lance.gaither@bluegrassnewsmedia.com

During the Danville City Commission meeting on Feb. 26, the commission passed two resolutions that aim to aid homelessness in the city and streamline the process that community agencies like food pantries use for funding.

“It started with the homelessness forum,” said Danville City Manager Earl Coffey. “That discussion we had there enabled me to be inspired based on the feedback I heard.”

During a meeting between Coffey, Boyle County Public Health Director Brent Blevins, and County Magistrate Steve Sleeper, they created an idea to create a universal form for agencies and non-profit organizations that can be used to apply for funding.

“Right now they spend an inordinate amount of time filling out the city’s application, one for the county, one with Heart of Kentucky United Way,” Coffey said.

Resolution 2024-02-26-01 is a joint resolution between the city and county where they both agree to send the money that would be used for their efforts to stop homeless insecurity to HKUW.

“Heart of Kentucky United Way is very program-oriented,” Coffey said. “They have a robust audit of the money they distribute and probably better accountability. In my mind, this is strictly because this is their primary focus. They don’t award money to an agency per se but to an agency’s program idea.”

Resolution 2024-02-26-02 will have agencies seeking funding from the city instead apply for funding through HKUW.  Coffey recommended that two commission members serve on an application panel with HKUW to determine how to best use funds.

“United Way is a highly qualified organization in coordinating cooperative community solutions to different social services,” said City Attorney Stephen Dexter.

Dexter and Coffey emphasized that these resolutions are on a one-year basis and the process will be reviewed next year.

In other news from the meeting:

• The commission passed the first reading of Ordinance 2027. The ordinance amends articles one, two, four, and seven of the Zoning Ordinance of Boyle County to administratively incorporate the Architectural Heritage Board along with their rules and regulations in the zoning ordinance.
• The city has awarded a bid of $324,000 to Johnson Lawn and Landscape to mow city properties.