Corbin recycling director calls it a career

The Corbin Recycling Department will soon be under new management following the retirement of Director Gene Smith.

Corbin Mayor Willard McBurney congratulates Gene Smith on his retirement. Smith will retire effective Jan. 31 after more than 33 years working for the city.

Smith, who began working in the city’s public work’s department more than 33 years ago as a laborer, recently sent a letter to the Corbin City Commission announcing that he would retire effective January 31.

“I feel blessed and would like to thank the city for the opportunities given to me,” Smith said in the letter read at Monday’s special called meeting of the city commission.

Smith said his time would be spent doing what his wife, Rita tells him.

In addition, he will pursue his hobbies of fishing and camping.

“I’ve known Gene forever and I don’t think we have any better worker in the City of Corbin,” said Mayor Willard McBurney. “You have done an awfully good job.”

The commission approved the promotion of Roger Shelton to the position of recycling director, effective Feb. 1.

“He has been over there in the public works department for 12 years. He has been working with Gene since he announced his retirement,” said Corbin City Manager Marlon Sams when asked why he recommended that Shelton be promoted. “He has great management skills. I think he will do a good job.”

Sams said multiple people were interviewed for the position.

In other business the commission:

• Took under advisement a proposal from Commissioner Andrew Pennington to step up traffic enforcement and increase awareness of drivers in an effort to slow down traffic on Main Street.

Pennington is proposing the posting of radar speed signs in an effort to make motorists more aware.

Pennington said the plan also calls for increased police patrols.

Police Chief Rusty Hedrick said officers are limited on places where they may conduct speed patrols on Main Street, especially in the evening when parking is at a premium.

Hedrick said while officers may write tickets for distracted driving; it is not done often because it is a difficult thing to prove in court.

“We still make stops and issue warning for distracted driving,” Hedrick said.

Pennington said the number of vehicles improperly parked on Main Street is another safety issue.

The most common parking violation is vehicles sticking out into the roadway, especially larger trucks and SUV’s.

“We are constantly called to Main Street for parking problems,” Hedrick said.

When asked about the dangers to pedestrians that current traffic plays, Hedrick said two people have been struck by vehicles within the last year.

In both instances, Hedrick said the pedestrians had walked out into the street from in between vehicles instead of attempting to cross at the crosswalk.

“The drivers didn’t see them stepping out from in between the cars,” Hedrick said when asked how the collisions occurred.

The commissioners were asked to review Pennington’s proposal in preparation to discuss it at the February meeting.

• Received an update on The Arena from Director Kristi Balla.

Balla said almost half of the 5,200 tickets available for the WWE Road to WrestleMania show on March 10 have been sold after going on sale last Friday.

“We even had somebody camped out to be the first in line to buy tickets,” Balla said of the reaction the announcement has had.

Ticket prices range from $19 to $108 and are available at The Arena box office or online at ticketmaster.com.

Balla said the facility’s other major show in March, Cole Swindell’s concert on March 24, has less than 1,000 tickets available.

Balla said she would have more announcements coming in the near future, explaining that after trying multiple different types of shows in 2017, she has narrowed her focus to what would draw the best crowds.

“There is tons of stuff on the board ready to go,” Balla said.