ASHLAND — Ashland Mayor Matt Miller anticipates further growth in the industrial park, as city council approved plans to acquire property at 1174 U.S. Route 250 in Ashland.
At its Tuesday meeting, city officials authorized the purchase of three parcels for $104,380.
One of the parcels features a house, but the others are bare, according to the mayor.
“Over the last several years the city has been acquiring the properties in that area with the goal of acquiring all of the frontage to the industrial park,” Miller said. “That opens up valuable sites for companies to choose from if they so choose.”
By funding underground infrastructure repairs, Ashland City Council made a decision which will save upwards of $92,000 in interest payments.
Council passed two ordinances to refinance the city’s debt.
“That’s not money the city is going to get, it’s money the city doesn’t have to pay,” finance director Larry Paxton said.
Ashland City Council has discussed three ways to fund repairs to its aging water and sewer lines. Officials have discussed adding a surcharge to the water bill, increasing water rates and refinancing debt to free up money.
Tuesday marked the first step in that direction.
“Underground, where we don’t see them, there are miles and miles of water lines and sewer lines that are getting older and older and deteriorating every year just like the city streets that we see,” Miller said at a previous meeting. “And we have to do something to make sure we’re upgrading those parts of our infrastructure so our community can continue to grow and thrive.”
Many of the city’s water lines are decades old. Some are more than 40 years old.
Discussions on how to address the city’s aging underground infrastructure began earlier this year. Miller first brought the matter to a February council meeting.
The city of Ashland has not increased its water rate in more than a decade.
Other action from Tuesday’s meeting:
— Council passed legislation adopting permanent appropriations for the 2021 fiscal year following a presentation by finance director Larry Paxton. The city has appropriated almost $75 million.
— Council approved a 10-year, 50 percent community reinvestment area (CRA) tax incentive for Timothy Enterprises LLC.
Under leadership of Ronald Nagy, Timothy Enterprises is to build a 12,000 square-foot facility to his property at 2135 Claremont Avenue for a total cost of $1,050,000.
— Council approved the disposal of two city vehicles.
