City Pleased with Completed Duck Island

The Paducah City Commission met Tuesday night at City Hall, and got an update on the Duck House at Noble Park, while taking care of other business.

Parks Services Director Mark Thompson said the house was renovated by Boy Scout Troop 4 as an Eagle Scout project led by Sam Kern. It was returned to Duck Island Tuesday morning along with a windmill which was rehabilitated by Parks crews.

In July, when the lake levels were lowered for the lake stabilization project, it was discovered that the island had a concrete shoreline protection area around it. More concrete was added to get the island above normal water levels after the current is finished. City Manager Jeff Pederson said there will be very little maintenance needed on the island for quite a while.

In a timely coincidence, Thompson given a bronze plaque Tuesday that was found by David Langston at Paducah Radiator. Langston is not sure how he acquired the plaque, which reads, "Constructed in Cooperation with the Works Progress Administration in Kentucky 1938." It is believed that the plaque was in Noble Park at some time, since 1938 is the date that many of the facilities at Noble Park were completed, including the pool, amphitheater and duck island.

Thompson said the plaque will be prominently displayed somewhere in the park, and his department is thrilled with the way duck island has turned out.

"The scouts came out with a quality project. We found a historic resolution to the island when we found the base once the water was drained down, when we found out that there was a WPA element to it, and that kind of all fit together and made it worth saving," Thompson said.

Thompson also researched today and found that Duck Island is officially called Mouhry Island.  If anyone knows the origin of the name, please contact Thompson at mthompson@paducahky.gov or at 270-444-8508.

In other business, the commissioners approved an ordinance to pay $135,706 to the Kentucky Waterways Alliance Kentucky Aquatic Resources Fund to comply with the terms and conditions associated with the Biological Opinion issued by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Kentucky Ecological Services Field Office for the Riverfront Development Project. The City received the Biological Opinion in 2012 requiring the City to comply in order to receive permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Kentucky Division of Water for the Riverfront Project and the Ohio River Boat Launch project.

City Engineer-Public Works Director Rick Murphy said, “The good news is that the original cost was going to be $399,050. By moving the project downstream 500 feet, we reduced the cost to about $136,000.”  Murphy adds, “These monies go back in to the Ohio River basin. They go back into the environment to improve areas that were lost.”  

The terms for Paducah outlined in the Biological Opinion include developing a mussel relocation plan, and the mussels were relocated in October 2012. The terms also include a $20,000 payment for the future monitoring of the relocated mussels and a $71,706 payment for environmental impacts related to 6.29 acres of mussel habitat. The payment to the Kentucky Waterways Alliance also includes a payment of $44,000 specifically related to the four federally listed mussels associated with Paducah’s project. In summary, the City’s financial obligation related to the monitoring, habitat, and propagation of the four impacted mussels totals $135,706. The four mussels are Fat Pocketbooks, Pink Muckets, Orangefoot Pimplebacks, and Sheepnose. To read the Biological Opinion, visit http://paducahky.gov/paducah/riverfront-master-plan.

Quick Highlights:

Ordinance approved for a service agreement with Motorola in the amount of $52,583.52 for the yearly maintenance of the 800 MHz radio controllers, individual department radios, the E-911 dispatch consoles, telephones, and other related radio equipment.  The agreement expires June 30, 2015.
    
Ordinance approved for the purchase of commercial solid waste dumpsters in an amount not to exceed $70,000 utilizing the Kentucky state contract price from Municipal Equipment, Inc.  The City has approximately 800 commercial customers.
    
Ordinance approved accepting the $40,000 Office of Highway Safety grant to continue the Paducah Police Department’s Head’s Up Don’t Be In'text'icated program. No local match is required.
    
Ordinance approved accepting the $39,770 Office of Highway Safety grant to reimburse the Paducah Police Department for overtime hours and fuel costs associated with saturation patrols. No local match is required.
    
Ordinance approved for the adoption of a Waiver and Consent form between the City, County, and Wells Fargo Bank regarding equipment to be purchased by Genova Products to use at the facility Genova is leasing from the City and County located at 5400 Commerce Drive. Genova is requesting a loan from Wells Fargo Bank to purchase equipment.
    
Ordinance introduced (vote Aug. 26) to accept the grant through the Kentucky Certified Local Government Program in the amount of $6,300 with a local match of $4200. The funds will be used for the Planning Department to host a training event with programs through the National Alliance of Preservation Commissions and the Kentucky Heritage Council. The conference which will be held October 23-25, 2014 in Paducah would provide training hours for staff and HARC, Planning Commission, and URCDA board members. The Planning Department estimates 140 people from across the state will attend the conference.
    
Ordinance introduced (vote Aug. 26) to rezone 1139 and 1179 Lone Oak Road and 1121 Sanders Avenue from R-2 (Low and Medium Density Residential Zone) to R-4 (High Density Residential Zone). Cafferty Consulting Group is requesting the zone change to allow for the construction of two medical offices for West Kentucky Kidney Specialists. The property is located across from the intersection of Lone Oak Road and Highland Boulevard. The Planning Commission recommends the rezoning.
    
Ordinances introduced (vote Aug. 26) for the zone change and final annexation of the property located at 2711 New Holt Road. The intent to annex was approved by the City Commission earlier this month with the Planning Commission recommending the action. The property owner L&H Properties is requesting the annexation and the zone change from R-1 (Low Density Residential Zone) to MU (Mixed Use District). Independence Bank plans to construct a new banking facility at this location just south of Lowe’s.