Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

26. At this time, I'll ask city clerk Davis to please call the role. Commissioner Jeff Sanford here. Commissioner Sharon N. Smith here. Mayor Tom Watson here. Commissioner Curtis Mager here. Mayor Pro Tim Bob Glenn here. Thank you. At this time, if you're able to stand, please stand for the invocation and the pledge by Mayor Pro Tim Bob Glenn.

Bow your heads with me for meditation or prayer, whichever is your choice. Dear heavenly and gracious father, we come together tonight to deliberate the people's business. We hope that you'll be with us and help us to make good decisions that are pleasing unto you and to our community. Lord, we're in the midst of an armed conflict involving our soldiers and military personnel. Please bless and protect them as they go forth through the hostilities in the Middle East, Lord. And Lord, we'd also ask for a quick resolution to that conflict. Lord, we'd ask you to lift up our city. We've been blessed in so many ways. Help us to continue to move forward as a community and to progress and to be a great place to live, work, and retire. We thank you for all you provide, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Amen. And now the pledge. I pledge algiance 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.

Okay. Next item on the agenda, the presentation from our fantastic Owensboro Police Department's annual report. Deputy Chief JD Winkler.

Thank you, Mayor, Commissioners. Um, I see you all have a full agenda, so I'll uh I'll be brief so so y'all can get on with it. Um, appreciate the opportunity to uh to talk about our department. Um I'm we say it every year, but I'm very proud of uh of what the men and women of the department do um day in and day out. Our um call volume 35,000 35,383 calls for service, 13,720 traffic stops. Patrol also assisted in 131 search warrants and supported 46 special events including Friday after 5. um those special events uh took 501 officers to cover those approximately 2,000 manpower hours uh to cover those events. So they're they're staying busy. Um that uh those the calls for service has stayed pretty consistent over the last several years. Um but the special events uh has has increased and it's uh it's making this community uh community better. I'm glad that we have them. Uh but it it does uh does take a lot of manpower to cover those. Um, this doesn't include some of our secondary employment that the officers work as well, like football games and basketball games. So, there's other things on top of this that um that they do, but but we stay we stay busy every day. Um, I'll move on to our uh um uh part one property crimes and and violent crimes. Basically, the part one crimes, the the FBI has a way of categorizing crimes into part one and part two. Um, your part one crimes, I don't want to say they're generally speaking, they're the more serious crimes, but there there's more detailed reporting that goes into them. Um, part two crimes, we don't report as much data outside of arrest data. Um, your part two crimes would be prostitution, gambling, um, public intoxication, some of the lower level crimes like that. Um, as far as our part one crimes, a general trend over the past several years um has been

down and uh we're glad nothing uh nothing not a significant drop, but it has been consistently dropping for uh for several years. Um you know, as I that that's property crimes and violent crimes. Um as I'm looking through this stuff, I I know I try not to look at social media very o very often, but you know, we're kind of kind of stuck with that. But I can't say that um it bothers me every time I hear somebody say or read that uh Owensboro is not safe or Owensboro is getting worse. Um you know I I I say that as as you if you read the um the articles that the messenger puts in about the crimes from 100 years ago and the stuff like that and you look at how violent Owensboro was when we was at a third of the population that we are now. We're in we're in a much better spot. I can say there is not a place in this community that I wouldn't trust my family to be at um that I wouldn't walk to and feel safe. This is a this is a very safe community. Uh move on to um uh let's see, sorry I can't see real good. I didn't have my long range glasses on yet. Um our clearance rates were um as you can see we're up here around uh around 67% um for for violent crimes and uh 38% for um property crimes in the part one category. Uh last year I believe I told y'all you know we shoot for 100%. We're still shooting for 100%. I think it's it's slightly lower. I think we was at 71 72% on our clearance rate last year. Still good compared to the to the state and uh and the nation. it um when it comes to uh comes to solving these crimes, you know, I I talked about the calls on the the first slide um that we go to, you know, it's it's not when officers respond to a call, it's not uh you know, we're finished when we leave. Um a lot of crimes, not all of them, but a lot of these calls um there is hours, dozens of hours, sometimes hundreds or even thousands of hours that goes into

an investigation um to to get these crimes cleared. So, um I'm proud of what our folks are doing, but we're always uh striving to get better and um and we'll keep uh we'll keep plugging away. Some of the [clears throat] stuff that our criminal investigations division uh did, and I I want to want to put this in because um you know, there's there's quite a bit of things that that our our community is fortunate that the World Police Department has. Um, you know, I have the number of fingerprints that we collected. Um, the uh our digital forensics unit and uh the stuff that they did, our internet crimes against children investigations. Um, you know, I'm I'm proud of what C has done with that. Uh, you know, I I'll I'll say this too. Um, they have uh and I'm sure that people have noticed that there's been quite a few arrests that we've made um with um with those investigations. I'll say that um that doesn't necessarily mean that we have more of that crime in Owensboro than anywhere else has, but that is one thing that I will say we are investigating it and not everywhere else is. Um and so um uh don't um don't just assume because we're making arrests for crimes against children um and some of the internet pornography or child pornography crimes that um that it doesn't happen everywhere. Um but we don't want it happening in Owensboro and uh we're doing everything we can to address that. Uh our street crimes unit, seven federal indictments, uh eight pounds of meth, pound of cocaine, 13 pounds of fentinel. Um and you know, they're uh they're plugging away all the time. um trying to uh trying to um make our community less appealing um for uh for the people that that want to do harm and um uh harm our citizens and um fuel the addiction problem that uh that exists. All right, professional standards. Um this year we had 46 investigations uh

that included 123 possible administrative charges. I'll start with um 26 of the complaints were external, 20 were generated internally. So our internal complaints um if uh if we identify something if if a member of the command staff identifies something that needs to be looked into, it doesn't necessarily have to be generated from a uh from an external complaint. um we'll bring it to the chief and the chief will direct PSU to investigate it. Um I'll go a little further and explain it 46 investigations compared to um uh the administrative charges. So an investigation can consist of more than um more than one charge. So if somebody complains that a officer was discourteous um and during the investigation we determine that they also was speeding um that would constitute two charges with that one investigation. So um when PSU looks into something they don't necessarily they do not focus on just the allegation. They look at the entire incident. Um and any mistakes uh that we can improve on uh we we work on them. Um I will say we're not perfect. Um uh we we make mistakes just like anybody else, but we are committed to learning from our mistakes, correcting them, and um uh doing the best we can to serve our community and getting better every day. Um our uh touch on um our OPD graduates. I think we actually have one standing back here from uh from class 2. So they um uh they started the academy January 13th of last year and um y'all just got out on your own what about two months ago?

October.

October. Well, it's been four month time got away from me, but um so they've been out on the street for a little bit now. Um we also had a class three um that that recently graduated. They're in the um training officer phase. They're out there. Um I think that they will be coming out on the street in June is when they'll finish um finish with their training officers. We actually had um class 4 started yesterday morning. So um we're uh we're looking forward to that. I know that um seeing the uh seeing the young officers uh come in on their first day in the academy. Um we we appreciate what y'all have done and y'all support um with with helping helping us get that. All right. Um and I'm almost done. This is uh the last slide and I wanted to wanted to put this in just covering some of the stuff that um that that the officers do. You know, the majority of the things up here, especi coffee with the cop, um a lot of the things that they do, um that's not stuff that that the chief or or me or or the command staff directs them to go out and do. Um it makes me proud of how much stuff that the officers that they bring to us that that they want to do. I know um Operation Santa, I think we're in 14th 15th year um of doing that and delivered 350 mills. And uh you know the great thing about that program is is officers get to bring in their families. We I see kids this past year that were five or six years old when we started and now they're adults, you know, that that are still coming with with their um with their police officer, mother, and father, and helping with that. Um you know, I it's not in here, but uh you know, when they brought during the snow, of course, that was a rough time for every street department had a little harder time than we did, but um uh you know, when they um they brought to us uh that they wanted to take Coco, they saw kids sledding and wanted to take it out

there to them. So, um it was uh it's it's good. That's that's what we want. Um that's the culture of the department and that's that's one of the things that makes me proud that um that they're part of the community that that that's that's what they care about. They know we're citizens first. Um Camp Cops uh um the youth programs golf scramble that um it pays to support. We uh um we put that on every year and that that helps us support without the taxpayer dollars having to support it. the DARE program and a lot of the stuff we do in the schools. And um the last thing that I put in there, our adopted schools program, that's uh that's not something that involves the uh the school resource officers, but basically the officers each shift um the sector that they're working in, the schools that they have um uh their um their adopt a school time that they go there. If if they're working a day shift and school's in session, if they can um they go in, they'll see the kids. um they uh uh check out the school even afternoons and midnight shift. Um they roll by the schools. They'll, you know, check the doors, make sure everything's everything's secure. Um and it's it's just free time when they have there's there's not a whole lot, but it's when they have uncommitted time they're able to get out and um uh make the connections with with the youth in our community.

So, um I don't know what I was at. I was trying to stay, you know, at about seven minutes. I don't know what my time is, but um I'd be happy to answer any questions uh that I could for y'all.

Nothing. Any questions? I had one question. Oh, yes. So, what happens? We have quite a few drugs that get confiscated in the midst of these big drug operations.

Do they just stay locked up in chain, you know, chain of custody storage or do we ever have a point where we would destroy them once the judicial process is done? They are eventually destroyed, sir. Um once they're logged in, uh they go into our evidence collection unit um and they secure them, but it has to we have to maintain them until the um uh the court processes through. Um after conviction, the judge sends over a release and and they're they're basically destroyed in an incinerator. I think um I don't know exactly. I think it's somewhere around Indianapolis, but I may be wrong on that. But there's an incinerator where we take take them and and they're destroyed um there.

Okay. And I just want to thank you and your department. You did a lovely job during Jason Goddard's service last week honoring him and being there for the family. Thank you all very much and everything you do. Thank you, sir. We appreciate you, Chief. I just want to compliment the whole force and the leadership. You know, when I get around the Kentucky League of Cities, mayors, and about four out of five complaining, they get all these complaints from the police department and we don't have that. And I think that's part of your leadership and Chief Elim's leadership and choosing the right folks to keep us safe and I certainly appreciate it and I know everybody else does too. Thank you, sir.

Sir, they um they the the officers do a good job and it's uh that's our job to try to keep y'all from getting phone calls. That's that's my goal.

Just just one quick Thanks, man. Sure. Uh what are you seeing as far as trends on like drugs? Is it is it getting better? Is it getting worse? Are it staying the same? Sir, it it um I don't know. I I can say I remember I think it was 07 or 08 when I went to narcotics and I became a narcotics detective and I I told myself that within a year or two I was going to be able to rid Owensboro of all drugs and and get rid of that. But that didn't really didn't work out too good. Um you know I it's it it goes up and down. Um you know it's uh kind of for lack of better terms whack-a-ole when it comes to it. I mean, um, you know, we will, uh, um, we'll knock off a significant, uh, significant trafficker and there's always somebody there to fill fill that void. And, um, it's, uh, and and I will say, uh, our focus is, um, and and I think that a traditional law enforcement focus, and there's still a lot of agencies that that do it, is um, get there are easy drug arrests to make. Um, it's uh, there's there's a lot of addiction out there. Um, you know, we could go to to, you know, the Cadillac and and you can arrest people that that are are street level users and and patrol does and and and we do address those issues, but but our focus has transition to trying to stop the people that are addicted to power um and and money and not addicted to drugs. They're the one they're the ones that are creating addiction, that are creating victims. And so, so our goal is to try to um uh go to the source. Um and I can say our narcotics detectives, um you know, I it I'm amazed when I see what they're doing. I wish I had those capabilities back when when I was working it, but um you know, they have worked it worked cases all the way back to the source being the cartels. Um they've worked cases out to LA, um to Dallas where the sources are coming from

that are bringing it in here. And um and again, our goal is uh we know we can't eliminate it, but we want to make Owensboro very unappealing for anybody that is um sending drugs into our community and hurting our people. Well, I just want to I want to thank you, too. I know all the the good you guys do and and it's not an easy job. So, really appreciate it. Thank you. Proud to do it, sir. One got another precinct heard from

the precinct. I just want to say as a a business uh running a business downtown um we have lots of opportunities for things to happen uh and I just appreciate knowing that I can call uh dispatch. Your dispatch is great. They ask the right questions and they can also tell by the tenor of my voice or my employees voice whether like they should already be sending a car or not. Fortunately, we don't have a lot, but uh the group that shows up is very respectful and even to the person, you know, you don't go ahead and assume they're the a bad person, for example. So, I think it takes a lot for what y'all do, but it also makes me feel very safe that I don't have to worry about my employees or guests. So, be sure and tell everyone thank you. And it is great. Thank you.

Yes, ma'am. Thank you, ma'am. Commissioner Magdal, thank you, Mayor. I'm very proud to live in a community that is safe and and Owensboro Police Department. It's amazing. Thank you very much for your service and your protection. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Sir. Okay. Next item on the agenda is to consider approval of the minutes from dated February 17, 2026. I'll make a motion to approve. Could I have a second, please? Second. Any further discussion, additions, or deletions? Hearing none. All in favor indicate by saying I. I. All oppose. Motion carries. Thank you. Item six. This will be a roll call for second reading.

Secretary. Ordinance 4-2026 an ordinance amending chapter 2 article 5 of the Owensboroough Municipal Code relating to the Owensboro Human Relations Commission. Read for approval on second reading this third day of March, 2026. Thank you. Y'all make a motion to approve. Could I have a second, please? Second. Thank you, city manager.

Yes, sir. Mayor, this is second reading of various changes to the ordinance creating the onsboro human relations commission or the HRC. The HRC was created in 1972 in accordance with authorizing state statutes and our ordinance has not been updated since 2001. The proposed changes are not substantial and are largely clarifications and cleanups. Changes include the following. Changing references of the appointed board members from commission members to board members to match language that we use with really all of our boards and commissions. Reducing the maximum number of board members from 15 down to 12. The HRC board is larger than really almost every other board. I think now we'd only have one board larger than this remaining. We would stagger the new terms of the board members. Require that board members must be a resident of the community for one year prior to their appointment and must remain a community resident for the duration of their term. Clarify that the HRC is authorized to refer complaints to appropriate agencies, which is their long-standing practice. And finally, clarify that the HRC may but is not required to conduct investigations into complaints that they receive. That's actually what the ordinance says now, but we're changing it to make it more clear. So again, it's not really a substantial change, just more of a clarification in that regard. These changes have been made in consultation with HRC leadership, including the chair, vice chair, and the executive director of their organization.

Thank you. Any more discussion from the dis hearing? None. How about the public? Anybody like to speak? Yes. Well, since we have such a group, y'all can select one to tell your old tell. So, we don't have 15. So, you guys select whichever one wants to go first. Okay, we'll let their side go first. We'll do a rebuttal if there's someone in the last [snorts] setting up for an argument.

Please state your name and address for the record, please. Hello, my name is Dava Kelly. I live at 4631 Sydney Lane, Orangeboro 42301. As board chair, we are on behalf of the board. We are in support of these changes. Um they have not been revised since 2001. And we just want to thank the city for your support.

Thank you. Um you said you wanted to rebuttle them that Hi, my name is Glenda Wright. Um, I have a law degree unlike anyone else on my commission. And I believe, crowd check me if I'm wrong, I think starting two months ago, but really in December, I reached out to this board and said that my commission was breaking the law. I don't know about you all, but I can read the law and I clearly pointed out how we're breaking the law and you say there's no substantial changes and we're just clearing up the language. Then why clear it up? Why just keep it the same? Y'all aren't breaking the law, right? So, just keep the language the same. I also noticed that every time that this has been revised, somehow we always lose commissioners. This is a volunteer board. There's 14 current commissioners, 13 current commissioners, and Anthony Cobb stepped off less than two months ago. So we had an active 14 membership. So my question is is at a time when discrimination and DI are on the chopping block, why would our commission support watering down that language? Why are taxpayers giving over 600 no $100,000 of general tax funds to support something that is an option while we go and spend $450 for plated dinners and we don't do any other real work? None of my commissioners have been trained in the last six months. I saw a paid employee at one of the trainings that I attended. I attended over five trainings. There's a significant issue with this commission. You all are reappointing all the 12 problematic ones that have been on here for years. And somehow the one with the law degree is the only one getting dropped, which is verifiable via the agenda. So, I will continue to publish the emails that I've kept private and I will continue to paint the picture for the public. And if someone had a case that they weren't happily resolved with, I encourage them to seek a lawsuit because you all have every right before this law gets changed that

they were not actively doing their job. So, I congratulate each one of you all for participating in helping watering this down, especially when there's already a state law on the chopping block for this. So, why do it now? Why not just wait until April and see if that one goes through? Because it's the same exact law. It gives the commission an option to do their job. But if not, then you know all of our poor citizens can just take it to the courts. I know our legal system that's a joke. So I just want to say that there are substantial changes and I look forward to the community still showing support and letting their voices be heard because I know you all see received numerous emails asking you all not to do this. This is the community. These 11 people are not. They're bought out members. So maybe we should be paying attention to the area right here because that's who's going to be voting. Well, probably not will not be voting for you all during the primary or general. So, congratulations. Thank you for not listening to the public. We really appreciate that and we'll continue to, as one person on my uh Facebook said, stay on y'all's necks. Thanks.

I'm sorry I didn't get your address, please. Oh, it's probably on the record, but I know you haven't been here for the last two weeks, so you might have missed me, but okay, we'll have a roll call vote now, please. Commissioner Sanford, yes. Commissioner Nesmith, yes. Mayor Watson, yes. Commissioner Mager, yes. Mayor Pro Tim Glenn,

yes. Thank you. Motion is approved.

Next item on the agenda, it's the first reading of an ordinance. There will be no vote. Ordinance 5-2026, an ordinance annexing to the city of Owensboro certain unincorporated territory in the county of Davis adjoining the present boundary line of the city being property located at 1205 Euing Road containing a total of 10.393 acres more or less at the request of Regional Water Resource Agency introduced and publicly read on first reading this third day of March 2026. Thank you, Miss Davis. City Manager, would you like to expound on this?

Yes, sir. Mayor, happy to. This is first reading of an ordinance annexing approximately 10.3 acres on Euing Road. This property is owned by RWR, and it's the site of their Max Road sewer treatment plant. Most of the RWA property has been annexed, but this portion never has. You can see on the map there is the area in red that will be annexed today. If you see at the bottom where Euing Road comes up, makes that 90 degree turn, turns into Medley. So, you're probably familiar with the Max Rolls treatment plan. It's been there for for decades. They've got some kind of project plan and they're just cleaning it up to make sure all of the project or all of the juris excuse me, all the property is in the proper jurisdiction. Thank you. Any other discussion from the dis? Any discussion from the public? Hearing none. Ordinance 6-2026, an ordinance amending the annual budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025 and ending June 30, 2026, and amending Ordinance 6-2025 to appropriate appropriate funds for elevator repair at the Allen Street parking garage to receive and appropriate funds for the Ben Hall's pickle ball courts, police officer training, and tra traffic safety. Introduced and publicly read on first reading this third day of March, 2026. Thank you. City Manager, please.

Yes. This is first reading of a budget amendment ordinance. Items in the amendment include the following. To provide funding to repair an elevator in the River Parking Garage. It's been down for several months. To account for the receipt and expenditure of additional funding from the River City Pickleball Club, which we'll discuss in a later agenda item today. to appropriate existing restricted funds for police officer training to account for the expense and revenue of grant funds and various corrections and transfers. We're really just moving money for tracking and budgeting purposes other than funding from the elevator. These are just kind of typical budget amendments that are largely housekeeping items.

I hope they'll clean it up when they're working on it. Are they awful? Any discussion from the disar? None. Any discussion from the public? Thank you. Item eight, please.

Municipal Order 6-2026, a municipal order declaring property located at 3140 Fair View Drive as surplus property and authorizing the mayor to execute a deed conveying tracks containing a total of 0.067 67 acres and permanent and temporary easements over additional tracks to the Commonwealth of Kentucky for the use and benefit of the transportation cabinet for the purpose of improving Fair View Drive. Read for approval on one reading this third day of March 2026. Thank you. Motion to approve. Could someone make a motion to approve, please? Motion. Could I have a second, please? Second. City manager.

Yes. The state has a much needed project to widen Fairview Drive between Highway 54 and Settles Road. To do so, they need to acquire a small piece of property from the city. So, this mutter approves the sale of 067 of an acre. That's less than onetenth of an acre. So, it's quite a small piece of property. Uh the property we're transferring to the state is essentially a ditch. So, it's of nominal value. However, the state is paying us $1,000. So again, if you'll look at the map on your screen there, you can see Fairview Drive on the left. Those are the two retention basins behind the strip mall. You can see on the top and the white roof, that's the the strip mall where Papa John's is located. And so that's property that basically is just for retention of water. And so they need to acquire that ditch there for essentially the same purpose. So again, happy to do that to facilitate a much needed project.

Thank you. Any other discussion from the public? Hearing none. Call for the vote. No. No roll call. All in favor? Yes. I I motion app to approve.

8B, please. Municipal Order 7-20226, a municipal order authorizing and directing the mayor to execute a memorandum of agreement with 700 Freredica Street LLC, providing that the city shall pay 700 Fredica Street, LLC, an incentive per residential unit built on property located at 700 Fritica Street. Read for approval on one reading this third day of March, 2026. Thank you. I'll make a motion to approve. Could I have a second, please? Second. Thank you. uh city manager.

This municipal order approves an incentive agreement for the project at 700 Frederick Street, which was most recently a US Bank and a lot of people may remember it in the past as the Cardinal Federal Bank. Uh the developers are renovating the building and adding an additional floor. So, it's actually kind of a neat project. You don't see that very often to have a floor added to the top of a building. When completed, the project will feature 16 residential units on the second and third floors. We're providing the same incentive for this project as we did several years ago for each residential unit at the Brio project on Second and Third Street, which is approximately $6,100 per unit. Thank you. Any discussion from the DAS? How about the public?

Hearing none, all in favor indicate by saying I. I. All oppose. Motion carries. Thank you. I hate to see you, please. Municipal Order 8-2026, a municipal order adopting the community risk assessment and standards of cover of the Owensboro Fire Department. Read for approval on one reading this third day of March, 2026. All right, I'll make a motion to approve this. Could I have a second, please? Second, city manager.

Yes, this mater's [snorts] community risk assessment and standards of cover document. You might recall Chief Howard presented that element back at our November 18th meeting late last year. The document describes the risk from fire, hazardous materials, health emergencies, and more based on incident data and research by the fire department. Importantly, the document also describes the resources that our fire department deploys to mitigate those risks that are identified. A key feature is a multi-point plan developed by the fire chief to guide continuous improvement of the agency based on findings throughout the document. Formal adoption of this document by the governing body or you guys is a recommendation from the center for public safety excellence which is the governing body for the international fire accreditation process and that's a process through which OFD is going through now and is hopefully will be completing that process next month. So again, this is just ratifying something he presented to you back in November.

Thank you. Any discussion from the dis. How about the public? Anybody want to weigh in on this? Hearing none. All in favor indicate by saying I. I. All oppose. Motion carries. Thank you. Item 8 D, please. Municipal Order 9-2026, a municipal order authorizing and directing the mayor to execute an amended partnership agreement with River City Pickle Ball, Inc. read for approval on one reading this third day of March, 2026. Thank you. I'll make a motion to approve. Could I have a second, please? Second.

Thank you, city manager. This municipal order approves an amendment to our existing agreement with the River City Pickle Ball Club for their participation in the pickleball facility that's under construction out at Ben Hall's Park. The amendment increases the club's contribution from $500,000 up to $700,000. We do [snorts] give the club an extra year to fully fund this higher contribution. However, as uh the previous agreement gave them four years and they now have five years to raise this money. This allows the club to do a five-year sponsorship term as they continue their fundraising efforts. We understand that that effort is actually going very well and we appreciate the partnership with the club. It has been a good project.

Thank you. Any discussion from the dis? How about the public hearing? None. All in favor indicate by saying I. Please. I. All opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. Item 8E, please. Municipal order 10-2026, a municipal order authorizing and directing applications for funds from the US Department for Housing and Urban Development for various public works, economic development, and infrastructure improvement projects, including funds for Ohio Riverbank stabilization, development of the Massie site, and the landing. read for approval on one reading this third day of March, 2026.

Thank you. City manager, you want to start tell us about the the bank stuff?

I will. I will. And this this item actually just came up really last Thursday or Friday. So, just just a few days ago uh when we were contacted by representatives of uh well, Representative Guthy's office uh to submit projects for possible funding. They suggested that we provide various projects for the congressman to consider. The deadline to do so is actually tomorrow. So it is something that we tried to get together uh quite quickly. We plan to submit the development of infrastructure at the Massie site which we've talked about several times. Uh the landing which is a initiative of the economic development corporation and then also a riverfront a river bank stabilization project. We're having some uh potential issues along the bank uh there between the convention center and Smother's Park. So those are the projects that we plan to submit for the congressman's consideration.

Thank you. Uh any other discussion from the dis? I just had a quick question for the city manager. Mayor, that's okay. So what is the range of possible funding? Uh Mr. City Manager, let's say the the bank is a good one. I went and looked at it after your our discussion about it and that seems like a they're all seem like worthy projects, but that seems like it might be the most immediate. It it it could be. I think we're submitting for that project a request of 6.5 million. So, so there was no cap on the on the request that we could submit. We did ask that the congressman's office and they said really just identify your your biggest needs and they would go from there. And what's the time frame on a decision?

I think this is something that would potentially be funded in next fiscal next federal fiscal year which doesn't even begin until October. So, it's not a quick process. Thank you, mayor. Thank you, city manager. You're welcome. Any further discussion, please? All right. All right, I'll make a motion to approve this. Could I have a second, please? Second. And we've gone through the other things. So, I'll call for the vote. All in favor indicate by saying I. I.

All opposed. Motion carries. Thank you. Board appointments. This time, I'd like for you to consider these uh board appointments, please. Property Maintenance Code Enforcement Board appoint Brian Hedges to a three-year term expiring January the 7th, 2029. City employees pension board closed appoint Sue Napper to [snorts] a four-year term expiring December the 31st, 2029. Thank you, Sue. Paulo Area Neighborhood Alliance appoint Carly Roby to a two-year term effective March the 3rd, 2026. The Dogwood Aelia Neighborhood Alliance reappoint I was going to say Mary Lou Mary Mary Anne Steel to a two-year term effective March the 20th, 2026. Housing Authority of Orangeboro Board reappoint Rick Cersi to a four-year term effective March 22nd, 2026. Human Relations Commission reappoint Rafe Buckner, Courtney Carter, Vina Salon, Chris Stuckle. Sorry if I messed that up. Two two three-year terms effective March the 15, 2026. Appoint Anita Jackson, Dava Kelly, Ununice Taylor, Jean Bogle to two-year terms effective March 15, 2026. Appoint Chris Johnson, Lee Knuckles. Uh oh. Kbar Shafak. Is that close? My friend out there in the plaid jacket. How's that? Okay. All in favor Mary li. Okay. Mary Anne. I've known her as Mary Lou for about what 50 years maybe 40 years. All right.

I'm lost. Where am I? And Maryanne Steel to a one-year term effected March the 15, 2026. Uh, Dugen Best Neighborhood Alliance appoint Anita Jackson to a two-year term effective March 3rd, 2026. And Wesley and Shaunie Neighborhood Alliance appoint Tom Pope and Miss D Wii Toki. Sorry if I butchered that up. A two-year term effective March the 3rd, 2026. I make a motion to approve these appointments. Could I have a second, please? Second. Any further discussion? Hearing none. All in favor indicate by saying I.

I. All oppose. Motion carries. Thank you. City manager items. Yes. Tonight we have the following. They're all regular full-time non-Ivil service appointments. So these are folks who have completed their probationary period and transitioning to regular status. Joshua Ston, Lieutenant Fire Department effective February 28th. Hunter Cavender, Joshua Hayden, Caleb Neman, Samantha Stevens, and Ian Wilson, firefighter with the fire department effective March 9th. And Dartez Ashley, refuge truck driver with sanitation department effective March 10th. Thank you. I'll make a motion to approve. Could I have a second, please? Second. Any further discussion, petitions, or deletions? Hearing none. All in favor indicate by saying I. I.

All oppose. Motion carries. Thank you. City manager comments.

Uh, two items. First, I've been informed that uh there's a Facebook outage. It's not specific to us. It's a nationwide outage. So, our meeting is not live streaming on Facebook like it normally would. However, the you channel and our website are fine. So, if you need to find this later, you can go to the YouTube channel or to uh the website. It will not be on Facebook evidently. Again, not specific to us, but a nationwide outage. Uh secondly, I did learn today uh according to the Government Finance Officers Association, today is National Procurement Day. So, I just wanted to take a moment to recognize our procurement team, Kaylin Fox and Whitney McFarland. Of course, they're under oversight of Angela Winger. So, they do great work. So, just wanted to acknowledge them on their day. [applause] Okay. Do we vote? We already on going to open.

Nope. Okay. Number 11. Our next meeting will be communication from elected officials. Mayor Pro Tim,

just a couple of real quick items. Uh saw that we had a very successful archery tournament this weekend. Filled the convention center. Got a lot of positive media. Uh, and uh, I understand this is like their second or third year in a row they've come and apparently they like Owensboro. So, that's good. And then I was sort of excited to see we have a K-pop demon hunters like con event. And while that may not mean much to some of you, that's a really hot area of the music industry. So, I was excited to hear we were attracting something that younger people would be interested in. So, is that country music? Huh? What is it? Country music.

Uh, not exactly, mayor. No, no, not exactly, but there's a golden future in it if you get the joke. All right, so that's it. Thanks, Commissioner Maglinger. Thank you, Mayor. You want to follow that? Thank you, Mayor. Glad to have you back. Yeah.

No, after reading an article uh in the paper regarding some things at English Park, I I've gotten some concerns from citizens and I just want to recommend maybe slowing down. we'll get get us some time to re get some details on it. Uh, you know, I know we need some renovations down there, but I just want to make sure that our our uh current projects are priority uh for our public safety. Thank you. Thank you, Commissioner N Smith.

Oh, you got my name right. Good. Thanks. I just wanted to say um the Green River Food Warehouse is still uh those that team is still meeting. They have raised significant dollars. Um the there still needs uh $1 million left to do. Uh so this um I don't know sometime in whatever I'm reading uh Lowe's has a a grant application out and so I will try to get that information out on the uh uh I'll get with Shaylee to get that out. Uh we're individuals can nominate a project and they will help with the renovation and things of it. So, uh there's some guidelines and stuff uh some of the leaders of of that project uh I've alerted them to. So, if you see something that says uh a good reason why we should have our food warehouse, Green River Food Warehouse, um you know, send a note. It doesn't even have to be pretty. Just say, "Hey, we need this in a Onesboro." And for those of you that don't know about it, it's basically going to be a warehouse that will have freezer section and storage and will supply uh be open for the 30 pantries in our city that are um that don't have that storage space. And those pantries will also be able to go to that warehouse once it's open to be able to uh get supplies or needed food without paying something. So, it's a longterm project. there's been a lot of people behind that and both city and county have supported it too. So, um it, you know, it's one of those things you wish it could happen tomorrow, but at least it's on its way. So, if you So, what I'm going at is if any of y'all are just randomly reading something that says we need a, you know, if we get a grant, we'll give you, you know, $500 or whatever it is, let me or some of the

people on that board know because we'll we'll do whatever that we need to make that happen. Thank you. Yeah, we thank Steve Inennis, you know, it was his project and yeah, yeah, Steve actually put together uh about 10 bullet points for me. So, I will get those posted out just so everybody will know so that when you write that letter and says we need needs this money, you can say here's 10 reasons why or something. So, thank you. Thank you. Did u health donate them some land where it's going to be located? Not that I I know actually. No. Uh is that I think they're buying property that's kind of an existing storage facility. We'll renovate and expand that.

Okay. Yeah, that was very good that we didn't have to build something new. We can renovate. So that's exciting. So when I heard Lowe's and I thought renovation, the two kind of went together with hammers. So thank you. Great. Is that everybody? Oh J, Commissioner.

Just a couple things, you know. U we have a tight-knit community here and in light of things that have happened in our community the last couple weeks and then you look at the conflict in the Middle East. I think u you know it's good time to pray for our soldiers and other people in our community that uh you know are hurting. So but but I feel like Owensboro does a really good job and I think we pick each other up pretty good when things don't go our way sometimes. So uh I think the power of prayer really helps. So, I think we need to keep everybody in our prayers, especially our military right now. Ditto. Yes. So, uh that's okay. That's that's all, mayor. Thank you. Thank you. Uh for information purposes, our next meeting will be three March the 17th and will be a trolley tour of all the projects. So, we can't take all of you with us, but uh we're going to go out and see what we're spending your money on. And I think it'll be We did this a couple years ago, didn't we? Almost got in a ditch or something. Was pretty tight out there going to the dump.

We should wear tennis shoes. Yeah. Yeah. We're good walking shoes. Okay. How you doing over there, M?

Good. All right. This is open public forum. Members of the audience may address the board of commissioners on any matter of public concern that was not on the agenda. Comments are limited to issues within the scope and responsibility of the commission. Commission meetings are held to conduct the city business for the benefit of Orangeboro citizens taxpayers. At this time, anyone who wishes to address the city commission, please make their way to the podium and be recognized. Speakers must state their name and address for the clerk's record and limit their remarks to three minutes or less. Since item's not on the agenda, no response is required from the staff or the commissioners. Who's up? Okay.

Uh thanks, Mayor U. Chris Stitchel, live at 900 East 3rd Street, Owensboro, 42303. Thank you. Um, just want to say that uh we're doing great things in the city and I appreciate the work of you guys on the board as well as uh the many city boards uh including the one I'm currently reappointed to. Can you speak up just a little? Sorry. There you go. I'm not like Mr. uh Glenn over there. I'm not very good at public speaking.

Nobody is. So, I guess what I just want to say is um as we have all these things going on in our community and in the state as a whole and the nation and the world, I'd like to put a call out for compassion and unity. Um, as well as working toward a better Owensboro. Even though I'm pretty new to Owensboro and probably considered by folks to be an outsider, I've been here for a couple years now and I've really grown to love the place. uh greatly love working at the Nebblelet Center and the Patino shelter handling their finances and getting to see the great work that is done every day through mission work of some really significant nonprofits in town. Um I'd like to extend my appreciation to the commission and the city for their support of all the nonprofits including the food warehouse, the senior center which you guys are doing great work with right now. uh as well as you know in the past the Nebblelet Center, Patino, etc. Um I don't know about you guys, but I'm committed to upholding inclusion and accessibility in our community in spite of, you know, any types of behaviors that come my way. And I just want to extend the love and prayer that this community is founded upon. Thank you guys for your time.

Thank you. [applause]

It's like a barberh shop. Next. Look like I'm next. Jamie Sers, 2411 Haydenbridge Road, 42301. Okay. Uh, a little background as to what led me here tonight. Uh my my one of my biggest parts of the job I do professionally, I do a lot of market analysis in the construction industry. So I'm always out checking jobs, talking to workers, making sure everybody's getting what they're supposed to get. I stopped at the uh new board of education building a few months back, talked to some workers there. Uh they were from Bowling Green, Nashville, down that way working on this project. Uh they they told me they were getting paid in cash, which you know, we all know that's wrong. Uh mclassification of workers is really a drain on our community. Every community, uh we're not the only ones that had the problem. Costs a lot of money. That led me to talking to a few of the commissioners uh which in turn led me to Mr. Hancock. we were able to sit down and talk with Leland and uh Dana Kums, I believe is who we met with. Uh kind of expressed our our concerns on what was going on. And it led me into checking a lot more jobs around this town, just seeing how many contractors are working in this area without a business license. uh if they don't have a business license, chances are they're not paying taxes, they're not paying the unemployment,

they're not, you know, the workman's comp premiums are not being paid on their workers. And a lot of them are out of town contractors coming in. What I'm finding is, man, I'm I'm getting tired of my tax money going to these out of town contractors that are not abiding by the same rules that our local contractors have to abide by. And you know, it's it's in my opinion, it really hurts our community. It's taking tax dollars out of the base. These guys are are coming in. They're doing our work. They're taking the money out of town. None of it stays here. None of it circulates here. It's it's just a bad deal. Uh I have a list of 17 contractors that I've checked downstairs. Out of the 17, two contractors are licensed to do business in this community out of 17. So what what I have uh you know when when we met with Leland we talked about a responsible bidder ordinance for the city of Orangeboro. He asked for a an example that was being used in the state of Kentucky.

Please continue.

It wasn't really hard to find uh for me for my job that I do. You know I was able to pull one up. I sent it in. I actually sent it to all the commissioners and and you, Mr. Mayor, uh yesterday to for everybody to take a look at in the hopes that we could possibly get something in our area similar to what I sent everybody. It was kind of weak as far as the language and some of it may work, some of it may not. One of the things that that was not in the one that uh from Marshall County that I would like to see in there is any of these out of town contractors come in not only abide by all the rules, get all the licensings, everything that they need to to make it fair for the locals to compete against them. If they can do all of that and still get the job, maybe we should make sure that at least 50% of the manpower is local manpower. That way, it's it's keeping our people working. It's, you know, helping our tax base, and I don't feel like I'm getting ripped off every time I see a project going on with uh Texas and Tennessee license plates. So, any questions? Nope. Thank you for your time.

Thank you. Anybody else? If you thought what they said was harsh, I'm going to be fire and I guarantee it. Name and address for the public.

Belly McCarthy, 9154, Highway 405 Macio. I have various issues I was going to talk about from the riverfront homelessness uh rental temporary labor onsboro revenue but I want to start on the fire department training center. I blame all the commissioners and the mayor and the fire department officials who were in office when they made this decision. Who made the moronic idiotic decision to build the training center in a oneb block area landlocked with no room for expansion. Now, I thought it should have been maybe out by the airport where you could train on um buses, maybe airplane fuser lodges or um uh rail cars for like hazardous material and and fires. Now, this is where it's going to get good. In comparison, the police department's firing range and training facility has access to 352 acres. 352. How many acres does the training center have? Two acres. That's embarrassing. That's absolutely embarrassing. And y'all allowed this decision to go along. Nobody had any other suggestions and no one even fought against it. I mean, that is that is I don't know. I mean, y'all none of you should be reelected in my opinion. If this was compared to if this was a uh guns and hoses um tournament, the fire department would have been a first second knockout in the first round. Now, this isn't just I did my research and this property was purchased in 1960.

How come the residents of Warsboro has not have access to this 352 acres during all that 1960? Does anybody This is from the property valuation and admin administration office. These are the maps that shows the 352 acres or this this is a training center and this is the 352 acres out in Udica. Y'all should be absolutely embarrassed and y'all call yourself professionals. I I only have a high school diploma and I was able, you know, it it's just y'all are just ignorant and that's enough. Thank you. Oh, wait. I still got what 29 seconds.

I get to control that. I'm not going to be sitting there being told by somebody listening to county. You gave him more time. No, no, that's fine. Hey, if you want to limit my free state free speech, you know, and I'm sure you will um have a uh special meeting to limit people that you don't agree with, but that's all right when I get to the mic, please. Perfect. I'll wait for time to start.

Hi, Glenda. Write once again. 7-Eleven jet place. We had a lot of people talk about God, but boy, I guess I'm the only one that brought my Bible. And look at this. Boy, is it a used Bible. I use tissues to read it. I get coffee stains on it, multiples. I know this Bible. So, everybody want to get up here, talk about God. Well, I actually believe in God. God comes first. So, I don't get paid to be on this commission. I ruin I ruined my reputation by going against you all. But, I'm okay with that. So, I got something prepared. So, here's my family. I'm from Owensboro. This is my family. This was taken at Breen Ridge United Methodist Church when I was a little girl. I sang in the church choir. I'm from here. Chris. Okay. Interesting. He's here for two years, but we'll get to that. Okay. So, this is my family. These are my roots. Okay. Let's talk about an Owensboro Living article because, you know, at 22, they were already doing profile pieces on me. I'm going to read just a little bit of that. Where there is a will, there is a way. Because baby, I have not had an easy life here in Owensboro. Glenda Wright is a very poised, extremely articulate. Then we'll end it with this. This is a direct quote from me at 22 about Owensboro, Kentucky. Even though I have been away from Owensboro, I have roots here. This is where my heart is at. I would love to come back to Owensboro, lol. Settle down here, buy a house, have a career here, whatever that looks like, because this is home. So, this is home. You all are going to be out in probably 15, 20 years. Heck, I hope the mayor is because Lord knows he's had his run. This is my city. So, I have a really big problem with you and your little buddies coming in here and causing mayhem when it's my children. They're going to have to grow up here. I'm articulate. I have a jurist doctorate. I have a business degree. I think I shared all my modern with uh our city manager. So, I'm going to end it with this. My friend after law school sent me this. She is now an attorney um constitutional litigation clinic. Surprise, surprise. We both did

that in law school because I believe in the constitution. A lot of people here don't seem to. This is what she said about me. She wanted me to keep this on my wall and I do. When we speak, we are afraid our words will not be heard or welcomed. But when we are silent, we are still afraid. So, it is better to speak. So, I will end it here. You all should feel ashamed. Mayor Tom Watson, Bob Glenn who's a Democrat, Sharon Nie Smith who is a stated Democrat, Curtis Mager, and Jeff Stanford. And then we'll just go ahead on to the back. Ronda Roundoff who's running for office while receiving over six figures from this city board. Uh David Kelly who's been on leave for four months, five months, not seeing a word from her. And Lee Knuckles and Rafe Buckner who sit on the executive committee and has never done their job. Thank you. Anybody else like to share their opinion of us local officials? Okay, I'll make a motion to adjurnn. Could I have a second, please? Second.

We are journed.