Verlon Prewitt told the council about the history of the Estill Development Alliance and asked the members to vote to pay $30,000 in arrears to the group.
After tabling the discussion twice, the Irvine City Council voted Monday night to pay $30,000 in arrears to the Estill Development Alliance (EDA).
Mayor Ernest Farmer was absent from last month’s meeting in which Councilman Tobo Bryant encouraged the council to pay the nearly three years of unpaid contracts with EDA. The council tabled the discussion then in order to give the mayor a chance to explain why he hadn’t written the checks to EDA, although the $10,000 was included in the budget each year between 2009 and 2012.
Farmer said he stopped paying EDA because EDA Director Joe Crawford stopped doing his job, which was to serve as the city’s Main Street manager for 20 hours a week.
Members of the EDA board were present at the meeting to ask the council to make a decision once and for all.
Verlon Prewitt gave the council a brief history of EDA and described what the group does for the county–Irvine and Ravenna included.
Farmer said he didn’t believe Crawford fulfilled his duties as described in the contract.
“I can’t just give $10,000 away,” he said. “I have to have something to show for it.”
This discussion follows the signing of a new contract between the city and EDA for the fiscal year, which began July 1.
EDA board members said they were under the impression the debt was being looked at by the mayor, who said in EDA meetings and in a one-on-one meeting with Crawford, he would investigate the situation.
“You told me you couldn’t find the money in arrears but you would check,” Crawford said.
EDA Board Member Ian Mooers said he was at the EDA meeting where Farmer, who is also a board member, said he would look for the arrears.
Part of the EDA contract is that the mayor serve on the board, in order to give the city representation at meetings and in making decisions.
This is the first time since 2009 the city has signed a contract with EDA, but the money was budgeted as a contribution from the city every year.
“There’s lot of things in our budget,” he said. “But if we don’t get it, I don’t pay for it.”
Farmer said Crawford was to act as the city’s Main Street manager and attend council meetings monthly to report about what he was doing for the city under that title. He said Crawford only attended two meetings during those three years.
“The council suggested even having an office here for you where you come and work 20 hours a week for us in the office so we can see what you’re doing for us,” Farmer said.
Bryant said he thinks EDA does a lot for the city and he was under the impression the group was being paid each year.
“I thought we were going to keep the EDA even if we had an in-house Main Street manager,” he said. “We can keep giving to EDA as long as we have our mayor representing us on the board.”
Councilwoman Nelle Williams agreed.
“If I’m part of an organization, I pay my dues,” she said. “Regardless of what they do, I pay my dues until I’m no longer part of that organization. We can’t write out a check list of what they do, but they do serve us.”
Councilman Glenwood “Woody” Tipton said he can’t see any proof of what EDA does for the city.
“I just can’t see giving away $10,000 of taxpayers’ money when I can’t see anything they’ve done,” he said. “I’ve been on the council for six years and I don’t see anything.”
Mooers told the council, despite its failure to pay, EDA continued to work in those three years.
“We established our leadership program to work to keep our best and brightest here in Estill County,” he said. “And we just launched our incubator that helps support start-up businesses locally. Other cities are progressing because of these types of partnerships. Those cities that do away with these partnerships are suffering.”
Mooers said Citizens Guaranty Bank picked up the shortage in funds during the time the city wasn’t paying.
Prewitt said the mayor should have talked about his concerns at EDA meetings.
“During those three years, did you ever complain? As mayor, that’s why you’re on the board,” he said .
City Attorney Rodney Davis said the discussion could continue all night, and advised the council to either make a motion to pay or a motion not to pay.
Bryant made a motion to pay the $30,000 in arrears and Williams seconded the motion. The council approved the motion in 3-2 vote, with Williams, Bryant and Councilwoman Janice Bush voting to pay.
Councilman Billy Arthur and Tipton voted no. Councilman William Burkhart was absent.
Farmer will meet with Crawford to discuss a sort of payment plan to prevent the city from having to pay the $30,000 in a lump sum.
In other business, the council:
•Approved the first reading of the Kentucky Utilities Electric Service Franchise ordinance.
•Discussed a request from Ravenna Mayor Estine Tipton to make a contribution to the Volunteer Thank You picnic. The council agreed it couldn’t legally make a monetary donation.
•Gave Davis permission to work on getting as much money back from the sale of home which has a judgement lien filed on it. The home was part of litigation the city was involved in with Justin Gerber with judgement of over $1,000 to be paid back to the city for damages to property.