More Money Troubles

By PJ Martin

Editor, The Herald-News

 

The Metcalfe County fiscal court met in regular session on Tuesday, October 22, with magistrates Ronnie Miller, Daniel Bragg, Harvey Hawkins, and Kevin Crain present; Judge/Executive Larry Wilson, Clerk Lorrie Gilpin, Finance Officer Megan England, Treasurer Connie Taylor, and for the Herald-News, PJ Martin. County Attorney Sharon Howard was absent due to illness.

 

Judge Wilson declared a quorum present, and before approving the agenda, Bragg made a motion that a Closed Session for personnel matters be added to the agenda. Crain seconded, and it was approved.

 

The minutes from the October 13^th meeting were approved with motions by Bragg and Crain.

 

Discussion of an advancement from the Nursing Home Funds was next. Judge Wilson explained that he had been talking with Treasurer Taylor. “We just don’t have enough money in there (general fund). We didn’t know if we could get $300,000. Our taxes are slow coming in.”

 

Taylor replied, “You all approved $100,000 last week. I only moved $72,000, because we don’t have to pay that back to the road fund. Because we can borrow so much without having to pay it back. That did take care of the $25,000 jail fund, but we still have the $162,000 insurance and $36,000 health department tax. We’ve got payroll for next month, which runs somewhere around $124,000. That’s just for hourly workers. Monthly payroll is around 47,000. We also have election expenses. So, I pulled what we spent in May, and that runs somewhere around $44,000. We’ve got $236,000 in bank and general fund.”

 

In the discussion, it was asked how much interest the nursing home sale account had drawn, and Judge Wilson looked at the paperwork and answered $16,167 as of September 30^th. Bragg made a motion to withdraw the year’s interest of $165,000 and not touch the principal money. The motion was seconded by Hawkins and approved.

 

Next, Judge Wilson gave an update on the road Camilla Shive asked to be a county road. “She brought me a deed that says that part of that road had been deeded by landowners Frazier Hodges and Mitchell’s,” said Judge Wilson, adding that there was still no road name. He asked Crain if he had talked to the residents on the road and if they were in agreement. Crain replied that the road had been used since 1962, but the owners were not agreeing to rights-of-way.

 

Road Supervisor Chris Compton and Crain are going to check the road’s conditions, and they will go through the process as usual. The item was tabled until the next meeting.

 

A request for a telecommunications franchise was received, and Judge Wilson asked that the magistrates read over the packet of material, and it would be discussed at the next meeting.

 

Next, the court went into a closed session to discuss personnel. Upon their return a few minutes later, Judge Wilson stated that no action was taken in closed session.

 

Emergency Management Director Adam Bennett addressed the court with, “You have in your packet a letter saying that North Metcalfe Rescue Squad received funding. The total is $36,111.63. That is partial… Rescues still have to do a match. But that is to buy radios, and that is a State Rescue Grant that comes out every year. I didn’t get the contract in time to send it out in your packets. The contract has since come in.”

 

“I’ll make a motion that we give Larry permission to sign the rescue squad grant contract,” said Miller, and Crain seconded the motion, which passed.

 

Also, a yearly Statewide Emergency Management Mutual Aid and Assistance Agreement was discussed. It is an agreement to work with other emergency personnel and counties in times of emergency. The motion to accept the agreement was made by Crain, seconded by Hawkins, and approved.

 

Next was an update on the grocery store situation. Judge Wilson explained, “We have someone that’s interested. I can’t give details, but I just want to make you aware of it. We have someone interested in putting in a store, a grocery store. I told them, with the court’s approval, we could give them the RDAPP funds, which is $153,000… I’ve talked to Aaron Jones in Frankfort. The project would be eligible…we could consider… $300,000. to help get it going.”

 

He then advised that it would need to be set up through BRADD, “It would have to go through a process, a contract, and then we would award it after it had passed all the criteria, and also, we would have to take bids.”

 

Bragg questioned how if it was already voted on and passed that the Industrial Board get the RDAPP money. It was explained that the board only passed a motion for Lisa Boswell to ask fiscal court for the funds. She has not.

 

A vote wasn’t needed since Judge Wilson was only providing an update.

 

Financials

 

The September and first quarter (FY 26-27) financial reports were approved. Along with one budget transfer and two interfund transfers.

 

The claims held nothing unusual, and they were approved.

 

The DES, recycling, and road department reports were provided for review.

 

Other Business

 

“I got an email from Jeremy Reinhardt,” said Judge Wilson. His girlfriend, Amber West, tragically drowned a couple of months ago. He would like to change the road name to Amber West Memorial. Wilson stated that they couldn’t do that, but he would like for them to help Reinhardt raise money to put up a sign there with the landowner’s permission.

 

With no other business on the agenda, the meeting then adjourned.