City Council - Regular Meeting

good Julian.

Welcome everyone to Elizabethtown City Council regular meeting for August 3rd, 2026. I will now call the meeting to order and ask Councilman Marty Fulkerson if he'd lead us in the invocation please.

Let's pray. Father, we're so grateful for the beautiful day that you blessed us with here. And Father, as we start a new school year, we pray blessings upon those administrators and teachers and support staff as they work hard to help make our students successful. And for the students as they start a new chapter, a new school year, God, we pray blessings upon them that this will be the best year yet for them. And may they know that we as a community are here to support them, to encourage them, and to help them succeed. Father, we're thankful for our community, for this great city, for those that wear the logo. They work hard each and every day to make this the great place to call home. We pray blessings upon them and their family as they continue to serve you through this city. Father, we pray now as we go through this meeting that what we do will bring glory to you. And we pray this in your son's mighty risen name. Amen.

And if you would join me in the Pledge of Allegiance. 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. Madam Clerk, when you're ready, if you would please call roll.

Yes, sir. Council Member Bishop. Present. Fulkerson?

Present.

Isaacs?

Here.

Jones?

Here.

Tyler? Present. Mayor, you have a quorum.

Thank you, ma'am. There's some people that I'd like to recognize that are in the audience tonight. Our E-Town Hardin County Stampede Bike Group. If you would throw your hand up if you're part of that. We're glad to have you all here and appreciate you all attending. I also want to introduce Patsy Whitehead, who's one of our Hardin County magistrates. Throw your hand up or stand up, Patsy. Very good. We're glad you're here as well. At this time, I might ask Chief Jeremy Thompson if he would come up and introduce us to the two newest sergeants that we're going to have. Yeah, grab that mic if you don't care.

Well, good evening. I think I'm failing you all because the mayor and you all have tasked us as department heads to create a culture and an environment people want to work. But we are continually coming before you all for promotions because people keep leaving. So we're not doing something right to keep people. But tonight we're here to celebrate the newest two promotions that we have. And recently we were here because we had a couple of retirements and those retirements led those individuals that left for new opportunities. But what that does is that creates a snowball effect for the rest of us. So when those positions become vacant, oftentimes, especially when they're supervisors, then we have to promote a lieutenant and we have to promote a sergeant to fill that. And then because you all as a council have bought into the, The leadership plans that we have for our department to lead the city, we were able to increase that lieutenant's position by one. Again, the snowball effect means we needed to promote two sergeants. We had a very competitive list this year. Our process produced six candidates, and tonight we're going to promote Sergeant Eric Ryman and Sergeant Jared Hatfield. A little anecdote about both of these candidates. newly appointed or promoted sergeants, is they came together as laterals. Well, not together, but they came to us as lateral candidates, which means when we look out and we're searching for talent around us to bring in an accelerated officer to get out here without going through the traditional academy, these are many of the laterals that we have come through. Austin Smith was one of them that did come with Ryman. So we've been able to pick the right people. And although Eric came to us locally from the Hardin County Sheriff's Department, Jerry was just down the road, just over in North Carolina. So, you know, it's really close. But we've been able to reach our footprint, our reach for a long way. So tonight we're here to celebrate those guys. So if you guys will come up and allow the mayor to swear you in. And as I say often, get you sworn in here and then you go get sworn out there.

Okay, gentlemen, if you would, raise your right hand. And if you agree with what I'm about to read to you, just say, I do when I'm done, okay? I do solemnly swear that I will support the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of this Commonwealth and be faithful and true to the Commonwealth of Kentucky so long as I continue as citizen thereof, and that I will faithfully execute to the best of my ability the office of sergeant according to law, and I do further solemnly swear that since the adoption of the present Constitution, I, being a citizen of this state, have not fought a duel with deadly weapons within this state nor out of it, nor have I sent or accepted a challenge to fight a duel with deadly weapons, nor have I acted as second in carrying a challenge, nor aided or assisted any person thus offending, so help me God. Congratulations. Chris, you want to get a picture? Oh, you're good? Okay. If you all don't mind, come over here and sign this paperwork.

I didn't notice they were badgeless.

They're really not policemen if they don't have their badge on.

Rankless blobs.

Rankless blobs.

So if the family wants to come up, I'm not sure who's going to do the pinning on. For those that aren't familiar, this is tradition within law enforcement, especially is the pinning on side of the promotions. So they're going to get the new badges with the ranks on there. Now they're more efficient Chris Then I'm gonna take pictures real quick so that any family members that want to leave before they start business Maybe we'll do the picture real quick You come up here Never mind, I'm sorry.

This is a great way to start a meeting. I have another gentleman in the audience, Maurice Young, if you would come up here, please. He loves every second of this. I know he does. But I want to talk to you about a really, really good friend of mine and somebody that's come through a lot of times for us up at City Hall. Whenever we've asked somebody to volunteer, whether it be for planning commission or to be on a hiring committee or whatever we've needed at the police department, Chief Thompson will tell you the same thing. This guy is top quality, first class, and I don't know what we'd have done without him a few times. And so he was on our planning commission for four years. from June of 2022 to June of this year and has lots of things going on in his life and stepped off to do some other things. And I just wanted to give him some recognition and let him be aware of how much he is appreciated, how much I consider him a great friend. And so it's not much, but I wanted to present that to you and tell you how grateful your city is for your service to us. I appreciate that. Thank you very much. Thank you.

Perfect, thank you.

With that, we will do approval of minutes from July 13th, 2026, if I can get a motion. So moved.

Second.

All in favor? Opposed? Seeing none, motion carries. We will start with motion and vote approving the South End Elizabethtown Economic Development Program, known as the SEED Program.

Motion. Second.

All in favor? Opposed? Seeing none, motion carries. That takes us to first reading by motion. of Ordinance Number 13-2026, Amending Code of Ordinances, Title 15, Land Usage Chapter 154, Zoning Code, Establishing Text Amendments Related to Data Centers. If I can get a motion and a second to read, please.

So moved. Second.

All in favor? Opposed? Judge Howard.

This is a first reading by summary. This ordinance amends the code of ordinances, Title 15, Land Uses Chapter 154, Zoning Code, for the following sections of Chapter 154, and there's about eight of those. To update the text relating to regulations for data centers to include definitions, zoning district restrictions, square footage limitations, and specific design and operational standards to be allowed as accessory uses only. The full text of the ordinance can be found by contacting the city clerk, and this constitutes a first reading by summary.

Thank you, Judge. A couple points I want to make real quick. I know we had... Planning Commission meeting last Tuesday night and we had several people get up and talk and give us their opinion on how we needed to operate and what we needed to do mostly to prevent hyperscale data centers in the city of Elizabethtown. And so I want to tell you all, everybody that's sitting up here is against hyperscale data centers. They are against them today. They were against them two weeks ago. They were against them six months ago. But there's a few things that I want to make sure that everybody understands on how we have to proceed to make sure that we are as secure as we can possibly be. So back when we started talking about looking at this, we had no protections in place. Our land usage plan in regard to data centers, we really had no protections. So by definition, In the city of Elizabethtown, we have data centers. We've had them for years. We've had them some for decades. So if you look at the hospital or you look at some of our utility providers or you look at multiple banks that we have, we have had what they call accessory data centers that we've lived with and nobody really considered that, that nobody saw power usage go down in their household or their bills go up because of it. But The point I'm trying to make is there's cities across the country, some in Kentucky, that all anybody will listen to is people that say no data centers, period. But by definition, we already have them. And if we just go by no data centers, period, then we've got a lot of businesses that are currently in our city that will become nonconforming that you never even thought about. So what we did, or our planning staff, specifically Aaron and his team, went around and they looked at the different possibilities, what we currently have, and then they have written around those to make it virtually for practical purposes, regulations that are put in place with what you all are gonna vote on in two weeks, basically makes it impossible for us to have a hyperscale data center in the city limits of Elizabethtown, which is what we want to accomplish and what we heard everybody else that spoke the other night want to accomplish. So I think because some of it's pretty complex and everybody doesn't understand all the verbiage and all the terminology, and that would include me until I started studying it and looking at it, it's confusing. But the other night during that planning commission meeting, I think we were both trying to get All parties there were trying to get to the same conclusion. I just don't think some understood how everybody was trying to get there or understood some of the terminology or the verbiage. So I'm here to tell you we're all up here against hyperscale data centers, but we can't say no data centers because we already have data centers that exist that would be nonconforming if we took that route. Now, as it comes down to moratoriums, Sure, we could place a one-year moratorium just like we've seen people do all across the country. But what you do when you do that is the day that that's up and people start applying to have a hyperscale data center in your jurisdiction, if we don't have anything in place and then we go back later and try to put these regulations in that we're going to put in place, then now we have lawsuits. Right, Judge?

Yeah, that's correct. The legal community generally, the view is it's better to have regulations that are moratorium. If you're ready for the regulations, if you know what you want in your community, you're better off to do that than to enact a moratorium.

So with that being said, we believe that stronger ordinance language that increases regulations and provides guardrails is a better defense against hyperscale data centers than a moratorium. So that's why we are going that route as well. So we're really proud at what our planning department put together. It makes a lot of sense. We've talked about it at length, and we think this gives us our strongest position. And so that's where we stand now, and I'll open it up to you all if you have any comments.

I will thank you for going into that explanation. I think that is something that is very important. And being in that hearing last week, everyone was trying to get to the same point, but just different directions. So I know that Aaron spent a lot of time in order to come up with those regulations. And that is recognized. But where technology is, I think we all stand here saying, Technology changes every single day. And so as a council, we recognize that we will have to revisit those, but this is definitely our starting point. And that is what we need to do so that we are prepared, um, if, or when something like that shows up and wants to come to town. So, thank you.

Yes. mayor, I just, I want to thank the planning commission and the work they did. Um, the members of that committee aren't being paid to be up there. Uh, they're giving them their time and their efforts and the work that, uh, Aaron and his staff did. Uh, I can't imagine the hours they put in to try to help us be as, uh, knowledgeable as you can, because I agree with what you said coming into this. I've learned a lot, um, things I didn't understand. And, uh,

never would have occurred to me uh and this has been an educational process for sure anybody else okay judge and we'll move on to municipal orders municipal order number 57 2026 accepting bid for signage at the steel grove amphitheater if i can get a motion in a second so moved second all in favor opposed judge howard

At a regular meeting of the City Council held on the date set out below, after first being read, a motion to adopt the following municipal order was duly made, seconded, and approved, whereas the City prepared bid documents and publicly advertised the project and received bids that were publicly opened on June 10, 2026. for signage at the outdoor music venue project named steel grove amphitheater now be it ordered by the city council to accept the bid from night sign for signage for steel grove amphitheater project in an amount not to exceed two hundred and fifty three thousand nine hundred and sixty five dollars be it for the order that the mayor and or his designee is hereby authorized and directed to take all steps necessary to perfect this order, including but not limited to signing all contracts, documents, obtaining the necessary permits, and approving change orders with the aggregate amount not to exceed $38,094.75. Red adopted and approved this third day of August. Any discussion?

So I'm assuming this is more than one sign. This is multiple signage out there? It is.

Do you want Jason to address that?

No, I just wanted to ask. I was hoping so.

Otherwise, it was going to be a big sign. Anybody else? Need a motion and a second to adopt, please.

I'll make a motion.

Second. All in favor?

Aye.

Opposed? Seeing none, motion carries. Municipal Order No. 58-2026, accepting lease agreement for property located at Woodland Drive for Mission Hope for Kids, Incorporated. If I can get a motion and a second to read, please. So moved.

Second.

All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Judge Howard.

City Council held on the date set out below. After first being read, a motion to adopt the following municipal order was duly made, seconded, and approved. Whereas the City owns property at 1117 Woodland Drive, Elizabethtown, as recorded in the Office of the Hardin County Court Clerk in Deed Book 1598, page 372. And whereas the City wishes to support local not-for-profit organizations for providing certain services for the betterment of citizens in the community, and whereas Mission Hope for Kids Incorporated has offered to enter into an agreement with the city to operate at 1117 Woodland Drive. Now be it ordered the city approves the agreement with Mission Hope for Kids Incorporated, which is attached as Exhibit A, for the terms as stated in that agreement. Be it for the order that the mayor and or his designee is authorized and directed to take all steps necessary to perfect this order, read, adopted, and approve this third day of August.

Any discussion? Need a motion and a second to adopt, please. So moved. Second. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Seeing none, motion carries. Thank you. Municipal order number 59-2026, authorizing contract with CMW Incorporated for master plan of Trooper Lake. If I can get a motion and a second to read, please.

Motion.

All in favor? Opposed? Judge Howard.

at a regular meeting of the city council held on the date set out below after first being read a motion to adopt the following municipal order was duly made seconded and approved whereas a goal of the city's envisioned elizabethtown twenty forty comprehensive plan is to protect environmentally sensitive areas, and whereas the city received funding from the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund for the purchase of property in the vicinity of Trooper Lake to preserve the area to development for a public park. Now be it ordered that the city approve the contract with CMW Incorporated for professional design services for the development of the Trooper Lake Master Plan to include access roads, park facilities and amenities, and multi-use trails in an amount not to exceed $25,000. be it for the order that the mayor and or his designee is authorized and directed to take all steps necessary to perfect this order, including signing all agreements, contracts, and documents read, adopted, and approved this third day of August.

Any discussion? Need a motion and a second to adopt, please.

Motion. Second.

Got a motion and a second. All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Seeing none, motion carries. Municipal Order Number 60-2026, authorizing contract with Lockmuller Group Incorporated for Engineering Services for Trooper Lake. If I can get a motion and a second to read, please. So moved.

Second.

All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Judge Howard.

at a regular meeting of the city council held on the date set out below after first being read a motion to adopt the following municipal order was duly made seconded and approved whereas the city received funding from the kentucky heritage land conservation fund for the preservation and development of a public park in the vicinity of trooper lake and desires to develop a master plan for the area and whereas the lochmuller group is familiar with the area having prepared engineering design plans for the kentucky transportation cabinet for the reconstruction of u s sixty two also known as north mulberry street now be it ordered the city approves the contract with lockmuller group for professional engineering services relating to the development of a master plan for Trooper Lake Preserve to include site development and access design alternatives in an amount not to exceed $60,000. We further order that the mayor and or his designee is hereby authorized and directed to take all steps necessary to perfect this order, including but not limited to all contracts, documents, and obtaining the necessary permits read, adopted, and approved the third day of August.

to all you stampede folks in the back. We're really excited about this park. I think we may be more excited than you all are, and I think you all are probably pretty excited, but it's going to be a nice place. And Seth Breitner sits sitting there in front of you. We've had meetings, and he's excited about it as the Parks and Rec director, and we think it's going to be good for Elizabethtown in a lot of ways. So we look forward to it. Anybody else? Need a motion and a second to adopt, please.

So moved.

All in favor?

Aye.

Opposed? Seeing none, motion carries. Thank you all. Public comments. Anybody have public comments? Mr. Torres, please step up and introduce yourself, please.

How are you today, sir?

I'm well, how are you?

Good. Please excuse me while I get my time here.

You're fine.

I don't want anyone to be upset if I go three minutes. Before I begin, sir, I'd like to ask your indulgence before I start my time. I know it's normal protocol to come up here and give your name and your address. One thing I realized on Tuesday, especially with females, is that when you come up here and you give your name and your address, you are doxing yourself. Someone had put that in Facebook and I've been thinking about it. I personally don't care that you know that I live at 313 Nicholas Ridge Drive. That's me. But I think people should have the option. So I would ask for safety of both, not only just females, but anyone in general, that we create a system where if they don't want to give it here, they follow your procedure, but be able to do it either on paper or somewhere. So that way they're not announcing it to the world on camera.

So do you want the good news?

I'm sure maybe hopefully you already addressed it. That would be amazing.

We're going to address it.

Okay, good.

That's probably something that's going to be on our work session agenda next week to talk about with the council. But yeah, we're aware that that's making some people uncomfortable and we don't mind a bit to look at it.

I would also remind everyone that comes to a meeting in accordance, and I apologize, I don't have, unfortunately, I got to take vacation time to be here on time because 4.30, I'm still working, so I forgot my other notebook, but there is a KRS that some people, you don't necessarily have to sign in when you first come in. That's a, if you read it, depending on, I guess, how you read it or whatever, but some people get a, upset so I'll be able to provide it for you sir if you know I'm aware of that we do not require people that just want to attend but not speak to sign in right we request that for accuracy of minutes I understand they choose not to that's fine they are allowed to it but I'm all about telling the community that they have options so I just want to let them know that because it's when you see people online you do what people what people online do Okay, so I'll begin my comments, thank you. So I think you set an interesting point, sir, right? So we're all here and no one wants data centers. But I think if you looked carefully at what people were saying and the emotion, it wasn't just that they were worried about data centers. I think what a lot of people are worried about is they're not being heard. Right, and I'm gonna use this example, and I wanna make myself very clear to all the people that came after me in the community after when I give this example. I'm a veteran, I've been deployed four times. I don't, I'm in total support of there being a VA clinic. That's fine, let there be a VA clinic, but I'm also in absolute support of people when they say no as a community that they're heard. and that their elected officials, those people that they elect, listened to them. There was a clear no. And we can point to Elizabethtown, again, I don't have my notes, but the Elizabethtown 2040 plan, and I believe that was used as precedent to be able to move forward, to take that vote of no to move it forward, right? But people that have come talk to me, at least, aren't upset. that there's a VA clinic. I'm not upset there's a VA clinic, it's a great thing. However, when you take something that was passionately and vehemently said no to, and then your own planning committee says no, and then it comes up here and you're like, well, planning committee, we put you there. We want you to do this work. But at the end of the day, I'm gonna point to 2040, but if you read 2040, I mean, we could start with the big, beautiful bill and work our way down in terms of how bills have second and third order effects on communities. And the 2040 plan, whoever wrote it, like, I don't know. That's another topic for another day. But bottom line up front is that that's what people have the issue with. I mean, unfortunately, like... you know, there's a lot of angry people at me because I, how dare I step up and say something at a meeting? And that's a fact. I'm sorry, sir, you'll look at me like, well, but you haven't seen some of my DMs in my, I mean, like, you know, you would have thought I, how dare I? I mean, as we know, thank you for your service, sir, but Mr. Fulkerson's been doing this since, this particular body since 20, I think 2000. So when people say, how dare you step, I mean, That's my point, but I also want to make this point to the community as well as to this board. For many years, when I first got here in 2017 and 18, we retired here. Didn't have to retire here. My wife loves Elizabethtown. The only reason we stayed here, we sat at Fort Knox and she looked around and she was like, I want to live here. Because after serving like four deployments, moving from one side of the country to the other, I said, it's your choice. We decided to stay here. And I was really excited because I wanted to be part of the community. And then I remember I had a chance to serve on a site-based council. And I was the, I don't know what they call it. Basically, it's the person who was the militant in your... Minority representative. Yeah, there you go. It's pretty much the same thing. But, you know, bottom line, I'll never forget... I had to make a decision one day. I had to be part of this discussion where there needed to be a new principal. And one of the candidates was an African American female with a PhD and years of experience up against three other, I don't want to make this about race, but to paint the picture, three white males. And everyone else in the committee, except me, was like, yep, we need a white male. But I was like, wait a minute, they don't have her qualification. She's been teaching just as long as they've been. And during that time, I think we went like three or four nights. People were getting frustrated with me because I wouldn't relent. I wouldn't say, yes, I'll do what you say, right? Because that's essentially, I think, that's what they wanted. Because we had some really, really important names on that in the community that are still important names in the community. And out of respect for them, I won't say them, but... I'll never forget one of them got so angry with me that he got within like six inches of my face and called me every other Hispanic name he could probably think of except my own name, which is Jose. And he knew what my name was. And I sat there in that room looking at like all the other people to include Miss Kelly, who was alive at the time, God rest her soul, wonderful lady. But no one said anything. No one said anything. Why is that important? Because for years to include with Ms. Dawn Cash, like I had written Facebook posts and she would call me and be like, hey, that's gonna go against the status quo. We're trying to get business done for the community. I need you to take it down. And I did out of respect for her. And what I realized about three weeks ago talking to one of my own children is silence is complicity. all the people that could have stopped that gentleman from like essentially being right here and making me feel different. He wasn't saying like Bob, Tom, no, he was saying Hispanic names, and he knew exactly what he was doing. And I remained silent. And I'll just tell you that at this point, and I would urge the community to not remain silent. If you have an issue, good, bad, or indifferent, come. Don't be afraid. I tried to say this and I made a bad, I think we are having an emotional discussion, if you will, and I said it and I mean it. Everyone puts their pants on the same exact way. Some people happen to have more power, some people happen to have more money, But in this house, just like in any other place, this is the people's house. We elect you, this money that built this, this microphone, the system that you guys always talk about, how much you love it. I think the first three times you used it, I watch every one of them, so I can quote them pretty well. But sir, and to the board, the fear is that you're not listening. The fear is you're not listening to the people that put you here, that we are fast-forwarding through whatever, that the decisions being made are only on one side of the spectrum. If you look at what we're doing in this community, we're building, we're building, we're building, but we're not building for people that make under $100,000 a year. We're not building for people that are going to have problems now. feeding kids in the morning when they used to get free lunch because of HB 500. We're no longer gonna have that money. We're struggling people that are struggling just to freaking pay their rent. Or like literally as the candidate Booker says, are you gonna pay for your insulin, or are you gonna pay for your rent? There are a million things that are going on, and we're looking at building and building and building, and I don't know that you all are seeing the other side at all.

Can I ask you a couple questions real quick?

One second, sir, and I'll finish, I'm about to finish, because I know I'm probably over time, I didn't say it, but in 2018 when you took office, I'll never forget this quote. I have it memorized. You said, I've lived here for generations, and I don't want people to think that I'm a politician, but rather a servant of the people. Well, I want you to remember that, sir, because I think sometimes the direction that we're going, because I think it was two or three meetings ago, you said, we're finally all going in the same direction, which means you lead it. And if you lead it, I'm asking, because you can talk about, well, that's a grant. You can talk about, well, that takes time. But we have time and money and energy to make sure all these buildings go up. I don't know why we're not dealing with all the other issues that you could be. I just want balance. And I think the people in this community just want balance. I yield back, sir. Any questions you have?

Let's go back to the VA for a minute. Sure. Okay. And you say that we didn't listen to the people. Yep. Can you give me what you're talking about as far as we didn't listen? I know what you're going to say, the council overturned the planning commission.

Right. That's fact, sir. So we can move that. But I would say for all the people that I've talked to that said, hey, why are you overbuilding that corridor? There's going to be a Publix there. There's going to be another building there.

So you're saying we shouldn't have put the VA hospital where it's going? Yes. Well, for one, we don't get to decide. And I'm just going to give you a little background, okay? Okay. Just a good discussion. Okay. When the VA contacted us, they also contacted Mr. Games back there with the E-Town Industrial Foundation. Hang on a minute. and they were looking for places up and down the Ring Road corridor. And how long ago was this, Andy? Three years ago, four years ago? And so we showed them five or six different places that we thought were great places. And I'm not trying to throw the VA under the bus because I'm glad that they're here. But I will tell you, the place that they picked we thought was probably one of the worst locations. But that's up to them because it fit the zoning requirements and it's their money and they make that decision, not us. So when that went to the Planning Commission, the Planning Commission felt differently and ended up voting not to allow them to build there. Once it got to the council, if you'll recall, there was a room full of veterans.

Yeah.

Doubled all the way out into the middle of the community center.

I got you. And I'll comment on that in a second.

So I guess what I'm getting at is when you say nobody wanted it to go there, we had a whole room full of people that wanted it to go there. Right. And now I also don't want to say that's the reason we did it because it's not. Okay. The reason that we did it was because of the comprehensive plan, in our opinion, the way we read it. or the council read it, told them that they needed to override the planning commission and let the VA put that clinic there. Now, the feedback that we were getting and what everybody was upset about was ingress, egress, entrances, exits on Pear Orchard Road. So you know what we did? We made them put two entrances exits on ring roads and didn't give them an ingress egress on the pear orchard road. So we were listening to what they said. We found a happy medium and a compromise. And I thought that everybody was pretty pleased, especially a disabled combat service connected veteran was pleased that they were getting a VA clinic. Because let me tell you, Mr. Torres, if we hadn't have put it there, then it was going to be two to three years before we ever got a VA clinic in Elizabethtown if we ever got the opportunity to put one back there.

I would have waited the two or three years, sir. Second of all, I think it's disingenuous, and I've told people at Post 113 what they did was exactly this. They used one gentleman as their spokesperson, and they said, he's not getting transportation to Louisville. Well, here's something that veterans do. You take care of your own. And I'll say this to anybody. You take care of your own. There are plenty of retired people that could have taken him. Stand by. Just let me finish. There are plenty of people that could have taken him. They wanted the clinic. Yes. That's fine. That's democracy. They got it. But the bottom line up front is you could have said no. Could you have not have?

It's a yes or no, sir.

Could you have said no to that?

Based on the comprehensive plan, no. This body didn't feel like they could say no.

Exactly, and that's why I pointed at the comprehensive plan because I think the comprehensive plan is actually bad for Elizabethtown, my opinion.

But let me tell you something else real quick. Okay, sir. In my eight years as mayor, almost eight years, I think two times, and Ed may be able to correct me or Aaron, I think two times the council has overridden the planning commission on their findings. And I don't know how many have gone through at that time. Couple 300 probably, so two times out of 300, you're using that example, but that would be the same as saying that when the appeals court rules on something and the Supreme Court overrules them, that they're out of line.

Yeah, I mean, you could say that about a lot of things the Supreme Court's doing these days, but again, it's opinion-based, right? And the bottom line up front is, sir, you can point out as many times as you want to about how you didn't say no. Or you did say no or yes, but the bottom line is we need to focus on this one instance. The one instance is when there were clearly people that lived, which is even more important. Like, it's just like I said. Like, here's my litmus test. Which one of you will allow your house to be bulldozed down or find a place within your neighborhood and do it? You see, it's easy. Hold on. It's easy to be able to say, we're going to build it over here. We're going to build over here. When you don't have to deal with it. You don't have to deal with the traffic. You don't have to deal with the noise. You don't have to deal with the litter. You don't have to deal with the multiple people. And there will be litter and there will be all these things you don't have to deal with that So when you go home at night unless you're willing to put it's a litmus test Unless you're willing to put it in your own backyard think heavily that you're asking someone else to You're you're literally saying hey According to the plan, this is what's best for E-Town. By the way, I'm gonna get in my car and I'm gonna go home to somewhere where it totally doesn't affect me, right? But we elect you. That's what's funny about this. We elect you because we want you to hear us. And when we say we don't want it in our backyard, We mean we don't want it in our backyard. So that's why I say, sir, because we can go back and forth probably for years. That's why I truly believe that there are certain times when you have to turn it over to the people and let them vote. Now, if it comes to a vote, it doesn't have to go my way, but at least we'll be able to say the people decided, not you. And that is the main part.

So I'll ask you this last question and then we'll finish. So everything everything that we vote on up here every Monday, whether it be an ordinance or a municipal municipal order, a motion, everything, every one of those should be on the ballots in May and November.

Listen, I will tell you, especially Trooper Lake. Let's talk about Trooper Lake for a minute, because I got to hold on. You can make a face, but let me talk about Trooper Lake for a second. In the article that they wrote about Trooper Lake. Do we absolutely need Trooper Lake? The quote from you was, I pulled that one out of my back pocket. If or not there was a bicycle, like are people being hungry, not having a place where they can go during emergencies? Like whether you know it or not, you may be able to say, yeah, they got a place to go during emergencies. Come to the bottom level, sir. Come with me. And I'll show you that they don't. I'll show you that when you post things and they go there, it's closed. And that's the reality. Like, those things should be more important than being like, hey, let's have a bicycle, right? Like, I'm not saying don't do it. Maybe you'll make money. I think a lot of what we do is because we're gonna make money or there's grant money, which I don't know why we can't. Like you said in previous meetings, the lady who writes the grants is wonderful. Well, maybe she can look for some grants for some transportation.

Do you know that she isn't? I don't know. Exactly.

But she sure is successful with all the others. I'm hoping she'd be successful with others. What's the probability? I don't know. But I love it. Believe me, sir. When I tell you I'm involved, I will be glad to sit and come talk to you like five times a week. Five times a week. Does not bother me. Because when you say, oh, do you not know? That would say that I wouldn't be willing to. please, I would love to engage you as much as possible because then, because I'm an honest broker. You've just taught me some things and when people ask me questions, I'm going to be like, this is it.

This is it. So I will tell you, as I've said for eight years, anybody's welcome to call and make an appointment and come see me at any time. You can ask anybody on my team. They do it all the time. As a matter of fact, I think you and I have had that conversation before. And you said, I'm going to come see you, but I've yet to see you do that. I'm welcoming you.

Come on up. Something happened, and I'll be glad to discuss it with you after. But it has to do with warm blessings, and it has to do with the fact that after the whole January 7th thing came down with warm blessings, I said hi to you in public twice. You looked right at me and didn't say anything. So, yeah, exactly.

That's not true.

Sir, I'll be glad to tell you where it was.

I'll tell you what. Make an appointment. I'll be glad to sit down. We can talk about anything that you want to. I appreciate your time tonight.

Thank you, sir.

Okay, any other public comments? Seeing none, we will move on to city council information items. Our next city council meeting is August 10th, 2026. I also want to talk a little bit about cruising the Heartland. That was disappointing. We were watching the radar and hoping that weather would move off into Sunday, right Beth? Unfortunately, we were seeing 80% chance of rain for most of the day Saturday to include storms that looked like they were going to be pretty rough. So we had to make the tough decision on Friday to cancel that. A lot of that information was coming from people that usually display their cars and the crews in the Heartland on Saturday. And they told us that because of the rain possibility, they would not be bringing their cars. So our numbers were going to be pretty thin, even if we gambled and took the chance. So we decided not to do that. But we did have a great night Friday night at the lake, at the car show. Everybody had a good time. I haven't gotten to talk to Chief Thompson much, but I'm hoping the cruising Friday night wasn't too eventful. It seemed to go okay as well. And we look forward to doing it again next year. But that wasn't something that we wanted to cancel, but we also didn't want to take the chance of putting anybody in a bad situation. or anything being dangerous. I will talk a minute about pool closing. Unfortunately, the summer is coming to an end for our Elizabethtown City Pool, and the last day will be August 9th, and that will be the last day that we'll have lifeguards available to be able to work out at the pool because they're all going back to school. So unfortunately, that's the main reason that we end up closing the pool on that date. Another thing that I want to announce, Family Scholar House, if you didn't see it, which is a great program that Kathy Dykstra from Family Scholar House Incorporated and Dr. Justin Pate, or Chancellor Justin Pate from Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, have brought to our city 48 apartments that will serve mostly single parents that have children. that still want to further their education at ECTC. This gives them the opportunity to do that. It's a great program that we are fortunate to have in Elizabethtown. And so my point is, as we move seven of those 48 families in on Saturday, Councilman Fulkerson was there, and he and I tried to put together some bunk beds, and we're not doing great at it. So we had to go back on Monday, or they had to go back Monday morning today and finish that up for a young lady who had three kids that's moving in there. So we're really excited about the opportunity that Family Scholar House opens up for a lot of people in our community and just another way that we're making Elizabethtown a whole lot better. And with that, do you all have anything you want to add? You still got one screw from that bed. Hold it up so everybody can see it.

There is one screw missing, but we will get it there.

Anybody else? Okay. With that, we will go close meeting pursuant to KRS 61.810 Section 1 to conduct deliberation on future acquisition or sale of real property by the city. If I can get a motion and a second.

Second.

All in favor? Aye. Opposed? Seeing none, motion carries.

And we will not have any action coming out. Thank you all.