Casey Northcutt

Some Paducah property owners could soon receive city assistance for roof repairs. Paducah Renaissance Alliance Executive Director Lisa Thompson presented a draft ordinance to the Mayor and City Commission yesterday creating the Roof Stabilization Assistance Program. The program would help Renaissance District property owners repair structures in need of at least $50,000 in roof repairs. According to the draft ordinance, it would reimburse property owners for one-third of the total cost of construction not exceeding $50,000 but at a minimum of $16,666. Thompson said the city needs the program to help save buildings in danger of deterioration.

Paducah residents could be paying a new user fee for certain fire department services in the future. Fire Chief Steve Kyle presented the mayor and city commission with a cost recovery proposal yesterday. He suggests using a vendor service to pass along the fees to insurance companies after the department responds to vehicle fires or extrication incidents.  In cases of burning without a permit, the fees are levied on private citizens.

Paducah’s Mayor and City Commission voted last night to approve a contract with two construction companies to begin work on a marina and boat launch along the Ohio River. According to the contract, the City will pay Jim Smith Contracting Company almost $2.6 million to build the boat launch, and it will pay almost $4.5 million to MAC Construction & Excavation, Incorporated, to work on projects including a breakwater. Commissioner Allan Rhodes was the lone dissenter in both decisions. He expressed concerns including the cost of and need for these developments.

This week, an estimated 30,000 quilters descend on Paducah for the American Quilters Society’s Quilt Week. Many of these quilters are women, but a new voice in quilting, steadily grows stronger as decades pass and as gender roles become more fluid.

Paducah Downtown Farmers’ Market patrons can expect fewer vendors this summer.

Paducah Renaissance Alliance Executive Director Lisa Thompson told city commissioners Tuesday only 10 to 15 farmers have registered for booths due to a liability insurance requirement for vendors. The market attracted more than 20 vendors in previous years.

McCracken County residents may have to pay closer attention to their pets in the future.

County Judge-Executive Van Newberry suggested amendments to a current animal control ordinance that would more closely define the term “at large excessively.”

Newberry suggested the Court apply the label to dogs that create nuisances outside their owners’ properties two times within 90 days. These roaming animals, he said must be seen by animal control officers or caught on videotape. If officers pick up such dogs, Newberry suggested the owners pay fines to retrieve their animals.

The Paducah City Commission and McCracken County Fiscal Court will help TeleTech Holdings build a new customer service call center. City Manager Jeff Pederson said the two have pledged $1.35 million to help the Colorado-based company construct the building, and Paducah Economic Development committed to $250,000.  Pederson said the city and county have decided to aid the company because its business will bring about 450 new jobs to the area.

McCracken County’s Maxon Precinct will have a wet/dry vote this spring. Residents there recently filed a petition to change the area’s dry status, and the Fiscal Court scheduled the local option election for Tuesday, May 7th. Judge Van Newberry says he expects strong campaigning for and against alcohol sales leading up to the vote. So far, a local attorney whom Newberry says possibly represents the opposition has asked to see the petition.

The City of Paducah is continuing its plans to rehabilitate its floodwall. The mayor and city commissioners passed an ordinance Tuesday for a design agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The city says the corps released a feasibility report in 2010 outlining a series of projects to improve the wall’s reliability and to restore its system performance, which includes updates to the floodwall’s 12 pump stations. The entire rehabilitation is estimated to cost $20 million. The design phase is expected to cost $600,000, with the city paying $150,000 of that sum.

The McCracken County Fiscal Court chose Monday to not to increase the gross salary budget for the county clerk’s office. The office originally asked for more than $920,000 in salaries as a part of a $20 million budget.

Before ruling, the Court compared salaries in similar offices around the state. Judge-Executive Van Newberry concluded the employees in question received higher incomes than those in counties of comparable size.

County Deputy Clerk Lyne Dickey did her own research, comparing revenues to clerk salaries in 97 counties across the state. She says McCracken’s clerks made fair incomes, given their levels of experience. 

The court ultimately voted to keep the department’s salary budget at more than $870,000, a decision Newberry supports.