Legislative Priorities Projects -- Learn More

Submissions for the Madisonville-Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce's Legislative Priorities List are now featured on this blog. You can use the links to the right, under the Archives section, to view the submissions.

If you'd like to learn more about a project, please use the contact information that's been provided for each entry.

In December, Chamber members will prioritize the submissions. The list will then be presented to our elected officials at the Chamber's annual Legislative Breakfast, set for 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, December 14 in Joseph R. Miller Auditorium at Regional Medical Center. Displays that feature more information about the submitted projects are welcome at the breakfast; however, attendees should arrive at least 15 minutes early to set up these displays.

For more about the Legislative Breakfast or the Chamber's 2012 Legislative Priorities, call us at 270-821-3435. You can also visit our web site.

Legislative Priorities Submission: Safe Streets to School on Brown Road

Submitted by: Hopkins County Fiscal Court

James Madison Middle School is located on Brown Road in Madisonville, Kentucky. Brown Road is a highly travelled road and is not equipped with sidewalks and can be unsafe for walking. There are several students that walk to this school or to Jesse Stuart Elementary School which can be accessed by the cutoff road by James Madison Middle School.   Sidewalks provide places for children to walk, run and used by young bicyclists.  The placing of sidewalks on Brown Road will help benefit our school children in this area along with providing a safe route for the children to travel to and from schools.

For more information, call the Hopkins County Judge-Executive’s office at 821-8294.

Legislative Priorities Submission: Widening of Stagecoach Road (Highway 1069)

Submitted by: Hopkins County Fiscal Court

Stagecoach Road (Highway 1069) is a State Highway that is a narrow and dangerous highway that is traveled by thousands daily, including the many homeowners who live in subdivisions in the area. There is no road shoulder on this highway, which has resulted in major traffic accidents and several fatalities.

Because of the existing ditching no shoulder can be added without major construction. This road has a narrow bridge at the intersection of JD Buchanan Road that is made of rock mortar and the culvert is in poor condition. Former Representative Eddie Ballard had considered the replacement and widening of the culvert because of school buses that enter and exit JD Buchanan Road.  The construction of the bridge on Brown Badgett Loop that is in the design phase at this time will increase the amount of traffic being traveled on this road.  There will be hundreds of high school students traveling this highway to and from school.  Novice drivers face challenges to safe driving, and a road this narrow with no shoulders is a major concern of the County.

For more information, call the Hopkins County Judge-Executive’s office at 821-8294.

Legislative Priorities Submission: Center Street-Island Ford Connector Road

Submitted by: Ershig Properties

This proposed artery has been on the wish list of Madisonville for many years. Having been involved in the southern most section of this 2 mile roadway with the proposed development of Mid Town Commons we have concentrated our efforts to work with the local and state governments to bring this artery to fruition.  The realization of this new transportation system will open doors to development of restaurants,  expanded retail shopping, service and industry development and expectations of over 200 jobs per year for many years to come. This artery also helps bring the community together as a safe transportation route, being an alternative to Main Street and I-69.

In order to achieve the realization of this artery the City, County, State and the Private sectors must work together.  Without the full cooperation of all above parties this can not be achieved.  It is my belief we are nearing the finish line to successfully bring this together. Should this total support be accomplished within the very near term our company will continue to represent a strong advocacy as well as offering a capital contribution.  The continued support of the Chamber is important.  

Madisonville deserves continued progress and the pursuit of a better quality of life.

Contact:
Greg Poole, Construction Manager
Ershig Properties, Inc.
P.O. Box 1127
Henderson, Kentucky

Legislative Priorities Submission: Hopkins County Regional Sports Complex

Submitted by: Regional Sports Complex Development Board

The Regional Sports Park being developed by the Hopkins County Fiscal Court in cooperation with the Hopkins County Tourism Commission has been the number one priority in past years for the legislative priorities of the Madisonville Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce and it is hoped again that this would be a major, if not the number one, priority of the Chamber of Commerce.

The Regional Sports Park Development Board and the Fiscal Court see a two-fold benefit of the Park.

The first benefit is the economic development benefit.  The Hopkins County Tourist & Convention Commission has documented through its surveys and investigation the hosting of tournaments will create an economic boom to our economy and particularly our service industries including hotels, restaurants, and gasoline stations.  These dollars being brought into our community will then circulate into other businesses in our community.

The second benefit of the park remains improved quality of life.  It is sad that at the end of 2011 that we as a county continue to fall further behind more aggressive and successful communities in the state of Kentucky that are developing sports parks including the communities of Elizabethtown, Owensboro, and Bowling Green.  The quality of life issue will not only impact those that are living here now, but will also impact those who look to relocate in our community.

For more information, call Keith Cartwright at 821-6165.

Legislative Priorities Submission: CSX Mainline Relocation

Submitted by: Downtown Turnaround Partnership



Before track removal (current photo)



Removal of the CSX rail line running through the heart of Madisonville has been a topic of discussion and varying political attention for more than 20 years.  Although significant funding was appropriated for initial survey, plan development and feasibility study, progress toward completion of this step has slowed.  The study due from our CSX-approved consultant is six months overdue and our community stands to lose the unspent portion of related federal funding in July, 2012.



After track removal (artist's rendering)



In addition to the many positive implications removal of the line would have on our community such as increased vehicular and pedestrian safety, increased residential and commercial property values, enhanced traffic flow and emergency response times, the CSX rail line represents the single greatest hurdle and single greatest opportunity for meaningful revitalization of Madisonville’s historic downtown district.  With subsequent legislative support for Rails-To-Trails funding and careful planning of the downtown district, the CSX right of way could serve to link the Trover Wellness Park, Veteran’s Memorial, and historic Train Depot to our historic downtown creating a synergy that has the capacity to positively impact the life of every resident in our region, both in terms of economic prosperity and quality of life.

We cannot miss this opportunity and must work together diligently with whatever resources available to see this long-standing vision become reality.

Contact:

Downtown Turnaround Partnership, a committee of the CIFoundation

Jenny Gibson, Project Coordinator

270-977-2052

Legislative Priorities Submission: Madisonville/Hanson Wastewater Treatment Project

Submitted by: City of Madisonville

The community growth of Hanson is limited in part by the volume and rate of wastewater discharge that Madisonville's sanitary sewer system can accommodate for conveyance and treatment. The proposed project is to address that constraint by providing a relief interceptor sewer that will reroute certain existing flows with Madisonville's system, which will in turn allow Hanson to assume some of that redirected capacity.

The Hanson Relief Interceptor calls for an upgraded pump station, 2,500 LF of 12" force main and 10,600 LF of gravity mains. In addition to addressing this growth restraint on Hanson, this project also provides the means to eliminate three existing pump stations within Madisonville's sanitary sewer system (Southern States PS, Thompson Avenue PS, and West Noel Avenue PS).

The study conducted has estimated construction costs for this project as follows: the cost for the interceptor sewer at $3,410,000; the project development cost estimated at $1,023,000; for a total project cost of $4,433,000 (at 2009 dollars).

This project has been submitted through the PeADD office and approved for inclusion under the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority, No. SX21107022.

For more information, call 824-2100.

Legislative Priorities Submission: Brown Road Sidewalks – Safe Routes to School

Submitted by: City of Madisonville

The Safe Routes to School Program (SRTS) is designed to enable and encourage children, including those with disabilities, to walk and bicycle to school; to make bicycling and walking to school a safer and more appealing transportation alternative; and to facilitate the planning, development, and implementation of projects and activities that will improve safety and reduce traffic, fuel consumption and air pollution in the vicinity of schools.

The Safe Routes to School Program is a Federal-Aid program of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). The Program was created by Section 1404 of the Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users Act (SAFETEA-LU).

The City wants to build upon its earlier success of obtaining funding for a similar sidewalk project along Grapevine Road. In the securing of additional funding for the construction of sidewalks along Brown Road, near James Madison Middle School, a public safety issue can be addressed. This project would total 5,325 LF and would cost an estimated $238,956 to construct.

For more information, call 824-2100.

Legislative Priorities Submission: CSX Mainline Relocation

Submitted by: City of Madisonville

Currently the CSX mainline runs through downtown Madisonville. A separate track, known as the “Earlington Cut-Off” lies on the east side of Madisonville. The proposal is to construct two passing tracks along the Earlington Cut-Off, each being 2 miles in length, and abandon the downtown mainline track at a projected cost of $8,000,000.00.

The existing track is a major safety hazard with 15 at grade crossings. One fatality and a second near fatal accident have occurred within the past few years. The mainline track also crosses the main entrance to the hospital and runs within 300 feet of an elementary school. In addition to the major safety concerns, including the transportation of hazardous chemicals, the tracks greatly increase traffic congestion, increase downtown noise and reduce the quality of life in downtown Madisonville.

Currently the City of Madisonville has an outside firm working on a study of the actual costs associated with this project and to help ensure the needs of CSX can be met. Meetings have been held with CSX and they are supportive of this project.

For more information, call 824-2100.

Legislative Priorities Submission: Madisonville Northside Water Service Improvements

Submitted by: City of Madisonville

Currently the City's water system operates on one pressure zone. Due to the expansion of the northern service area, and in addition to the demand from interconnected water districts, the City has planned for the construction of a new water tank and a pump station in the northern service area, creating a second pressure zone operating at a higher pressure level.

This project will provide improved domestic water service and improved fire protection in this service area. Waterline extensions are included in the project, as is an emergency standby generator to assure service during power interruptions.

Through use of computer modeling, a final design has been completed which allowed the project to be fully permitted by all affected agencies. All easements and property has been acquired. Total estimated costs for this project are $2,041,927 (inclusive of construction and engineering costs) with $800,000 having been earmarked by The City of Madisonville through remaining bond funds.

Project construction is estimated to take 18 months and will add approximately $1,000,000 to the local economy during the construction phase through employment contracts.

For more information, call 824-2100.

Legislative Priority Submission: Support for continued development of Interstate 69

Submitted by: The Public Issues Committee of the Madisonville-Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce

(Pictured above, from left: Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear and Interstate 69 Project Manager Ted Merryman at the unveiling of the I-69 shields in Hopkins County, October 25, 2011.)

The Madisonville-Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce is a member of Chamber Leadership Initiatives for Northwestern Kentucky, or C-LINK, a group of 12 chambers of commerce representing communities in 10 Northwest Kentucky counties. The other counties are Breckinridge, Daviess, Hancock, Henderson, McLean, Muhlenberg, Ohio, Union and Webster.

C-LINK's current focus is on the completion of Kentucky's portion of Interstate 69, whose projected path extends from Michigan to Texas. Southbound I-69 traffic will enter Kentucky at Henderson and exit in Fulton. The Pennyrile, Western Kentucky, and Purchase parkways will be upgraded to interstate standards and become part of I-69. In October, 55 miles of parkway were officially designated as I-69, including 38 miles of the Wendell Ford/Western Kentucky Parkway beginning at the interchange with the Pennyrile Parkway in Hopkins County.

Key to the I-69 project will be the building of a new bridge spanning the Ohio River between Henderson County and Vanderburgh County in Indiana, and construction of a 10-mile stretch of connector highway around Henderson between the bridge and the Pennyrile Parkway.

The Public Issues Committee of the Madisonville-Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce recommends that I-69 be placed in a priority status when considering the 2012 Chamber Legislative Agenda.

For more information about C-LINK, please go to www.Buildi69-ky.com.

For further information, please contact Joe Miller, Chairman, Public Issues Committee, jrmiller@trover.org or 825.5784.

Legislative Priority Submission: East Center Street Railroad Underpass Improvements

Presented by: Leadership Hopkins County Bridge Group

This year, four Leadership Hopkins County participants were assigned the “Railroad Underpass Improvement” project.   The area to be improved is located near the new city entrance sign on East Center Street.  Bridge Group’s mission is to support the efforts of Tourism and Economic Development within Madisonville and Hopkins County by strategically improving the north east side of the underpass. 

Over the past several weeks the team has dedicated collectively 240 to 260 hours on this project and made over 75 contacts.  Some local businesses have already made or committed to make donations in the form of cost of labor, discounted materials, materials, and professional knowledge.  As a result of their hard work Bridge Group has developed a plan to include an estimated cost and a design the citizens of Madisonville and Hopkins County will be proud of. 

For more information contact:  Kevin Cotton @ 270-836-5822, or check out our web site at

http://bridgegroup.weebly.com/

Legislative Priority Submission:   Madisonville Postsecondary Education Building

Presented by: Dr. Judith Rhoads, Madisonville Community College, and Dr. Brian VanHorn, Murray State University

Madisonville Community College, along with Murray State University, is committed to raising the educational level of our region as well as to make a positive impact on economic development.  To do this, more educational opportunities locally are needed at the bachelor and masters level since only 10.6% of Hopkins County hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, as compared to 17.1% in the state and 24.4% in the United States.   To help with this initiative to raise the educational level of our community, this facility would house 2 + 2 bachelor programs as well as master’s program­ming offered by Murray State University in one, centralized location. Also, this facility will serve as a community resource, train­ing, and conference center.

Welcome to Blog Madisonville!

The Madisonville-Hopkins County Chamber of Commerce welcomes you to Blog Madisonville. We will use this site in conjunction with our other online presences to provide information about Chamber activities and initiatives.

Madisonville is the county seat of Hopkins County, which is located in the heart of western Kentucky. We are fortunate to be situated near the first designated Interstate 69 corridor in the state. Madisonville has two major facilities that offer state-of-the-art health care. With thriving industries, a growing business community, and a focus on education and workforce development, Madisonville is a great place to call home.

Currently, the Chamber is accepting proposals from members, government entities, and civic organizations for our 2012 Legislative Priorities list. Those proposals will be listed here as they are submitted.

Following the submission period, Chamber members will be allowed to rank the projects according to priority. The results will be presented to our elected officials during our Legislative Breakfast, set for Wednesday, December 14 in the Joseph R. Miller Auditorium at Regional Medical Center in Madisonville.