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Gas Prices are unexpected highlight of City Council Meeting Mayor Pat Bell, in response to Councillor Dean question, says he and Judge Melton have a plan to fight the gas price differential; ironically, the issue arose after the Council hears riveting report on the value of tourism to Adair County--but a report which didn't itself address the negative impact of local gasoline prices on the tourist economy; unanimous Council vote gives Chamber one-time increase of $5,000 for 2008; uses of money by Chamber more sharply defined. John Ford re-appointed to Columbia-Adair County Airport Board. Mayor announces safety grant receipt, delivers invitation to Council to attend Fiscal Court Meeting tonight. And more Report on this meeting may also be heard on WHVE, The WAVE, 92.7, with Larry Smith By Ed Waggener The most exciting news out of the brief Columbia City Council meeting almost didn't happen. The 27-minute meeting was almost over when, in the Councillors' Comments segment, Councillor Craig Dean asked Mayor Bell, "What's going on with the gas prices?" In response , the Mayor said, "I've gotten another letter back from another oil company, and it's about the same as the first," he said, "It didn't answer our question." "But I'm working with Ann (Adair County CJE Ann Melton) and we've got some plans of our own to at least take care of the city and county's high gas prices," indicating a tougher approach to the oil distributors' pricing differential which puts Adair County consumers at an often 10-50 cent per gallon disadvantage against prices charged in Russell Springs, Campbellsville, Edmonton, and Burkesville, KY. Apparently, Green County also suffers from the pricing differential as well. Councillor Dean said that he'd talked to a Greensburg resident, and prices there are generally always much higher than in Campbellsville, KY, just 11 miles across US 68 from Greensburg, KY. After the meeting, Mayor Bell said that the plan being looked out would involve a new distribution system for government entities, which might include a local government owned facility. He said that the plan would involve buying gasoline from sources not now in Columbia. He did not indicate whether the system might one day include a city-county owned gasoline outlet available to private firms and individuals, but did say that the school board would likely be invited to join the venture. The project is not on the agenda at the Adair Fiscal Court meeting tonight, but price-weary Adair Countians are hoping it will help them. Chamber gets one-time stipend raise of $5,000 to defray loss of income from CACIDA shutdown After hearing a tourism report from tourism director Sue Stivers, the Council fairly quickly voted to up the support for the Chamber to $15,000 per year. The vote followed Mayor Bell's adroit parliamentary move to have the vote taken immediately after the director's presentation, with Mrs. Stivers still present while the vote was taken. Voting in favor were Councillors Charles Grimsley, Craig Dean, Linda Waggener, Edwin Taylor, Joe Moore, and June Parsons. Councillor Edwin Taylor, who voted for the increased payment, questioned whether it was proper for the City to be supporting non-governmental projects at all. City Attorney Marshall Loy told the the Council that it is legal so long as the organization is using the money to provide a function which the government needs, but does not have. Councillor Taylor also asked what other cities and counties do. "Do they support Chamber of Commerces?" he asked. Mrs. Stivers replied that that do and that opinion was affirmed by the City Attorney, but without giving specific examples about neighboring towns' use of tax money to support Chambers of Commerce. Councillor June Parson, who had voted with all the other Councillors in a unanimous vote at the December 2007 meeting to table the issue, said that her research showed that statutes allow city support for the following three reasons:
With that, the City Council voted unanimously to approve increasing the Chamber of Commerce support from $10,000 to $15,000, matching a similar, but not proportionate, amount given by the Adair County Fiscal Court. Though it seems appropriate, the contributions mean that citizens of Columbia are paying $5, on average, toward support of the Chamber for every one dollar spent by an Adair Countian who lives outside the City of Columbia. That is because only one-quarter the population lives in Columbia, so they pay at a 4-to-1 rate, and then pay again as citizens of Adair County.-EW. The specific use of the new money by the Chamber is specified to provide services for Adair County economic development. The money is replacement for funding formerly provided by the now dormant Columbia-Adair County Industrial Authority, which ceased activity in October 2007, with $175,000 cash on hand. The Council and Adair Fiscal Court still is waiting for news on how that leftover CACIDA money will be used. No one on the Council had questioned the value of the Chamber to the community, or that the City was getting more than its moneys worth from the work the Chamber does. The delay had as much to do with tightening the procedure for bequests made by City Council to various entities. Tightening standards for funding outside entities continues The first tightening came when the Council imposed a rule that grants would only be made at a subsequent meeting. This was followed by a rule that grants be made only after the organizations provide complete financial accounting. (The Adair County Rescue Squad, before its implosion, made requests at least three times and was denied each time, because financial statements were not forthcoming). Now, the standards are more specific for the Chamber, as well. Whether it will be spelled out in detail is a matter now in the hands of the city's executive branch and legal counsel. Stivers gives tourism report before Council votes on increasing stipend for Chamber Columbia-Adair County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Sue Stivers, who also heads the Columbia-Adair County Tourism Commission, delivered her report on the value of tourism to the Adair County economy prior to a vote on the Chamber's request for $5,000 more in annual support. The report was only slightly different from the one she delivered earlier to Adair Fiscal Court, a report which drew as rapt attention as any ever presented there. The tourism talk was just as effective with the much smaller group at City Council last night as it had been with the Adair Fiscal Court, and had its intended effect on the vote which followed, a vote upping the Council contribution to the Chamber to $15,000 a year, the same amount as the Adair Fiscal Court gives. Stivers said that the Adair County's tourism is one of the fast growing segments of the Adair County economy, and that it is growing here faster than elsewhere. She outlined the genesis of the Tourism Commission from it's birth, "right in this room," when it was created as the Columbia Tourism Commission under former Mayor Curtis Hardwick. Later, she said, that commission became the Columbia-Adair County Tourism Commission, when the county, then led by Judge Jerry Vaughan, joined Columbia. The Tourism Commission is supported, Stivers said, by a 3% room tax which is paid by guests at local motels and the bed & breakfast, and by the cottage guests at Holmes Bend Resort. "That gives us $16,000 in revenue," Stivers said. By extrapolation, puts the local lodging industry revenue at $533,000.-EW Stivers said that tourism is a $10million industry in Adair County. "It's the third largest industry we have," she said, but did not say which two industries are larger. The local tourist industry has grew 9% in from 2005 to 2006, Stivers said. "We're still waiting for the 2007 figures," she said. Stivers said that tourism brings down taxes on local citizens. "Did you know that the tax burden is reduced by $954 per person because of the taxes paid by tourists?" she asked. Mrs. Stivers said that local tourism benefits greatly from participation in the Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism Development Association, SEKTDA, which was created with funding earmarked by Fifth District Congressman Hal Rogers, (R-KY5), Somerset. "Even though we are not in Representative Rogers' district, she said, "he still included us." SEKTDA's help now totals $178,000 to Adair County, she said. That money has been spent to produce brochures, fund roadside exhibits, build an information gazebo (Adair County's is located in front of Wal-Mart, in the greens area next to the Bank of Columbia branch bank) "We owe a lot to Congressman Rogers," Stivers said. Stivers said that the tourism industry is promoting Adair County with brochures distributed all over the Southeastern United States and in many places in the north, including Chicago and Minnesota. Of even greater value she said, is the practice of bringing in free lance writers, who visit Adair County, then write stories which are published in Southern Living travel related magazines. "If you added up the value of these articles, in terms of advertising," she said, "It would easily total $1.8 millon dollars," she said. "That's quite a return on the cost of hosting the writers," she said. Stivers told those at the meeting that the Tourism Commission is also pushing the recruitment of retirees. "They come here, they buy property, they pay taxes, and they spend money here," she said. "We estimate that the value of locating one retiree in Adair County has the equivalent economic effect as 3.5 new jobs. It's a good industry," she said. Stivers told thanked the Council for doing its part to promote tourism. "Columbia has never looked better," she said. She specifically thanked the Council for its work with the redbud program. "You know, Kentucky is known for the beauty of its redbuds," she said, "SEKTDA promotes redbud time," she said. "At the Chamber office we often get requests for information about when the redbuds will bloom. One New Yorker she said, "called and wanted to know the exact day which would be best to see redbuds in bloom in Adair County," she said. "He said he only had 10 days to be here, and he wanted to make sure he came when redbuds are in bloom." Stivers said that a growing segment of the tourist business here is the number of local artists and artisans in Adair County. "We have people producing masterpieces of art. It would surprise most Adair Countians to see what is coming out of studios around Adair County," and said that this area is increasingly valuable to the local tourist economy. Now, she said, what is most needed is to make every Adair Countian, and especially front line workers at restaurants, lodging establishments, retail stores, and all government employees to be ambassadors for the county, ready with information and directions about Adair County's tourist attractions. In the past, she has said that this goal is to give Adair County the same visitor friendly atmosphere Walt Disney World in Florida has used to make tourists love the place. "We need to educate people," she said. "We need everybody's help to build tourism. Some people still ask me why anybody would want to come to Adair County to vacation. My answer, she said, is that if I'm given a 10-day trip here, I can fill that schedule and have them wanting to come back next year to see more." Mayor reveals name of re-appointee at meeting; it is approved unanimously At the meeting, Mayor Pat Bell, in the Mayor announcement segment, revealed the name of his choice for re-appointment to the Columbia-Adair County Airport Board. The Council unanimously approved his recommendation to re-appoint John Ford. "He's doing a good job," Mayor Bell said. The appointment continues a long standing tradition in both Adair Fiscal Court and the Columbia City Council for the chief executives to announce new board appointments at the meeting at which the appointees are expected to be approved. No mention was made of a new appointment to the Columbia Utilities Commission, which has been operating with four members since Dr. Ron Rogers was not re-appointed to that board. Mayor announces receipt of Kentucky League of Cities safety grant Mayor Bell announced that the city had received a $466 grant from the Kentucky League of Cities for safety in the street and utilities department. Mayor announces invitation to the Westlake presentation at Fiscal Court Mayor Bell reminded members of the City Council of an invitation by Adair County Judge Executive Ann Melton to attend a Powerpoint presentation by Westlake Regional Hospital on it's third floor expansion, which will be one of the first items on the agenda for the meeting tonight, Tuesday, January 8, 2007, at 7:00pm in the Adair Annex basement. Mayor said Wal-Mart opening should come in October of 2008 In answer to a question from Councillor Linda Waggener, Mayor Bell said that it was his understanding that the Wal-Mart Superstore at Holladay Place has a projected completion date of September 22, 2008. "It will take about one month, I'm told, for the store to be stocked and be ready for opening, so that would put it at sometime in October of 2008." Up to two Councillors invited to attend Parks & Recreation meetings Councillor Charles Grimsley invited "no more than two Councillors at a time" to attend the Columbia Parks & Recreation Board meetings, which are held in the Council meeting room every first and third Thursdays at 7:00pmCT. Councillor Edwin Taylor brings up lighting at LBN/KY 61 interchange Councillor Edwin Taylor asked about progress on getting better lighting at the interchange by Holladay Place. Mayor Bell said that he is still checking into this, along with need for better lighting at Exit 49, by the Columbia Church of the Nazarene and Kentucky State Police Post 15 on KY 55 South. "We need improvements at both places. Councillor June Parson updates Council on the Adair County Water Treatment plant UPDATE at 10:43am, Tuesday, January 8, 2008: Lenny Stone, Adair County Water District Manager, announced that the meeting has been moved back to the Grant Lane office for January Water is being produced at the new Adair County Water Plant, Councillor June Parson, who is a Columbia Utilities Board representative on the joint Columbia-Adair County owned Adair County Water Treatment Plant (ACWTP). She invited the Council to attend the ACWTP's first board meeting at its office on Griffin Springs Road, off KY 55 just north of Coburg, KY. (See ColumbiaMagazine.com EVENTS, for January 10, 2008) Councillor Parson also commended Sue Stivers for her report. "Good report," she said to Stivers. Stivers responded with a thank you, and noted, "I'm strictly a volunteer on the Tourism Board," adding, "my only pay is $800 a month is from the Chamber of Commerce. The tourism work is strictly voluntary." Joe Moore adjourns the meeting Mayor Bell recognized Councillor Joe Moore, who at 6:27pmCT by the Official Council Meeting Room Clock, said, "I don't have anything to report, biut I'd say we'd better adjourn the meeting." And so, without need of a second, the council adjourned after 27 minutes of deliberations. The meeting was very lightly attended. Besides all Council members, the Mayor, and City Attorney, and Mrs. Stivers, and Chief Mark Harris, there were most of the usual representatives of the local media End of the report for January 7, 2008, regular meeting About Your City of Columbia, KY City Government Regular monthly meetings of the Columbia City Council are held each first Monday in City Hall, Campbellsville ST, Columbia, KY 42728 Mayor Patrick R. Bell. Council Members Charles Grimsley, Craig Dean, Edwin Taylor, June Parsons, Joe Moore, Linda Waggener. City Attorney Marshall Loy. City Court Clerk Carolyn Edwards. City Police Chief Mark Harris. City Utilities Commission Director Jim Williams. City Works Director Donnie Rowe. City Sanitation Director Kenneth Dulin. This story was posted on 2008-01-08 09:14:58
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New gusher comes in on Danny and Debbie Burris farm The Count, Road Eighty Bridge Closing: 100 days ACES experiment in giving a big success Campbellsville, KY paper carries Ralph Waggener I-66 editorial Gas Price Drumbeat: As if gas prices elsewhere weren't high enough Pike County CJE joins defense of I-66 in CJ Readers Forum Judge Melton, Mayor: Bell will deliver annual addressses at CoC Key found near Mexican Restaurant next to Wal-Mart, Columbia, KY Election 2008: Speaker Jody Richards has filed for re-election Columbia Woman's Club meets Jan. 22, 2008 View even more articles in topic News |
 
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