Gov. Ernie Fletcher presented three checks Monday to local officials to be used for a spray park in Crofton, cemetery maintenance and cleanup in Pembroke and sidewalks near North Drive Middle School.

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By Blair Dedrick, New Era Staff Writer

More land will be designated as floodplain, according to new flood insurance rate maps from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Hopkinsville Mayor Dan Kemp said Monday.

A forum at 6 p.m. on Sept. 6 at the Lackey Municipal Building will give residents an opportunity to see the new floodplain boundaries, Kemp announced at the Surface and Stormwater Utility Board meeting.

“There are people with land not in the floodplain now that will be (in the floodplain) on the new map,” he said.

The city has to adopt the new map in order to have flood insurance.

The Utility Board took no action at the meeting but did discuss applying for a loan from the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority.

With a project list that is estimated to cost $12 million, Planning Commission Executive Director Steve Bourne advised that applying for the low-interest loan of $5.8 million might be a good start.

The loan would pay for the South Sunset/Woodmont drainage project, the Deepwood/Winsor drainage project, the Hurst Drive drainage project, the Apache Drive drainage project, the first part of an Army Corps of Engineers study on the dry dam project and flood buyouts and flood proofing.

Applying for the loan and using some of the money for the Corps of Engineers project would mean the board could begin the project without waiting more than a year for a federal allocation, Bourne said. The Corps would reimburse the board for the $520,000.

“Right now the Corps does not have enough funding …” said Board Chairman Don Langhi. “I don’t think we should stop at that; I think it’s very important that we get the engineering done and started.”

Langhi, Kemp and Bourne met with Corps representatives twice since the last meeting, and the Corps requested the officials send a letter requesting aid.

“We have to have federal funding, and we have to do it through them for federal funding,” Kemp said.

The Corps estimated the project would take a maximum of five years, Langhi said.

The board also discussed the need for two new city ordinances in order to comply with federal mandates by the end of the year.

The Stormwater Phase II requirements include ordinances addressing illicit discharge detection and elimination and erosion prevention and sediment control.

“There’s already some pretty tough laws against discharge,” Board Member Ray Diuguid said to Bourne.

“Yeah, but who’s enforcing them?” Bourne asked.

“We’re supposed to be,” Diuguid said.

“We need a mechanism to enforce,” Bourne replied.

The ordinances, which were not ready to be voted upon, will have to go before city council for two readings before they are enacted.

QuickInfo: Floodplain

You can call the Surface and Stormwater Utility at 887-4035 to find out if your property lies in the newly redrawn floodplain.

A meeting at 6 p.m. Sept. 6 at the Lackey Municipal Building will present the revised floodplain insurance rate map.

Blair Dedrick can be reached at 887-3240 or bdedrick@kentuckynewera.com.

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By Blair Dedrick, New Era Staff Writer

The hiring freeze proposed by Mayor Dan Kemp and approved by the city council in January has saved the city more than $200,000, numbers provided by the city reveal.

In response to a request from council members, City Administrative Officer Glenn Abee provided the update at last week’s Committee of the Whole meeting.

Eight positions are vacant, five in administration, one firefighter/EMT, one police secretary and one master auto technician from the Service Department.

To date, the empty positions have saved the city $219,032. Some of the positions have been vacant since January.

“I do not envision or foresee any of those coming back,” Abee said today. “As I said to council, never say never, but I don’t see them coming back.”

The only exception to that, Abee said, would possibly be the manager of accounting position. He said if that position does return it would be as a title change with existing personnel, not as a new hire.

If the eight positions remain empty for a full year, the city would save $423,551 in salary and benefits.

The assistant city administrative officer position is the highest paid position at $67,739 base salary. The position was eliminated in May.

The police department lost two secretarial positions this year, one of which is unbudgeted and will not be replaced. The city is advertising to replace the second, funded position.

Abee presented three job descriptions to the Committee of the Whole last week as well.

The first position would change an accountant position to accounting clerk.

The second created a new position, budget officer. The budget officer position would take the place of a comptroller, which became vacant when Patrick Fletcher resigned in June, at a slightly lower pay grade.

Finally, Abee proposed replacing both the Human Resources director and assistant Human Resources director positions with one Human Resources officer.

“I have no plans to hire an HR director,” Abee said Thursday. “But we do need a position in HR as an HR officer.”

Abee said today that the only new jobs he foresees proposing to the city council at the moment are the jobs for the employees of the Recreation Commission. The deal making the commission into the city Parks and Recreation Department includes the city absorbing the eight commission employees.

In addition, Abee said the new department will increase the duties and responsibilities of Mike Perry, Parks and Cemeteries Superintendent, enough to justify a pay upgrade.

“His role will increase, and I’ll definitely be recommending moving him to a higher grade,” he said.

Abee said as he gets more familiar with the city staff he is finding strengths and knowledge that can be tapped.

“We’re going to be taking advantage of existing resources and skill sets,” he said. “The first thing you do is look for what experience level and knowledge employees have, and usually they appreciate new challenges and opportunities.”

Blair Dedrick can be reached at 887-3240 or bdedrick@kentuckynewera.com.

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