In Oct. 23-29 Issue
By Derek Aaron
Times Journal Reporter

JAMESTOWN — The Jamestown City Council held their final regular monthly meeting in the current city hall last Thursday as the city is slated to move into the "new" city hall on North Main St., which is the old Monin Building, early next month.

The move is needed because of the impending destruction of the current city hall and several other buildings to make room for the new Russell County Justice Center.

The official opening date for the new city hall will be Monday, Oct. 3.

In other matters taken up at the meeting:

• American Legion Post 133 member Dan Woodruff gave an update on the "Doughboy" restoration project on the square. Woodruff said the north side concrete steps had recently been poured and that the south side steps and new sod would be completed within the next few days.

Woodruff said the new flagpole should be in by the end of this month, also. He said the schedule for the November 11th re-dedication ceremony at 5 p.m. should be announced to the public sometime this week.

On behalf of the American Legion, Woodruff thanked the city council for all their hospitality and help with the project. The legion has been helped by city employees for much of the "Doughboy" project.

• The council amended the city's budget by taking out $27,000 from the Jamestown Utilities Department and putting it into the city's general fund. This money will be used in rent for the new city hall building, according to Mayor Brooks Bates.

• The council approved $2,500 to help the park board expand the picnic shelter at the Jamestown City Park. Once finished, Bates said the building would serve as both a picnic shelter and as indoor batting cages. The mayor said the project's projected cost is around $12,000.

"It is going to be a nice addition to the park," Bates said. He also announced that in lieu of flowers to the late Cody Wilson, the family asked that money be donated to the park's basketball court for upkeep as Cody was an avid basketball player at the park. Wilson, who was a student at Western Kentucky University, died two weeks ago in Bowling Green.

o The council agreed to talk with MXI in Lebanon about the possibility of taking city waste to Casey County by sending in a letter of intent to negotiate with the company.

If entered into an agreement, the waste would be baked, not incinerated, and there would be a by-product. This would ultimately lower the city's tipping fee, according to Public Works Director Ottis Skaggs. The city would receive 8 percent back on what the waste would produce in electricity, he said.

o The council heard the second reading of ordinance 2008-08, an ordinance provided for the levying and collection of an ad valorem tax for Jamestown for fiscal year 2008-09.

Bates has said that the city's property tax rate is figured according to a state formula.

This year, for example, if you had a $10,000 lot inside the limits of Jamestown, this year you will pay $16.70. Bates said this is down a little from last year.

Bates said the city of Jamestown had about $52 million worth of real estate, not including bank stocks.

o Public Works Director Ottis Skaggs said that construction on the city's new water treatment and distribution plant is back on schedule. "It still looks like it is going to be January before we start producing water," Skaggs said.

o Council members Larry Joe Murray and Terry Robertson reported on the progress testing all the city's fire trucks in order to meet or exceed Insurance Survey Office standards. If the trucks pass these tests, it is possible it could lower insurance rates for homes and places of business in the Jamestown Volunteer Fire Department's service area, according to Murray and Robertson.

Fire Chief Tony Wright is anticipating a call regarding a date to schedule these tests any day now.

o Bates announced that, due to the current economic situation, a freeze be put on all of the city's hiring despite several positions currently being unfilled.