At Monday night’s Leitchfield City Council meeting, council members unanimously approved the first reading of an ordinance providing the issuance of tax-exempt General Obligation Bonds to purchase and renovate the old Rite Aid building, located at 515 South Main Street.
Mayor William Thomason said the purchase price ($2.850 million) and ensuing renovations are expected to cost less than $5 million, but the bond total was set at $5 million because the amount of the bond cannot be adjusted at a later date. According to Thomason, the 14,500 square foot property is worth about $4.6 million, and will house the Leitchfield Police Department as well as Leitchfield City Hall.
Thomason said approximately 9,000 square-feet of the building will hold the Leitchfield PD with the remaining 5,500 square-feet containing City Hall.
In September, council members voted 4-1 to approve the purchase — Councilman Harold Miller was not present, but made it known at a special called City Council meeting where the acquisition was discussed in executive session, that he looked upon the purchase in a favorable light; council member Rick Embry voted nay, saying that he didn’t think it was appropriate to make such an enormous financial decision so near the end of the current city council and mayor’s terms (which end December 31).
When asked about a timeline regarding the renovation of the building’s interior, Thomason said the overhaul will be a “winter project.” The mayor added that no construction or renovation will take place on the building’s exterior, other than the addition of signage.
If the bond measure passes its second and final reading (expected to take place at the next scheduled City Council meeting on Monday, November 5), the bond issuance will be held on November 27.
DeWitt Park update
Assistant Parks and Recreation Director Tammee Saltsman asked for and received approval from the council to advertise for bids for new playground equipment at DeWitt Park.
Originally, the play equipment at Beville Park was going to be the first of the outdated equipment to be replaced, but it was determined by officials that the project at Beville would take significantly longer than replacing the equipment at DeWitt. In an effort to have one of the two parks operational as soon as possible, Saltsman decided, with the City Council’s approval, to move forward at DeWitt.
Head Start Awareness Week
With Breck/Grayson Head Start Executive Director Valeria Hicks in attendance, and promoting the significant educational benefits supplied by the longstanding program, council members approved a proclamation declaring October 15 -19 Head Start Awareness Week.
Established in 1965, Head Start is a federally funded early childhood development program that serves children and families to help children achieve their full potential, the proclamation states. Head Start promotes school readiness by enhancing the social, physical and cognitive development of children ages three- to five-years-old.
The Breck/Grayson Head Start Program has served over 10,000 children since its inception in 1965.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
