Jun. 11—Somerset City Council heard the first reading of the city’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year as well as approved an ordinance aimed at holding recovery center operators more accountable during Monday’s City Council meeting.

Somerset’s total revenues and expenditures for the 2024-2025 fiscal year sit at $111,598,140.

The breakdown for each department is:

* General Fund: $33,483,350

* Sanitation: $7,580,250

* Gas Department: $20,288,800

* Water: $13,245,350

* Wastewater: $21,694,150

* Waterpark: $2,676,700

* Fuel Center: $1,229,200

* Travel and Tourism: $538,450

* EMS: $9,460,700

* Virginia: $969,800

* MAP Fund: $431,390

Somerset Mayor Alan Keck said that the budget “will continue to invest in infrastructure in historic ways, is going to continue to invest in the men and women in emergency services, and it’s going continue to try to pay a living wage to the rest of our great staff that take care of us.”

He also said the budget allows for expanding sports tourism for the city in a project that would renovate SomerSport Park.

Keck noted that during his time in office, the Parks and Recreation Department was the only one he hasn’t attempted to expand.

“We have invested heavily in playgrounds and small parks, but as far as programs, or things that will allow new sports opportunities for our citizens, we haven’t done.”

Keck showed council members an artistic rendering of what he said would be the first phase of a SomerSport overhaul.

The fields will be turned into “six or seven, depending on how we draw the lines, fully turfed football/soccer (fields) and one baseball field,” he said.

He said there will also be an updated traffic flow and parking area as well as updated lighting which will allow for sports events after dark.

“These fields will be lined where we can host football tournaments,” Keck said. “You’d have these two full-sized fields, plus the Somerset High School field and others if they chose to participate.”

Keck thanked Rick Girdler and the Kentucky General Assembly for designating $1 million to the project, which Keck said the city has at this time.

Keck said the city is also in negotiations to lease some land in the area that would allow the city to have a mountain biking trail.

A second reading and vote will take place at the next City Council meeting.

Also as part of Monday’s meeting, the council passed an ordinance that enacts fines against recovery centers if they are not certified by the state and continue to operate.

“This is an ordinance to allow us to better monitor and regulate some of our recovery houses,” Keck explained.

New state regulations require centers to be certified before continuing operation. The city ordinance would require as part of that certification program for recovery centers to undergo an inspection that proves the residence meets fire and building codes.

Keck stressed that the local community is in favor of second chances for those who enter recovery programs, but said there needs to be more accountability for the operators.

“I think if we’re not holding folks accountable, then the true spirit of recovery doesn’t happen,” he said. “We’ve seen that time and time again, where folks are going through a facility, and then they end up homeless or possibly creating problems in our community. There are folks that are doing it incredibly well — (I’m) grateful for those that have their heart in the right spot that are trying to help folks.”

Keck noted that at some facilities, those going through recovery are being helped by peer support specialists “that are barely out of recovery themselves.”

That, he said, is not helpful for those who need support.

Likewise, the community in Pulaski County does not need to try to support everyone in the region seeking help.

“We have too much good going on in this community to become the region’s recovery hub, if you will,” Keck said. “I want to treat the folks who live here. I want to treat our residents. I want to make sure they have ample resources, which I think they do. And otherwise, they can stay in Tennessee, Indiana, or Ohio. Recovery was never intended to be an industry, and we’ve made it one. I want to tell the recovery and redemption story. … Recovery that ends with a job where that restored sense of dignity takes place is real recovery. That’s the redemption story.”

Keck said that a copy of the new ordinance will be given to all area recovery operators, and the ordinance itself specifies that an informational session will be held at a later date.

Carla Slavey can be reached at cslavey@somerset-kentucky.com