Somerset to receive $278,000 in road funds; approves zone change for Thurman Road property
The City of Somerset will be getting more than $278,000 in Municipal Road Aid funds to help with improving city streets this year.
City Council approved a Municipal Road Aid Cooperative Agreement during Monday's meeting, which detailed what funds the city will receive from the state.
City Attorney John Adams said the total would be $278,755.05, with Mayor Alan Keck saying that amount would likely aid in blacktopping three or four streets.
In discussing those funds, Mayor Keck also said that the council will discuss in future budget workshops the possibility of purchasing technology that can help 'measure' roads to show the city which ones might be in most need of repair.
'With that said, if you've got a road that is, for lack of a better metric, a 5-out-of-10, but 10,000 people traverse it, versus a 4-out-of-10 and five people traverse it, you still might have to make a judgement call. But at least it will give us some data,' Keck said.
The technology could be mounted to city vehicles, such as emergency vehicles, he said.
The council held two second readings on zone changes, both of which passed, although one brought up a discussion on the planned usage of the property.
That property, located in the 400 block of Thurman Road, was recently annexed into the city limits. Its owner, MENLO Farms, doing business as Somerset Kentucky Distillery Gift Shop, has declared an intent to apply for a retail alcohol license and off-premise retail sales outlet license.
That information caused Councilor Jim Mitchell to ask Keck how much alcohol the owners planned on selling, to which Keck answered that he didn't know.
'I know (the owners) got a contract with Kroger, I think it is, to sell (alcohol).' Mitchell said.
'He's already been selling, I understand, according to the information I hear,' said Councilor Jimmy Eastham, just not as a retail establishment.
The council's vote was to change the property's zone from residential to business (B-3). All councilors but Mitchell voted 'yes' to the measure, while Mitchell opted to 'pass.'
The second rezone request, which was passed unanimously, was for property on Monticello road near Somerset Community College.
That was changed from a single-family residential area (R-1) to a multi-family residential area (R-3).
In the council's previous meeting, Keck said the owner's plan was to build apartments on that property.
During Monday's meeting, the council also discussed updating wording in the 2013 tourism ordinance to include short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and Vrbo, to the transient room tax requirements.
That change would bring those types of rentals under the same rules as hotels and motels, which are subject to a 4% transient tax.
Keck explained that when the original ordinance was passed, brand-name house rental services weren't as prevalent in the market as they are now, and therefore weren't covered in the language used in that 2013 ordinance.
A first reading on those changes took place Monday, with a second reading and vote to take place at a later date.
The council also approved the appointment of retired Col. Travis Rogers to the city's Ethics Board.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Axios
an hour ago
- Axios
San Antonio mayor live election results: Gina Ortiz Jones leads
Gina Ortiz Jones is leading the race to be San Antonio's new mayor, edging out Rolando Pablos in early election results posted Saturday. Why it matters: The mayoral election, the city's first in 16 years without an incumbent on the ballot, has evolved into an unusually partisan race for a nonpartisan seat, drawing money and influence from across the state and nation. Neither Ortiz Jones nor Pablos have held elected office before, and San Antonio has not elected a mayor who hasn't served on the City Council since Phil Hardberger in 2005. The latest: Early vote results as of 7pm Saturday showed Ortiz Jones with 52% of the vote, with 48% for Pablos. State of play: Ortiz Jones served as an Air Force undersecretary in the Biden administration and was twice the Democratic nominee for the 23rd Congressional District. Pablos is a former Texas secretary of state who has served as a senior adviser to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. During the runoff campaign, both leaned on their families' immigrant backgrounds. Ortiz Jones spoke of being raised by a single mother who immigrated from the Philippines and Pablos of his family moving from Mexico to El Paso when he was 8 years old. Follow the money: Pablos and his supporters appeared to both outraise and outspend Ortiz Jones in the runoff election, campaign finance reports show. Pablos raised nearly $333,000 and spent more than $275,000 from late April through May 28. He got a big boost from the Texas Economic Fund, a political action committee run by Abbott's former political director, which raised $1.35 million and spent over $623,000 during that time. Ortiz Jones raised nearly $249,000 and spent over $133,000 in the same period. She had help from Fields of Change, a national Democratic PAC, which spent more than $160,000 for her campaign. The big picture: The new mayor will lead San Antonio at a pivotal time, as officials seek to gain public support for a new downtown Spurs arena that could be surrounded by a sports and entertainment district. They will also lead the city through the remaining years of the Trump administration, under which San Antonio has lost millions of dollars in federal funding. The city is also expecting a budget deficit. Catch up quick: Mayor Ron Nirenberg reached his term limits after eight years in office, making him the city's longest-serving mayor since Henry Cisneros in the 1980s. San Antonio's next mayor will serve for four years after voters approved increasing term length from two years. They will work alongside several new City Council members. Flashback: Nirenberg's departure left a rare opening that drew a crowded 27-candidate field to replace him. Four sitting City Council members struggled to break through the noise as traditional backers in local elections, like the police union, sat out the first round of voting.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Council work session scheduled
Information from the Joplin Visitors Bureau, the Joplin Police Department, and on the planned upgrade of the City Council website will be discussed at a Joplin City Council work session Monday night. A report on the number and economic impact of visitors to Joplin will be given. Details of the recently formed Co-Responder Unit and the effort to assist residents with social service needs to reduce the need for police intervention also will be discussed. In addition, the council will be provided with information from marketing and communications director Drew Douglas detailing the programming and equipment needed to build a new City Council website to provide more detailed information to those who search it out online. The work session will be held at 5:45 p.m. Monday on the fifth floor of City Hall, 602 S. Main St.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Lodi's budget up 8.35% on rising costs
Jun. 7—The Lodi City Council approved the 2025-26 budget on Wednesday, and staff said the $291 million spending plan reflects an 8.35% increase over last year. The increase was primarily driven by rising staff costs, supplies and materials, staff said. Despite a slowing economy, general fund revenues are expected to see a modest 4.1% increase. "Our budget and finance team has done a great job managing our resources," Mayor Cameron Bregman said. "Because of smart planning and solid reserves, we're in a good spot to handle an uncertain economy without cutting essential services. We'll keep focusing on what matters most — supporting public safety, growing our local economy, and taking care of our proud community." The projected increase in revenues comes from recently approved Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services facility rental rate hikes, as well as an anticipated $560,000 in annual rental income from a new power plant on the south west side of Lodi Lake and $1.7 million of interest income. Reserves will continue to support park improvements, information technology upgrades and vehicle and equipment replacements, staff said. The budget also includes investments in capital infrastructure, deferred maintenance and addressing the city's underfunded pension liabilities. For example, $16.9 million has been allocated to infrastructure projects that include water main rehabilitation, signal improvements at the Ham Lane and Turner Road intersection, security cameras at city parks, the Ham Lane widening project, and transit facility repairs and upgrades. "Operating within a constrained fiscal environment, particularly within the general fund, required deliberate reflection and thoughtful choices to ensure a balanced and responsive plan to sustain our core services," Acting City Manager James Lindsay said. "To align our resources with current market conditions, we implemented a series of mitigations totaling $7.4 million to balance revenue assumptions and expenses." In addition, the budget includes allocating $2.23 million from existing reserves to cover worker's compensation, general liability, and property liability coverage; cutting a proposed $154,000 increase in the Lodi Police Department's part-time budget for pay raises to retired annuitants; reducing department budget requests by about $952,000; and eliminating a proposed $2 million budget for a new facility internal service fund. The 2025-26 draft budget is available online at and the adopted budget book will be available in the coming weeks after approved updates have been completed.
