Sep. 24--The Paducah City Commission approved a deal Tuesday to sell roughly 31/2 acres of riverport property, including a grain facility, to the company that has leased it for the past three years.

Ken Canter, director of the Paducah-McCracken County Riverport, told the commission that Agrium U.S. Inc. want to buy the land so it can add to the facility and bring in other tenants. The Denver-based company already has a deal in place with Archer Daniels Midland Company, he said. Canter said once the sale closes, which could come as soon as Friday, 10 to 12 jobs could be added through expansion.

The riverport has leased the property and the grain facility for more than 20 years, and Agrium bought the previous leaseholder three years ago. Agrium agreed to buy the land from the riverport authority for $81,000.

In other business, the commission:

--Voted 4-1 to alter its off-duty drunken driving policy. The city policy had called for 90-day unpaid suspensions for any employee charged with drunken driving. The new policy maintains that punishment for employees whose jobs require driving, but 30 days for other employees.

Commissioner Gerald Watkins opposed the change, saying lessening punishments for drunken driving sent the wrong message.

--Introduced the annual ordinance setting the city's property tax rate. The proposal maintains the current rate of 25 cents per $100 of assessed value, or $250 for a $100,000 home.

C.D. Bradley can be contacted at 575-8617.

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