Commissioners Approve BUILD Grant Application

At their meeting Tuesday night, the Paducah City Commission approved a municipal order authorizing the city to submit a Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development (BUILD) Grant.

The city is partnering with the Paducah-McCracken County Riverport Authority, and has the support of McCracken County Fiscal Court. The city is seeking $15.3 million in BUILD grant funding with a local match of $1.5 million from undesignated cash reserves. The City plans to submit the grant application this Friday.

The projects that the grant money could benefit include the following:

•  Riverport Container Transfer Yard;
•  Riverboat Excursion Pier and Plaza;
•  Bike, Pedestrian, and Broadband linkages from the Convention Center to the riverfront; and
•  Improvements to the landing near the Transient Boat Dock

The container transfer yard allows the Riverport Authority to handle general and containerized cargo. This gives regional shippers a cost-effective option to move goods, while reducing semi traffic on highways.

The excursion pier and plaza will provide a docking point for the riverboats that visit the city. It would provide a safer and easier transition from boat to land, allow for more secure riverboat docking, and move the disembarkation point out of the flow of traffic.

Bike, pedestrian, and broadband linkages include the development of a path to aid in the movement of pedestrian and bike traffic with improvements to key intersections, including curb extensions, wayfinding, bus shelters, and crosswalks. A broadband installation along the riverfront will allow for emergency call boxes, security cameras, and a hardline internet access for the transient boat dock.

The transient boat landing improvements include connecting sidewalks from the floodwall to the Greenway Trail, improving traffic control, adding landscaping to prevent erosion and providing shade, wayfinding, and amenities.

Also during the meeting, Commissioners also approved a municipal order authorizing an agreement with Axon Enterprise in the amount of $513,830.52 for the purchase of in-car cameras for the Paducah Police Department.  It also ratifies an agreement with Axon for the software licensing and storage for body worn cameras for the Police Department in the amount of $277,551.18.

The Commission also introduced an ordinance that will be voted on July 23, to amend the Paducah Code of Ordinances Sections 18-61, 18-62, and 18-63 to change permit fees and charges in the Fire Prevention Division.  This would increase building and electrical permit fees.  This fees have not been increased since the 1980s.