Owensboro City Commissioners officially accepted the second portion of the $6.6 million allocated to the city via American Rescue Plan Act funding. They appropriated a portion of the funds toward the Regional Water Resource Agency to replace the downtown ravine sewer line.
City Manager Nate Pagan said that they would appropriate $2.5 million of those funds toward RWRA to reconstruct and upgrade the ravine sewer interceptor. The 3,340-linear-foot system combines sewage of the North-Central portion of the city.
While the city’s contribution is only $2.5 million, the project is expected to cost $9.2 million.
The following streets will be affected by the reconstruction of the line:
The following streets will be affected by the sewer removal:
- West Second Street
- West Third Street
- West Fourth Street
- West Sixth Street
- West Seventh Street
- Walnut Street
- Elm Street
- Poplar Street
- Maple Avenue
- Orchard Street
- Castlen Street
In other business, Bell Bank Senior Vice President/Mortgage Servicing Director Jacob Smiley attended the commission meeting following the announcement that their company was investing in Owensboro. An agreement was approved between the City and Bell Bank including incentives from the city. The incentives include a rebate of 50% of the general fund occupational fee for seven years.
Pagan said that Bell is required to maintain at least 135 employees in the local office to receive the incentives.
“We’re thankful to build our leadership and our investment in our community and the recognition of our outstanding local workforce, and in particular the mortgage servicing expertise located within our community,” Pagan said.
