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Home My WebLink About11/20/07343 NOVEMBER 20, 2007 At a Regular Meeting of the Board of Commissioners, held on Tuesday, November 20, 2007, at 5:30 p.m., Mayor Paxton presided, and upon call of the roll by the City Clerk, the following answered to their names: Commissioners Coleman, Kaler, Smith, Watkins and Mayor Paxton (5). PRESENTATION URBAN WATERFRONTS CONFERENCE Commissioner Kaler gave a brief summary of the above conference held in Boston, Massachusetts, that she attended along with the City Engineer, Planning Director and Downtown Development Director. Thirty states, eleven countries, and four Canadian provinces were represented at this conference. Their goal was to learn new ideas in developing the City's waterfront and also how the private and public sectors can work together in this endeavor. WORKSHOP CITY ADVOCACY/MARKETING/PUBLIC EDUCATION PLAN Pam Spencer, PIO, talked about her ongoing duties such as being the City's spokesperson, answering citizen questions, assisting in co -producing Channel 11 programming, highlights of City commission meetings, among others. She is also the City's webmaster and showed the proposed new website. She wants to add to the website an e -news release and newsletter, an Emergency Preparedness Public Information Plan, and currently is looking into more ideas. The No. 1 hit on the City's website is Parks Services. She will be updating the Interactive Bulletin Board on Channel 11 and hopes to provide more programming on Channel 11. INFORMATION AGE PARK LANDSCAPING PROGRAM Public Works Director, Earnie Via, reported the Park needs a landscaping makeover. In order to accomplish this, the cost will be approximately $30,000 and will require the employment of a part-time employee at an estimated cost of $16,000. According to Mr. Via, the Greater Paducah Economic Development Council (GPEDC) has indicated it would be willing to share in the costs. Commissioner Smith suggested asking GPEDC to find out if the businesses in the Park would contribute to maintaining the landscaped areas. ORDINANCES - ADOPTION 3510 OLIVET CHURCH ROAD Commissioner Coleman offered motion, seconded by Commissioner Kaler, that the Board of Commissioners adopt an ordinance entitled, "AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE A DEED OF CONVEYANCE AND ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT 3510 OLIVET CHURCH ROAD FOR THE OLIVET CHURCH ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT." This ordinance is summarized as follows: The Mayor is hereby authorized to execute a Deed of Conveyance and all documents relating to same, with George and Peggy Spencer, for acquisition of real property located at 3510 Olivet Church Road as right of way and a permanent public utility easement for the Olivet Church Road Improvement Project, for and in consideration of $60,000. Adopted on call of the roll, yeas, Commissioners Coleman, Kaler, Smith, Watkins and Mayor Paxton (5). ORD.#2007-11-7357; BK 31; PG 3550 OLIVET CHURCH ROAD Commissioner Kaler offered motion, seconded by Commissioner Coleman, that the Board of Commissioners adopt an ordinance entitled, "AN ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE A DEED OF CONVEYANCE AND ALL DOCUMENTS NECESSARY FOR ACQUISITION OF REAL PROPERTY LOCATED AT 3550 OLIVET CHURCH ROAD FOR THE OLIVET CHURCH ROAD IMPROVEMENT PROJECT." This ordinance is summarized as follows: The Mayor is hereby authorized to execute a Deed of Conveyance and all documents relating to same, with Wayne and Robbie Wallace, for acquisition of real property located at 3550 Olivet Church Road as right of way and a permanent public utility easement for the Olivet Church Road Improvement Project, for and in consideration of $24,000. Adopted on call of the roll, yeas, Commissioners Coleman, Kaler, Smith, Watkins and Mayor Paxton (5). ORD.#2007-11-7358; BK 31; PG 344 NOVEMBER 20, 2007 CITY MANAGER REPORT • Discussion of Proposed Personnel Actions to be taken on November 27, 2007— NO DISCUSSION Calendar Items Requested Commissioners put on their calendar February 12th West Kentucky Thank You Night in Frankfort, Kentucky Request an Executive Session for discussion of property acquisition, personnel issue, and a business proposal COMMISSIONER CONCERNS Commissioner Coleman—Has received phone calls from senior citizen concerned about leaf pickup—Is the City going to do vacuuming? Public Works Director Via said there will be leaf vacuuming this fall. EXECUTIVE SESSION Commissioner Smith offered motion, seconded by Commissioner Watkins, that the Board go into closed session for discussion of matters pertaining to the following topics: • Future sale or acquisition of a specific parcel(s) of real estate, as permitted by KRS 61.810(1)(b). • Issues which might lead to the appointment, dismissal, or disciplining of an employee, as permitted by KRS 61.810(1)(f). • A specific proposal by a business entity where public discussion of the subject matter would jeopardize the location, retention, expansion or upgrading of a business entity, as permitted by RKS 61.810(1)(g). Adopted on call of the roll, yeas, Commissioners Coleman, Kaler, Smith, Watkins and Mayor Paxton (5). Mayor Paxton asked the television crew to stay because the Commission will come back into open session to make comments or to take action. The Commission reconvened into open session. OPEN SESSION Commissioner Smith offered motion, seconded by Commissioner Watkins, that the Board of Commissioners reconvene into open session. Adopted on call of the roll, yeas, Commissioners Coleman, Kaler, Smith, Watkins and Mayor Paxton (5). During Executive Session discussion was held to determine if action would be taken against Police Chief Bratton for misusing his gun to break a window during an arrest on September 28, 2007. Mayor Paxton made the following statement: "Had a very extensive and soul searching conversation in executive session, I think there was a lot of give and take. Everybody participated. Learned a lot through all of this. We realize there were a lot of things that went wrong, not necessarily by just Chief Bratton but through the whole team, there were things that went wrong. I think Chief Bratton will admit that I'm talking about the entire team, the entire night we understand that. The City Manager prepared a document, and in that document-- in that report recommended a Memorandum of Counseling. This is a Memorandum that does several things. Number one --it goes into his permanent file and will be there from now on. Secondly, it gives several pages of counseling procedures that Chief Bratton is going to have to go through and the entire team is going to go through. This is not taken lightly. We understand this needs to be done and the Chief understands that this needs to be done. He will then report on a regular basis to the City Manager and the City Manager will then report along with Chief Bratton to the entire City Commission. We want to know how this is going and that will happen on a regular basis. This is going to make everybody better, this is going to make the team better, its' going to make the Chief better. It's a win, win situation. We understand that this has been and is a very serious matter, this Commission takes it as a serious matter, the City Manager takes it as a serious matter, Chief Bratton takes it as a serious matter. But we feel like we are being consistent and I will say it was unanimous that we will go with the Memorandum of Understanding and NOVEMBER 20, 2007 have it in his personnel file and we will make sure there is reported back to us on a regular basis, as I said, on the counseling and the recommendations that the City Manager has made. This City Commission is now ready to move forward along with Chief Bratton and the City Manager and we are going to do the things that this City Commission and the people of Paducah want us to do such as work on new art schools, build riverfronts, bring in jobs, and we hope that the City and the Police Department will be better for what we have been through." Upon motion the meeting adjourned. ADOPTED: November 27 , 2007 City Clerk 345