Council welcomes new officer; approves $5k donation to help community clinic

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2020 — The Bardstown City Council welcome its newest police officer, witnessing the swearing-in ceremony for Officer Conner Maloney.

According to Police Chief Kim Kraeszig, Maloney comes from a family of law enforcement officers. He is currently completing a criminal justice degree at the University of Louisville. He will spend time now in on-the-street training, riding with an experienced officer.

COMMUNITY CLINIC DONATION. The council reviewed and approved a $5,000 donation to the Nelson County Community Clinic.

Margaret Neel, the clinic’s executive director, asked the council for a $10,000 donation to help cover the clinic’s operating expenses.

The clinic pays $9,600 a year in rent to Bethlehem High School, and approximately $3,600 a year to the City of Bardstown for utilities, and grants that the clinic receives can’t be used to cover those costs, she explained.

Mayor Dick Heaton said the city has $22,000 left in its community development grant fund, though $5,000 of that is already committed to another organization. The council discussed the donation and agreed that a $5,000 donation would be appropriate and still allow funding for other organizations that request it for the rest of the current fiscal year.

CITY PURCHASE OF 304 N. THIRD ST. Heaton told the council an update on the city’s plans to purchase the vacant lot adjacent to the Mayor’s Park at the corner of North Third Street and Broadway.

The city has signed a contract to purchase the lot for $375,000 from CEMBA Properties LLC, an entity owned by Joseph Richard Roby of Bardstown.

The lot appraised at $390,000, Heaton said. According to PVA records, CEMBA paid $375,000 for the lot in January 2013. The property owner paid for the removal of a home on an adjacent lot that was later combined with the main tract.

FIRE DEPARTMENT LAUNDRY. The Bardstown City Council approved a request from Fire Chief Billy Mattingly to purchase an industrial capacity UniMac 45 lb washing machine and a |UniMac 50 lb electric clothes dryer.

Chief Mattingly said the department is using a normal washer and dryer, and it takes hours for a crew returning from a house fire to wash and dry their gear. The new washer and dryer will handle several sets of protective gear and have them done in 90 minutes or less.

The council approved the $16,141 for the purchase and installation of the units in the new Fire Station 1 off KY 245.

ROWAN CREEK SEWER TREE CLEARING. The council voted to award the bid for clearing the trees and roots from the right of way along the new Rowan Creek sewer trunk line to low bidder Treeworks, whose bid of $139,500 was more than $55,000 less than the next highest bidder.

City Engineer Jessica Filiatreau said the work needs to be completed by April 1, 2020 in order to not delay the project. While she said she wasn’t familiar with Treeworks, she said the company’s references were positive.

BOND PAYOFF. The council approved taking action recommended by the city’s new Chief Financial Officer, Aaron Boles to cash in a maturing Treasury bill investment to pay off an existing debt.

The city has a bond issue that will mature in December 2020. The interest the final year on this 10-year bond is 3.2 percent. Boles recommended cashing in the Treasury bill investment and using the proceeds to pay off the debt early.

He recommended cashing the investment to pay the outstanding debt because Treasury bill investment rates are at about 1.42 percent. It made sense to take the cash from the investment, pay off the debt early, and save the interest the city could pay this year, about $22,000.

The city is required to give a 30-day notice to bondholders. Boles said the targeted payoff date would be April 15, 2020.

In other business, the council:

— approved three revised ordinances that will provide more guidance on the proper trimming of shrubs, trees and grasses in the city limits.

The changes will specify that shrubs, bushes or trees have to be trimmed so they do not interfere with city rights-of-way or pedestrian traffic on sidewalks.

The revised ordinances require trees that overhand city streets to have their limbs trimmed so they hang no lower than 14 feet over city streets and 8 feet over city sidewalks.

The ordinance changes also provides specifics on city policy regarding the reimbursement of the repair or replacement of city sidewalks and curbs.

In addition to the three revised ordinances, the council also adopted a fee schedule of the costs homeowners can expect to pay for repair or replacement of damaged sidewalks in front of their homes.

— approved re-appointing Brenda Ford to a four-year appointment to the Bardstown Housing Authority;

— approved re-appointing RaShae Jennings to a one year appointment to the Wickland board.

— the council also held two executive sessions; the first dealing with the sale or purchase of property, and the second dealing with proposed or pending litigation. The council took no action after each executive session.

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