To view the entire meeting, visit https://youtu.be/WWVRrTazxI0.
Mayor Bray reiterated the importance of the work underway by the 911 Communication Oversight Committee and the sense of urgency in addressing the issue of the radio infrastructure that has reached its end of life along with the determination of a funding structure. The Committee has been meeting since January.
The Paducah Board of Commissioners introduced the fiscal year 2023 budget ordinance with the approval set for June. The City’s fiscal year begins July 1. City Manager Daron Jordan provided a few highlights of the budget and thanked the Board of Commissioners and the City team for keeping the budget below the current inflation rate of approximately 8.5 percent.
The Paducah Board of Commissioners approved an employment agreement effective June 30 with Eric Stuber as Chief Technology Director. This position has been vacant since February. Stuber, a Paducah native, is a previous employee of the City and has been in the technology field for over twenty years.
The Paducah Board of Commissioners approved an ordinance for a construction contract with Central Paving Company for the South 25th Street Improvement Project. Once Central Paving receives a notice to proceed, this is a 180 consecutive calendar day project that will improve South 25th Street from Jackson Street to Alabama Street. Also included is the installation of sidewalks on the west side of South 25th Street. The City is using $1.4 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds in addition to $650,000 the City received from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in 2019 for the project. This project will also improve Brooks Stadium Drive with the work on that roadway to begin once the Paducah Chiefs Baseball Club’s season concludes.
The Paducah Board of Commissioners introduced an ordinance for an interlocal cooperation agreement between the City of Paducah and the City of Mayfield for Paducah to provide building inspection services. The December 10, 2021, tornado resulted in extensive damage or destruction to more than 700 structures in Mayfield with an additional 400 structures receiving minor damage. The repair and/or replacement of these structures will require significant involvement of Mayfield’s Office of Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement to ensure building code compliance. This ordinance provides assistance to Mayfield with building inspection and plan review in order to facilitate the replacement and repair of the damaged structures.
The Board approved a municipal order for a programmatic agreement between U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD), Kentucky State Historic Preservation Office, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Osage Nation, and the City of Paducah for the BUILD grant. The City was notified in 2019 of a $10.4 million Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) grant to improve the riverfront. Since the notification, the City has been working to complete the project’s environmental assessment. This agreement, which is required in order to release the grant funding, ensures any effects on historic properties will be addressed during project design and construction.
The BUILD grant is a package of transformative projects for Paducah’s downtown and riverfront. The projects include
The Board introduced an ordinance for a contract modification with HDR, Inc. regarding the project to address the build-up of sediment in the Ohio River downstream from the transient boat dock. The City has received the necessary permits from the U.S. Corps of Engineers and the Kentucky Division of Water for this dredging project which allows up to 60,000 cubic yards of sediment to be dredged per year using deep water disposal. This contract modification with HDR is to add engineering drawings and specifications, bidding administration, project inspection, monitoring, administration, and reporting. Dredging is anticipated to begin either this fall or next spring depending upon the river conditions. The project is funded in part through Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Public Assistance Funds. FEMA will fund 90% of the project cost with the State providing 4.8% and 5.2% as the City’s responsibility.
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