Bullock: $1M grant for town square is only for the square

Local News

Related Photos

October 28, 2009

Judge says there are misconceptions about how state money is used

By HEATHER PYLES, CJ Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Wed Oct 28, 2009, 08:14 PM EDT

If there’s one thing the newly received $1 million grant for the fountain square has generated, it’s interest.

But not all of it has been good.

During Tuesday’s Pulaski County Fiscal Court meeting, Pulaski County Judge-executive Barty Bullock took several minutes to explain the nature of the grant in hopes of clearing up some misconceptions county officials say the community has received.

Bullock took that cue after Executive Secretary Tiffany Finley, administrator for the square project, asked that the court provide proof that the county will provide a 20 percent match of in-kind funds for the grant.

“That’s something we can very well do in in-kind,” Bullock said.

Saying that “questions have arose” about the grant, Bullock set about explaining the nature of the $1 million “Fountain Square Beautification Project,” which is funded through the state.

“This money is set aside by the state for certain projects to be done and that money is earmarked only for projects such as this, so there’s no way we can take any of this money and spend it on the county courthouse or the county roads,” Bullock said on Tuesday.

The funding comes through the Kentucky Transportation Enhancement Program, and projects approved through that program must meet certain requirements. According to information about the enhancement program from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet Web site, “eligible activities may include bikeways or pedestrian facilities, preservation of historic transportation facilities, beautification of the roadway environment, or other such specified improvements.”

The Fountain Square project may just qualify under all those.

Considering the Fountain Square’s long history — it was first designed as it stands today in 1908, though its role as the centerpiece of the city and county extends back to the 1800’s — it may be considered historic.

Add in the county’s wish list of improvements, which include better pedestrian access and bike access, and the fact that county officials are hoping, in general, to improve the traveling experience for motorists who drive by the square every day, and the project seemingly easily qualifies for funding through the enhancement program.

“That’s our goal ... when you drive into downtown Somerset, we want it (Fountain Square) to shine.” Bullock said.

And Bullock also noted that had Pulaski County not received that funding, it would’ve simply been put toward a similar project in a different county.

$800,000 of the $1 million will come from the state, and the county is required to contribute $200,000 in in-kind funding for the project. During Tuesday’s meeting, Bullock said equipment for the project and manpower can be provided through the county.

“It won’t cost the county tax payers anything at all out of pocket,” Bullock said.

Bullock also visited another question asked by several citizens since the ounty announced it had received the grant — how can anyone spend $1 million on a town square?

It’s easy, said Bullock.

“When you go and look at all the ... stuff that needs doing there, it’ll be a very expensive project,” Bullock said.

Several improvements will be necessary to bring the square up to par, county officials said. Those improvements come with a substantial price tag, as engineering and architectural costs add up quickly. Along with pedestrian and bike access and a new fountain, the electrical system that runs beneath the square, long ago considered nearly useless and cumbersome, must be updated. Handicap access is also high up on the list of priorities, and traffic flow around the square will also be studied to determine whether that can be improved as well.

“It’s in the center of our city, it’s in the center of our county ... and we just want to make it what everybody thinks it needs to be,” Bullock said.

The court approved Finley’s request that documentation be provided for the in-kind funds.

Text Only

Local News

Congressional districts set
February 10, 2012
Kentucky exempt from NCLB regulations
February 10, 2012
Survey may attract commercial passenger service
February 9, 2012 1 Photo
Hal Rogers defends Somerset’s Streetscape project
February 9, 2012 1 Photo
Somerset on verge of becoming natural gas hub
It sounds like a Buck Rogers fiction series, but it’s true. The city of Somerset is about to become the energy hub of Kentucky, maybe even regionally or nationally.
Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler, gas company manager Dan Henderson and city engineer Reggie Chaney discussed the grandiose energy network this week with a reporter for the Commonwealth Journal. It’s more than a vision. City officials say it’s about to become reality.

February 9, 2012 1 Photo
Old districts are back ... for now
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Such is the legislative redistricting debacle in Frankfort.
Judge Phillip Shepherd in Franklin Circuit Court on Tuesday tossed out the General Assembly’s controversial redistricting plans and reverted everything back to where it was before.

February 9, 2012
Fast-moving blaze guts mobile home off Slate Branch Road
February 2, 2012 1 Photo
Big Bang Theory
Pulaski County is not at war. The booming you may hear at dusk is mock cannon fire to scare away birds.
Stuart Spillman, environmental director for the Lake Cumberland Health Department, said at least three cannons are on loan from the department to residents who want to scare away swarms of starlings and blackbirds settling in to roost.
He said a cannon is being used by a resident on Laura Lane off Ky. 39; another is in the Oak Hill Road area and a third is on Ashurst Street in the eastern part of Somerset.
Spillman said a timer on each cannon allows it to “fire” at whatever frequency is desired. The cannons must be used as the birds circle before going to roost. “After they settle in, nothing will chase them out,” Spillman said.
The Health Department doesn’t operate the cannons unless there is a specific complaint in an area where there are lots of birds, Spillman noted. He said so far this year the birds are not as bad as in the past.

February 2, 2012
Boil water advisory is lifted countywide
The water controversy that Pulaski County has been boiling over — so to speak — for the last week is finally over.
At 10 minutes after noon Wednesday, the “boil water” advisory for the Western Pulaski Water District was lifted — almost a full week after the problems began around 1 p.m. last Thursday.
Prior to that, the Somerset Water Service — along with the other water providers in its system, including Science Hill Water, Southeastern Water, and Eubank Water — lifted their advisories, with Somerset on Saturday afternoon and the last, Southeastern, by Monday morning. Western Pulaski was the last in the system to complete sample testing for potential contaminants, due to not being able to access its Pikeville-based testing lab until Monday.
Somerset Mayor Eddie Girdler thanked the public for its patience and understanding during the duration of the boil water advisory — put in place to keep citizens from drinking water that could have been contaminated after an accident last Thursday at the water plant site — and also thanked all the city employees for their hard work during this time.
“The boil water advisory went about as well as would be expected,” said Girdler.

February 2, 2012
SCS to host Medal of Honor recipient
The message is clear: There are heroes. Even here in our own hometowns.
That’s the idea organizers hope to get across Saturday night at Somerset Christian School, when Congressional Medal of Honor winner Sgt. Dakota Meter speaks to all who choose to attend.
For further questions, ticket purchases, and sponsorship opportunities please contact Susan Adams at (606) 875-0255.

February 2, 2012 1 Photo
More Local News Headlines

Local News

Search Results

Related Photos

Bullock: $1M grant for town square is only for the square

Judge says there are misconceptions about how state money is used

Site Map