City Commission to vote on sanitation ordinance, tax incentives for Owensboro Grain

October 20, 2020 | 12:10 am

Updated October 19, 2020 | 11:10 pm

Graphic by Owensboro Times

City Commissioners will meet today to discuss and vote on a handful of agenda items, including proposed amendments — such as new fines — to the Garbage and Refuse Collection Service Ordinance, as well as municipal orders related to the purchase of an electric bus for the Owensboro Transit Department, and tax incentives and benefits related to economic progress achieved by Owensboro Grain.

This meeting can be viewed through the City of Owensboro’s Facebook page and will begin at 5 p.m. 

If approved, the City’s Public Works Department will officially integrate new rules and fines related to solid waste disposal by residents and businesses. This will mark the first set of amendments made to the City’s solid wastes ordinance since its original enactment in 1995. 

Changes include a $25 fine to be imposed for repeated returns for collection or failure to remove mobile containers from the curb, as well as a $50 fine to be imposed for stacking limbs and brush on streets, sidewalks and medians requiring removal. Further amendments include a $100 fine to be imposed for failure of commercial and industrial establishments to maintain operating conditions of their mobile containers. 

A detailed article regarding the proposed changes can be found here

A municipal order related to the execution of an application for an Urbanized Area Public Transportation Grant agreement between the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet and Owensboro Transit System via the Volkswagen Settlement Mitigation Trust Fund Project will also be read and possibly voted on Tuesday. 

This municipal order will allow OTS to receive funding in the amount of $158,000 for the purchase of a new electric bus. The City will scrap an obsolete bus and receive approximately $158,000 to fund the purchase of the electric bus with no additional City funds being required. 

A detailed article regarding Owensboro’s first electric bus can be found here

Another municipal order will be read and possibly voted on Tuesday regarding an approved application made by Owensboro Grain Company, LLC for certain benefits and tax incentives available to it under the Kentucky Business and Investment Program. 

The approved application authorizes the retention of one percent of all new occupational license fees due and payable to the City of Owensboro from the salaries, wages and other compensation to be paid to new employees of Owensboro Grain for a period of 10 years, provided Owensboro Grain meets the criteria set forth in its application for incentives under the program. 

According to an agenda released by the City of Owensboro, these benefits and tax incentives were approved due to Owensboro Grain’s commitment to expand and create jobs and investments in Owensboro. Total investment costs made thus far total roughly $8.1 million. 

City Commissioners will also hear and potentially vote on a municipal order allowing the mayor to execute a real estate purchase and agreement for property located at 1421 Jackson Street. The City intends to declare the property as surplus so that it can be sold to Habitat for Humanity. 

The full agenda can be found here.

October 20, 2020 | 12:10 am

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