Council discusses school, OKs short-term economic developer, hears fire department has its first ladder truck

Northside Elementary School is scheduled to welcome students Aug, 26. (File photo by Megan Parsons, 2019)

This story has been updated.

By Aaron Gershon
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council and Mayor Grayson Vandegrift spent much of their meeting Monday sharing their thoughts on re-opening schools amid the covid-19 pandemic.

The council also approved a short-term contract for an economic developer, passed an ordinance easing paperwork rules for volunteer work on city property, made one block of Johnson Street one-way, and heard that Vandegrift bought a used ladder truck for the fire department.

The Woodford County Board of Education is planning to resume classes Aug. 26 with a dual option, in which parents can send children to school or have them do virtual learning, online at home. The board will have a special meeting Tuesday, Aug. 11.

“We want kids to go back to school at some point,” Vandegrift said. “My main concern, though, is if you go back in and we’re not ready to control the spread, if there are four to five kids a week testing positive for coronavirus and we can’t truly test for it the spread is going to continue.”

Vandegrift’s estimate was based on research that uses county infection rates to estimate the number of infected people likely to arrive at a school of 500 in the first week.

The mayor called for delaying the in-person start date, saying said more testing is needed first, to allow tracing the contacts of infected people and asking them to quarantine.

“I think the board should seriously consider delaying an open that allows students to enter the school until we can guarantee more testing,” he said. “I’m not putting that on Woodford County; the health department has done an unbelievable job, but everywhere this thing spreads, you can’t tell where it’s coming or going, and that’s because of testing.”

Council Member Sara Hicks raised concerns about parents who have health risks but face losing their jobs if their children do not go back to school: “If you say you can your kids or not send your kids, it sounds like that’s just a free decision, but I don’t think that’s really a free decision for people who don’t have the financial wherewithal to put their jobs in jeopardy.”

Council Member Stacy Thurman didn't opine about opening but said the school board should get support no matter what decision it makes: “We need unity, we need a united front and we need solidarity with the board and the county.”

“There’s no good solution,” said Thurman, mother of a fourth grader and an eighth grader. “Both solutions are bad and inconvenient and hard.”

Council Member Logan Nance agreed, saying “The bigger risk than covid to our community is the divisiveness and the language we’re using to talk to one another.” He also didn’t give the school board any advice, and no other council members spoke on the topic.

The City Council usually does not involve itself in school matters, “but this is an unprecedented situation,” Vandegrift said, and the final call will be “the most important decision that board has made in a long time, if not ever.” 

The mayor said at the start of the discussion, “We don’t in any way ever want to step on another board or jurisdiction’s toes,” adding later, “I think it well help them to have an idea how our city, our constituency, our end of the county feels about this.” At the end of the discussion, he said Midway-area school-board member Ambrose Wilson posted his thanks on the Facebook page that carried the meeting.

Other business: The council unanimously approved a six-month contract with Fortune Solutions LLC and point person Lucas Whitt to staff the Woodford County Economic Development Authority for six months, filling the role played by retired EDA chair John Soper.

Whitt worked with Midway on the location of Lakeshore Learning Materials when he worked with the state Economic Development Cabinet, Vandegrift said: "He's well aware of what is going on in Midway Station." The city will pay him $1,050 a month; Soper was paid $1,333.

Most of the pay will come from Versailles and the county government; Vandegrift said he, Mayor Brian Traugott and Judge-Executive James Kay agreed on the temporary hire to give them time to develop “a more concrete, more comprehensive” request for proposals from potential long-term hires.

The council defeated, with lack of a motion, Council Member John Holloway's proposal to rename and replace “Sparks in the Park,” normally held on July 3 or 4, with a celebration on June 19 to honor Juneteenth, a now official city holiday, to honor the end of slavery.

Vandegrift said he had discussed with Holloway “what could be done,” and asked for a motion, but none came. He said Sparks in the Park would continue but “We are going to have a Juneteenth celebration next year on June 19, which happens to fall on a Saturday.”

Interviews after the meeting, via email, indicated that the opposition stemmed from the idea of doing away with Sparks in the Park.

"I'm really excited to work with members of the black community here in Midway to honor and celebrate Juneteenth as they see fit. I also didn't want to do away with Sparks in the Park," Nance said. "It's a fun event for families and members of the community to come together and socialize and celebrate Independence Day. I know John's heart was in the right place when he wrote the resolution, but instead of repurposing Sparks in the Park I would rather keep that tradition and create a new, special tradition to honor Juneteenth."

Thurman said, "I appreciate the thought process behind this resolution and feel that Midway should definitely commemorate Juneteenth next year. I didn't make a motion to accept this resolution simply because I think both of these events provide great opportunities to bring our community together and I don't think we have to substitute one for the other."

Hicks said, “I believe Sparks is a loved tradition that should not be eliminated. I am also happy to add another celebration of Juneteenth. There are many reasons to celebrate in Midway.”

Holloway said, "Maybe I'm a purist, but it seems like a Fourth of July celebration should be on the Fourth of July. Juneteenth is 15 days before Sparks in the Park, and it seems strange to have two events that close together.  I was afraid that even if we actually have a Juneteenth celebration (which frankly seems unlikely), the tendency would be for it to become a lesser stepchild – which to me smacks of separate but equal, and I'm totally opposed to that, as we all should be."

The council also:

●    Heard the mayor announce the purchase of a used ladder truck from Stewart County, Tennessee, for $13,500, using state fire aid money and a city appropriation that was going to be used for an antenna but is no longer needed. Vandegrift said the city needs a ladder truck more than ever, with major facilities in Midway Station. He said Stewart County bought the truck used from Beverly Hills, Calif., but “The truck’s in great condition” and has been driven less than 50,000 miles.
●    Unanimously approved an ordinance simplifying volunteer work on city property. Volunteers will no longer be required to sign in and out each time, and won't be required to be under city supervision at all times, since they would sign a waiver of liability. The change confirms current practice.

●    Unanimously made the 200 block of Johnson Street a one-way street, from Gratz Street to Brand Street, effective Sept. 1. Nance said he interviewed all but one resident of the block, and all but one were in favor of the change.

●    Heard Vandegrift report that more than 700 people watched Wednesday’s online forum about traffic issues, and almost 80 made comments. One suggested traffic cameras to catch and ticket speeders, but the mayor said he had learned such cameras are illegal in Kentucky.

Before the moment of reflection at the start of the meeting, Vandegrift asked members and the online audience to remember the late Joyce Logan and the late Pat Wilson and their families.

City council, mayor draft ‘bare bones budget’ in virus response, but delay final action; sidewalk projects cut

By Emmanuel Flemister
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council and Mayor Grayson Vandergrift cut 10.6% of expenses from the mayor’s proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1, in a meeting held Monday in response to the coronavirus pandemic and its unforeseeable end.

Vandergrift called the special meeting to draft what he called a “bare bones budget” after the town’s largest employer and taxpayer, Lakeshore Learning Materials, furloughed 225 of its 300 employees.

 With a loss of occupational-tax revenue looming, the council and Vandegrift agreed on $195,500 in potential cuts from the $1.83 million in expenses he had proposed.

”Obviously, a lot of things have changed,” Vandegrift said at the start of the discussion. “I think we’re going to have to rethink the way we budget for next year. . . . I am very concerned about our revenues.”

The mayor’s original budget anticipated $825,000 in occupational-tax revenue, but he said that is no longer certain. “Originally I hoped we could bounce back in the new fiscal year,” he said, but now, “Even if things go better than expected, I just don’t think the economy is gonna be in full stride by July 1.”

Vandergrift and some council members were not too pleased with having to make these changes. “This is a painful exercise for me,” the mayor said. None of the budget cuts are final, since there are two budgets are in the works: the bare bones budget and the “status quo budget,” as coined by Council Member Logan Nance.

Before the meeting, Vandegrift had already subtracted $50,000, delaying the Stephens Street sidewalk project for a year.

The project would extend a walk to The Homeplace at Midway, and Vandegrift was hoping to make it part of a larger project to extend a walk to Walter Bradley Park, which would lead to Northside Elementary School, making the overall project eligible for a federal walk-to-school grant. He said City-Clerk Treasurer Cindy Foster said getting the grant would probably take a year anyway.

Vandegrift suggested, and the council agreed, to suspend the city's cost-sharing program for sidewalks, for which he had proposed $20,000.

Several other projects and expenses are on the list of proposed cuts:

• $30,000 for finishing the cemetery’s pavilion.

       At this, Hicks exulted, “My baby!” She has been on the forefront of the project.
       Vandergrift said, “You know Sara is serious about this when she talks about pulling out her biggest project.” He noted that the concrete base for the pavilion “isn’t going anywhere; it would not be a detriment to that project to be delayed a fiscal year.”
       He said $5,000 needs to remain for the cemetery’s fence: “It’s pretty bad in spots and doesn’t look too great.” This cut was the biggest made by the council.

• $25,000 of the $50,000 proposed for street paving. “You got to leave something there,” said Vandergrift, noting the possibility of small, unexpected paving projects.

• $18,000 from training and travel for city officials and staff, which was originally proposed to be $20,000, down from the current year’s $22,000. This will cut travel to Kentucky League of Cities conferences, for which the elected officials get incentive pay.

       “I think here’s where we really need to make a sacrifice,” Vandergrift said. “This is going to cost me, and it’s also going to cost the veteran council members $2,000, but you know this is a sacrifice we’re willing to make.” He said the remaining $2,000 might be needed to pay for webinars to receive training.

• $10,000 for donations, the same as the current year’s budget. Nance said, “Since we’re not bringing in money, we don’t need to be giving it out.”

• $10,000 from the proposed $20,000 for the coming year’s contingencies, which would have been the same as the current year. “These are the little things that come up that don’t necessarily fit in the ledger, but we decide we have the money to do them,” Vandegrift. We’re saying: less of that.”

• $5,000 from the $35,000 proposed for fire department salaries, which are budgeted for $28,500 this fiscal year. “This is a way to cut $5,000 without really hindering them,” Vandegrift said, adding that salaries were on track to hit $30,000 by June 30.

• $5,000 for the proposed public water fountain on East Main Street. “No one’s going to want to share a fountain anyway,” considering the pandemic, Nance said.

• $2,500 for park improvements, cutting that $5,000 budget in half. The council budgeted $12,500 on park improvements for the current fiscal year.

• $20,000 in City Hall maintenance. Brick tuckpointing was supposed to be done, perhaps with a grant; the proposed total budget for maintenance was $45,000.

The council tentatively decided to keep Vandegrift’s proposed 2 percent pay raise for city employees, and to not shop around for health insurance instead of accepting a 9 percent increase. “I don’t like the idea of messing around with the health insurance, especially at a time of uncertainty, so I think we’re gonna have to bite the bullet on that one,” Vandegrift said.

The council discussed cuts in the water and sewer budgets but decided against it since those are enterprise funds, generating their own revenue. “Believe it or not,” Vandegrift said. “we’ve already cut out a lot from water and sewer in the past.”

The council and Vandegrift agreed they need to be conservative with funds during the pandemic because it is uncertain how long it will last, and there may be a resurgence after the initial wave passes. 

Vandergrift voiced fears of what could happen if the state allows too many businesses to reopen too soon. “There’s a lot of political pressure to just go ahead and push through, but I think that would be a disaster,” he said. “I think it would be a disaster economically. It might end up hurting the economy more in the long run.”

He elaborated, “If you look at every other pandemic in history, it’s like humans keep making the same mistakes over and over again, they come out too quickly.” He even fretted, “If we aren’t careful, we’re going to eat all our surplus on covid-19.”

Midway is sitting on $1.2 million in unbudgeted surplus, and Vandegrift said he is “confident that Midway, pound for pound, has the healthiest city coffers of any city in Kentucky.” It’s important to note the bare bones budget isn’t final.

Council members and the mayor noted that they can amend the budget anytime. “We don’t want to get rid of this stuff, just put it on hold,” Hicks said. “Things are unsure at this time, and we should just make sure the city remains stable . . . and have money for emergencies.”

Council Member Bruce Southworth said, “Everyone’s got to make sacrifices.”He suggested that the council wait a few weeks to finalize the budget, to see “how this is going to last.” Vandegrift said the budget must be approved by June 22 to have it advertised in The Woodford Sun, thus taking effect, before July 1.

Council hears first reading of ordinances to cut sewer rates 15 percent or 25 percent; action set Dec. 17

Story and photo by Ana Neal
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift presented dual ordinances to the city council Monday evening for cutting sewer rates, saying the city needs a new baseline for the service.

Vandegrift said he prefers a 25 percent cut, which would mean the current monthly rate of $14.60 for the first 1,000 gallons of water used would be lowered to $10.95, and everything over 1,000 gallons would go from $7.30 to $5.47.

The 15 percent cut, which Council Member Bruce Southworth favors, would mean the rate would go from $14.60 to $12.41 for the first 1,000 gallons and from $7.30 to $6.21 for over 1,000 gallons.

Vandegrift said Midway was financially set back in 2002 to pay for the new sewer plant, but now that the debt is paid off, four years early, rates could be lowered. “Too often government will take money when they need it but they never give it back when they don’t,” he said.

The second reading and vote on both ordinances is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 17. Vandegrift said the council also has the option of leaving rates as they are. A new council takes office Jan.1.

Vandegrift touched on the projected cost for a sewer-improvement project with HMB Professional Engineers. This project would focus on cleaning out the old lines in town, tree root removal, and inspections. He said he thought the project would cost around $300,000, but the HMB is projecting only $107,000.

The mayor said the city has two choices, “one side with HMB as the engineer, and one is with us essentially doing it ourselves.” Vandegrift also said that Chris Stewart of HMB will attend a council meeting in a month or so to explain the project in more detail.

Assistant Chief Joe Campbell and Kentucky American's Jimmy Keaton

Fire department gift: Jimmy Keaton, government-affairs director for Kentucky American Water Co., presented a $500 check to the Midway Fire Department.

Keaton said, “Our firefighting support grant program is one way we can say thank you so very, very much to the men and women of these departments for their tireless dedication.”

The assistant chief of the fire department, Joe Campbell, accepted the check and said the money will be used for a new firefighting curriculum, including textbooks.

Iron Horse: Next year will be the 10th year of the Iron Horse Half Marathon, but it will be held about a month earlier, in conjunction with the Midway Fall Festival, under a permit the council approved. The Midway Business Association, which sponsors the festival, adopted the idea last month.

Because the race has been held on Sundays at 8 a.m., race representative Riley Marshall said, the biggest thing they hear from their runners is that they have little chance on a Sunday morning in mid-October to “drink in” what Midway has to offer.

Marshall and Zach Beavin, another representative, said parking will be available at Southern Equine Farm and Midway University. Asked how they will prevent runners from parking on the street, they offered the idea of issuing parking passes beforehand. The race will be run from 7 to 10 a.m.

Other business: Rex Cecil’s request for the council to waive the $850 fee for restoring water to properties that have been inactive for five years was approved. The council agreed that Cecil could only pay the deposit fee of $75 for his building at 123 E. Main St.

Price bids farewell to MIdway Fire Dept. after 43 years

Vincent Price, left, who recently retired from the Midway Fire Department as assistant chief after 43 years of service, was honored with a reception at the department last night. Here, he goes through the food line with Chief Butch Armstrong, with whom he formed the department's leadership team for 25 years. “The only way I was going to take on being chief is if Vince would serve as assistant chief,” Armstrong told the Midway Messenger in 2016.

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.

City funds barrel chair project; looks to rezone lands in and near Midway Station, get access to Elkhorn Creek

By Hannah Woosley

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

With hope that other governments will follow suit, the Midway City Council voted 5-1 Monday to give $1,000 to the Woodford County Barrel Project, which will make chairs from recycled bourbon barrels and display them throughout the county.

Example of a bourbon barrel chair

Dan Rosenberg, representing the project, gave the council two options: a $1,000 sponsorship to bring a chair to Midway, commission an artist to decorate the chair, display it for six weeks period then auction the chair; or a $2,000 sponsorship to bring the chair to Midway, collaborate with the artist on the design and keep the chair in Midway permanently.

Because the council chose the $1,000 sponsorship, the chair must be auctioned at the end of the display period. Rosenberg said the money received from the auction will go back into another barrel chair for Midway, or another community project.

Rosenberg said he has applied for a grant from the Woodford County Bluegrass Community Foundation to create a map to mark the areas a chair will be displayed for tourists and residents to see them all.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift asked Rosenberg if Versailles and the county government were supporting the project, and Rosenberg said he didn’t know. He said he had about 12 sponsors lined up.

Vandegrift commended Rosenberg for the idea, but called for cooperation. “I think community spirit in Midway is great, but I admit the community spirit between Versailles, Midway and the rest of the county is lacking in some ways,” he said.

The payment for the 36-inch-tall, 35-inch-wide chair is due Nov. 30, and the chair will be made and displayed next year.

Rezoning for industry: The Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission has approved an application for rezoning a little over 73 acres in Midway Station, from residential to industrial. Vandegrift said he would call a special meeting to first reading of the rezoning ordinance. He said after the meeting that the city hadn't had time to draft a rezoning ordinance.

UPDATE: The meeting has been called for noon Tuesday, Oct. 9.

Dennis Anderson, of Anderson Communities in Lexington, optioned Midway Station for residential and commercial development in 2008, but after the Great Recession hit and recovery began, the land became attractive to employers: American Howa, an auto-parts company, and Lakeshore Learning Materials, which built a distribution center.

Anderson and the Woodford County Economic Development Authority decided against residential construction on the property, and city officials have agreed.

A company that is asking to remain anonymous until a deal is possibly closed could bring 32 jobs to Midway on this land if the area is rezoned, according to Vandegrift.

Vision Engineering map, labeled by Midway Messenger, shows in red (and a small block of green) the property that is the subject of a rezoning ordinance to will get first reading Tuesday. The county will have say-so in rezoning the large green tract.

Creek access: Another rezoning, next to Midway Station, has been proposed by the EDA and landowner Homer Freeny. The 138 acres of farmland on the northern boundary of Midway Station and Georgetown Road, which is already designated as a future workplace in the county’s Comprehensive Plan and is in the urban services area, would be rezoned to light industrial.

Freeny said in a letter to the commission that in return for to access McKinney Avenue from his land, he would allow access through his land to South Elkhorn Creek for recreational purposes. There is no public access to the creek in the area. The rezoning application has been delayed pending a plan for developing the tract.

Vandegrift said, “I think we need to keep moving forward with this idea that Mr. Freeny has pushed forward, especially with its access to the creek.” He also said, “I think rezoning this to [light industrial] makes the most sense.” Unlike Midway Station, the property is outside the city limits, so the Woodford County Fiscal Court will have final say on the rezoning.

Halloween: The council approved Wednesday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 8 p.m. for this year’s trick-or-treat.

Fire Department: A ceremony honoring former Assistant Fire Chief Vincent Price’s service to Midway will be held Oct. 25 at 6 p.m. at the Midway Fire Station. All are welcome to attend.

Movie crew coming: A romantic comedy by Lucky Day Studios, tentatively titled “AugustFall In Love,” will be filmed in Midway, using the city's real name, Vandegrift said. He said after the meeting that the movie will air on the Hallmark Channel and shooting is to start around Oct. 31.

Sidewalks: Vandegrift said the city will advertise this fall for residents who want their sidewalks fixed. Last year the city began a program to pay up to $1,000 for a property’s sidewalk repairs. The sidewalks will be fixed in the spring, he said.

Message from the mayor: What a week, what a city

By Grayson Vandegrift

Mayor, City of Midway

What a week.

Wednesday, two young Midway citizens decided to sell lemonade to raise money for the Homeplace because they wanted to help with the care of the wisest ones among us. Their proud parents posted about their good deed on Facebook, and before you knew it, fellow residents were pledging to match their contributions -- they wound up raising well over $200 in the end.

It’s almost as if these two young women were inspiring us to be ready for the days to come, when we’d all have to band together to help our fellow citizens. Although I’m not surprised at how the Midway community came together, I’m still remarkably impressed and inspired by the endless accounts of residents doing good deeds to help each other get through a surprisingly monstrous storm and its serious effects.

It would take a book to account for all the selfless acts that were performed by people this weekend, so I’ll just say that I am continually inspired by the immeasurable number of good deeds done by people who simply want to help their neighbor get through a difficult situation.

KU and LG&E called in help from other states and had as many as 180 technicians working 16-hour shifts to bring power back to our homes. As I write this, nearly all of Midway has power again. We owe a great debt of gratitude to every line worker and every person who helped clear debris and limbs, and to their families for sharing them with us. One line worker from Chicago said he hadn’t seen this kind of tree damage since he was deployed to assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Our first responders were brilliant as well, especially on Friday night, when things really could have devolved into chaos had they not held everything together.

What a week. What a city. What a county.

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 plans to invest in sewage-treatment plant to extend its life; proposed improvements to park listed

The clarifiers at the sewage-treatment plant need replacing to extend the plant's life. (Photo by Sarah Ladd)

By Sarah Ladd

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

The Midway City Council is planning to increase spending on the sewage-treatment plant to make it last longer.

The council discussed the plan Wednesday at a special meeting to work on the budget for the 2018-19 fiscal year, which begins July 1.

The plant on West Leestown Road is in its 18th year of operation. At year 20, the state will begin regular inspections of its machinery. Though the plants are built to last 20 years, the length of the bond issue that financed this one, Council Member Bruce Southworth, a former operator of the plant, said that with proper care, it can last much longer.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said his goal is to get 30 years of operation out of the plant. "We should shoot for 30," he said. "Spending $25,000 extra this year is a lot more for your investment than having to go and take out millions and millions of dollars in a bonding loan to build a new plant."

To ensure this life extension, the plant will need a large overhaul in the next fiscal year. To accommodate these changes, the proposed budget calls for an extra $25,000 in capital expenses in the sewer budget, raising last year's $35,000 budget to $60,000. These expenses, Vandegrift said, will be paid for through sewer revenue.

Wastewater operator Jack Blevins said his first goal for the overhaul is to replace the clarifiers, the large tanks used to filter out particles and scum. The clarifiers have a buildup of sludge and will need complete replacement. Blevins said he has an estimate to replace them for $11,000, leaving $14,000 for ultraviolet disinfectant, a new belt press and smaller maintenance items.

With new clarifiers and UV disinfectant, Blevins and Southworth said the 30-year goal should be reachable because the plant is running far below capacity. “On average, we run about 110,000 gallons a day,” said Blevins. “The plant’s design is for 750,000 a day.” However, Southworth said, “It still runs 24 hours a day.”

The plant “is running efficiently,” Vandegrift said. “We just want to make it continues to run that way.” He said he has wanted to reduce water and sewer bills since becoming mayor in January 2015, and now “We can see the light at the end of the tunnel. The only way to do it, though, is to ensure we don’t have to build a new plant.” 

The proposed budget again includes $17,000 for park improvements; Park Manager John Holloway’s itemized list totals $16,300, including:

• $3,000 for a gate to allow access from the library to the park as well as a 3- to 4-foot-high safety fence along the top of the quarry cliff;
• $3,000 for a wooden pergola to be built over a walkway, pending further information regarding the possibility of moving the old Weisenberger Mill bridge to the park;
• $2,000 for planting the edible forest on Newton and Dudley streets. The tree plantings will include beech, pawpaw, American chestnut, poplar, hickory, bald cypress, hazelnut and sycamore; other plans will include Indian grass, heath aster, Maximilian sunflower, Indian blanket, plains coreopsis, ironweed, sweet Joe-Pie, smooth aster and common milkweed, which attracts butterflies.
• $2,000 for 10 fitness stations along the Paddock Trail; 
• $2,000 for removal of invasive plants such as bush honeysuckle, Japanese honeysuckle, multiflora rose and privet hedge;
• $1,500 for replacing the mulch currently used on the trail with a sturdier rock, stone and dust material.
• $900 for painting the picnic pavilions;
• $800 for history signs designed to teach about Midway’s past;
• $800 for planting two flower fields leading to and from Midway University as part of the edible forest;
• $200 for planting native trumpet vines along the Northside Drive fence;
• $100 for distance markers along the walking trails.

The council also discussed using part of the $30,000 City Hall maintenance budget to fix the bricks on the side of the building as well as replacing the front doors and windows because they leak air.

One jump in the fiscal year 2019 budget is a $2,500 increase for replacing the doors at the fire department, doubling last year’s maintenance budget. Vandergrift said contractors are willing to replace the doors before July 1 but not bill the city until the new fiscal year.

The council has not planned a third budget workshop. Vandegrift said he hopes to have the first reading of a budget ordinance by May 21.

As city accumulates cash from payrolls, mayor says he wants a cut in property taxes, not the occupational tax

By Lizzy Allen

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway piled up more than $950,000 in its general fund at the end of the 2016-17 fiscal year, according to an audit report released at the council meeting on Tuesday.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said after the meeting that he hopes to use this extra money, which comes mainly from payroll-tax revenue, to cut property taxes – and to make capital improvements to the city’s water and sewer systems, if he is assured of the legal authority to do that.

“I don’t know exactly what the rates will be, but . . . I’m planning on making significant cuts to property taxes,” Vandegrift said. In recent years the city has made small reductions in property-tax rates, but largely to compensate for higher property assessments

Jason Strange, certified public accountant for Stiles, Carter & Associates, an Elizabethtown-based firm that did the audit, noted that the payroll-tax revenue from workers in Midway was considerably higher than anticipated, bringing in over $100,000 more than the budgeted $400,000.

Based on the 2016-2017 collections, $500,000 is budgeted for payroll-tax revenue in the current fiscal year that ends June 30. Although this is a 25 percent increase from last year’s budget, Vandegrift said he is “confident we are going to exceed that.” He noted that the new Lakeshore Learning Materials distribution center has 130 employees, none of whom were on the payroll in the 2016-17 fiscal year.

The Lakeshore Learning Materials plant is shown on Oct. 24, just over a week before it began making shipments.

Though the payroll tax provides an increasing share of the city’s revenue, Vandegrift said he would rather lower property tax rates for citizens of Midway than lower the payroll tax, since most who pay it don’t live in Midway do not.

Although Strange said that the audit report was “clean,” he did point out that the Midway Fire Department made two purchases without first completing the corresponding purchase orders. These purchases totaled over $500, Strange said in an interview.

When Council Member Kaye Nita Gallagher asked about the issue, Vandegrift said kt “should have never happened,” but the purchases had been approved, just without purchase orders.

The audit report is a draft, but Strange said he does not expect any changes.

At the meeting, the council also approved a permit for the Iron Horse Marathon, which will be held Sunday, Oct. 14.

The meeting was held on Tuesday instead of Monday, New Year's Day. The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 16, because Monday of that week is Martin Luther King Jr. Day.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift announces for second term more than a year before the election

Grayson Vandegrift

By Katia Davis

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

More than a year before the mayoral election, Midway already has its first candidate.

Mayor Grayson Vandegrift announced Tuesday that he would run for re-election next year. The election will be in November 2018; the filing deadline is in August.

“It’s something I probably thought I would do from the get-go,” Vandegrift told Midway Messenger reporters. “I feel we’ve accomplished a lot over the last three years and I feel like there’s a lot left to do.”

Vandegrift, 35, served one two-year term as a council member before being elected mayor in 2014, defeating three-term council member Sharon Turner. He has been Midway’s mayor since Jan. 1, 2015.

“When I ran for mayor originally, one thing I said is that, you know, when it is all said and done, Midway, I think, should be considered the model for small cities,” Vandegrift said. “I think we are on our way there, but I think we still have some work to do. I feel like I’m the right person to keep the ship heading in that direction.”

The filing deadline for city office was once in January, but the council recently moved it to August. Vandegrift was asked why he is announcing now.

“I just figured, I’d made up my mind and there was really just no reason to wait,” he said. “I just figured, no time like the present.” He noted that some countywide offices already have candidates.

“I don’t think it hurts to just remind everybody that I’m going to run for re-election. I’m very proud of my record; I’d put it up against anybody,” he said. “There’s always one or two people who, I think, like to dip their toe in the water and see what people think.” But he said in response to a question that he hadn’t heard of anyone else interested in running. Turner didn’t return a call seeking comment.

On Sept. 18, the city council voted 5-1 to increase the pay for the mayor and council members elected next year. The mayor will get $1,400 a month, not the current $100 a month.

Vandegrift said the big pay raise did not effect his decision to run for mayor again.

“They could’ve lowered it and I would’ve done it,” he said with a laugh. “I put a lot of time into this, and you do make sacrifices. I think it’s fair, to be honest with you, but it didn’t have any bearing on my decision.”

The mayor once ran a restaurant on Main Street. He said he works part-time at Railroad Drug and cares for his son in the mornings. His wife Katie is a banker.

Vandegrift said that if elected, he would continue to work on “paying down the water and sewer debt,” which would lower water and sewer bills for residents. He added that he would like to pay off the debt on the current sewage-treatment plant early.

“I don’t think its fair for a city that is doing well in every respect to have to ever raise rates on citizens just because it has to come from that fund,” Vandegrift said.

Asked to name his biggest achievement in office, he said it was the recruitment of Lakeshore Learning Materials, a supplier of preschool and elementary school educational materials, which says it will employ 262 people, making it by far Midway’s largest employer. “I worked very hard on Lakeshore,” he said, adding later, “I think they will have just as big of a community impact as Midway University does now.”

Vandegrift said in his announcement, “Working together as a community we’ve brought new industry to Midway Station, creating what will eventually be over 350 well-paying jobs. We’ve increased the city’s revenue, lowered property taxes each of the last two years, and absorbed a rate hike by Kentucky American Water so as not to pass it on to the consumer.  We’ve encouraged volunteerism, which among other things has led to the vast improvements of Walter Bradley Park.

“We’ve paved roads and launched a successful public/private sidewalk program. We’ve made upgrades to the Midway Volunteer Fire Department, begun water and sewer upgrades, and improved city properties and city services. We also amended our civil-rights code to include protections in housing, public accommodations, and employment for the LGBT community.”

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.

Council rezones, starts to annex land for industry; discusses restaurant vestibule in Main Street sidewalk

By Austyn Gaffney

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway’s City Council rezoned and began to annex more property for industry at Midway Station, and discussed the new, temporary vestibule outside Heirloom Restaurant, at a regular meeting Monday night. It also heard about safety trainings that will be available in the city.

The council approved a zoning map amendment and heard first reading of an annexation ordinance for 34 acres at Midway Station that Lakeshore Learning Materials intends to use for expansion of the distribution center it is building. Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said second reading and passage are set for the next meeting, Feb. 20.

The council also approved a reimbursement agreement with the Woodford County Economic Development Authority for Midway’s commitment of $450,000 for the $2.8 million gas line to Midway Station. The EDA plans to repay Midway most, if not all, of the financial commitment with net profits from land sales.

The council also heard from Woodford County Emergency Management Director Drew Chandler. He invited the community to a monthly, one-hour CPR training for bystanders at the Woodford County Courthouse, and a Community Emergency Response Training session Saturday, Feb. 25 and Saturday, March 11, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with lunch provided, at The Homeplace at Midway.

The council approved Chandler’s proposal to apply for a grant from Kentucky’s Homeland Security Department to buy a new computer for the fire department.

Proposals by council members at the end of the meeting included Sara Hicks’ request to move the city’s cemetery database to a user-friendly site like www.findagrave.com or www.billiongraves.com, to which members of the Veterans Committee have posted the graves of military personnel. Libby Warfield praised those efforts, led by committee member Jimmie Murphy.

John McDaniel suggested the downtown Christmas tree be moved to another location replaced by a smaller tree less likely to damage surrounding infrastructure. Mayor Grayson Vandegrift agreed. Warfield complained about speeding near the lower end of Cottage Grove, and she requested that Vandegrift consider adding a three-way stop there.

The recently installed vestibule at Heirloom

Warfield’s complaint wasn’t the only one discussed Monday evening. Vandegrift said county Planning Director Pattie Wilson told him she has received two or three complaints about the vestibule recently placed outside Heirloom restaurant.

Vandegrift said the main issues were the obstruction of the sidewalk, which he said he wouldn’t press for now because the city leases the restaurant sidewalk space for tables and chairs in the summer, and a potential fire hazard. He said the fire department is aware of the vestibule, and the fire inspector will make a report about the safety of the structure before the city moves forward with any other action.

Wilson said in an interview, “I have received several complaints anonymously, and the concerns are that it sets a precedent for all businesses along the railroad. The concerns are a safety hazard and an aesthetic issue for the street. It’s both a visual, but most importantly, a health-and-safety issue.”

Hannah Smith, a server at Heirloom, told the Midway Messenger that the vestibule is a temporary structure added to retain heat during the winter.

“It’s exactly what Grey Goose puts up every winter in front of their restaurant,” Smith said. “It’s so our customers don’t get blasted with cold air through the front door.”

Vandegrift noted that the Grey Goose’s vestibule doesn’t obstruct a public passway, and said he is worried about setting a precedent.

“Can you imagine if every business had one of those things outside?” Vandegrift asked the council. He said he brought up the matter at the meeting so council members could explain it to their constituents if they inquired.

Firefighter leaders Armstrong, Price build city's department over 23 years of volunteer work

Story, photo and video by Leah Sharp

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway Fire Chief Butch Armstrong and Assistant Chief Vincent Price make up a long-running team at the Midway Fire Department.

This summer, Armstrong and Price celebrated their 23-year anniversary of being chief and assistant chief. They took on their leadership roles in June 1993.

“The only way I was going to take on being chief is if Vince would serve as assistant chief,” Armstrong recalled.

Armstrong has been with the fire department since he was 20, in 1974. He said he joined “because it was a family thing on my in-laws’ side of the family” and his brother-in-law invited him to join.

Price joined the department in 1976. He grew up in Midway, he said, so “it was a calling” for him to become a firefighter.

Armstrong said that a little after he had joined the department, Midway made some changes by stopping “old habits of being unorganized.” 

“Before Midway organized the volunteer fire station, a siren would go off and whomever could come to the station would hop on a truck and go put out the fire,”  Armstrong recalled. Now a team is organized to come to the fire station if a call is made.

“What once started out to having just a helmet and rubber jacket to now having a full body suit,” Armstrong said. “A lot has changed since we have joined.”

Current regulations require all volunteers to have their own full body suit and accessories that come with it.

The department has 13 volunteer firefighters. Armstrong works at Lehman’s antiques store. Price has been retired for 12 years.

Armstrong and Price said they have no intentions of stepping down from their positions any time soon.

“Together we have stuck it out, and built it up with the city’s help,” Armstrong said. “I think we did a good job.” In 2015, the city bought a new fire truck, and they were able to customize it to fit their needs. Price talks about the "brotherhood" of the department:

City Council candidates explain platforms and priorities

Bruce Southworth, Steve Simoff, Libby Warfield, Sara Hicks, Steven Craig, John McDaniel; Kaye Nita Gallagher was absent.

By Alexandria Kerns

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Midway residents heard how six of the seven city council candidates would handle community issues Thursday evening at a candidate forum at Midway University.

The city council has six seats, and seven candidates are running. Council Member Kaye Nita Gallagher said she was unable to attend the forum because of a prior charitable commitment. The other incumbents – Bruce Southworth, Libby Warfield, Sarah Hicks, and Steven Craig – were present, as were non-incumbents John McDaniel II and Steve Simoff.

The forum began with candidates explaining their platforms and priorities and identifying the city’s main issues. Simoff said, “I see a lot of growth ahead for Midway, and I’d like to see it stay the same but have the opportunity to grow.” Later, he said, “I don’t want to . . . lose the ambience this community has.”

McDaniel discussed his long history of being involved in Midway, and after the first round of answers said the city needs “a five-year comprehensive plan which would include all the items mentioned in the last few minutes.”

McDaniel, who has been close to former Mayor Tom Bozarth, said “I have worked hand-in-hand with Mayor Grayson Vandergrift during my time as Midway merchants association president, so I am no stranger to his ways.”

Warfield said if she were re-elected she would dedicate her time to finding funding to accomplish more projects, such as a visitors’ center, public restrooms downtown, improving dilapidated properties and the city’s infrastructure, and creating walking paths to encourage healthier lifestyles.

Hicks said the city needs infrastructure improvements to operate efficiently, but the council should determine priorities after going door to door and asking citizens.  Asked to name the city’s largest immediate problem, she said speeding on Winter Street.

Craig noted that the city has taken steps to make the case for a lower speed limit on Winter, and blamed the problem on outsiders. He said he hopes to use his skills from his work experience to help update Midway’s infrastructure, and would concentrate on generating jobs.

Southworth, in giving the first answer to the first question, said the city “has made some real progress” – he later mentioned bringing in industry and passing a fairness ordinance – and his first priority is to be “a good steward of the city’s money.” He said speeding, water and sewer improvements and storm water are major problems.

Southworth said he would like to see the town save the payroll-tax money from new plants at Midway Station to help fix more of the town’s problems, such as dangerous sidewalks.

Simoff said that as Midway grows, it will need to expand fire and police services, have long-range plans and fix problems with the sewer and water systems, which have been “neglected for a long time.” 

McDaniel said, “We’re going to have to spend a lot of money on replacement of sewer lines and water lines.”

Warfield said she would try to seek funding through grant writers, which could bring the town extra funds without raising taxes.

The candidates disagreed on one topic, creating public bathrooms in the city hall building or elsewhere downtown.  Craig said businesses downtown have an obligation to provide restrooms for their visitors.

Warfield said she started thinking about restrooms two years ago, before she was a council member.

“You can have the greatest destination in the world, but if you take a 6- or 7- or 8-year-old little girl somewhere and you can’t find a public restroom, that’s something that you don’t forget, and I wouldn’t want to go back again,” she said.

The candidates were asked how the city could be more transparent and create more community involvement. Simoff and Southworth said they would like to see the city council’s agenda and supporting documents made available for all to see online. Warfield said the agenda should be posted online the day before the meeting. Hicks said council members should “go out to the populace, not just have them come to us.”

Craig said the city is “very transparent” and invited residents to ask him questions at any time. “We’re all neighbors,” he said. “Let’s be good neighbors and have an open line of communication.”

The candidates were united in opposing merger with county government, but Hicks said she would like to see more cooperation on projects with Woodford County and Versailles, such as a Midway health center. “In a perfect world we would be joining for the best of all the citizens in all of Woodford County,” she said.

Hicks said the current council “has been a great team,” and McDaniel agreed, saying it “has been very progressive. It’s amazing the chemistry that they have. . . . They actually smile when they leave City Hall.”

The Midway Woman’s Club and the Woodford County Chamber of Commerce hosted the forum, which lasted about an hour and half. Each candidate was given a maximum of two minutes to answer each question, with the sequence of answers rotated among them.

About 25 people attended the forum. Midway residents will have another chance to see the candidates Monday at 7 p.m. in another forum at Midway University, sponsored by Woodford Forward and SPARK Versailles. A reception with food from Ouita Michel will begin at 6:30.

Council debates how to help residents fix sidewalks as mayor plans to fund them in new budget

The sidewalk at 129 W. Main St. is among those that have been
painted to reduce the trip hazard. (Photo by Casey Parker-Bell)

By Katherine Stach and Anyssa Roberts

University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Several sidewalks in Midway are in serious disrepair and can be a tripping hazard. The city's sidewalk policy, which has been a controversial topic for a long time, was brought up with a new perspective at Monday’s city council meeting.

For many years, the policy has been that the city can charge property owners $10 a day for damaged sidewalks. However, this has not been strictly enforced since 1990, Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said.

“If you can’t afford to pay for sidewalk repairs how do you think you can afford to pay the fine,” Vandergrift asked, “That’s absurd.”

Last fall, Vandegrift appointed a committee of council members -- Bruce Southworth, Kaye Nita Gallagher and Steven Craig -- to address the city’s sidewalk concerns and draft a plan for improvement.

Southworth, the committee's chair, said it has "been going back and forth" and not met recently, and it would be good to get the whole council involved. City officials have discussed the possibility of sharing sidewalk repair costs with property owners.

Southworth brought something to the council’s attention on Monday evening that he said had not been discussed, the possibility of the city covering the full cost of sidewalk repairs.

Vandergrift, who wants to spend $25,000 or more on sidewalks in the next fiscal year, asked Southworth about his ideas for those who don’t have sidewalks or who have already paid for their sidewalks to be repaired.

Southworth said city money could be used to build new sidewalks on blocks that don’t have them.

Council Member Dan Roller said that although the city wants to help residents, sidewalks are for public use, not just for private homeowners. He proposed adding the sidewalk repair costs into a monthly payment for homeowners.

Vandegrift noted, “In the past we had a policy where the city would work with the owner to cover up to $500 worth of repairs.” On projects costing less than $500, the city would also assist in covering a portion, while leaving the rest to the property owner.

And, if the owner did not work with the city to repair the sidewalk by an assigned date, the city would reserve the right to go in and complete the job. The owner would be billed for the work, and if they did not pay that bill, a lien could be placed on the property.

“I think that would be both a fair and easy to execute policy,” Vandegrift said. He said the policy was actually piloted two years ago, before he became mayor, and only one person took advantage of it.

Council Member Libby Warfield noted, “Some sidewalks go the length of a resident’s entire property, and $500 isn’t even going to begin to cover those repairs.”

Council Member Sara Hicks also suggested the city apply for a grant for sidewalk repair, because the sidewalk issues affect mobility, health and school transportation.

Vandegrift has said he would like a new policy to be put in place by the start of the next fiscal year, since council budget workshops begin soon and he would like to propose $25,000 for sidewalk repairs.

Southworth suggested that the city should begin fixing the most severe walkways with this money, and go forward from there.

The sooner the better, some might say, as the city’s faulty sidewalks have also raised safety concerns. “We’ve got some major sidewalk concerns to fix downtown, or else someone is going to get hurt,” Vandegrift said.

The raises and dips in the city’s sidewalks create a tripping hazard for those walking, and in a community where traveling via foot is popular, this poses a problem. The city has painted some of the hazards to make them more visible, but it is not a long-term solution, Vandergrift said. Although sidewalks are a resident’s responsibility, the city can be held liable if someone hurts themselves because of problems with the pathways.

Vandergrift asked for the council to consider the options discussed, and said sidewalks will be on the next council meeting agenda.

The council will have a special meeting at 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 13 to begin discussing Vandegrift's proposed budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1.

Cemetery property: Hicks said in January that the city made a priority list of things that needed to be done, and one of the top priorities was deciding what to do with the house in the city’s cemetery.

The city originally planned to demolish the house, but Hicks suggested giving it away to someone who could prove capable of moving the structure.

The individual who decided to take the house would be responsible for the costs associated with having the structure inspected and deciding if it was stable enough for relocation.

Another suggestion was that the property be used as a live burn for the fire department. There are a number of avenues that the city would have to go through legally to make that happen, but the council agreed that it would be a great training exercise for the fire department.

“But, there are also concerns as to how close that house is located to the city’s storage facility,” Vandegrift said.

Cleanup day April 22: A representative from Bluegrass Greensource discussed the Main Street Clean Sweep event set for Midway on Friday, April 22, from noon until 4 p.m. on East Main Street.

Community members can meet to pick up and dispose of litter throughout the city. Participants are provided with bags, gloves and shirts for the event. The price of the materials will be $250, and Midway will be invoiced for the cost. Specifically, the trash clean-up will focus on areas around waterways.

“We try to focus on a certain day to get people out and aware, but any way that we can help to pick up litter in the area is going to be really important to us,” Bluegrass Greensource representative Ashley Bryant Cheney said.

Memorial Day services: With Memorial Day approaching, Craig suggested that it was time to begin thinking about holiday services. He said they are still looking for a speaker but have gotten a head start on planning by ordering tents and chairs.

Photizo Group leaving Midway; owner Ed Crowley, leaving EDA, says it's not related to fairness ordinance

By Anyssa Roberts
University of Kentucky School of Journalism and Media

Ed Crowley, Midway’s member on the Woodford County Economic Development Authority and owner of a business with nine employees downtown, is moving his company to Lexington.

The Midway City Council named Ron Layman of Midway to succeed Crowley Monday evening. Layman has a background in finance as a loan officer for Republic State Mortgage in Versailles.

Crowley is the CEO of Photizo Group, an international print data service and consulting company that has been housed in the barnlike building that houses Robin’s Nest Bakery on Gratz Street for several years after starting out in Versailles.

Ed Crowley

Crowley said in an email that while Midway is a “unique place to work, it is much easier to recruit staff for a firm like ours when the firm is located in Lexington versus Midway or Versailles due to the shopping, dining, and housing opportunities provided by Lexington.” He said most of his employees live in Lexington so moving the company makes it an easier commute, he said.

Crowley said he will continue to live in Versailles and farm in Woodford County. He said he feels that someone with a business in Midway will be better suited for the position. Mayor Grayson Vandegrift said that was the top criterion for his nomination of Layman.

Last year, Crowley was the only business person to publicly object to Midway’s “fairness” ordinance, which bans discrimination in housing, employment and public accommodations on the basis of sexual preference, gender identity or familial status.

Crowley said in the email that he did not leave because of the ordinance.

“While I still do not agree with it because I do not believe there was an issue to begin with (it was driven by outside interests) and I believe it will open business owners up to lawsuits, I believe the right process was followed, and the passing of the ordinance was not the motivation for our move.”

Vandergrift said after the meeting that he does not think Crowley is leaving because of the ordinance, because Lexington has one as well.

Council Member Libby Warfield, who voted against the ordinance, asked how many jobs the company will be taking with it to Lexington. Vandergrift said that he didn’t know, but they were “good paying jobs.”

Photizo Group employs nine people in Midway, Crowley said, and has 35 employees internationally, according to the Photizo Group website.

“I hate to see him go,” Vandergrift said. “He was a great business pillar of the community… but we’ll keep bringing in new [jobs].”

Steam engine seeks a home

Vandegrift updated the council on the uncertain status of the RJ Corman Railroad Group’s “Old Smokey” steam engine. He said he and the railroad are concerned that the engine and the caboose next to the bank lot won’t fit in the space without backfill and a retaining wall. The railroad is seeking more money from the state, which gave it a grant to put the engine in the Midway Historic District.

Vandergrift said having the engine downtown could be a great attraction, but he said a “plan B” could be moving it to Walter Bradley Park, which is also in the district. He said he is meeting with RJ Corman representatives to look at spaces in the park this week.

“RJ Corman Railroad Company really wants this train to be here,” Vandergrift said. “This place is where it should be. We’re Kentucky’s first railroad town. We don’t want to lose this to another city.”

Council Member Sara Hicks said the engine and caboose could be a “great feature for the park,” and that she could envision a small railroad museum there.

Emergency budget: Drew Chandler of the Woodford County Emergency Management team presented the semi-annual emergency management update. The organization has cut 30 percent of its budget, largely by converting all full-time positions to part-time. The county and the two cities had a dispute last year about the emergency management budget.

The lack of full-time employees relieves the department of paying health, life and dental insurance as well as workers’ compensation insurance, saving $17,072.23. Chandler said after the meeting that the cuts can be attributed to a reduction of state and federal money. He is one of four part-time employees operating the service.

Property maintenance: Vandegrift updated the council on the status of a dilapidated log house on East Higgins Street. The owner has agreed to purchase wood to board up the windows and to move the trash and dirt from the premises.

The owner has until the end of the week to make the changes, Vandergrift said. This is the first time that the city has taken action to fix a property at the owner’s expense.

“The point that I relayed to them is that these are difficult situations, but the city can not send the message that when we send out letters that we are not going to follow up on them,” Vandergrift said. “And I think we made that clear this time.”

No primary elections: The council heard first reading of an ordinance to eliminate the need for primary elections for city offices. State law requires primaries in nonpartisan elections if there are twice as many candidates as seats to be filled unless the city opts out of primaries. Midway has not held a primary since 1955.

According to city attorney Phil Moloney, the council had voted on a similar ordinance in the past, but because it was not included in the minutes, it needed to be re-enacted. The second reading and passage are scheduled for March 21. If passed, the ordinance would take effect in 2018.

Surplus fire vehicles: The council dismissed a $100 bid for the city’s surplus fire truck but accepted a $260 bid for the department’s surplus van. “Is that too much?” Council Member Bruce Southworth asked, laughing with the others.

Warfield said she took the liberty of contacting Ronnie Day of the Kentucky Fire Commission in Frankfort, who operates an email list of fire stations in the state. Day may be able to send an advertisement for the truck to interested buyers in the firefighting field, Warfield said.

“It’s no offense to the bid that’s on the table, but my main concern is the fire truck be placed somewhere that it can really be used,” Warfield said.

Cemetery security: Warfield brought up the issue of closing the cemetery gates. She said her mother and sister had seen a car in the cemetery after dark. Not closing the gates at night leaves the cemetery susceptible to trash and vandals, so the gates should be locked after dark, she said.

Assistant Versailles Police Chief Mike Murray, who was in the audience, said he would have patrol officers check the cemeteries after dark and escort loiterers off of the grounds.