MCCRACKEN COUNTY, Ky. — The McCracken County Fiscal Court tabled discussion about the future of the Paducah Sports Park Grandstand at Monday’s meeting. The grandstand renovation was removed from the project’s original design plans to be discussed at a later date.
This comes after the McCracken County Sports Tourism Commission announced contractors will break ground on the Paducah Sports Park project July 22.
The fiscal court voted to table the discussion about the grandstand until Sept. 9, when commissioners will have a better idea if they can raise the money for the renovation.
The final budget of the project is $65.6 million, excluding the cost of the grandstand renovation and championship field, which were expected to cost around $8 million and $2 million respectively.
County commissioner Bill Bartleman suggested the fiscal court ask the project architects to come up with conceptual designs for an alternative to the grandstand, and said he was not convinced the renovation was worth $8 million.
“I think we could use $8 million for a better purpose,” Bartleman said. “Some big huge grandstand does not attract people to the games, and they’re not going to come back because they liked our grandstands.”
McCracken County Judge Executive Craig Clymer said he thought the fiscal court agreed to hold off on making a decision about the grandstand because he believes there is still a possibility to renovate it by raising the money.
Bartleman said if the architects made the schematic designs now, it could potentially speed up the process down the road if the fiscal court cannot raise the money to cover the cost of the grandstand renovation.
“We ought to start that process now rather than waiting ‘til we find out whether or not we can raise the money,” he said.
McCracken County Deputy Judge Executive Steve Doolittle said it would cost $25,000 for the architects to provide schematic designs of grandstand alternatives.
McCracken County Deputy Judge Executive Steve Doolittle said it would cost $25,000 for the architects to provide schematic designs of grandstand alternatives, which would come out of the Sports Tourism Commission’s budget.
Clymer said he does not want to “waste that money” on the designs.
“I don’t see what we gain by doing that, spending that $25,000 for schematic when we may not use the schematic,” Clymer explained.
Ultimately, the fiscal court voted to table the discussion about the grandstand until Sept. 9, when commissioners will have a better idea if they can raise the money for the renovation. In the meantime, the Paducah Sports Park will begin construction.
Also during the meeting, county commissioner Eddie Jones reiterated his concern about the parcel fee ordinance to fund emergency 911 services.
The final ordinance passed at the city and county commission meetings two weeks ago, and the parcel fee will appear on city and county property tax bills starting this year.
The fee breaks down as follows: $210 for commercial units between 1 and 2,500 square feet; $325 for commercial units between 2,500 and 7,500 square feet; $860 for commercial units between 7,500 and 25,000 square feet; $1,550 for commercial units over 25,000 square feet; $45 for residential units; $35 for public use units; and $150 for parking lots.
Commissioners Eddie Jones and Bill Bartleman voted to rescind the parcel fee ordinance.
Jones said he felt “duty bound” to say the ordinance “is not right for our community.” He said he would like to have a special session to improve the ordinance, and Bartleman agreed with Jones.
Jones suggested a proposal that was turned down by the committee that was made to find a solution to funding E911.
“I want small, $1 a month water meter fees, $1 a month electric meter fees,” he said
Clymer said the ordinance has already been approved by both commissions.
“It would seem to me like this thing’s decided … unless there’s a motion to rescind,” he said.
In order to rescind the parcel fee ordinance, it would take three out of four votes. If the motion passed, the city and county have to restart with recommendations for funding emergency 911 services.
County commissioner Richard Abraham said it does not make sense for the county and city to jointly appoint a committee to make a recommendation for how to fund E911 if the commissions were not going to listen to it.
“This could take forever,” Abraham said. “The clock is ticking on our citizens.”
Jones made a motion to rescind the parcel fee ordinance, and Bartleman seconded the motion. Abraham and Clymer voted against the motion; therefore, the ordinance was not removed.
