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The Harlan City Council held their regular meeting on Monday, April, 9, addressing topics including the reappointment of Housing Authority Board members and the possibility of increasing the city’s mileage rate and per diem payments for employees traveling on city business.

Harlan City Mayor Joe Meadors informed the council the Harlan Housing Authority requires two members to be appointed.

“A couple of weeks ago I got a notice from the Housing Authority they had two members whose terms expired,” Meadors said. “These board appointments to the Housing Authority – you have to have an equal balance of Democrats and Republicans.”

Meadors explained one Republican and one Democrat were up for reappointment.

“Della Butler will be the Democrat reappointment with her term to expire on March, 1, 2028…she’s been on that board as long as I’ve known her,” Meadors said. “Carl Moody will be the Republican. His term will expire Nov. 1, 2027.”

The council passed a motion approving the appointments with no objections.

The council also addressed possibly updating the city’s mileage rate and per diem for employees who are required to travel on city business.

“We’ve had a couple of instances where some of our people have done some traveling on behalf of the city,” Meadors said. “On the per diem, we pay a flat $25 for meals. You can’t eat on $25 a day. I’d like for us to adopt a new ordinance conforming our per diem and mileage reimbursement to the same as state government.”

Meadors said the Kentucky state government sets mileage reimbursement every quarter.

“I just got the email last week that the state is reimbursing mileage at 45 cents per mile,” Meadors said. “On the per diem, the state reg right now is $8 for breakfast, $10 for lunch, and $18 for supper.”

Meadors noted the rate of $36 per day for meals is not extravagant.

“I don’t expect our employees to travel on our behalf and have to pay for it out of their pocket,” Meadors said.

Following some discussion, Meadors told the council he would provide more information on the subject at the next meeting.

Meadors also talked about the Spring Cleanup which is currently underway.

“They had taken 10 and a half loads to the transfer station, and they were going back for more,” Meadors said. “I don’t know how many more loads they’ll have.”

According to Meadors, there are approximately two weeks left in this year’s cleanup.