Meeting of January 24, 2023
1-24-23 Ohio County Fiscal Court Meeting · Watch on YouTube ↗
Summary
The Ohio County Fiscal Court met on January 24, 2023, and handled a mix of routine business and larger long-term projects. The court approved minutes, bills, and several grant-related and equipment purchases, including new portable radios purchased for constables and USDA pass-through funding for river cleanup projects at 11 sites.
A significant portion of the meeting was devoted to preparations for reapportionment of magisterial districts, with the court approving a committee (Chris Fuller, Scott Parker, and Henry Crist) to study and recommend new district boundaries, and discussing efforts to align magisterial and school board districts to reduce voter confusion and costs.
County Clerk Beth presented a major update on election equipment needs, explaining that the state's contract for electronic poll pads has expired and the county must choose among four newly certified vendors. She requested authority to select a vendor (preferring Harp) and purchase new poll pads and ballot-marking scanners, with the state expected to reimburse most of the roughly $75,000 cost. The court approved allowing the clerk discretion to select a vendor and to purchase seven scanners for about $3,693 each.
The jail committee also gave a lengthy update on the proposed regional jail project with Butler and Edmonson counties, discussing a potential site near the old highway toll booths, cost estimates near $57,000–60,000 per bed, and plans for federal inmate housing to offset costs. Landon presented a renewed contract with CBC for jail inmate telephone and mail services, which was approved.
Other business included a weight scale/pay scale committee update removing a lower starting pay tier to make county wages more competitive, magistrate reports on ongoing water infrastructure projects, and discussion of a dispute over fire department dues payment between a Beaver Dam resident and the fire department, which remains unresolved. The Sheriff's Office reported proceeds from a vehicle sale, and the court approved retaining those funds for future capital needs.
Agenda (12)
- 0:03
Call to order, prayer and pledge
Judge opened the meeting and Jay Raymond led the prayer and pledge in the absence of the usual leader.
- 1:53
Approval of minutes
The court approved minutes from the January 10th regular meeting and January 3rd special meeting.
- 2:22
Approval of bills, claims, payments and transfers
The court discussed and approved bills including new radios purchased for constables since 2011.
- 3:51
USDA grant invoice for river cleanup projects
Charlie explained the USDA pass-through grant for river cleanup at 11 sites, requiring court approval for payments as contractors complete work, including a motion to rebid sites 4 and 6 due to incorrect measurements.
- 8:14
Reapportionment board appointment and advertisement
The judge appointed a reapportionment committee (Chris Fuller, Scott Parker, Henry Crist) to study district boundaries, with discussion about aligning magisterial and school board districts to reduce voter confusion.
- 19:27
County Clerk's presentation on new election equipment
County Clerk Beth explained the need to select a new vendor for electronic poll pads due to expired state contract, and requested approval to choose Harp as vendor and purchase new equipment before the May election.
- 32:02
Purchase of election scanners
Beth requested purchase of seven ballot scanners to reduce human error in ballot distribution at voting centers.
- 38:16
Jail inmate contract renewal with CBC
Landon presented a renewed contract with CBC for inmate phone services, now including inmate mail scanning to reduce contraband, with no additional cost to the county.
- 40:18
Regional jail project update
Kelly White, representing the tri-county regional jail committee, gave a detailed update on site selection near old toll booth property, cost estimates, federal inmate housing potential, and architectural planning timeline.
- 57:17
Committee reports
Various committee reports were given including the weight scale committee's motion to eliminate a lower pay tier, and updates on Property Owner Protection Committee meeting schedule.
- 1:01:35
Magistrate reports
Magistrates gave district updates, including ongoing water project engineering status and a dispute over fire department dues in Beaver Dam involving a threatened lawsuit.
- 1:08:05
Sheriff's Office vehicle sale proceeds
The Sheriff's Office reported proceeds from selling vehicles and requested the funds be placed into capital outlay for future needs, which the court approved.
Motions & votes (10)
- 2:08
passedApprove the January 10th regular meeting minutes and January 3rd special meeting minutes
Moved by Kent Galloway · seconded by Michael McKinney
- 2:34
passedApprove bills, claims, payments and transfers
Moved by Jason Bullock · roll call: Bennett yes, Johnston yes, Callaway yes, Morphew yes, McKinney yes, Bullock yes
- 6:18
passedApprove payment to contractor Kyle Adams for completed USDA river cleanup site work
seconded by Larry Murphy
- 6:58
unclearApprove rebidding of USDA cleanup sites 4 and 6 due to incorrect cubic yard measurements
- 11:03
passedApprove appointment of reapportionment board members and authorize advertising for reapportionment
seconded by Jason Bullock · unanimous roll call yes
- 31:46
passedAllow county clerk discretion to select an electronic poll pad vendor consistent with the state master agreement, and authorize check to be written at time of payment
- 37:48
passedPurchase seven ballot scanners for the county clerk's election office, with authorization to write check
Moved by Jason Bullock
- 39:55
passedApprove renewed jail inmate services contract with CBC including new mail scanning service
Moved by Michael McKinney · seconded by Kent Galloway
- 58:48
passedRemove level one pay tier from weight scale pay structure, keeping only hire rate and after-probation rate, effective with the January 29th pay period
Moved by Jason · seconded by Kenneth Callaway
- 1:09:06
passedAllow Sheriff's Office to retain vehicle sale proceeds of $56,770.02 in capital outlay for future needs
Transcript (56 segments)
- 0:02
[Music] thank you we call this meeting of Ohio County Fiscal Court to order uh I'm looking for uh brother John cashion he's not here so I'm going to see if Jay Raymond will come up and do the prayer and pledge for us Mr microphone if you don't mind and by the way I forgot to say it is uh January 24th 2023 at 5 P.M pledge allegiance to the flag the United States of America for which it stands one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all right Jack you'll say a prayer for us I've been to the court meeting before father we thank you Lord as always for your love and your mercy fathers we've gathered today these leaders of our
- 1:15
community to make decisions that are prudent to everyone around us we ask the Lord that you would touch them and bless them and and touch their Minds tonight God we ask you that this being be professional father but most of all we remember that you are the reason that we're all here in Jesus name amen amen I passed the office right now [Music] um before you have the January 10th uh minutes as well as the one for special car on January 3rd I need motion to prove of them second motion motion with Kent Galloway second by Michael McKinney is there any discussion Corrections or additions discussion Corrections or additions being none on Thursday next you have the bills claims payments and transfers [Music] to have a motion to approve those or make the most into approved motion but Jason Bullock for discussion yeah Fort Scott okay
- 2:35
we have motion second answer discussions the gospel radios 5 300 what where's Charlie connects to that what they are well we mean will we buying them or what yeah we we involved radios for the constables since like 2011. I got with the judge and we bought them new radios new Portables all five constables got them what did you do with the old ones that those had it's just like anybody else someone was beat up I got two of them back here right now that's broke unrepairable I got one okay lost all right but about two or three counties that get some gospels anything like that I you know that's up to y'all and the judge there any further discussion another discussion on the uh none being none real call Bennett yes Johnston yes Callaway yes morphew
- 3:46
yes McKinney yes Bullock yes thank you um next we have the USDA Grant invoice which is a pass-through you know we don't it don't cost such thing we're going to pay the bill Charlie don't explain it I do for the the members of the court that wasn't here the first time uh we got I think somebody's going to pass this out foreign [Music] to clean up the river projects there's 11 sites on there as you can tell if you flip over the second page it tells it [Music] uh Who's got what what contractor got them and way this works is once we get we word the bids they got so
- 5:01
many days to get started and get going once they get done we send the bills in then USDA sends us the money then we pay them with it so that's what this is and uh I'd like to ask the court to whether as I run through the court system on that too for every time there's 11 sites it's got to go through all the court on that that was recommended because it's Federal money because these ones that got the lids that is correct sir and there's you see on the map where they're at who there is after y'all get done I do got to ask the court to do one more thing on this but it's no money out of ours it's uh passed through like they say it's a pass through for us who is this lucky enough we're the first ones in the state of Kentucky through the ncrs get the money the only thing you're doing tonight is approving the one that's done from Kyle Adams yes they just recommended that it be a motion in the minutes if it's better on money so we just need to make money that is crazy that's all you guys got there started and got it done so do I have motion I'll make a motion
- 6:17
for uh the finances to be able to use PayPal attitude is that what his name is or is it that is great I'm saying [Music] Jason book second by Larry Murphy well we have to bring it up again or could we go on vote to pay them when they're completed or we need to wait you have to bring up each individual site at a time when they do that any further discussion being done I'm supposed to say aye um with this being said on site before site six I guess support to rebid this uh there's some numbers that came in wrong for the contractors so we got re-advertised that to bid for site four and site six what numbers coming from site four and site six they gotta be rebid they come in way over the cubic yard per foot so we gotta rebid them I just need Court's approval to rebid them on that all right y'all did last time I was just assuming motion to learn more for you
- 7:31
talking about Bob Bennett so you're saying the side they they bid bigger than the site actually was correct David what it is it's basically a 40 cubic yard and someone was 48 51 and so on so then we went back talked to the contractors ncrs and so we got refit it to get them back down there okay okay all right close Lexington Here Charlie you're you're running the bed you run I got that okay thank you uh we've got to run an ad best make tells some of the words on this motion uh I'm going to point a reapportionment board tonight and then that board will need to we'll need to advertise that we're fixing to do the reapportionment if uh Fest will help me with the wording on that ah okay right off the hand I need to look at what we did 10 years ago it's been 10 years I don't know actually it's been 12. well actually it has been filmed now so uh I'm going to point Dr Chris Fuller
- 8:45
uh Scott Parker and Henry crest with Bass Arthur and Charlie Ben there to help but these three boards will be the ones that actually vote okay only thing I would ask judge on this I wouldn't mind getting asking grad not yet they have to be on the board if we go down on the side they got a expert Matthew person well you know okay can I say this real quick two years ago when we were supposed to do this before coffee Brad has it already pretty much figured out for us they wasn't allowed to show us show me at the time but it's very little difference of what we're going to need to do it's not going to be a big deal like it was 12 years ago I can't even remember her name is two years but yeah it's already ready pretty much well that's what I think I think uh of course this committee I've just pointed forward but I think I need y'all's approval on the appointment just