The Richmond City Commission was on the receiving end Tuesday of two awards that set the city apart from others in the state when it comes to maintaining a certain quality of life, participating in careful planning and citywide beautification projects.

Former Richmond Chamber of Commerce Director Rob Rumpke was in town to present Richmond Mayor Connie Lawson and the city commission with Bluegrass Tomorrow’s 2008 Vision Award. Rumpke now serves as the president of the Bluegrass Tomorrow organization.

Richmond was competing with 12 cities in other counties and was presented the award Sept. 25 at the 2008 Vision Award Breakfast at the Marriott Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington.

A board of about 50 members from around the state made the decision that the city of Richmond was deserving of the award because it is as “a community that has implemented a numerous amount of programs to improve its quality of life over the last several years,” Rumpke said Tuesday. “The city of Richmond has developed an outstanding recycling program, wonderful downtown renovations of several historic buildings has taken place along with many downtown beautification projects.”

The board remarked specifically about Richmond's new Paradise Cove aquatic center at the Lake Reba Recreational Complex, he said.

Other aspects of Richmond that were highlighted at the awards ceremony was Gibson Bay Golf Course, which has been ranked as one of the best places to golf according to “Golf Digest,” Rumpke said. The board also was impressed with the city’s active Downtown Richmond Association.

Bluegrass Tomorrow is a regional planning organization that focuses on business, farming, development and preservation interests that enable communities to maintain a thriving economy, according to information at www.bluegrasstomorrow.org.

The organization works toward promoting coordinated growth and planning for a 13-county region including: Anderson, Bourbon, Boyle, Clark, Fayette, Franklin, Garrard, Harrison, Jessamine, Madison, Mercer, Scott and Woodford counties.

In other business:

• Richmond ad valorem taxes are down slightly from last year, according to the ordinance passed Tuesday.

The ordinance will take the tax for personal property down to 11.7 cents per $100 of assessed value, compared with last year’s rate of 13.9 cents. The tax for all real property, including boats and other recreational items of value, is set for 12.10 cents per $100 of assess value, down from 14.3 cents last year.

• The commission adopted several orders authorizing Richmond Utilities to move forward with easements needed for a sewer trunk line that will allow sewage from the former plants at Tates Creek and Dreaming Creek to be transported to the new sewage treatment plant at Otter Creek.

The following property owners involved include: Collins Interest LLC, Union City Road; Parrish Family Irrevocable Trust, Third Street Lane; David L. and Katherine S.Williams, Union City Road; H.D. and Karen Walling, Four Mile Road and Hunter Lane; Robert, Virginia and James Rollins, Pleasure Drive; Suzanne Pierce Schauger and Tom Schauger, Ann Street; Ralph Oliver Jr., Otter Creek; Daniel T. and Roberta Higgins, Beaver Drive; and Omer Ashcraft, Hunter Lane.

• The commission passed an ordinance Tuesday that will approve a lease for financing improvements to the city’s industrial parks, along with the acquisition, installation and equipping of a fire truck. The ordinance will allow the city to enter into an agreement with the Kentucky League of Cities Trust for an amount not to exceed $1,850,000.

• An order was adopted to name softball field D at Lake Reba Recreational Complex after the late Tom Tobler , who was an active member of the Richmond community serving as a city commissioner for 10 years and as a member of the city’s parks and recreation department for more than five years.

“Tom Tobler was a strong advocate of softball and was instrumental in the planning and organization of the Daniel Boone Classic,” according to the order.

• The Richmond Police Department will receive: seven 2009 Ford Crown Victorias at a price of $20,744 each; one 2009 Ford Taurus at $17,999; and one 2009 Ford F-250 at $21,940, which was purchased with federal drug money. The first two purchases were lease purchases, said Richmond City Manager David Evans.

• An order was adopted to award Lexington-based Griggs Enterprises Inc. for the construction of a walking trail at the Richmond Industrial Park. The first pay application was awarded to Griggs Enterprises Inc. for the amount of $26,981.10.

• The commission acknowledged the retirement of Maj. Eddie Goode, who served the Richmond Police Department for 17 years. Goode retired Sept. 30, and was awarded with a plaque and watch on the behalf of the city commission. “I want to thank the city for a wonderful career opportunity,” Goode said. “As a young man, I joined the Marine Corps and I was gone for a short time, and when I came back, the city provided me with an opportunity to have and raise a family, serve the public in my home town. What more can you ask for than that? I’d like to give special thanks to the first chief that I worked under, (former) Richmond Police Chief Russell Lane for taking a chance on a knuckle-headed kid who had just come home from the military with really nothing to offer but a smile on my face and a big heart.” Goode also thanked current Richmond Police Chief Larry Brock, but not without a few tears. “The time that I worked for him, I’ve learned so much that it almost made me regret retiring, and I just want to thank him,” Goode said.

• The commission acknowledged the resignation of Douglas Cornett as a school resource officer.

• Paul Michael Lay was hired to serve as a telecommunicator for the city.

• Adrienne Millett was appointed to the Madison Airport Board; Lee Murphy and Ezra Farris were appointed to the Richmond Human Rights Commission; Chuck Fields and Pam Hall and Goode were appointed to the Citizens Advisory Board for Police and Community Relations; and Kathy Samples was appointed to the Richmond Industrial Development Board.

The next meeting of the Richmond City Commission will be at noon, Tuesday, Oct. 28, in City Hall.

Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 623-1669, Ext. 234.