Owensboro commissioners approve surplus parcel transfer, multiple board reappointments and personnel hires

Owensboro City commissioners, meeting Jan. 7, 2026, approved a slate of administrative actions including a municipal order to declare a small parcel of city-owned property surplus, multiple board appointments and several personnel hires.

The commission voted unanimously to adopt Municipal Order 1-2026, which the order describes as declaring a parcel of about 0.15 acres at the corner of J.R. Miller Boulevard and East 17th Street surplus and authorizing the mayor to execute conveyance documents in January 2026. The city manager explained the parcel’s history, saying the property was acquired in the 1980s when East 17th Street was rerouted and that the intended property swap with the adjoining owner was never completed. The manager added that much of the tract is consumed by building setback lines and "it's not buildable or developable." The transcript contains inconsistent acreage figures: the municipal order text cites 0.15 acres while the manager referred to "approximately 1.15 acres." The order was approved by voice vote.

The commission also approved a set of board reappointments and appointments read by the city clerk. Reappointments included Bill Weichel to the Owensboro Metropolitan Board of Adjustment for a four-year term expiring Dec. 31, 2029, and Glenn Morrison to the Property Maintenance Code Enforcement Board for a three-year term expiring Jan. 5, 2029. Keith Ellis was reappointed to the Civil Service Commission for a three-year term effective Jan. 9, 2026. New appointments included Sean Higgins to the Owensboro/Daviess County Regional Airport Board for a four-year term effective Jan. 10, 2026; Claude Porter was reappointed to the Owensboro Area Shelter and Information Services Board for a three-year term effective Jan. 17, 2026; and Mindy Greenwood was appointed to the Owensboro Parks and Recreation Advisory Board for a two-year term effective Jan. 19, 2026. The motion to approve the appointments passed by voice vote.

On personnel matters, the city manager presented multiple hires and promotions. Probationary full‑time, non–civil-service hires listed included David Hernandez and James Staples as road workers; Aaron McCarty as maintenance equipment operator (contingent on completion of post-offer pre-employment requirements); and Stella Cunningham, Landon Doherty, Cameron Morris and Pierre Mosley as police officers effective March 1. Promotional appointments named Michelle Drodte as payroll administrator (effective Jan. 11) and Chelsea Stogner as administrative aide with the police department (effective Jan. 11). Staff also confirmed several employees who completed probation into full-time roles, including Paul Votenheimer (parks crew leader), Aaron Brown (street crew leader) and Christopher Garlic (transit bus driver) with the effective dates listed in the agenda. The personnel slate was approved by voice vote.

Earlier in the meeting the commission selected Commissioner Jeff Sanford to serve as the presiding officer for the special meeting by unanimous voice vote. The meeting adjourned after the listed business was completed.

Provenance: Transcript segments for the municipal order and parcel history begin at SEG 187 (municipal order text) and SEG 196 (city manager explanation) and continue through SEG 246 (vote); board appointments are read starting SEG 155; personnel appointments are listed SEG 247–292. The presiding-officer motion appears at SEG 027–041.