Meeting of June 11, 2024
Fiscal Court Meeting - June 11th, 2024 · Watch on YouTube ↗
Summary
Hardin County Fiscal Court – June 11, 2024
The Fiscal Court opened with a moment of remembrance for two recently deceased community figures, former magistrate Bill Wiseman and longtime county attorney Dwight Preston, with several magistrates and citizens offering personal tributes before a moment of silence.
The Court then heard department reports, including a detailed emergency management update from Joy Scott covering training, weather response, and the ongoing emergency services study. The Sheriff's Office and Emergency Management presented certificates of appreciation to Valley Creek Fire Department responders and publicly commended three Sheriff's deputies for rescuing a man from a burning vehicle after a fatal collision on the Western Kentucky Parkway.
A major agenda item was a proposed zoning text amendment presented by Planning & Zoning's Adam King, which would reduce the minimum rural residential lot size from 3 acres to 1.8 acres (with some conditions for well water and open-space subdivision design). This was tied to findings from housing studies showing Hardin County faces a significant housing shortage, especially with anticipated growth from the Blue Oval SK project. The Court approved the first reading of the corresponding ordinance.
The Court also passed the second reading of a year-end budget amendment ordinance and approved a large consent agenda covering claims, salary/step increases, personnel resolutions, vehicle surplus, board appointments, and interagency agreements. Several magistrates reiterated their opposition to the underlying budget (previously voted down by some) while treating the related resolutions as formalities; Magistrate Muse voted no on the consent agenda for consistency with his budget vote.
In closing comments, magistrates shared community announcements, expressed further condolences for recent losses in the county, and reminded residents of upcoming committee meetings. The Court then moved into closed session to discuss a specific economic development proposal before adjourning.
Agenda (15)
- 6:36
Roll call, invocation, and pledge
The meeting was called to order with roll call of all magistrates, followed by invocation by Magistrate Saltzman and the pledge of allegiance led by Magistrate Whitehead.
- 10:12
Remembrance of Bill Wiseman and Dwight Preston
Magistrates and citizens paid tribute to the late Bill Wiseman, a former magistrate and community leader, and Dwight Preston, a longtime county attorney, followed by a moment of silence.
- 20:41
Approval of May 28, 2024 minutes
The court approved the minutes from the May 28, 2024 meeting.
- 21:15
Road department report postponed
The road department report was postponed to the next meeting due to illness in that department.
- 21:29
Emergency Management report
Joy Scott presented on May's emergency management activities including meetings, training, and emergency incidents, including severe weather response and a fatal accident on the Western Kentucky Parkway.
- 25:23
Recognition of Valley Creek Fire Department and Sheriff's deputies
Certificates of appreciation were presented to Valley Creek Fire Department responders, and Sheriff John Ward commended three deputies for rescuing a man from a burning vehicle after a fatal collision.
- 35:06
Planning & Zoning text amendment presentation
Adam King presented a proposed zoning ordinance text amendment reducing the minimum rural residential lot size from 3 acres to 1.8 acres, citing housing shortage studies and the comprehensive plan.
- 49:15
Citizens concerns and comments
No citizens came forward with comments at this time.
- 49:32
Second reading of budget amendment ordinance 33-24-321
The court approved the second reading of the year-end budget amendment ordinance.
- 50:45
First reading of zoning ordinance amendment 269-2009-3
The court approved the first reading of the ordinance amending the zoning ordinance per Adam King's earlier presentation.
- 51:43
Consent agenda
The judge executive summarized numerous consent agenda items including claims, salary resolutions, personnel changes, a surplus vehicle sale, a board appointment, and interagency agreements; several magistrates noted their continued opposition to the underlying budget.
- 57:12
County Attorney's report
The county attorney reported on the treatment coordinator program, noting 26 people assessed, 19 referred to treatment, and 14 currently compliant.
- 58:05
Magistrate comments and announcements
Magistrates shared community event announcements, committee meeting reminders, and further condolences for recent community losses.
- 1:02:33
Motion to enter closed session
The court voted to enter closed session under KRS 61.810(1)(g) to discuss a specific economic development proposal.
- 1:36:18
Adjournment
Following closed session, the court adjourned the meeting.
Motions & votes (6)
- 20:41
passedApprove the May 28, 2024 fiscal court minutes
Moved by Magistrate Pennington · unanimous
- 49:59
passedApprove second reading of ordinance 33-24-321, the year-end budget amendment
seconded by Magistrate Thompson or Magistrate Py (unclear) · unanimous
- 50:45
passedApprove first reading of ordinance 269 series 2009 amendment number 3 (zoning text amendment)
unanimous
- 54:49
passedApprove the consent agenda including claims, resolutions 115-127 covering salary increases, job description changes, surplus vehicle sale, board appointment, and interagency agreements
8-1, Magistrate Muse opposed
- 1:02:33
passedEnter closed session under KRS 61.810(1)(g) to discuss a specific economic development proposal
Moved by Judge Executive Keith Tall · unanimous
- 1:36:18
unclearAdjourn the meeting
Transcript (65 segments)
- 0:28
e e e e
- 2:28
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- 4:28
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- 6:28
e e all right so this this is the June 11th 2024 Harden County Fiscal Court regular voting meeting let's begin and call this meeting to order and we'll have the roll call Squire clim here Squire Hicks here Squire Muse here Squire Pennington here Squire Saltzman here Squire Thompson here Squire Whitehead here Squire Yates
- 7:40
here judge executive Keith tall here next will be our invocation by magistrate Saltzman and Pledge of Allegiance by magistrate Whitehead father God we thank you for this day that you've given us we thank you for the beauti weather outside I thank you for these uh gentlemen and young lady next to me here Lord that uh are here to make decisions for Harden County I pray Lord that you would uh be with us today help us to uh make the decisions that are good and right and that would glorify you I pray that everything that's said and done today would be glorified to you and father I pray for um the Wiseman family uh we we've lost a uh a great man for Harden County uh I just pray that you'd be with his family and uh be with us today in Jesus name we pray amen amen please join me in the pledge I ALG to the flag of the United States of America for stands one nation God
- 8:50
indivisible with liy and justice for all all right again uh thanks again for joining today and um very honored to have um several several folks showing up here with Uniforms on so we'll we'll get into that here in a few minutes um let's go ahead and just uh review the agenda at this point um fairly typical agenda we do have a few extra things on here um the minutes will approve those next we have some presentations uh from a couple different departments here that we'll go through and um after that we'll have a time for any citizens concerns or comments we have a couple of ordinances that we need to vote on and um a consent agenda that um I'll review in a little more detail and vote on that and then we have our comments time and then we do have a Clos session at the end right before we adjourn okay so that's our agenda um I do want to take a moment um
- 10:05
and um magistr Saltzman in his prayer mentioned that um that we have um a friend a friend to our community um Bill wise and that he has passed away and um and I know it's a big loss for many many people people in including this County serve this County and and city of Elizabeth Town in many many ways so I before we have I do want to have a time of of Silence just to remember him and his family uh but before that um there's several uh magistrates that I I believe you know have served with him know him and I I do want to take a little bit of time if they don't mind to speak and uh if there's anything that you want to say at this point uh I'd like to say just a quick thing um I met Bill several years ago when he was on the court and uh I was I was running and uh he was always very supportive uh
- 11:15
of me and to me um very very very pleasant man to be around and to talk with and um I just appreciate all the support and and nice things and ideas that he gave me uh after I was elected we had a vote and I gave him a call and and asked for some some advice and he gladly shared it with me and and I just appreciate him well thank you Bill and I U we were colleagues on the court for 12 years and we were friends um he was u a standup guy he excuse me uh bill was full of uh full of life and uh he just U he uh he's a joy to be around um we made some tough decisions on that Court those 12 12 years and I'll always consider it a very special group uh I think we made some of the hardest decisions that any Court will ever have to make but Bill never Shi one time from those decisions and when he made his mind up and he let you know how he how he felt about it he never wavered he he he was a man of his word