RICHMOND—Parking permits for residents of an EKU-adjacent neighborhood, another tear-down, plus tens of thousands in budget overages topped the list of City business during the Commission's most recent meeting on August 11.

Ordinance

At the top of the order was Ordinance 26-24, giving residents of Baker Court parking permits.

Residential parking permits are issued by the City Commission “after being petitioned by the majority of the residents on the street requesting parking places be established and residential parking permits be available to the residents,” per City code. 

Residents there have complained that parking is hard to find because of college rentals in the neighborhood, City Manager Rob Minerich told The Edge after the meeting.

Each house on the street will receive one parking permit per bedroom and two visitor permits, according to City Code. Residents who need more parking for events or special occasions will need to notify the police department, City Manager Rob Minerich told the Commission.

Baker Court was previously zoned as R-2, two-family residential duplexes, but residents also requested a zone change to preserve the character of their neighborhood. The area was rezoned to R-1, single family residential in February.

“This just seems like a logical step with giving them their residential parking permits,” Minerich said during the meeting.

Commissioner Tammy Cole wanted to know if tenants of short-term rentals in the neighborhood would be issued the same number of parking permits as homeowners and residents of long-term rentals.

“I would frankly have to research that a little bit as far as how it’s termed,” City Attorney Chris Johnson said. “The presumption I would have is that anybody staying there on an ongoing basis, even as a short-term rental, would need to have a parking pass.”

The Commission will vote on the ordinance during their next regular meeting on August 25.

Orders

The Commission approved Order-26-119 for the demolition of the home at 154 Parrish Avenue. The $15,206 necessary for the tear-down is budgeted in the current Codes Enforcement Professional Services fund, and will be recouped via a lien placed on the property in the County Clerk's office, according to City Attorney Chris Johnson.

"The City has received numerous calls regarding the condition of this property ... and the Code Enforcement Department has made repeated attempts to get the property owner to bring this property into compliance,” according to the Order.

"The property is in bad shape and has no water or electricity," Minerich told The Edge, adding that the individual who used to live there has moved to public housing. The owner of the property, filed an appeal to the District Court to prevent the demolition, but it was denied because of the substandard condition of the property, he said.

The demolition and cleanup will be handled by the Lexington-based Total Demolition. No word yet on when the tear-down is scheduled to begin. It is at least the third tear-down of a property in the City this summer. Two other structures were recently torn down on West Main Street, near the corner of Tates Creek Road.

The City Commission also unanimously passed Order 26-125 to purchase three vehicles for the Parks & Recreation Department and the Public Works Department, as well as Order 26-126 to buy a forklift for City's recycling program.

One 2026 Chevrolet Silverado and one 2027 Chevrolet Equinox will be purchased from Bachmann Auto Group in Louisville. One 2027 Ford F-550 Super Duty truck will be purchased from Paul Miller Commercial Vehicle Center in Lexington.

The overage of $15,657.16 on the Ford F-550 will come from the City’s contingency funds, according to Minerich. The Super Duty was originally budgeted for $88,300. "It is vital that we have this vehicle for the winter months,” Minerich said. 

The forklift will cost $51,063.80 and will be purchased from Black Equipment in Lexington. The cost will be covered by a grant from the state, according to Minerich.

Order 26-129, passed unanimously in a voice vote, retroactively authorized Minerich to circumvent the usual competitive bidding process in order to address an emergency situation at Fire Station 4, where repairs of severe water damage were necessary, costing $19,000. This is in compliance with state statute.

“It was discovered that we had a water leak in a wall from a connection to the ice machine and it wasn’t identified until the interior of the drywall was soaking wet and molded, and it also caused damage to the flooring,” Minerich said during the meeting. Repairs were necessary in the hallway and kitchen, and included new cabinets, flooring, and walls.

An insurance claim has been filed to cover the costs of repairs, but the total reimbursement is still pending. Minerich told The Edge after the meeting that money for the immediate repairs came from the City’s emergency fund.

“It was pretty extensive damage,” he said.

The contracts for the rehab were awarded to Servpro and 1st Call Construction, Minerich said during the meeting.

Minerich also told The Edge after the meeting that using his authority as city manager, he had already approved the repairs prior to the meeting because it was an emergency that needed to be resolved quickly. He said the order was placed on the agenda for the public to know and to document the actions he took.

Commissioner comments 

Commissioner Jim Newby said the Back to School Bash organized by Georgia Parks at the Richmond Teen Center was a success. The organizers wanted to thank Commissioners Tammy Cole and Mendi Goble for donating supplies as well as he and Commissioner Mike Brewer for sponsoring the cost of the venue, he said.

Brewer asked if the City was taking any action to bring two houses, located on Bob-o-Link Drive and Elm Street respectively, up to code. "I hope that the public understands, especially on Bob-o-Link Drive, that we are working towards getting that taken care of and it just takes some time,” Brewer said.

The City has received multiple complaints from neighbors of residents of Bob-o-Link Drive who used gravel for their driveway, which Minerich said in the interview is against City code. Calls have come in as well, he said, about a resident on Elm Street collecting junk around the house.

Goble and Cole had no comments. 

These are some highlights from the August 11, 2026 Richmond City Commission meeting. For agenda and minutes of all Commission meetings, visit the City's website. To watch live streams or previously recorded City meetings, visit the City's YouTube channel and choose the "live" tab.