After considerable debate, the Glasgow City Council moved closer to funding the installation of a new aquatic center as well as general upgrades to the city’s parks system.

Meeting in the Barren County Fiscal Court chambers because the elevator in City Hall is currently inoperable, the city council voted on first reading to direct new mayor Harold Armstrong to “make an application for and acquire for” $6.5 million in bonds that will be used to fund the construction of an aquatic center to replace the outdated municipal swimming pool at American Legion Park.

The meeting’s agenda included two separate resolutions related to bond issuance: the first calling for

$5 million in bonds to finance the aquatic center and the second calling for $6.5 million in bonds to fund the aquatic center and improvements to other city parks.

The council voted on the $6.5 million bond issuance and ultimately passed it in a 7 to 5 vote.

The ordinance directs Armstrong to “make application for and acquire bonding for” $6.5 million from Hilliard Lyons. If the ordinance passes on second reading at the next city council meeting, the city will pay $454,100 each year over the agreement’s 20-year lifespan, though payments will be made monthly.

Several council members were opposed to both resolutions for different reasons.

The newly elected Terry Bunnell said he thought the city should upgrade its parks before it even considers installing a new aquatic center.

According to Bunnell, a master plan to guide the development of the parks system the city commissioned consulting firm Brandstetter Carroll to put together shows that improving existing park facilities should be a more immediate priority.

“We don’t need to build a new aquatic center,” he said. “We need to make it where people can go enjoy what we have.”

Bunnell said that, according to a Brandstetter Carroll survey, 30 percent of people who don’t use the parks don’t use them because of “security issues” and another 30 percent don’t go because of “the conditions of our parks.”

Bunnell said some issues he sees in the parks are poor lighting, a lack of drinking fountains, the restrooms being closed in the winter and a lack of security cameras.

“If they don’t feel safe in using our parks, we’re saying they’re not important,” he said.

Council member Wendell Honeycutt, though he liked the idea of improving the parks and installing an aquatic center, expressed concern about the city’s ability to pay the $454,100 annually because the city’s general fund, roughly $4 million now, has been steadily shrinking over the last 15 years.

Honeycutt said the council also needs to consider what sort of contributions the General Assembly will ask from local governments to help fix the state’s underfunded pension system.

“They don’t know what they’re going to do with the pension plan funding,” he said. “We trust it will be something the city can afford but we need to wait until that’s settled too. That’s a major major expense that’s just hanging over our heads.”

Council member Chasity Lowery defended the idea of funding the aquatic center and the parks improvement, citing the same Brandstetter-Carroll survey, in which 76 percent of respondents said they wanted both.

“If we want what’s best for our kids, I kind of lean now toward let’s do it all,” she said.

In another matter, the council elected Honeycutt as Mayor Pro-Tem to serve as mayor in the event that Mayor Armstrong is absent.

According to Armstrong, past mayors have simply appointed someone to act in their stead in the event that they couldn’t attend a meeting, though state law requires a council member to be designated as Pro-Tem.

“In the past, the mayor has put somebody in the position as a Mayor Pro-Tem in case he’s unable to make a meeting but that’s not the correct procedures,” he said. “You as a council need to nominate somebody from within your ranks and then vote with them as Mayor Pro-Tem.

Council member Joe Trigg suggested James Neal should be named the Pro-Tem because he was the top vote getter in the November election.

Council member Marlin Witcher nominated Honeycutt.

The council then voted on who to name Pro-Tem, with 8 members voting for Honeycutt and 4 voting for Neal.

Honeycutt said he was honored that his fellow council members chose him to serve as Pro-Tem, though he said he would have to read up on what is expected of him in this new role.

“I’m going to have to go read some (Kentucky Revised Statutes) but it is a unique honor,” he said.