Meeting of May 25, 2021
5-25-21 Ohio County Fiscal Court Meeting · Watch on YouTube ↗
Summary
Ohio County Fiscal Court – May 25, 2021
The court approved routine business including minutes, bills, and the treasurer's report, and passed the second reading of the 2021-22 budget ordinance unanimously — a rare occurrence the judge noted may only be the second time in his tenure. A related budget amendment was also approved to account for federal COVID relief (ARPA) funds, though officials acknowledged they still don't have clear federal guidance on how that money can be spent.
A significant item was the interlocal agreement authorizing the judge to sign onto a regional jail feasibility study with Butler and Edmonson counties, splitting a $7,500 study cost roughly by jail population. The court also approved a contract with Hydro Protex LLC to pursue funding to clear a log jam near Rough River, with no financial obligation to the county unless funding is secured.
Several personnel actions were approved for the golf course, including two new part-time hires and two pay corrections to bring wages in line with the pay scale. The senior center's proposed vehicle purchase (a minivan vs. an SUV) was discussed at length, with the court ultimately approving purchase of whichever vehicle (likely a Chrysler/Dodge Voyager) could be delivered soonest.
Committee reports covered broadband expansion (still in early discussion stages), road department equipment needs, and a COVID-19 update showing declining case counts but concerning vaccination rates — Ohio County has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the district, particularly among residents 65 and older. Magistrate Johnson also shared informal, mostly positive results from interviews with county fire chiefs, to be formally presented later.
Overall, this was a routine meeting focused on budget finalization, personnel matters, and ongoing infrastructure/relief planning, with no major controversies.
Agenda (14)
- 1:18
Approval of May 11th minutes
The court approved the minutes from the previous meeting without corrections.
- 1:40
Bills, claims, payments and transfers
Discussion of phone/hotspot and long-distance charges before approving bills and claims.
- 3:46
Treasurer's report
The court acknowledged the treasurer's report.
- 4:03
Budget ordinance 2021-3 second reading
Second reading of the fiscal year budget ordinance passed unanimously, noted as rare.
- 5:45
Budget amendment 2021 for federal relief funds
An amendment was needed to place federal ARPA-type funds into the budget even though they won't be spent until next year; guidance on allowed uses is still unclear.
- 8:50
Redistricting update
Discussion that magisterial district lines will stay the same for now, with reapportionment delayed a year and not effective until 2026.
- 9:37
Interlocal agreement for proposed regional jail
The court authorized the judge to execute an interlocal agreement with Butler and Edmonson counties to study a proposed regional jail.
- 10:55
Jail feasibility study contract
Discussion of costs and vendor for the jail feasibility study, split among the three counties.
- 13:51
Golf course personnel actions
Two new part-time seasonal hires and two pay corrections for existing golf course employees were approved.
- 18:23
Hydro Protex log jam removal agreement
The court approved an agreement with Hydro Protex LLC to pursue funding to clear a log jam near Rough River, with no county financial obligation.
- 20:09
Committee reports
Reports covered broadband committee (early stage discussions), road/co-op service equipment evaluation, and mental health coalition (no update since last meeting).
- 22:31
COVID-19 update
Cases are declining but Ohio County has the second-lowest vaccination rate in the district, especially among those 65 and older.
- 25:17
Senior center vehicle purchase
Extended discussion over whether to buy a minivan or SUV for the senior center using held-over co-op service funds; decision made to get whichever vehicle arrives soonest.
- 33:02
Fire chiefs interview report
Magistrate Johnson informally shared mostly positive results from interviews with county fire chiefs, to be formally presented later with the fire association.
Motions & votes (13)
- 1:23
passedApprove minutes of the May 11th meeting
Moved by Sam Small · seconded by Joe Barnes
- 1:44
passedApprove bills, claims, payments and transfers
Moved by Baller Camp · seconded by Larry Murphy
- 3:50
passedAcknowledge the treasurer's report
Moved by Sam Small · seconded by Joe Barnes · unanimous
- 4:34
passedApprove budget ordinance 2021-3 second reading
Moved by Larry Murphy · seconded by Larry Cam · unanimous
- 5:47
unclearApprove budget amendment 2021 for federal relief funds
- 10:05
passedAuthorize judge to execute interlocal agreement for proposed regional jail with Butler and Edmonson counties
Moved by Larry Murphy · seconded by Sam Small · unanimous roll call, all yes
- 12:18
passedEnter into contract with Brian Skinner RSA Advisor LCD for jail feasibility study at $7,500
Moved by Larry Murphy · seconded by Joe Barnes
- 14:35
passedHire Brittany Murphy as seasonal at $8.68/hour effective 5/26/21
roll call, all yes
- 14:57
passedHire Caleb Snyder as part-time seasonal at $8.68/hour effective 5/26/21
roll call, all yes
- 15:45
passedPay correction for Megan Bathe from $7.68 to $9.70/hour effective 5/23
roll call, all yes
- 16:30
passedPay correction for Tony Renfrow from $8.68 to $9.70/hour
- 19:23
passedEnter into agreement with Hydro Protex LLC for log jam removal near Rough River, authorizing judge to sign
Moved by Larry Murphy (Larry Cammerill said) · seconded by Joe Barnes
- 29:41
passedApprove purchase of senior center vehicle (van or SUV, whichever arrives soonest)
Transcript (28 segments)
- 0:00
[Music] they're good i call this meeting oh i can't fiscal court to order on this 25th day of may 2021 at 5 pm i'm going to ask larry moore for you to lead us in a prayer and place a flag lord we come to you tonight thanking you god for your many blessings what you're doing for us lord god we're so thankful that you're putting people back to work lord and you're opening our communities back up and lord we just thank you for everything that you do provide for us help us tonight lord that we would conduct this meeting and do it according to your word what you would have us to do in jesus name we ask amen amen i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god indivisible with liberty uh before you have the minutes of the
- 1:21
may 11th meeting uh need a motion to prove most of the sam's mom segment joe barnes uh is there any uh discussion corrections or additions to the maintenance uh it's being done on facebook all right like that minutes are approved before you have the bills claimed payments and transfers so motionballer camp second second but larry morpheus if you're any discussion can we look at maybe if there's any other planes out there to cover hot spot or anything mobile you probably already looked but i just noticed i've seen that kind of jump out of me this time i'll check with uh libby when she gets back and i don't think we have the same thing but kind of compares to what we do have right which i think you said you might already answered it i kind of heard you say it that might have been three months worth yeah that might have been why i didn't see anything what about the long distance have we
- 2:35
always been charged long distance uh now the cell phones is that your is that your land lines probably though joel i think our hot spots are about 700 a month [Music] the long distance on there so i thought well maybe we got to look around on the plans and see i don't know sometimes when you hit with them um well the long distance is for like the land mines that was kind of what i figured and our long distance bill is not 90 a month for the every county phone we have well see i've seen one it was like sitting forward and there was another one in here i didn't know well we get the cheapest long distance it's the touchdown okay further discussion behind on purpose bills and claims are paid uh treasures report police motion we acknowledge motion by
- 3:49
sam small that we acknowledge the treasures report second second but joe barnes is there any discussion any discussion being nine on favor say aye opposed like sign of some carrots next you have budget ordinance 20 21 dash three the second reading um i need a motion to approve you don't get back from the state we don't but we we talk to them and expect no changes whatsoever so what be proven is the very same one we've seen nobody got objection they're only working in the office on wednesdays so everything's been really slowed down on getting stuck back motioned by larry murphy second by larry kam disgust but there was they didn't see any nothing that we thought we'd have to adjust now i had to move something somewhere else but it was just from spot a to spot b and it made no difference in the bottom line question is this a record for time yes sir yes yes i think it is knowledge
- 5:01
okay uh ro com cam yes mark you yes small yes and i believe maybe that's since i've been to my uh 11th budget the hat i believe it's the only second one that ever passed unanimously so we've been getting what was i thinking i i'm really happy about it tip of the day does that mean a dinner for the court it does bribery to get through the rest of this year and think the budget man amendment 20 21 days forward budget amendment that has to do with that same pot of money we had to do before for the new budget that uh yep even though we won't spend any of it we have to put it in the budget it won't be spent this year out there the coffee we got the last meeting [Music] flight count
- 6:22
discussion i really don't know why they made us amended in because we're not going to spend it until next year that's what i was thinking because the the rescue my plan is for next year isn't it yeah but we got we got the money so we had to show them this year because the terrorist money was for this this year yeah but this won't be spent but we still have to put it in there okay we'll be able to be spent next year fiscal year yes if we can yeah all right if we can figure out how to do it so we have to amend our budget did we just pass because no no no it was already in the end we put it in that one but we had to put it in this one that we're working on is that earmarked answers uh it's in a special fund a federal fund and as of today i would say we're 99 unsure of what we can spend it on they have not given us guidance but we can't get interest on them but you can't use it for like necessity if emergency roads could use it for that well it depends on what emergency but probably not
- 7:34
no it it's probably not like you said there's a lot more we don't know than we do know about it and we're on these zoom meetings all the time and uh so far uh i'm trying to pick on somebody but uh anyone could have told us as much as the federal treasury did i've got a little two-page sheet that they sent out this kind of gives a broad overview i'll mail each one of you that copy so you'll just have some kind of idea okay hopefully this infrastructure plan passes that they're talking that'll be some money there for that you're talking about okay bro all right all the information all right supposed like saying that hiding back and spend all that california i'm hoping he'll spend a little bit uh yes yes johnson yeah uh ben's the guest didn't come so we put that off in the next maintenance uh but she's done a lot of
- 8:48
work on it kind of figure out our lines and everything we do know everybody runs in the same district they're in now next year reinforcements been put off technically for a year so everybody's in the same district now that they were 10 years ago won't be no roads at all changed no not until the middle of next year but then it don't go in effect until 2026. it'd be silly right now but i think because i mean we're just turning next year yet after this year you've got an election kind of a lot of confusion yeah but we'll do it but then it'll be it really won't be official uh for their filings or anything like that i think yeah uh larry you're up uh interlocal agreement for for a proposed regional jail nobody else i'm not exactly sure how the motion should read but it's just entered into the governmental agreement addressing the possibility of a new jail and it will be with ohio county brother county in edmondson county for the judges anything i need to add in that way for the judge to be able to execute for the judge to be able to execute the agreement do i have a set say second and sam small