Members of Meade County Fiscal Court worked through a lengthy business agenda during their regular monthly meeting Tuesday (3/10) night.
The court heard a update from Annie Hamilton, Executive Director of the Meade County Area Chamber of Commerce, on the growth within the past six months. Hamilton reported 33 events including five concerts with the Meade County Arts Council in the Brandenburg Riverfront Park. One of the events will include a visit by the only World War II landing ship scheduled for early fall. She also reported a drastic increase in membership and capacity attendance at the recent monthly luncheons.
Paul Sanders, District 4 Chief Engineer of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, provided the court with the annual plans for Rural Secondary Fund Improvements. Projects include resurfacing 3.4 miles of Kentucky 1158 between Kentucky 1600 and 333. Various slide repairs are planned along State Roads 228 and 993. The planned funds also include money for routine maintenance totaling $1,241,700 for Meade County.
Meade County Clerk Judy Jordan provided Fiscal Court excess fees in the amount of $104,462.59. Jordan and Sheriff Phillip Wimpee, representing also asked the court to consider replacing the current voting machines due fact the machines have came to the end of life and parts are longer available for repairs. Jordan said that the new machines would be all paper ballots based and to help ease costs the vendor recommends have one E-slate machine at each voting location, instead of each precinct.
Melissa Phillips of Smoke Free Meade County, spoke to magistrates about establishing an ordinance to public spaces smoke-free through-out the county. She provides some statistics to support the effort and said that ordinance would be similar to one’s in Hardin County and would include vaping products. Phillips said the intention was to protect employees and customers of businesses from the dangers of second hand smoke and would not ban smoking in homes or personal vehicles. Judge Executive Gerry Lynn said before any action would be entertained, magistrates would need to have a work session to discuss each part of the ordinance and then possibly proceed to a first reading depending upon the pleasure of magistrates. A work session and special called meeting was scheduled for March 26 at 7 pm.
The court was briefed on the latest efforts of preparations related to the Corona virus by Sara Jo Best with the Lincoln Trail Health Department. She said as of 5 pm Tuesday (3/10), there were 8 known cases in Kentucky with 200 people tested for the virus but no known cases have been found in the Lincoln Trail Health District. Best recommends regular hand washing and avoiding contact with large group of people and if you are sick stay home from work or school. She also urges the public to not over load the medical community by visiting an emergency room or medical clinic to do preventative checks for the virus. Many questions can be answered by visiting the Center for Disease Control website, the Lincoln Trail Health District’s website or by calling the 24 hour hotline at 800-722-5725.
In other business, fiscal court approved a bid to box swap a ambulance for Meade County EMS at a cost of $77,595. The box will be taken from current ambulance chassis and put onto a new cab and chassis. The court also approved to proceed with bids for new roll off dumpsters for the Solid Waste and Recycling Center. They also voted to proceed with moving forward toward the purchase of the a communications tower owned by Davis Communications in Flaherty. Inspections and other preliminary measures would need to be done before the county would purchase the property on Sand Ridge Road that has a 100 and 400 foot communication tower. The location would be a major resolve to two radio issues in the Flaherty area that improve communications with police, fire and EMS in the eastern portions of the county. Currently there are two tenants on the 400 foot tower and a possibility of lease interest from Hardin County to add antennas for the emergency services radios.
Meade County Sheriff Phillip Wimpee asked the court to fund a one new deputy position in his department to begin efforts to provide overlap in patrols as expected growth continues in the county. He based the need for the full time deputy on the influx traffic and other issues related to the Nucor project and the newly announced additions being made at Fort Knox which located 650 families into the county and surrounding area. Sheriff Wimpee said that calls for service through the County Dispatch Center has already 800 and that number does not include what his office receives during the regular business day. Judge Executive Lynn said that funding estimates would be given to magistrates to allow them to review the request properly and decide at a future meeting.
You can watch the entire regular meeting of Meade County Fiscal Court by visiting our “On Demand” section.
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