HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) –The Hopkinsville City Council is re-absorbing direct responsibility for two recent issues and will determine next steps for the future of the water park and how to allocate opioid settlement money without the input of newly established committees.
At the May 21 Hopkinsville Committee of the Whole meeting, Councilmember Clayton Sumner expressed that they should be using these meetings to discuss and debate topics in length prior to council meetings instead of allocating decisions to a separate committee. He said, “We should be here two or three hours having these types of back and forth.”
Following this discussion, councilmembers approved two executive orders during the June 2 city council meeting to disband the Opioid Remediation Committee and the Bluegrass Splash Committee. Both of these were established within the last few months by the city council, with the decision to disband them coming before any recommendations or consistent committee meetings were held.
Bluegrass Splash repair history
The Bluegrass Splash Committee was formed at the beginning of May, and was comprised of three councilmembers, six community officials and a youth representative. The goal of the committee was to create and present a possible plan to the council for what should happen to the water park after repairs forced the city to close it for the summer.
In December 2025, Hopkinsville Public Works confirmed that multiple leaks popped up, which would cost around $400,000 to fix. A full fix to replace all underground pipes would cost upward of $4 million, or the city could permanently shut it down. Public Works Director Mike Perry previously laid out the history of repairs at the water park, breaking down how the initial construction set them up for failure.
The new executive order that disbanded the committee says councilmembers will serve as the committee with any matters concerning Bluegrass Splash Family Aquatic Center repairs and potential alternatives being heard at committee of the whole meetings. The council agreed to assign the water park discussion for an upcoming meeting further evaluate options.
Opioid fund committee
After extensive conversations this spring among the council and community members, an Opioid Remediation Committee was also formed by the city to study and provide recommendations for best use of the money. Mayor James R. Knight had previously advised that there was already a team in place to determine best use for these funds working behind the scenes alongside the city’s chief financial officer.
The City of Hopkinsville currently has around $700,000 in settlement funds, which has strict use restrictions intended to fund programs to combat opioid addiction and can only be spent in accordance with Kentucky law. Money that is used without following the restrictions can result legal in action, with the city responsible for continuous accountability and reporting of funds.
Outside of the established opioid committee, it was discussed during the recent committee of the whole meeting that local organizations who feel they could benefit from these funds could file a sort of grant application through the city where they will have to prove that that they fall under the restrictions. This process has not been solidified at this point.
A meeting about opioid funds would come at a later date after parameters have been established for applications. The executive order disbanding the Opioid Remediation Committee also states that council members will serve as the committee with any matters concerning opioid settlement funds being heard at Committee of the Whole meetings.
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