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At its August 26 meeting, the Nicholasville City Commission passed several resolutions, including an incentive for a new employer to come to the county and a franchise agreement with Spectrum. 

The Commission approved item 3, authorizing the Mayor to sign resolution 2024-004, permitting “rebate or retention of 0.6 occupational tax license fee to an employer meeting the criteria of this application for incentives, under the Kentucky Business Investment Act.”

Mayor Alex Carter said Craig McAnelly of the Jessamine County Joint Economic Authority requested that the city pass this resolution for Omega Ophthalmics. This means that for 10 years, the City and the Fiscal Court will allow Omega to pay a reduced amount of the occupational tax license fees. In Jessamine County and many other local Kentucky governments, employers and business agencies are required to file and pay net profit taxes. 

“It’ll bring about 75 new jobs here with a total investment of 35 million dollars. It is significant,” Carter said. 

The commission also approved resolution 2024-005, awarding Spectrum Mid-America LLC a 10-year non-exclusive franchise for a cable television system within Nicholasville. 

Nicholasville City Clerk Kathy Walker serves on the Kentucky Regional Cable Commission (KRCC) on behalf of the Mayor. 

Walker says that this franchise agreement was set up over the past few years with help from attorney Linda Horton, a legal assistant at the Jessamine County Attorney’s office, who also has a keen understanding of contract law, according to City Attorney Darren Sammons. 

“She’s an expert in that area of law, so I trust her judgment,” Sammons said. 

The commission was initially hesitant, concerned about previous issues the city has had with Windstream, another communications and technology services company. According to Sammons, that contract was “not a good agreement,” which Commissioner Patty Teater said left the city wanting to exit out of the agreement when Windstream wasn’t delivering what it had promised, leaving communication lines falling down and other projects that were promised in the contract unfinished. 

Walker said the city can vote to leave the KRCC altogether and that the previous Windstream franchise has not been updated, but that State Law will still count the last contract the city had, “even if it is expired.” 

Commissioner Teater was initially concerned about the contract, asking if there was any wording in it to protect the city commission if it wants to leave the contract if Spectrum does not deliver the contract’s promises. Walker replied that this protection for the city was part of the contract and has been part of franchise agreements in the past. 

The Commission approved this non-exclusive franchise agreement. 

The Commission approved a request to donate a vehicle to Nicholasville Jessamine County Joint Parks and Recreation. 

General Government Director Doug Blackford reminded the council that this truck was a standby truck recently replaced in the cemetery. It is already used by parks and recreation, and the Commission must vote to make it official. This is the second truck the city has donated to parks and recreation.

Commissioner Bethany Brown said this donation was “very needed, and welcomed by Parks and Rec. They were very thankful. They have quite a few trucks incapable of even pulling a trailer, so we were really thankful for that.” 

Lastly, the city approved the following changes regarding its employees:

• James Howard and Clint Newton were hired as temporary full-time police officers at their current rate.
• Justin Wilson was given a rate change to $30.45 to keep his salary the same with decreased hours– from 84 scheduled hours per pay period to 80. 
• Henry Hong for $18.18 an hour and Charles Strange for $18.50 an hour were hired as Wastewater Treatment Plant operators.
• Ashton Graham received a rate change in Planning and Zoning to $23.35 for compression.