Wigginton leaving admin role in Lewisport March 1

Lewisport City Administrator Brent Wigginton will be leaving the position he has held for 15 years to take on the role of general manager of Daviess County Water.

Wigginton, who has worked a total of 22 years for the city, made the announcement at the Jan. 27 meeting of Lewisport City Council.

He will begin his duties with the water system on March 1.

“I wished I could have given more of a notice,” Wigginton said. “I am very thankful for my time with the city. I’ve worked with a lot of great people. The (new position) is one of those positions you can’t say no to.”

Mayor Chad Gregory expressed congratulations and gratitude for Wigginton’s service to the city.

Wigginton said he will remain a resident of the community and will continue to be active in the community and events, such as Christmas in the Park.

“I will fulfill the duties of city administrator in the interim,” Gregory said. “We will be on the hunt for another city manager, but in the meantime with myself, City Council, and experienced city employees, we’ll do fine.”

Gregory has been mayor of Lewisport for 17 years, and his current term expires in 2024.

In other business, City Council:

• Heard from Police Chief John Garner that activity by the department is up slightly. Garner told Council there seems to be a number of transient individuals around the community, which has contributed to the uptick in calls for service.
• Appointed Tom Turner to the Hancock County Urban Planning and Zoning Commission. Turner is a resident of Lewisport, having recently relocated to the community from Owensboro.
• Heard discussion from Councilmember Mary Rummage about the need for a sign promoting the city at the intersection of U.S. 60 and Kentucky 657. Rummage said the city has many good things to offer and that the lack of sign directing visitors to downtown affects sharing those positive traits of the community.

“We’re shorting all the hard work of so many people in Lewisport,” Rummage said. “There are tourists coming through looking for appealing small towns.”

Rummage spoke of the awards the city has received for its municipal water system, along with Christmas activities and the older storefront buildings preserved in the downtown area.

“We should be highlighting and promoting ourselves with a sign,” she said.

Gregory said funding for a sign is not currently a line item in the budget, and estimates from a couple years back placed the pricetag from $30-35,000. Rummage said she had talked with former councilmembers who said discussion about a gateway sign has been taking place for “30 to 40 years.”

Wigginton said with electrical service and lights, the project would likely be about $40,000, and that the last time a quote was sought was pre-pandemic and that costs would likely be higher in present day.

Council took no action.

By C. Josh Givens