By GAGE WILSON
For Glasgow News 1
The Glasgow City Council Finance Committee spent much of its January meeting focused on how people move through and enjoy the city, from plans to rebuild the 40-year-old pedestrian walkway that runs next to the Barren County Clerk’s office, to updates on American Legion Park and the ongoing construction of the farmers market building.
The newest project the committee reviewed was the reconstruction of a walkway that runs between the square and the parking structure along West Main St. The bids for this project were opened last fall, but came back “way too high” according to Mayor Henry Royse.
Royse explained that the city would like to demolish the current structure, which would then allow the engineering firm, Qk4, to take accurate samples of the bedrock beneath the structure — potentially leading to lower cost for its reconstruction.
This measure is crucial as the current structure is not safe for pedestrian traffic, according to Royse.
“What we would like to do is, we go in and get those easements to where we may take the walking bridge down first,” he said, “xo that they can go in there and drill and find the actual bedrock…. They weren’t able to get the samples with the walking bridge there.”
Royse explained that the easements are important as the construction of a new walkway will necessitate heavy machinery that will need to be stored and used on properties belonging to the surrounding businesses. “We’re saying we need to put a crane down here for three weeks, or something like that, but it’s your property, so ‘can we use it?’” Royse said.
Royse went on to compare this project to another, the construction of a bridge connecting the south fork of Beaver Creek to the landfill, a project costing around $700,000.
“Without more data, no one is going to give us a close bid on it,” he said.
Royse noted that a meeting was planned between the city and the engineering firm Wednesday afternoon to explore the subject.
“We’ve got a lot of construction projects…,” said committee member councilman Terry Bunnell.
The committee also heard updates on American Legion Park, with Parks and Recreation director Eddie Furlong saying that it is 98-percent complete.
The project has been stymied by ADA compliance as crews struggle to make the parking lot handicapped friendly. The issue centers around the pickleball courts, “They’ve had to come in and change where the rise meets the sidewalk,” Royse said.
“That’s why we haven’t been able to get pickleball up and going,” added councilwoman Chasity Lowery. “Because you have to make it ADA compliant before you can open it up.”
Conversations shifted to the construction of a dedicated farmers market building, as Mona Simmons stated that just before the meeting she had been in contact with Public Works Director Jim McGowan, who relayed that while the project has been moving forward, weather will play a significant role in the building’s completion.
“The metal siding and insulation is being installed now,” Simmons said. “Rain, snow and colder weather will likely slow progress in the next couple of weeks.”
Committee members floated February as a possible completion date.
The next finance committee meeting is scheduled for Feb. 17.
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