Meeting of May 11, 2021
5-11-21 Ohio Co. Fiscal Court Meeting · Watch on YouTube ↗
Summary
Ohio County Fiscal Court – May 11, 2021
The court opened with routine business, approving the April 27 minutes, bills/claims, transfers, and financial reports without issue. The sheriff's first quarterly fee report was also acknowledged.
A resolution (2021-2015) was passed to move forward with a previously discussed trail grant that had been held up due to an oversight after last meeting's public hearing. The court also approved purchasing large commercial 'Big Ass Fans' (roughly $9,500 plus installation) for the horse/livestock barn at the park, to come out of park reserve funds, after discussion about ventilation needs for tractor pulls and livestock events. A resolution amending the coal severance fund carryover was also approved to combine leftover and new funds for future road/garage projects.
Kentucky Transportation Cabinet representatives Scott Phelps and Denitra Henderson presented the FY2022 Rural Secondary Program, outlining about $321,665 in flex funds and $1.4 million in KY Transportation Cabinet funds. The court approved a recommended project list: replacing culverts on KY 1414 (roughly $800,000, prioritized due to a weight-restricted culvert affecting school bus traffic), resurfacing KY 1118 (~$200,000), and work on KY 269 (~$400,000). Discussion also covered ongoing concerns about the safety and status of KY 136, including bridge and shoulder issues, with plans for future safety and resurfacing consideration.
In other business, the court went into a brief closed session under KRS 61.810, after which it approved spending $2,500 from reserve funds to repair water damage to a wall. Charlie Shields was reappointed to the Water Commission overseeing Rochester Dam construction. The court also expanded the mental health/suicide prevention committee's charge to study counseling needs for first responders dealing with traumatic incidents. The Administrative Code Committee presented proposed changes to employment policies, including immediate retirement enrollment for transferring employees and extending the health insurance waiting period to 60 days.
COVID-19 update noted 23 new cases in the county last week and continued encouragement for vaccination, noting no deaths among fully vaccinated residents. Public comment focused heavily on the Rough River Dam remediation project, with a resident (Mr. Haney) discussing $8.75 million in federal funding, ongoing contract negotiations with new engineering contacts, and frustrations with the Army Corps of Engineers' water management practices affecting farmland flooding.
Agenda (19)
- 0:02
Call to order and invocation
Judge called the meeting to order and Wendell Sanford gave the opening prayer, followed by the pledge.
- 2:03
Approval of April 27 minutes
The court reviewed and voted to approve the minutes of the April 27th meeting.
- 2:29
Bills, claims, payments and transfers
The court reviewed and approved bills, claims, payments and transfers.
- 3:23
April financial report
The clerk's April financial report was acknowledged by the court.
- 3:56
Sheriff's first quarterly fee report
The court acknowledged the sheriff's first quarterly fee report, with brief discussion about the report amount ($523,950).
- 5:21
Trail grant resolution
The court passed resolution 2021-15 to proceed with a previously discussed trail grant after a public hearing was held last meeting but the resolution was overlooked.
- 6:29
Purchase of horse barn fans
Discussion and approval of purchasing large commercial fans (~$9,500) for the horse/livestock barn, funded from park reserve, to help with heat and humidity during events.
- 12:35
Coal severance fund resolution amendment
The court discussed and amended a resolution regarding coal severance carryover funds, combining old and new leftover funds for future road garage or hamlet service projects.
- 15:46
KYTC Rural Secondary Program presentation
KY Transportation Cabinet officials Scott Phelps and Denitra Henderson presented the FY2022 rural secondary road funding and recommended projects including KY 1414, KY 1118, and KY 269.
- 21:08
KY 136 status discussion
Discussion of the poor condition and safety concerns on KY 136, a state secondary road not eligible for rural secondary funds, and plans for future bridge and shoulder repair work.
- 26:10
US 231 turn lane update
Update on a right turn lane project near Southern Elementary on US 231 and discussion of a possible future left turn lane project.
- 28:06
Jason Ward retirement announcement
Announcement that road department employee Jason Ward is retiring at the end of the month, with Scott Phelps as a contact going forward.
- 28:40
Closed session under KRS 61.810
The court went into a short closed session under KRS 61.810 chapter one sections regarding personnel matters.
- 30:00
Water Commission reappointment
Charlie Shields was reappointed to the Water Commission which oversees Rochester Dam construction.
- 30:41
Mental health committee charge expansion
The court added to the mental health/suicide prevention committee's charges, tasking it with looking into counseling needs for first responders exposed to traumatic incidents.
- 31:30
Committee reports
Reports from the jail committee (meeting Thursday with an architect from Litchfield) and the Administrative Code Committee (policy changes on retirement enrollment and insurance waiting periods).
- 35:59
COVID-19 update
Judge gave a COVID update noting 23 new cases last week and urged residents to get vaccinated, noting no deaths among fully vaccinated individuals.
- 37:57
Magistrate comments and requests
Magistrates gave brief comments; Joe mentioned phone system repairs being worked on.
- 38:58
Public comment on Rough River Dam
Resident Mr. Haney spoke about $8.75 million in federal funding for Rough River Dam rehabilitation, ongoing contract negotiations, and frustrations with Army Corps of Engineers water management causing crop flooding.
Motions & votes (11)
- 2:11
passedApprove the minutes of the April 27th meeting
Moved by Joe Barnes · seconded by Jason Bullock
- 2:34
passedApprove bills, claims, payments and transfers
- 3:39
passedAcknowledge the April financial report
Moved by Sam Smiles · seconded by Joe Bond
- 4:01
passedAcknowledge the sheriff's first quarterly fee report
seconded by Jason
- 5:41
passedApprove resolution 2021-15 for the trail grant
seconded by Jason Bull
- 9:37
passedApprove purchase of the horse barn fans from park reserve
seconded by Larry or Pete · unanimous, roll call: Johnston yes, Pam yes, Mark yes, Small yes
- 14:07
unclearAmend the coal severance resolution to combine leftover and new funds
- 20:57
passedAccept KYTC recommendation for flex fund rural secondary road projects (KY 1414, KY 1118, KY 269)
roll call: yes small, no olaf, yes barnes
- 28:55
passedGo into closed session under KRS 61.810
- 29:27
passedSpend $2,500 from reserve to repair the water-damaged wall
Moved by Sam
- 30:15
passedReappoint Charlie Shields to the Water Commission
roll call: Rocco Johnston yes, Cam yes, Marvel yes, Small yes
Transcript (37 segments)
- 0:01
[Music] camp fiscal court to order on this 11th day of may 2021 at 5 pm um i want to ask brother uh wendell sanford to leave us in a prayer and place the place while we're coming your presence and apologist momentarily we see you have blessed us in marvelous ways yet there's some ruts in the road along the way but you said you'd always be there these government leaders they don't always get the praise they deserve the lord you would you just bless them give them insights and wisdom to make the right decisions and we live in one of the best counties in the country's lord i'm concerned i was born here and raised here many years of course i have moved away but lord you was always with me wherever i went i just give you praise and honor and glory for the many many blessings you shared upon us and
- 1:14
uh on the county and the government and all the work that's going on thank you again be of those that have needs sick those that lost loved ones and just give you praise and honor and glory in christ's name we pray amen amen 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 before you you have the minutes of the april 27th meeting you'll hear a motion to approve a motion by joe barnes second by jason bullock is there any discussion corrections or additions to the minutes any discussion corrections or additions right before you you have the bills claim
- 2:30
payments and transfers are the emotion through them places [Music] lisa is on the on the agenda here but uh she won't do her presentation at this time we'll do another time okay before you have the clerk april 21 uh financial reports we make a motion knowledge so most of
- 3:42
the sam smiles second but joe bond is there any discussion being now in favor say aye opposed like saying motion carries before you have the sheriff's first quarterly fee report i'll make a motion we acknowledge i'll second spokesman sam small second jason uh is there any discussion or questions on that how much is it ann if you uh how much is what [Music] i don't get that information that's you does that for quarterly or that yeah that's just the report she turns uh they turn into the tax office i don't even have a coffee we got is we have a on the back here yeah yeah that it's on the back staple to your uh agenda to answer your question it's uh
- 4:57
523 950 i don't [Music] that's true um beau is here we had a we need to pass you remember he was here and we had a public hearing and everything on this trail grant last time but we need to take the resolution uh 2021 2021-15 uh to go ahead and proceed with that grant it was just an oversight that we didn't get done the last time so move on the resolution 20 motion 21 seconds most player cam second jason bull any further discussion hey uh being now on facebook uh all right i look like signs that's fair the vote's here for that but he's got something else talking about yeah if i could we've been doing a lot of work out there
- 6:14
in the horse barn and we've been using the facilities out there we're getting tractor pulls and they're using the livestock barn more often and there's now needing in the process for uh fans to be installed in there so it's something that i'd like for y'all to look at maybe to come out of reserve um i think it's around 16 000 i know it seems high but they're they're the big commercial fans um that's something that we would like to do that's installed and that would be their warranty the park reserve that's a good statement but now how big are they i think they're 10 10 you're not the brand name of them uh i'm a little reluctant to say that the brand name yeah they're called big ass fans is what they're called they've got big blank uh
- 7:29
just m4h and stuff maybe when these assessments come when they look at look at it well they're fixing to start their uh itself so how much is the fans versus the installing i think around 9 500. just for the two fans but you still gonna have to have a certified electrician to come in and install it yeah that would probably be i didn't know something that could be wrong about somebody else's neighbors where they run
- 8:44
on 220. yeah yes yes what was the company that was going to install big ass back oh that's the only place that i've seen i mean we can look around for some more we've been looking for them yeah we have so i mean i'm open but that i do know it's the need that we need in there a little high though from stone can we i don't think you could hook up six bars for six thousand dollars they don't count the hanging understanding david has done electrical work and that's all that's involved maybe equal i mean we can look at that angle too we could probably find a local person to install it or if i could come out and walk through i can't climb anymore yeah i mean that's that's fine too okay let's can i have motion to prove the purchase of the fans and then we'll we'll worry about this place yeah i'll make the motion but i'd rather i had a couple of beds on it to see what to see if they're in the room the only one that i could get anybody to commit to um nobody else