Hello friends. It has been a couple of months since my last
post. I regret not writing before now, but I have been finishing up on a
serious health issue and I am happy to say I made it through it. One of these
days I will tell you all about it. But for now, it is time to update you on
what is going on inside the City of Bedford.
Since my last post, the Bedford City Commission has met two
times. The meetings last at least two hours each, but there is always a lot on
the agenda. If any of you read the Trimble Banner you will have read that
Bedford is working on its boundaries. I am sure you have heard me talk about
the issue too. The boundaries are being taken care of but it is not an
overnight fix. If you have any questions
on this please don’t hesitate to call me at Bedford City Hall (502) 255-3684. I
will be happy to discuss it with anyone.
Recently, I applied for the Crumb Rubber Mulch Grant with
the Kentucky Division of Waste Management. I was fortunate to have Shannon
Hoskins, an experienced grant writer, help me write the grant application. At
the last minute, she gave up her Saturday morning and some of that afternoon to
get the paper work in order. On behalf of the city, I am thankful for
everything she has done and look forward to having her help going forward
because I am happy to announce that we received the grant. The plan is to use
the Crumb Rubber Mulch around the Morgan Community Center. I will need some
help from volunteers around the community when it comes time to spread it out.
Anyone interested in lending a hand should call me at City Hall and get on the
list so when I come up with a tentative date to work I can notify everyone. I
am shooting for Saturday May 23 which is a month out and I hope that gives
everyone plenty of time to make room in their busy schedules.
Today at the Commission meeting, I proposed establishing a
Community Center Board. The Commission was reluctant to approve such a board,
but they did. As Mayor, I will chair the board. There are several people
interested in serving on the board and I am so thankful for the support. After
all, the community center belongs to the people and this board will be a
diverse group of city residents who are in touch with the community on a
variety of levels. The members of the board have not been named yet, but look
for that to be coming soon. The main idea behind forming this board is to bring
the community center back to life. Sure it’s great to use for weddings, family
gatherings, bridal showers, baby showers, etc. but the building has so much
more potential.
Also today at the Commission meeting, I am pleased to say we
had three members of the community attend and participate in the meeting. They
weren’t on the agenda, but as presiding officer I was eager to hear from them.
I am hopeful that more people will attend the May meeting which will be held on
Tuesday May 19 at 10am. I posted a petition in City Hall for local residents to
sign if they were interested in having night meetings back in February; so far
only nine people have signed it. If you’re reading this and want to see a night
meeting, contact me about signing that petition.
As I listed in the title of this post, the wheels of
progress are spinning. Sometimes, I feel that they are spinning in place but I
know that as each day passes there are things happening to make Bedford a
better place to live. In 2011, the Commonwealth of Kentucky established a
buildings code for local municipalities. At our meeting Tuesday, the Commission
had the first reading on adopting the ordinance that will bring changes to the
landscape of Bedford. One of the biggest complaints I hear the most is that
Bedford is run by slum lords. By following the laws passed down from the
Department of Housing in Frankfort Bedford is going to get cleaned up, God
willing. This will not be easy. In fact, there are going to be some people who
don’t like it, but it is for the best.
This Saturday April 25 the city will be hosting a Spring Clean-up
day. There will be a dumpster parked at city
hall for people to throw away things that the weekly trash collection person
normally doesn’t pick up. There are groups of volunteers who will be walking around
town on that day picking up trash so please drive with caution and watch out
for these people. Anyone interested in helping out can show up at City Hall
Saturday morning to get some gloves, a trash bag, and some direction to begin
helping. Any and all help is greatly appreciated.
I can’t think of anything else to write tonight. I am sure I
am missing a lot and when I think of it I will make notes for my next blog
entry. Thanks for stopping by to read my thoughts. But remember this, being
part of a community is more than reading a blog and knowing what is going on.
We live in this town together. We may not all like each other, but we choose to
live here and we should work together to make this the best community in the
country. It might seem a little too cliché, but quoting President John F.
Kennedy is necessary once in a while….”Ask not what your country can do for
you, but what you can do for your country.”
God Bless You. Have a great day.
