Skateboards rattled their way into the Leitchfield City Council meeting again Monday.

Council members heard an appeal from Boy Scout Leader Ken Boyer of Leitchfield, who asked the council not to ban the boards. He said children in the city "need something to do."

He suggested a park for skateboards, a park that would charge an admittance fee and payment for an adult to supervise the park could come from those fees.

Boyer said his research into other parks revealed that insurance costs could be cut to about $4,000 a year if signs were posted on the 10-foot fence he suggested around the park, signs that said skaters using the park skate at their own risk.

He asked the council to let the community vote on the ban. He said use of the walking track in the park might be turned over to skateboarders "for a few hours a day."

After the presentation, the council voted to approve the first reading of a draft ordinance presented by Councilwoman Brenda Huffman.

Before the vote, the draft was changed to ban skateboards on city streets, but not on sidewalks. On streets without sidewalks, the streets would still be off limits. Skating on private property could be done only with the owner's permission.

Mayor William H. Thomason said that if the city allowed skateboarders to use streets, then the city would be liable for injuries on those streets, "and the city can't take that responsibility."

Before the new ordinance becomes law, it will have to be read again at the next council meeting on October 4.

Skateboard proponents are being asked to make their presentations to the Grayson County Fiscal Court, since the city has no property suitable for such a park.

The city appeared willing to help build a park on county land, if the court felt inclined to build another park.

In other action, the council:

Approved refinancing the 1993 series utility bonds, going for a lower interest rate to save money. Hilliard Lyons, Inc. will handle the refinancing.

Reappointed Mark Buckles to the Planning Commission and Anna Edwards and Wilbur Etter to the Board of Adjustment.

Passed the city's tax rates of 12 cents per $100 value on motor vehicles; 13.9 cents on other property; and 10.8 cents on real estate.

Approved extending the new Sunbeam Road sidewalk 60 feet to Cross Ridge Drive at an estimated cost of $800.

Put Sunbeam Road on the priority list for blacktopping from the railroad to the city limits. The county is currently blacktopping the road from the city limits, and Thomason said the entire road should be blacktopped at the same time.

He said total cost of the project would be about $34,000.

Agreed to let employees volunteer donations to United Way.