtown Branch)

  • Mike Flynn (city representative) and John Pipe (project engineer, Palmer Engineering) presented phase two of the Fifth Street cul-de-sac project, which addresses stormwater issues along Town Branch.
  • The project will remove a 150-foot box culvert and replace it with an open stream channel, using native plants (Eastern Redbud, American Sycamore, Silky Dogwood, Northern Spicebush) to improve water quality and habitat.
  • Funding: $350,000 grant from the Kentucky Division of Water Green Infrastructure Assistance Program, with zero local match. Project is on city-owned property.
  • Hydraulic analysis showed the 100-year (1% annual chance) floodplain elevation will remain unchanged because downstream railroad culverts are the primary restriction. Commissioners noted the old culvert likely dates to the 1880s-1890s.
  • Construction access will be via an existing WMU storage lot. Commissioners asked about fencing (will remain) and potential for wildlife (engineers welcomed frogs and plants).
  • The hearing was closed without public testimony.

Discussion Items

  • Zoning Change (Second Reading): Ordinance to rezone 29.67 acres at 722 Colby Road and 2020 Bypass Road from Professional Office (P1) to General Business (B4). Commissioner Schnauze requested that the construction entrance be off the bypass and that a right-in/right-out be considered for the Colby Road entrance. The developer plans to repurpose a quilt pattern from the existing barn into the new facility. Motion carried 5-0 (Commissioners Schnauze, Strode, Reed, Cox, Toole all yes).
  • Orders:
    • Accepted resignation of Deborah Barnes from the Heritage Commission.
    • Appointed Lisa Johnson to fill the expired term of Deborah Barnes on the Heritage Commission (four years).
    • Approved a memorandum of agreement between the City of Winchester and the Clark County Board of Education.
  • Personnel Orders:
    • Employed Austin

Meeting Transcript

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.

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