Board of Commissioners - Regular Meeting

Welcome everyone to the people's house. At this time, I'll ask the city clerk Davis to please call the Commissioner Jeff Sanford here. Commissioner Sharon D. Smith here. Mayor Tom Watson here. Commissioner Curtis Mager here. Mayor Pro Tim Bob Glenn

here. Thank you. Uh at this time if you able to stand please and remove your caps for invitation and the pledge. Please join me in meditation or prayer whichever is your preference. Dear heavenly father, we thank you for the blessings of living in this beautiful city on a river. We thank you for all the progressive movement in our economy and socially in this great city. And we thank you most of all for the benefits of living in this great country, Lord, and all the blessings you provide. And so, as we prepare as a body of decision to come together tonight, help us make decisions that are pleasing unto you and move our community forward in a positive way. Bless all of our city employees, keep them protected and safe from harm. And more importantly, Lord, we'd ask for uh insight into how to uh make our community more loving and supportive, particularly in light of the impending possibility that SNAP food benefits may be cut off. Lord, we're better than that as a country. We're better than that as a state. We're better than that as a community. Let's come together to breach fill the breach. Oh Lord, we thank you for all the blessings you provide in Jesus name. Amen.

Amen. 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. [snorts]

Okay. The first item on the agenda tonight is a proclamation or the next item I guess should say national care and home month care at home month and national hospice and pallet of care week proclamation. So Sharon I will ask you to go down and read the proclamation. I gave you 30 seconds warning.

Whereas National Care at Home Month recognizes the importance of compassionate patient centered care provided where people feel most at peace in their homes and communities. And whereas hospice and palative care week observed November 2nd through the 8th, 2025 honors the dedicated professionals and volunteers who provide comfort, dignity, and support to individuals and families facing serious illness or end of life. And whereas hospice and palative care embody the values of compassion, respect, and community by helping patients live fully and families find peace through care, comfort, and connection. And whereas millions of Americans recovering from acute illness or injury or living with serious or lifelimiting illnesses and their loved ones receive care from home care, hospice and palative care providers in communities throughout the United States each year. And whereas the central philosophy of home care puts patients first, ensuring a coordinated and person- centered approach to care, protecting patient patient choice and access to individualized services based on a patients unique care needs and wishes. Now therefore, I Thomas H. Watson, [laughter] mayor of the city of Owensboro, do hereby proclaim November 2025 as National Care at Home Month and November 2 through the 8th, 2025 as National Hospice and Palative Care Week in the city of Owensboro and encourage citizens to increase their understanding and awareness of home, hospice, and pallet of care and discuss their health care wishes with their families. Signed and sealed this fourth day of November, 2025. [applause]

All right. So, I am Hannah Cecil. I'm the marketing coordinator here at HPC. And then I'll just let everybody introduce. You want to introduce yourself? Pam Smith, right? And then this is Kaylee Gordon, Vicki Vicky Singleton. And then Blake Edge, our new CEO. So, oh, and then Beth back here. She's also on our board. I'm not trying to to forget about her. So, thank you so much for having us.

I guess you [applause] So, real quick before y'all move on, like she said, November 2nd through the 8th is hospice and pallet of care month. So, we're proud. We've been offering services for over 47 years um in Davis, Hancock, Hopkins, and Muenberg counties. And we offer hospice care, pallet of care, as well as grief services. Um so the grief services those are free to anyone in the community whether or not we have served you all through hospice and pallet of care and then for hospice and pallet of care if you need a consultation if your loved one you know just call us we'll come out for free and you know we've been really pushing anyone can refer to hospice that's a really big misconception that we've been fighting you know you can refer yourself you can refer your neighbor you know friends anyone so if you ever have any questions just give us a call we'd be happy to help y'all out and thanks again for having Yes.

Next item on the agenda is National Homeless and Hunger Awareness Week Proclamation. Commissioner Sanford. Thank you, Mayor.

All right. Uh whereas many Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, forced to choose between basic necessities like purchasing food, paying rent, or going to the doctor. And whereas approximately 37.2 million Americans currently live below the poverty level, 44 million are at risk of suffering from hunger and 580,000 are homeless on a typical night. And whereas [clears throat] the gap between incre uh increasing housing cost and stagnant incomes widens, the end result is that more people become homeless. And whereas there are many organizations in Owensboro committed to sheltering and providing supportive services as well as meals and food supplies to people experiencing homelessness. And whereas transitioning homeless homeless citizens towards self-sufficient requires multifaceted approach which begins with targeting specific causes that lead to homelessness and a realistic plan of intervention of intervention strategies and services. Now therefore I Thomas H. Watson, mayor of the city of Owensboro, do here proclaim November 16th through 20th, 2025 as National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week and November as Homelessness Awareness Month in Owensboro and encourage all citizens to recognize that many people do not have housing and need support from citizens and private and public nonprofit services and entities.

[applause]

What a thorn between two roses. My gosh. [laughter] You're welcome. You're welcome. Anybody want to speak? Well, I didn't come prepared to speak, so I'll just say this. That's okay. That's good enough.

Thank y'all. It means a lot. It really does. Every day I do this, it just gets a little harder, but we're starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel, and we couldn't do it without the support of the city and county. So, thank y'all so much. Thank you. [applause] Okay, next item on the agenda, consider approval of minutes dated October the 21st, uh, 2025. I'll make a motion to approve these minutes. Could I have a second, please? Second. Thank you. Any discussion? deletions or additions hearing. None. All in favor indicate by saying I. I. All

oppose. Motion carries. Thank you. Consider board appointments. Orange Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. We appoint Calvin Williams to a two-year term. Um expiring November the 2nd, 2025. We appoint David Curry to a two-year term effective November the 8th, 2025, and appoint Amanda Green to a two-year term effective November the 8th, 2025. The Westland Shaunie Neighborhood Alliance appoint Jesse Ogleby to and Josh Ogleby and Robert Galin III and Susan and Bartlett to a two-year term effective November the 4th, 2025. Apollo Area Neighborhood Alliance reappoint Rob Shell to a two-year term expiring November the 2nd, 2027. I'll make a motion to approve these appointments. Could I have a second, please? Second.

Any discussion? Hearing none. All in favor indicate by saying I. I. All oppose. Motion carries. Thank you. We'll move the ordinance. There will be no vote. City clerk. Mr. Best. Ordinance 19-2025, an ordinance establishing procedures governing suspensions or revocations of the privilege to ride Owensboro Transit System buses. introduced and publicly read on first reading this 4th day of November, 2025. Thank you, city manager.

Yes, mayor. This is first reading of an ordinance creating a procedure for suspending the rights of riders to participate a ride on the transit system. Unfortunately, we do occasionally have unruly riders and their behavior may be disruptive or at times even uh involving intervention from uh law enforcement and so we uh need a mechanism to suspend their privileges on the bus system. We didn't have anything in place that was approved to do so. So this ordinance basically puts that structure in place and it models it based on what we do for the parks department as well to where we have a structure that's been in place for the parks for a considerable number of years to where park staff can do a short-term suspension and then I can do a long-term suspension and then if the agreved party wishes to appeal then they have due process rights and then they can come to you as the board of commissioners and you can determine whether that suspension is upheld or not. So this basically does for transit what we have already done for the parks department. Unfortunately just the reality of uh what we deal with occasionally is that we have to suspend people from riding and so this would give us authorization to do so.

Thank you. Any other discussion? I just had one quick question. Uh so what range are we looking at? Would we ever get to a point where we would ban somebody permanently from riding the bus? I don't know that we've done that at least at at parks before. Typically, well, the suspension will will be determined by the length of their offense. So, I recall anywhere from three months to a year or perhaps more. I don't remember ever doing a lifetime ban. Uh but typically, it's commensurate with their offense. Okay. Thank you, city manager. Thank you, mayor.

Okay. I'll make a motion to approve this municip. What? That was for Oh, I'm on the wrong one. Sorry. Item number seven, please. Municipal order 25-2025. A municipal order authorizing and directing the mayor to execute a memorandum of agreement between the city of Owensboro and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Department of Military Affairs, Division of Emergency Management establishing conditions for receipt of FEMA public assistance program grant funding. Read for approval on one reading this 4th day of November, 2025. Thank you. I'll make a motion to approve. Could I have a second, please? Second.

City manager, please tell us about this. Yeah, happy to. As I'm sure everyone will remember, back in April, we had some severe weather and flooding. That event did trigger a disaster declaration. Uh, this municipal order authorizes us to participate in the FEMA funding related to that. We had some damage along the bank uh and McConnell Plaza area. So, we're seeking federal funding to address that. And so, this grant agreement allows us to participate in that FEMA program. Thank you. Any other discussion? Hearing none. All in favor indicate by saying I. I. All opposed like sign. Motion carries. All right. City manager items.

Uh first we have personnel appointments. So new hire probationary full-time non-ivil service appointment of POA Barner, bus driver with the transit department effective November 17th. and then probationary full-time non-Ivil service promotional appointment of Stacy Allen to assistant occupational tax administrator with the finance department effective November 16th. Uh regular full-time non-Ivil service appointments of Nicholas Wellman, police officer with the police department effective November 4th and Brandon Pentigraph, captain with the fire department effective November 17th. I would just point out there this appointment of Stacy Allen to the assistant occupational tax administrator is that position we just approved at the last meeting. So it's a reviving a position that we've had in the past. Again, not a net new position, but we transition a clerk uh to a more of a supervisory position to give her more authority and for her to be able to do occupational tax audits as well.

Thank you. I'll entertain a motion. Second. Second. Second. Discussion hearing none. All in favor indicate by saying I. I. All oppose. Motion carries. City manager comments. Uh just one mayor. I think a week from today is Veterans Day. So just want to encourage people to go to the various activities that'll be taking place. In recognition of that, we do make transit free. So it's free to ride the bus service next Tuesday. Good idea. Is that it? That's it. Okay. Communication from elected officials. Commissioner Sanford.

Uh just to follow up on city manager's comment. It is Veterans Day on November 11th and I believe there's a parade this week, Saturday. Um, thank a veteran for all of our freedoms. U, we're very very fortunate in this country to be able to debate each other, disagree with with each other, and that's all uh due to uh the sacrifices of uh all of our veterans. So, uh, I just want to thank all the veterans out there, and that's all I have tonight. Thank you, Commissioner. Thank you, N.

I'll just ditto, Jeff. It's true. It's great. Uh if you get an opportunity to speak to any of your veterans or family or friends or you've heard their stories, it's truly amazing and makes us all want to make sure that we preserve and ongoing uh remember what people did in the past to take care of us and know what we are responsibilities are for the future. Thank you, Commissioner M. Thank you, Mayor. echo both Commissioner N Smith and Sanford. And then also wanted to say had a a great event Thursday evening downtown with probably three 4,000 kids doing trail of treats. And

would you dress up as a scary politician [laughter] walking around? But uh no, it it was great. Thank you to Tim's team and Shayley's team and everybody at the city. That was a great event. So, thank you so much, Mayor, and happy Veterans Day. Commissioner Glenn,

uh, first off, I want to echo my colleagues comments about our veterans and their incredible contribution to our freedom and our country. U, we should celebrate that. Uh, the Trail of Treats, I've worked at before. I didn't do it this year, but it is a wonderful event, and it's no small job. There's thousands of kids and hundreds of parents and a lot of candy. Um, want to thank our public works department for the great work they're doing with early on with leaf pickup and also for the paving of streets, particularly in my neighborhood. They have finished Trinity Hills and it looks great. Uh, so thank you. Uh but more importantly uh as I said my prayer if you are able to help with the food chain in our community to provide food for people try to do so because we don't know what the long-term effects of the SNAP cut off even though they're going to fund 50% will look like particularly in a community where 30% of our residents are under the poverty line. So and that's it.

Commissioner Glenn how did they participate in that? How could a community Oh, well, there's a number of groups that are that either routinely collect food like the help office would probably be a good example. I don't want to trumpet everybody, but uh there's a number of different groups you could give to or support. Okay. Thank you.

Well, I too want to ask people to turn out for the Veterans Day parade. We've had an abysmal turnout the last couple of three years and it's almost embarrassing to be in that parade and see two or three people on the side. Uh I happen to be a product of a World War II war bride. My mom's from Belgium and experience what it was like under the Nazi control. My dad landed on D-Day on Utah Beach and his job was to string telephone cable from the beach to the highest point, set up an artillery position and then take that cable back from the artillery position back through the Germans to the artillery and you earn a bronze star for s plain view of the enemy for 36 consecutive hours as the shells were landing. In short, they'd hit that telephone cable on the ground and he'd be out there splicing it up and not sure if it was alcohol or what, but he sure did a good job of that and did earn the bronze star and he actually stayed over there till 1947. So, warm spot in my heart for the bets at this item. At this time, we'll go to open public forum. Members of the audience may address the board of commissioners on any matter of public concern that was not on tonight's agenda. Comments are limited to issues within the scope and responsibility of the commission. Commission member meetings are held to conduct city business for the benefit of Orangeboro citizens and taxpayers. At this time, anyone who wishes to address the city commission, please make their way to the podium to be recognized. Speakers must state their name and address for the clerk's record and limit the remarks to three minutes or less. Since items not on the agenda, no response is required from [snorts] staff or board of commissioners. The mayor reserves the

right to extend the time to the speaker. So, open mic.

Kevin. All right, then. Well, seeing there's no more business, I'll make a motion to approve this meeting. Could I have a sec to adjourn this meeting? Could I have a second, please? Second. Second. Thank you. All in favor indicate by saying I. I. opposed. Good night, Barbara.