Splash pad location up in the air

The splash pad in Corbin will happen, but the question of where and what it involves remains up in the air.

Corbin Tourism Director Maggy Kriebel shows a possible design for a downtown splash park.

At Monday’s regularly scheduled meeting of the Corbin City Commission, City Manager Marlon Sams said the request for proposal seeking design ideas for the project would be going out to design companies on Tuesday.

However, Sams said whether it is located on the lot owned by the Corbin Tourism Commission on North Main Street, or the property the city recently purchased at the corner of Gordon and Depot Street, remains undecided.

“We have a consensus for one place and a consensus for the other,” Sams said adding that the RFP will be amended to advise the bidders that the location has yet to be finalized and the decision would come after the new commission takes office January.

As to what the theme of the splash pad will be, the RFP is asking bidders to tie it to the Corbin area.

“We would like it to embody or represent area attractions,” Tourism Director Maggy Kriebel said previously.

When the city purchased the lot on Depot Street in February, one of the proposed uses was the splash pad because a large municipal parking lot is right across Gordon Street.

Other suggestions have included a stage area, or a shelter type area to house events such as the farmers market.

When it was proposed to put the splash pad on Main Street, multiple residents raised concerns over the amount of traffic nearby.

Conceptual designs for the project have included fencing surrounding the area.

If the commission elects not to use the Main Street site, Kriebel said she would encourage the tourism commission to find another public use for it.

“I would still like to work with the city to come up with an idea for the property,” Kriebel said.

In other business:

• Corbin Economic Development Director Bruce Carpenter said Corbin has submitted proposals to draw two new industrial projects to the city.

Carpenter said he could not provide any information at this time as both projects are in the very initial stages.

However, he did say that Corbin had reached the second round of potential sites for one of the project.

“Maybe when they get ready to visit the respective communities then we will be included in the visits,” Carpenter said.

Carpenter said he was recently invited by the Kentucky Economic Development Association to make a presentation on small communities and the effort to recruit new industry.

As part of the presentation, he highlighted the effort to recruit Smartwood.

In addition to healthcare and education, Carpenter said the availability of the spec building was one of the deciding factors in bringing the company to Corbin.

“They had been looking at another building, but the spec building allowed them to have a new building that was bigger than what they had originally planned,” Carpenter said.

• Corbin Recreation Director Hope Gibson said the new dog park is open and she has received positive feedback.

“All we need is benches and maybe a fountain on the other side,” Gibson said.

The new basketball goals have been installed at the Corbin Recreational Center.

The new pool liner and pump at the city pool are scheduled to be installed by the end of April.

• Downtown Manager Aaron Sturgill said he started an idea board in his office and is asking for the public to submit ideas to the Downtown Corbin Facebook page, or to his work Facebook page.

Sturgill said in addition to booking talent for the Moonbow Nights events, he is working on developing some additional public events.

He is also looking at turning the wooden “pocket park” platforms stored in the grassy area in the lot on Depot and Gordon Street, into a stage at NIBROC Park.

“Right now they are just sitting there,” Sturgill said of the platforms.

Sturgill said he is also looking at the potential to expand NIBROC Park by closing off a portion of First Street.

Sturgill said officials at Whitaker Bank are reportedly on board with the idea of closing down the portion of the street between Main Street and the alley. The bank’s drive though is currently accessed via First Street near Kentucky Ave.

“We will see about that,” Sturgill said noting he will speak to bank officials about the proposal.

• Bobby Monroe with DataMax Revenue Enhancer made a presentation to the commission concerning enforcement and collection of fees from businesses operating within the city without purchasing a business license.

Monroe explained that if an agreement is reached, the company would identify businesses operating illegally in Corbin and proceeds with collections on unpaid license fees.

State law permits municipalities to seek the current year, plus the previous five years in unpaid license fees.

For the first two years, the company would receive 50 percent of its collections.

Monroe said after that, the city would receive 100 percent of the collections.

If the commissioners determine the program is not working, they may opt out with 60 days notice.

Monroe said the company targets larger business, particularly vendors delivering products to area businesses.

“We are already doing business with most of them,” Monroe said of these vendors noting DataMax is currently doing business in North Carolina, South Carolina and West Virginia, and is moving in the Kentucky market.