City allocates $145,000 to resurface parking lots, Hopkinsville Boys & Girls Club first in line

It was decided that leftover Community Development Block Grant funds will go toward parking lots to improve critical infrastructure.

Christian County NowBoys and Girls Club Hopkinsville, Oct. 31. (Lily Russell)

HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – A large amount of unused Community Development Block Grant funds are going toward resurfacing public parking lots in low-to-moderate-income neighborhoods in Hopkinsville. However, during discussion at the Sept. 2 Hopkinsville City Council meeting, some councilmembers felt the funds would be more beneficial elsewhere.

Three municipal orders were presented to the council that allows the city to use the $145,000 in leftover CDGB funds from 2023-2025 that were previously budgeted to the Hopkinsville Home Improvement Program. The funds will be moved to the Public Facility Improvement Program for parking lot resurfacing in an effort to improve critical infrastructure.

“There are a lot of rules that go along with the CDBG money,” City CFO Melissa Clayton told the councilmembers. “We were going to try and put it in the streets, so we submitted a substantial amendment to HUD and they pretty much rejected us and said we couldn’t do repaving of streets.”

In order to be permitted to move the funds, the city was granted a substantial amendment by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development to amend the Annual Action Plan and Consolidated Plan.

Boys & Girls Club parking lot first on the list

Clayton said she toured areas of the inner city with Hopkinsville Parks and Recreation to pinpoint parking lots that needed work, determining that the Boys & Girls Club would be the first project. She clarified that this funding is only for parking lots, and likely would not cover repaving the basketball court at the Club. Next will be the Westside Park parking lot.

Councilmember Brandi Stallons expressed concern about if this parking lot project actually helps better the community, questioning if there are more beneficial ways to spend the money.

“If you guys don’t want to, we can leave the money sitting there until we can redesign the housing program,” Clayton responded. She clarified that in the future the city is still looking to reestablish a home improvement program that could fund additional inner-city projects. Remaining funds after the two parking lot projects are completed can be reallocated for other use if the council decides to.

Jason Bell, Brittanie Bogard, and Brandi Stallons voted against the municipal orders, but all three passed with the majority vote. A timeline for construction on repaving is currently not available.