At Monday night’s meeting, the Leitchfield City Council decided to not move forward with a new City Hall and Leitchfield Police Department building previously planned for the William Thomason Byway, near South Radford Way.
The total cost of the project, including construction and excavation, was projected to be nearly $8 million.
The cancellation of the project, according to Mayor William Thomason, is due to the possibility that the city will be required by the General Assembly to spend considerably more revenue helping the state lower the public pension fund shortfall, which is reportedly around $35 billion. The General Assembly reconvenes in January and will consider options for shoring-up one of the nation’s worst public pension systems.
With the LPD currently facing certification issues due to its lack of evidence storage and evidence control, the city continues to plan to relocate and construct a new police station, with Councilman Kelly Stevenson saying the new headquarters needs to be “feasible and economical.”
Sites bandied about by council members included building a new station at the William Thomason Byway location, property that the city already owns, or possibly on Brandenburg Road near the Leitchfield Fire Station No. 1 (across the road from Holly Hill Lane), and idea put forth by council member Rick Embry.
The Brandenburg Road location is currently owned by Cecilian Bank.
While not definite, the council also discussed having a metal building constructed to hold the new LPD headquarters. The building would have a brick veneer.
The matter will remain under consideration by the council with further talks and decisions to be made at a later date.
Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com or 270-259-6000
