The City of Guthrie inches closer to receiving funding from the Kentucky legislature for its new wastewater treatment plant.
At its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday evening, council members voted to approve two resolutions to accept a combined $28 million. The resolutions require the city to spend the money on the treatment plant, report all expenditures to the state, and authorize Mayor Jimmy Covington to sign any necessary documents on behalf of the city related to the project.
According to City Engineer Mike McGee, the allocation will be disbursed through the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority in 3 phases, the first of which will cover any preliminary project expenses.
The council previously voted to ask for $7 million in the first disbursement to cover several items, including the temporary wastewater plant purchase.
In other news, the council approved the first reading of an ordinance establishing the city’s ad valorem tax rates for 2024—no change from the city’s 2023 tax rates.
In the ordinance, rates are set at 40.4 cents per $100 of assessed value on real estate and 54.42 cents per $100 of assessed value on personal property.
A second reading of the ordinance will be held during a special called meeting on September 17 at 4 p.m.
The council struck down an ordinance that would have required city restaurant and lodging owners to report gross sales and pay fees to the Guthrie Tourism Commission each quarter. Currently, the businesses are required to pay each month. A proposed change in the ordinance was in response to a request by a city business owner to allow for quarterly payment.
The council’s vote follows the same vote by the city’s tourism commission earlier this month.
