City council approves KBF street closures, considers earlier Sunday alcohol sales

By JIM & ELIJAH BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Aug. 7, 2018 — The Bardstown City Council approved a request to close the streets and parking lots around City Hall, Spalding Hall, and the city’s Rec Center for use by the Kentucky Bourbon Festival which takes place in mid-September.

Xavier Drive will be closed at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 14 through 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16.

From left, Councilman Joe Buckman, Councilwoman Kecia Copeland and Councilman John Kelley. (File photo)

As usual, North Fifth Street will be closed from West Broadway to the north end of east parking lot at St. Joseph’s Church beginning at 4 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14 through 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16.

West Flaget between Fourth and Fifth streets will be closed starting at 8 a.m. Friday, Sept. 14 through 6 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16.

The Rec Center parking lot, the front City Hall parking lot will also be closed for use during the festival.

As in years past, the perimeter of the festival will be fenced. Security for the festival will be provided starting at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12 until 8 a.m. Monday, Sept. 17.

Festival participants will still be able to carry their alcoholic drinks around the fenced festival grounds, but they will not be permitted to take their drinks outside the festival grounds. The council approved allowing alcohol outside the Spirit Garden in 2015.

Festivalgoers will have Safe Ride Home Shuttle services available again this year. The shuttles will operating from 6-11 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday during the festival; 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday, and 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. on Saturday night.

There are 16 designated shuttle stops, including the locations of all the festival events, local campgrounds and hotels.

Jill Hawkins, the festival executive director, said the Kentucky Distiller’s Association has requested additional Lyft drivers come to town to help handle transportation needs.

Bardstown Mayor Dick Heaton. (File photo)

LOCAL ALCOHOL RULE CHANGES. Heaton told the council that changes are currently being drafted regarding the city’s alcohol control ordinance. The changes are intended to clean up the statutes and change them to mirror state statutes, he explained.

A change in the hours of Sunday sales of liquor by the drink is being considered after input from the Bourbon Capital Community Alliance.

The city’s current alcohol ordinance allows Sunday sales after 1 p.m. Other cities along the Kentucky Bourbon Trail have moved their Sunday sales times earlier in order to allow visitors who wish to buy alcohol with lunch to do so.

Heaton said that there is sufficient time to make the change and have it in place prior to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

The council expects to take up the changes to the local alcohol ordinance at its meeting at 7 p.m. next Tuesday, Aug. 14, 2018.

REC CENTER HVAC. The council accepted a bid of $43,000 from Frank’s Heating and Air for a new heating and cooling system for the Rec Center gymnasium located behind Spalding Hall.

According to Parks and Recreation Director Daniel Jeffries, the new system will replace the old heaters now hanging in place in the gym, and will — for the first time — offer air conditioning for the gym during the hot summer months.

City engineer Jessica Filiatreau. (File photo)

STREET RESURFACING. The city’s list of streets that need paving may change some after the final bid price of asphalt came in at a price higher than anticipated.

City Engineer Jessica Filiatreau said she calculated the city’s paving costs with asphalt priced at $70 a ton delivered. The actual price from the bid opening on Aug. 2 is $81 per ton. This increase means that the cost to make the needed repairs and repaving is $609,120 — well over the $550,000 budgeted for paving in the city’s 2018-19 budget.

Filiatreau said the city can seek some additional funding from the state’s municipal aid funds. Otherwise, some paving projects may need to be delayed until the next budget cycle.

After reviewing the bid, the council approved the bid submitted by Mago Construction Co.

WATER, SEWER SERVICE REQUEST. The council approved a request from the developers of Oak Trace Subdivision to accept their water and sewer infrastructure into the city system once the system is built. The property owners have signed an annexation agreement with the city as well.

Oak Trace subdivision will consist of 55 residential building lots for duplex units and the property is located on the Woodlawn Road end of Filiatreau Lane.

In other business, the council:

— approved a mobile food vendor application from the Kentucky BBQ Co. City Clerk Mary Riley said the application did not include a physical location where he plans to set up his mobile unit, and that the owner planned to solicit a location once the city approved his vendor permit.

— the council discussed at length creating an ordinance that would allow murals in the city. Murals were included in the city’s sign ordinance that banned billboards, Bardstown Mayor Dick Heaton explained, and now there’s interest in revisiting allowing murals on certain buildings with suitable areas. The council tabled the matter for more discussion and review.

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