Beech Tree News Network

Monday night, February 10th, marked the regular meeting night for the Butler County Fiscal Court. All members were present along with a handful of visitors who braved bitter cold temperatures to attend the meeting.

Justin Young, from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet in Bowling Green addressed the Court concerning Rural Secondary Road Funds for the upcoming fiscal year. Young told the Court that the county will receive $1,563,741 in total funding.

The allotment includes; $606,000 for routine secondary road maintenance on 139.3 miles of road at $4,350 per mile, $3,862 for County Judge Expenses, and $209,906 for flex fund projects.

Funding had also been allotted for four larger road projects in Butler County.

Woodbury Loop, Hwy 403, will receive 4.916 miles of resurfacing. The new pavement will start in Woodbury at approximately School House Road and follow Woodbury Loop to the intersection of Hwy 231 in Morgantown. The cost will be $376,449.

Ky 1187 from the intersection with Ky 3205, to the intersection of Ky 1153 will receive 3.640 miles of resurfacing at the cost of $244,120.

A total of 1.403 miles of Ky 2713 will also be resurfaced at a cost of $104,327. Resurfacing will start at the intersection of Hwy 79 to 1,200 feet north of the intersection with Ky 2269.

New guardrails to protect bridge ends and embankment slopes on Hwy 340 will be installed at a cost of $19,077.

The Court voted 5-0 to accept the state's proposal.

Next bids were awarded for materials and construction for the McKendree Chapel bridge project. Pending approval by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet the bids were awarded as follows. The material bid was awarded to E & H Bridge and Grading at a cost of $39,688 for a 25'x24' bridge package. The installation was awarded to Do-All Construction at the cost of $65,280.

Magistrates approved both bids by 5-0 votes.

Randy Grubb was rehired as a seasonal County Road Department employee. Grubb's hiring was approved 5-0, and he will start on March 1st as a Tier III Operator at $11.50 per hour.

County Court Clerk Shirley E. Givens presented her maximum salary to the Court as set by the State. Givens' 2014 salary will be $82,130.59. She also presented her final settlement for 2013 to the Court. A check was given to the squires for $158,576.79. Both items of business were passed by 5-0 votes.

Sheriff Scottie Ward was next to address the Court. He presented his state-mandated salary for 2014 to the magistrates. His salary will be $82,130.59. Magistrates accepted the salary by a 5-0 vote.

Kathern Jennings, Dewayne McKinney, and Greg Drake from the Butler County Small Business Incubator Program, along with program participant John Blanford, spoke to the Court about the program.

Greg Drake told the squires that since the program got its initial funding in 2010--$10,000 from the Fiscal Court, later matched by the Morgantown City Council, that approximately 15 people had gone through the program. Drake said three businesses had graduated from the program; Blanford Auto Sales, Sew Perfect, and Charlie Biggs Chicken.

John Blanford said that he benefitted from the program, and didn't think his business would have gotten off to as good a start without the program. "All in all it was a tremendous help in getting started," said Blanford.

Judge Fields told the Court that one benefit of the program was that some participants decided not to open their business, thereby saving them the cost of opening a business that wouldn't succeed. Drake agreed and added that those savings, combined with an increased tax base made the program beneficial to the county.

The representatives turned in their application for more funding, and said they had enough funds left to train one more participant. No action was taken, nor needed, by the Court.

Next the Court approved the pre-budgeted $35,000 annual allotment for the Butler County Soil Conservation Service by a 5-0 vote.

Magistrates were then presented with two names to fill a vacancy on the Butler County Library Board of Trustees, Tristan Evans and Brenda Jenkins. The vacancy was caused by the resignation of Suzanne Brosnan from the Board. Third District Magistrate Chad Tyree moved to appoint Jenkins to the Board and the motion passed by a 5-0 vote.

The Court next passed a resolution on behalf of the Tennessee Valley Authority. The resolution asks the General Assembly to pass legislation during the current legislative session which re-directs a portion of the in-lieu tax payments that the TVA pays to the state back to TVA counties for job creation and economic development. The resolution passed 5-0.

The Squires next passed a pass-thru grant funding to the Butler County Ambulance Service in the amount of $10,000.

Third District Magistrate Chad Tyree asked the Court to change a road name in the Logansport community to eliminate confusion. Tyree said the road is currently named both Cromwell Road and Big Bend Road. Magistrates voted 5-0 to rename the road Big Bend Road to match the current 9-1-1 naming of the road.

After handling routine bills and transfers, and other monthly business the meeting was adjourned.

Story by Joe K. Morris, Beech Tree News