Attitude of gratitude at city commission

Sep. 28—ASHLAND — Thanksgiving came several Thursdays early for the City of Ashland as the second commission meeting of September featured a few speakers expressing gratitude. The only thing missing was the turkey.

"I'm going to continue the theme of thanks here," said Mike Maynard, of Hillcrest-Bruce Mission, when he approached the dais in the commission chambers.

Maynard followed Jeanette Marks, Ann Perkins, Mary Witten Wiseman and Kathryn Lamp.

Witten Wiseman, CEO of Foundation for the Tri-State, received a "Key to the City" from Mayor Matt Perkins for her 30 years of service with the organization.

"We should be thanking you," Perkins said after she and Lamp, the organization's president and future CEO (when Witten Wiseman retires), gave their presentation.

"We need to say thank you more often, so we're coming here to say thank you," Witten Wiseman said to the mayor and commissioners.

About 12 years ago, local McDonald's owner Tom Wolf approached the Foundation and said downtown Ashland needed flowers. He offered to work with FFTTS to make certain to assist in beautifying downtown.

Thanks to an Ashland Inc. fund, Wolf, Southern Hills Garden Club, corporations and individuals, the funds were plentiful for flower baskets to decorate downtown streets.

Woodlands Foundation, King's Daughters, Community Trust Bank and Big Sandy Furniture are among the corporations.

Witten Wiseman thanked the city for watering, fertilizing and pruning the flowers, which were put on display in May.

"Without the help of the city, there is no way we could have such beautiful flowers," Witten Wiseman said.

Lamp said the Foundation works with donors to help make the community better.

One question the group is often asked, according to Lamp, is "Why isn't there a fund to help Central Park?"

On behalf of Foundation for the Tri-State, Lamp asked for the opportunity to establish a Central Park fund for people to make contributions that would be available to the city for purposes to be determined by the city and parks board.

Lamp there could be a possibility of an endowment component accompanied with that.

Perkins said the commission wasn't legally able to take action during the public participation portion of meetings, but "what we will do is put our minds together with our city management team and you all. I think everybody on this board feels strongly in support of this, so we will move forward that way."

Other highlights from Thursday's meeting:

—Marks, who represented the Kentucky People's Union, said the KPU has been active in working phones and knocking on doors to gather more than 170 responses regarding issues with housing in the area.

Among them: heat and air-conditioning units not working for long periods of time, unresponsive landlords, stolen security deposits, unrepaired floors and roofs, broken glass, water damage and mold, and condemned dwelling places displacing families.

Marks, on behalf of KPU, requested the city to enforce the landlord registry and make it public.

"We would also like for tenants to be protected and not be retaliated against when they do go to Code Enforcement," Marks said.

KPU, as it announced during an August meeting, continues to explore URLTA (Uniform Residential Landlord and Tenant Act), "which would basically standardize leases and just encourage landlords to provide safe housing, and create legal remedies if they fail to do that," Marks said.

She also invited the commissioners to a KPU meeting this Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Carol Jackson Unity Center.

And, in line with everyone else, she thanked the city for listening to KPU's concerns.

—Ann Perkins, Safe Harbor's director and the mother of the mayor, lauded the city for all of the "effort, time and money" being invested in Ashland's parks. "It's heartwarming and mind-boggling," she said.

She said, thanks to CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) money, Safe Harbor clients are getting "back on their own feet" by settling into suitable jobs. Three former clients were named "employee of the month" within the last six months at King's Daughters Medical Center, she said.

—Maynard — you guessed it — thanked the city for helping the Hillcrest-Bruce Mission continuously meet objectives. He rattled off several statistics regarding folks whom the mission assists. He mentioned the effectiveness of the work program, people earning GEDs, some getting into college and, of course, landing jobs.

Commissioner Marty Gute called Hillcrest-Bruce a "shining light in our community."

—The commission approved a second change order between Ashland and the Thoroughbred Construction Group, decreasing the amount of the contract for the water treatment plant roof replacement project by $18,342.99. The project's cost is now $244,325.46, which is funded with utility revenue bonds.

—The commission approved on first reading an ordinance executing a $3,800 contract with Bobby's Mulch to remove debris at 4013 Skidmore Street.

—Ashland will execute a release of liability to Community Trust Bank for the use of its property at 1544 Winchester Ave. for a rope rescue demonstration by the Ashland Fire Department.

—The following appointments were made to the Ashland Public Arts Council: Trish Hall, Lisa Trumbore, Lyndi Lowman and Mike Sexton.

—At Boyd County's request, Ashland's bus system will provide transportation in the North Commerce Drive Project, which will connect EastPark to U.S. 60 and Addington Road.

—City Manager Mike Graese thanked the commission for allowing him to attend the KLC (Kentucky League of Cities) conference last week. "It was very informative, and from a feel-good perspective, when people found out I was from Ashland, a lot of people asked me how we were doing on the progress we were making; people I didn't know, people I'd never met."

He also recommended awarding a $116,640 bid to Tri-State Fencing for the purchase and installation of a welded ornamental steel fence system for the Ashland Cemetery. The commission unanimously approved.

—Gute, known for his zingers during commissioners' comments, said he and 139 former Ashland classmates recently celebrated their 50-year reunion. "They had rave reviews about the city ... some of them had not been here for many years, and they talked about the shape of the city and how beautiful it was. They enjoyed Poage Landing Days, and we renewed old friendships.

"And some of the people are just as annoying as they were back in 1973," he added.

(606) 326-2664 — asnyder@dailyindependent.com