Fiscal court approves property purchase, receipts of grants

BY MELINDA J. OVERSTREET
GLASGOW NEWS 1
The Barren County government is expected to close Wednesday on the purchase of a property that will be used primarily to store equipment and other items.
Barren County Fiscal Court agreed unanimously at its regular monthly meeting to buy the building that occupies 308, 310 and 312 S. Franklin St. for the initial purpose of storing equipment belonging to Glasgow-Barren County Emergency Management, which had been leasing space along South Lewis Street for its equipment such as its mobile command station trailer. The agency received notice in January, though, that the owner intended to sell that property and another location had to be found by mid-March. An arrangement was worked out so the items could be moved to the Franklin Street facility, known to some as having been a garage used by the Glasgow Police Department for its vehicles, while negotiations were occurring for the purchase.
The final price announced during the fiscal court meeting Tuesday was $359,297.24, and Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd said via message after the meeting when asked that the county would be paying for it outright rather than financing it.
Garland Gilliam, emergency management director, told Glasgow News 1 later Tuesday that the rent payments on the South Lewis location were $700 per month.
Gilliam said there is additional space that may be used to store other department’s equipment and/or records.
With all members present and all votes unanimous, other significant financial items aside from the payment of claims (bills) and such included:
— approval of the proposed $3.98 million budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1 for the Barren County Detention Center, which Magistrate Marty Kinslow, who chairs the budget committee, said is a roughly 14 percent increase over the prior year’s budget, and he named several reasons for why, starting with general inflation, affecting a range of items from insurance to utilities, and moving into items just as increasing the number of jailers, additional inmate clothing and facility maintenance;
— approval of accepting a grant of up to $200,000 from the governor’s office for half the cost of improving a low-water ford on Ritter’s Mill Road, with the county having responsibility for the other half. The total cost is estimated at roughly $300,000 to $310,000; and
— approval of receipt of $100,000 in Emergency Transportation Funds for work on a situation with a culvert along Ramp Road that results in flooding.
Multiple department heads and committee chairs provided general updates on the happenings in their respective areas, and among the other items approved were the increase of election commissioners’ pay from $100 to $200 per day for just the three days of early, no-excuse voting and Election Day; purchase and implementation of a digital time clock for payroll purposes; payment to VEI Communications for communication equipment for Barren County Sheriff’s Office in the amount of $4,559.71; and changes to the building and electrical inspection fees.
A list of possible surplus property is still being compiled, but Byrd said the goal is to have an auction toward the end of April.
Also during the meeting, a proclamation was read honoring military veteran Edwin F. Smith for his upcoming 100th birthday, which was reported separately at this link.
The meeting may be viewed on YouTube in its entirety at this link.