[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6205824,"mediaKeyId","3768357-375a6c4b554ad692a53e3802be8c83f3","parentId",3768357,"title","Commission approves final Palmer Engineering amendments to close out 13th–18th Street streetscape project","audioSeconds",73,"startMs",4059000,"endMs",4132000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3768357-375a6c4b554ad692a53e3802be8c83f3&start=4059&end=4132","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3768357-375a6c4b554ad692a53e3802be8c83f3/thumbnail_4059000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6205824/Ashland/Boyd-County/Kentucky/Commission-approves-final-Palmer-Engineering-amendments-to-close-out-13th18th-Street-streetscape-project","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6205824-0ace12b63b1376014e3d461ef788447d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137074&Signature=ipwDDQyDzu1CaaCPQKC3gsTzlRfoQeBy1ntGTUrNdijL3nqkXRxHaR5ALtP2ISXw4uIK7012VUebRceQT9POk-yOMKgdF6sK8kD3c3lNj86NeRm3PqJ0MGaLH81X39TUDGzCeSfNqVdjscS6EgiXAJYQj5IgUr4yE4wV-7v9Zxyjatdmh51D-P9p55h9fNOWgBMJ8cQ8-SYHXSruLnWL~p7vRCoABYulGNb-2~nzhthT2427ZYiOm3VOB-K3L0CKLt3h42z1pj9R2oXUi07olO4HNnO6vyIXujsQHXvve1IrbO147I7AcFXgEYc8EP6wtz9wn4RAJoKqL7I1JBW4ag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Ashland, KY ","date","2025-06-11T16:34:03.7Z","article","The City of Ashland approved three ordinance amendments to professional services agreements with Palmer Engineering to finalize construction inspection and administration services for the Thirteenth Street to Eighteenth Street roadway streetscape improvements.

City staff told the commission the three amendments correspond to three different grants and are intended to close out the project so the city can file for reimbursement. A staff member said that without closing out the project the city would not receive reimbursement from the regional grant partner (as referenced during the meeting). Commissioners were told the total additional out‑of‑pocket expense to the city across the three amendments is approximately $20,000 (zero on one amendment and roughly $10,000 on each of the other two, as described in the staff presentation).

Staff said two more invoices remain for construction costs and that with approval of the amendments the downtown streetscape project would be administratively complete pending those final construction invoices. Commissioners thanked the project team for working through the closeout process.

The ordinances were read and approved in open session, and staff said they would submit the closeout package to the grant administrator following council approval. Commissioners noted the project was funded in part with federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and other grants; staff specifically referenced the need to finalize paperwork to obtain reimbursement from the regional grant partner (recorded in the meeting as the grant administrator).

Background: Commissioners also referenced a broader infrastructure program using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds — a separate agenda discussion — and noted the streetscape closeout was part of the city’s overall downtown infrastructure investments.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ashland City Commissioners Meeting - 6-10-25","oneSentenceSummary","The Board of Commissioners approved three amendments to Palmer Engineering agreements to close out the Thirteenth‑to‑Eighteenth Street streetscape project and enable grant reimbursement.","taxTitle","Ashland, Boyd County, Kentucky","taxId",71006,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6205834,"Ashland commissioners vote to place conference center on Paramount Arts Center parking lot",1084,2117000,3201000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3768357-375a6c4b554ad692a53e3802be8c83f3&start=2117&end=3201","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3768357-375a6c4b554ad692a53e3802be8c83f3/thumbnail_2117000.jpg","/articles/6205834/Ashland/Boyd-County/Kentucky/Ashland-commissioners-vote-to-place-conference-center-on-Paramount-Arts-Center-parking-lot","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6205834-bfce4420786b1227b4f57a9a31705f27/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137074&Signature=VC99qgPGMYbDlPfOshxadiqpydr5aBhDI9KYjSq4Ql53VGKwMZsnGag3o6b6Go6QFyHjTR9aLjHeOUBCu02xVVQ-u2anH5Yf7HxjL5W0x7QU2-769Lza9El~TDB0ClKv~orF8t6AkqN0tNgQCcrsutjxKAB~YII66I0RscQHyIGZvZSfH3fDEuinvQiQTtUiGurkmHDLbUm5mREGeblA0t1XRR9SqsMWcGpgAQQRp6qOZy6r6AiSizNFdalU9~bZJlv6fA1f331LspvU6Ix0g5Qr4dkATxdFkgOYARh4ErYGypQZ3vYg~PujZp-z42rDj0iIqgibSXOJVS~GDuX8tQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Ashland Board of Commissioners voted to place the new conference center on the city‑owned Paramount Arts Center parking lot, approving a motion to build at that site after months of study and public input.

The vote came after commissioners discussed maintenance and operating cost projections, parking and hotel‑room availability, and the size and footprint of each proposed site. The commission motioned to build on the Paramount lot and carried the motion in open session.

Commissioners and the city’s owner representative presented data showing the two primary sites had different projected operating deficits. The analysis used by consultants estimated an initial operating loss of about $270,000 in year one and about $350,000 in year five for the hotel‑adjacent site, compared with an estimated $34,000 loss in year one and about $28,000 in year five for the Paramount parking lot site. Commissioners said those differences were material to their decision because any ongoing shortfall would need to be covered from the city’s general fund.

Commissioners also discussed the volume of community feedback collected online and in person. One commissioner reported approximately 16 written responses were received and summarized those responses as: six favoring the hotel‑adjacent site, two favoring the Paramount site, multiple respondents opposing development near the Paramount, several asking for reconsideration, and several responses from nonresidents. Commissioners said they reviewed those submissions but based their decision on consultant studies and fiscal projections.

AP3, the owner’s representative, and the project architect estimated remaining design work would run through spring 2026 with construction beginning after design completion; the AP3 representative said the team hoped to open the facility by November 2027, and that construction would likely take about 18–22 months.

Speakers at the public comment period urged support for both downtown businesses and arts venues. Several residents who spoke during public participation said they supported co‑locating the conference center near the Paramount because of synergy with arts programming; others asked the commission to preserve parking and minimize downtown disruption.

Commissioners emphasized they had examined site options, run multiple cost and use scenarios, and consulted professionals on projected maintenance and operations. One commissioner said the project represented the largest state earmark the city had received and argued declining the funding would risk losing that state support.

The commission moved forward with the Paramount parking lot site and asked staff and consultants to proceed with design and the next permitting steps. The owner’s representative said the team would finalize design through spring 2026 and target an opening in late 2027.

Background: Commissioners said the topic had been under review by the previous commission and by the current commission for months. Discussion touched on parking capacity in downtown Ashland, the need for additional hotel rooms, and tradeoffs among construction cost, square footage and ongoing operating costs. The commission said it would continue to oversee the project and public engagement as the design advances.","The City of Ashland Board of Commissioners voted to place the new conference center on the city‑owned Paramount Arts Center parking lot, approving a motion to build at that site after months of study and public input.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6205829,"Ashland approves contract with Firefighters Local 706, adds annual cancer screening provision",120,4735000,4855000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3768357-375a6c4b554ad692a53e3802be8c83f3&start=4735&end=4855","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3768357-375a6c4b554ad692a53e3802be8c83f3/thumbnail_4735000.jpg","/articles/6205829/Ashland/Boyd-County/Kentucky/Ashland-approves-contract-with-Firefighters-Local-706-adds-annual-cancer-screening-provision","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6205829-83ab378928470fb9e5885dd75e2fbc3b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771137074&Signature=Qn-M~sPNlApBhcQ2ZYuxThGBlEzoDZ6KRf5xZjjwmxnmcmuejffSYFmqZUHl25qZAOxVckdV9sT614cyaBu8hyf-eozFoFK~o4FAsN3MoSA1yeVqWD7vtGJKhKguaIT~YUg0ZWbjbcwaVl6j5z393tEoM6EGOMkLR7qJe6IAn4MUg8hnwojZswsVAEUBnR~FfkNffk2dIEaO0YdXWzeEhtlEC~tBpQA573TaUr-ZZA01NnRTWbN-SaCtW0v6vEVRuTI9bKY3~8o~4gyL3X3xJ39OK8nVnky1ybFb8j-YyP5DuhoQI1vEea6RRhUdN6pRYRNsUFRjqPVeba4rufpkQw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City of Ashland approved an agreement between the city and Ashland City Firefighters Local 706, the union representing the city’s firefighters. Commissioners praised the negotiated contract and thanked negotiators and staff for their work.

City officials said the contract includes health‑benefit provisions intended for early detection, including an annual cancer screening for firefighters. Commissioners noted that Kentucky Revised Statutes recognizes occupational exposure and cancer risks for firefighters; the screening program was described as a preventative measure for membership health.

City leaders publicly thanked Chief Veil, negotiators including Mr. Carr and city staff (including Andrew Wheeler), and the Local 706 membership. Commissioners and staff said rank‑and‑file members voted unanimously to approve the contract before the commission’s formal action.

The commission approved the ordinance authorizing the mayor to execute the agreement in open session. Commissioners described the negotiation as cooperative and said the new medical screening benefit was a major accomplishment expected to benefit the workforce and could reduce long‑term insurance and health costs for the city through early detection.

Background and context: City staff and commissioners said the inclusion of annual cancer screening aligns with the state’s recognition of firefighters’ exposure to carcinogens. The commission also thanked the union and staff for reaching agreement and noted that the city’s self‑insurance and health plan administration would continue to be managed under existing arrangements.","The City of Ashland voted to approve a negotiated agreement with Ashland City Firefighters Local 706 that the commission and union leaders described as unanimously supported by membership and including a new annual cancer screening benefit reflecting Kentucky statutory recognition of occupational exposure risks.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Commission approves final Palmer Engineering amendments to close out 13th–18th Street streetscape project

Ashland commissioners vote to place conference center on Paramount Arts Center parking lot

Ashland approves contract with Firefighters Local 706, adds annual cancer screening provision