Council gives closed shops a utility-bill break, hears mayor predict 'There will not be large events' this year

By Madison Dyment

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The coronavirus is still going strong, and Midway is meeting the challenges head-on, even if some plans are being altered in the process. A plan to relieve some financial burden of closed downtown businesses was one of the ideas the City Council adopted Monday.

The meeting also included final passage of the new 911 service fee, and updates on covid-19, including a forecast from the mayor that Midway will have no major events for the rest of the year.

To help the 21 downtown businesses that have been forced to close, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift proposed to forgive their minimum utility payments of $59.30. The minimum, set by ordinance, covers water, sewer and garbage service.

The city has promoted takeout from restaurants and provided parking for that function, but “with shops, we just haven’t been able to help them out,” said Vandegrift. “I know at a time like now they’ll really appreciate it.”

The council debated whether more businesses, or all businesses, should get the break. It passed Vandegrift’s plan 5-0 with one abstention, applying it only to the April billing, which the mayor estimated would total $1,186. He said he expects to get federal emergency reimbursement.

Vandegrift had offered the option of also forgiving the minimum bill for May, but the council agreed to discussing extending the plan at its May 4 meeting, along with the possibility of adding additional businesses to receive relief. Council Member Bruce Southworth, who abstained on the vote, wanted to include more businesses.

City officials aren’t the only ones coming to help Midway during these trying times. Vandegrift said Ambrose Wilson, the Midway area’s representative on the county school board, told him about a Midway citizen getting food from a church blessing box.

“He was just out for a walk and the person was sort of apologetic, and Ambrose was thinking, ‘Why are you apologetic for that?’,” said Vandegrift. “Our concern is that we know these people exist and that they’re using the blessings boxes, but we just can’t seem to identify them to help them.”

Wilson, who challenged Vandegrift in the 2018 mayoral election, offered to form a way that Midway citizens in hardship can be helped in a confidential matter, Vandegrift said, and he was happy to oblige. He asked Council Member Logan Nance to work with Wilson, with help from the Midway Baptist Church, which runs the local food bank and delivers food anonymously to those in need. The church can be reached at 859-846-4514.

“We’ve got the food to do it, so no one should be going hungry in Midway right now,” said Nance, a member of the church.

This goodwill seems to be a trend within the community. Between efforts to feed those in need, volunteers making masks for free distribution at City Hall, and more, Midway has come together while staying apart.

“There are so many examples in Midway where if someone sees an issue, they don’t say ‘That’s too bad,’ but instead say, ‘How can I help?’,” said Vandegrift.

Despite that good report, Vandegrift sadly informed attendees that, while decisions are not absolute yet, Midway will not have its usual summer and fall events.

“The truth of the matter is that 2020 is not going to be completely normal,” said Vandegrift. “There’s going to be many questions going forward about events in Midway, and I think people need to start preparing themselves that there will not be large events in Midway in 2020.”

The Midway Business Association, which holds the Midway Fall Festival on the third weekend of September, has scheduled a special online meeting for 10 a.m. Thursday to discuss “how the association can help our members,” the meeting notice says.

Even if many effects of the coronavirus are felt across Midway, the mayor announced that Midway still stands at zero confirmed cases of the virus. Masks and sanitizer are still available at City Hall, with roughly 800 masks remaining.

Vandegrift attributed the lack of cases to citizens’ doing “such a good job following social-distancing guidelines, staying healthy at home, and only going out when necessary.”

He added, “We’ve got to keep hanging in there. We’re all getting antsy; I want to be able to see people and say hi again, but we all have to hang in there longer.”

911 fee, Windstream request: Outside of covid-19, the council gave second reading and unanimous final passage to the ordinance funding the 911 dispatch center and other emergency services, levying a $59 annual fee on residential lots and higher fees for businesses.

“This is taking a step towards making sure 911 is funded going forward in an equitable way,” said Vandegrift. The fee was agreed on by representatives of the three governments in Woodford County and will take effect when the Versailles council and the county Fiscal Court pass it.

The fee will be added to the tax bill for each residential, commercial and industrial property and will replace the telephone-landline fee of $3.50 per month at the end of the year.

The council postponed a decision on an encroachment permit requested by Windstream Communications. The company wants to bury fiber optic cables in the sidewalk on the south side of East Main Street to provide service to a customer in the area.

The Windstream representative in the online meeting was unable to answer questions about the project, so Vandegrift said he would arrange a discussion with Windstream engineers, expressing concern about the city’s streetscape being destroyed and calling that “a frightening concept.”

Wednesday night, Vandegrift sent the council and the news media an email reporting, "I talked to an engineer today who cleared everything up and there will be no tearing up of road or sidewalk, and it’s to service 395 customers." He called a special council meeting for 5 p.m. Monday to act on the permit and work on the budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

The next regular meeting will be May 4 at 5:30 p.m. via an online Zoom conference. Vandegrift encouraged citizens to join the call or to send in statements to be read, to facilitate public involvement at a time when meetings can’t be held in person.

Restaurants get designated parking spaces for pickup and delivery; officials brief council on covid-19 response

Business was slow on Main Street's restaurant row around 12:30 p.m. Wednesday, despite spaces reserved for pickup.

What does a restaurant-heavy town do when a pandemic hits and the governor says no one in the state can eat inside a restaurant? City officials make it easier for restaurants to offer pickup and delivery.

That's what the Midway City Council did Monday night, setting aside three parking spaces for each restaurant and their customers to use until Gov. Andy Beshear lifts his order closing bars and restaurants to inside service.

The council also heard updates from first responders about how Woodford County is dealing with the new coronavirus and the respiratory disease it causes, covid-19.

The council approved Mayor Grayson Vandegrift's plan to put signs on three parking spaces in front of each Main Street restaurant for customers to pick up takeout orders. He said the bicycle racks in front of the Goose and Gander would be removed to create shared parking spaces for delivery vehicles.

"It gives them some semblance of authority to do this, and encourage people to use that service," Vandegrift said. "If we need to tweak this as we go, I think that's fine." Asked how it would be enforced, he said police could check a vehicle's license plate and track down the owner. He said he would "use public pressure" to keep restaurant owners and employees form using the spaces.

Vandegrift said the idea is to encourage people to support the restaurants. They rely on out-of-town trade and bring traffic to other businesses. He said Cortney Neikirk, president of the Midway Business Association, consulted "every merchant she could find" about the plan and they all agreed with it. He said other steps may be needed later to help retailers.

Holly Hill Inn on North Winter Street won't offer delivery, but its sister restaurant, Wallace Station on Old Frankfort Pike, will deliver all over Woodford County, owner Ouita Michel said in a Facebook video Monday. She said she is giving give health-care professionals a 10 percent discount, will keep buying local food, "and I want to encourage you to do the same," by shopping at farmers' markets.

The Woodford County Tourism Commission is gathering and publishing information from restaurants and retailers on its Facebook page.

Woodford County Emergency Management Director Drew Chandler talked about priorities in responding to the coronavirus.

Emergency report: County Emergency Management Director Drew Chandler, in his report on the county's reaction to the pandemic, reminded the council of the reasons for the governor's order.

"We're dealing with something that has rapid spread and no vaccine," unlike the flu, he said. "Our health care has so much capacity. You've seen reports out of Italy, where they have to choose who gets the ventilator and who passes away. We don't want that to happen. That's why we're implementing the social distancing," to slow the spread of the virus. "If we can prolong the period of time, the system can respond better."

Vandegrift said, "People need to take the social distancing very seriously. . . . We're going to be in this for the long haul. It's going to be uncomfortable. By the long haul, I mean it could last through the summer. I think the more we practice social distancing, the more we take these recommendations . . . the shorter the time's going to be," and the fewer people will die.

Chandler said, "It's important while we're social distancing that we not isolate ourselves and get stir-crazy." Council Member John Holloway later advised, "Go walk in the park," which he manages.

Holloway spoke after Council Member Stacy Thurman reported that a group of Midway citizens has organized to help "people who are very isolated right now and are high-risk and may not be able to get out of their house at all." She said they are planning to hang notices on all doors or porches in town, offering help with errands.

Chandler said the main effect of the state of emergency that local government executives declared last week is to "open up procurement" so goods and services can be obtained quickly. When he found that police were having to bring hand sanitizer from home, he said, the county got some from the state.

Versailles Police Chief Mike Murray said his department, which patrols the whole county, would maintain all services but has taken some steps to reduce personal contact, such as investigating petty crimes by telephone. He said the shoplifting he feared hasn't happened, and "Our call volume, overall, has kind of declined a little bit."

Chandler said the county road department increased its bulk fuel purchases to guard against shortages, and fire departments are being cautious about possible exposure on medical-assistance calls, assessing patients "from a good distance" so they don't have to waste any personal protective equipment, supplies of which are expected to run short.

"The biggest thing we can do right now," Chandler said, "is to maintain situational awareness." Chandler said someone in the county probably has the virus but there have been no positive tests. Beshear has said every county will eventually have a case.

In other business, the council formally accepted the recent audit report for the 2018-19 fiscal year, and held a public hearing and first reading on an ordinance to replace the telephone-line fee for 9-1-1 emergency service with a $59 fee on each residential address, to be placed on county tax bills. "Everyone seems to be behind this idea," Vandegrift said.

Thurman, chair of the city's Workplace Housing Task Force, said it has concluded that the city needs a professional assessment of housing needs and wants in the city, not only seeing what citizens think but getting the opinions of out-of-towners who work in Midway and might move here.

Council endorses $59-per-lot fee to fund 9-1-1; mayor says he will try 6 months without late fees on water bills

Jeremy Emerson, Doris Leigh, Sharon Turner and Jimmie Murphy received "certificates of excellence" from the city Monday night for their service on the Veterans Memorial Committee. Turner and Leigh are former members of the City Council.

To pay for Woodford County's 9-1-1 dispatch service, a $59 fee would be tacked onto the tax bill of each residential property in the county, under a plan endorsed by the Midway City Council tonight.

The council also approved a new contract with John Soper, chair of the Woodford County Economic Development Authority; honored members of the Veterans Memorial Committee, which is turning its functions over to the city; set terms for the new Code Enforcement Board; and approved appointment of a new city attorney. Before the meeting, Vandegrift announced a trial policy of doing away with late fees on water bills.

Dispatch funding: The nonbinding vote on funding the dispatch center came after police and other first responders said they preferred the tract-fee idea to the other finalist, a fee on water meters. Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said the water fee would have to be higher, perhaps $70, to cover the cost, due to the inefficiency of collecting the fee through the county's eight separate water suppliers.

He said commercial and industrial property owners would pay higher rates, yet to be determined, if the three local governments adopt the proposal. The Versailles City Council is scheduled to hear about the issue Tuesday night.

"We've gone through every possible way of funding this," Vandegrift said, adding later that the tract fee appeared to have unanimous support among first responders. "It's not something anybody wants to do, but it's something we have to do."

The dispatch service is now funded by a $3.50 monthly fee on telephone landlines, which are fading out. About 80 percent of the service's calls come from wireless phones, Assistant Versailles Police Chief Mike Murray told the council. He said eight or nine Kentucky counties have shifted to a tract fee to finance dispatch.

Vandegrift said Midway hasn't participated in the funding, but "With our rising standing in this county, we need to step up to the plate. If we want to be included at all tables, we've got to sit at every table."

Water policy: Over the weekend, Vandegrift told the council in an email that he would "try a six month trial run with no late fees on water/sewer bills." His decision follows a council discussion last month about water policies.

"If this becomes permanent, it will cost the water fund approximately $9,600 per year, but with the Higgins Street water line replacement debt retired, we’re still in a cost-saving situation compared to where we were a year ago when still paying the debt," he wrote. "Plus, $9,600 is a fraction of our overall water fund budget and even if we did rely on that income, it’s an unsavory thing to rely on."

Vandegrift said water bills will still be due on the 10th of each month, "but people who don’t pay on time won’t be penalized a fee. They will, however, still end up on the cut-off list if they continue to be late, and the cut-offs will remain on or around the 26th of each month. If too many customers are ending up on the cut off list, or unforeseen ramifications cause an administrative strain, I may end the trial run within the next six months. But, if after 6 months, things go as I hope and expect they will, this will become new permanent policy. After reviewing the council’s comments from our water policy meeting, speaking with city hall staff, and thinking through it over and over, I think this is a worthy effort to help lift some financial burden for those who struggle the most to afford the most basic of necessities."

EDA contract: Soper is both chairman of the EDA and an independent contractor for the three local governments. His new contract is for six months, and gives him a raise. He has been paid $5,720 per month, and will now get $6,002 a month for recruiting and retaining jobs and selling property in the Midway Station industrial and commercial park.

Midway has been the main beneficiary of Soper's recent work, and it will pay a greater share of his compensation: $1,333 per month, up from $858 a month. Vandegrift said that reflects performance, justified by the great increases in the city's occupational tax on wages and net profits, and is "still a good deal" for the city. Midway's share will be 22.2 percent, or two-ninths, of the total. The county will pay four-ninths and Versailles one-third. The contract is in the council meeting packet, here.

Logan Nance, the only council member who voted against industrial zoning of 138 acres between Midway Station and the Brown-Forman whiskey warehouses (which have a conditional-use permit in an agricultural zone) told Soper that they differ on development, "but you're doing a good job at Midway Station." The property's debt is now being paid entirely by EDA, not the city and county.

Soper reported that EDA may be able to develop public access to South Elkhorn Creek through negotiations with AT&T, which needs a construction easement to replace a fiber-optic line that runs along Midway Station's fence with Interstate 64.

Veterans Committee: Vandegrift presented "certificates of excellence" to four members of the Midway Veterans Committee who were present. The committee was formed several years ago to build a memorial in the Midway Cemetery, raised $40,000 for the project, and worked for years to add names to the monument and hold an annual Memorial Day service. The committee's membership has evolved over the years, and it has turned its funds over to the city, which is assuming its functions.

"You can learn a lot about a town by the way it honors its veterans," said Nance, an Army vet who served in Afghanistan. "Those veterans gave so much to ensure that this country, the values that we value, freedom and democracy, are built in stone. And I think it's only fitting that because of your work, their names will forever be etched in granite. So, thank you all very much."

Code enforcement: The ordinance the council passed last month to create a new Code Enforcement Board, to hear appeals of citations for building-code violations, calls for the terms of the first appointees to be staggered so one appointment comes up each year hence. But when Vandegrift and the council filled the board, they didn't specify the terms. Tonight they decided that Jim Starks would serve three years, Jo Blease two years and Dan Roller one year.

Code violations will be cited by an enforcement officer, whom the city has yet to hire. Vandegrift said he is talking with a Scott County building inspector about doing the part-time work and hopes to have his appointment ready for the council's confirmation at its next meeting, Feb. 17.

In response to a question from Council Member John Holloway, the mayor said that the officer would respond to complaints, not cite violations on his own, but that the complaints can be anonymous.

Other business: Council Member Sara Hicks, chair of the cemetery committee, said the foundation for the pavilion at the cemetery is in place, and stakes have been placed for a road to it. She invited members to check it out. Vandegrift said an architect is doing blueprints for the pavilion, based on a design by Holloway.

The council approved three event permits for the Midway Business Association:a St. Patrick's Day celebration Saturday, March 14; a summer-kickoff block party from 5 to 10 p.m. May 23, the Saturday before Memorial Day; and the Fall Festival Sept. 18-20, with Friday needed for setup.

Also approved was Vandegrift's choice of Sharon Gold as the new attorney for the city. She was not present at the meeting. Neither was Council Member Kaye Nita Gallagher.

Vandegrift said after the meeting that Gold will be paid $283 per hour and her associates at the Lexington office of Wyatt, Tarrant and Combs will get $185 an hour. Her predecessor, Phil Moloney, got $225 and his associates $145. "Phil’s office hadn’t raised their rates in five years, so that was probably due," Vandegrift said in an email. He added that new City Clerk Cindy Foster's "ability to write ordinances (she’s written two of our most recent) will save us a lot on billable hours."

New Weisenberger Mill bridge set for completion by May

A new Weisenberger Mill bridge should be open by May 2020, the state Transportation Cabinet announced today after meeting with the contractor on the project.

"Preliminary operations begin Monday, August 12," the cabinet said in a news release. "The public will be informed of progress toward the replacement bridge through advisories furnished to media outlets." The first step will be removal of the old bridge, which has been closed for more than three years, blocking a popular tourist and commuter route and delaying emergency responses.

Louisville Paving Co. Inc. was the sole bidder for the project through two rounds of bidding. Its latest bid of $877,000 was almost 42 percent above the state engineers' estimate, but that was a big improvement over the first bid of $1.95 million, 2¾ times a somewhat higher estimate.

The cabinet decided Friday to accept the bid; it will spend an additional sum for "soil nailing," insertion of reinforcing bars into the banks of South Elkhorn Creek. That part of the work was removed from the bid documents and made part of an overall contract the state has issued for such work.

1935 photo of the bridge (Kentucky Transportation Cabinet)

The bridge was closed July 1, 2016, after state inspectors found advanced deterioration in the lower chord of the truss. The new bridge will be a "pony truss" style like the current one, which is 72 feet long and 12 feet wide. The truss spans about 40 feet. 

Replacing the one-lane span, which dates to 1935, has been complicated. The first plan, in 2013, was for a two-lane bridge, but the cabinet changed it to a one-lane pony truss in response to public concern that a modern concrete span would detract from the scenic nature of the site and encourage speeding, causing accidents in the sharp curve on the Woodford County side.

"The newly constructed bridge will fit within the context of the environment," the news release said. "It will also provide a solution for safe travel to be utilized by citizens and emergency management vehicles."

Since the bridge has historical significance and is a state responsibility, the project had to undergo review by the State Historic Preservation Office and the Kentucky Heritage Council, as well as an environmental impact report to federal officials. Initial bidding on the project was delayed a month by negotiations over construction easements.

The bridge links Woodford and Scott counties. It is nominally Woodford's responsibility, under a longstanding agreement between the counties, but the state agreed to take responsibility for it several years ago.

The bridge's closure has further isolated the largely African American community of Zion Hill, at the southern tip of Scott County. Woodford County has been providing emergency services to the area.

Midway officials to hold public forum April 9 before acting on resolution backing refugee resettlement in Ky.

Amnesty International volunteer Lee Birdwhistell spoke to the city council Monday as about 20 people listened.

By Korrie Harris
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council voted Monday evening to table a controversial resolution supporting refugee resettlement in Kentucky and vote on it no later than the June 3 council meeting, following a public forum.

The resolution calls for resettlement to be done without discrimination, and calls on other Kentucky communities to “join them in supporting a stronger national effort to settle refugees around the world in need of a home.”

The council followed the lead of Mayor Grayson Vandegrift, who issued a statement before the meeting in response to social-media comments debating the resolution. “It has clearly begun a discussion in our community that has lighted passions on both sides of the issue,” he wrote.

The passions and “vitriol,” as Vandegrift called it during the meeting, are illustrated by postings on Midway Musings, a closed Facebook group that has almost 700 members. After Karen Martin posted a notice asking the members to attend the council meeting to support the resolution, Angeletta Fields wrote, “I do not want refugees to move into Midway not into Kentucky!” and James Starks wrote, “This is a disgusting idea.”

The resolution does not propose moving refugees to Midway, but some said the council should stick to local business. Cindy Karrick wrote, “Our little town is not the place to address national political issues.” Johnny Wilson, who recently served out an unexpired term on the council, wrote, “Dumb!!! Fix what you were elected to fix. This [is] pure political. Where is the money coming from to house and feed them.”

The resolution drew support from some members of the Facebook group, and Sarah J. Wilson wrote, "I hope that our council will listen to both sides of the issue and vote in a way that will be truly representative of the feelings of their constituents, and not just what they want. Let's show the rest of the state that we have elected officials who care about those who elected them. Citizens, if you feel strongly about this or any issue, speak with your representatives!"

Council Member Logan Nance

At the meeting, Council Member Logan Nance introduced the resolution and a representative from Amnesty International, a global human-rights organization that has been asking local governments to pass such resolutions for more than two years.

Nance said, “As I got older, my service to my country [and] through my church took me to places like Venezuela and Afghanistan, where I was able to see the refugee crisis up close and very personal,” and when he returned, he knew he wanted to help refugees: “I was able to meet refugee families that attend church in this community, shop in this community, and it was able to hit it home for me that we could be doing more to help these people.”

Lee Birdwhistell, who identified herself as a volunteer for Amnesty International, told the council that he resolution would be “non-binding” and wouldn’t “place the burden of resettlement” on Midway, Birdwhistell said. This would be the first Amnesty International refugee welcome resolution in Kentucky, but she said Kentucky is a leading state for refugee resettlement.

Asked after the meeting why she picked Midway, she said, “I just had a connection to Logan Nance and I brought it up to him.”

Nance told the other council members that he was willing to delay action on the resolution so the public could understand what exactly was happening.

Council Member Bruce Southworth said, “I would just feel more comfortable if we had more time to get more input before we voted.”

Council Member Sara Hicks agreed. “I think having a public forum would be very appropriate and a good experience for the community,” she said.

Council Member Stacy Thurman agreed but said, “I think it’s important to go ahead if we’re going to do a public forum to make a date, to find a venue and set it up and not just let this go and let it slide under the door.”

Council Member John Holloway he didn’t see the controversy in the resolution. “All the resolution is really saying is we are happy to comply with the law.”

Vandegrift said a public forum, with face-to-face communication, would be more productive than social-media posts. “I think the more we speak to each other, the more we’ll come together as a community,” he said. ”We might come out being stronger than we were before.”

The mayor then suggested that a council member make a motion to table the resolution “because it is a significant enough resolution.”

Hicks asked Vandegrift if he wanted to delay it “to a specific date,” and he didn’t think it would be best. “I think it’s still a new enough idea, still a fresh enough issue, that I don’t think we know exactly how much time this needs and how much time we want to spend on it,” he said. “We got other stuff we gotta focus on, too.”

Holloway indicated that he favored a specific date: “We should be sure and come back to this and not let this slide.”

Council Member Kaye Nita Gallagher quipped, “I’m pretty sure it’s not just gonna disappear.” 

About 20 Midway residents on both sides of the issue were in the audience. The mayor said it would be best to postpone citizen comments to the council until the public forum, so a moderator from the Kentucky League of Cities could aid civil discourse.

The vote for tabling the resolution passed unanimously.

“We will schedule as soon as possible a public forum most likely to take place in the next few weeks,” Vandegrift said. UPDATE, March 20: The forum will be held at 6:30 Tuesday, April 9 at Northside Elementary School.

Birdwhistell said after the meeting, “I feel like it went well. I do think it’s good for the community to have a chance to talk about it, discuss it. There was a little more opposition than we were anticipating, but I feel like deciding to set up a public forum to give the community more time to come to terms with it is a good way to go.”

In other business, the council:

• Reappointed Gina Morris and Council Member Sara Hicks to the parks board. Hicks abstained from the otherwise unanimous vote. They will both serve four-year terms.

• Declared two vehicles and a list of other equipment and personal property to be surplus so it can be sold for the surplus and authorizing sale.

• Heard Don Vizi, executive director of the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce, present his annual report and request $1,000 to help with its ventures. The mayor said the monthly meetings that Vizi set up with the mayor and other community figures to keep up with one another have helped the city-chamber relationship. “I’ve really enjoyed that. It’s been very beneficial,” Vandegrift said. “I think we’re gonna see some fruit coming up soon.” 

(Vizi also announced a job fair on March 26 from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Woodford County Agricultural Center. “We have 11 employers coming,” he said.)

• Heard the mayor addressed the problem with vultures roosting around the city. “We’re working with state agencies and USDA,” he said. Vandegrift said the city doesn’t want to kill the birds, but to “push them off into other parts of the county where they won’t bother anybody and the excrement won’t become a health hazard.”

• Voted to appropriate $812.40 as its share of replacing an emergency siren in the Versailles industrial park that has not been activating properly. “It’s 25 years old and it’s also the most maintenance prone siren out of all 12 sirens spread about the county,” said Drew Chandler of Woodford County Emergency Management.

• Didn’t approve a request made by Midway University to place a no-parking sign on West Stephens Street just past the president’s driveway.

Asked how often cars park there, Rob Sarrantonio, director of security and operations at Midway, said “It depends on the time of year” but “It’s been more now lately than it has in the past.”

Gallagher asked if it’s normally during the president’s events or during events at the house across the street, where some students live.

Sarrantonio said “It’s not during the president’s events,” and said people are told to park away from the area of concern.

However, Council Member John Holloway, who lives near the president’s house, said the only time he sees cars parked in the area is when events are going on at the president’s house .

Council Member Sara Hicks noted that there is a no-parking sign on Winter Street because it’s a “blind place” and police ticket violators there because it’s a “safety issue,” but she doesn’t regard Stephens Street as a “safety issue.”

When the mayor asked if there was a motion to approve the sign, no council member made one.

Print edition of the Messenger highlights the election

The free print edition of the Midway Messenger has been distributed to locations in the area. It includes stories about the races for mayor and Fiscal Court magistrate, profiles of the City Council candidates, a story about the Chamber of Commerce forum for city candidates; recent stories about City Council actions and changes in and near Midway Station; and stories of lasting interest, such as an update on retail business on Main Street and a look back at Midway University's transition to coeducational. The printer mistakenly printed a preliminary version, so we reprinted and restocked all the locations with the updated version, and distributed to additional locations. The Messenger normally appears in print twice a year; this is the first and only edition for 2018, due to the election and the lack of a Midway-centered journalism class at the University of Kentucky this spring. Get a copy!

County opens part-time ambulance station in Midway

Woodford County Road Department employees are installing drainage tile around the building to keep it dry.

After years of asking, Midway finally has a local ambulance for emergency medical services. The old Woodford County Fire Department building on Leestown Road has become Station 3 of the county ambulance service. The need became greater with employment growth at Midway Station.

"It was needed in the north end of the county, and it helps everybody," County Judge-Executive John Coyle said, noting the presence of an elementary school and a growing university in the town.

For now, the Midway ambulance is staffed part-time. Emergency Medical Services Director Freeman Bailey said it is assigned to the Midway call area 12 hours a day but is based in Midway only from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday, which covers the heaviest call times in the area.

Bailey told the Midway Messenger that said EMS is "working diligently" with the county Fiscal Court to analyze call volumes and costs before expanding staffing. He said the service usually gets one to three calls a day from the Midway call area, north of Old Frankfort Pike.

Because the building is now occupied on a regular basis, the county Road Department is installing drainage tile to prevent flooding problems that plagued the facility and helped prompt construction of a new fire station and training center just west of town on Leestown Road.

Officials say they hope to replace mill bridge next year, but community members are skeptical

About 80 people attended the meeting in the gymnasium of Northside Elementary School in Midway.

Story and photos by Sarah Ladd

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Community members heard a hopeful timeline but remained skeptical after an information session on the Weisenberger Mill Bridge project Thursday.

The meeting was held from 6 to 8 p.m. in the gym at Northside Elementary School, where officials from the state Transportation Cabinet met with around 80 community members to discuss the details of the project. Booths were set up with information on design, construction, the environmental process and acquiring right of way. At each booth, officials for that part of the project discussed details and answered questions. Each booth had blank posters for citizen to write comments.

Project Manager Casey Smith discussed the bridge design.

The design for then new bridge remains the single lane truss favored by the public at a June 9 hearing. Project Manager Casey Smith said he encountered mixed emotions from the community at Thursday’s meeting, but said, “What is consistent is that people want the bridge open.” Smith said when he and others began the project, they did not realize it would be as controversial as it has been. He and other officials said construction could possibly begin in the spring of 2019. The project is expected to take one construction season.

First, the environmental review document must be completed, which Smith said is being wrapped up now. Tim Foreman, the environmental project manager, said he hopes it can be completed in November or December. Next, the state will focus on purchasing easements for the right of way, said Diane Forrester with the Division of Right of Way and Utilities, which she said could be done by March. But, she said, the time frame may be altered by other factors. “It’s all very preliminary right now,” she said.

Liles Taylor, who won the Democratic primary for Midway district magistrate in May, said he has concerns about resources. “It’s very encouraging if the timeline we’re hearing is legitimate,” he said, but said the timeline puts work before July 1, the start of next fiscal year, and he is concerned about state budgeting.

“The Road Fund is already over-programmed,” he said, “to the point that there’s more budgeted than is actually in the Road Fund. So to say that they’re gonna actually literally not follow what is in the current Road Plan and fund something that is not set for another year is a pretty bold thing.” He said he’s interested to see how the funds are freed up, and, “I’m hoping we’ll have a pleasant surprise on that.”

Isaac Hughes discussed the process with state officials.

Isaac Hughes, who lives in Zion Hill, the community mostaffected by the bridge’s two-year closing, said he and others in the community “will not feel good about it until we actually see them breaking ground. We’re not happy because we’ve heard this before.” He said they are worried that the easements for the right of way will hold things up even further and wishes that part of the process had already been done. State officials have said they can’t acquire right of way or construction easements until the environmental review is completed.

Hughes said if the timeline stays as is and he sees progress in April 2019, he will be glad. “But looking at the process, I think it needs to be changed because it’s one-sided. … It’s not only the bridge I’m concerned with. It’s how we as Kentuckians and Americans are doing people. Their ‘process’ is not for the people.” Hughes said he watches other projects being completed and feels the bridge that has cut off his community is being put on the back burner because “it’s land value over people value.”

He also said Scott County ambulances s still have to go around the closed bridge and the counties are still more worried about logistics than people’s lives. “It’s almost like you’re holding a gun to someone’s head and your waiting for it to go off. The state has a chance to get the gun out of his hand. But they’re letting him hold the gun and wait until something bad happens. When something bad happens, that’s when we’ll all come together and say ‘hey, we need to do something.’ We needed to do something two or three years ago.”

Phil Weisenberger on the bridge at his family's mill
(2015 photo by Jamilyn Hall)

Phil Weisenberger, who works at his family’s Weisenberger Mill, said it is good that the team has decided on a single-lane bridge for safety reasons and traffic-speed control. “I think that’s the best option for that area.”

Weisenberger said the process has taken so long that he is numb to it in many ways. Though he said he tries to look at the bright side, he knows people are frustrated and the project team must be tired of answering the same questions.

He said with the bridge in two counties, state responsibilities and federal money, “It’s the mother of all government projects that have come together to make it a slow, slow thing. I’ll believe it when I see it. But it looks like there is light at the end of the tunnel.” He said he won’t get his hopes up until work is physically being done, but he said he feels the project is on the right track.

Council clears up property issue, sets up new garbage rates for passage, hears a member say he's not running

Story and photos by Sarah Ladd

By University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council cleared up a property issue and gave first reading of new garbage rates at its meeting Monday evening. It also heard an update on emergency preparedness and heard a member announce that he won’t be seeking re-election this fall.

The abandoned part of Winter Street next to the Corner Grocery

Property issue: The council declared that the city has no interest in a piece of property called “no man’s land” next to the Midway Corner Grocery, and gave grocer Scott Bradley a quitclaim deed for it and another parcel originally thought to be his. 

Versailles lawyer Phyllis Mattingly spoke to the council on Bradley’s behalf. She said the original deed for the grocer’s property, purchased by Bradley’s parents and grandmother in 1980, was surveyed incorrectly, an error discovered during a recent survey.

The land that Bradley has used for his business and paid taxes on includes two plots that belong to him, a parcel belonging to the city and an old part of North Winter Street, abandoned when the street was re-routed decades ago.

Plat shown to the council outlines the grocery tract in purple, another
tract of Scott Bradley's in orange, the abandoned street in green, and
the property to be covered by the city's quitclaim deed in hashed blue.
For a larger version of the image, click on it.

“When the state abandoned the road, by law that property would typically go back to the property owner,” Mattingly said. “Of course, we don’t quite know who the property owner is for all this.”

The other parcel is a strip between the grocery and North Winter Street that encompasses the fuel pumps in front of the store, which Mattingly said has been used by the grocery for many years.

Mattingly asked the council to declare that the city has no interest in the property and to authorize a quitclaim agreement conveying it to Bradley.

Council Member Bruce Southworth said, “I don’t think we’ve ever had any interest in the property.” The council voted unanimously to enter the agreement.

Garbage rates: The council heard the first reading of an ordinance to raise garbage collection prices to accommodate the council’s July 27 adoption of a new contract with Rumpke Waste & Recycling. The new rates will be:

•             Residential customers: one pickup per week at $14.95 per month, a 15.4 percent increase from the current $12.95

•             Business customers: two pickups per week at $35 per month, a 29.6 percent increase from the current $27

•             Churches: charged as businesses unless the church requests in writing to be charged and served as a residential customer

The new rates will go into effect Sept. 1. The ordinance requires a second reading before the council can vote on passage. The next council meeting is scheduled for August 20 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall.

Steve Simoff

Council election: Council Member Steve Simoff, who has served on the council since January 2017, announced that he will not be running for re-election “for personal and professional reasons.” He said he wanted to bring it up publicly to allow people considering running to know there will be an extra seat available.

Though Simoff said he was not ready to expound on his reasons for not running, he said, “I’ve really enjoyed this. Maybe two years from now, four years from now, I’d like to do it again. … It’s been fun.”

The deadline to file for the six council seats is 4 p.m. Tuesday, August 14. Those who had filed as of 3 p.m. Tuesday are John Holloway, the city’s unpaid park manager, on Feb. 19; Stacy Thurman, on June 14; Logan Nance, on June 28; and Council Member Sara Hicks, on Aug. 2.

Storm cleanup: The council also heard from Drew Chandler, head of Woodford County Disaster and Emergency Management, regarding the cleanup and restoration of the city following the recent storm.

Chandler said the July 20 storm and its aftermath revealed flaws in the department’s communication. Many people could not receive notifications because their phones relied on electricity.

He said the department is trying to become more “tech-savvy” and he introduced a new app, Heads Up Community, which is available in the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store. Citizens can sign up for selective notifications that meet their needs such as school closings, police and security and traffic alerts.

Chandler said the app is accessible on tablets and smartphones and “breaks down that barrier that we’ve always had. People don’t want to sign up for another government list.”

 

He also said the department is branching out to Instagram and other social media platforms beside Facebook. He said the app is the “first step in our corrective action,” and he hopes to keep expanding.

Fall Festival: The council approved the event permit for the Midway Fall Festival, which will be held Sept. 15-16. Elisha Ann Holt of the Midway Business Association told the council she has arranged for 214 vendors for the festival, a record number. Last year’s had 160 vendors.

The festival will not feature the bouncy house for children but will have other children’s activities like face painting and children’s vendors, Holt said. She said her goal with the festival is to continue to grow the city as a whole and she said this year’s event will feature a wider variety of music, which she hopes will draw a bigger audience. 

Lexington School bonds: The council voted unanimously to issue $5 million in tax-free revenue bonds for The Lexington School, to help it reduce the cost of a construction project.

Christian Juckett, a lawyer at the Lexington office of the Rubin & Hays law firm, returned to follow up on his July 18 request for the bonds towards a new learning center at the school. The school uses Midway as a financing tool because state law allows such bonds to be issued only by local governments that issue less than $10 million in bonds in that year, and Lexington issues more than that, Juckett said. He also reiterated that the city of Midway would in no way be responsible for the debt issued but would merely serve as a catalyst.

Donations: The council agreed to a request from Lillie Cox for $125 to help finance Woodford County’s display in the Pride of the Counties exhibit at the state fair. The city now has $975 remaining in its donations budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, which began July 1.

Mayor says KU is confident that 'the bulk of the county, including Midway, will have power' by midnight Monday

UPDATE: The mayor reported just before 8 p.m. that it appeared power had been restored to all of Midway, except "the North Gratz to East Higgins corridor and the Midway School Apartments."

Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift reported around noon today: "I have just left a meeting with KU representatives and county emergency workers. KU feels confident that the bulk of the county, including Midway, will have power back by midnight on Monday, July 23 (Monday going into Tuesday). This is certainly not the news we were hoping for, but at least we now know a firm timetable for how long we have to bear through this.  KU and LG&E have approximately 140 technicians working to restore power throughout the county, working shifts of 16 hours on and eight off. They remind anyone to stay away from any downed power line, as well as a few other very important safety tips:

• Check to make sure any electric stove is turned off - if you were cooking when the storm hit then it would be very easy to have forgotten to turn your burner off. Make sure you have not set anything on them which could cause fire when the power is restored. 
• If you have a generator, make sure it is not too close (within several feet) of an open garage door - this could cause deadly carbon monoxide to enter your home. 
• Although it is tempting to want to help push debris out of roadways, please do not move anything that is touching a downed power line. 
• Remember to discard perishable food items that are in your refrigerator or freezer. The Health Department warns that frozen food which has thawed cannot be refrozen and then eaten safely. 

"Going without power this long can make you irritable, anxious, furious, or all three, plus some. We are going to make it through this because we stick together. There are many, many good folks out right now working tirelessly to bring us back to a normal state of living. Let’s continue to encourage them, even feel free to bring them water bottles if you are so inclined and can safely do so."

Woodford County Emergency Management announced that the American Red Cross will be in Versailles' lower city parking lot behind the police station from 3 to 6 p.m. to hand out clean-up kits, water, tarps, trash bags, gloves etc.

Midway Baptist Church is setting up free portable showers from the Southern Baptist Convention, tentatively available from 4 to 8 p.m. "Bring towel and toiletries," Logan Nance advises on the Midway Musings Facebook page. "We will update once we are set up and let you know the exact time it is available for use."

Midway Christian Church announced that it will hold a community dinner at 6:30 p.m. and needs available helpers to report at 4 p.m.

UPDATE, 4:45 p.m.: Here is an enhanced screenshot of the latest KU-LGE outage map:

Storms knock out power, block roads, cause damage; meteorologist says winds may have reached 100 m.p.h.

The storm felled a large tree, blocking South Winter Street. (Photo from Midway Fire Department)

The Midway area suffered extensive damage Friday afternoon from a thunderstorm that brought high winds and heavy rain. Many people in Midway and the rest of Woodford County lost power, and stop lights were out. A flash flood warning was issued for the county at 10:40 p.m., until 1:15 a.m.

South Winter Street (US 62) was blocked by fallen trees, prompting the county ambulance service to move an ambulance from Versailles to the Midway Fire Department. Old Frankfort Pike was closed at fire gates 69 and 79, Woodford County Emergency Management reported.

Midway Mayor Grayson Vandegrift and the county government declared a state of emergency. "Crews will be working to clean up well into the night," the Midway Fire Department reported on Facebook.

At 11:17 p.m. Kentucky Utilities reported that 824 of its 2,061 customers in the Midway ZIP code were without power. Here's a screenshot, with the legend pasted in, of the Midway area on the LGE-KU electric outage map at 10:50 p.m. For a larger version of the map, click on it.

Lexington's airport reported three instances of winds reaching 70 miles per hour, WKYT-TV reported. Meteorologist Chris Bailey said the damage to large trees in Woodford County indicated that winds may have reached as high as 100 miles per hour in the county.

The old city dump is at fire gate 24 on Old Frankfort Pike.

Vandegrift announced that the former city dump site on Spring Station Road will be open to allow residents to dispose of fallen tree limbs. "The site is about a mile and a half past the Midway Cemetery, at fire gate 24," Vandegrift said. "We will leave it open for seven to 10 days."

Council asks state to replace bridge ASAP, but state says much remains to be done and work is set for 2020

By Sarah Ladd

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council voted Monday to ask the state to reopen the Weisenberger Mill Bridge as soon as possible and keep the public updated “clearly, consistently and regularly” about the project.

The council’s resolution cited delayed emergency-response time and resulting anxiety in the Zion Hill community, “increased costs to the city of Midway” for street paving, and additional traffic, as reasons to “act with urgency” in replacing the bridge.

The resolution requests the Commonwealth of Kentucky “do what is necessary to make the required repairs or replacements to reopen the bridge as soon as possible.”

The bridge, shortly after it was closed July 1, 2016

State engineers closed the bridge July 1, 2016, after they concluded that it was unsafe for traffic. Since then, parts of the community have become more isolated, and tensions have increased.

The state kept working on a plan to replace the one-lane bridge with a two-lane span, but neighbors of the bridge wanted it to be only one lane because it represents a historical presence, having been constructed in the 1930s, and because they feared a two-lane span would increase speeds on Weisenberger Mill Road.

The state agreed in October to make the replacement bridge only one lane, but construction has been delayed by environmental and historical studies requested by the State Historic Preservation Office and the Kentucky Hearitage Council. In March, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said all indications were that the new bridge wouldn’t be built until 2020.

The latest state road plan has money to build the bridge in the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2019. Engineers have said the work would take a full construction season, and before construction, small amounts of right of way must be purchased. The state can't do that until the historical and environmental tasks are done, Transportation Cabinet spokeswoman Natasha Lacy told the Midway Messenger in an email.

"The Historical Eligibility and Effects report remains in the draft phase," Lacy wrote. "We anticipate having a second Section 106 Consulting Parties Meeting sometime in early June. In the meantime, there may be some additional environmental field work such as archaeology in the mill’s historic district."

Lacy wrote, "At this time there is not a selected alternative," suggesting that plans could change again. "After completion of all field work investigations and reports; the Cabinet must seek approval by the SHPO," circulate a memorandum of agreement for approval and seek approval of the National Environmental Policy Act documentation from the Federal 
Highway Administration.

"We anticipate the above activities to be complete by the end of this year, although this is dependent on how well the process progresses." Lacy wrote. "Due to the complexities and controversies of this project, it is still premature to determine a completion date for the bridge."

Google map points to Zion Hill community. Black dot in pointer is on bridge site.

The bridge, over South Elkhorn Creek, connects county roads in Scott and Woodford counties. Under an old agreement, Woodford County has responsibility for it, but the state agreed to replace it in return for the county repairing a state bridge a few years ago. The project was further complicated when federal funds were allocated to cover the costs that exceeded estimates, including of building a one-lane bridge in the historical "pony truss" style of the existing bridge.

Vandegrift said the resolution is to be a joint one with the Scott County Fiscal Court. He said he and residents of the county’s Zion Hill community, who have been forced to use non-direct routes by the bridge closing, met with the court last week and he agreed to draft the resolution. He said Scott County might make changes, but they would be minor.

Party time: In other business, the council authorized the outdoor use of open containers for alcoholic beverages for Midsummer Nights in Midway on June 29, July 27 and August 24; the Midway Block Party on May 26; and the Midway Fall Festival Sept. 15-16.

Midsummer Nights will continue as in previous years, as a catalyst for wholesome, family fun that showcases local talent and businesses, Debra Shockley of Midway Renaissance told the council. The popular photo booth from last year will be featured again, and non-profit vendors will sell from 6 to 8 p.m. and a band will play from 7 to 10 p.m. 

The open-container rule will apply to Main Street and North Gratz Street, ending at the Brown Barrel, Vandegrift said.

Water bill policy: The council also began moving toward a new policy on adjustment of water bills, after former council member Sharon Turner's bill showed an unexplained 9,000-gallon jump from her average usage of 2,000 gallons.

Turner said she hadn't experienced a leak and could not explain her bill. "I know I didn't use it," she said of the excess water. Vandegrift said it was unlikely that 9,000 gallons could be stolen. Turner said she was aware of at least one other citizen experiencing similar glitches, and was concerned for families on fixed incomes. 

"It's the strangest thing I've ever seen when it comes to water meters," said Vandegrift, who defeated Turner in the 2016 election for mayor. He said he wondered if it is time to consider changing the city’s policy, which allows adjustments only in the case of a leak.

Turner agreed. "One of the things I would ask is that there be some consideration for issues like this. ... It's a mystery to all of us," she said.

The council briefly discussed possible solutions, such as a once-a-year, no-excuses adjustment, perhaps for usage above a certain multiple of a customer's average. The council agreed to revisit the ordinance and to waive the late fee Turner had been charged.

Budget: The council will hold a special meeting at 2 p.m. Wednesday another workshop on the budget for fiscal year that begins July 1. Vandegrift said no action will be taken. All council meetings are open to the public.

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Skies brighten briefly, but more rain is on the way; governor declares statewide emergency due to floods

The rain slacked off and the sun came out briefly this afternoon, but it is forecast to resume tonight and continue through tomorrow, so a flood watch is in effect for the area until 7 a.m. Sunday.  South Elkhorn Creek was running heavy over the dam at Weisenberger Mill at mid-afternoon. Commercial weather projections call for the heaviest rain Saturday morning and Saturday night, with a chance of thunderstorms.

UPDATE, 6:40 p.m.: Gov. Matt Bevin declared a statewide emergency in response to continued flooding. The order enables state resources to be mobilized and made ready to assist cities and counties should they be needed, a press release said. Bevin has also activated the state’s prohibitions on price gouging to protect consumers.

New county fire department station under construction; could help clear the way for an ambulance station

Work continued this morning just west of Midway on the new station for the Woodford County Fire Department, following removal of rock and placing of a culvert last week. Local officials hope the site of the current station can be repurposed into an ambulance station for the northern part of the county.

City council backs mayor and cemetery workers' enforcement of rules; variances won't be grandfathered

By Elizabeth Allen

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

At Monday’s Midway City Council meeting, council members unanimously agreed to support Mayor Grayson Vandegrift and cemetery workers in the enforcement of Midway Cemetery regulations. They acknowledged the move would stir some controversy.

“It's going to be bad. . . . We really need to show some solidarity at this table,” said Council Member Libby Warfield, chair of the Cemetery and City Property Committee, which discussed possible changes in the regulations but decided that they should be enforced “and not grandfather anybody in.”

Vandegrift said his position since taking office in January 2015 has been to enforce the regulations as they are written, but previous administrations granted certain individuals “variances” from some rules.

Examples include benches placed around graves, bushes and flowers that take up too much space, or anything that might encroach on other graves or might be considered inappropriate for a cemetery. Vandegrift said there were probably fewer than 20 cases of such variances.

The council agreed to enforce the rules retroactively. In other words, those who were given special permission by former city officials will no longer be exempt. Vandegrift said he recognized that will be but believes it is the fair thing to do.

The council discussed how to enforce these rules in a strict but reasonable way. Warfield asked if 30 days would be enough time for those in violation of the rules to make corrections after receiving a letter telling them to do so. The other council members agreed, but no definite decisions were made about specific enforcement procedures.

Judy Offutt gestured as she and Joyce Evans discussed their idea
for neighborhood associations with the Midway City Council.

Neighborhood associations: The council also discussed the possibility of creating neighborhood associations in Midway, an idea conceived by Joyce Evans and Judy Offutt.

Evans said the idea was “driven by the need for a little closer communication within the community.”

“I know the idea of having another committee is horrible for everyone,” Offutt joked, but said the potential benefits would be more than worth the inconvenience of initial startup.

“I think it’s about getting to know who your neighbors are and how you can interact with them and help out,” Offutt continued.

Vandegrift said he thinks neighborhood associations would be “a great way to connect city government to the city.”

Council Member John McDaniel questioned the need for neighborhood associations, noting Midway's small size, and said he would prefer "town hall meetings."

Vandegrift said such meetings typically attract about 30 people, and neighborhood associations would probably be more effective because individual leaders within the associations could promote involvement in each community, person to person.

Vandegrift, Evans and Offutt agreed that the first step in creating neighborhood associations would be to establish boundaries. Council member Kaye Nita Gallagher said the Events, Outreach and Tourism Committee that she chairs would meet Wednesday morning, then meet with Evans and Offutt on the idea.

Drew Chandler, director of Woodford County Emergency Management, presented the county hazard-mitigation plan to the council. Chandler said the greatest natural risk to Midway is severe weather.

“Hail actually kills more people than tornadoes each year,” Chandler said.

Following severe weather, the next greatest natural risks to Midway, Chandler said, are flooding, winter storms, drought, wildfires, tornadoes and earthquakes. The plan outlines a way to deal with these natural disasters when they occur. Vandegrift said the plan, part of a Bluegrass regional plan, is “very impressive.”

Tourism appointment: The council approved the appointment of Gallagher to the Woodford County Tourism Commission, which manages revenue from the county's 3 percent tax on overnight lodging. The revenue is small because the county has only bed-and-breakfast lodging, but a Holiday Inn Express is to be built in Versailles soon and there are prospects for a hotel on Interstate 64 at Midway.