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West Point Mayor Richard Ciresi says the decision by the West Point City Council at the March 10 council meeting to not renew the city’s lease on the former West Point School building caught him off guard.

“There was no discussion,” Ciresi said. “They had never requested any information or anything else prior to that.”

The city currently leases the building from Hardin County Schools, under which the building came under the jurisdiction of following the merger of the West Point Independent School District into HCS in 2020. The city’s current lease on the building expires on May 31.

Ciresi addressed the issue in a post on the West Point KY Facebook account Friday. He says he is concerned that if the city doesn’t occupy and use the building, it will become another abandoned building, which he said was the case before the city began leasing it.

“The building just wasn’t very cared for, you know, they didn’t cut the grass as often as they should,” Ciresi said. “The building had gotten in rough shape, you know, everything was filthy dirty, and the windows were dirty, and it’s just not good for a building of that stature particularly to sit empty without somebody checking on it and making sure the temperatures are good and people aren’t breaking into it and all those kinds of things.”

Ciresi says he believes it is in the best interest of the city and the citizens of West Point for the city to have a lease agreement on the building.

“We’ve occupied the building almost three years, and we use it for many things,” Ciresi said. “Council meetings, kids club, Girl Scouts, all kinds of other civic events, and at no cost to the city. I mean, it’s all borne by a handful of supporters.”

The mayor said he hopes to bring the issue before the council again prior to the end of the lease on May 31.

Area communities are among the recipients of the latest round of Kentucky Trail Towns grant funding from the state.

Governor Andy Beshear on Thursday announced that more than $540,000 in funds were awarded to 19 Kentucky cities for recreational projects such as trail development and maintenance, project enhancements, and marketing efforts.

“These grants will help improve, enhance, and promote projects that boost the quality of life in local communities while attracting visitors near and far,” said Governor Beshear during Thursday’s Team Kentucky Update.

The City of Elizabethtown received $25,000, which according to a release from the governor’s office will go towards “trail enhancements, promotion of local events, and signage installation.” Cave City and Horse Cave received $30,000, as did the City of Munfordville.

“I’m excited to see how these communities will continue to provide these new and incredible experiences and show off the best of our new Kentucky home,” Beshear said.

The Kentucky Trail Towns program was established in 2024 with an initial investment from the state of $720,000, which the governor;s office says builds off of the state’s economic momentum including with the tourism industry. Learn more about the Kentucky Trail Towns program at kentuckytourism.com.