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Wednesday, October 27, 2004
The city of Morganfield will have to modify the two ends of the so-called Railroad Street before the state will issue a permit to allow the street to exit on state highways.
The street, part of the old Illinois Central Gulf Railroad right-of-way, has been used for several years and runs from Airline Road (KY 130) to Chapman Road at W. Main Street (KY 56).
The street was one item discussed at last Thursday evening’s city council meeting.
The most dramatic change will come at Court Street. The current interchange with Airline Road will be cut off and Court Street will run directly into Railroad Street near the old Morganfield Depot, which now houses Salon One.
City Administrator David Presser said Andy Sprague has been retained to do the engineering work on the two intersections.
Presser said the current end of Court Street at Airline Road may be offered for sale by the city and it could provide for additional parking for businesses in the areas.
It was noted that the state is requiring that the Chapman Road intersection with KY 56 or W. Main St. will have to be widened.
Mayor Jerry Freer noted the state will not allow a city street to intersect a state highway at an angle.
Railroad Street, will be renamed by the city in honor of Dorothy and Norval Crutcher. Dorothy Crutcher is retiring from the city council after a 22-year career and her late husband was a respected educator here.
Once the intersection work is completed and okayed by the state, the city plans to blacktop the street.
Railroad Street is heavily used by farm trucks during the harvest season.
Kathy Ford who lives at 401 N. Townsend Street, near the Railroad Street intersection, complained to the city council about the noise and dust generated by the traffic.
“It (Townsend Street) used to be a nice quiet street. I am really opposed to the street. We have this big, expensive bypass, whey can’t they use that?” Ford commented.
Mayor Freer noted that many wanted the US 60 bypass to go around the west side of Morganfield instead of the east side. Many motorists and trucks do use Railroad Street as a west bypass of the city.
City Council candidate Greg Yager was at the meeting and noted Railroad Street now provides a quicker route to some areas of the city for emergency vehicles.
Mayor Freer said the city had recently installed 25 mile an hour speed limit signs on the route and he felt this would slow traffic. It also was noted the harvest season is virtually over and the truck traffic has eased.
City Attorney Tommy Simpson said the city will hold a public hearing on the road and the hearing would be announced in the local media.
Holiday vs. Personal Day
In more news from the meeting:
-- The council reversed an earlier decision and will make the day after Thanksgiving a work day this year. Workers wanting the day off can take a personal or vacation day. The council decided a few months ago to take away three personal days and replace them with three paid holidays to the work calendar. These days would have included the day after Thanksgiving.
But Mayor Freer said employees said they preferred to keep the personal days. Making the day after Thanksgiving a work day passed by a 5-1 vote with Councilman Rick Wyatt casting the lone no vote. The holiday schedule will be spelled out in the proposed Employee Policy and Procedure Manual. That manual will get a final review at a special meeting set for Thursday, December 2 at 5 p.m.
-- Gave fireman John Walker the okay to work part time for the Union County Ambulance Service.
-- Heard Presser give the financial report that revenues are up $106,000 for the first quarter of the current fiscal year over last year, while expenses are down some $23,000. Utility revenues are up $79,000 for the first quarter, at least partial due to a rate increase.
-- Noted that two farmers were paid for crop damage caused by the installation of the new raw water line from the Ohio River to near Jim David Meats. One farmer was paid $675. and another, $556. A third farmer, Greg Greenwell, is due a payment, but he has yet to submit a bill.
-- Heard that the county fiscal court plans to put a $300,000 federal grant on the back burner and pursue $300,000 more in coal severance for the proposed new sanitary sewer line that will serve Methodist Hospital Union County, Union County High School and Union County Middle School.
-- Unanimously approved an amendment to the Restrictive Covenant on the city’s 64-acre industrial park that surrounds Sykes Enterprises. The amendment will allow B-2 businesses in the acreage that previously only allowed for industries. The change will clear the way for Uniontown-based Eidetik to build a proposed rest home or assisted living home on a four-acre plot in the industrial park.
-- Heard the city will soon advertise for bids on farming the city’s 365 acre farm, Ralph and Jason Greenwell currently farm the land, but Presser said they decided not to take an option on renewing their contract with the city.
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