THE MADISONVILLE CITY COUNCIL WAS ALSO APPROACHED BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE UMWA.  SCOTT MILLER URGED THE COUNCIL TO BACK THE RESOLUTION AT YESTERDAY AFTERNOON’S MEETING.  MAYOR DAVID JACKSON POINTED OUT THAT THE RESOLUTION DID NOT AT ALL MENTION THE MAIN ISSUE, WHICH WAS TO GET  A CHANGE OF VENUE FOR PEABODY’S BANKRUPTCY FROM A NEW YORK COURT TO ONE IN WEST VIRGINIA.  COUNCILMAN MARK LEE SAID THAT HE WAS NOT SURE WHAT IMPACT, IF ANY, THE COUNCIL’S BACKING OF THE RESOLUTION WOULD HAVE ON COURT ACTION.  RUDY STONE SPOKE ABOUT RETIREE PENSION AND HEALTH CARE ISSUES BEING AN ISSUE ACROSS THE COUNTY.  HE SAID HE ALSO DID NOT FEEL THE COUNCIL HAD BEEN GIVEN ENOUGH TIME TO LOOK AT THE UMWA PETITION.  CITY ATTORNEY JOE EVANS RECOMMENDED THE COUNCIL NOT BACK THE PETITION, AS THEY HAD NOT HEARD FROM THE OTHER SIDE IN THE ARGUMENT AND IT WAS A RESOLUTION THEY COULDN’T MAKE ANY ADJUSTEMENTS TO.  
     HOWEVER, COUNCILMAN BILLY SMITH SPOKE IN FAVOR OF THE UMWA DOCUMENT CONDEMNING PEABOY AND PATRIOT COAL COMPANIES.  HE MADE A MOTION TO ACCEPT THE RESOLUTION, RAYMOND MARION SECONDED.  BUT WHEN THE VOTE WAS MADE, IT WAS 4 TO 2 AGAINST……MEANING THE MADISONVILLE CITY COUNCIL WILL NOT JOIN THE UMWA IN THEIR COMDEMNATION OF THE COMPANIES.
     IN OTHER MADISONVILLE CITY BUSINESS YESTERDAY, THE COUNCIL GAVE FIRST READING OF THE NEW PROPERTY TAX RATES.  REAL ESTATE RATES WOULD REMAIN THE SAME AS LAST YEAR, WITH A SLIGHT DECREASE IN PERSONAL PROPERTY RATES.
AND THE MADISONVILLE CITY COUNCIL VOTED TO RESTRICT THE HOURS OF ACCESS TO PEE WEE LAKE FROM THE TUCKER SCHOOLHOUSE BOAT RAMP.  IT WILL NOW BE 6AM TO DUSK, BUT BOATERS CAN STILL USE THE OTHER LAKE ACCESS POINT AND USE IT 24 HOURS A DAY.  THE RAMP WAS JUST RECENTLY OPENED UP AFTER THE CITY HAD CLOSED IT SINCE 2001, FEARING A TERRORIST ATTACK ON THE CITY’S WATER SUPPLY.
WATER FILTRATION SUPERINTENDENT KEITH CURNEAL WAS VISIBLY IRRITATED AND TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT HE WAS NEVER CONSULTED ABOUT ANY OF THIS, AND THAT HE DID NOT HAVE THE MANPOWER TO BE LOCKING AND UNLOCKING THE BOAT RAMP ON A DAILY BASIS.