By Sean Bailey / Staff Writer
The Corbin City Commission opened and read bids for completion of the Civic Center sports fields project, that has been halted since February, during it’s regular meeting Monday.
Thirteen bids were opened for completion of the grading and irrigation of the fields and for lighting at the fields. The commission is taking the bids under advisement at this time.
The fields were put on hold in February when it was discovered the city didn’t open the work out for competitive bids.
Under state law anything costing more than $20,000 must be opened for competitive bidding. At the time the excavation work was priced at $44,000.
According to earlier reports, at the time excavation began city officials were under the impression the work was going to be done as an in-kind donation. The excavation company approached the city and said it would need partial payment to finish the work.
The commission put the bids under advisement. Once the bids are chosen ,work on the field should be able to begin once again.
City Commissioner Joe Shelton said after the bids were read, that he hoped any controversy over the fields would be over.
“This hurts me greatly to get these bids. It’s going to be 60 or 70,000 dollars more than what we were going to pay. I know things weren’t done exactly up to accord, according to our newspapers. There wasn’t a single one of these bids that was free. We were trying to do the right thing. And it’s upsetting to say the least,” Shelton said.
“I think we all share your pain ... but still we have to abide by the KRS,” Commissioner Bruce Farris said.
“I agree. Hindsight is 20/20. We weren’t trying to do anything wrong ... as I said we caught a lot of flak for this. I just hope it puts to bed the notion that somebody was trying to do something wrong,” Shelton said.
During the public comments portion of the meeting, Marsha Trosper, the owner of the Dixie, brought up complaints about how Nibroc’s booth placement will affect her business.
Trosper said she had contacted Nibroc Director Bruce Carpenter’s office, requesting that the area in front of her business be left open during Nibroc. In years past, booths in front of the restaurant have blocked customers from the entrance according to Trosper.
Trosper said she told Carpenter’s office that she wouldn’t be able to pay the placement fee right away since her restaurant was undergoing repairs.
Carpenter said the area in front of the restaurant had already been placed, since Trosper missed the Aug. 1 deadline.
“There’s nothing that this commission can do about this ... what we need to do is hash this thing outside of this meeting. There’s nothing the city can do,” Corbin Mayor Willard McBurney said.
The commission went into executive session to discuss personnel, pending litigation and/or sale or purchase of real property. After emerging from executive session, the commission voted to appoint Barry McDonald as Corbin Fire Chief.
McDonald replaces Gary Price, whose retirement was approved earlier in the meeting.
The commission also:
•Accepted the resignation of Meldoy Smiddy from the police department
•Promoted David Maiden to Lieutenant in the police department
•Authorized the city manager to advertise for one dispatcher in the police department and advertise for one more police officer
Local News
Corbin opens bids for sports fields project
- Local News
-
-
Police search for suspect in highway beating
It was called by some as “road rage,” but Barbourville Police say last Saturday evening’s fight at a city intersection was definitely an assault. And they are still looking for the man who police say threw the first punch.
-
Woman gets five years for drugs
In U.S. Federal Court Wednesday, Heather A. Collins, who was called by Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove as a “kind of leader for the group,” was sentenced to five years after using prescription forms to acquire various drugs.
-
Father, son rearraigned for meth charges
A son and father were rearraigned Wednesday afternoon in U.S. District Court in London.
-
Hounds hold on
Corbin Coach Rob Ledington rolled the dice after his Redhounds took a 6-0 lead, but it paid off with an 8-7 win over Whitley County as Corbin advanced to the 50th District Championship tonight with an ace up their sleeve.
-
Drugs suspected in fatal Knox County crash
Drug use may have been a factor in a crash Monday in Knox County in which an 11-year-old boy was killed, according to Kentucky State Police Post-10 Harlan Public Affairs Officer Trooper Shane Jacobs and Sgt. Jimmy Young.
-
Marie Rader wins 89th Rep. District Primary
Republican Marie Rader won the primary election for the 89th District House of Representatives.
-
Barton wins another circuit court clerk term
Whitley County voters went with experience when it came to electing the next circuit court clerk, choosing incumbent Gary Barton, according to unofficial election results.
-
Bunch victor in 82nd House District
For incumbent State Representative Regina Petrey Bunch, the votes came in bunches Tuesday night.
-
Voter turnout higher than expected
The election day ran fairly smooth in Whitley, with the exception of several precincts losing power briefly and a few complaints regarding signs being too close to polling places.
-
Kenneth S. Stepp to face Hal Rogers in fall
Two Democrats, Kenneth S. Stepp, of Clay County, and Micheal Ackerman, of Rowan County, running for the Fifth Congressional District ran a heads-together race in the 30-county district.
- More Local News Headlines
-
Police search for suspect in highway beating




