Barren County Judge-Executive (center) explains to the magistrates and those in attendance the benefits of renovating Jackie Browning Park instead of just "bandaiding" it and fixing individual issues as they arise during the Dec. 19 meeting of the Barren County Fiscal Court as Fiscal Court Clerk Tammie Branstetter (left) and Barren County Court Attorney Mike Richardson (right) listen. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1.
By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
The Barren County Fiscal Court approved by a 6-1 vote to begin “Phase A” on the Jackie Browning Park renovations during the regularly scheduled court meeting on Dec. 19.
The fiscal court, which was called to order at 9 a.m. by Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd, heard reports from various public officials, departments and committees. One committee report that was heard by the court during the hour-long meeting was the Parks and Recreation Committee chaired by Magistrate Derek Pedigo.
According to the court’s agenda the Parks and Recreation — which usually meets in the adjoining conference room the Monday before the fiscal court meeting at 10 a.m. — was canceled, but, Byrd said, Pedigo “had some stuff to bring up” to the seven magistrates.
Pedigo made the motion to “begin Phase A” on the Jackie Browning Park renovations. According to Byrd, the price of Phase A is $798,128.50 and will include turning the four baseball fields into six, adding new parking, which will increase handicap parking, add sidewalks, a playground, new restrooms, installing new bleachers and 12 shade structures.
“This is a massive improvement,” Byrd said. “This project will move Jackie Browning Park into a park we can all be proud of.”
Byrd said they have received a $2 million bond through the department of local government. She said that does not mean they will spend the full amount but rather “have the option.” The bond has been sold at 4 percent, Byrd said.
“The way we are doing this financially will keep us within our spending limits at Jackie Browning Park,” Byrd said.
District 7 Magistrate Brad Groce expressed his “wholehearted support” of the motion.
“I think we have a unique opportunity to transform our park into something we’ll all be proud of,” Groce said.
After Groce expressed his support, District 4 Magistrate Tim Coomer “voiced his concerns” with the proposed renovations. He said he would vote against the motion and would prefer to get more space for the park instead of putting more things in an area where “there’s already such congestion.”
“We’re looking at a 20 year commitment to taxpayers [and] none of us will be here in 20 years,” Coomer said. “It’s not that I’m not for kids [or] helping the older people be in the shade, but my personal opinion is we need a larger area to expand instead of putting everything in a smaller place.”
Byrd said this Phase A was the first steps in fixing the issues of the park.
“It’s not bandaiding things; it’s fixing it,” Byrd said. “As a business this is how to do it. You don’t just bandaid things, you fix them.”
True to his word, the motion passed with Coomer casting the only no vote.
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