City staff told commissioners on Sept. 25 that Pogue Landing Days will return this year with an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 attendees, about 80 vendors and the Southern Fried Cone Fest skateboard competition; staff called it the festival’s 35th year.

Why it matters: The festival draws large crowds downtown, and city crews are coordinating street and park maintenance, traffic control and vendor locations to support the event and ongoing safety work.

Public services staff said the streets division is actively working all five storm zones to clear drains after heavy rains and is prioritizing debris removal ahead of more storm activity. Staff also described an annual waste-tire collection partnership with Boyd County and the Kentucky State Highway garage scheduled for Sept. 20; the city said the partnership hauled nine full dump-truck loads of tires this year and the program carries no direct cost to the city.

Work in Central Park and Ashland Cemetery includes contractor tree assessments and removal to raise canopy and improve sight lines for public safety. Staff said this work is coordinated with APD (Ashland Police Department) and new lighting to improve visibility from Lexington Avenue to Central Avenue.

Discussion vs. decision: This was an informational staff report; commissioners asked questions about bollards near a cemetery and parking during events. Staff said they would follow up on bollard status and public education on tire disposal options.

Next steps: Staff will post event maps online, circulate tire-disposal guidance to residents, and continue storm-zone maintenance and park canopy work.