City Council accepts zoning recommendations, discusses Rotary Park funding

Hopkinsville City Council accepted zoning recommendations and discussed ways to address the funding shortfall for Rotary Park on Pardue Lane at Tuesday’s meeting.

To start the meeting, Community and Development Services Executive Director Tom Britton presented zoning recommendations for two properties along Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Way.

For a portion of land south of MLK Way, Britton recommended that it be zoned as an arterial commercial district. He says as gas station is currently being built on the property.

Then for land directly north of MLK Way behind Lowes Drive, Britton recommended that it be zoned as an agricultural transitional district. Council members accepted both recommendations which will be voted on at a future council meeting.

Turning toward municipal orders, the council approved the 2025-26 Community Development Block Grant Action Plan budget. The budget is around $242,000 and includes administrative costs, public service funds for the Hopkinsville-Christian County Boys and Girls Club and funds for resurfacing some city parking lots.

Then the council also approved the 2025-26 Surface and Stormwater Utility budget. The budget includes around $1,369,000 million in revenue and around $1,342,000 in expenses.

Then concerning Rotary Park, Hopkinsville Mayor J.R. Knight shared that the city is set to sign off on a contract for the playground equipment on July 15, but they are short $375,000 in funding. Knight says they will either have to allocate funds from the city’s capital reserves for the playground or postpone the construction.

Knight says fundraising efforts were supposed to cover the current funding gap. The park costs $807,000 and the price tag has been party covered by grants, and then the Hopkinsville Public Works Department was able to raise around $50,000 toward the park.

Ward Five Council Member Amy Craig says the city has a healthy reserve and made a motion to use some of those funds to fill the funding shortfall.

Council members will vote on using city reserve funds to partially fund the playground equipment purchase at their next meeting.