HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – At the Oct. 27 Hopkinsville Committee of the Whole meeting, councilmembers decided to move forward with a plan to further strip the services that have been historically provided by the planning commission through Community and Development Services.

City Attorney Doug Willen presented zoning text amendments that would accommodate this change and officially put planning services under the umbrella of the city along with the recent absorption CDS incentive programs.

This change would potentially create four new positions for the City of Hopkinsville related to planning, which was previously facilitated by CDS and the planning commission. These services draft and forward plans for future developments throughout Christian County for new construction ranging from neighborhoods to industries, ensuring they are in compliance with zoning and subdivision guidelines and more.

The planning commission is also integral in drafting ordinances and regulations that pertain to these developments to protect municipalities along with establishing zoning designations and promoting growth. They have recently been integral throughout the process of establishing data center guidelines.

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Councilmember and COTW Chair Travis Martin questioned this new plan since CDS was initially told that they would continue with providing planning and zoning despite the transition of other services to the city, “So now two months later we are taking planning away from them?”

Mayor James R. Knight, who will be leaving office at the end of the year due to the results of the primary election, chimed into the discussion. He said it was determined that having planners on city staff would make it easier with the new building and codes department. A few months ago, Knight bypassed discussion and expedited the process of taking over CDS services through the city council with no accommodation for public input

In response to Knight’s comment, Martin said, “You’ve got 60 days before the end of the year, and this is a huge change to do. I’m just not sure if it’s the right timing with the administration on the way out…if we were going to do it, I wish we would have done it two months ago. I feel like we kicked CDS and we are back kicking them again.”

A representative with building and codes was asked to address the council about why it would be easier to have a planner on staff, and he stated that he “did not have an elaborate argument for either way.”

CDS speaks up, vote forwards decision to city council

Councilmember Brandi Stallons added that the “dust has not settled” from the initial transition with CDS, and there is no way to tell at this point if this additional change would be the best option. Tom Britton, current director of CDS, was in attendance, and said they are meeting weekly with building and codes to coordinating planning functions. He said, “It’s a work in progress, but it just started.”

Britton further clarified that the functions of the planning commission may be legally misunderstood at this time since they operate outside of jurisdiction of the city and serve the entire county. He added that CDS and the City of Hopkinsville ultimately have the same goal of seeing success for the city, despite recent difficulties.

The councilmembers voted to forward these zoning amendments to establish this change to the city council, and it passed 6-5. Voting in favor was Michael Velez, Elizabeth Draude, Donald Marsh, Chuck Crabtree, Marie Hughes, and Clayton Sumner. Voting against was Jason Bell, Vance Smith, Brandi Stallons, Travis Martin, and Brittanie Bogard.

The resolution will now move to the next city council meeting for final approval, only one vote is required to pass it.

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