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Brandenburg council tables tax ordinances

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More than 100 people were in attendance to hear the Brandenburg City Council’s decisions on two ordinances: one that would introduce an occupational tax and one that would introduce a restaurant tax. 

The crowd cheered their approval as Mayor David Pace announced that the council had voted to table the two tax ordinances to allow for further discussion.

Pace said after discussion with a committee formed to review the ordinances, the restaurant tax was kept at its proposed rate of 2 percent, but a requirement for a business to turn over their books to the city if their financial figures were reviewed was removed. The occupational tax was amended to have a zero percent rate for 2025 while figures were reported to evaluate the tax’s impact, after which the council would have the option of implementing a tax at a rate of one-third of a percent in 2026. Pace said the committee tried to balance the city’s financial needs with citizen concerns.

“We tried to alter some of that to fit some of those questions that we had, and we did appreciate the input we received after the meeting, the input we had during the meeting,” Pace said. “We tried to take that and go forward with it.”

Many of the citizens that spoke against the taxes expressed their concerns with the financial impact on small businesses and Brandenburg residents. El Camino Co-Owner Carla Bravo said area restaurant owners should be brought in to discuss solutions.

“You do need to raise funds,”  Bravo said. “I understand that, but why at the expense of the local business owners of the community that serve these people? Why at our expense? I just ask that you give us an opportunity to talk about this before you make a decision today. Know the impact that it’s going to have, not just on the restaurant owners but the consumers and on this city, because you will lose business.”

Meade County Chiropractic and Sports Rehab Owner Bridgette Brown-Scheible said she had concerns with the impact of the occupational tax on both employers and employees.

“I understand we need more money,” Brown-Scheible said. “Charge me as the business owner a higher business fee, because then that benefits me on my taxes. Don’t penalize the people that have stayed in the community to work for me when there’s much higher paying jobs outside of Brandenburg.”

The council will pick up the ordinances for discussion at their January meeting.

Waste collection transition in Radcliff ‘ahead of schedule’

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The Radcliff City Council met for a work session Monday evening.

Green River Waste Owner Dave Jolley provided an update on the company’s upcoming takeover of the city’s waste collection franchise from Waste Management. Jolley said things right now are “right on schedule, if not a little ahead of schedule.”

“Front-load boxes have started arriving,” Jolley said. “They were arriving all week last week and they’ll continue arriving through this week, and starting early next week the residential cans are going to arrive. The residential cans are being dispersed by the company that we bought the cans from, and they’re going to start doing that on December 17.”

Green River is finalizing routes and schedules and plans to provide them to the city to communicate to residents by December 20. Residents who have not done so should visit www.greenriverwaste.com and find the registration form in the “Welcome Radcliff” section.

Radcliff Mayor JJ Duvall said Waste Management will run its final scheduled routes through December 31.

“They do ask that you leave your cart out,” Duvall said. “Don’t immediately pull it back to the house once it’s been dumped that last week because their truck’s going to come by and pick those cans up.”

In other meeting news, Radcliff Planning Director Murray Wanner discussed a proposed annexation and rezoning request for 5800 South Wilson Avenue. Wanner said the property owners are asking for the annexation and rezoning in order to better match surrounding properties. The city is also proposing several amendments to the zoning ordinance that will match local guidelines for recovery residences with recently updated state regulations.

“The idea of them’s wonderful,” said Radcliff City Attorney Mike Pike. “The execution, sometimes, has been lacking, so back in the spring of 2023 the general assembly enacted, and Governor Beshear signed, the bill to strictly regulate these entities, and now it’s a brand new ball game. The recovery residences are tightly regulated, and it’s appropriate.”

The Radcliff City Council will consider those ordinances at their next meeting on December 17.

Watch for rolling roadblocks on Interstate 65 Tuesday and Wednesday nights

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Drivers heading up or down Interstate 65 in Bullitt County tonight and tomorrow should be on the lookout for rolling roadblocks.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District Five says the rolling roadblocks will be used in the left and center lanes on I-65 North and South between the KY 245/Clermont Road exit at mile marker 110 and the KY 61/Preston Highway exit at mile marker 118. The roadblocks will be in place intermittently from 7 p.m. to midnight tonight and Wednesday.

KYTC District Five says the roadblocks will be in place to allow the University of Kentucky Transportation Research Center to conduct core testing. Vehicles doing the testing will be moving at slow speeds with frequent stops to collect samples.

Drivers should heed signage and use caution when approaching and driving through work zones. Anticipate delays and only pass when safe to do so.

Follow KYTC District Five on social media for updates.

Deneen named chair of Kentucky Senate VMAPP Committee

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Kentucky Tenth District State Senator Matt Deneen has received his committee assignments ahead of the upcoming Kentucky General Assembly legislative session. 

Deneen has been appointed the chairman of the Kentucky Senate Veterans, Military Affairs, and Public Protection Committee.

According to a release from Deneen’s office, the committee will focus on issues such as veteran health care, employment opportunities for returning service members, and public safety initiatives. Kentucky Senate President Robert Stivers said in the release that Deneen’s “passion for serving our veterans and his dedication to public safety make him the perfect choice to chair this committee.”

Deneen said in the release that he is committed to ensuring veterans are supported by the general assembly and have their voices heard, and the committee will “work towards policies that honor their sacrifices and enhance the quality of life for all military families in Kentucky.”

In addition to his chair assignment on the VMAPP Committee, Deneen was selected to co-chair the Education Assessment and Accountability Review Committee. He will also serve on the Agriculture, Judiciary, Families and Children, and Budget Preparation and Submission committees.

Deneen has represented the Tenth District, which includes all of Hardin County and a portion of Jefferson County, in the State Senate since 2023.

Keep your home fire safe as you make things merry and bright

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As you celebrate holiday cheer this December, don’t forget to keep fire safety in mind when decorating.

“Try not to block your exits, like a doorway or something with your tree,” said Radcliff Deputy Fire Marshal Tommy Crane. “Obviously, we like to put our trees in front of the windows so that everybody driving by can see them, things like that, but try to make sure your main exits are not blocked.”

Be sure to also make sure larger decorations and outdoor decorations are not potentially blocking possible exits.

Fire officials recommend using candle warmers rather than open flames, but if you do light a candle use caution.

“If you are using a candle with an open flame, make sure you keep it about 12 inches from anything else,” Crane said. “Keep it on a stable surface away from pets and kids where they can knock them down.”

If you have not done so already, make sure to check the batteries in your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.