BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

INEZ — City officials used a special meeting April 14 to outline a slate of practical and cosmetic projects. They set a timetable for the next budget, reviewed repairs to the city’s quilt-block sidewalk decals, advanced plans to extend the Creek Walk and discussed bridge washing and painting.

Mayor Ed Daniels said the city expects to hold the first reading of its budget in May and the second reading in June.

Commissioners then turned to several highly visible city projects, including damaged sidewalk decals installed last year.

Commissioner Nita Collier said some of the decorative “quilt block” decals installed in August 2025 lifted during the winter, prompting discussion about whether they should be repaired in place or moved to a different setting.

“The company is only going to give us $300,” Collier said. “But that should pay for one quilt block. And they’re supposed to advise me on something that we can glue them down with.”

Collier said city worker Terrill Crum had suggested displaying the quilt blocks vertically instead of placing them on the sidewalk.

“I just don’t know where that would be,” she said.

Commissioner Phyllis Conrad suggested relocating the decals to an area with less traffic.

The quilt-block project featured designs submitted last summer by three local quilting groups: Pieceful Stitchers, Sew ‘n’ Sew and Heirloom Quilt Society.

Commissioner Roy Penix, giving the street update, said the city’s street worker had been cutting grass and weeds, picking up garbage and dead animals and installing two signs on the Creek Walk.

Collier also reported movement on the proposed Creek Walk extension.

“We’ve gotten verbal approval from all of the property owners,” she said. “Our next step is to get easements. So Eric is going to work with Melissa to try to write those up for us. Once we get that, we, as a group, will have to go and get those easements signed.”

After Daniels asked her to clarify who she meant by “Eric,” Collier said she was referring to Martin County Health Department Director Eric Mills and Martin County Attorney Melissa Phelps.

“That has not been established,” Collier said. “He’s going to talk to her to see if she’s got time to work with him on getting that accomplished.”

Collier said she hopes to bring in an engineer to estimate the cost of the sidewalk work.

“The second thing, we were going to try to get an engineer, Rusty Justice with Jigsaw out of Pikeville, to do an estimate on doing that sidewalk,” she said.

Conrad asked what material the city might use for the extension.

“We have not made that decision,” Collier said. “We’re kind of leaning more toward a boardwalk, which would lift it. And Eric was talking about sealing it, but we need some openings to get the sand out.”

Collier said that the Kentucky Division of Water has advised the city to obtain a permit before proceeding.

“We’re going to work with the grant writers,” Collier added. “It’s a couple that’s through the health department. There’s a recreation and trails grant through the state. It’s a federal grant for recreation and trails, so they’re going to work to get that. It’s not due until August, so we’ve got time to get that done. Plus, we’ve got matching money with the FEMA money, once that’s approved.”

Daniels then turned the discussion to the city’s plans to wash three bridges and paint two of them. He said he would seek contractor estimates for the cleaning.

Commissioners also floated the idea of involving art students in the bridge painting project.