City Commission Meeting Highlights

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

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Protection of Julian Carroll Convention and Expo Centers during the 2011 Ohio River Flood The Mayor and Commissioners approved an ordinance for a payment in the amount of $420,004.55 to Jim Smith Contracting, LLC for the emergency labor, materials, and equipment required to protect the Julian Carroll Convention and Expo Centers during the April-May 2011 Ohio River flooding.  City Engineer-Public Works Director Rick Murphy anticipates the majority or all of these expenses will be reimbursed from the flood insurance carried on the buildings and from FEMA.  The protection efforts were successful as both facilities remained unharmed from the major flooding.  The protection efforts began on Easter Sunday, April 23 when the National Weather Service forecasted a crest of 55 feet on the Ohio River at Paducah.  That crest would have led to at least two feet of water in the facilities.  The contractor erected a steel barrier on the river side of the Julian Carroll and built levees to protect the facilities. 

Riverfront Development Annexation (vote August 23)

The Mayor and Commissioners introduced an ordinance to re-annex a portion of the Ohio River along Paducah’s riverfront.  The area of the river to be re-annexed totals 208.7 acres.  If Washington and Campbell Streets were extended to the river, the re-annexed area is between those streets and extends out to the thread of the river (approximate center line based on contour elevations on each bank).  The annexation would allow the City of Paducah to have jurisdiction over future riverfront development including a marina and facilities.   Historically, the boundary of the City of Paducah along the Ohio and Tennessee rivers extended to the low water line along the Illinois shore of the Ohio River and the low water line along Owens Island.  The boundary line was established by ordinance in 1871 and 1894.  However, in 1946 the City of Paducah de-annexed the river.  This ordinance is to re-annex a portion of the river along downtown Paducah.

Amendments to Zoning Ordinance Text (vote August 23)

The Mayor and Commissioners introduced an ordinance to amend the text in various sections of the zoning ordinance.  The Planning Commission held a public hearing regarding the proposed amendments and made a positive recommendation to make the following changes:

1.      Remove the term “modular home” from the definition of “manufactured home”.  A modular home is constructed on-site room-by-room instead of being one piece that is delivered.  With this change, modular homes will be allowed in any zone where residential structures are allowed.

2.      Add the Neighborhood Services Zone and the Neighborhood Commercial Corridor Zone to the list of City zones.  This change updates the list and makes it complete.

3.      Update Section 126-71 regarding off-street parking and loading areas.  One change includes the size of required sight triangles (7 feet) for traffic visibility at points of ingress and ingress.  The other change brings the required handicapped parking spaces size in line with ADA standards.

4.      To clarify the section of the ordinance defining the lot area required for two-family dwellings, the phrase “per unit” will be added.

5.      In the Historical Zones section of the ordinance, the minimum lot area for a two-family dwelling will be added.

6.      Allow residential development in the Highway Business District zone to encourage the development of mixed-use developments. 

7.      Bring the material guidelines in the Neighborhood Commercial Corridor zone in line with the existing approved materials in the Fountain Avenue Neighborhood (Neighborhood Services Zone).  Currently, two sets of development guidelines exist regarding approved materials.

Quick Highlights:

·        Mayor Paxton presented a proclamation to Lieutenant Commander Craig Olesnevich of the U.S. Coast Guard.  The proclamation honors the Coast Guard’s 221st birthday which was August 4, 2011.

·        Ordinance approved to enter into an interlocal agreement with McCracken County to support the grant application for the 2011 Edward Byrne Memorial Grant through the Department of Justice.  If awarded, the grant in the amount of $23,121 would be used to purchase equipment for the Paducah Police Department.

·        Ordinance approved for a change order in the amount of $4379 with Bluegrass Fire Equipment Company as the vendor with Pierce Manufacturing as the manufacturer for the purchase of a 2011 pumper truck for the Paducah Fire Department.  The change order increases the contract amount for the truck to $407,509.  The change order is for the addition and deletion of various items.  The fire truck is expected to be delivered in November.

·        Ordinance introduced (vote August 23) to purchase approximately 1000 new solid waste roll-out containers, lids, and fittings from Ameri-Kart in an amount not to exceed $66,000.

·        Ordinance introduced (vote August 23) to purchase 22 commercial-use dumpsters, lids, and fittings utilizing the Kentucky state contract price for a total of $23,076.

·        Ordinance introduced (vote August 23) to award a contract to Kepman Construction in the amount of $68,759 for the rehabilitation of the interior of the home located at 333 North 16th Street in the Fountain Avenue Neighborhood. 

·        Ordinance introduced (vote August 23) to execute a funding agreement in the amount of $80,000 through the Kentucky Housing Corporation GAP Financing Pool.  The grant funding will be put toward building two new homes for low to moderate-income families in the Fountain Avenue Neighborhood.

·        Ordinance introduced (vote August 23) to enter into a contract for services with the National Quilt Museum in the amount of $22,255.

·        City Manager Jeff Pederson says the efforts continue to move forward as the City addresses the mussels that are slowing the progress on the Riverfront Redevelopment Project.  The City continues to negotiate with the petitioners regarding the impact and monitoring of the mussels.  There is a proposal to move the riverfront project approximately 100 yards downstream away from the dense population of mussels.

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