The Frankfort City Council unanimously approved an ordinance to move $300,000 to public safety for health insurance for city employees Monday night.
City councilman Jim Moyer said the reason for the action was to make sure that city employees had enough health insurance coverage.
“We decided since the police station is not moving along and the bond issue is not being used, what we do would be to take bond money that had been set aside for the bond and transfer $300,000 into public safety and leave the remainder in the bond payment even though it wouldn’t be used,” said Moyer.
This was a recommendation of the finance committee which included Moyer and fellow council members Eric Woods and Steve Beardsley. This decision also impacted the 2020 budget for the city.
“It’s the city employees’ insurance that we budgeted for that we’re afraid we didn’t budget enough,” said Moyer. “What we’re doing here is covering what we think might happen so when it does we have to hurry up and make an additional appropriation and hunt and hunt for the money.”
Moyer also said that despite taking money out of the bond that was going to be used for the police station doesn’t mean they are abandoning a new police station.
“We have not been able to purchase any property yet and we can’t get a bond issue going until we have property,” said Moyer. “It’s all been delayed.”
The City Council approved a resolution redesignating an economic revitalization area for personal property tax abatement. What this does is clear the way for Frito-Lay to begin its $70 million expansion project that was approved at the previous meeting.
The Council also approved a pair of declaratory resolutions designating an economic revitalization area and an eligible vacant building. This will allow Back Stop Brewery to take over the old Mack Machine building across the street from the post office and an expansion by Richey and Son to move into the old Tech Building in the Industrial Park that has been vacant since last September.
“Both of these developments the council found in favor of has pro economic development which qualifies for the tax abatement,” said Woods.
That abatement is a seven-year graduated abatement for real estate property and a five-year graduated abatement for personal property.
Woods added the resolution approved for Back Stop Brewery lends itself to a younger group of individuals.
“We always talk about walkability and having a better presence to certain demographics as get the younger individuals staying in town and trying to retain them,” said Woods. “I would say that this does lend itself to that particular age group.”
Senior Homeowner Assistance Replacement Program (SHARP) Director Tom Jameson gave an update on the program. This was the third year the city has participated in the program which awarded $158,797 this year for 21 homes and 36 projects.