Fiscal Court Meeting Search

Meeting of March 8, 2022

3-8-22 Ohio County Fiscal Court Meeting · Watch on YouTube ↗

Summary

Ohio County Fiscal Court – March 8, 2022

The court approved routine business including the February minutes, bills/claims/transfers, and several personnel wage adjustments across departments (road department, animal shelter, and clerk's offices), reflecting modest pay raises for multiple county employees.

A notable discussion involved the Bill Monroe museum walkway brick project, where the court agreed to cover a roughly $16,000 shortfall from reserve funds so that residents who purchased memorial bricks years ago would finally see the walkway completed.

The court passed a resolution supporting Energy Fiber Communications' potential entry into the county to help address ongoing rural broadband/internet service problems, though members noted the county has no funds to contribute and past broadband partnerships (Connect Grid, Kentucky Wired, Q Wireless) have had mixed results. Frustration with current internet provider Watch Communications (contracted by Connect Grid) led to a motion directing the judge to write a formal letter of complaint about poor service, especially on Be Road.

The court also addressed a road maintenance question regarding a roughly three-quarter-mile stretch of Cave Ridge Road that had been dropped from maintenance and mapping years ago; a motion was made to reinstate it on the county road map and resume maintenance, since no formal closure had ever been documented.

Several board and committee appointments were made, including the Regional Jail Board, an Economic Development Incentive Committee, and an Extension Board appointment. The court held a brief closed session under KRS 61.810 to hear proposals, with no action taken. Meetings were scheduled for upcoming committee work including a waterline committee.

Agenda (19)

  • 0:05

    Call to order, prayer and pledge

    Judge called the meeting to order and Jason Bullock led prayer and pledge, including prayers for community health and world events.

  • 2:09

    Approval of February 22 minutes

    The court reviewed and approved the minutes from the February 22nd meeting.

  • 2:30

    Bills, claims, payments and transfers

    The court reviewed and approved the bills, claims, payments and transfers including a late list.

  • 3:06

    Museum brick walkway funding shortfall

    Discussion of a $16,000 shortfall in funds collected from selling memorial bricks for the Bill Monroe statue walkway at the museum, with a plan to cover the deficit from reserves so the project can be completed for those who purchased bricks.

  • 7:11

    Personnel wage adjustments - road department

    Jason Burton was promoted to assistant working supervisor with a pay increase from $16.90 to $17.90 per hour effective 3/6/22.

  • 7:50

    Personnel wage adjustments - clerk positions

    New hire Lakin Smith set at Clerk Level 1 at $12/hour full-time effective 3/6/22, for a four-year term to be reviewed later.

  • 8:56

    Personnel wage adjustment - Crystal Stewart

    Crystal Stewart's clerk position raised from Level 2 to Level 3, increasing pay from $13.49 to $14 per hour effective 3/6/22.

  • 9:29

    Animal shelter personnel - Jennifer Doherty

    Jennifer Doherty made full-time at the animal shelter at a starting salary of $700/week, with a probation period to obtain certification training.

  • 11:07

    Animal shelter personnel - Roy Doherty

    Roy Doherty set as part-time attendant working about 10 hours/week at $10.23/hour, Level 1.

  • 11:25

    Personnel wage adjustment - Christina Carpenter

    Christina Carpenter, administrative assistant at OC, raised to Level 3, increasing pay from $15.10 to $16.16 per hour effective 3/6/22.

  • 11:59

    Resolution supporting Energy Fiber broadband expansion

    The court discussed and passed a resolution in support of Energy company potentially expanding fiber/broadband service in the county, noting no county funds are involved but hoping it improves rural internet access.

  • 19:29

    Cave Ridge Road maintenance and mapping issue

    Discussion of a roughly three-quarter-mile section of Cave Ridge Road that was dropped from maintenance and later left off county maps years ago, with no formal closure documentation found; court decided to resume maintenance and get it re-added to the map.

  • 23:36

    Board and committee appointments

    Judge appointed members to the Regional Jail Board (Wayne Crowe, Larry Cann, Charlie Shields) and an Economic Development Incentive Committee (Larry Cann, Joe Barnes, Joey Ashby), and scheduled a waterline committee meeting.

  • 26:10

    Closed session under KRS 61.810

    Court entered a brief closed session to hear proposals under KRS 61.810; no business was transacted or action taken.

  • 27:43

    Committee reports

    Updates given on jail board appointments and Butler County's progress on joint local government matters; upcoming committee meetings scheduled.

  • 28:39

    Extension Board appointment

    Larry Clayton was appointed to the Extension Board.

  • 29:16

    Magistrate comments - internet service complaint

    Magistrate Jason Bullock raised ongoing internet service problems with Watch Communications (Connect Grid contractor), leading to a motion for the judge to send a formal complaint letter.

  • 30:59

    Wage scale committee adjustment

    The wage scale committee made an adjustment to the county wage scale, which the court moved to approve.

  • 31:45

    Good of the county / closing comments

    Members discussed upcoming meetings including waterline committee scheduling before closing the meeting.

Motions & votes (13)

  • 3:08

    passedApprove bills, claims, payments and transfers

    seconded by Jason Bullock

  • 6:42

    unclearPay $16,000 deficit from reserves to complete museum brick walkway project

    Moved by Larry Murphy

  • 7:27

    passedApprove wage increase for Jason Burton to assistant working supervisor

    roll call, all yes

  • 8:00

    passedApprove hiring of Lakin Smith as clerk Level 1 at $12/hour

    roll call, all yes

  • 9:09

    passedApprove wage increase for Crystal Stewart from Level 2 to Level 3

    roll call: Rocco yes, Mark yes, Barnes yes, Johnston yes

  • 10:10

    passedApprove starting salary for Jennifer Doherty at animal shelter at $700/week

    roll call: Mark yes, Barnes yes, Johnston yes

  • 11:19

    passedApprove part-time hire of Roy Doherty as animal shelter attendant

    roll call, yes

  • 11:41

    passedApprove wage increase for Christina Carpenter to Level 3

    roll call: Mark yes, Bullock yes, Johnson yes

  • 19:07

    passedApprove Resolution 2022-24 supporting Energy Fiber broadband expansion

    seconded by Jason Bullock

  • 22:25

    passedMotion to reinstate maintenance and mapping of Cave Ridge Road section

    Moved by Larry (Murphy/Cann) · seconded by Larry Town

  • 23:46

    passedAppoint Regional Jail Board members: Wayne Crowe, Larry Cann, Charlie Shields

    all in favor, aye

  • 30:24

    passedMotion for judge to write letter to Connect Grid expressing dissatisfaction with internet service

    Moved by Joe Barnes · seconded by Jason Bullock

  • 31:20

    passedApprove wage scale committee adjustment

    Moved by Joe Barnes

Transcript (26 segments)

  • 0:04

    [Music] call this mingle oh i came physical court to order uh on the eighth day of march 2022 at 5 00 pm i'm going to ask jason bullock to lead us in a prayer and pledge to the flag sorry yes please the lord first of all most we just love you and thank you for all the blessings you've given us the lord we just ask you uh be with our community and our county we just uh we're thankful that the covenant numbers have dropped people are starting to get healthy we just pray to continue to be with them dear lord uh today also we lift up our world leaders to the lord in the little world we pray with ukraine that um something positive will come out of that dear lord and uh that cease fire will happen the lord we just ask you to continue to be with our leaders making those decisions therefore we ask you to be with us here tonight as we represent the county and that everything we do will be good for the county and we'll be uh pleasing to you or don't worry we always ask for your wisdom and your guidance in these meetings again just thank you for the blessings you've given us and just thank you for ohio county and shane we pray amen amen

  • 1:19

    i pledge allegiance to his life to the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god indivisible with everything oh i'm sorry sam is uh uh with big things about sam he is uh having to stay off from work and meetings and everything until monday when they do a heart cath on so he's afraid he's got some heart issues um he had the minutes of the february 22nd meeting absolutely motion glory uh is there any uh discussion uh corrections or dishes any discussions corrections or auditions [Music] before you you have the bills claims payments and transfers

  • 2:33

    including a late list and a light like this [Music] [Music] [Music] it's the one that just has one thing on it is that amy do you have that data oh you got some other instructions you have a thing on the uh bricks at the museum [Music] as a separate motion motion on the bills payments and second by larry count second by jason bullock uh oh i'm sorry about that i got it is there any uh any other discussion on the bills claims payments and transfers [Music] big number on favor say aye opposed like sign motion carricks next along with the bill's claims payments for transfers i brought this up

  • 3:48

    separately um there was a uh ongoing process of uh people uh buying bricks for the museum for the walkway and the folks that wanted those done over the years after they paid for their brick deposit which is like sixteen thousand dollars to be enough to finish the project but all those folks who bought those bricks and uh in good debate wants to see that done and uh i would love to pay the 16 000 deficit from the uh uh from uh did we save reserves from uh from reserves where is that over with us it's it's here anyway sixteen thousand know what what happened what transpired prior to had a plan and for whatever reason when they sold the brakes that it's charging that floor so it didn't pay for the walkway or maybe it was never intended to pay for it but the folks just bought them and won't have their name on them they're wanting done

  • 5:02

    and uh i've i've had a lot of heat over it larry murphy would have but i took it off of it let me ask you a question on that i mean so what about the uh i don't know if it's the arbor money but what's the money the pot of money before that we gave them some can they not use that too we didn't give it to them for the we didn't give them to the tourism commission that's who's doing this okay so that was the bluegrass that was bluegrass people okay where the bricks come from what's the bricks come from it's a walkway that will go to where uh the bill monroe statue will be yeah and the base for it and everything and a great walkway from the museum to it and the tourism commission began about five or six years ago selling the bricks and the bricks are stacked up inside the museum they're not laying on the wall they have to have a concrete pad underneath that bricks with their name on people but was it was it over-inflated on the bed or what what no um wasn't that planned without playing anything

  • 6:16

    any inflated costs too didn't have the uh foundation included on that right well well the bricks never was could have sold enough to donate but anyhow i would sure love to do it keep these people happy that's done this and invested in good faith and that didn't happen larry since it's your district would you make that money motioned by larry murphy [Music] so real quick so if that either one of them went bad well no no it won't work okay uh the next one uh nick has asked me for a while and we finally worked that agreement on how to do it uh that we want to uh thank jason burton assistant supervisor or working supervisor assistant and that means he will get a he will go from 16.90 an hour to 1790 an hour effective 3622. do you need a motion yes yes the next one is you know was here jimmy cantrell was here last time and we

  • 7:35

    talked about his assistant well we agreed i think agreed on it but he has one here for me to go ahead and bring up the times smith l-a-k-i-n smith it's clerk clark level one 12 full-time an hour effective 3 6 22 uh broke up yes mark you yes and this one's going to be effective just for the four year period that he's hired just in case that and then we'll review the men okay yes yes johnson yeah i would like if you want to relay judge that his wife had surgery today yes i was fixing to bring it up and uh very bad uh things she had but the surgery came out as good as it could possibly be and got as good of a good reporters could have gotten uncertainty yes

  • 8:54

    justin mcgrawles his clerk crystal stewart wants to race her from a level two to level three which would make her from 1349 to 14 an hour 51 cent increase uh effective uh three six so rocco count yes mark you yes yes barnes yes johnston yes now we're going out to our tour animal shelter of not really helpful i mean not going physically but that's where we're going for the rest of these uh jennifer doherty as you know brought in made full time but she was on a trial basis more to see if she wanted then to see if we want her but anyhow we worked out and we do we're going to start her at this at salary at 700 a week that's 100 less than our animal control officer makes but she's got a period of time to get her certificate training and also to go to uh time periods six months time very swell so there's two states yet to do to