Jerry Little urges citizens to work with the city when it comes to infrastructure repair

Berea Gutter Construction — Workers pour new gutters and sidewalks along U.S. 25, a mostly state-funded, $8 million investment in Berea. But while new infrastructure is added, the city works to maintain older infrastructure as well.

Who is responsible for streets, curbs, and other infrastructure in the greater Berea area? It’s not always clear, as Berea City Councilman Jerry Little pointed out Tuesday night. Little raised the issue during a report about the activities of the city’s Public Works Committee.

In recent months, one group of citizens has complained that the city is not maintaining its infrastructure, Little said. But some of the time, the infrastructure in question is not actually the responsibility of the City of Berea, he added. He noted that some infrastructure, for example, is on private property. Or, in some cases, property has been annexed into the city, but the city does not have easements to work on issues like drainage, said Little. That can lead to confusion among the public. “Sometimes the city gets blamed for things that are out of our control,” Little noted.

As chair of the Public Works Committee, Little said much of Berea’s infrastructure is aging, but that the city is making an effort to keep up. “We can’t take care of all the problems. We try to take care of what is most needed, because we just don’t have the manpower to take care of everything,” Little said.

Little recommended devising a new system for handing infrastructure complaints, then recording and prioritizing them. In the meantime, he urged patience. “We’re trying to do the best job we can and we’re trying to address all the problems. Just try to work with us and we’ll try to work with you to get things done.”

According to a report released last year, the City of Berea has invested over $20 million in major infrastructure projects since 1997, including upgrading the city parks and improving roadways in the industrial park.

CITY OF BEREA MAJOR PROJECTS

PROJECT DATE	PROJECT DESCRIPTION	FINAL PRICE
1993	Berea Community Park	$ 2,300,000.00
1993	Intergenerational Building	$ 350,000.00
1995	Landfill Closure	$ 4,000,000.00
1998	Sidewalk Project (Various)	$ 93,077.99
1998	Valley/Boone St. Drainage	$ 112,725.50
1998	Forest St. Drainage Project	$ 48,347.96
1999	Glades/1016 Intersection	$ 225,032.00
1999	City Hall Renovation	$ 500,000.00
2000	Post Office Renovation	$ 903,507.77
2001	Glades Road Reconstruction	$ 1,834,261.75
2002	Logston Lane Reconstruction	$ 119,613.38
2002	N. Broadway Reconstruction	$ 737,508.12
2002	Intergenerational classroom add.	$ 102,280.00
2003	Boone Street	$ 190,112.12
2003	Ball Field Refurbish	$ 73,723.05
2004	Shirley Street Reconstruction	$ 95,434.75
2004	Glades/Rash Rd. traffic signal	$ 49,000.00
2004	Ellipse/Jefferson Traffic Signal	$ 33,345.00
2005	Utility and Public Works Build.	$ 655,000.00
2005	Park Storage Bldg. and Office	$ 49,900.00
2006	Maintenance Garage	$ 185,810.00
2006	Blythe Court Reconstruction	$ 99,223.00
2007	Shortline Pike Reconstruction	$ 405,315.75
2007	Chestnut Street Park	$ 331,698.00
2007	Forest /Center Street Intersec.	$ 54,287.00
2007	Boone Street Improvements	$ 238,000.00
2008	McKinney Right Turn Lane	$ 23,538.65
2008	Berea Industrial Sewer Line	$ 286,626.96
2008	Industrial Pk. Rd. (Farristown)	$ 874,805.00
2008	Jane Street Connector	$ 184,205.90
2008	Mayde Road Reconstruction	$ 2,339,900.00
2009	1016 Sidewalk (Cemetery Hill)	$ 139,515.75
2010	Park Expansion Contract #1	$ 1,049,999.75
2010	Park Expansion Contract #2	$ 651,610.40
2010	Park Expansion Contract #3	$ 162,926.00
2010	Prospect St. Reconstruction	$ 2,253,978.00
2011	Welcome Center Renovation	$ 535,352.00
2011	Baldwin Street Bridge	$ 36,509.00
2011	Folk Center Roof	$ 118,836.00
2012	Shortline Pike Extension	$ 179,223.88
2012	Menelaus Pike Design	$ 414,005.00
2013	Mayde Road Bike Path	$ 109,415.00
2013	Prospect Street Lighting	$ 26,203.00
2013	Folk Center Kitchen	$ 81,294.00
2013	Menelaus Road Utility relocate	$ 77,137.76
2014	Bratcher Lane Reconstruction	$ 1,074,733.25
2014	Pumphouse Chemical add.	$ 11,615.00
2014	Indian Fort Trail and Bridge	$ 377,631.00
2015	Water Street Drainage	$ 291,183.26
2017	Richmond Road Design	$ 687,883.00
2016	Ford Building Renovation	$ 33,185.00
2016	Food Bank Addition	$ 76,042.00
2016	Salt Bin Expansion	$ 17,702.00
2016	County Clerk Renovation	$ 101,301.00
2017	Cumberland/Hughes Street	$ 277,585.00
2018	Filtration refurbish	$ 40,000.00
2018	Splash Pad at Berea Pool	$ 225,000.00

2018	Berea Community Stadium	$ 225,000.00

	TOTAL	$ 26,771,145.70
	1997- Present Total	$ 20,121,145.70

Berea Tourism Commits $200K to Pool Repair

The Berea Tourism Commission adopted a draft budget that includes a projected $1.6 million in revenue for Fiscal Year 2024-2025. The spending plan will now go on to the Berea City Council for review.

City of Berea Business and Tourism Development Director Donna Angel presented the budget to the tourism commission last week, noting the city expects to collect approximately $200,000 in hotel transient room taxes and $1.3 million from the city’s restaurant tax. The remaining revenues are expected to come from intergovernmental grants and returns on investments.

Next year’s tourism spending plan includes reinvestment in city infrastructure, Angel said, including $200,000 to help with the cost of renovating the Berea swimming pool. Additionally, $135,000 remains in the budget to help construct shared use trails in the city, including Scaffold Cane Road.

On a related note, Berea City Councilman Jerry Little addressed the commission, thanking officials for committing money for fixing the pool. The city plans to repair the aging facility at the end of the upcoming summer season. The cost has yet to be determined.

Plans for purchasing a tourism trolley are still alive, since the tourism budget includes $210,000 for that potential purchase. Last April the commission sought to amend the trolley line item in the 2023-2024 budget from $150,000 to $225,000, a proposal that was tabled after Berea City Councilman Steve Caudill requested more information about the cost/benefit of a trolley.

During last week’s meeting, Chairman Bill West said the commission may be able to make up the difference in the cost of buying a trolley through savings on other projects.

The spending plan also includes approximately $800,000 for building and grounds maintenance, including major projects, such as $35,000 for the exterior repair of the Berea Hotel, and $30,000 for the tiling of the back porch of the Berea Welcome Center.

Additionally, $800,000 is included for an update and refurbishing of signage throughout the city, though Angel emphasized that is only an initial projection. Angel said the base of most of the signs are in good shape. Tourism plans to deploy signs with a new color scheme, shifting from burgundy and gold to a color scheme that includes ultramarine blue. Some banners bearing those colors have already been deployed along the North Broadway Street in Old Town.

The budget for advertising remains steady at $300,000 compared to recent years. Later in the meeting, Media Manager Becky Hurt presented a report showing a correlation between the amount tourism spends on advertising and the high level of activity that follows on social media, boosting Berea events and supporting local businesses.

Berea Tourism Commission Chair Bill West noted the budget is substantial, with the projected cost of signage being a concern for him, along with $200,000 budgeted for furnishing and wall hangings for the Berea Gallery and Events Center, formerly known as the Tolle Building.

“There are big items in here. There’s the trolley, there’s the signage,” West said, admitting the cost of the signage is surprising. “And there’s money spent on furniture, and the stuff for the Tolle Building. Then we’ve committed $200,000 for pool support.”

At the conclusion of Angel’s presentation, the commission unanimously approved the 2024-2025 budget.

During commissioner comments, Alex Sipple asked if it would be possible for the city to create a map that could displayed online and distributed to visitors. The map would include the city’s network of shared use paths and trails. Angel said it would be possible. As proprietor of Get Outside KY, Sipple oversees a business that serves visitors who take advantage of Berea’s outdoor attractions, including bike rental and facilitating hiking tours.

Sipple also invited the public to SummerFest on May 18 at the Pinnacles, an event that will include several family-oriented activities and information booths.

Commissioner Aaron Crawford, meanwhile, announced that he was retiring from the Berea Tourism Commission, having accepted a new job at Eastern Kentucky University. Angel thanked Crawford for his service.

CSX Touts Berea Industrial Site, Boosting Job Prospects

A property in the Berea Industrial Park was recently chosen for the CSX Select Site Program, boosting the city’s prospects to attract a new industrial employer in need of rail service.

In a statement from MWM Consulting, which is contracted with the City of Berea, the CSX Railroad program identifies desirable locations for site development and potential job creation, then conveys that information to site selectors and prospective employers. A 21-acre site in the Berea Industrial Park, located on Mayde Road near Novelis, was one of 14 sites selected nationally by CSX in this latest round. Berea was the only city selected in Kentucky.

“The inclusion of the Mayde Road rail site in the CSX Select Site Program is a significant milestone for Berea, Kentucky,” said the statement from MWM. “With its strategic location, robust infrastructure, and the support of CSX, the site is poised to attract industrial investment and drive economic growth in the region.”

CSX Senior Director of Industrial Development Kellen Riley stated, “…the information collected for these properties will allow site consultants and manufacturers a quick and convenient way to identify premium, rail-served industrial properties where they can locate new manufacturing facilities, generating new jobs and capital investment,” according to the press release. The link below connects prospective employers with data about the site:

BEREA KY Property Report | Vacant Land for Sale Mayde Road, Berea, KY, 21 acres (zoomprospector.com)

Berea Mayor Bruce Fraley said offering companies rail access puts the city at an advantage when it comes to attracting new jobs.

“It’s rare for any city to have an industrial site that is also served by rail,” Fraley said. “Having the type of potential where you can bring customers in that require rail service opens up the City of Berea for consideration by a larger pool of potential employers.”

There are two sites in the Berea Industrial Park that have rail spurs, including the Kentucky Steel Center and Novelis, Fraley said.

“Having a rail spur has allowed both of them to thrive and we’re hopeful that the industry that eventually buys this 21-acre site will be successful. This is a good fit for a city the size of Berea, especially when you have I-75 on one side of the industrial park and CSX Railroad on the other side. It makes it an ideal site for anyone needing rail,” Fraley said.

Fraley cited the city’s industrial development consultant, Lucas Witt and MWM Consulting as a key factor in helping the city seize available opportunities.

“Having a consultant to work with us on economic development has led to the expansions of Hyster-Yale, landing AppHarvest, which is now Mastronardi, and landing Hitachi Astemo Electric Systems,” Fraley said. “Having a consultant that knows the process, incentives, and can work with the Kentucky Economic Development Cabinet is critical.”

Fraley said one of MWM’s most important contributions has been its ability to sell Berea.

“Our consultant does an outstanding job in communicating how wonderful the city of Berea is; how we are welcoming, business friendly, with a low crime rate, affordable housing compared to the rest of the country, great recreational opportunities, our parks, our educational system, vocational schools and two universities. Those are all quality-of-life attributes that we often take for granted. A consultant like MWM helps us convey the benefits of living and working in Berea, Kentucky,” Fraley said.

Fraley said the Berea Industrial Development Authority is open to a number of options when it comes to a new employer, whether they are in research and development, Ag tech, suppliers for surrounding industries, or other options. Highest on his list, however, is ensuring they will contribute to Berea.

“What I’m really looking for to fill this site is a quality employer that pays high wages, has a good reputation for taking care of their employees, and who will be a good long-term partner with the City of Berea. Someone with a history of being involved in the community, supporting local events and our educational institutions,” Fraley said.

A robust educational system that promotes industrial education through its vocational schools, and a ready, tech-able workforce from a concluding project at the Blue Grass Army Depot may also prove to be strong advantages in drawing a new employer, Fraley said. Those and other factors bolster prospects to attract quality jobs for those who want to live and work in Berea and Madison County, Fraley said.

“It’s very important to me that the young people and college students in Madison County can look forward to making a good living and remaining here if they choose,” Fraley said. “That’s how our city and county will continue to grow and that is how the quality of life for the citizens who live here will continue to improve for the foreseeable future – by bringing in these kinds of economic opportunities,” Fraley said.

Waiver Approved for Redeeming Hope Home

Photo courtesy of Redeeming Hope. From left, Shanna Sharber, Kara Baughman, Lisa Foster, Zinnia Hensley, and Linda Blackburn are shown celebrating the groundbreaking for Redeeming Hope last autumn, a home on Richmond Road that will help girls who are victims of trafficking and sexual abuse. The five-acre parcel for the 6,000 square-foot home was donated by Church on the Rock.

The Berea Board of Adjustments helped Redeeming Hope inch one step closer to building a home on Richmond Road for abused young women and girls.

On Tuesday, the board voted to approve a conditional use permit in an agricultural zone at 1045 Richmond Road N, allowing the organization to operate as a group home for young girls who are the victims of sex trafficking and sexual abuse. The decision was unanimous.

City of Berea Codes Enforcement Administrator Amanda Haney opened the meeting by explaining that group homes are not currently on the list of acceptable land uses in Berea. However, that will be remedied. In the meantime, she recommended the board issue the conditional use permit to allow the project to move forward. Completion date is projected to be the summer of 2025.

The property in question is a five-acre tract next to Church on the Rock, which donated the property so that a house can be built as a rehabilitation/therapy center for girls.

“This facility will house up to 12 girls, and it will be for ages up to 18,” Haney said.

The organization, which operates under the official title of Redeeming Hope Therapeutic Foster Home, is proposing to build a home approximately 6,000 square-feet in size. The house will have a screened in porch, and horse stable facilities will be built on the property to provide equine therapy for the girls, in addition to other treatment and counseling.

There will be two-full time employees managing the site overnight, though therapists and case workers will also be at the facility throughout the day.

Representing Redeeming Hope, attorney Tracy Blevins noted the facility should qualify for a conditional use permit under city regulations, noting:

“We believe that the project and its mission classifies it as a group home. It will be a single dwelling that will be used to house hopefully 10 to 12 minor females who are currently part of the foster care system in the state of Kentucky,” Blevins said. Plans on the organization’s website indicate the house may have 6-8 bedrooms.

Blevins said the surrounding property owners, which include Church on the Rock Pastor Mark Sarver, as well as Bruce Fraley, and Jared Carpenter, have expressed support for the project, which is directly across from Walker Branch Subdivision.

Blevins said the next steps will be to get approval for a site development plan from the Berea Planning Commission, and the organization will have to be licensed by the state to operate a residential counseling facility.

There is an agreement between Redeeming Hope and Church on the Rock that if the donated property is no longer being used for the designated purpose of being a shelter for girls, the property will revert back to church ownership.

In the meantime, Blevins said local residents have been donating their time, materials, and their financial support, responding to appeals from founder Lisa Foster and other board members.

“There’s been an overwhelming amount of support from this community and they want this project to happen, and they’re not only willing to tell her [Foster] that they support it, they are actually putting their own finances and their time into supporting the project to see that it will happen,” Blevins said.

Visit the Redeeming Hope website to vie building plans:

Our Home – Redeeming Hope Non-Profit (redeeminghopeky.org)

Board of Adjustment member Danny Brewer motioned to grant the conditional use permit next to Church on the Rock, Katie Berry seconded, and board chair Joshua Bills voted in favor, making it unanimous.

In other news, the board unanimously approved a dimensional variance for Berea College at 201 Main Street, allowing an 11-foot variance from the 25 foot-setback rule. The variance will help clear the way for a construction of a new office facility.

Kentucky Educators Boost Local Economy

Photo courtesy of Berea Tourism. Tourism’s partnership with KEDC enables educators from around the commonwealth to learn about Kentucky history through a variety of artistic mediums, injecting money into the local retail, hospitality and artisan economies.

Berea is expected to get a projected $250,000 boost to the local economy, thanks to a partnership between Berea Tourism and the Kentucky Educational Development Corporation (KEDC).

Berea City Administrator Rose Beverly highlighted the partnership last week during her report to the Berea City Council, noting that educators and administrators from 62 counties around Kentucky have been coming to Berea to take LearnShop courses specifically tailored for educators and administrators, teaching them about the history, art, music, industry and folklore of the Bluegrass State.

Many participants stay overnight in town, and they are given a spending stipend, much of which stays behind in Berea, Beverly said.

“It’s a great collaboration that’s brought a lot of people from all over the state into our community,” Beverly said, noting that money from outside the community is spent in Berea shops, restaurants, gas stations and accommodations. “Each participant receives a $150 stipend, plus their own spending, bringing a lot of commerce into our town.”

According to a recent report from Berea Business and Tourism Development Director Donna Angel, an analysis from the tourism’s marketing consultant, Right Place Media, provided the $250,000 spending figure based on surveys of local businesses.

The program began when representatives from KEDC reached out to Berea Tourism Program Manager Liz Todd. Todd recently reported to the Berea Tourism Commission that the classes have allowed many participants to discover Berea for the first time, and that they are often excited to return to Berea later as tourists.

The workshops are designed to give educators opportunities to explore Kentucky history through a variety of mediums, including story telling, broom making, gourd art, ceramics, empowerment drumming, Appalachian music, loom weaving and black smithing.

In the course of this year’s program, which runs through May 18, participants will also have the chance to sample some of the Berea’s outdoor offerings. “As the school year concludes, Berea LearnShops and KEDC will host a full day of relaxation and outdoor adventure in Berea as a thank you to the Kentucky educators and administrators to include 120 attendees, plus KEDC staff,” Beverly added.

Beverly said the program has also benefitted local artisans, who were often asked to add classes because of the popularity of their courses.

“It provided well-paying presenter opportunities for 24 local and regional artists, instructors, new and old, during their slower season,” Beverly said. “Each session has grown, doubling after the first date. The only constraint has been limiting the number of attendees that the artisan instructors could effectively accommodate to deliver an expert instruction class experience that LearnShops are known for.”

Berea Tourism is gearing up for another round of LearnShops from April 26-28. Part of the Enchanted Spring LearnShops Session II: A Season of Discovery, the courses feature of variety of creative mediums, including painting, sketch booking, wreath making, gourd burning, fascinator design, jewelry making, broom making and pottery.

Learn more about this weekend’s offerings at: Berea KY Tourism Learnshops | Berea Tourism (visitberea.com)

The popular summer LearnShops series, which began in 2011, will run from July 22 – 30.