Providence Council Meeting Brief

By CHARLIE HUST

Providence City Council handled a short agenda Monday night in regular session in the council chambers.

First item of business was to pass a resolution to meet all the requirement needed to retire part of the debt service on the water treatment and sewer plant.

The resolution will combine funds remaining from the Baptist Hill sewer line project in the amount of $396,000 along with $198,000 awarded to the city from coal severance funding. This will retire one loan to the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority (KIA), with two remaining loans on the facility.

The city just recently passed a water rate increase to help retire the other two loans. The passing of the resolution on Monday was a formality to execute all the paperwork necessary with the Department of Local Government to transfer the payments to KIA.

“We will be receiving more coal severance money next year with the rate increase, I think we can retire one of the loans next year,” Mayor Eddie Gooch stated. “That was one of the main reasons for the (water rate) increase. We’ve got to come up with about $100,000 to help pay off that loan.”

Gooch emphasized that the final loan was “stretched out” until 2021 but also noted it would be worthwhile for the city to refinance that loan if possible.

“This (water treatment plant and loans) was all done long before we came into office,” Gooch told council members. “We just have to live up to the obligations of paying them (loans) off.”

In other business, the council re-visited the newly-approved ‘bucket brigade’ ordinance before holding second reading. According to councilman Keith Farrell, there was some confusion on one section of the ordinance. He pointed out that the document stated that solicitation could only be held on Sunday.

“I’m not sure this is what we want. The way it reads now, activities like the Coal Festival or even fall festivals that are held on days other than Sunday would not be in compliance with the ordinance. For example, if Relay for Life wanted to have a bake sale in the mini-park on a Saturday, they would not be in compliance,” Farrell stated. I think we need to eliminate the restriction of Sunday only. I think we could strike that one sentence in the ordinance and that would take care of the problem.”

After further discussion, council members agreed that the ordinance needed to be re-worded to clarify the interpretation problem.

“I was thinking this was just for bucket brigades, but yes, I can see your point because it does say all solicitations must be held on Sunday,” Gooch added. “This was the intent of what we were trying to do with the ordinance.”

City Attorney Richard Peyton suggested that the council take a few weeks to look at the ordinance and “start back at square one” as far as re-writing the document. First reading will be held at the council’s Nov. 4 meeting with second reading and passage to follow later in the month.

“That would work. Right now it’s not illegal to have a bucket brigade so we’re not stopping anyone from doing so for the next month,” Gooch added.

City Clerk Kay Travis presented council members with an updated version of rules and regulations for renting the Providence Community Center. Most of the document pertains to cleanup and rental fees.

In final business, Gooch gave a hearty ‘thank you’ to the Providence Tourism Commission for the very successful ‘Uptown Fall Festival’ held last weekend.

“There was a great crowd with lots of things to do, good food, good music and a very, very worthwhile event for our community. The commission worked very hard on it and thought it was a huge success,” Gooch noted.

The mayor also stated that the city hopes to complete some road patching and resurfacing work before winter.

“We will have to see how much road aid we’re going to receive, but there are several streets that are in desperate need of work,” the mayor added. “Locust and Willow streets are definitely at the top of the list.”