Mayor George Bray’s Opening Remarks
- Mayor Bray thanked the National Quilt Museum and its board of directors for hosting the meeting saying this was an opportunity to showcase the museum and to help promote the upcoming AQS Quilt Show.
- Calling it an “amazing life event,” Mayor Bray said the number of visitors and the beauty of yesterday’s total solar eclipse far exceeded expectations. Mayor Bray thanked Beautiful Paducah for coordinating the two-day X Marks the Spot festival that showcased our community.
Fair Housing Month Proclamation
Mayor George Bray presented a proclamation to Paducah Human Rights Commission Chairman Robert Hernandez and Paducah Diversity Specialist Daisha Johnson proclaiming April as Fair Housing Month. This month commemorates the passage of the 1968 Fair Housing Act, the landmark civil rights law, that made discrimination in housing transactions unlawful. The public is invited to attend the Fair Housing Luncheon on Thursday, April 18 at the newly renovated Robert Cherry Civic Center. The luncheon, which includes keynote speaker General Counsel Colt C. Sells with the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights, is free to attend. However, registration is required by emailing the names of attendees to fairhousingluncheonpaducahky.gov by the end of the business day this Friday.
Community Scholarship Presentation
West Kentucky Community & Technical College President Dr. Anton Reece and Vice President of Institutional Advancement Andy Wilson provided an update on the Community Scholarship Program and thanked the City for its funding support since fiscal year 2011. Annually, the City provides funding, with $100,000 in support for this fiscal year, toward the program which was launched to increase the number of high school graduates, increase the number of citizens with post-secondary education, and improve the quality and skill level of our regional workforce.
So far, more than 2100 students have benefited from the Community Scholarship Program with more than 1000 graduates. At this meeting, two Community Scholarship Program graduates, Monyette Drew and Kirsten Meadows, gave their testimonials about the program. They both mentioned the value of the lifting of the financial burden for their first two years of college. Plus, they said the environment was conducive to learning with an abundance of support and encouragement.
The Program motivates students to graduate high school and pursue a higher education by providing each Paducah and McCracken County high school graduate with scholarship support up to 60 credit hours to West Kentucky Community & Technical College provided that the student registers for the program, maintains a minimum grade point average and attendance record, and does not have major disciplinary problems. The program also receives funds from McCracken County and the Rotary Club of Paducah in addition to other supporters.
Upper Town Heritage Foundation’s Grant Application to Support Hotel Metropolitan
The Paducah Board of Commissioners approved a Municipal Order supporting the Upper Town Heritage Foundation's application for a Mellon Foundation grant. The Upper Town Heritage Foundation is requesting $1.34 from the Mellon Foundation’s Humanities in Place grant program. If awarded, the Upper Town Heritage Foundation will use the funds for capital improvements to the Hotel Metropolitan located at 724 Oscar Cross Avenue and to build the capacity of their board and organization as a whole.
As part of this agreement, the City of Paducah would serve as the grant’s fiscal agent and would be jointly responsible for the oversight of the grant program. If this grant is awarded, the partnership details would be defined in a co-stewardship agreement between the City and the Upper Town Heritage Foundation. Contingent upon the grant award and the completion of a co-stewardship agreement, the City of Paducah is pledging a $250,000 grant match for the upcoming fiscal year (Fiscal Year 2025) and contingent upon approval through the annual budgeting process and successful implementation of the co-stewardship agreement, the City pledges additional funding for FY2026 and for FY2027 in an amount of $250,000 for each fiscal year.
Amend Code of Ordinances Chapter 14 Related to the Keeping of Fowl
The Paducah Board of Commissioners introduced an ordinance amending Chapter 14 of the Paducah Code of Ordinances related to the keeping of fowl in the City. The goal of the recommended changes is to allow the keeping of fowl on smaller lots in Paducah by reducing the distance requirement. However, to make sure that the keeping of fowl does not become a nuisance to neighbors, the amendments strengthen wording around noise, maximum number of fowl, and cleanliness.
After reviewing ordinances of six other Kentucky cities and researching best practices, the following ordinance amendments are recommended:
- Proximity – Amendment reduces the distance requirement from another residence from 300 feet to 100 feet.
- Maximum Number of Fowl - Paducah currently does not have a limit on the number of fowl on a property. The amendment would limit the number of fowl to eight.
- Noise - Animals emitting excessive noise are considered a nuisance as currently addressed in Code section 14-1.
- Cleanliness – Amendment strengthens language around cleanliness and the maintenance of coops to address neighbor concerns about odor and pests. Plus, the amendment would allow coops only in the rear yard of a property.
- Penalty & Abatement - The amendment updates the penalty section to include a notice of violation, followed by 30 days to remedy, a fine of not more than $500, and another 30 days to remedy the issue. If the violation still exists after 60 days from the initial notification, there is an additional fine of not more than $500 and abatement procedures. A new section has been added for the abatement of fowl-related issues which will be in accordance with the McCracken County Animal Control Ordinance. The City will conduct follow-up inspections every 30 days until the violation is remedied with each subsequent inspection incurring an additional $500 fine, not to exceed $2,500 in total fines. Appeals would be routed to the Code Enforcement Board.
Grant Applications
The Paducah Board of Commissioners approved municipal orders for the following grant applications:
- Kentucky Office of Homeland Security Grant requesting $45,120 which, if awarded, would be used to for security cameras and systems for the Public Works Department.
- FEMA Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant requesting $760,140 which, if awarded would be used to fund three additional firefighters for a three-year period. Fire Chief Steve Kyle said that if the grant is awarded, the addition of three firefighters would make an impact in reducing the amount of overtime that firefighters are working due to staffing shortages, vacation and sick leave, and holidays. He added that increasing the staffing also would reduce stress and improve work-life balance for the department.
Additional Meeting Information
- Municipal Order approved for the 2024 Annual Plan and Administrative Plan for the Section 8 Program.
- Municipal Order approved for the declaration and sale of surplus property located at 815 South 5th Street.
- Municipal Order approved authorizing the City Manager to issue a request for proposals for Custodial Services in city park restrooms and rental facilities.
- Ordinance approved for the closure of an alley west of South 16th Street located between Kentucky Avenue and Washington Street. This is the site for the new location of the Paducah-McCracken County Senior Center.
- Ordinance introduced to amend the current fiscal year budget to increase revenue and expenditures for the Community Development Block Grant Fund. This budget increase is to account for the $200,000 CDBG grant the City received on behalf of Four Rivers Centerpoint Recovery Center.
- Mayor Pro Tem Sandra Wilson encouraged the community to enjoy the Dogwood Trail and to continue sprucing up their surroundings since the AQS Quilt Show is later this month.
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