The new Thomason Bypass will split properties belonging to J.C. Lee and Son and Charles Lively, one near Hwy 1214 and the other across from Wal-Mart.
P&Z approved rezoning both areas to commercial uses, and the council upheld both changes. The land parcels were described as “small.”
The third lot, located on Mill Street and owned by Ricky Davis, had a request from the owner for a commercial designation, but a neighbor expressed concern about what might be placed on the 107-foot lot, and that request was denied by P&Z.
An offer to Davis for neighborhood commercial was rejected by the owner, so P&Z denied the rezone request. The council upheld the denial on a 3-2 vote, saying the buffers required in a commercial zone would leave no room for development on such a small lot.
After a mid-course review of the city budget, Councilman Kelly Stevenson and Mayor William H.Thomason expressed concern about the revenue picture for the coming year.
“We need to look real close at the new budget,” Stevenson said, “because we may be spending too much of the surplus, and if we do need to cut, the pain should be spread through all departments including the council.”
He indicated recent raises voted to council members should be among any necessary cuts next year.
Thomason expressed concern about the occupational tax revenue dropping as a result of plant closings and recent lay-offs. He asked department heads to look for ways to cut overtime the rest of this year and plan for only necessary overtime, plus using lower salary employees for whatever was necessary.
In his mid-year report on the budget, Clerk-Treasurer Kerry White said revenues were at 48 percent of budget, “or 2 percent less than anticipated.”
White said the current budget anticipated spending $167,000 of the surplus this year, “but as of Dec. 31, we have added $200,899 to the surplus.”
“However,” he said, “we should spend more than we bring in during the next six months.”
He listed $165,000 for street resurfacing, $68,000 at the landfill, $20,000 for repair and maintenance of sidewalks, $17,000 for a vehicle, $14,000 for a composting program, $54,000 on general equipment, $20,000 on snow and ice removal, $150,000 on the new North Leitchfield fire station, and $125,000 on Shaw Station Road and Wallace Avenue access.
Council members discussed possibly delaying the last item for another year if that appears necessary as the budget year (through July 1, 2007) goes on.
The council also discussed an agreement with a private website video service that would provide four videos for the city's website in exchange for banners the company would display around the city that would include business ads.
The council tabled the matter until members could review the four videos -- a welcome to Leitchfield, an economic development video, a city services video and a fourth on tourism -- and study the agreement before voting.
Council members agreed to buy three items for the city -- a digital video recording device for city hall recommended by Homeland Security ($4,500); geologic borings at the new North Leitchfield Fire Station site ($3,600), and renewed the annual bird control contract ($5,000).
A new postage machine for the city ($2,224) was tabled until prices of buying and leasing could be compared.
On some items, the council would share the cost with the Utilities Commission on a 50-50 split.
After an executive session, Thomason announced the city had been offered a parcel of land for purchase, but “we decided the budget requires us to turn down the offer for now.”
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