Meeting of July 10, 2025

Davis County Fiscal Court to order. Today is July 10th, 2025. Uh, Commissioner Cassen, if you would open with a prayer in the pledge, please. — Yes. Thank you. Please stand if you're able and bow your head and pray with me. God in heaven, thank you for the changing of the seasons, for the sunlight that has followed the rain, and for the days that become long, so that we may enjoy the splendor of the world around us. As we gather tonight, we pray for those whose lives have been forever changed by the power of the storms and rain experienced over these last few days. Please help them find strength in you and strength from the support of your people. We ask for your blessing for our community and our country to lead us all to work together in support of doing what is best for one another regardless of personal beliefs. In your name we pray. Amen. Amen. — I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and

justice for all. — Look, before we start, I just want to uh make welcome our state representative DJ Johnson. He's with us this evening. So, thank you for joining us. — First item, — one, consideration for approval. A, minutes of June 30th, 2025, Davis County fiscal court meeting. — I'll make a motion to approve. — Second. — Got a motion, a second. We've had the minutes to review for a few days. Do I hear any additions, collisions, or corrections? — Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. — I. — B. All claims for all departments. — Motion to approve. — Second. — And a motion second. These are all the bills doing payable by Davis County Fiscal Court. Do we have any questions for our treasur? — Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. — I. — C. Fund transfers. — Motion to approve. — Second. — Got a motion to second. Mr. Johnson. Fiscal court transfers unencumbered funds from the general fund to the bond fund, road fund, and jail fund, and from

the jail fund to the bond fund to provide operating monies for the respective funds and to service debt. We do this annually. This is the first round of budgeted fund transfers for fiscal year 2526. I'm requesting authority to transfer 1,752,254 from the general fund to the road fund for operations. $3,858,924 from the general fund to the jail fund again for operations. $117,700 from the general fund to the bond fund, which is to cover the operation center complex debt service. $375,000 from the jail fund to the bond fund, which is to cover the detention center facility debt service, and $593,000 from the general fund to the bond fund, which is to cover the public safety radio system debt service. These transfers are budgeted in standard practice. I request your approval. — Thank you, Mr. Johnson. Are there any questions from the court for Mr. Johnson? Any questions from the public? Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. I — D fund creation, cash balance transfer, and budget transfers. — Motion to approve. — Second.

— Got a motion and second, Mr. Johnson. — The Kentucky state local finance officer is requiring all counties to separate the opioid abatement trust funds to a new fund, which is designated fund 74, opioid abatement settlement fund. This requirement was sent too late in the year to account for in the approved fiscal year 2526 budget. So, in order for us to comply in this fiscal year for uniformity of financial reporting, fiscal court must one approve the creation of the new fund, two approve the transfer of the opioid settlement funds in our financial system to the new fund, and three approve a series of budget transfers to prepare and balance the budget in light of the new fund and cash transfer. The document in your binders accomplishes this whereby the current balance of the overhead sediment funds in the amount of 1,ion464,95145 will be moved to fund 74 and the general fund in the fiscal year 2526 budget will reduce by 1.5 million with the new opioid abatement settlement fund increasing by 1.5 million. The total budget will remain the same at $110,219,426. This new fund will present the

financials the same way the economic development fund presents now which is fund 31 separate from all other operations. The offices of the state auditor of public accounts and department for local government have reviewed the document in your binders and see no issues. I request your approval. — Thank you, Mr. Johnson. Are there any questions or comments from the court? Commissioner Coner. — Thank you, Judge. uh to clarify maybe some points for the public and uh everyone else to understand, you know, the opiate settlement funds are monies that were basically awarded to the state of Kentucky u by big pharma due to opiate uh abuses that were done some time ago. And since that time, I believe what the county has received its funds and as has the city of Owensboro plus other counties and cities throughout the state. And there have been I believe even Commissioner Marsberry has u has at least proposed some different action plans. Myself included I have done done the same. And so the funds hopefully we can do this in combination uh with the city. But is there any other movement I guess that maybe I could ask of putting any plans in place? Number one. Number two

maybe we should define what the money can be used for. So then maybe we can do that first. Uh, treasur, do you know exactly what this money can be used for and how it should be used? — Yes. KRS 15291 details various approved uses of the money, all of which uh are directly related to opioid abatement. Any proposed expenditure that's not detailed in that statute requires the review and approval of the county attorney. And since these distributions flow through the Department of Law, they heavily recommend, if not require the county attorney's review and approval on all expenditures as they relate to opioid abatement specifically. — So very targeted funds. — Yes. — Very targeted toward opiid uh a very abused uh drug back in its day. Maybe we could consider legislation that would maybe loosen that a little bit. uh today probably a significant portion of our drug abuse is not necessarily related just to opiates but whether it be methamphetamine fentanyl it doesn't matter uh whenever you're concentrating this kind of money a significant amount of money to only one piece of drug it

may be problematic as time has moved I know the state has even looked at regulating and every time they did it they just changed the formula becoming something different in this case maybe we should advocate not only different uses but also what can we do with this money because it seems very tunnneled as to what we can do with. So thank you judge. Uh welcome any other comments to in that regard please. — Thank you commissioner. Any any other comments or questions? — I'll go ahead commissioner. Um yes, I have attended several um meetings regarding the use of the opioid settlement funds and um there's a great model that Bowlan Green has taken on for this. We've uh had a Zoom meeting with them. They actually did that under Brad which is like our grad. Um there's several options out there. It's my understanding this is only for opioid settlement. There are some different um criteria. I'll be glad to get with you. I have a ton of research I've already done on this. I won't go into all this tonight, but um yes, I agree that we need to have a plan and I'd like to see that happen soon. Um but we are working

on that. I'm working on that with the drug steering committee here in town, which there's several other people on that committee that are in this business of helping people that have been addicted to drugs. And I really hope that we can use this money to help the people that have suffered the loss from this. And u I'm glad that we're being good stewards of the money by holding it and not just doing something quickly without really making sure that we're using the funds to the best of their ability. So thank you. — Thank you, Commissioner. Anyone from the public wish to speak to this item? — Hearing none. All those in favor signify by saying I. I — e annual incentive payment for calendar year 2025 for county jailer. — Make a motion to approve. — Second. — And a motion and second. Mr. Johnson — for certain elected officials upon completion of 40 hours of training per KRS64.5275 section 6. Fiscal court is required to pay the incentive payment directed by a letter from the department for local government. You have in your binders letter for jailer mager. Although this payment is required, it must still be reviewed and approved by fiscal court. I