(Leitchfield, KY)-Leitchfield City owned buildings will be smoke free after the council voted Monday evening to restrict where employees and visitors could smoke. Mayor William Thomason said the complaints of the second hand smoke from non-smoking employees had been heard for years and he decided it was time to incorporate the policy. The outside campus of city owned property was not deemed smoke free, or were city owned vehicles.
A committee has been formed in hopes of exploring ideas that will combat the low participation of children who have signed up to play softball/baseball/tee-ball in Leitchfield this summer. The council discussed opening the registration of tee-ball to 4-year-olds but City Treasurer Erin Embry said she would need to look into the city’s insurance policy and make for sure that the city is covered for the young group to play. The minor baseball league only had enough children sign up to play to form one team. The council also discussed adding a men’s league to help bolster participation and revenue for the city.
The “Power of One” fundraising efforts by the Leitchfield Human Society, to help pay a $7000 veterinarian bill the society owes in Owensboro, proved to be a huge success. During the March 1, 2010 Leitchfield City Council meeting the councilmen agreed to match the donations made to the humane society up to half of the vet bill. During the March 15, 2010 meeting Human Society Volunteer Lindsey Shaffer announced the group had received over $10,000 in the fundraising efforts and had received a separate donation from a private source of $11,000. The city agreed to give the society $3500. Shaffer also said the company AAA Systems submitted a bid for the security system for the humane society and offered the equipment and the installation for free. The monthly monitoring bill would be $15/month and there would not be any additional maintenance fees.
The council listened as Councilman Jerry Schlosser explained why he felt the city should give the Leitchfield Police Department a $1.00/hour raise. He started the conversation with a motion to give the raise and then explained he felt after the recent shooting the officers deserved more money. He said he had looked into what comparable Kentucky cities the size of Leitchfield paid their police officers, saying Leitchfield was not paying a comparable wage. Mayor Thomason cited the two raises totaling .75 cents/hour the council extended to the police department last year. Schlosser continued to add he felt the men in blue deserved more money. Councilman Steven Elder cited that during the council’s work session the week prior Schlosser had mentioned a .50 cent/hour raise and questioned his motives as to why the amount raised to $1.00/hour. All other councilmen agreed that Schlosser had mentioned only a .50 center/hour raise prior to the meeting. Elder also stated he did not want to look into any more raises until the budget committee could review what the additional approximate $30,000-$50,000 per year would mean for the city’s budget. The motion died for lack of a second.
The Leitchfield Police Department will receive three new police cruisers, 14 new video/audio cameras and rifles with mounts for their police cruisers. The council agreed to purchase all of the equipment after the three police cruisers involved in the Shell Gas Station shooting were considered totaled by the insurance company. Mayor William Thomason declared a state of emergency to eliminate the timely bidding process of buying new cruisers. He said the vehicles would have to be bought at a lower price or the same price designated by the state contract. The new equipment and cruisers will cost in excess of $100,000. The city had applied for a grant for the rifles, mounts and new bullet proof vest approximately one month ago. Councilman Schlosser asked about camera equipment purchased in 2005 that had gone missing and asked that the Kentucky State Police investigate. Mayor Thomason said LPD Detective Gary Troutman could investigate the situation. Other council members agreed to have Detective Troutman investigate the situation.
In other city business:
The city accepted a $500 donation of trees, shrubs and flowers from local fresh market stand Po’ Boy and Girls.
The city council accepted the first reading two re-zoning request of property on Beaver Dam Creek Road from R-2 Single Family to R-5 Multiple Family.
Mayor Thomason appointed three councilmen, Steven Elder, Kelly Stevenson and Jerry Schlosser to a committee to look into finding facts of the effects that a Limited 100 has had in other Kentucky cities. Schlosser dismissed himself from the committee citing he knew where he stood on the issue. Leon Shaw accepted the third position on the committee. Councilman Elder asked if they could invite Tim Clark, Treasurer for the Citizens for Economic Growth and Dave Martin, an Executive Member of the Citizens Against Alcohol to participate in the research of the facts. The committee is to present the local media/public with the facts they find in the form of the press release/letter. The committee was formed after Tim Clark requested the council to do the research. He said both groups supporting and opposing the issue were presenting facts and would like for the council to conduct their own research.
