A relatively busy agenda for Tuesday’s Bowling Green City Commission meeting will find commissioners voting on allowing restaurants to increase outdoor seating as they reopen, hiring a firm to oversee transit and spending $740,000 for new affordable housing.

The meeting will be conducted via teleconference and broadcast at 2 p.m. Tuesday on the city’s public access Channel 4.

Among the items up for consideration is a municipal order in response to the state’s reopening plan for restaurants. Eateries may resume in-person service Friday with reduced indoor capacity after being closed since March because of the coronavirus pandemic. The order would allow restaurants to petition the city to use public property to maximize outdoor seating and broadly suspend regulations regarding use of outdoor spaces for dining.

Restaurants’ plans would go to City Manager Jeff Meisel for approval.

Commissioners are also scheduled to vote on approving hiring a new transit management firm.

In a process that has spanned several years, the city has sought to hire a specialist to handle the city’s transit system. Three companies responded to a request for proposals from the city to manage transit operations, provide transit services or both.

City Neighborhood and Community Services Director Brent Childers said city staff members interviewed representatives of all three firms and are recommending that RATP Dev USA of Fort Worth, Texas, handle the transit management portion.

“They are the global leader in transit,” Childers said of the firm, which also manages transit at Western Kentucky University.

City staffers, however, are recommending that Community Action of Southern Kentucky be given the contract to continue to provide transit services for the coming year. Community Action has operated GO bg Transit since 2003.

The proposed contract with RATP calls for the firm to be paid $17,905 a month and Community Action $73.50 per revenue hour.

Commissioners are also expected to vote on approving $480,000 for Live the Dream Development of Bowling Green and $260,000 for HOTEL INC of Bowling Green, money the nonprofit organizations would use to increase affordable housing in the city.

As part of the city’s Neighborhood Improvements Plan program, the city has been looking to expand affordable housing stock in the census tracts roughly bounded by Old Morgantown and Morgantown roads.

Live the Dream is slated to use the funds to rehabilitate 12 housing units. HOTEL INC is proposing to use the funds for acquiring and rehabbing two houses for affordable transitional housing.

– Follow News Director Wes Swietek on Twitter @BGDNgovtbeat or visit bgdaily news.com.