Officials provide community update

Mason County Judge-Executive Owen McNeill and Maysville Mayor Debra Cotterill provided updates on the state of the community at a recent luncheon.

The Maysville Area Chamber of Commerce held the annual State of the Community luncheon on Wednesday, during which time McNeill and Cotterill had a lot to say about projects that have happened and are ongoing in the county and city.

McNeill spoke first and talked about several things that have happened over the last year.

“Travel with me as we go around to US 68,” he said. “There’s the old Southern Suites business center, where we’ve transformed a former dilapidated property into some of the nicest spaces you’ll see.”

According to McNeill, that space is now occupied by companies such as Box Drop, and All-State and a few more additions will be added. Across the street from there is JBS Entertainment which opened recently.

“It’s become a very nice place to do business,” he said. “It used to be that you would hear how kids and families have nothing to do in Maysville. I challenge anybody to tell me they can’t find family fun entertainment now.”

Other updates included how the Maysville Country Club has new owners and there will soon be additions to the YMCA and the Boys and Girls Club.

“The old area technology center has been transformed into some of the nicest office spaces in the area,” he said. “There’s more to come.”

He mentioned the emergency shelters at CrossPoint Community Church.

“Previously, CrossPoint was giving out thousands of dollars a year to help people get emergency shelters,” he said. “This asset will be very helpful for the community.”

In Old Washington, the old Bingo Hall is now a retail center, there is Lil Jumbo in the area and the town now has a regional license center. Across from Old Washington is where the next middle school is being built.

“Everyone in a 10-county area has to go to that center to some point in the next four years,” he said. “I think this all makes Old Washington a very up-and-coming part of our community. I’m very excited about Old Washington.”

McNeill also discussed the MB Rail Port.

“MB Rail finally got a long-term lease with about 80 acres in our East end,” he said. “CSX has their new offices on space. MB Rail has operations running to Paris; trans-loading operations, and rail operations. Their game place is to target a railroad-specific grant to go after and repair the last washout that is still in Mason County. Then you have access from the Ohio River all the way south and into Paris. You can access southeastern Kentucky. Our goal is to have discussions with the Silver Grove port that is in northwestern Kentucky.”

He mentioned how Cummins Nature Preserve received a grant for a mountain bike trail recently.

“We were awarded a Land, Water, Conservation grant to do the mountain bike trail,” he said. “One of the prerequisites for that is an archaeological study to make sure nothing was being disturbed. We partnered with the health department and others to get that study completed. It has come back good to go, so in the Spring, we will restart that project. That will reopen an additional 17 acres.”

Cotterill provided additional updates at the city level.

According to Cotterill, the city had a watershed management plan that has been in the works for a while.

“That is still in the hopper,” she said. “Recently, Kristi Dodge, with Buffalo Trace, has been working with the Kentucky Environmental Cabinet on potentially doing a watershed management plan for Limestone Creek.”

Cotterill said Limestone Creek would include the waterway behind the Mason County Public Library and the water under the bridge on Second Street.

“It would actually start at the top of the hill, around 11, over to 62 and all of that area that comes down,” she said. “It would be a comprehensive study to see if there are pollutants, what type of pollutants there are, and see where they come from.”

She said that one of the things she has seen happen is a green sink. This is a basin that would catch rainwater from the tributaries so it will not soak into the ground. The water would soak down into the ground, but the pollutants would not.

“The pollutants will not go into our streams and the river. It would just stay in those basins,” she said. “Another thing they’ll look at is if we are getting pollution from the river. That will kind of tie into the work that the library is doing because they want to improve that area behind the building as well.”

Cotterill said the city has also partnered with the school district for a fire safety training opportunity with students.

“Our guys will be out there teaching some classes,” she said.

She said the city is also working on implementing an eminent domain-type ordinance for dilapidated properties within the city limits.

The ordinance would allow officials to identify properties that are dilapidated. Owners would be given 90 days to address the issues identified. If the issues are not addressed, the city will petition the Mason County Circuit Court to start the eminent domain process. After a hearing, if a judge rules that the city can obtain the property, the city will pay the current market value determined by commissioners. The city would then sell the property to another entity that would do something with it.

“The city is not looking to get into the real estate business. That is to help us put another tool in our toolbox to deal with dilapidated properties,” she said. “We have to obey the law and there is only so much we can do, so this would give us an opportunity.”

The ordinance would also have a clause relating to business properties. Businesses would have to be registered if they are abandoned or vacant. The longer they are registered, the higher the fees will be for the businesses on the registry. The businesses would also have to have a local contact. They will not be able to look vacant and the first floors of buildings would not be allowed to be used for storage.

“That’s something the commission is considering right now.”