Meeting of April 14, 2026
Fiscal Court Meeting - April 14, 2026 · Watch on YouTube ↗
Summary
Hardin County Fiscal Court – April 14, 2026
The court opened with routine business, approving minutes from its March 24 and March 27 meetings, before turning to a series of recognitions and department updates. Library Director Laurel Tabaka was honored with the Kentucky Public Library Association's first-ever Librarian of the Year award for her leadership, including the $38 million library renovation completed with zero closure days and the creation of a military-family resource hub.
Judge Executive Keith Tall gave updates on FEMA flood reimbursements, state legislative outcomes, and major funding wins: over $600,000 in new road funds for 11 roads, $65 million toward a new county complex in Glendale, and $4 million more for the county's two water districts. He noted disappointment that state legislation to increase per-diem payments for housing state prisoners in county jails failed to advance despite broad support.
The court heard extensive presentations from the county Fire Chiefs Association, Water Districts 1 and 2, the Conservation District, the Detention Center, and Emergency Management, each highlighting cost savings, infrastructure projects, staff certifications, and community outreach. The Detention Center reported strong GED graduation numbers among inmates and discussed the impact of failed state legislation (House Bill 557) on jail funding, though some new programming money and medical-cost provisions for state prisoners were secured.
The court unanimously approved a resolution to opt into Phase Six opioid litigation settlement funds and passed a consent agenda covering claims, financial transfers, a road-closing viewer appointment, a contract extension for landfill environmental oversight, a copier lease, a telecom name-change resolution, personnel changes, surplus item disposal, and a correction to a household hazardous waste collection resolution.
In closing comments, magistrates gave shoutouts to the library director, announced upcoming committee meetings, and noted a colleague's recovery from surgery. The next fiscal court meeting was set for Monday, April 27, 2026, at 5:30 pm — a day earlier than the usual Tuesday schedule.
Agenda (16)
- 13:05
Roll call, invocation, and pledge
The court took roll call with all magistrates present, followed by invocation by Magistrate Saltzman and the pledge of allegiance led by Magistrate Muse.
- 16:06
Judge Executive's opening remarks and updates
Judge Tall reviewed the agenda and gave updates on FEMA flood reimbursements, legislative wins and losses including road funds, a $65 million Glendale complex allocation, water district funding, and jail funding disappointments; also recognized County Government Month and staff birthdays.
- 22:35
Approval of March 24, 2026 minutes
The court approved the minutes from the March 24, 2026 regular meeting.
- 23:15
Approval of March 27, 2026 special called minutes
The court approved the minutes from the March 27, 2026 special called meeting.
- 24:16
Recognition of Library Director Laurel Tabaka
Laurel Tabaka was recognized for receiving the Kentucky Public Library Association's first annual Librarian of the Year award for her leadership on library renovation, community outreach, and modernization efforts.
- 28:28
Fire Chiefs Association monthly report
Fire Chiefs Association president Matt Haddle gave the first of what will be monthly reports, covering March call statistics, mutual/automatic aid arrangements, volunteer staffing challenges, and progress on the new First Due records management system.
- 36:55
Hardin County Water District No. 1 annual presentation
Justin Metz presented District 1's revenues, expenses, grant funding usage, staff certifications, and numerous infrastructure projects including meter reading automation, lift station renovations, and tank demolitions at Fort Knox.
- 57:31
Hardin County Water District No. 2 annual presentation
Shawn Yuravich presented District 2's water sales statistics, revenue and expenses, grant-funded projects including new tanks and waterline extensions, and staff certifications and awards.
- 1:13:35
Hardin County Conservation District presentation
Vincent Thompson presented a check for dead animal removal administration and reviewed the district's budget and annual plan of work, noting a partnership with East Hardin Middle School FFA.
- 1:16:34
Detention Center department report
Josh Lymburn reported jail population and financial statistics, discussed the failure of House Bill 557 to increase state per-diem payments for housing prisoners, and highlighted strong GED graduation numbers and a $101,000 BHH audit check.
- 1:28:25
Emergency Management department report
Joyce Scott reported on March activities including the LEPC meeting, pipeline safety trainings, storm response to a tornado event affecting three counties, and reminders about the Rave alert system.
- 1:33:23
Citizens concerns or comments
No members of the public came forward to speak.
- 1:33:35
Resolution 2026-049: Opioid litigation opt-in
The court approved a resolution to opt into Phase Six opioid litigation to receive settlement funds from additional pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.
- 1:34:38
Consent agenda review and approval
The court reviewed and approved a consent agenda covering claims, financial transfer resolution, road closing viewers, a Tetra Tech contract extension, a copier lease, a telecom name-change resolution, personnel changes, surplus items, a household hazardous waste correction, and committee minutes.
- 1:38:11
Closing comments from officials and magistrates
County attorney, clerk, and magistrates gave closing comments including committee meeting announcements, a health update on Magistrate Thompson, and a community event reminder.
- 1:39:52
Announcement of next meeting and adjournment
The court noted the next meeting would be Monday, April 27, 2026, and then adjourned.
Motions & votes (5)
- 22:37
passedApprove March 24, 2026 fiscal court minutes
Moved by Whitehead · seconded by Hicks · unanimous, all yes
- 23:22
passedApprove March 27, 2026 special called fiscal court minutes
Moved by Clem · seconded by Yates · unanimous, all yes
- 1:34:03
passedApprove Resolution 2026-049 opting into Phase Six opioid litigation settlement
seconded by Pennington · unanimous, all yes
- 1:37:37
passedApprove consent agenda items including claims, resolutions 50-58, and committee minutes
unanimous, all yes
- 1:40:11
passedAdjourn the meeting
Transcript (74 segments)
- 1:59
Mhm. — Mhm.
- 7:44
— Mhm. — Mhm.
- 11:34
— Mhm. — Good to see everybody here. Well, this is exciting. And so, we will One thing, uh cell
- 12:48
phones, if you wouldn't mind to check those just to make sure they're turned the ringer's turned off. All right. We're ready to go ahead and get started. This is the April 14th, 2026 Hardin County Fiscal Court regular voting meeting. So, let's begin and call this meeting to order. Start out with roll call, please. Squire Fred Clem, Jr. Here. Squire Larry Hicks. Here. Squire Kenny Muse. — Here. Squire Aaron Pennington. — Here. Squire Kenny Saltzman. — Here. Squire E.G. Thompson. Squire Patsy Whitehead. Here. Squire Chris Yates. — Here. Judge Executive Keith Tall. Here. Next we'll have our invocation, Magistrate Saltzman, and pledge of allegiance by Magistrate Muse. Father, we thank you for this afternoon, the beautiful weather that you provided us with. I pray for each and every one
- 14:02
of us here today to make a good decision for our county. I pray for those watching and that are here in the audience. Pray that you would bless them and their families. Pray that you would be with our soldiers as they continue to fight for our freedom. And we thank you again for your son, Jesus Christ. In his name we pray. 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. All right. [clears throat] Again, thanks for joining today. Great to see everyone here and those watching on TV or streaming. We'll review the agenda as usual. Today we have a couple of minutes, court minutes, that will we will need to approve. After that, we have several presentations that we will listen to and look forward to those.
- 15:15
We'll have some additional presentations from some of our departments. Note that Mike McNutt from Animal Control is uh, just recently gotten sick this afternoon, so he will not be here to present, so that will just move be moved, uh, his his, uh, information to written reports. Uh, we'll have a time of citizens concerns or comments. And then we will have, uh, one resolution to vote on separately. And then we have, uh, consent agenda that I'll review everything that's in there before we vote on that. And then our typical comments at the end. Okay? So, that's the agenda the agenda today. Uh, just a a couple of, uh, notes before we move on. Um, kind of an update on our, uh, FEMA, uh, reimbursement from about a year ago, right? That we had the all the flooding. And so, uh, that process is continuing on and so we, um, uh, are receiving a a pretty big, uh, reimbursement. Not all of it, but a big chunk of it. So, things are progressing
- 16:27
there to help pay for the two roads that were damaged really bad. Um, Stovall Road, I believe, and Hall Road. That's right. So, still those are still being repaired now as we speak. In addition to that, uh, just a quick legislative update. Uh, we have had some positives and some and some pretty big negatives, uh, from this, uh, this latest legislature, uh, that is about to wrap up. Uh, for those that follow that, I think there's still just a time here where, uh, vetoes have happened and then there's some, uh, uh, some final discussions and, uh, if if some of those vetoes may be overridden and those types of things are happening, I think, in the Uh, today, tomorrow, next day, you know, this week. So, by the end of the week everything will be completed. Um, and but I can say that uh, and I think I mentioned it maybe last time where we have a road funds, some additional road funds that are coming in for uh, 11 roads. And um, this is going to be over $600,000. Um, for those roads, for about 10 miles of
- 17:42
road. Uh, our match will be about $150,000 or so. So, um, we'll take $150,000 for 10 miles of road any day of the year. So, that's uh, a positive. Uh, we asked for about 12, 13 million dollars for a new building, um, a complex in Glendale. We already have the land. Um, it's located between the two entrances to Blue Oval. If you kind of a uh, a parcel that has been built up some. It was a parking lot. That's what Blue Oval was using it for. And uh, so about about 15, 16, 17 acres right in that area there. So, a large chunk of of land that we were able to get a couple of years ago. Uh, there's been some work being done on it even today, I believe, to uh, uh, that that Blue Oval is kind of going to leave it in really good shape for us. Um, this the money that we um, — [clears throat] — have or will be receiving is $6.5 million towards that project, which is pretty exciting. It's about half of what we asked for,