The Danville City Commission passed the first reading of ordinance number 1996 at their meeting on June 27. The ordinance amends the nuisance chapter to exempt sounds from retail establishments, sidewalk cafes, and outdoor entertainment and event venues.

The change is in response to downtown restaurants wanting to play music outside for their outdoor eating areas. The current nuisance ordinance prohibits those businesses from playing music outside. Venues such as Pioneer Playhouse and The Showroom are also under this rule.

The amendment would exempt those certain businesses from that rule to allow sound during business hours. But they would maintain a limit on sound overall, and the quiet hour starts at 11 p.m.

“Rather than finding ways to permit things, it seemed the most efficient way is to exempt out the things you’re trying to permit, rather than trying to permit little things inside each of those categories,” City Manager Earl Coffey said.

Any person or organization, besides the businesses of retail establishments, sidewalk cafes, outdoor entertainment, and event venues, must still get a noise permit to play music outdoors. The businesses that are exempt could be taken off the exemption list if they violate the policy.

CVB Budget

Director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) Kendall Clinton said the CVB board approved its 2022-23 budget on June 20. The total budget is $661,628.

Clinton said part of this total is from ARPA and EDA money; and they have a carryover amount of $250,000. This carryover amount comes from not having a CVB director for over a year, and therefore not having any staff to pay. In that aspect, CVB has built up a reserve, which is why the budget is so high.

The hotel room tax revenue, which is CVB’s main source of income, is projected to be $255,000. They will get $18,000 from an EDA grant, and $125,000 from ARPA funds. Some of that revenue will be carried over to upcoming years.

“The room tax has gotten back to pre-pandemic levels,” Clinton said. “We’re seeing good occupancy rates at the hotels.”

The CVB plans to spend about $37,000 on local sponsorships for events like the Brass Band Festival, Dock Dogs, Soul of Second Street, etc. They will spend $167,000 on advertising and marketing, which includes brochure distribution.

A designated $165,000 will be for community investment projects they are still researching. Other budget items are $13,000 for professional memberships and continuing education for CVB staff, $30,000 on operations, and $142,000 on personnel expenses.

CVB Board Chair Alex McCrosky is stepping down on July 1 and the new board chair will be Lynn Tye of Blue Moon Insurance.

CVB is involved with several upcoming events, such as the Dock Dogs Summer Splash, Gold Wing Road Riders event, and the DeaFestival.

Commissioner Jennie Hollon thanked Clinton for his efforts. “Thanks for doing such an exceptional job bringing in new things and getting the word out,” she said.

Developments

Planning and Zoning director Steve Hunter gave an update on recent developments, including two subdivisions with new roads going in.

Several months ago, Joedy Sharpe of Sharpe Construction applied for a zone change to a residential piece of land between the Candlewood and Colonial Heights subdivisions in north Danville. The property was already zoned R1A but he had applied for R1C zoning.

The City Commission denied the zone change after hearing concerns from neighbors in the Colonial Heights subdivision about the smaller lot sizes in R1C. Colonial Heights residents were concerned that their subdivision, which is zoned R1A, would not be compatible with R1C.

Sharpe is now building 18 lots on the open property zoned in the original R1A classification. The project includes building a section of street connecting to Ridgeview in Colonial Heights.

Hunter said the platt is finished, and construction plans have been given to the city engineer.

Another subdivision on Summit Drive is adding a street going to the west side of its property.

In other business, the city commission:

• Approved a grant application to give $111,988 to the Danville Boyle County Airport to develop the taxiway to the property, east of the original administrative building.

• Passed a motion to order a new fire truck, because the current trucks have needed extensive maintenance and are outdated. The truck will arrive in 2024 due to long wait times.

• The city will be delivering letters to downtown business owners asking them to not have their employees park on Main Street during the downtown construction. Morgan said the parking policy is a courtesy to make room for customers to park on Main Street, but it is not an enforceable rule.

• Passed a memorandum of understanding to allow the Boyle County Fiscal Court to utilize $2,810,300 of county ARPA funds to make water and utility infrastructure improvements in Junction City and Perryville. Danville currently supplies water to Perryville and Junction City. The county’s funds will go to new pumps, emergency connections, capacity increases, and existing infrastructure.

• Passed the second reading of the 2022-23 budget.