To Lease or Buy
This photo was taken in July 2022 when the leased vehicles arrived ready for service. Pictured are former Judge/Executive Harold Stilts and Sheriff Lonnie Hodges. Photo | PJ Martin
By PJ Martin
Editor
The Herald-News
The Metcalfe County fiscal court held its regular meeting on Thursday, July 10th, with all the magistrates in attendance.
The agenda was adopted, and the minutes from the June 26th meeting were approved after motions by Magistrates Daniel Bragg and Harvey Hawkins.
Discussion on the creation of an ordinance in answer to SB63 began with County Attorney Sharon Howard telling the court, “This is the model ordinance sent to me by KACO, and we can eliminate some of it, or keep what we want.”
Treasurer Page Edwards stated that County Clerk Shannon Fields had been to a conference where, “They said you can be as strict or as lenient as you want. Some of them have even put a time limit, such as not after 10 p.m.”
Bragg said, “The only thing I would need to be in here (ordinance) is that those already farm-exempt vehicles would remain farm-exempt.”
Sheriff Lonnie Hodges was asked if he had any concerns, to which he answered, “I just think that the problem is going to be what it always is. It’s going to be what you don’t account for; it’s going to be teenagers. You have teenagers on these things tonight… People checking on cows and fixing fences have never been a problem. We’ve never encountered any problems with those guys.”
Other things were mentioned, such as anyone under 16 years old needs to be supervised by an adult, and a driver’s license is required. Operating mopeds was also mentioned.
“Some people are under the impression you do not have to have a driver’s license to drive a moped on their own on the roadway, and that’s not correct,” added Sheriff Hodges.
With two additions and several items not needed, Howard mentioned that it was going to be pretty much the same as the city’s ordinance.
The court held a first reading of the ordinance relating to street legal special purpose vehicles. After motions by Magistrates Kevin Crain and Ronnie Miller, the motion passed.
Vehicle Lease
The lease is expiring this month on the three sheriff’s, jailer’s, and EMS vehicles.
Sheriff Hodges explained, “I don’t think we have a choice, but to buy. If they came and got them right now, they take half our fleet. We own three, and we lease three. The three that we own are all over 100,000 (miles) right now. I think we buy these and then start in the future with next year.”
“Just buy a vehicle every year and stagger them where you can just replace one a year, instead of trying to replace them all at once. I think that’s the best route going forward.”
Treasurer Edwards stated that she received an email from the lease company about the lease ending, and she asked the price to purchase the five vehicles, and was told $148,000.05.
Hodges added, “Even if he called me today and said we’re going to renew the lease…I don’t think they could have cars on the ground by the end of July,” adding that it isn’t even installing the equipment in each vehicle, which is around $10,000.
Hodge also explained that for the last year, the county had been paying for the maintenance of the vehicles. “So, we’re paying a lease and the maintenance. That doesn’t add up to me. So, sounds like we own them already.”
Edwards added that all the maintenance was required by the lease to be done at the dealership, and that is more expensive.
“I’ll make a motion that we purchase these vehicles and give permission the Page (Edwards) to seek three-year finance,” said Bragg. The motion was seconded by Miller and approved.
Next were budget transfers, but there were no interfund transfers.
Claims were also approved.
Treasurer Edwards informed the court, “I did talk to Jason Neighbors last week. The fund for the monument for the Judge Emberton statue. They are sending us another check to be paid out to the people that are doing the statue. So, it’s still moving right along.”
Other Items
Miller asked about getting BRADD to come and do a presentation on the opioid project to the court. Judge/Executive Larry Wilson stated that he would be at BRADD later that day, and he would ask about it.
Miller asked again about the Chester Spradlin Road, “We do anything on that, not yet? All right, we need, we need to go out there. Measure again. What about the Jesse Cemetery? Still gonna turn it into gravel?”
It was decided that they needed to talk to the people who live on the road.
“Where are we at with the tax on the payment to the Health Department?” asked Miller, who had the idea to ask the library and extension office to each lower their tax rate 1.25% to offset the cost of the health department’s possible 2.5% tax that is needed.
After a short discussion, the meeting adjourned.
The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, July 24th at 9 a.m. in the Fiscal Court room.
