City commission will revisit new clutter regulation proposals at a future work session
The city of Henderson plans to revisit its regulations surrounding clutter in a future work session.
At the city commission’s Tuesday regular meeting, City Attorney Dawn Kelsey and Codes Administrator Steve Davis detailed language in the current ordinance regarding clutter that makes it difficult to enforce some instances seen in the yards of city residents.
Davis said officials are receiving complaints from neighbors that the city can’t act upon.
The current ordinance states, “No resident shall allow materials, described as ‘clutter,’ to be stored on their property.” Meanwhile, the proposal adds after ‘property’ the phrase: “…in a manner that creates a visual nuisance or detracts from the character of the surrounding neighborhood.”
The proposal also includes language that clarifies bicycles “in excessive quantities” are subject to being cited.
During the presentation, Kelsey and Davis showed or mentioned examples of clutter, including a group of 20-plus bicycles.
There was some consideration of what a property owner can do with his or her own property. But according to Commissioner Nick Whitt, “there are some limits.”
If a property is cluttered, “You’re infringing on your neighbor’s rights,” Commissioner Rodney Thomas said.
Mayor Brad Staton asked that the issue be added to the agenda of a future work session.
City manager proposes SportsPlex rates
City Manager Dylan Ward proposed set rates for both weekday and weekend use of the SportsPlex.
His proposal includes three tiers for weekday users.
He described Tier 1 as those users coming from out of town, for example, a travel team from Evansville. He asked that this tier is for $75 per two hours.
Tier 2 he called the “local rate” and described it as a rate for groups from the Henderson County Schools system, local travel or club teams, local recreational leagues and nonprofits. To qualify for this tier, 60% of the members of each team must be residents of Henderson County. This rate is $50 per two hours.
Tier 3 includes any local recognized recreational league playing games at the SportsPlex. Ward suggested implementing a fee per player. The proposed fee per player has not yet been established.
Ward said a per player fee would probably vary depending on the league in which they play because some leagues charge more to play for a season. He said it will probably require sitting down with league leaders to determine costs. Additionally, because maintenance is taken care of by city and not the league itself now, that should have an effect on both fees per player the city will charge and fees that each league charges parents for their child to participate, commissioners said.
For weekend users, Ward said the SportsPlex needs to protect the fields for tournaments “because that’s when you get your events.”
Tier 1 on the weekend is $400 per day for one field. This is the non-local advertised rate for a field, Ward said. He added, however, that rates could be set differently if a tournament was going to be held at the Plex for a full week or full weekend as opposed to one day. He said SFC, the company running the SportsPlex, has discretion to set fees.
Tier 2 is for local teams, possible school system events, recreational leagues and local nonprofits. The rate per field for one day in tier 2 is $300.
The commission did not vote on the proposals. The rates will be revisited at a later date, Ward said.
In a side note about the SportsPlex, Mayor Brad Staton said he and other commissioners have received photographs of unkempt areas taken at the Plex. “That’s not what we want,” he said, especially after the amount of time and money that’s gone into constructing the new facility which opened in the spring.
Staton said some changes have been made. He expects the facility’s upkeep to get “better in short order and to not ever get back to that level again for as long as we own the facility.”
Commission approves resolution for grant to prep 56-acre site adjacent to Pratt
The city commission approved a resolution that authorizes submission and acceptance of a grant application to the Kentucky Product Development Initiative.
The grant is for $88,000 with a $39,900 local match, which will be split equally between the city and the Henderson Water Utility, according to city documents.
The money will allow officials to do due diligence—including geotechnical, engineering and environmental work, according to City Manager Dyan Ward—at the 56-acre site, which sits adjacent to Pratt Industries. Ward said it is an early step that will make the parcel more marketable for potential development.
Missy Vanderpool, the executive director of Henderson Economic Development Executive, said the site has all the necessary electricity, water and gas needed for a new industry.
“It’s just another opportunity for industrial development,” Vanderpool said.
Letcher Street corridor update given
Local architect Tim skinner gave details on Letcher Street corridor drawing his firm has created.
Some of the highlights include:
- Two new homes on the corner of Letcher and Washington streets on the north side of Letcher Street.
- A new commercial building that would not face the street, but instead a planned plaza area. Skinner proposes that small businesses with a community draw, such as a hairdresser, locate in storefronts in the building. The plaza area holds a new neighborhood gathering spot.
- Between the gathering area and the parking lot for Audubon Kids Zone, four existing commercial buildings will remain and those can be adapted and used for new businesses.
- Across the street on the south side, construction is proposed for a new AKZ Community Center building at 801 Powell St., which is the location of the former Dance Hall razed last year.
- Moving toward Washington Street, Skinner proposes a parking area located next to the AKZ Community Center.
- The residence on the south side of Letcher Street at its intersection with Washington the location of the H.E.R.O. home is planned. This is a city-owned residence reserved for a Henderson police officer and would allow an officer to move in rent-free. The intent of the program is for a police officer to live in the neighborhood he or she patrols to build relationships with residents there.
In other news:
- Parks & Recreation Director Thomas Kenney announced that his department will host a free party on the last day of the swim season at Atkinson Park Pool. At the “Pool Bash,” Kenney said there will be food trucks, a DJ, snow cones and games. It will go from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30. Kenney emphasized it was free. He also said he’s a pop-up event type of guy and will host more in the future.
Prior to Kenney’s free swim party announcement, the city commission approved a $4 per hour raise for lifeguards at the pool as they finish out the season. Commissioners commented that it was the first time in a while that the pool has remained open on the weekends after the start of school. Ward said the raise is an incentive for the lifeguards to stay on.
- The commission approved an $80,000 grant from the Delta Regional Authority from its Strategic Planning Program. The grant will be used to fund a preliminary engineering report for two parcels of land near Ky. 2084. One piece, a 14-acre plot bordering Ky. 2084, sits across from Algonquin’s and His Church. Another 6-acre parcel sits across the future I-69 near Arlington Drive. Assistant City Manager Buzzy Newman said the engineering report is for the possible redevelopment of the land, which would include retail stores and restaurants. He added that the land had been part of the Kentucky Road System. City documents show the land was formerly the location of exit ramps to U.S. 41. Newman said state officials wanted to get rid of the land at the conclusion of the I-69 work involving Ky. 2084. Newman said the city readily agreed to take the property.
- The city is reconsidering grant funding to the W.C. Handy Blues & Barbecue Festival. The city did not award any funding to the festival for the current fiscal year because, according to Staton, he believed a $25,000 award granted last spring was for the current fiscal year. In fact, that money was used to bring in a headliner act for June’s festival, which was last fiscal year. The city allots $150,000 to be donated to nonprofits in its yearly grant cycle. This year, it gave $137,500, leaving $12,500, Staton said. He asked commissioners if they wanted to award something to the blues festival. Staton said it will be put on a future agenda.
- The commission recognized Joshua Alsip as a new hire for the Henderson Police Department. Alsip will work as a school resource officer at East Heights Elementary School.
- Randall Redding, a local attorney who represents the Henderson Municipal Power & Light, informed the commission that HMP&L would appear before the Kentucky Court of Appeals in Richmond on August 20 to contest a ruling last summer coming from Franklin Circuit Court Judge Thomas Wingate that said the Public Service Commission has jurisdiction over the longstanding dispute between HMP&L and Big Rivers about the decommissioning of the Station Two power plant in Sebree. Read that past article here.
- The city is in the running for the best small city in Kentucky and Thomason’s BBQ is up for the best Kentucky barbecue. According to an information card from the city, Southern Living magazine is searching for the South’s Best 2026. City officials are encouraging residents to vote. “Vote early, vote often,” Staton said. That can be done by scanning the QR code in the image below.
