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\nMembers of Meade County Fiscal Court met during a special called meeting Thursday (10\/12) night at the Meade-Breck Center in Rhodelia.<\/p>\n
\nMembers of Meade County Fiscal Court met during a special called meeting Thursday (10\/12) night at the Meade-Breck Center in Rhodelia.<\/p>\n
The purpose of the meeting was to allow the public in western area of the county easier access to county government. During the nearly two and half hour meeting, the first item of discussion was the proposed merger of the Wolf Creek and Battletown Fire Departments. The court heard continuing information related to the petition from Battletown Fire District Secretary Kay Hamilton and Wolf Creek Fire Chief Teddy Smith. The fifty minute discussion centered on if the residents of Wolf Creek had adequate fire protection from the department.<\/p>\n
During the September meeting, Smith said the he had asked for the merger but the Battletown Fire District Board wasn’t not willing to allow representatives from the Wolf Creek to sit on their board. He also stated that he was unsure how the fire department’s property would be disbursed after the merger had occurred. During the this month’s meeting, Smith asked magistrates to table the issue for another month to allow him to raise money to get legal representation on situation.<\/p>\n
Kay Hamilton addressed some questions from the court concerning the board situation. She told Fiscal Court members that only seven members could be on the fire protection board at any given time as stated in Kentucky law. She also said the positions had specific qualifications with the terms varying between three and four year terms to be elected to. She also noted that Battletown Fire Department had helped get Wolf Creek’s Department into compliance in an attempt to provide help. She said that state mandated training hours had not been met from the members to allow the department to function. Smith told magistrates that yes 20 training hours were needed but they had until the end of the June 2024 to receive the training meet the state guidelines. Smith said that he felt the merger was a fair in trade and accused the Battletown board clearing out web page documents related to the Wolf Creek Department. After the discussion, magistrates voted in favor of the merger petition and approved the first reading of an ordinance to merge the two departments. The court should have the second reading during their November meeting. <\/p>\n
The court continued discussion related to request to hire a detective for the County Attorney’s office. The request was made during the September meeting by County Attorney Sidney Durham. Durham said the detective would work under the guidance of the Meade County Sheriff’s Department to investigate calls and situations to determine if the situation are criminal or civil in nature. Sheriff Phillip Wimpee said that complain volume has increased that he is having a difficult time to keep deputies on the road to responder to calls and serve paper work. He said the addition of the County Attorney’s investigative request has put additional strain on his under department. Magistrates are asking where the additional $45,000 of funding will come from within the county budget. Durham and Wimpee have agreed to work the Fiscal Court to find a workable solution to reduce the work load. The court took no action on the issue. <\/p>\n
In other business, the court approved setting Trick or Treat hours across the rural areas of the county from 5:30 until 8 PM on October 31. Judge Executive Troy Kok asked the court to approve a County Line of Succession in the event that something happens to him, county government can continue to operate without having to call an emergency meeting to make appointments. The proposed and approved line would be the magistrates in this order by time of service and experience on the court. Steve Wardrip, Gary Chapman, Tom Goddard, Eli Dix, Billy Sipes and then Trey Webb. The court also approved an update to the EMS operating policy. <\/p>\n
The court heard and approved the second reading of the Animal Shelter and Control ordinance and the first reading of a Heavy Industrial ordinance. Magistrates approved a easement for access to the Brandenburg Waste Water Treatment Plant with Nucor. County Attorney Durham asked the court to terminate a electrical inspector contract with a 60 day notice. She said this would allow Planning and Zoning to renegotiate terms with the inspector for the Nucor project to clear up current confusion. The court approved two interlocal agreements for recycling community partners of the city of Brandenburg and Larue County.<\/p>\n
Judge Kok announced that the November meeting will be a special called meeting Tuesday, November 13 at the Flaherty Fire Station 1.<\/p>\n