BEREA — Construction work on Berea’s new 28-acre city park addition should be complete in about 60 days, City Administrator Randy Stone told the city council Tuesday night.
The $2.25 million project should be completed with a surplus of $20,000, he said.
Tuesday night, the council approved a $62,000 bid from Spohn Ranch Inc. of California to erect nine concrete skateboard structures in the park.
The supplier was waiting only for the council’s approval to ship and then set up the skateboard facility, Stone said.
In addition to a skateboarding area, the park with have $50,000 invested in playground equipment and two miles of trails, plus a lighted football field and lighted soccer field with a concession stand.
After the meeting, Stone said teams were anxious to play on the new fields in the spring, but he said letting them lie fallow for a year might be advisable.
Stone said the city had seen an uptick in insurance -- and payroll -- tax receipts in the past two weeks. Property owners also have begun to pay recently mailed annual bills.
While the city had no unpaid current bills at the end of October, end of year expenses --including $640,000 in payments on bonds to finance the new recreational park and industrial park, plus three payrolls in December -- would test city finances.
All city departments still are under orders to hold expenses “to the bare minimum,” Stone said.
The city’s contract for cell phones from Cellular One, which has been purchased by Verizon, is expiring, and the city has taken advantage of a favorable state contract with Sprint to save money, he said. The new contract will include 27, rather than 33 phones, to reduce costs further.
The street department has begun leaf pickups, focusing on areas with the greatest concentration of leaves, Stone said. Residents should rake leaves or place leaf bags at street curbs, but not in sidewalks or streets, he said.
Municipal utilities manager Donald Blackburn said the water department had completed flushing the city’s waterlines with no reports of brown water.
Fire Chief Randy Rigsby said he had received a letter from the Southern Madison County Water District stating that its lines within the city limits were certified for fire protection. The district is to provide the city with a map of its lines, indicating line sizes, the chief said. Six-inch lines are required for fire fighting, he said, and some of those outside the city limits but in the fire department’s coverage area are four-inch.
Planning Director Dale Van Winkle introduced Phillip Hurt, the city’s new codes enforcement officer.
Council member Vi Farmer said the personnel committee had interviewed three police department sergeants who are candidates for lieutenant.
Tourism Director reported that her department’s Berea Pride campaign, designed to encourage Bereans to be welcoming to tourists, had won a first-place award at the recent state tourism conference.
Bill Robinson can be reached at brobinson@richmondregister.com or at 624-6622.
Local News
New Berea city park construction nearly complete
- Local News
-
-
‘She wasn’t just a teacher’ : Lambert retires after 43 years at Berea
Scroll to the bottom of the story to read "Love for Lambert: Berea graduates share memories of their teacher," as well as a list of other Berea retirees this year.
Writer’s Note: Brenda Lambert is the reason I write articles today (Class of 2000).
Years ago, a little blonde-haired girl from Rockcastle County gathered her friends to “play school” in a 10-by-10 foot playhouse her father built.
Even at 12 years old, Brenda Lambert knew she wanted to be a teacher one day.
“I always felt like an old person trapped in a young person's body,” said Lambert, who is retiring after 43 years of service to Berea Community School. -
Special Olympics return for 18th year at EKU
Next weekend, the Special Olympics Kentucky State Summer Games return to Eastern Kentucky University campus. This is the 18th consecutive year EKU has hosted the event.
The games will be Friday through June 2. About 1,300 athletes will compete this year. -
Assault charges reduced, dismissed by grand jury
Two men arrested in connection with serious assaults had their charges reduced, and in one case dismissed, by a Madison grand jury.
Jerry Wayne Edington, 34, of Berea Road, was charged Jan. 19 with second-degree assault after an altercation at the Blue Moon bar on East Irvine Street, according to a Richmond police report. -
Dump of the Day
The Dump of the Day is a recurring series the newspaper publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Page A7 in Sunday's paper to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.
-
Paradise Cove open through Labor Day
Opening day of Paradise Cove Family Aquatic Center coincided with a spike in temperatures Friday which reached 90 degrees. The facility, located in Richmond’s Lake Reba Park, will be open through Sept. 3. Regular hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday.
-
Dump of the Day
An old mattress, a car seat and other debris sit Friday afternoon on North Street between Fourth and Fifth Streets where it was first spotted Thursday. The “Dump of the Day” is a recurring series the Richmond Register publishes to highlight illegal trash piles and push local governments to cite perpetrators and get illegal dumps cleaned up. See Sunday’s Richmond Register to read a copy of the city’s ordinance related to trash pickup.
-
Undefeated academic team brings pride to Madison Middle School
Madison Middle School 6th and 7th grade academic teams have been undefeated for the last two years.
The 8th grade team also has done well, having some students qualify to compete at the state level. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
-
Man is indicted on additional sex charge involving teen in 1998
A man already accused of sex abuse in November 2011 has been indicted on a charge of first-degree rape involving a child in 1998.
Charles W. Peyton, 63, of East Irvine Street, was indicted Wednesday by a Madison grand jury. He used “forcible compulsion” to have sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old girl between March 1 and May 1 in 1998, according to the indictment. -
Woman fends off burglar with knife
A Berea woman used a kitchen knife to fend off an alleged burglar early Wednesday morning, and police say they were able to catch the man in the act.
Officers responded to a call in the 1000 block of Scaffold Cane Road about a man trying to break into a home, according to a release from BPD Public Information Officer Jake Reed. - More Local News Headlines
-
Raw Video: Gay Protest Blocked in Moscow
Vatican in Chaos After Butler Arrested for Leaks
Jimmy Carter Endorses Egypt's Election Results
Biden Addresses West Point Graduating Class
Dozens of Children Killed in New Syria Attack
Raw Video: Activists Allege Massacre in Syria
NJ Man Charged With Murder in Death of Patz
Support, Fun for Kids of Fallen Soldiers at Camp
Fugitive Penguin Caught, Returned to Aquarium
50 Years Later, Underground Fire Still Burning
Light Show Transforms Sydney Opera House
Raw Video: Unruly Passenger Restrained in Miami
Raw Video: Robber Uses Drive-thru Window
Raw Video: Dragon Arrives at Space Station
Calif.'s Coronado Named Nation's Best Beach
CEO Salaries Become Sore Issue in Labor Disputes
