City Council - Regular Meeting

If all would please close our eyes, bow their heads. Gracious and loving Heavenly Father, we thank you for the ability and privilege of gathering tonight to serve our community. We ask for your wisdom, your guidance, and we ask that you help us to make the hard decisions. Grant us the humility to listen to one another and the courage to make our decisions fair. In Christ's name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Please call the roll.

Council Member Smith. Council Member Stallins. Present. Council Member Marsh.

Here.

Council Member Crabtree.

Here.

Council Member Hughes. Present. Council Member Martin.

Here.

Council Member Semner. Here. Council Member Meek. Council Member Bogard. Council Member Velez.

Here.

Council Member Bell.

Here.

Council Member Droud. Here. We have a quorum.

All righty. Thank you. Awards and recognitions on item five. There is none tonight. And now we'll move into item six, public comments.

Good evening. My name is Ledessa Lewis. I am the co-founder and executive director of Meant to Be. And tonight I'm here to tell you all thank you. First, I want to say thank you to this council for taking a chance on a homegrown grassroots nonprofit. Over the past two years, you have invested over $62,000 in men-to-be. Through the city's Hoptown Helps program, the Bentley project represented a $26,200 investment that allowed our young men to receive hands-on workforce training while completing a project that benefits our community. For a small organization, that started right here in Hopkinsville. That investment has made a real difference. There was hesitation. There were questions. We understood that trust had to be earned. Our responsibility was simple, to do exactly what we said we would do. We believe we have honored that responsibility through transparency, accountability, and results. Because of the city's investment through Hoptown Helps, along with the support of our community partners our young men gain hands-on workforce skills while helping complete our project that benefits our entire community. We didn't just make promises, we delivered. As we move forward, we ask that you continue creating opportunities for underserved youth and families. We hope Men to Be will continue to be recognized as an impactful nonprofit serving the city of Hopkinsville. an all-inclusive way from youth to families with love, compassion, and a commitment to building successful young men. Men to be served as boys, but the historic Addicts Building will serve the entire community. It will be a place where education, workforce development, mentorship, and opportunity come together for generations to come. Finally, I invite you, each of you, to our open house Saturday, August the 1st, 1913 Bentley. We are finally finished with this project. At 9 o'clock a.m., come see firsthand the city's investment through Hoptown Helps. Together with our community partners has made possible. Thank you. Any questions? No? Everybody got everything? You all are invited, and we appreciate everything you all have done. Thank you.

Good evening. Diane Crony Turner with Jeffers Bend Environmental Center. You have before you our fourth annual Hummingbird Festival flyer, and that is going to take place on August the 22nd from nine to noon. This is our one free event that we have at Jeffers Bend for the whole year. So there is not a cost to this event. We will have activities. We got a professional bander that's coming that will be banding the hummingbirds. We will have hummingbird plants. We will have a poster contest for the children. So this is an event for the whole family to come. And we will have a salad auction also at this event. But we would like to invite everybody to come out. We will have homemade desserts, homemade refreshments, as we say, homemade cookies. We don't usually buy anything. We usually bake them ourselves. So if you're not doing anything, Saturday, August the 22nd, come out and be with us at Jeffers Bend. You can come and go. And it's amazing to see the professional band of bands, the little hummingbirds. They're really little, but it's amazing to see. And that's when everybody gathers around the table and the children are so amazed. just to see those little birds get banded. And they measure them, they weigh them, they put a band on them. And then if they catch one that's already been banded, they can tell you where it came from and all of that part of it too. So there'll be more information about the hummingbirds at the festival also. And they will have some plants that are hummingbird plants that you can purchase at that event also. So if you're not doing anything, come out and be with us on that day. Thank you. Thank you.

Floor is still open for public comments.

Thank you, City Council, for this opportunity. City Council proposal, public health and substance prohibition. Speaker Todd Michael Rashawn Smith, date July 17, 2026. One, the scope of the crisis. Our current approach to public health and substance control is failing at a staggering scale. Nationally, approximately 763,000 Americans lose their lives annually to the combined effects of alcohol, tobacco, and illicit substances. Annual mortality breakdown, tobacco, approximately 480,000 deaths, approximately 1,315 per day. Alcohol, 178,000 deaths, approximately 487 per day. Illicit substances, 70,000 to 105,000 deaths, approximately 190, 287 per day. To put this in perspective, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, with a population of approximately 30,411, would be effectively wiped off the map by the human cost of these substances annually. We are witnessing a tragedy that occurs in every town, every day, yet our policy response remains static and insufficient. Two, a global president. Change is not only necessary, it is globally recognized. The United Kingdom has enacted legislation banning the sale of tobacco and related products to anyone born on or after January 1st, 2009, with the law taking effect on January 1st, 2027. This demonstrates that generational change is achievable when a government chooses to protect the future of its citizens over short-term interests. Three, the call to action. The status quo of reactive management handling incidents only after a robbery, assault, or crisis is unsustainable, I am calling upon the council to take the following steps. One, review existing frameworks, evaluate local, county, and state ordinances alongside Department of State treaty law to identify gaps in our current substance control enforcement. Two, assess economic burden conduct a formal audit of the public funds and resources exhausted annually by the city to manage the consequences of substance abuse. Three, implement policy innovation, explore long-term strategies for substance prohibition, learning from the, excuse me, learning from international successes in public health legislation. Just as we were taught to fight, excuse me, just as we were taught to fight the fire rather than just watch it burn, we must take responsibility for the future of our community. Thank you for your time and your service to Hopkinsville. Sources, NIA, 2026, NIDA, 2024, Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the Colorado Sun, 2025, Minnesota Post, 2025, United Nations World Cities Data, 2025. Thank you.

Anyone else like to come to the podium? All right. Seeing none, we'll move into item seven, Mayor's comments. Courage House has a ribbon cutting on the 31st at 11 a.m. on the 31st at Courage House. Men to be, the Bentley Street. Yes, we do have that. Open house on August the 1st. And then I'd like to say thank you to HWEA and Rogers Group. for their fast work on the water main break that we had here on Main Street and our street department. Everybody was out working. They was out this morning bathing and striping and doing everything they were supposed to do. Appreciate all that. On that, on item eight, we'll move into officer reports and guest speakers and maybe call up Melissa Clayton.

Good evening. evening it's my pleasure to bring to you guys the June month the June monthly financial report for the city we'll start with the inter fund transfers for the month of June we had five of them total inter fund transfers for June seventeen thousand five hundred dollars that made our year-to-date inter fund transfers ninety seven thousand one sixty six leaving a remaining balance in inter fund of two thousand eight hundred thirty four dollars Our payroll tax revenue for the year, we ended with $21,919,720. And when you compare that with where we were this time last year, we were about $600,000 less in our payroll tax revenue from 24-25 to 25-26. So decrease overall of 2.72% for the year in payroll tax revenue. Our property tax revenue did in the year above budget and above last year's amount by about $500,000. So I feel like our payroll tax kind of made up for our property tax. So property tax collection $6,159,476 for year end. That was an increase in revenue by 9.91%. Our insurance premium tax also came in very strong during the last quarter of the year. It was the highest quarter we've ever had for insurance premium tax. I'll just tell you guys that $2.3 million for the quarter, highest quarter we've ever had for insurance premium tax. It was slow all year, and then all of a sudden, fourth quarter hit, and we collected a lot. So we did come in above budget by $200,000 on our insurance premium tax. collecting $7,813,545, the most we've ever collected for insurance premium tax. An increase over last year of 4.82%. And then our business license tax came in exactly the same as last year pretty much. I think it's off by about $40, so I would say that's pretty close to last year's amount. So overall, our fund balance, we started the year with $317,904 in encumbrances. We collected year-to-date $54,802,087. We had actual expenses of $53,731,785, giving us positive revenue over expenses of $1,388,206 for the year. In our encumbrances, we ended the year with $722,907. So overall, our surplus for the year was $665,299. When we start the 26-27 budget, in our financial policy handbook, our surplus will be split. 50% will go into the capital reserve fund, 20% will go into the building maintenance reserve fund, and 5% of our surplus will go into the health trust fund. So that will leave 25% in the general fund. So it will be split like this. $332,650 will go into capital equipment replacement reserve. $133,600 will go into your building maintenance reserve. $33,265 will go over into health trust. And then we'll leave $166,324 in the general fund surplus. So when we compare last year to this year on our fund balance, you can see that our revenues are less than last year and our expenses are less than last year, but still ending the year positively. Our municipal road aid fund did finally get a bright side up in the month of June. We started the year municipal road aid with $353,535. We collected in revenue $1,177,320. We had actual expenses of $1,466,991, which gives us our positive revenue over expenses of $63,864. We only had $88 in encumbrances, so our balance in MRA starting the year will be $63,776. Our capital fund also ended positively. I feel like a lot of that was due to our insurance premium tax because 2.5% of our insurance premium tax gets moved to capital. But we started the year in the capital fund, $967,863 in encumbrances. Collected year-to-date revenue, $3,918,031. We spent $4,586,269, giving us positive in the capital fund of $299,625. And then we had 52,503 in encumbrances. So we're starting the year positive in the capital fund of $247,122. We'll now take a look at each department breakdown of their expenses per budget. And our administrative departments, administration was at 95.1%, tax department was at 97%, information technology end of the year at 92.3%, and legislative end of the year at 86.2%. In our public safety area, the police department ended the year at 94.3%, ECC at 94.1%, the fire department ended at 97.1%, EMS at 97.6%, and fire prevention ended the year at 79.3%. In our public works area, public works admin ended the year at 95.7%, city maintenance at 93.2%, Fort Campbell contracts at 47.4%, the service center at 93.5%, Parks and Rec at 85.4, the Sportsplex at 86.6, and our Aquatic Center ended the year at 67.8% of budgeted expenses. So total general fund, we had budgeted $58,957,230 for the year. We spent $53,731,785. So we spent 91.1% of our budgeted funds. Municipal Road Aid spent 87.3%. And our capital fund spent 97.2% of what was budgeted. So we get to our cash fund balance for the year. We started the year June 30, 25 at $18,269,000. Adding our year-to-date receipts and subtracting our year-to-date expenses gave us our cash fund balance on June 30 of $19,339,430 minus our encumbrances gives us our available cash June 30, $18,616,522. Once we take our available cash and we subtract out our two reserve funds, our unassigned cash fund balance was $17,634,935, and that is 37.6% of our adjusted operating budget. That amount compared to last year's amount, 38.2, compared to 37.6%. And our new little graph that shows we will be on the downhill slide from now until we hit September. We'll go down each month in our available cash each month until we hit October. So I'm going to try to continue this graph on into next year to kind of show you how it goes downhill to our lowest month. My last slide is on our KLC investment fund balance. We ended the year with $1,249,218 cash in the bank, and we had an unrealized gain of $141,216. So the market value was $1,394,034 when we closed the year. Now I'd be happy to answer any questions you guys might have about the financials for June.

Any questions for Ms. Clayton? Thank you, ma'am.

Thank you.

Right. Item 9, approval of minutes for July the 7th, 2026 regular meeting. Motion. Thank you. Got a second. All right. Any discussion? All those in favor say aye. Aye. Opposed, likewise. All right. Moving right along. Item 10. Ordinance 19-2026, Old Lovers Lane and Martin Place two-way stop sign, second reading.

Establish a two-way stop sign at the intersection of Old Lovers Lane and Martin Place Drive. Now, therefore, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, as follows. Section 1, pursuant to Caris 189.337 and Section 70.03A of the Hopkinsville Code of Ordinances, Hopkinsville City Council hereby authorizes the installation of a two-way stop sign at the intersection of Old Lovers Lane and Martin Place Drive. Section 2, if any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is held unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, such infirmity shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. Section 3, all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance are hereby repealed. Section 4, this ordinance shall take effect after its passage in publication according to law and upon posting of the appropriate signage by the Public Works Department.

Motion. Second. All right. Any discussion? All right, clerk, please call the roll.

Council Member Sumner. Yes. Council Member Velez.

Yes.

Council Member Bell.

Yes.

Council Member Gerrard. Yes. Council Member Stallins. Yes. Council Member Marsh.

Yes.

Council Member Crabtree.

Yes.

Council Member Hughes. Yes. Council Member Martin.

Yes.

That passes on second reading.

Okay. Item B, Ordinance 20-2026, FY 26-27, Community Development Block Grant, budget second reading.

Adopting the City of Hopkinsville, Kentucky Annual Community Development Block Grant Budget for Fiscal Year July 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2027 by estimating revenues and resources and appropriating funds. Now they are for be ordained by the City Council of the City of Hopkinsville, Kentucky as follows. Section 1, the Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Community Development Block Grant Budget of the City of Hopkinsville is hereby adopted as follows. Revenues, HUD allocation fiscal year 26-27, 255,114. Total CDBG revenues, 255,114. Expenses, CDBG program administration, 20%, 51,022.80. Public service allocation, 15%, 38,267.10. Public facility improvement program, 77,372.85. Section 108 loan allocation, 88,451.25. Total CDBG expenses, $255,114. Surplus deficit, zero. Section 2, if any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, such infirmity should not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. Section 3, any and all existing ordinances inconsistent with this ordinance are hereby repealed. Section 4, this ordinance shall take effect after its passage and publication according to law. Motion.

Motion. Second by Clayton. Any discussion?

Council Member Bale. In the future, though, I have met with Melissa and Ms. Belinda. I'd just like to see some of those funds maybe go into housing. I know they're working on it in the low and moderate income areas. I'd like to see some of it go to housing and maybe some other organizations besides the Boys and Girls Club, if it's available.

Okay. Any more discussion? Okay. Clerk, please call the roll.

Council Member Sumner. Council Member Les?

Yes.

Council Member Bell?

No.

Council Member Trout? Yes. Council Member Stallins? Yes. Council Member Marsh?

Yes.

Council Member Crabtree?

Yes.

Council Member Hughes? Yes. Council Member Martin?

Yes.

That passes on second reading.

All righty. Item C, 21-2026, FY26-27, Intercity Risk. Enterprise zone budget, second reading.

Adopting the City of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, annual inner-city residential enterprise zone budget for fiscal year July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027 by estimating revenues and resources and appropriating funds. Now, there are funds hereby adopted as follows. Revenues, City of Hopkinsville allocation, fiscal year 26-27, $133,012. Total inner-city res revenues, $133,012. Expenses, neighborhood network coordination. Government plans, 50,000. Programming marketing downtown events, 1,000. Housing incentives, 48,012. Commercial incentives, 10,000. Total inner city res expenses, 133,012. Surplus deficit, zero. Section two, if any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, Such infirmity shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. Section 3, any and all existing ordinances inconsistent with this ordinance are hereby repealed. Section 4, this ordinance shall take effect after its passage in publication according to law. Motion.

I would second. Any discussion? Okay. Clerk, please call the roll.

Council Member Sumner? Yes. Council Member Velez?

Yes.

Council Member Bell?

Yes.

Council Member Gerald? Yes. Council Member Stallins?

Yes.

Council Member Marsh?

Yes.

Council Member Crabtree?

Yes.

Council Member Hughes? Yes. Council Member Martin?

Yes.

That passes on second reading.

Item D, Ordinance 22-2026 Capital Budget Amendment. Melissa, would you please come to the podium? Thank you.

You're turning it over to me?

Yeah, turning it over to you, ma'am.

In the capital budget amendment, we have a recommendation coming from the future funding committee to take the generator that they requested through Hobtown Helps and pay that out of capital. So $50,000 of this capital budget amendment is coming as a recommendation from the future funding committee. The rest of the capital budget amendment is related to a change that we're making in the budget due to the contract negotiations breaking down between CDS and the city. So there are two items in the capital budget amendment for that change, and we are adding a building code department and adding some money to Public Works admin to fund GIS equipment for our GIS coordinator. I'd be happy to answer any questions you guys might have.

Question. Yes. When was it decided to slide this in tonight? Because we found out five minutes before the meeting started.

Doug, when was it decided?

Some of these job descriptions say July the 6th.

Yes, we've been discussing this since July, since we did not have a contract with CDS, and we still do not have it all worked out. Me and the attorney have been talking about it. Tom has been talking about it. So we have decided to move forward.

I think the problem is we haven't been informed of any of it. So we're supposed to vote on this huge change, and we just found out about 30 minutes ago. That's my problem.

Okay. How does this work? Are we making a motion for the first part of this? I see you've got another part down here we need to discuss.

Yes. So instead of just reading the capital budget amendment that was in your packet, we added a couple of items to it.

All right. So I don't know which part's which here, so hold on.

Right now we're dealing with the capital budget amendment.

Okay, so this is just a budget amendment change. Is this the first thing we need to vote on?

Yes.

I'll make a motion.

I need to read it first. Hold on.

Oh, okay.

Hold on. I got to read it first.

It's the weather spotter thing too. Yes.

Amending the City of Hopkinsville, Kentucky Annual Capital Equipment and Property Replacement Budget for fiscal year July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, by estimating revenues and resources and appropriating funds. Now, therefore, be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Hopkinsville, Kentucky as follows. Section 1 of Ordinance 14-2026, adopting the fiscal year 2026-2027 Capital Equipment and Property Replacement Budget of the City of Hopkinsville is hereby amended as follows. Revenues, capital fiscal year 26-27, amended capital fiscal year 26-27. Transfer from general fund, $2,320,546. Transfer from general fund wins additional insurance premium, $393,022. Prior year revenue, $300,000. Total capital revenues, $3,013,568. Expenses, information technology, $272,183. Building code department, $150,000. Police department, $375,541. Fire department, $170,000. City maintenance, $288,000. Service center, $35,000. Parks and recreation, $145,000. Mandated agencies, 90,000. Buildings and properties, 550,000. Transfers, 937,844. Total capital expenses, 3,013,568. Surplus deficit, zero. Section 2, if any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held unconstitutional or otherwise invalid, such infirmity shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. Section 3, any non-existing ordinances inconsistent with this ordinance are hereby repealed. Section 4, this ordinance shall take effect after its passage in publication according to law.

Motion. Second. Motion and a second. Question. Okay. Call the roll.

Council Member Sumner?

Yes.

Council Member Villes?

Yes.

Council Member Bell?

No.

Council Member Trout?

Yes.

Council Member Stallins?

Yes.

Council Member Marsh?

Yes.

Council Member Crabtree?

Yes.

Council Member Hughes? Yes. Council Member Martin?

No.

That does pass on first reading.

All right. That concludes the ordinances. Now we move into other. And other tonight will be Ordinance 23-2026, Operational Budget Amendment.

Amending the City of Hopkinsville, Kentucky annual budget for the fiscal year July 1st, 2026 through June 30th, 2027, estimating revenues and resources and appropriating funds for the operation of city government. Summary, now therefore be it ordained by the City Council of the City of Hopkinsville, Kentucky as follows. Section 1, by summary of Section 1 of Ordinance 13-2026, adopting the annual budget for fiscal year fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2026 and ending June 30th, 2027 is hereby amended as follows. Revenues, general fund, $53,380,003. Municipal road aid fund, $1,325,500. Prior year, zero. Total revenues, $54,705,503. Expenses, $53,380,003. Municipal road aid fund, $1,325,500. Total expenses, $54,705,503. Surplus, zero. Section 2 adopts the classification and compensation plan pursuant to Chapter 30 of the Hopkinsville Code of Ordinances. Section 3 sets authorization to enter into contracts or agreements within budgeted allocations. The full text of this ordinance is on file in the office of the undersigned city clerk of the city of Hopkinsville at 715 South Virginia Street, Hopkinsville, Kentucky, where it is available for public inspection between the hours of 8 o'clock a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Motion. Motion. Second. Motion and second.

Discussion. I have a couple questions, Melissa, probably on the job descriptions to start with.

Okay.

I'm just curious how we have a I see the different pay grades, 11, 13, 14, for the different positions. I get all that. I'm used to that. It's just strange to me that the pay grade 20 has no educational requirements, but a pay grade 13 does, and a 14, and a 17. I just don't.

I'll let Kenny come talk about the job descriptions.

I'd like to understand. I'm sure there's an answer. I'd just like to understand it.

Jessica, for which position?

Well, the one that has no educational requirement is the building code superintendent to pay grade 20. For educational requirements, you just have to have a high school diploma or GED. But most of the others, the 13 and 11, you don't. But the 14s and the 17s, you have to have some kind of educational background degree. It just was odd to me that the highest paying one requires the list.

Very similar to the other superintendents that we have. in that particular area, and that's why we didn't put an educational requirement on there other than a high school diploma.

If I remember, that's like ground maintenance. So currently our, and Kenny, you probably know this off the top of your head because I don't remember, but we don't require a deputy fire chief to have a degree.

No, we do not.

And we no longer require a deputy police chief to have a degree?

No. We prefer it, I think, but I don't think it's required. It is not required.

No law. It used to be. I know that one for a fact. Service center superintendent, none of them have to have degrees? Not required, no. Okay, so it's consistent then. Obviously, I disagree with it personally, but if it's consistent with what our position is.

And for those, normally those that do have a college degree, you put an equivalent combination of education, training, or experience.

Right. I'm good with that. I just wanted to to make sure that that's consistent with it because some of those used to have them. It's just a change that the city went to, which is fine. The second question, Melissa, I guess would apply more for you. What is the difference in what this projected cost is for what are we saying we're taking the exact same budget and we're just moving it back over here and we're going to use that same amount of money to cover this?

Yes.

Okay. That answered my questions. Thank you.

Any other questions? Is there a timeline, like when those positions will be filled, like when they miss a beat in the programs?

Yes. So we have left the first quarter in the line items for CDS. So we would start October 1 with our new building code department. We would hire, we would start advertising in August and hire in September with the start date of October.

Will there be any work being done between August and September? Will CDS still be operating?

Yeah, they'll still be operating. We've budgeted three months for them to continue operations until October 1st. So we don't have a lag in services to the city.

Questions? Yes, sir. The people that have these jobs currently at CDS, what happens to them? They can apply.

Yeah, it'll be like we've done other processes. We have moved people from CDS over as city employees. The process will be the same. We'll advertise the job. They can apply if they'd like to.

Yeah, I would like to discuss that a little more too. That's a good point, Travis. We went through this in 2011 with the ECC, and I'm pretty sure that we took all of those employees when we converted from that separate entity over. I'm pretty sure. I just want to make sure that the people that are in positions have the opportunity or at first kind of right. If you're a good employer, you're a good employee. This has nothing to do with the worker bee for me. This is more of a, it's a governance thing for me. It's a management thing for me. I've always felt the way that I'm going to vote tonight. It's irrelevant who's ran it the same way when Steve Bourne was here. So it's irrelevant to who's, but I want to make sure that the people in those positions have some opportunity up, if you will, to come over, whether that's, we do it like we did back in 2011, Doug, I think you were, with the city then when we merge those entities. I just want to know that that's a...

Yes, we're going to do it the same way when we brought the code department on, the nuisance code department on. We hired the employees from CDS, and they are still working and run our nuisance code department. So we will do it the same as we did then. Thank you. Just to put things in perspective, the contract negotiation will go on.

We've been discussing contracts for about a year and a half now, correct, Doug? Somewhere right in there. You know, we've had it. We talk, we talk, we put it on the table, and then we go back and talk some more. And we've been talking back and forth. Doug and Underwood's been talking. Me and Tom's been talking and Holly on our weeklies and so on. So, you know, it's not just something that just come up today, not the 1st of July. This is something that's been ongoing. For the last three and a half years.

Okay, so we've been operating month to month. Month to month with no contract?

That's exactly right. And I'm trying to nail this down.

You know, you had mentioned, Sumner, that this occurred, similar occurrence in 2011. How many of the people who were hired had already held the position with the other company, or with the other...

I'm not sure I understood what you're saying, but You said we went through a similar hiring process in 2011, correct? We took over. The city of Hockersville took over the 911 center. It was its own entity.

Right. How many of the people who had previously held the position were hired when they put in? Do we know?

I don't know the exact thing, but I think all of them.

Just like we did codes.

I think all of them were. Sergeant Joanne back then.

Just like we did code, we took basically their whole code staff came on board with us when we took codes over Two years ago. Okay.

I think I'm still up on operating without a contract for a year and a half.

Well, it's time to move forward.

Our last contract with CDS was signed by Mayor Lynch.

Okay. Just to make clear for anybody that may be watching, can you just give a brief synopsis of the services that CDS will still provide for the city of Hopkinsville?

Still be providing planning and zoning on that right there. And the empowerment plans and all that will be back upstairs. But we're still going to continue these programs. You know, business as usual for the city will still be going on. You know, basically planning and zoning will be planning and zoning. Everything else will be back under the city umbrella.

We have contracts for those services from CDS. We're working on them right now.

But we still have no contract there. No, but we have to, that takes a different set of steps.

Okay. So where will Legacy... That will be upstairs. Are we... Who will be over that, so to speak, as far as who will coordinate? That's a lot of work.

Yes, that will be a lot of work. We will be hiring people to do that.

Okay, so that's one of the jobs that we're looking at?

Mm-hmm.

Okay.

Yeah, there's a job description in there, intergovernmental program coordinator, and that person will run all the legacy programs.

Okay. Because, see, the other ones were pretty straightforward to me. That one I wasn't 100% sure, but I assumed, and I don't like to assume.

Yeah, that's your program coordinator, and they'll run the legacy programs and some of the other programs we have already, but they'll be responsible for that.

Excuse me.

Why don't we bypass Committee of the Whole with this? Would it have been too much discussion, and that's exactly what you all don't want? Is that what you mean?

No, it's not too much discussion.

I don't have an answer for that. No?

Well, I brought it straight to council. It's time to put this to get this moving. Yay or nay, if y'all want to do it. If you don't, that's fine, too.

It just feels like the slimiest thing I've ever been a part of sitting in this chair since 2020. It just sprung on us when we walked in the door.

You know, I kind of. I'm going to hit back a little bit on that because what surprises me more is that you've been here since 2020. This is the first time it's made this far and every mayor I have been under has had the same complaint. That's what bothers me is now we finally have a chance to take back so we have accountability to what gets done, what doesn't get done. I don't have to listen to one party tell me this much money is sitting aside and we're sitting on 1.9 million, but the city says we're sitting on more. They say we're sitting on less. We bring it back in. The council has the opportunity to do what the council is supposed to do and that's oversee the situation and the funding and where it's at and what's not getting done. And we're able to hold people accountable because they've become our employees.

And I probably could have got behind it if I hadn't found out just a few minutes ago, probably would have, but here we are. I mean, in regards to some of us knew it was coming and some of us that are pushed out didn't know. So that's my problem.

I think in regards to some of the complaints I've had in, in, THE PROCESS OF GETTING PERMITS, I MEAN, I'M DEFINITELY I CAN SEE A VALUE TO A CHANGE, BUT I'M STILL HUNG UP ON RUNNING WITHOUT A CONTRACT. THAT IS A CONTRACTED AGENCY. THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN A CONTRACT. NEW SPEAKER Oh, I AGREE.

THAT'S THE REASON I'M TRYING TO PUT THIS THERE.

NEW SPEAKER I DO AGREE WITH THAT ASPECT. I DO FEEL LIKE THIS WAS A LITTLE SPRUNG ON, AND I KNOW THAT WE HAVE PROCESSES IN PLACE, AND TYPICALLY THIS WOULD GO BEFORE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE, SO I ALSO SEE COUNCILMEMBER MARTIN'S POINT, WHY DID WE SKIP COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE? Why did we cut that process short?

Well, I feel like it needed to be addressed. And if we keep on putting it off, we will still be putting it off in December when it will be someone else's problem in December to have to deal with because we still have to get people hired and get everything up and running. So we might as well go ahead and just bite the bullet and start moving forward now. That is why. Because if we wait, Even now, we take it and we put it on Committee of the Whole in August or Thursday. We're still going to be off again for another month, putting off the hiring process and all this. So we have to start moving forward now. That's the reason I brought it forward. Any more discussion? Clerk, call the roll.

Council Member Sumner?

Yes.

Council Member Velez?

Yes.

Council Member Bell?

No.

Council Member Droud?

Yes.

Council Member Stallins? Yes. Council Member Marsh? Yes. Council Member Crabtree?

Yes.

Council Member Hughes? Yes. Council Member Martin?

No.

That passes on first reading.

Okay. All righty. Yes. Ordinance 24- 2026, amending Chapter 138, Appendix D, to clarify the language in the building code fees.

An ordinance amending Chapter 158, Appendix D, Zoning and Building Permit Fees of the Hopkinsville Code of Ordinances. Now, they are for be ordained by the City Council of the City of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, as follows. Section 1, Chapter 158, Appendix D, Zoning and Building Permit Fees, Subsection D, is hereby amended as follows. The City of Hopkinsville and or its designee is authorized to charge fees for processing applications and permits in accordance with the above schedule of fees, charges, and expenses. All fees collected shall be the property of the City of Hopkinsville and shall be deposited into the City General Fund. Section 2, if any section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this ordinance is for any reason held unconstitutional or otherwise invalid... Such infirmity shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this ordinance. Section 3, all ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with this ordinance are hereby repealed. Section 4, this ordinance shall take effect after its passage in publication according to law.

Motion. Second. Motion to second. Any questions? Any discussion? Excuse me. Clerk called roll.

Council Member Sumner?

Yes.

Council Member Velez?

Yes.

Council Member Bell?

Yes.

Council Member Droud?

Yes.

Council Member Stallins?

Yes.

Council Member Marsh?

Yes.

Council Member Crabtree?

Yes.

Council Member Hughes? Yes. Council Member Martin?

Yes.

That passes on first reading.

Right. We are on item 12, councilman comments.

Question. Yes, sir. For the generator thing. It has to come back a second time before we can get that going. Yes, sir. I'd like to entertain a motion of doing a special call meeting 30 minutes before the Thursday meeting in order to get that through. We had storms that were supposed to come in again tonight. I just feel like every time.

I heard the thunder a while ago.

We just need to go ahead and get it so they can get it started.

I'll second. All right. We'll get Brittany to. We need to vote on that right there. All right. All those in favor of having a special call meeting on 30 minutes before Committee of the Whole on Thursday?

Aye. We have a conflict that day.

I suspect that meeting will be cut quick because we're about done with the work. He's the chairman over there.

I think, Don, we just have one or two left. I'm trying to think who all is in there in the future funding. We just have We're here. I don't think there's much left to do. About 545?

That's fine. We can control the time.

We have a guest coming. We have a guest coming.

Future funding is scheduled for 430. 430 on Thursday.

430 on Thursday. So y'all be good.

Yeah, we should be done by 530.

Awesome. Thank you. Okay. I will get everyone. Any opposed? Excuse me before we get too far along. Didn't ask that question. All righty, that passes. Me and Brittany will get together with y'all tomorrow.

Okay.

Any more councilman comments? All righty, I call on Ward 2 for adjournment.

Doubts kill more dreams than failure ever will, says Susie Kassem. I think that's something that we should definitely keep in mind as we dismiss tonight.

Got a motion? Got a second? All those in favor say aye. Aye. All right. We are adjourned. Thank you.