Winchester City Commission Meeting Summary – September 1, 2026
Winchester City Commission Meeting Summary – September 1, 2026
The Winchester City Commission met on September 1, 2026. Commissioner Cox was excused due to a family matter. The meeting opened with the Pledge of Allegiance led by Barbara Disney of the DAR and an invocation by Police Chief Travis Homson. Presentations covered America 250 celebrations and the city's health benefits plan, followed by routine approvals and announcements. No agenda or minutes were available; this summary is based solely on the raw transcript.
America 250 Update (DAR Presentation)
- Barbara Disney, with Farah Lowry, reported on DAR's America 250 commemorative activities, noting that the nation's 250th birthday celebration extends beyond July 4 through the Revolutionary War period.
- She announced two dedications set for October 17: a Patriot marker at the courthouse and a Liberty Tree marker at the library lawn. The program starts at 9 a.m. and is expected to finish by 11:30 a.m. or noon.
- A formal invitation will be sent; the event is open to the community, and SAR will assist with posting colors.
- Commissioner complimented Disney and Lowry for doing a "phenomenal job" promoting America 250 locally.
Health Benefits Update
- Jeff Truitt, BIM Group Senior Benefit Consultant, presented the annual health benefits update.
- The renewal budget increase was approximately 4.3% with no plan design changes. Dental rates stayed the same, and a more comprehensive VSP vision plan was introduced.
- Truitt reported that claims experience, reinsurance reimbursements, and pharmacy rebates helped control costs. For the plan year June 1, 2025 through May 31, 2026, there were 164 employees and almost 400 covered lives, with an average cost of $1,433 per employee per month—essentially flat compared with 2019-2020.
- He explained that about 50% of total claims came from 10 or fewer members each year (claims over $47,500), and that the city has built a modest reserve; he cautioned that the plan will still have difficult years.
- Commissioner Toole acknowledged the insurance committee's work and stressed the need to keep the plan sustainable, including reviewing the cost-sharing ratio. Commissioners expressed appreciation for the BIM Group's work.
Routine Approvals
- A motion to approve the minutes of the August 18, 2026 special (4:30 p.m.) and regular (5:30 p.m.) meetings was made by Commissioner Toole, seconded by Commissioner Chenal, and carried unanimously.
- A motion to accept the departmental and agency reports A–K was made by Commissioner Strode, seconded by Commissioner Chenal, and carried unanimously.
Informational Items & Announcements
- A thank-you card from "LA" was shared, thanking the city for helping with its celebration, described as a packed downtown event.
- Commissioner Strode highlighted Pioneer Festival preparations, thanking police, fire, public works, and WMU. A Friday night street dance will honor Ken Davis, with a ceremony at 6:30 p.m. and music from 7 to 10 p.m.; the festival is dedicated to him. Nonprofits and Boy Scouts will handle trash collection.
- Commissioner Toole noted her excitement for the festival and GRC homecoming next Friday.
- The city manager announced the Lincoln Street project groundbreaking on September 17 at 1 p.m.
Public Comments
- No members of the general public offered comments.
Key Outcomes
- Minutes were approved and departmental/agency reports accepted unanimously.
- The DAR dedications were scheduled for October 17.
- The Lincoln Street groundbreaking was set for September 17 at 1 p.m.
- The commission moved to close/recess until 5:30 p.m., with no closed session.
Meeting Transcript
Please stand, we will be led in our Pledge of Allegiance this evening by Barbara Disney with the daughters of the American Revolution, better known as DAR. Once she finishes that the invocation will be given by our police chief, Travis Homson. Please don't meet him as we pledge. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and the Republic or it just stands one nation under God and the visible with liberty and justice for all. Once again, DAR speaking on the America two fifty. And along with her is Miss Farah Lowry, who taught me to do ballet when I was a little girl. Didn't break my ankle either. So uh Barbara. Thank you very much. Uh we appreciate I guess I'm gonna make you appreciate the top of the teaching. Wait just one second. I need to excuse Commissioner Cox from this meeting. He has some type of a family matter and is unable to attend tonight. Sorry. Thank you. We appreciate this opportunity to bring you up to date where we are. Um about oh it's been about nine months ago. Um I appear before you to ask permission to do some things, and you so generously gave that, and we move forward. Um one of the things that we did do uh with the help of the city, we couldn't have done it without you guys is putting the banners and the ribbons and all of that up, so thank you very, very much for that. We're still continuing to celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, and a lot of folks think well, Fourth of July is over, it's over. No, it is not. The first battle that's actually fought in 1775, and that was about Concord and Lexington. And of course, you know, Cornwallis didn't decide to leave until 17 uh 81. So we have a period of time there, which DAR will be involved in a lot of celebrations with our nation's birth. And local to us, that a battle of blue lips actually happened after the the treaty was signed, and that was the what secured the Western frontier. Although the British won that battle, and we know this the history there. But anyway, just to kind of give you a little idea of where we are. Two of the things that we are going to focus on next, and this has taken some time, money raising um applications, this sort of thing, is the dedication of our America 250 Patriot marker. You have a copy in front of you. What that looks like is from the um that's the artist tradition uh from the manufacturer uh best statement is the firm that made this course. We had to apply to DAR National to get approved to do this. It is like a road site sign is bronze. Um that is actually here, and that will be placed in the front of the courthouse. So if you were standing in front of the courthouse and you look to your memorial, come up to the next marker, and then come to the so there would be an alignment there, and then we also ask you guys if to help us with a liberty tree. And the Liberty Tree, just a little bit of background there, you know, former teachers, I'm sorry. Uh when things were not going so well in the colonies, and that we need to do something about this, but we don't have to get meet without ramifications. And a lot of folks chose prominent trees in their communities, and in celebration and recognition of that, Kentucky with along with the uh Forestry Service and the Kentucky Historical Society, the kind of Kentucky and Kentucky Daughters of American Revolution, decided to plant two poplar trees across the state of Kentucky. The goal was to plant one in every county. I'm not sure how that is going with that, but I know Clark County has one, and ours is in the library. So what we want to do is to dedicate that tree on the same day we dedicate our patriot marker. Has my banner back here has uh this is what it will look like that goes in front of the Liberty Tree. Yes, that looks good. Looks really good. Okay, so your calendars, you will be getting a formal invitation. We're in a group of volunteers, so trying to pull all this together. But if you remark your calendars for October the 17th, we will start at the courthouse at nine o'clock in the morning. SAR will be here to help us with a um posting of colors and that sort of thing, and then we will have a program dedicating and uh unveiling that marker. From there, we will move to the library lawn, and this is where this marker will be unveiled. It will be near the tree, and then after that, we will have a small reception, thanking each and every person who was able to help us with this. This is a community event, so we would encourage you to ask folks to come out and look at that.
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