By Melinda J. Overstreet / Glasgow News 1
Barren County Fiscal Court agreed unanimously Tuesday to authorize the Glasgow mayor and/or mayor-elect to acquire an appraisal and survey and negotiate a property purchase for 107 Ford Drive, the former location of the Barren County Jail, from the fiscal court.
The city is interested in the property for parking for the Glasgow Department of Public Works, which has been on property that has recently been sold to the Barren County Public Properties Corp. for the new justice center project.
The Glasgow Common Council had approved a similarly worded resolution last week.
The decision followed a closed session of approximately 45 minutes for discussions relating to litigation and property, into which Glasgow Mayor Harold Armstrong was invited for a portion of the time.
All members of the fiscal court were present this, its final regular meeting of 2022, with only two of the eight returning in 2023. At the conclusion of the other business, Judge-Executive Micheal Hale expressed exasperation over certain unresolved matters involving his custody of one of a group of horses the county seized after it was discovered they were not receiving proper care.
“Everyone knows I have a horse at my house, and I’ve asked this court to advise me what to do with it, and they have not advised me. They don’t even want to talk about it. This is a special-needs horse; it’s on its last days. It’s something that just can’t be by itself,” he said.
He said that veterinarian Steve Webb had stated in writing why the horse needed to be separated from the others and discussed the care it needed, and Hale said the horse has been given that care – “and some.”
“After the first of the year, no, I don’t feel like I should have it in my possession, but I can tell you this, I’ll take care of it. For 18 months, we’ve saved the county $15 a day, which is what we were paying originally [for boarding], so that’s somewhere in the neighborhood of $7,000 to $8,000, plus medical bills that we’ve paid. We’ve took care of it and haven’t asked for a dime of that back. So, I don’t have any guidance for what to do with it. I foresee the sheriff coming to the house and removing the horse, which, she’s pretty weak and removing her could cause injury and anything like that,” Hale said.
He said he just wanted to give them those numbers “and to tell you guys, the election’s over.”
“Let’s make it about the horses now, not about how you can ruin Judge Hale or get him beat or anything like that,” Hale said.
He asked whether any of them would like to hear from Webb and whether any of them had previously spoken with him. After about 8 seconds of silence, Hale said he was, once again, on his own, and he would stay that way.
He provided each of the five departing magistrates, Trent Riddle, Carl Dickerson, Mark Bowman, Kenneth Sartin and Billy Houchens; the departing county attorney, Kathryn Thomas; and the retiring deputy judge-executive and the fiscal court clerk, Nancy Houchens and Sherry Jones, respectively, the opportunity to make closing statements, which all did. Hale made additional comments himself then before the meeting adjourned.
Prior to that, other business included:
–Hale had issued an executive order Nov. 23 certifying an emergency existed that required his immediate authorization to order a new snow plow for a dump truck and installation, with a total expenditure of $6,108, due to the timely availability of the equipment, and he requested that claim, which was for $7,404, toward construction at the South Cooper Industrial Park, both of which were approved unanimously as parts of one motion.
–The county clerk’s monthly report, subject to audit; 2023 fee-office budget; and a request for the recordings department’s operating cash drawer amount to be increased were all approved unanimously.
Barren County Attorney Kathryn Thomas, from left, chats with Magistrates Jeff Botts, Trent Riddle and Carl Dickerson just prior to Tuesday’s Barren County Fiscal Court meeting. Melinda J. Overstreet / Glasgow News 1
–The sheriff’s 2023 fee-office budget and a resolution officially allowing him to make the expenditures for body armor and for patrol rifles and ammunition, the funding for which will be reimbursed from Kentucky Department of Homeland Security grant funds, were approved unanimously.
–Magistrate Tim Coomer announced on behalf of the Building and Property Committee that work to improve the drainage around the Barren County Health Department building had been completed and they had received the final bill for that. Additional work is still needed to repair damage done by leaks, but he said they want to make sure the other work is going to accomplish what is needed first.
–An ordinance setting the speed limit on Frontage Road at 25 miles per hour, after time was provided for public comments and there being none, was approved unanimously.
–Payment of claims (bills) was approved 7-1, with Magistrate Carl Dickerson asking afterward to comment about his vote and stating that for 20 years, he’d frequently cast the only opposing vote, so he just wanted to make sure he did it one more time, as this was his last meeting.
Amid laughter around the room, Hale grinned but said Dickerson had just voted not to pay the people who work for the county. A transfer of funds; a budget adjustment; the November financial statement, subject to audit; November’s official settlements for the county attorney, county clerk and sheriff, subject to audit, were all approved unanimously. Hale pointed out that a budget adjustment is when money that is already in the budget is moved to another place in the budget, but a budget amendment is when additional funds are placed in the budget, and he advised the magistrates-elect in the audience to remember that.
Barren County Attorney Kathryn Thomas, right, chats with Magistrates Tim Coomer, from left, Mark Bowman, Kenneth Sartin and Billy Houchens just prior to Tuesday’s Barren County Fiscal Court meeting. Melinda J. Overstreet / Glasgow News 1
–Upon recommendation from the Barren County Extension District, two individuals were appointed to fill vacancies on that board – Donnie Alexander and Sarah Shirley – 7-1, with Coomer casting the sole opposition vote.
–A resolution designating the Barren County Economic Authority as a special-purpose government entity so it could receive Tennessee Valley Authority funds under the Rural Development Agency Assistance Program and authorizing application for up to $153,846, along with associated authorizations, was approved unanimously.
–A resolution ratifying a May resolution by the local soccer cooperative among the City of Glasgow, Barren County Fiscal Court and the Glasgow and Barren County school systems to allow Hale to execute a property transfer with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for $66,800 for land along Ky. 1297 needed for a road-widening project was approved unanimously.
–First reading, followed by a declaration of emergency, and second reading of an ordinance amending an existing county ordinance that relates to collection of the transient room tax were approved unanimously. The amendment reflects a change in state law that takes effect in January that allows collection of transient room taxes from third-party brokers and facilitators for rentals that include online bookings like Airbnb and Vrbo, and campsites, etc.
–First reading of a budget amendment, followed by a declaration of emergency, and second reading of a budget amendment were approved unanimously.
Comments