BEREA—Council was presented with plans for a re-imagined Community Park during Tuesday night's first regularly scheduled meeting of the month.

"Tourism was wanting to bring in tourists in a different manner than what we normally would do, as far as crafts and outdoor activities," City Administrator Shawn Sandlin told Council during his presentation on the park. "We're looking a little bit more into sports, and music and theatrical, and those kinds of events that will bring in additional people."

The overhaul is expected to cost $1.5 million, payable by the Tourism Commission, and will center on the construction of an amphitheater, a large pavilion where tourists and townsfolk alike can enjoy fare sold by up to 20 food trucks that will utilize expanded electrical capacity and other amenities intended to accommodate concessions for concerts, theatrical performances, and various festivals, including the Spoonbread Festival.

In a follow-up interview, Sandlin told The Edge the park renovation will bring the facility more in line with both the City's park master plan and the evolving comprehensive plan, both of which prioritize City youth.

"This plan lays out more for kids to do, and it offers more events for kids, which falls within what we're seeing come out of the comprehensive planning [process]," Sandlin said in the interview. "The pavilion and food trucks will be one of those things."

In the current iteration of the City's comprehensive planning process, a special emphasis has been placed on collecting data from residents 18 years of age and younger about what amenities they would like to see built in their hometown. Sandlin said kids have been asking for more places to congregate. The comprehensive planning process will wrap up later this year. By state law, municipalities are required to update their comprehensive plans every five years.

The park renewal will feature an amphitheater that faces north, to be built where there currently is a lawn with trees and a portion of the shared use path. A small parking lot to accommodate trucks for theater and music performances is to be constructed between the amphitheater and Pirate Parkway.

Sandlin said the area in front of the amphitheater will more likely be left open in order to free up multi-use space, and will require show-goers to bring their own seating, but that the design firm's rendering provides a look at what built-in seating might be like. He also said the placement of the amphitheater makes use of the treeline that separates the park from Berea College's athletic complex, offering a pleasant place for the eye to fall, rather than look out at the Community School parking lot.

"Originally, we had the amphitheater closer to the [park] entrance and it doesn't give you the 'wow' factor," Sandlin told Council. Since moving the plans for the stage further back, Sandlin said the vista from the new concession stand has a more dramatic effect. "You look across this field, and you say, that's a 'wow factor,' that's nice. It's very pleasing to the eye." Sandlin added that the building specs are such that there will not be any sun that shines directly into patrons' eyes when they are seated in front of the stage.

The park of the future will also feature a regulation sized minor league field, which will also accommodate T-ball leagues, and will be located closer to the baseball fields in the center of the facility. The parcel to the East of the ball fields will become a multi-use area to range the gamut from up to five soccer fields to festivals, according to Sandlin. That area will also be serviced with electric hook-ups to accommodate fair booths and other needs.

"I think it's a really good opportunity for us to partner with Tourism, which has agreed to fund this fully. That was really important for the Tourism Commission which has wanted to do this, but also for our citizens who have asked for this. So we are filling those requests the best we can, and as responsible as we can," Sandlin told Council. "I want to thank our Tourism Commission for wanting to bring more tourism into our town in a different fashion than we have been doing at this point," he concluded.

Sandlin told The Edge that he expects the City will announce a request for proposal to manage the park's renovations by the end of August, and that it's possible the costs will come in under the current estimate.

Also in park-related news, Sandlin said in the interview that the new concession stand is nearly completed, but still has to undergo inspection, although the restrooms were open to the public during the July Fourth holiday weekend. The new concession area will be used by various youth sports leagues to sell snacks as a way to raise funds for their respective teams.

Previously, the locally owned and operated Yeti Freeze had leased space in the old concession facility. Sandlin said that he planned to put out a call for proposals for vendors to lease the concession area to avoid any appearance of impropriety since Yeti Freeze is owned by the family of Tourism Commissioner Todd Holbrook. Sandlin said the family's previous lease of the City park's concession stand had been drafted under the direction of his predecessor as city administrator.

Also during Sandlin's presentation, Councilmember Katie Startzman asked if there were enough facilities to accommodate festival crowds anticipated by the park renovations. Sandlin said no, and that portable johns would be necessary.

Several Councilmembers asked about the accessibility of park restrooms currently. Priscilla Bloom, Parks and Recreation director for the city, said that her staff do their best to keep all facilities open, but that especially in the Skate Park, there is a higher risk of vandalism, often necessitating restroom closure.

In Memorial Park, the restrooms have been under renovation. Signage about the closure has been repeatedly removed, according to Bloom. "We're doing the best we can do," she told Council.

Sandlin said that all park restroom facilities, as a general rule, will be open from 8 am until dark, once the Memorial Park and trailhead restrooms all pass final inspection within the next couple of weeks.

Proclamation

Mayor Bruce Fraley declared July 7 as Old Town Fabric Day, in order to celebrate the tenth anniversary of Rebekah "Becky" Johnson's quilting fabric shop which began at the Bobtown artist community, eventually opening on the west side of North Broadway in Old Town.

"This is a lot. I never would have expected all this," Johnson said as she accepted the proclamation. "With God's help and that of my customers over the past 10 years, maybe I will have 10 more," she said. Fraley thanked Johnson for helping to bring tourists to town with her days-long quilting classes and retreats held regularly at Boone Tavern.

Street acceptance

Three streets and sewer hook-ups in Stoney View Estates Phase One were accepted at the request of the City's codes and planning administrator, Amanda Haney, in a unanimous voice vote. The total amount of the street asset value to the City, according to Haney, is $1,360,50. The total asset value to the City for the additional sewer line is $282,415. Both will now fall under City maintenance.

Two retention ponds built in Phase One of the development will not be maintained by the City. Councilmember Jerry Little asked Haney how the City will ensure that the ponds will be maintained if the developer sells the properties. Haney referenced a document kept at the County Clerk's office that tracks all property transfers, including who will henceforth be responsible for the ponds' maintenance.

Ordinances

Council heard the second reading of Ordinance 10-2026, amending the City's Land Management and Development Ordinance to include modular and "qualified" manufactured homes in all single family residential zones, per a new state law that took effect earlier this month, as previously reported.

The first reading of Ordinance 11-2026 was read to Council by city counsel JT Gilbert during the meeting. This ordinance decrees the sale of surplus equipment by the City. Little told the public that anyone interested in purchasing the City's surplus items should consult the website govdeals.com while using the search terms "Berea, Kentucky".

Department head report

Kevin Howard, general manager of the Berea Municipal Utilities, spoke about his department's many fiscal year 2025-2026 successes, including a notable decrease in the number of power outages and their duration thanks to a previous decision by Council to increase the BMU tree trimming budget. Howard said outages went from a reported 137 outages in fiscal year 2024-2025 with a total number of 218 hours of outage to only 71 outages at 70.25 hours in this most recent fiscal year.

Howard also said his electrical division recently completed 103 work orders created after inspecting all electrical lines for threats to reliability, something the department does every five years. Also, that BMU has nearly replaced all street lights with LED bulbs except in the Homestead subdivision, which is still ongoing. Howard said he anticipates the switch will result in lower rates for BMU customers because of LED's energy efficiency. LED lighting, which is brighter than incandescent bulbs, has also been shown as the leading cause of an annual 10% reduction in visibility of the night sky. The switch to LED lighting is federally mandated by a law passed in 2007.

Howard also said that in the last fiscal year his department had aimed to keep the average customer average service interruption to an hour or less. Data showed his team averaged 45 minutes or less. Further, that BMU customers were able to access 99.9% of all available power over the year.

There have been 5,300 meter change outs to the new electronic monitoring system, according to Howard. A cybersecurity audit is upcoming, as is a new substation to replace the one on Oak Street that is now 53 years old. Previously, with supplies at covid-era prices, Howard said the replacement project wasn't feasible, but that prices have essentially returned to pre-covid levels.

Lastly, an updated website for the BMU means customers can more easily track outages using interactive maps. There is also a new hotline that instantly notifies crews of problems on the grid.

Councilmember John Payne asked Howard about the ongoing graves removal project at Owsley Fork dam. Howard said there were a total of 72 known grave sites along the shore of the reservoir that are being moved to various cemeteries with the descendants' approval, but that it was possible more graves would be uncovered in the brush.

Mayor's comments

Fraley thanked Bloom and her staff for a "great Fourth of July" and for their hard work before to prepare for and clean up after the festivities held in Community Park during the holiday weekend. Fraley also said that the patriotic banners featuring local service men and women have elicited the most comments he's ever had for a City-funded project in the 10 years he's been involved in City government. The many large container gardens placed all over town this summer have also elicited praise, he said.

Council comments

Councilmembers Steve Caudill and Payne reminded the public to attend the Craft Festival at the Pinnacles this weekend, as did Councilman Ronnie Terrill, who also told folks that if it is raining, stay out of his field. Terrill lives across KY 21 from the Forestry Center parking lot. He also asked about cooling stations for those impacted by the summer heat. Fraley said all air conditioned public buildings are open to the public during the day. Councilmember Mike Barnett thanked Parks and Rec.