Louisa council discusses annexation, code enforcement
Louisa City Attorney Bud Adams reviewed options with members of the Louisa City Council as they discussed an ordinance that would create a code enforcement board.
By Tony Fyffe
BSN Editor
PAINTSVILLE — Annexation and code enforcement were the main topics of discussion at the July 20 meeting of the Louisa City Council.
Mayor Harold Slone told council members that he had received a proposal from Mike Shapaka of P&A Engineers concerning survey work that would need to be done if the city pursues annexation along Ky. 2565.
“In order to annex what we proposed way back when we discussed it, there’s going to have to be surveying done,” Slone said. “This time, it’s not going to be simple.”
Surveying would be “much more complex because where it is.”
“It’s not going by road boundaries,” he said. “It would have to be surveyed.”
Slone said that a survey and coordinates from a previous annexation plan are not accurate and a new survey needs to be conducted.
The annexation proposal, which was originally discussed a few years ago and revisited by council at its April meeting, includes the area along Ky. 2565. Slone said in April that numerous businesses on Ky. 2565 are not located in the city limits, including KFC, a new dialysis center, a Marathon station and “tons of doctors’ offices and medical facilities.” Even the city garage is not in the city limits, he said.
The mayor said that when the city council previously addressed annexation a few years ago, three options were discussed — doing nothing, annexing the business district on Ky. 2565, or annexing that area along with Springhill and Highbottom.
Council opted for the Ky. 2565 business district, with the next step being getting the exact boundaries on a map.
P&A Engineers submitted a $32,500 proposal for a new survey, Slone said, asking council members if they wanted to accept it or have him seek a second proposal from another surveyor. Council member Ashley Caudill suggested soliciting another proposal.
Asked how much tax revenue the city would generate from the proposed annexation, Slone said he remembered an earlier estimate was about $30,000, based on $14 million of property assessment.
“If we annex them, then their water goes down, their trash goes down, their fire fee goes away completely because they get it for free then,” Slone said. “So, when you balance it out, it’s like the city does gain a little tax revenue and the water loses it, because the water and sewer rates go down. Trash loses it. The fire district loses it.”
Council also discussed creating a code enforcement board to hear appeals concerning violations of the city’s nuisance ordinances.
Slone said under the city’s current procedure, the city’s code enforcement officer issues a notice to violators and asks them to correct the problem. If property owners disagree with the finding, they can appeal to Lawrence District Court.
Council members asked City Attorney Bud Adams to draft an ordinance that would create a code enforcement board that would include one member who would act as a hearing officer. Violators would be able to appeal to the board and continue to district court if they are not satisfied with the outcome.
Earlier in the meeting, Slone told the council that the city’s swimming pool brought in $34,770 in revenue since it opened June 1, which includes money from party rentals, the swim team, swimming lessons and general admission. He said the pool’s revenue was “up a little bit” from previous years.
The mayor also updated council members on revenue the city receives from alcohol sales. He said the city budgeted $130,000 last year and collected $162,825, leaving a $27,825 surplus. He said the COVID-19 pandemic “must have spurred some spirits.”