Meeting of February 4, 2025

hello I'd like to call whoops hello I'd like to call this uh Fiscal Court meeting Davis County Fiscal Court meeting to order today is Tuesday February 4th 2025 and uh commissioner cond if you would thank you judge if you could uh bow your heads pray in silent meditation or just reflecting on the words of our prayer dear Lord give us courageous Hearts to Bear the distress of our times let a light arise in our days so that people care about your will then the need on Earth shall come to an end your name shall be honored and your will be done Lord God you alone are our help and in that regard please help those on this day as judge castlin commissioner castlin commissioner marksberry and myself deser what is right what is good for all of your people all of your people we thank you for the weather that we had

yesterday today reminded us that winter is not over bless all of our First Responders watch over them keep them safe and bring them home the ones that are here locally and nationally keep them and honor them I ask this in your name amen and now the pledge the United States of America to the stands na indivisible thank you commissioner coner uh Rook first item one consideration for presentation a presentation from Owensboro Museum of Fine Arts we have Jason with us if you would step to the mic introduce yourself to the people and tell us what's on your mind well thank you for allowing me to address the court I'm Jason Edward Hayden and I have the enormous honor and good fortune to address you today as the new executive director of the Owensboro Museum of Fine

Art you know Davis County as we all know has always been supported of the supportive of the Arts and on behalf of the board of directors and the staff of the art museum we are enormously grateful for the steadfast and generous support from Davis County Fiscal Court in 1977 a group of concerned citizens led by the founding board chairman Marshall berlu and the founding director mayor Brian Hood responded to a local to local government and Community interests in creating an art museum as a foundation for the Region's cultural infrastructure the Stars aligned and the museum opened in the Carnegie Library building built in 1909 at the corner of ninth and Frederick streets the museum expanded in 1993 adding a new Wing to house the Mildred Stout field Stained Glass Gallery and to connect the Carnegie Wing to the John Hampton Smith house built in 1859 the Smith house was recently renamed the medley decorative Arts wing to honor the gift of $1 million endowment from Dr rwth and midley and his late wife Janette Napier midley the Carnegie wing and the midley wing are both listed on the national register of historic places in 2008 the

museum reclaimed a blighted gas station and transformed it into the beautiful Ryan Sculpture Park the Museum's permanent collection has grown to almost 4,000 pieces of world art ranging from the 15th century to the present and it has the best collection of Appalachian folkart in the state of Kentucky since the museum opened it has presented more than 500 exhibitions to local and Regional audiences many from the country's most prestigious museums Galleries and private collections the art museum celebrates the importance of the visual arts and the education of children and to that end it places an emphasis on creating spaces to facilitate at learning opportunities the Michael ehorn family foundation's artland is a fully equipped Children's Art Studio designed to stimulate youthful imaginations and provide free art instruction katos scope cave sponsored by John and Raleigh hes is an interactive digital gallery that combines experiences in both the Visual and Performing Arts the young and art gallery is a special space designated for the exhibition of young of the work of young artists and as a showcase for

projects from Regional Schools the Museum's free summer art camps camps act as a catalyst for Partnerships with regional social service agencies the next opening is May 9th with the 6 63rd annual Owensburg Art Guild jured exhibition which showcases the work of artists working in Davis County as well as the state and region now running concurrently and opening on April 25th is a special exhibition in partnership with the Art Guild of the work of high school students from both the city and the county systems we want to encourage you all to see that show to see the Art Guild show and to see that show in particular you'll be getting invitations in the meal we'll send those out at the appropriate time we are very proud to announce that the museum is initiating new programming to expand educational Outreach to citizens of all ages in the community State and region Miss Rebecca stoen has been hired to lead that effort as the Museum's new Director of Education and will be reaching out to Davis County Schools to see how the museum can help meet curriculum goals in the visual arts Mr Colin Davis has been hired as a development coordinator to help find the

means to achieve this goal and Advance the art museum as an institution these highly skilled individuals have already brought fresh perspectives and we will be working throughout the community to build relationships with new audiences thank you again for your support please come and visit the omfa and share the Museum's vision for the visual arts that reaches far beyond its walls to shine an enduring light on Davis County Kentucky and that's pretty much all I had to say to you all and do you have any questions for me at this time any questions from the court I I just want to say I want to excuse me I I think that onor Museum of Fine Arts is a is a a special place in our community I think it's largely somehow even given it's it's uh prominence on frica Street uh it it seems to be a hidden asset um and that and that disappoints me a little bit and I hope I hope uh your team can change that I and and that's partly why I wanted you to come today just to speak before the people here of Davis County to to an

opportunity for you to to be seen and say a little bit about what you all are uh I Know Myself uh for years I've just when I find myself zooming down frus street I've wizd in there with my kids and and we walk through not generally not when you all have one of the big exhibits that you have that you're you know that you mentioned but just your regular your regular um displays that you have because they're they're they're all uh pretty pretty cool things to see if you've never seen them so well thank you judge that's our primary push is building relationships in the community so that's the reason we're taking the we're starting the initiatives to do that is to get it get people into the museum that perhaps have not been in there before one of the important things we did it may seem like a small thing but we recently opened up an entrance from Freda Street so that you can just walk in from Freda Street and we also have changed the front of that Carnegie Library building we've created we changed that we we took down a door that was dark and had no window in it and we basically put a big window there that you can we can always put art and people can see it as they pass on freder street

and so all of that we want the Community State and region to understand that the sbur Museum of Fine Art is your all's Museum come visit enjoy we created this it was created by so many different private public Civic entities so that we can help Safeguard and help preserve the cultural heritage of the community it's not just for today or tomorrow but it's for 50 years from now 100 years from now so come visit your Museum you're going to have a good time I promise you will enjoy yourselves just come on and visit if you would thank you please thank you yall do not have to stay for the rest of the meeting but you're welcome to Rook next item two consideration for approval a minutes of January 23rd 2025 Davis County Fiscal Court meeting make a mo to approve second got a motion second we've all had the minutes for some time to review do I hear any corrections additions or deletions hearing that all those in favor signify by saying I I B all claims for all departments motion to approve second got a motion and second again for the public this is these are all the bills doing payable by the Davis County