Meeting of September 14, 2021
9-14-21 Ohio Co. Fiscal Court Meeting · Watch on YouTube ↗
Summary
Ohio County Fiscal Court Meeting — September 14, 2021
The court handled a routine slate of business including approval of the August 24 minutes, bills and claims, and the treasurer's August financial report. A budget amendment was approved to allow the county to serve as fiscal agent for a $200,000 CDBG utility assistance grant being administered by Audubon Area. The court also passed compensating tax rates for the public library, health department, conservation district, and county extension services.
A resolution was passed allowing the WPTS (water treatment) plant expansion to move forward, with the plant's grant amount believed to be in the $30-40 million range (not entirely clear from discussion). The wage/pay scale committee presented cleanup of the county pay scale and road department wage scale, which the court adopted effective September 19.
On equipment, the court voted to purchase a John Deere backhoe (reported to be about $30,000 cheaper than alternatives) and to try a diesel pickup truck over a gas model for the road department, despite some concern about the extra ~$8,000 cost. Several pieces of old equipment, including an ambulance no longer needed by Hartford Fire Department and old salt spreaders, were declared surplus, with a $2,000 minimum set on the tailgate spreader.
Several personnel actions were approved, including promoting an animal shelter worker to full-time, hiring a new meal driver and courthouse cleaning person, and reclassifying an administrative assistant into a new HR role at a higher rate of pay. The court also approved taking bids on a major communications upgrade for the Sheriff's Department — 20 in-car repeaters and three new repeater sites — estimated to cost around $220,000-250,000, to be funded largely through ARPA money, aimed at fixing serious radio coverage gaps in areas like Fordsville and Centertown.
The court approved roughly $23,000-24,000 in county funds toward a booster pump project to fix low water pressure for homes near the golf course, animal shelter, and VFW. Finally, after a closed session, the court voted to send a letter to the Governor, Kentucky's U.S. Senators, and the county's Congressman opposing federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates, while individual magistrates expressed support for vaccination as a personal choice.
Agenda (16)
- 2:25
Approval of August 24 minutes
The court approved the minutes from the August 24 meeting.
- 2:55
Bills, claims, payments and transfers
The court approved bills, claims, payments and transfers including a late list.
- 3:46
Budget amendment for CDBG utility assistance grant
A $200,000 budget amendment was discussed to allow the county to act as fiscal agent for a CDBG utility assistance grant administered by Audubon Area.
- 4:34
Treasurer's August financial report
The court acknowledged receipt of the treasurer's August 2021 financial report.
- 5:05
Clerk's excess fees
The court discussed and acknowledged the county clerk's excess fees, which go into the general fund, roughly $70,000 for the year.
- 8:36
WPTS resolution for plant expansion grant
A resolution was passed allowing the water treatment plant to pursue a large grant for expansion, requiring fiscal court approval and signature.
- 9:51
Tax rate approvals - public library, health district, conservation district, extension service
The court individually approved compensating tax rates for the public library, health department, conservation district, and county extension services.
- 14:13
Wage scale committee report
The wage scale committee reported on cleanup of county and road department pay scales, clarifying class A/B pay differentials, effective September 19.
- 17:15
Equipment committee - backhoe and truck purchase
The equipment committee recommended purchasing a John Deere backhoe and trying a diesel pickup truck over gas, despite added cost, for better performance.
- 24:22
Surplus equipment declarations
The court discussed declaring old equipment surplus, including an unused ambulance loaned to Hartford Fire Department and old salt spreaders, setting a minimum price on the tailgate spreader.
- 28:55
Personnel status changes
Several personnel changes were approved: promoting an animal shelter worker to full-time, hiring a meal driver and courthouse cleaner, and reclassifying an administrative assistant into an HR role at higher pay.
- 32:56
Communications committee - sheriff's radio system upgrade
The communications committee requested authorization to take bids on 20 in-car repeaters and three new repeater sites to fix major radio coverage gaps for the sheriff's office and other emergency services, funded largely by ARPA money.
- 40:02
Booster pump project for low water pressure area
The court approved county funding of roughly $23,000-24,000 toward a booster pump to fix low water pressure for homes near the golf course, animal shelter, and VFW.
- 41:53
Closed session
The court went into closed session under KRS 61.810 chapter one section f.
- 42:51
Committee reports and magistrate comments
Magistrates gave updates on the suicide awareness walk, the Jerusalem Ridge Festival, the county fair, and the Kentucky Fast Draw Association event in Beaver Dam.
- 47:35
Resolution opposing federal vaccine mandates
A magistrate read a statement opposing federal COVID-19 vaccine mandates and proposed sending it to the governor, U.S. senators, and congressman; the court discussed personal views on vaccination before voting.
Motions & votes (22)
- 2:29
passedApprove the August 24 minutes
Moved by Sam Small · unanimous voice vote
- 3:03
passedApprove bills, claims, payments and transfers
- 4:49
passedAccept/acknowledge the treasurer's August 2021 financial report
Moved by Sam Small · seconded by Joe Barnes
- 5:06
passedAcknowledge the clerk's excess fees
- 8:22
passedBudget amendment motion regarding claims/late list and CDBG grant
Moved by Sam Small · seconded by Jason Bullock
- 8:53
passedPass resolution allowing WPTS plant expansion grant and authorizing signature
- 10:16
passedApprove tax rate for the public library
Moved by Jason Bullock · unanimous roll call, cam yes barnes yes johnston yes
- 11:55
passedApprove tax rate for the health department
seconded by Joe Barnes · cam yes morpheu yes small yes bullock yes barnes yes johnston yes
- 12:30
passedApprove tax rate for the conservation district
Moved by Sam Small · seconded by Joe Barnes · yes small yes bulldog yes barnes yes johnston yeah
- 12:52
passedApprove tax rate for the county extension services
yes small yes yes barnes yes johnston yes
- 16:28
passedMake new wage scale effective September 19
seconded by Joe Barnes · yes johnson
- 18:05
passedBuy the John Deere backhoe
seconded by Larry (unclear last name) · all players say yeah
- 23:36
passedBuy the diesel truck and try it out
yes barnes yes johnson yes
- 28:56
passedPersonnel status change: Brandon Kessinger to full-time at animal shelter
yes small yes yes johnston yes
- 29:17
passedPersonnel status change: new meal driver at senior center
yes marvel yes yes johnston yes
- 30:14
passedPersonnel status change: new courthouse cleaning person hire
cam yes markyou yeah small judge yes yes barnes yes johnston yes
- 31:14
passedPersonnel status change: Kenny Austria into HR role at higher pay
cam yes markyou yeah small no bullock yes barnes yes johnson yes
- 35:00
passedTake bids on 20 in-car repeaters and three new repeater sites for sheriff's department radio system
- 39:19
passedDeclare tailgate spreader and other equipment surplus with $2,000 minimum on spreader
Moved by Joe Barnes · seconded by Larry Kemp · all in favor say aye
- 41:01
passedApprove county funding (approx. $23,600) for booster pump project on extension waterline money
- 42:16
passedMotion to go into closed session under KRS 61.810 chapter 1 section f
- 48:40
passedSend letter to Governor, U.S. Senators, and Congressman opposing federal vaccine mandates
cam yes morpheus yes small yes bullock yes barn yes johnson okay
Transcript (44 segments)
- 0:00
[Music] [Music] call this meeting of the ohio camp fiscal court to order uh on this 14th of september 2021 and 5 pm i want to ask larry i mean steve crowder if he will lead us in a prayer and pledge to the flag give me the words to say i've not been called on to say a prayer father i pray that your will will be done here in this meeting today that foremost that you're we're looking
- 1:12
to serve you in some capacity because we're in such a troubled world right now there are times that if we don't follow you i think this nation is in big trouble and if we don't turn to you now then our nation is going to crumble so i pray that our your will is done here tonight i pray you weigh up on our conscience and we're going to conviction of the holy spirit to do what's right from this time forth in jesus name amen amen to do 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 the world thank you speech thank you steve you don't find a job yes you did we do it come from the heart uh before you you have the uh august uh 24th minutes make a motion to
- 2:27
approve motion by sam small take up a second i said is there any discussion corrections or additions is there any discussion corrections or additions to the amendments bing man all in favor say aye approved you have before you the uh bill's claims payments and transfers you need a motion for approval second motion uh is there any discussion just everybody realized there was a late list and a late like list a lightness the light lights the two things on the light light there's one thing that's divided two ways okay and that's just discretionary let's like that yeah three the budget amendment
- 3:47
uh tell me again and what this is this is uh to amend in for two hundred thousand dollars for a cdbg utility assistance grant that the fiscal court has to be the fiscal agent for ottoman area will actually be uh doing the paperwork but we just have to be the fiscal agent miranda's kind of putting that together and if the way things are here i'm going to turn over and sign that i make a motion to accept the treasure or to acknowledge the treasurer's august financial report i'll second motion sam small joe barnes to acknowledge the receipt of the treasurer's uh august 2021 financial report uh any discussion or questions big night affair say i uh won't be there however the clerk's
- 5:03
excess fees are i'll make a motion to acknowledge her excess needs what are those access fees where do they go they go into the general fund most of the staff second degree um i've got a report here but give the bottom line it's not as easy to find here what are you looking at the excess feeds yes it's a balance statement were they much was it for it should be bess's first attachment in yours your folders yeah i mean i've got the attachment that i'm having trouble
- 6:15
reading do you want me to look at it thank you [Music] i believe this list everything that she takes in i don't see that at least what we the actual excess fees are is it the difference between the front page and the in the back cases they'll see the expenditures in the uh revenue generator would you like to give me a call [Music]
- 7:42
i think they'll figure it out here well i think you're right on this page where it says total revenues over expenditures it's 70 000. yeah about 70 thousand dollars 242 and then the difference of two sets 470 70. so it's right at 70. 69.71 i don't know something like that yeah i don't have a calculator last year it was a little total for a year was a little over 60 600 000. we had the motion this second and during further discussion motion by sam small second second with jason bullock is there any discussion on that big night i don't think say i uh [Music] uh post like first character we have a resolution it's just allowed wpt's plan for a grant for their expansion out there which if you know we were in a meeting at their plant they told us all about it but it has to we have to pass the
- 8:55
resolution to allow them to do it and allow me to sign the i'm not sure they asked for billy i believe it's a million million dollars yeah believe me [Music] yes i'm a pretty sure it's between 30 and 40. between yeah they're doing the different ones they're right now they're working now between the 30 maybe even though it could be in there yeah we went but yeah business right beside dealing with the good they're beside their other they keep growing [Music] the tax rate deal is next here directly we need to do these individually or can we do them as a whole i probably just do them individually okay