The Barren County Fiscal Court meets regularly in the Barren County Government building on the Glasgow Public Square. GN1 file photo
By Allyson Dix
For Glasgow News 1
The Barren County Fiscal Court met on Tuesday, Aug. 4, where several business items were approved, citizen members were appointed to the land use committee, and the court received a year-end review from the Barren River Drug Task Force.
Five citizen members were appointed to serve alongside the two magistrates and three members of the Joint City-County Planning Commission to begin work on drafting the language of a countywide zoning ordinance. The citizen members are Billy Beckham, Eric Snyder, Jamie Pendygraph, Josh Morris, and Sheila Steenbergen. The two magistrates already appointed are Marty Kinslow and Tim Coomer.
Ron Lafferty with the Barren River Drug Task Force shared his final year-end review as the agency’s director with the fiscal court, noting that in 2025, the task force led 78 drug-related investigations and removed approximately $3.2 million worth of drugs from the area. Magistrates unanimously passed a motion to approve the drug task force review.
In addition, several financial items were approved by magistrates, including two invoices from Thomas Oil and Fuel, totaling $6,877.40 for fuel used by the sheriff’s department during the first half of July, and two invoices totaling $17,534.87 from Aramark for jail inmate meals, priced at $1.85 each.
One personnel action was approved for a full-time employee at the Barren County Detention Center.
The court acknowledged the sheriff’s official receipt for property tax bills on limestone, sand, and gravel property, with the total being $5,762.32. The same was acknowledged for oil property, totaling $5,455.84.
An official certificate, also referred to as a quietus, was acknowledged by the fiscal court showing that Kent Keen, Barren County Sheriff, has collected and accounted for all property taxes for 2025.
The quietus states that Keen “presented his records of state property tax collections, exonerations, and other information necessary to satisfactorily explain his collection efforts.” It also states that the records have been examined by a qualified representative of the Department of Revenue and found to be correct and in order.
The court also approved its outstanding vendor claims totaling $62,252.24.
Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd reminded everyone that the last two town hall meetings will be held Aug. 10 at Park City Elementary School and Aug. 13 at Hiseville Elementary School. Both meetings are slated to run from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The town hall meetings are being held to foster discussions on countywide zoning, a move the county is currently considering. Individuals are invited to share suggestions and ask questions. Additionally, a box is stationed at the county judge-executive’s office for individuals to submit letters expressing their opinions on zoning.
The next fiscal court meeting will be Aug. 18, at 9 a.m. on the third floor of the Barren County Government Center, 117 N. Public Square, Glasgow.
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