Fiscal Court Meeting Search

Meeting of February 8, 2022

2-8-22 Ohio County Fiscal Court Meeting · Watch on YouTube ↗

Summary

Ohio County Fiscal Court – February 8, 2022

The court handled routine business first, approving minutes, paying bills, and acknowledging the treasurer's, clerk's, and sheriff's financial statements. The bulk of substantive action centered on the regional jail project: the court passed the first reading of Ordinance 2022-3 creating the interlocal jail board with Butler and Edmonson counties, and approved the Green River Regional Detention Center management agreement, which allows preliminary steps (architect studies, etc.) while explicitly not binding the counties financially until costs are known.

The court also approved a resolution to use a $100,000+ discretionary state road grant, championed by Magistrate Joe Barnes, to pave a portion of Pond Run Road benefiting the Fish and Wildlife area.

Emergency management officials Charlie Shields and Corey Elder gave updates on tornado recovery and FEMA registration (243 households registered so far, appeals process ongoing) and on a new NRCS-funded project to clear debris from Rough River and area creeks, expected to begin around April or May. They also discussed progress on the Rochester Dam project, nearing completion with a new boat ramp planned once the land is officially deeded to the county.

St. Benedict's Shelter director Harry Pedigo presented on a possible partnership with the county (using ARPA funds) to create a homeless shelter or overnight shelter program in Ohio County, noting that 52 men from Ohio County used their Owensboro facility last year. No formal action was taken; the court expressed interest in continuing discussions.

Personnel and committee actions included hiring Byron Swift as full-time animal shelter attendant and appointing Joe Bennett to the Ohio County Wastewater Board. The coroner's office presented a 2021 year-end report showing an increase in suicides and six COVID-related deaths. Judge-Executive Jody Fisher reported the Beaver Dam Foundation tornado relief fund had collected $77,679 and distributed $68,600 to 139 families, and announced a $300,000 grant for a power expansion at Bluegrass Crossings. The meeting closed with a COVID-19 update noting continued deaths despite declining case counts, and the court adjourned.

Agenda (17)

  • 0:00

    Call to order, prayer, and pledge

    Judge-Executive opened the meeting, Larry Murphy led prayer, and the pledge of allegiance was recited.

  • 1:17

    Approval of minutes

    The court approved the January 25, 2022 minutes along with a correction to the December 14 minutes.

  • 1:53

    Bills, claims, payments and transfers

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

  • 2:46

    Treasurer's January 2022 financial statement

    The court acknowledged receipt of the treasurer's January 2022 financial statement.

  • 3:19

    Clerk's 2022 financial statement

    The court acknowledged receipt of the clerk's 2022 financial statement.

  • 3:52

    Sheriff's NP account

    The court reviewed and approved the sheriff's NP account report.

  • 4:14

    Regional jail ordinance and management agreement

    The court passed the first reading of Ordinance 2022-3 creating an interlocal jail board with Butler and Edmonson counties, and approved the Green River Regional Detention Center management agreement, which allows preliminary planning steps without binding the counties financially.

  • 9:08

    Pond Run Road resolution / state road grant

    The court passed a resolution to use a state discretionary road fund grant (roughly $100,000) to pave part of Pond Run Road, benefiting the Fish and Wildlife area, championed by Magistrate Joe Barnes.

  • 12:33

    FEMA and Rough River drainage/tornado recovery update

    Charlie Shields and Corey Elder updated the court on FEMA registration numbers, an NRCS-funded plan to clear debris from Rough River and area creeks starting around April/May, and progress on the Rochester Dam project including a planned boat ramp.

  • 22:38

    St. Benedict's Shelter partnership presentation

    Harry Pedigo of St. Benedict's Shelter presented on a possible partnership with the county, potentially using ARPA funds, to establish a homeless shelter or overnight shelter program in Ohio County; no formal action was taken.

  • 38:52

    Personnel: Animal shelter attendant hire

    The court approved hiring Byron Swift as full-time shelter attendant at the animal shelter at $12.42/hour.

  • 39:40

    Committee appointment: Wastewater board

    The court appointed retired water/sewer worker Joe Bennett to the Ohio County Regional Wastewater Board.

  • 40:04

    Coroner's office year-end report

    The deputy coroner presented a 2021 year-end summary showing a slight decrease in total cases but an increase in suicides and six COVID-related deaths, plus equipment/facility needs.

  • 46:02

    Tornado relief fund (Beaver Dam Foundation) report

    Jody Fisher reported the tornado relief fund collected $77,679 and disbursed $68,600 to 139 families, and announced a $300,000 grant for a power expansion at Bluegrass Crossings.

  • 47:53

    Road committee report

    The road committee met and reported that debris cleanup from the roadway had already been handled by the road department and volunteers, so no further action was needed.

  • 48:35

    Magistrate comments and COVID-19 update

    Magistrates gave brief updates, and the judge-executive discussed a recent increase in local COVID-19 deaths despite declining case counts.

  • 50:20

    Adjournment

    With no further business, the court adjourned the meeting.

Motions & votes (11)

  • 1:17

    passedApprove the January 25, 2022 minutes and correction to the December 14, 2021 minutes

    Moved by Larry Murphy · seconded by Jason Bullock

  • 1:53

    passedApprove bills, claims, payments and transfers

    Moved by Sam Small · seconded by Larry Murphy · all in favor

  • 2:46

    passedAcknowledge receipt of January 2022 treasurer's financial statement

    Moved by Joe Barnes · seconded by Sam Small

  • 3:19

    passedAcknowledge receipt of clerk's 2022 financial statement

    Moved by Joe Barnes

  • 3:52

    passedApprove/acknowledge sheriff's NP account report

    all in favor

  • 4:14

    passedPass first reading of Ordinance 2022-3 creating the interlocal jail board

    Moved by Sam Small · seconded by Larry Cam · all in favor

  • 6:25

    passedApprove the Green River Regional Detention Center management agreement

    Moved by Larry Kam · seconded by Larry Morpheus · all in favor

  • 9:31

    passedPass resolution to use state discretionary road funds for Pond Run Road paving

    Moved by Joe Barnes · seconded by Larry Murphy · all in favor

  • 38:52

    passedHire Byron Swift as full-time shelter attendant at the animal shelter at $12.42/hour

    roll call, all yes

  • 39:40

    passedAppoint Joe Bennett to the Ohio County Regional Wastewater Board

    roll call, all yes

  • 50:20

    passedAdjourn the meeting

Transcript (41 segments)

  • 0:00

    [Music] call this meeting of ohio camp fiscal court to order on this eighth day of february 2022 a little after 5 p.m uh i'm going to ask larry murphy to lead us in a prayer and a place of the plaque [Music] lord we just come to you tonight thanking you lord for your many blessings lord we just ask you to be with us tonight to give us the strength and the courage to make the proper decisions that would be pleasing to you and help us to get over this colby lord and just continue to bless our people and be with us lead and guide us in christ's name amen allegiance amen 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 [Music] gentlemen you have it for you the

  • 1:17

    january 25th 22 minutes as well as the correction on the december the 14th uh or actually the audition correction in addition to the december 14th meeting [Music] about larry account second but jason bullock is there any discussion or any other corrections or additions questions discussion corrections or auditions thing offers like son the minutes are approved next you have the bills claims payments and transfers most of the sam smile secondly morpheus no play list right no late list correct [Music] any questions or corrections i mean discussion actually what i'm going to say any discussion or questions on the bills planning for transfers we have the motion with sam tomorrow secondary morpheus uh all in favor say aye

  • 2:28

    aye close like sign the bills are paid before you you have the treasures uh january 2022 financial statement make a motion of knowledge motion by uh joe barnes to acknowledge the receipt of those of the of the financial statement second second by sam small is any discussion or questions for anne okay [Music] we have the clerk's 2022 financial statement to make a motion motion but joe yeah um is there any any uh discussion or uh questions on that one the clerk's financial report is is

  • 3:47

    acknowledged the receiver we have the knowledge the receipt of it the sheriff's your np account [Music] do you do that emotionally yes so ocean is there any questions or anything about it the sheriff is here if you need to ask anything about it if there is none all in favor say aye all right toes like son um next we have the ordinance 2022-3 that's the interlocal agreement uh for the original jail that we're working on uh this will be the first reading the second reading will be in the newspapers and all that i'll make a motion motion by uh sam second by larry cam yeah it's 22-3 ordinance 22-30 yes and this is for the jail board right yeah this is just kind of create the board um i think butler county and edmonton county were supposed to pass similar ordinances uh we'll pass this ordinance and then what we'll also ask you to do is is to entertain a motion for the green river regional

  • 5:02

    detention center management agreement which it's then given that forwards and powers to be able to take some steps that the state will need in order for us to even kind of get the ball rolling so we'll do the ordinance first and then we'll need the approval upon motion and second for the management agreement to be entered into early holidays yes all that and that'll be on the presumption that all the accountings are going to do those take those same actions but right now the ordinance is on the table so we're going to call that miranda barnes you're saying so no one of the counties back out of this and they'll sign it this is null and void well one of the things that the counties wanted in the end of management agreement anyway was language that would state that we're not binding ourselves or the or the uh but we're not binding ourselves in any way until we know what that number is to at least construct the jail okay so so all the counties wanted to make sure they weren't binding themselves right because the number no tell them what the

  • 6:14

    number could be now right okay on the uh management agreement the regional it would be the uh green river regional detention senate center management agreement so motion by larry kam second segment larry morpheus yeah you said justin that one would give them some tires what kind of fire well what what what's going to happen is that the judge along with the other two counties would set up the board and then this board what it what it states and again uh the very first section is the contingency that the counties are not mining themselves to anything until um the expenses and everything are determined and whether that be appropriate but this board will then start to meet they would have the authority then to this is the order upon the the court approving obtain services for an architect to take services or studies that may need to be uh possibly take action and and um so any options to purchase taking a lot of the steps that you saw how long it took for us to get the management agreement right this board is

  • 7:29

    going to take it's going to it's going to be the ones they're going to be the group that is going to try to but it's clear that everything will still have to run through everybody's cords it to finalize pretty much everything in the outside of the expense [Music] those expenses should all the courts approve uh this account oh i was kind of paying 50 right edmondson paid in 25 butler paying 25 and that was based on prison population right uh on that the study that we originally received and it'll be reviewed in three years land purchases or land agreements or anything stuck runs in the court oh absolutely because court would have to get appraised and everything of that thing okay okay don't you know whether anybody any of the other two courts have passed the resolution we think they have but we couldn't get that verified today because our court meetings were yesterday okay um again all in favor say aye all right post like that that's past next uh probably yes uh i would say so george

  • 8:42

    yeah just people uh just be able to say though the judge i've got one officer that has somebody that has a question so i'll be right back i just have to answer that email okay [Music] yes yes yes yes mom yes yes okay the next one uh i'm hoping that joe barnes will make this uh because it's his district the governor has given us a 100 and worked that figure again okay and uh we're going to pay a a portion of pond run road with that money that he's given us so we need to pass this agreement and uh this resolution and and miranda's going to pass around all of us that's signed uh so joe i'll make a motion a second motion joe barnes ii but larry murphy this is uh something we've been working on for a while with the uh with actually uh division of fish and wildlife and everywhere you know try to come up with some money to uh to utilize that road better so we can utilize those facilities down there as