A state legislative committee has approved more than $1.7 million to go towards an array of projects for the Pennyrile Area.
State Rep. Brent Yonts (D-Greenville) is on the eight-person Government Contract Review Committee. He says the biggest part of that money, $996,786, will be provided to the Pennyroyal Mental Health center in support of their Genesis rehabilitation program at Western State Hospital.
“One of the programs that they do is substance abuse dealing with the prevailing substance problem we have in society. Regional mental health centers are a frontline place where people are in trouble from drug abuse, depression and a lot of other things can get immediate and long-term care. There are several of them across the state, 12 to 16, this is one of the premier ones.”
The second largest allocation of $250,000 is going to the Regional Migrant Center at the Madisonville Community College which provides well-being and education services to children of migrant families. Another $219,000 is going to the Pennyrile Area Development District.
Other funding approved by the committee includes:
- $60,000 in federal funds through agreement with Christian County Fiscal Court for construction of a mountain biking training area in the Pennyrile State Resort Park.
- $87,500 in federal funds through agreement with the City of Hopkinsville for construction of a restroom in Pardue Lane Park.
- $50,310 in federal funds through agreement with the Christian County Board of Education to ensure proper public education opportunities for homeless children and youth.
- $75,000 in federal funds through agreement with the Christian County Board of Education for effective out-of-school programs.
- $2,000 in agency funds for the Christian County Health Department to perform the Transportation Cabinet’s Commercial Drivers License physicals and follow-up TB skin tests, required for employees of Western State Hospital.
- $31,300 in federal funds to the City of Central City to buy and install lighting at the Central City trailhead to improve safety.
Yonts says the committee reviews government contracts all throughout the year, but these first few months after the start of the fiscal year are the busiest.
"In July, we had 1,800 plus to review, and there’s well over a billion dollars of government funds involved” said Yonts. “But I’ve been there where we’ve had upwards of 2,500 contracts and $2.3 billion dollars, but that was about a decade ago.”
