City Commissioners - Regular Meeting

We ask the Board of City Commission, if you will rise, we'll ask the Commissioner to do our invocation.

Lord, we are thankful for our city and how you blessed us in recent days. We thank you for the freedom we enjoy and the privilege we have to conduct city business in the best interests of our citizens. Bless this Board of Mayor and Commissioners with wisdom and direction this evening, and bless our staff and employees. and their efforts as they work to better our city each day. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Let us stand and salute.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

All right, motion to receive and file the agenda as presented.

Second. Discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed? Entertain a motion to receive and file the minutes of the regular meeting of July 11, 2026. So moved. Second. Any corrections, additions? All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed?

All right, we'll move into our mayor and commissioners comments. I'll go ahead and start this time because I want to give a lot of thank yous to the efforts of so many different people for our American 250 celebration. I mean, and I start naming people and I'm sure we will forget someone, but Visit Ashland did a great job with our all American pancake breakfast. If you missed that, it was a great time, especially the sausages that were, you know, well done. Also, I want to thank the Winter Wonderland of Lights that orchestrated our parade. I talked with Mary and Russell just the other day, and we think that that might be an opportunity to continue that effort every year. Probably maybe the day before opening of Summer Motion to kind of to rejuvenate that excitement. And Ruby Deerfield's committee with Summer Ocean did a fantastic job, as they always do. We're excited about that. And there's more to come. I think we've got a softball game coming up that's going to be the Stars against the Stripes. And that'll be at Simple Park, August the 2nd at 3 p.m. So that may be an opportunity for you to get out there and enjoy watching some of your favorite celebrities play. But with that, I'll pass it off to Commissioner Reimer.

I just want to welcome everybody to tonight's meeting. And that's all I have.

I'm saying only this year's summer motion probably was one of the harder ones I ever remembered.

Therefore, that's why you didn't see me. Commissioner Martin. Okay.

Commissioner Goode. I want to welcome everybody. I just want to echo the mayor's sentiments. I thought the 4th of July American 250 celebration went off without a hitch. I want to thank everybody that had a part in it. Visit 8K and And all our staff and employees that were out there, I did learn a big lesson. Never eat pork pancakes and walk in a parade after that. It was about 110 degrees. It was grueling. DJ was with me.

Yeah, we drugged that flag. We didn't carry the flag. We drugged the flag.

It was a 20 by 40 foot flag. People were keeling over around us. But it was a really good celebration from start to finish. And I want to thank everybody who had a part. That's all I have.

Well, I did forget someone. Elias Reynolds did a fantastic job on the American 250 mural. If you haven't had a chance to go down at the riverfront and look at that, it's so detailed with all kinds of different things with both Boyd County and Ashland and some of the prominent places that you might want to take a look at. All right.

Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We have no department.

Okay. All right. So with that, we'll move on to our public participation. This is an opportunity for someone to speak to the commission of things that are not on the agenda. If you come to the podium, you have five minutes and indicated by a green light yellow yet 30 seconds. You're out of time. Yes, ma'am.

Wait, I'm a green light. I'm Celeste Coombs. I'm the director of Visit Ashland. I just wanted to thank you guys so much for all your participation and help this last week with America 250 and how amazing it was. I also had to come and pay some pretty special thanks. The guys at Parks were absolutely unbelievably helpful and amazing. They came at six o'clock in the morning and helped us set up tents and they were respectful and kind and ask all day long if we needed anything, just above and beyond what you would expect. And I just needed them to know how appreciative that we are of their help because we couldn't have done it without them. And also thank you to Peggy for sitting and sweating with me all week at the America 250 to summer motion. I mean, she gave her time and to be there for to celebrate summer motion and to be part of the America 250 Committee, and I appreciate that very much. Also wanna invite you guys out. There's a Maker's Market on Saturday. Sunset scenes the following weekend. We have Dukes of Hazzard, so we've got the General Lee coming. And then the final Friday of the month, July 31st, the firefighters have a convention, and we're doing a celebration of all our servicemen and women. So it will be called the final Friday, a salute to our servicemen and women. So we hope you guys come out and really, really appreciate everything you do. Thank you.

Thank you, Ms. Tinsley. Anyone else like to address the commission? Yes sir, if you'll state your name and your address.

Yes sir, it is Joshua Day, 1125 Maple Avenue, Ashland County. First off, I want to thank you guys for your community, for your service to our community. I know as commissioners it takes a lot of time and effort, and that is appreciated, so thank you for that. Recently, with the warm months, I've gotten out to explore, a little bit of exercise on my bicycle. I've had a wonderful time. Ashland is gorgeous. Our park is beautiful, well maintained. It's been a blast. I think the only hurdle I've run into recently is parking. Trying to find a place to safely lock up my bicycle. I don't want to attach it, of course, to any infrastructure I see that's not designated for bikes. I don't want to obviously get in any trouble or be a hazard for people getting around town. I also don't know if the commission or if you all have ever considered bicycle parking for Ashland. I see a lot out on the road. A lot of families, people getting around, but there's really not a place to park them. Downtown Ashland is phenomenal. Sometimes on a hot day, it's nice to stop and get a burger and something cold to drink. There's no place to, sometimes I bike on because there's really not a safe place to do that. So it'd be good to explore our local businesses and support them and also get out and explore a little bit. So I want to thank you for that. The park is also one. We do have a bicycle rack near the library. It's on one corner. It's a pretty big park. I don't know if it's ever been considered. Perhaps from the fountain, the ball fields, playgrounds. It's an opportunity for people who maybe want to walk around the park, a place they can attach to. Again, not using public infrastructure and damaging anything we don't obviously want to damage. So I appreciate your consideration. Thank you all again. Thank you. All right, anyone else like to address the commission?

Okay, hearing none, let's move on to our consent agenda.

A resolution of the City of Ashton, Kentucky adopting and approving the course of action presented by the City Manager on the items appearing on the consent agenda for the regular meeting of the Board of City Commissioners on July 9th, 2026. So moved. Second.

Any discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed? All right, moving into our new business. I just want one other question before we go. I did have a question. On the meters, Ms. Beach, we're putting all these meters up for, surplus. Are they usable or how would we sell those?

They're going to sell them an online option. They have a government option size.

Okay. Are we hosting an in-person auction this year?

Yes. I'm thinking September. We've got some things marked surplus but as the new budget year gives them like 90 days too. Okay.

Alright, thank you. Let's see. Okay. All in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed?

All right. Now I'll do it again. I make first reading and approval of an ordinance entitled an ordinance in the city of Ashland, Kentucky adopting the amended authorized positions listing of the classification and compensation plan as adopted by ordinance number 31 series of 2023 as previously amended by reducing the number of lieutenants by one and increasing the number of sergeants by one in the Ashland Police Department. So moved.

Yeah, it's going from there.

Over the past couple of years, we've been identified with some challenges on operational efficiency and supervision and management through the growth of the department with officers and the school resource officers. We've also taken on several different responsibilities and become federal task force partners with several federal agencies that require some additional supervision. Our initial structure was kind of very thin and upward. Where we've grown, we need to come more across the board and we've identified that our management level probably needs to be less with more supervision and that's the removal of the lieutenant and increasing the sergeant.

How many lieutenants will that lead? It will lead four. How many sergeants will that make?

That will create seven. So that will be more street level supervision? That or in some of the special operations bureau like criminal investigation, the drug task force, Some of those other positions, the school resource officers, we have so many dedicated supervision for that and interacting with the schools. We need to come more across the board and we're working towards that and we haven't done that until those vacancies appear.

This is a retiring lieutenant?

This is a retiring lieutenant, yes. You've got four lieutenants and field ops, right? That's correct. And then Nick is the lieutenant. Where is this lieutenant coming from? It will be Jason Moore is retiring.

He's field ops.

Yes, and so Lieutenant Lewis will be moved over to field ops, creating one lieutenant for each SWAT team and we're going to make some movements around some sergeants and some other opportunities where some have been in field ops for years. We're going to make some movements in the records area. We've already made some in the criminal investigations area in the task forces and the school resource officers.

Just a lot going on. It's a lot the responsibility to oversee some of these different things that we've never had before.

And we just need to make sure we have a proper span of control. Are you dedicating a sergeant to the school resource officers? Well, not only the school resource officers, but that will take on some of the records activities and some of the open records. So would this be like an admin sergeant? I mean, you say it's an admin sergeant, the newly created one could go to the street and somebody that's on the street could be moved over to another position or another part of the department. We have several sergeants that have not maybe seen other portions of the department that need some opportunities to maybe be in special operations or in the support services. We already tested for that position. There's already a list established.

Chief, just to summarize, we put more supervision on the ground and the $15,000 savings.

Yes, and that's an estimated cost based on the differential and the salary chart that's in the collective bargaining agreement. And once they leave there and they go to the lieutenant's position, that's not under the agreement.

So

We're looking at maybe a mid-level to the highest portion of the cost savings in the payroll side. Thank you.

Is the bargaining unit in agreement with this?

On the lieutenant part, they're not covered under the agreement.

Right, but are the sergeants? I mean, it eliminates one promotion in terms of from the sergeants to the lieutenants.

That part is still under our ownership. Those numbers are still under the department head ownership and you, the commission.

Any other discussion? All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed?

Aye. First reading and approval of an ordinance entitled an ordinance in the city of Ashland to protect the authorizing directly to the mayor and executive agreement. between the city of Ashland, Kentucky and People's Insurance Agency LLC to provide property and cash for the insurance broker agent placement services from July 1, 2026 to June 30, 2027 in an amount of $20,000 and authorizing payment of same.

Second. Mr. Gushin? Yeah, I really don't understand what this is. What does this $20,000 do? more likely that one of you might have that.

Well, I'll stick to it.

And I think it has to do with a job or a future project.

I think we can take some slack out of some areas.

I think it's going to benefit the boys, it's going to benefit the city.

You know, to me, education is nowhere and best. You know, we've had employees here in the past that have been skipping advancement because they didn't have a degree, but yet they had to go off to business other than a degree.

So this, you know, this is

All right, no other discussion. All in favor say aye. Aye. All opposed?

We have one carry-on item, Mr. Mayor. The mayor requests the board's concurrence on the appointment of Melissa Fitzpatrick as tenant representative on the Board of Housing. Discussion? All in favor say aye.

Aye. All opposed? We need an executive session.

I'd like to bring up one more topic for discussion. A couple meetings ago, former Commissioner Spriggs came and discussed parking concerns that she had in front of the Senior Center and I know that staff was going to look into that and I just wanted to know if we could get an update on that.

We discussed it last week. I don't have anything specific to recommend. It's really whatever. You could obviously continue the practice of what was suggested with the placard being made. You could change the parking ordinance. You could cease to do parking enforcement. I don't have any specific recommendations.

I think we probably put something together maybe for next meeting.

You know, the idea that was in use before I think is a workable deal. It's a question really of how many of those placards you would create. Why don't we all change that?

We can start with ten or whatever.

Or six. Or some smaller number to kind of keep it under control. Yes. That seemed to be a workable deal. I think for a long time, we thought that they were created by the senior center and then the other day and said he was the one that actually created them. We didn't know about that. You heard it first.

They would get a wild card.

I missed the beginning of what you all were talking about. Where is this parking ordinance talking about? Is this one like Winchester and Carter?

Yes, so the concern was raised to us by the Senior Center about their folks parking where we have a limited two-hour parking.

If you've ever been to the Senior Center, their activities start at 9 and then roughly about 12, 12, 31, somewhere around that time.

And it was believed through senior center that several years ago they were given passes and the passes will say you know this is a not so much senior center parking but kind of relieve them from a ticket is my understanding and so maybe the senior center could give them something to put in their car that says like in my car i'm with the senior center yeah so we'll just bring that up for discussion again that was something that she requested and there's been some Some of the seniors there have raised concern that they wish that we could go back to that process. They're having trouble walking.

Yeah, I have an office at Cameo Arcade, and a lot of the people that work around me in the building in Winchester, when we first started the parking ordinance, the two-hour time limit, it seems like cars were moving. It felt like we got more people coming to Winchester, but then it just turned into, it's still full. all the time and now people like if somebody's down at like leo salon getting highlights sometimes that sort of stuff takes more than two hours and you can't go get in your suburban if you've got foils in your hair because you're going to destroy your seats um so like one of my friends works down at that salon and like a lot of their customers like their clients are stressed about the two-hour parking i've already gotten a parking warning um from parking down there not realizing it was over the two hours. It said zero dollars, so I thought it was misprint. I brought it to the city building to pay on their way, but it was just a warning, which they don't say that on the ticket, by the way. It just says that it's zero dollars, and it looks like something didn't print right.

Could you encourage some of those people to park in the parking garage, or is that something that...

I think it's the concept of small-town, street-side parking. for most of them in their lives, it's just been free and kind of without that bother of worrying about like, I've only got two hours to go out and go to these different businesses without moving my car. And I think it's just like the inconvenience of worrying about that with risk of a ticket, but not the option to pay to stay there longer. Because in other cities, you've got like QR codes on a little like sign that you can scan and you can pay to park there. And you've got an app that you can add time to it from your debit card or whatever right on your phone so that you can keep up with that. You don't have to have quarters anymore or anything. But I think it's just an extra stressor, I think, for people that aren't really accustomed to that or used to that down in Lancaster and stuff.

I think that's something we've discussed for years. You know, back and forth. You know, with the individuals that park there all day long.

Like someone just taking up a spot and staying there all day.

That was the biggest complaint, was roosters. People taking up a spot all day long.

Are they typically people that work there that are taking over?

People that work.

I mean, I work at, I mean, I have an office at Kameo. My regular work is at the University in Ironton. But at Kameo, you have to pay, I think it's like an extra, I want to say like $25 or $20 a month or something to get a gravel parking spot over by that garage on Carter Avenue. And that's just like a makeshift garage. you have to buy your own sign and everything. So like you're investing a lot of money to have a parking spot that is not street side. So otherwise you are sitting 45 minute timers and you've got a garage.

Yeah, I don't I've never parked in that. I mean, I've lived in Ashley since 2012. Because I assumed you had to pay like $100 free.

We need a big sign.

I think we have one, don't we?

This is the newsflash that Elora has discovered. That's parking is free. That's the first parking garage I've ever not had to pay for any parking. And Griswold thinks $200 is miserable.

For the record, could you give your name and address?

Oh, hi. I'm Elora Henson. I live at 2517 East Euclid Avenue in Ashland. Thank you. thank you for your help have you had any other concerns about um like parking since it has changed and become like the two-hour parking enforcement oh yeah and both sides well this is my first city meeting if you all have watched any of the county ones you've seen me on there but um this is my first city one so has it been has it kind of been like what i've seen like at first it was really positive people were excited to see kind of a rotation and then there became like the panic of it's just two hours to go to different businesses

I think we've seen a mix of both. I think we all understand that there's a concern with just two hours. You know, for instance, if I want to go down and get my hair done at Leo's or wherever you said, and then I want to go to Fat Patty's and have a burger, it's probably going to take longer than two hours. Not 50-50.

You go in one business, they want to hug you.

They want to go to the next business, they want to hit you. I think it's a lot higher policy than it is now, but that's just my impression.

Yeah, the feedback I've got is the merchants love it because the parking places are turning over, allowing more customers to come into their businesses. but do understand the you know certain instances where ladies are having their hair down and it takes a little longer but it's it's um that was just one example that i could think of that was kind of not even a chair in one place for more than two hours sometimes well again thank you thank you so just to be clear on my part

I would also like to see if we could reset parking daily.

Reset violations daily.

it is recently i mean that's that's that's probably i mean we've had two-hour parking ever since we've been talking about this for years 40 years it's been two hours handicapped spots you get a little additional time by state law

We just haven't had that use of the meter all that time. Right.

So that's the probability. And it resets every day.

That's possible. The ordinance was never meant to be forever. Things change. It was literally meant to be a starting point. So whatever the commission wants to do,

We're not going to satisfy every issue out there. It's just the way it is. You try to please the majority, and that's what we're trying to do.

Well, and we've listened.

I mean, you know, I think every one of us... We've had hearings, we've had discussions, and we finally adopted that ordinance. We thought that that was the best option that was available.

I want to bring up one other thing before we go into the next session. This is an old project that we talked about years ago, and since we're talking about converting the old Dean Jackson property into a farmer's market, that's been talked about for years, and I'm glad to see it become a reality. We've talked about a splash pad has been brought up in the past. And Mr. Murray did a study has been on my iPad for four years. And I got October 21 2022. He did a study and I want to pass these down to you. He had four locations. That would be that would the pros and cons of four locations to put in the city. And I just I'd like to bring that back up to keep it on our mind. Back at that time, there was like 325,000 budgeted, but parks said they could do it for half that. And so, you know, I keep the roads hot for grandkids up and down 64, and I go to Lexington, to Jacobson Park, where there's a huge splash pad, and then I take my grandkids to LaGrange City Park, LaGrange, and of course, locally, we have the Ironman, right next to their farmer's market, which is sensational. And now Raceless got one, right next to their city park. And it's very well attended, brings people to town, and I think I'd like to be considered in the future.

Mr. Good, I agree with you. Recently we offered free entry to the city pool, 4th of July, and I visited down there to see how the attendance was. and there was probably 30 people standing at the gate attempting to get in, but we were at max capacity. And the max capacity was for the pool deck around the pool and the pool. So the facility was max capacity. Our fire department was there with some games and different things. We wanted that member source credit union for donating popsicles that day. But folks were using our pool. Flatwood City Pool is out of commission this year. I'm not sure how long that will be. Maybe it's in the next year. But, you know, Money's time for folks, and if you've got several kids, getting entry in some of these pools can be expensive. So if there's a way that we can look at a splash park somewhere in our community, I know we have this analysis here in front of us from a few years ago, but I would encourage staff to maybe look into maybe updating this analysis to see if this is something that we want to do, because I think it would be a good way to give back to our community. It would be another quality of life Project.

Commissioner, just to tack on to that, if that's something that the board chooses to do, it's my understanding that there's a land and water conservation grant that would pay 50%.

I just wanted to say, Michael Booth, 5427 Metcalfe Road. I just wanted to say thank you to all the firefighters and all the people that were out there. They helped my dad while it got really hot to where he had to get rushed to the hospital. I just wanted to say thank you guys. You guys were amazing. I mean, quality all the way around. So I just thought that was cool. Thank you guys.

Thank you. Great comment. All right, any other information for the good? All right, we stand adjourned.