City commission previews Mill District signs, hosts teen center

Mar. 16—Blake Vickers

The Richmond City Commission revealed designs for signage in the downtown Mill District and hosted a variety of special guests during their March 14 meeting.

Richmond City Manager Rob Minerich gave commissioners more details about the Mill District signage and the next steps in the process.

"We finalized our logo for the downtown Mill District," Minerich said. "The next step now is to start the permitting process with the state transportation cabinet. Once we get approval for that, we'll install the signage."

The logos will be used on everything from entrance and exit signs to merchandising.

Several groups, including the Madison Central High School Band, Hope's Wings, Madison County Empty Bowls, and the Richmond Teen Center came before the city commission during the meeting.

Order 22-38 authorized the city government to provide local match funding to serve as the grantee of a Kentucky Development Initiative (KDPI) grant. The grant was awarded to the Industrial Park South III project, a roughly 21-acre site that Minerich estimates could house a 175,000-square-foot facility.

"This was a competitive grant project... For this particular round, there were 86 applicants, with 54 sites being selected," said Richmond Industrial Development Coalition (RIDC) Executive Director David Stipes. "(Industrial Park South III) already has 12-inch water lines, sewer range, electricity; it's fully developed. It has also got railroad adjacent to the property... It will really help us attract an industry."

The first reading of ordinance 23-10 was first on the agenda for the meeting. The zoning ordinance would change 79 acres located on Hampton Way and past Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses church to Planned Urban Development (PUD). 26 acres on the property are currently zoned Highway Business B3, while 53 acres are zoned Two Family Duplex R2.

A bid was accepted from Silver Cliff Landscaping Inc. for several areas in the city — including Richmond City Hall, welcome sign areas, Madison County District Court, and the Richmond Active Living Center.

It is a two-year contract with varying rates for the respective areas designated for landscaping in the bid. Richmond City Hall and Richmond's welcome signs have a rate of $710 per month, the district court has a rate of $420 per month, and the living center has a rate of $1,150 per month."

Several personnel actions were taken in the meeting with the first being the hiring of three new officers for the Richmond Police Department (RPD), including RPD's first hire from Berea College.

"This is pretty important. At least it is for me," said Police Chief Rodney Richardson. "As far as I know, this is the first Berea College graduate that we've ever had."

The city's newly acquired Battlefield Park properties had an official curator position created. Phillip Seyfrit, who held that same position while Battlefield Park fell under the Madison County Fiscal Court's purview, will continue his work with the city. It is a pay-grade IV position.

"We do have a Battle of Richmond budget that we planned for in this current budget cycle... (Seyfrit) has provided a long list of priorities. The property does need tender love and care and we will do that. We're excited to have this property underneath the city," Minerich said.

Minerich estimated the budget for Battlefield Park is set at around $120,000 for this cycle, with a slightly higher budget likely being proposed for the next cycle.

There were also two resignations on the books, one from Section 8 Housing Department secretary Danielle Hoskins, whose resignation was approved by the city. The second resignation came from the Recycling Department, with a new full-time environmental technician hire also being approved in the same meeting.

According to Minerich, even with the departure processed by the commission, the Recycling Department is now fully staffed.