Council OKs funds to renovate former school property for food pantry
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2016, 10 p.m. — The Bardstown City Council unanimously approved funding renovations for the unused portions of the city-owned COBEC building — the former Old Kentucky Home Middle School on East Muir — for use by the St. Vincent de Paul food pantry operation.
Greg Ashworth, the city’s risk manager, discusses the St. Vincent de Paul proposal for use of the city-owned COBEC building, formerly known as the former Old Kentucky Home Middle School.
Greg Ashworth, the city’s risk manager, told the council at Tuesday’s council meeting that St. Vincent de Paul wants to use the former school’s cafeteria, kitchen and two unused rooms on the ground floor — about 4,000 square feet of space — for its food pantry operation. The pantry provide food for 400 to 500 families a month, he said.
The council members voiced their support for funding the project. The money will be used for new flooring, paint, lighting and repair of the walk-in freezer and walk-in cooler. St. Vincent will use volunteer labor to complete the renovations, and the work will be supervised by Ashworth and Phillip Grubbs, the city’s groundskeeper.
Much of the existing cafeteria equipment and food preparation equipment will be sold, he said. Some of the equipment is in very poor shape, and some can’t be checked to determine if it works or not. There will be no food preparation done at the kitchen, so that equipment isn’t needed.
Once the areas are renovated, St. Vincent will pay $10,000 per year in rent for the use of the space, and the group could have its food pantry in operation as early as April.
Therese Johnson, a St. Vincent de Paul board member, voices her support for the project, which would expand the food pantry operating capabilities.
Ashworth’s request was supported with letters from other community service groups backing the idea, including Tri-County United Way; Feeding America; Bethany Haven; Central Kentucky Community Action; and the Nelson County School’s youth and family resource centers.
The current food pantry only operates a couple days of the week, and the new location will allow it to operate five days a week. Ashworth said he expects the pantry will generate approximately 25 more vehicles a day in traffic for the building, which lies adjacent to Foster Heights Elementary School on East Muir.
Ashworth told the council he plans to apply for a $3,600 grant from the Lincoln Trail Area Development District to help the pantry in the renovation efforts.
RE-APPOINTMENTS. The council renewed the following appointments:
– Edward Seay to a three-year term on the Development Review Board;
– Pen Bogert to a three-year term on the Historical Review Board;
– Lee Evans to a three-year term on the Historical Review Board;
– Charles Montgomery to a three-year term on the Property Maintenance Board of Appeals.
In other business, the council:
– approved a five-year tax moratorium request for the property at 114 N. Third St., the former location of Mammy’s Restaurant, which is owned by Kat Properties LLC, and operated by Mark Hutchins of Cox’s Creek, the former location of Mammy’s Kitchen, next to At Mary’s.
— approved the final reading of an ordinance that sets new cable TV fees which go into effect Feb. 1.
NEXT UP. The council next meets at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26 at the City Hall Annex on
Xavier Drive.
-30-
