Bardstown Arts group lobbies fiscal court for ‘selfie’ sign for south side of old library
Daphne Seaman holds a decorated letter “s” that is a sample of the type of letter the group wants to put up on the south side of the downtown Arts building (former library building) that would face West Stephen Foster Ave.
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
March 19, 2019 — Nelson Fiscal Court heard more details Tuesday morning of a request by Bardstown for the Arts to create a “selfie” spot on the south side of the Bardstown Art Gallery building that faces the Old Talbott Tavern on West Stephen Foster Ave.
Daphne Seaman told the court that their plan is to install letters that will spell “Bardstown” on the south side of the building. The letters will be colorfully decorated by gallery artists, and th letters will be installed either on the side of the building or on metal posts coming up from the ground.
The arts group sees the sign as more of a mural than a sign. Despite the fact the property is in the historic district, the county does not have to comply with the same zoning restrictions that other property owners do.
Magistrates Gary Coulter, left, and Keith Metcalfe examine a letter proposed for mounting on the Bardstown Arts group building on Court Square. The letters will form “Bardstown” and face West Stephen Foster. Watts and several magistrates liked the proposal, but preferred to place the sign at the building entrance rather than the side.
But the members of fiscal court did not appear ready to approve the arts group’s proposal.
Magistrate Jeff Lear said he saw the letters as more of a sign than a mural, given the way the letters would be mounted to the building.
Seaman said the group is willing to change the mounting method to suit the court’s preference, even if they need to set posts and avoid mounting the letters to the building.
Watts said he was in favor of creating the “selfie” spot, but thought the members of fiscal court would prefer placing the letters on the entry side of the building rather than the side facing West Stephen Foster.
COMMUNITY ACTION UPDATE. Hal B. Goode, the executive director of Central Kentucky Community Action, provide the court with an update on the services the group is providing to residents of Bardstown and the surrounding community.
“We typically deal with people who are struggling to get out of poverty,” Goode explained.
Community action programs help provide meals to the elderly, provide transportation for the elderly and shut-in, and with care and education of at-risk children.
Community action also is responsible for LIHEAP, the low-income home energy assistance program that helps the poor with their heating bills.
HAL B. GOODE
NEW POLICE VEHICLES. The court discussed and then approved the purchase of a total of six police vehicles. Three would be ordered for immediate delivery; one of the three would replace one that was totaled in a crash. The fourth would be ordered once an insurance payment is received on it, and the final three will be orders informally placed this fiscal year but intended for purchase after July 1, 2019, and delivery in an Octobert time frame.
In other business, the court:
— approved a resolution regarding the county paying for transportation for non-public schools in the county. The county receives reimbursement for most of those costs.
— accepted and reviewed the E911 budget
— discussed the fact that the county will need to advertise for one full-time and up to two part-time workers to staff the animal control building with upcoming end of the contract between Fiscal Court and the Nelson County Humane Society. The human society has operated the stray animal intake building for the seven years.
— approved the purchase of $12,319 mower from Nelson County Implement Co.
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