CORBIN — By Jeff Noble / Staff writer

The City of Corbin is looking for a new recreation director.

That decision was made at the end of the Corbin City Commission’s regular meeting Monday, when City Manager and current Recreation Director Marlon Sams made the announcement.

After a motion to advertise for a full-time recreation director was made, Mayor Willard McBurney and Commissioners Ed Tye, Phil Gregory, Joe “Butch” White and Joe Shelton approved the request.

“They feel that it’s time to search for a new one. I’m doing some of the work now, and as a full-time City Manager, I feel it’s time to have someone to take care of Parks and Recreation. It’s a very active department, and you’ve got to have someone who can lead and supervise a large number of people, especially with activities like soccer, football and fall league baseball coming up,” Sams said in an interview Monday evening.

Sams, who is in his 14th year as Recreation Director, said the city will advertise for the position for the next two weeks.

One thing that won’t be changing is what city residents will be paying for when they have their vehicles licensed. Approval was given on the first reading of an ordinance setting the auto tax rate for 2013 at 24.23 cents per $100 in value — the same as last year and in previous years. Of that amount, .1687 cents will go the city’s current expense fund, while .0600 cents goes to the police and firemen pension fund, and .0136 cents goes to the library fund.

The first reading of two other ordinances were also approved. One establishes a stop sign at Sanderlin Drive and Brookside Lane, while the other sets up a school zone on Goodwin Street, between 17th and 18th Streets, near Corbin Intermediate School.

Second reading for the three ordinances is expected during a special session which could come later this week.

Among other actions at the meeting at Corbin City Hall, the purchase of a new safety cover for the city pool at the McBurney Center at a cost of $8,999 was given the Commission’s approval. They also agreed for City Attorney Bob Hammons to draw up an ordinance establishing a no-parking zone on Roy Kidd Avenue from the bridge to Christian Street.

Commissioners approved Mayor McBurney to sign a memorandum of agreement with the state Department for Local Government for a grant to construct the Bacon Creek Trails project. In addition, a tax refund to Jim Hawkins Enterprises, Inc. (B & H Shoes) for 2009 and 2010 for $3541.76 was approved. McBurney stressed the company is not in the city. And a proclamation naming Corbin a “Purple Heart City” was also given the thumbs-up.

Praise was given by McBurney and Sams to workers with Corbin City Utilities, Corbin Fire Department, Corbin Police Department and Corbin Public Works Department for the quick cleanup of streets in the downtown area after last weekend’s 60th Annual Nibroc Festival. And Bruce Carpenter, Executive Director of the Southeastern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce, told the meeting last weekend’s Nibroc was a big success.

“We had over 25,000 hits on the Chamber’s website on the festival, and 357,477 friends who liked Nibroc on Facebook. That demonstrates the power of social media on promoting Nibroc…This was by far the largest Nibroc we’ve ever had. It was the biggest concert night (last Friday’s concert featuring classic rock band Styx) in our history,” said Carpenter, who was in charge of the festival’s entertainment.

Later, the Commission went into executive session to discuss personnel, pending litigation and/or sale or purchase of real property. No formal action was taken.