Council members help distribute $120,000 in COVID-19 relief to city business owners

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, May 12, 2020 — The City of Bardstown’s Small Business Relief program has distributed $120,000 to 94 business owners in the city of Bardstown affected by the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown.

City council members helped distribute the grant checks to the recipients, and during Tuesday evening’s meeting, each described the experience.

Councilman Roland “Coach Ro” Williams said that one recipient said the city’s relief grant was “manna from heaven.” Another told Williams they hadn’t made a nickel in their business now for two months and expressed appreciation to the city for thinking of local businesses at a time when they needed the help.

Councilwoman Betty Hart said that the grant program — a partnership between the city and private sector — brought out deep emotions from some recipients.

“It was a wonderful exprience to be able to deliver those checks,” Hart said.

Councilman Frankie Hibbs said some recipients had applied for but not received federal assistance, and each was grateful for the help.

DOWNTOWN WATER, SEWER UPGRADES. The council awarded a base bid to Seven Seas for $1,095,707 for a project that will upgrade aging water and sewer lines in portions of downtown.

The work will take place along brashear and beal streets and include adding a true water main on North Fourth Street that is designed at improving water pressure and fire protection. The project will add fire hydrants in specific areas, Jessica Filiatreau, city engineer, told the council.

The project is expected to take five or six months to complete.

JOHN ROWAN SIDEWALK PROJECT. The council approved a recommendation to award the bid to build a sidewalk that will build a new sidewalk that will begin at the existing multi-use path on the south side of East John Rowan Blvd across from Save A Lot, and extend at least to US31E, North Third Street, and possibly as far as the Padget Way intersection.

While the low bidder was Churchill McGee, Filiatreau said she believed the company’s paperwork may not be approved by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet. The bid will then go to the next lowest biddeer, EZ Construction, with a bid of $448,848. EZ Construction’s base bid would build the sidewalk to US31E; an additional $78,448 alternate bid would extend the sidewalk to Padget Way.

The city will provide in-kind work as its contribution to the project in the form of excavation and rock placement.

Because the project will require lane closures during the construction project, Filiatreau said she would like to start the project by the end of the month.

In other business,, the council:

— The council approved a bid of $223,000 to Hubert Excavating of Salvisa to construct a water line extension that will go under the Bluegrass Parkway to Parkway Drive. The extension will provide better water service, City Engineer Jessica Filiatreau explained.

— approved a bid from Grant Excavating for a portion of the upgrades to the Rowan Creek Trunk Sewer line. The project is being funded by a $1.6 million grant, with loans from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority, and with city funds set aside for the project.

— approved a change order of $986 for the city’s new fire station on East John Rowan. The change involved replacing a 36-inch wide door with a 48-inch door.

— approved a resolution on municipal road aid from the state. The amount of money is $212,674, about $50,000 less than last year.

— approved the E-911 Dispatch budget.

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