City of Paducah Strategic Plan Update and Launch of Our Paducah Engagement Initiatives
Assistant City Manager Michelle Smolen provided the Paducah Board of Commissioners an overview of the engagement initiatives that are being launched this week for the Strategic Plan also known as Our Paducah. The website was made visible today which provides updates on the plan’s objectives and outlines how each objective can be categorized into one of four vision statements: Our Growth; Our Community: Our Engagement; and Our Culture. Also, a full copy of the strategic plan book can be downloaded from the website. Smolen will be distributing the plan book and posters around the community. Also included in the launch is a welcome message from the Paducah Board of Commissioners and City Manager Jim Arndt.
Smolen also invited the community to attend the Our Paducah 101 presentation that she and City Manager Jim Arndt will be presenting Thursday at 7 p.m. at the McCracken County Public Library. This is a free event as part of the Library’s 101 series.
Paducah Small Urban Area Study
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 1 Chief District Engineer Kyle Poat presented the Paducah Board of Commissioners the findings from the Small Urban Area Study for the Paducah area, a study that was requested by the City of Paducah since the previous transportation study was completed in 2002. This study of highway and multimodal transportation issues was initiated more than a year ago in April 2018 and funded with Federal Statewide Planning and Research funds. The goal of the study was to identify and examine safety and congestion issues in Paducah and the immediate surrounding area. The project team developed 25 improvement concepts based on a combination of a review of the existing conditions, traffic analyses, field reconnaissance, and input from the Advisory Committee. Cost estimates were prepared for each improvement
concept, and each concept was given a priority ranking of high, medium, or low. View the entire study and an executive summary listing the roadways by visiting the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet website at https://transportation.ky.gov/Planning/Pages/Planning-Studies-and-Reports.aspx.
Veterans Day Celebration
Bill Evans who serves the community as the general manager of WPSD Local 6 and publisher at the Paducah Sun presented to the Paducah Board of Commissioners an overview of a new event being planned for the community to celebrate Veterans Day. Over the past few months, representatives from several organizations have been meeting to plan the event, American Hero Veterans Day Celebration. The organizations include WPSD, Paducah Sun, City of Paducah, McCracken County, Paducah-McCracken County Convention & Expo Center, 101st Airborne Sustainable Brigade, Milner & Orr, DAV, VVA, DAR, VFW. Evans said, “We are wanting to capture again the sense of pride in Paducah, McCracken County, and the surrounding areas following when the Wall that Heals came to Paducah.”
The group has determined several goals for the event:
- Recognize & honor veterans from all age groups and experiences;
- Facilitate conversations between veterans and the community;
- Create a welcoming environment;
- Celebrate and tell stories;
- Create a family-friendly experience;
- Provide a meaningful event for schools; and
- Provide resource information for veterans.
Activities being discussed include a sunrise service, a breakfast for veterans, awards ceremony, annual Veterans Day Parade, programming for middle and high school students, and a concert. Most of the events will be held at the Expo Center. Evans also explained that many ideas are being explored including a thank you card station, singing from school choir groups, a keepsake section to be included in the Paducah Sun, flags for all attendees, and a Wall of Names for families to post names of veterans in their families.
Quick Highlights
- Boards and Commissions:
- Appointment of John Park to the Paducah Civic Beautification Board.
- Appointment of Benjamin Sirk to the Board of Assessment Appeals
- Municipal Order approved for Change Order #2 and #3 with Danny Cope & Sons, Excavating, LLC for the demolition of the building at 318 Broadway also known as the Kresge Building. The change orders and expenditures for items including additional brick work and parking lot repair add $5000 to the contract making the new contract total $592,160. In February 2019, several bricks form the building’s façade fell, and after review, the building was declared a public safety threat and in need of demolition.
- Municipal Order approved authorizing the annual contract between the City of Paducah and Paxton Park Golf Course with the City providing $72,000.
- Municipal Order approved authorizing the grant application to the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA). The City is requesting $27,000 which would require the City to contribute an equal match. If awarded, the funds would be used to develop and implement a Creative Entrepreneurship program consisting of five to seven classes designed to assist creative industry entrepreneurs with starting and running a small business.
- Municipal Order approved authorizing the purchase of solid waste dumpsters in an amount not to exceed $130,000 using the Kentucky state contract price from Municipal Equipment, Inc.
- Municipal Order approved authorizing the purchase of solid waste rollout containers in an amount not to exceed $90,000 using the National Intergovernmental Purchase Alliance (IPA) contract price from Toter, LLC.
- Ordinance approved amending Paducah Code of Ordinances Sections 18-61, 18-62, and 18-63 to adjust permit fees and charges in the Fire Prevention Division. This ordinance increases building and electrical permit fees to be more in line with fees charged by McCracken County. These fees have not been increased since the 1980s.
- Ordinance introduced (vote in August) to repeal Paducah Code of Ordinances Chapter 78 Section 5 regarding the grievance procedure for employees. The City recently implemented Administrative Policy HR43 Employee Concerns establishing the process through which workplace concerns not governed under a collective bargaining agreement or departmental workplace policies may be addressed and resolved for all employees.
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