Note: Mayor Brandi Harless was unable to attend this meeting.
Naming of Greenway Trail Bridge
The Paducah Board of Commissioners approved a municipal order to name the pedestrian bridge that will be constructed linking the City of Paducah’s Greenway Trail with the McCracken County bike and pedestrian trail system adjacent to the soccer complex. The bridge will be known as the Bob Leeper Bridge.
The City of Paducah, McCracken County, and Four Rivers Nuclear Partnership (FRNP) collaborated to develop this bridge. This partnership was arranged by former McCracken County Judge-Executive Bob Leeper. The bridge is being named in his honor for his three decades of community service as Judge-Executive, Kentucky State Senator, and City Commissioner.
This proposed bridge would be approximately 110 feet long and 10 feet wide and would cross Perkins Creek just northwest of the Stuart Nelson ball fields. The proposed bridge and approach would follow an old, abandoned rail bed of the Chicago, St. Louis, and New Orleans Railroad Company. The bridge is planned to look similar to the bridge currently on the Greenway Trail near the disk golf course at Stuart Nelson Park.
A grant application through the Kentucky Department of Local Government for a federally-funded Recreation Trails grant was submitted in April 2018. The City has been notified that the grant request of $100,000 will be funded pending environmental approval by the Federal Highway Administration.
In addition to the grant funds, the City and County propose to provide an additional $30,000 each. Furthermore, FRNP has committed to donating $40,000 toward the bridge project. Of that $40,000, two of FRNP’s subcontractors, Veolia and Geosyntec, are providing a total of $5,000 each.
Veterans Day Parade Resolution
Mayor Pro Tem Richard Abraham discussed the resolution adopted May 16, 2017, by the Paducah Board of Commissioners regarding the Veterans Day Parade. Mayor Pro Tem Abraham says, “I am of the mind that we don’t need this resolution anymore.” He says that after discussions with the city’s attorney regarding the resolution, he believes that it may be a violation of First Amendment rights. He asked the Commissioners to consider the resolution at their January 22 meeting. Commissioner Sandra Wilson asked that the item be placed on the agenda for discussion and for members of the Veterans Day Parade Committee be present at the meeting. Commissioner Wilson also asked that staff get a legal opinion regarding the validity of the resolution. The 2017 resolution affirmed and accepted the position of the Paducah Veterans Day Committee that participants in the Veterans Day Parade be limited to those that represent the flag of the United States and the Veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
Quick Highlights
- Boards and Commissions:
- Commissioner Sandra Wilson reappointed to Paducah Riverfront Development Advisory Board.
- Commissioner Sandra Wilson reappointed to Electric Plant Board.
- Commissioner Gerald Watkins appointed to Commissioners of Water Works.
- Commissioner Brenda McElroy appointed to Paducah-McCracken County Joint Sewer Agency.
- Municipal Order approved to award vacation days to staff members chosen at random who participated in the food collection during the 2018 Employee Christmas Luncheon held December 14. For every 10 cans of food or non-perishable items brought to the luncheon, the employee had an opportunity to participate in a drawing to receive one of ten vacation days.
A reception was held after the meeting. Visit the City of Paducah, Kentucky Government Facebook page to see photos from the event.
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