The recently-elected Hopkins County Judge-Executive and Madisonville Mayor are emphasizing unity to tackle community issues and agreed it’s time to move forward with a long-anticipated sportsplex project. Judge-Executive Jack Whitfield and Mayor Kevin Cotton joined local mayors in a state of the city and county address to Hopkins County business leaders this week.
Both Whitfield and Cotton emphasized a need to work together to grow tourism, revenue and to tackle other issues. Whitfield explained this collaboration involves mayors from local communities in Hopkins County as well as fellow judge-executives in neighboring counties. "We can be a regional powerhouse not just a county with a quiet voice. We can get together and get great things done," he said.
Whitfield said, "Whether it's something like the sports complex that everybody can use or the individual city parks where they need some help developing some of that or on their roads. The smaller cities don't have the equipment or the people that we do so if they need help with their roads or ditches then we'll try to get out and do some of that. a lot of it's just everyday stuff. it doesn't have to be huge, big ideas. but taking care of each other is what we need to be doing."
Morton's Gap Mayor Chris Phelps said his community of roughly 900 couldn't do it alone. For example, he described securing surplus equipment from Madisonville.
Some challenges outlined by local leaders include ongoing efforts to streamline budgets, a need for more housing, upgrading aging water infrastructure and dealing with the pension crisis.
Cotton discussed streamlining efficiencies through splitting city administrators, combining code enforcement with fire inspection, consolidating the tax department, hiring city engineer and relocating the department to City Hall. He also discussed looking at nurse practitioner option for city employees and their families at no cost. He said this would be paid through a reduction in overall liability. “We’ve been evaluating spending in our city,” he said, and noted the pension crisis with regard to “huge struggles moving forward.” He said he does not want to raise taxes, “But we can’t do that unless we’re extremely efficient at what we’re doing.”
Looking ahead, both Whitfield and Cotton agreed it's time to move forward with a long-anticipated sports complex. Whitfield said a sportsplex has been a subject of contention for 16 years and moving forward is a matter of securing funding. He said to applause that a sportsplex will be good for Hopkins County.
“It’s just got to happen. It’s something we need for this community. It’s something we need for our kids and we’ve got to do things that help our kids," he said.
"We're way behind the times on that," Mayor Cotton told WKMS News with regard to the sportsplex. He pointed to the influx of visitors - estimated around 27,000 - to nearby Hopkinsville due to their new sportsplex (which opened last fall) and said a similar increase would be significant for Madisonville. "I think partnering with the county is the only way that we're going to be able to make that happen."
Hopkins County Tourist & Convention Commission as Executive Director Tricia Noel said the sportsplex has been in the works for more than a decade. She said around 100 acres of land was acquired around 2007 or 2008 with the intent of one day using it to build a sportsplex. Currently, an archery complex is located on the site. Despite several conversations over the years, she said securing funding has been an issue. With regard to the city and county working together, she noted the city's 3% restaurant tax for tourism as a possible source of funding for the sportsplex. Earlier plans figured around $6 million for the facility. The Hopkinsville facility cost around $5.5 million.
Noel said the Hopkinsville Sportsplex has rejuvenated discussions around the possible Madisonville project. Previous plans have involved an outdoor facility, but more recent discussions involve making an indoor space. She suggested two sportsplexes being in close proximity could draw in larger events.
Another effort to boost the local economy, Mayor Cotton, said, is moving the entrance to the City Park this summer to be closer to restaurants and retail along Madison Square Drive on the southwest side of town near I-69. Currently, the entrance is somewhat tucked away in a neighborhood on the western side. “If they come down Madison Square Drive they’re going to pass nine restaurants. They’re going to pass all of that retail space. They’re going to pass the mall. They’re going to pass the RV center. And the reality is all that’s going to do is market those areas so that we can have more in our economy. More sales for our businesses,” said Cotton. The cost of this project will be covered through reallocating funds in the budget.
Among other notable announcements, Cotton said the City of Madisonville will soon be a ‘Second Chance’ employer, allowing upper level, phase two drug court participants to work in the city. “We’ve all done something,” he said. “We’ve all needed that second chance. And the City of Madisonville will be a second chance employer by summer.”
"We're open,” Cotton told WKMS News. “We want you to come to our community. We want to hear you. We want you to be part of our events. We want you to move into our community because we have a lot of jobs that are available in our community right now and a lot more that are coming. So now is the time to get on board. Now is the time to move to Madisonville."
