Closing of Eighth Street approved

The Corbin City Commission has taken the final step to close the portion of Eight Street between Poplar and Kentucky Ave.

At a special called meeting Thursday morning, the commissioners approved the second reading of the ordinance authoring the closure of the street between the former Corbin Middle School building and Edwards Gym.

With the middle school moving to the new building on the former St. Camillus Academy property, Corbin Independent Schools has begun working on plans to renovate the building to serve as the new home for fourth and fifth grades beginning in the 2019-20 school year.

At a previous commission meeting, Superintendent Dave Cox made the request, explaining that as part of the renovations a covered walkway would be constructed between the school and the gym.

As part of the project, Cox said an access road will be constructed from Poplar Ave around the gymnasium and out onto Kentucky Ave.

A second construction project at the Corbin Primary School will add a new wing to the building to house the third grade classes. Once both projects are completed, it will allow the school system to close the elementary and intermediate school buildings, as the sixth grade will be at the new middle school.

In other business the commission:

• Approved the first reading of an ordinance fixing the tax rate on motor vehicles for 2019.

An Ad Valorem Tax of .2423 cents per $100 of taxable value will be levied on motor vehicles in the city.

Out of that:

• .1551 cents will be levied for the Current Expense Fund

• .0727 cents will be levied for the Police and Firemen Pension Fund

• .0145 will be levied for the benefit of the Library Fund.