The Elizabethtown City Council met for their first meeting of the month Monday.
The council approved an ordinance on second reading that repeals and replaces the city’s sewer rates ordinance. The residential rate will increase to $14.46 for the first 2,000 gallons beginning July 1 this year, then will increase year-to-year, eventually landing at $19.52 for the first 2,000 gallons in 2028. Reading the ordinance summary, City Attorney Ken Howard said there are also increases to surcharges for extra strength waste, hauled waste, and other services.
“Also, the connection fees are increased,” Howard read. “For a residential connection fee, a single family house, that will be $1,500. For a multi-family housing that will be $2,000 per building plus $300 per unit.”
The council also approved an ordinance for general obligation bonds for the outdoor music venue on its second reading. The bond was approved at an amount not to exceed $47 million on a term not to exceed 30 years, but the debt will be paid using proceeds from the music venue and other available resources.
“As you all will recall at the first reading, RSA Advisors, the city’s financial advisors, spoke and indicated the city has one of the strongest bond ratings in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and it is not anticipated that a bond tax would be necessary,” Howard said.
Three annexation ordinances were approved on their second readings. 204 Jackie Street will be zoned Urban Residential General (R-4), 320 Pear Orchard Road NW will be zoned Suburban Residential (R-2), and 7019 South Wilson Road will be zoned Regional Commercial (C-3).
The first reading was held on an ordinance that amends the city’s sewer use ordinance.
“Primarily, this ordinance amends the rules and regulations to the traps and interceptors section relating to grease trap installation and requirements,” Howard read from the ordinance summary. “Defined structure for the failure to comply with the regulations has been changed from $200 per monthly occurrence to $300 per monthly occurrence per 500-gallon capacity size of interceptor. Modifications were made to adjust truck discharge permits to be in line with industrial discharge permits.”
The first reading was also held on a zoning amendment ordinance for 475 Hodgenville Road, which would change that property from Regional Commercial (C-3) to Multi-Family Residential (R-6) to accommodate construction of an apartment complex. The Elizabethtown Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of the change.
Several municipal orders were approved, including Downtown Redevelopment Grants for 201 North Main Street ($87,098.08) and 218 South Mulberry Street (5,019.46), and a $1,180,400 bid from Dirt Works Unlimited for the French Street sanitary sewer upgrade project.
Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory praised the efforts of city officials and employees for their work addressing more than 12 inches of rainfall that came down on the city over a four-day period. Gregory said it wasn’t perfect, but the city’s infrastructure did what it is designed to do.
“I’m really proud,” Gregory said. “We learned a lot. We never claim to be perfect. There’s things that you see when you have a rain event or weather event like this that you know that you can improve on. We’ve taken note of a lot of those things and that’s what we’ll do. We’ll improve on them and get better every time.”
The Elizabethtown City Council will next meet April 14.
