With Ronnie Stinson absent, the six remaining Barren County magistrates met on Jan. 21 for the regularly scheduled monthly meeting. Michael Crimmins/Glasgow News 1
By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
Barren County Magistrates gave their unanimous approval to seek bids for the Agriculture Exposition Center design and architecture during the Jan. 21 fiscal court meeting.
County judge-executive Jamie Bewley Byrd began pursuing the project — for which plans were drafted in 2004 — in 2023 with a “pitch meeting” that included some local, state and federal people including leaders from Hart and Edmonson counties.
In April 2024, Community Development Specialist with the Barren River Area Development District Matt Pedigo asked the fiscal court to sign a resolution for the $40 million project as a show of support.
The center would be built near, if not connected to, the Cave Area Conference Center.
With Hart County’s support, Byrd said, the center qualified as a multi-county project and therefore qualified for the $1 million set aside by the State Senate and House to “get the project going.”
Byrd said Kentucky Agriculture Commissioner Jonathan Shell was in support of the project, commenting he had some events he might consider moving there.
She also said this vote did not require any money from the county and that the state would cover at least the initial cost.
In other news, the magistrates did not discuss the Park City Amphitheater design cost as planned. Byrd said she had only received one bid, but wanted to wait to discuss the cost until she could have it deemed multi-county.
They also did not vote on the fraud agreement. County clerk Helena Chase Birdwell requested they “pause” entering into the contract with Fidlar Technologies as the clerk’s office recording firm has “pilot” program they are offering at no charge to the county.
The next fiscal court meeting will be Feb. 4 since the magistrates opted to meet the first and third Tuesdays each month at 9 a.m. with the first mostly dedicated to bill payments.
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