Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory Presents at Facility Managers Meeting

Our thanks to Elizabethtown Mayor Jeff Gregory for presenting at the April Facility Manager’s Meeting. 

During his remarks, Mayor Gregory discussed some recent expansions and developments in the regional industrial sector, at Baptist Health Hardin and at Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, and some of the ways in which City Government is responding to these changes. 

Gregory said when it comes to preparing for major regional developments such as the BlueOval SK Battery Park in Glendale, City Government is studying infrastructural expansions, particularly in regards to the city’s sewage plant. 

Also during his remarks, Gregory discussed local roads, sidewalks, and stormwater projects. He said 16 miles of blacktop has been paved on city roads during this fiscal year and that $300,000 from this year’s city budget will be allocated toward sidewalk improvements, particularly in areas of downtown Elizabethtown. In regards to stormwater projects, Gregory said the city has its sights on approximately $50 million in stormwater projects, which are spaced out each fiscal year. 

City employees also were a topic of discussion during Gregory’s remarks. He said the city recently took part in a compensation study of city employees completed by a third-party private firm. As a result of the study’s findings, approximately $4 million has been added in payroll for the city’s over 300 employees. 

In the next fiscal year’s budget, the city will seek to complete phase three of its public works construction project, which will include the construction of a new building to accommodate the infrastructural needs of Elizabethtown Public Works. The city is also looking to build a larger evidence room at the Elizabethtown Police Department’s headquarters. 

Gregory also discussed amenities improvements, including the recent renovation of Funtopia playground at American Legion Park and the development of a new bandstand and blacktop walking trail at Freeman Lake Park. The city is also seeking to expand the tennis court at Freeman Lake. 

“We have tried to build a team in City Government and also in the City of Elizabethtown and this region and that includes all of you,” Gregory said. “…We want to see our city, county, and region improve and it takes all of us to do that.” 

Following his remarks, Mayor Gregory turned it over to Elizabethtown Police Department Deputy Chiefs, Major David Fegett and Major Josh Richardson. 

During their presentation, Fegett and Richardson discussed the department’s hopes to purchase and implement a security service known as Flock Safety. Utilizing a large network of cameras, Flock Safety offers law enforcement agencies solar-powered, motion-activated license plate-reading cameras; machine learning software and real-time alerts. According to its website, Flock Safety has cameras in 42 states and over 1,500 cities, records 140 “hot tag” alerts per hour, captures over one billion photographs of vehicles per month, and has a 97 percent license plate capture rate.  

Flock Safety Territory Sales Manager Nicklaus Bloom also gave a brief presentation during the meeting to describe the services provided by Flock Safety and how it can benefit law enforcement entities. According to Bloom, when the City of Lexington installed their first Flock camera, 15 stolen vehicles were recovered within the first day. 

“You get real-time results when you put these up,” he said. 

The Elizabethtown Police Department is seeking community partners to fund the use of Flock Safety services. According to Fegett, the services will cost $55,000 upfront and $50,000 for each subsequent year of services. If appropriate funding is acquired, the department plans to install 20 Flock Safety cameras throughout Elizabethtown, which will be installed at all major entryways in and outside of the city. 

“It is another tool that we can use to help us apprehend some of these folks or to at least advertise that the City of Elizabethtown is taking this seriously and we’re implementing new strategies,” Fegett said. 

For more information, or if interested in attending the next facility managers meeting, please contact the Elizabethtown-Hardin County Industrial Foundation at 270-737-0300.