Meeting of January 10, 2023
1-10-23 Ohio County Fiscal Court Meeting · Watch on YouTube ↗
Summary
Ohio County Fiscal Court – January 10, 2023
The Fiscal Court opened with prayer and pledge, then quickly moved through routine business: approving minutes from the January 3rd special meeting, paying bills and claims, and acknowledging receipt of several financial reports (December treasurer's report, county clerk's quarterly report, and 2022 sheriff's property tax receipts). All of these passed without objection.
Two personnel changes were approved by roll-call vote: hiring a part-time custodian (Quentin Bernhardt) and a pay increase/status change for animal shelter worker Alex Smith, who is taking on additional duties as a weekend deputy animal officer. A reappointment of Joe Bennett to the wastewater board and Eddie Embry to the District 3 water board were also approved.
The court approved purchase of a new ambulance remount (vendor Select-Tech, roughly $152,900) noting a shift from diesel to gas-powered units for cost and maintenance reasons, with part of the cost to be covered by a $10,000 KEMA grant and the remainder from coal severance funds allocated in March.
Judge/County Judge-Executive announced a major piece of good news: federal/USDA funding for debris and drainage cleanup from tornado damage increased from an initial $300,000 to $11 million, which should now cover all identified cleanup sites rather than just one area.
The bulk of the meeting was devoted to naming members to numerous standing and special committees (oil and gas, employee training/incentives, rural maintenance, Jerusalem Ridge, property owner protection, solid waste, mental health, community center security, animal control, ATV/transportation, fire, and legislative committees), along with discussion of an upcoming redistricting committee required due to the 2020 census. Magistrates raised concerns about a mutual aid billing dispute among fire departments (a Cromwell resident being billed by Beaver Dam despite paying Cromwell dues) and a resident asked the court to keep a weight-limited bridge in mind for future repair funding.
Agenda (15)
- 0:01
Call to order, prayer and pledge
Judge called the meeting to order and Brother Scott Parker led a prayer and pledge of allegiance.
- 2:13
Approval of January 3rd special meeting minutes
The court approved the minutes from the January 3rd special meeting.
- 2:38
Bills, claims, payments and transfers
The court approved payment of bills, claims, payments and transfers.
- 3:16
Treasurer's December financial statement
The court acknowledged receipt of the treasurer's December financial statement, noting acknowledgment does not mean the figures are confirmed correct.
- 4:51
County Clerk's quarterly report
The court acknowledged receipt of the county clerk's quarterly financial report for December.
- 5:35
Sheriff's 2022 property tax receipts
The court acknowledged receipt of the sheriff's 2022 property tax receipts.
- 6:09
Personnel changes
The court approved hiring part-time custodian Quentin Bernhardt and a status/pay change for animal shelter worker Alex Smith who will also serve as weekend deputy animal officer.
- 8:41
Ambulance remount purchase
The court discussed and approved purchasing one ambulance remount from Select-Tech for approximately $152,900, shifting from diesel to gas-powered chassis, partly funded by a $10,000 KEMA grant with the remainder from coal severance funds.
- 14:02
Wastewater board reappointment - Joe Bennett
Joe Bennett was reappointed to the wastewater board.
- 14:50
District 3 water board appointment - Eddie Embry
Eddie Embry was reappointed to the District 3 water board for a full term.
- 15:08
Standing committee appointments
The Judge read out appointments to numerous standing and special committees including oil and gas, employee training, rural maintenance, Jerusalem Ridge, property owner protection, solid waste, mental health, community center security, animal control, ATV/transportation, fire, and legislative committees.
- 27:01
Committee reports
Magistrates gave brief updates on scheduling meetings for the mental health committee and property owner protection committee, and discussed the upcoming road committee meeting and redistricting committee needed due to the 2020 census.
- 29:52
USDA cleanup funding announcement
The Judge announced USDA increased funding for tornado debris cleanup from an initial $300,000 to $11 million, covering all identified sites.
- 32:52
Magistrates' comments and requests
Magistrates raised various concerns including a mutual aid billing dispute between Cromwell and Beaver Dam fire departments over an unpaid $500 bill.
- 37:06
Public comment on bridge weight limit
A resident asked the court to prioritize repair of a three-ton weight limit bridge damaged by flooding, which affects his family's daily crossing.
Motions & votes (12)
- 2:19
passedApprove minutes of the January 3rd special meeting
Moved by Jason Bullock · seconded by McKenna Callaway
- 2:50
passedApprove bills, claims, payments and transfers
Moved by Larry Murphy · seconded by Jason Bullock
- 3:27
passedAcknowledge receipt of treasurer's December financial statement
seconded by Beau Bennett
- 4:54
passedAcknowledge receipt of county clerk's quarterly report
Moved by Jason Bullock
- 5:46
passedAcknowledge receipt of sheriff's 2022 property tax receipts
Moved by Jason Bullock · seconded by Kenneth Callaway
- 6:39
passedHire Quentin Bernhardt as part-time custodian at $12/hour
unanimous roll call: Bennett yes, Johnston yes, Callaway yes, Morphew yes
- 7:51
passedApprove status change for Alex Smith from level one to level two at animal shelter
unanimous roll call: Bennett yes, Johnston yes, Callaway yes, Morphew yes, McKenna yes
- 11:16
passedApprove purchase of ambulance remount from Select-Tech for approximately $152,900
seconded by Larry Moore
- 11:59
passedApprove checks to come from two different funds for ambulance remount funding (grant and coal severance)
seconded by Larry Moore
- 14:07
passedReappoint Joe Bennett to wastewater board
unanimous roll call: Johnston yes, Callaway yes
- 15:01
passedReappoint Eddie Embry to District 3 water board for a full term
unanimous roll call: Bennett yes, Johnson yes, Cowboy yes, Morphew yes, Mechanic yes
- 39:54
unclearAdjourn the meeting
Transcript (32 segments)
- 0:00
[Music] thank you [Music] call this Bingo High cane physical Court to order on this 10th day of January 2023 5 PM I'm going to ask brother Mike I mean brother Parker Scott Parker to come in and uh I was trying to get calling the our old minister's name that's okay uh to lead us in a prayer and a pledge to Black all right let's pray together our gracious God and Heavenly Father we come before you this evening so grateful for the many blessings that you've given to us thankful for our home here in Ohio County thankful for the people and the businesses and those leaders that you've put in place to make decisions over the finances and the direction of the county and so Lord we pray for your wisdom we pray for your blessing we pray for your strength during this meeting that you would oversee it and you would bless it we pray for those that are struggling
- 1:13
with the recent flooding and weather activity in our County we pray for them we pray for those businesses that are trying to get established and that are growing in our County and we pray for your blessing on them as well and may we all remember the gifts that you've given to us in this County in this place we give you all the glory and praise in Jesus name amen I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to repel through which today one nation under God individual liberty and justice for all thank you brother Scott appreciate you appreciate that in case you didn't know it brother uh Scott Parker from Harper Christian Church thank you before you have the minutes of the of the January 3rd Special column meeting I need a motion to approve D motion by Jason Bullock second McKenna Cadillac is there any discussions Corrections or
- 2:26
additions discussion Corrections or additions big nine on Thursday I and I post like sign demands to approved before you have the lengthy bills claims payments and transfers uh I don't need a motion to prove so the motion by Larry Murphy and was her no late list second second with Jason book is there any discussion on the bills claims payments and transfers any discussion our questions for the treasure big nine um pose lifetime Bill surprise we have the treasures December uh financial statement we need to acknowledge the receipt of it to someone to move to dug we receive the treasure financials folks with Jason the December financial statement do I hear a second I'll say
- 3:40
check it by Beau Bennett is there any discussion on it being none on folks say aye oppose like sign um uh gentlemen these uh reports that we're getting we're just acknowledging that we get them we're not acknowledging that they're correct because they still have to go through holiday sometimes they'll say pending out but we just say we acknowledge we've received them same way with the Clark's December financial report the next time the county clerk is that right there yes thank you oh no that's a hard quarterly report okay foreign financial report for December uh any discussion usually when they audit they find a lot of mistakes ah host collection it's then we have the clerk's quarterly reported
- 4:53
laughs I'll make uh most indignant or I'll acknowledge we received the quarterly divorcement but not sure about Jason Bullock second of Obama is there any questions on that um if uh nine I would probably say aye opposed like some that one pays this other one may actually be a uh approval thing receipt it's receipts knowledge receipt of the that we have the official receipt of property taxes for 2022. yeah that's acknowledgment too yeah odd knowledge we received the sheriff's uh 22 2022 property tax receipts okay um motion by Jason Bullock second by Kenneth Callaway is there any discussion our questions for the sheriff he's back there okay
- 6:05
um folks say aye opposed like I have two Personnel issues and the way this works I just put the name up and you do a roll call vote um we've had to we've had two custodians quit we've hired two what part-time in the full-time we've heard back two part times for the time being um we'll see if it'll work but the first one in Quentin Bernhardt is part-time at 12 12 per hour starting on on uh 12 25. 12 25 of 23. I'm 22 I mean I broke up it's a church is it still open we have a full-time when we'll go on a department oh yeah oh yeah by the way this is this I had I put him to work with emergency order that's why the back days on it um yes Bennett yes Johnston yes Callaway
- 7:20
yes morphew you okay here we go the other is the exact same thing exact same thing we've done enough double hitting the custodian thing okay I'm sorry let's head to one custody we're taking care of the other one at the last maybe but we have a status change from level one to level two on the animal shelter worker Alex Smith the reason for it is he's going to also covering weekends as a uh as a Deputy amateur officer the uh he moved his rate of pay from 1380 to 1439. that's Alex Smith it's effective one eight 23. yes Bennett yes Johnston Callaway yes morphew yes McKenna yes okay
- 8:34
um we have we have that video we have a one bed for a for ambulance rebound uh I would like to get one get you started would you open this and read the vendor and the mount the bit the uh it's been are we just doing one now one animals yes sir and this will be several months out for to delivered May pay for it whoever they'll need a PO to get a chassis secured and wants to get the chance and then they'll contact us at Trump we're looking several months out yeah we don't have to write a check today in case you're Fleet in pretty good shape yeah this this one needs replaced and then uh we're facing out diesels in the long run Larry the the guests become more it's more easy to maintain a lot less expensive and pretty reliable so when as we've replaced the Marine now