Outgoing city council-members recognized, alcohol fee waiver ordinance considered

Hopkinsville City Council bid farewell to outgoing council members during Tuesday’s virtual meeting and approved sending a proposed ordinance to a future meeting for consideration.

Members Darvin Adams, Jimmy Dossett and Don Ahart bid farewell to their comrades and to the city, as their time on City Council nears its end, with Mayor Wendell Lynch thanking them for their years of service and saying he will be presenting them plaques and keys to the city in the near future.

Councilman Ahart says it has been a joy to serve the people of Hopkinsville and thanked everyone for the support he has been given.

Councilman Dossett says he’s made great friends while serving the city, and he will always remember his time there fondly.

A moment of silence was held in remembrance of councilmember Paul Henson, who recently passed away and served many years on Hopkinsville City Council.

Council voted to send a proposed ordinance to be voted on by City Council at a later meeting that would waive the alcohol fees for bars and restaurants for the next twelve months in an effort to assist those who have been impacted by COVID-19. This would have normally been introduced to the Committee of the Whole, but do to that committee not meeting in December, it was brought directly to council. Chief Financial Officer Robert Martin says the City collected about $28,000 in those fees last year and they would not increase taxes or charge any different fees to make up that amount.

The Small Business Stimulus program has seen 148 approved applications in the amount of $228,500, which leaves about $107,469 in funds still up for grabs, with the City extending the deadline to apply to December 31.