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Fiscal Court: Flex Fund Roads, 211, and County Roads

The Butler County Fiscal Court met in regular session on Monday night, April 11th. Absent from the meeting was Second-District Magistrate Johnny Tuck.

The first agenda item was a presentation from Greg Meredith with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet District 3. Meredith outlined the 2016-17 Rural Secondary road aid for Butler County. The county will receive a total of $1,384,472.00.

Meredith told the Court that 15%--$174,883--of the funds will be allocated to the Flex Fund program. $336,889.00 will be used to resurface 4.498 miles of Orange Cemetery Road, from KY 79 to KY 1083. Resurfacing of 4.624 miles of KY 2713 from KY 2269 to the Ohio County line will use $298,358.00 of the allocation. Chip-sealing the shoulders along the same section of road will cost $104,080.00. No action was needed by the Court.

Ellie Harbaugh, from United Way of Southern Kentucky showed a video to the Court, and discussed the agency's new 2-1-1 service. 2-1-1 will allow residents of the ten county Barren River Area Development District (BRADD) to receive information and access to services dealing with mental and physical health, housing and homeless shelters, aging and disability, employment, and substance abuse. Callers will be able to dial 211 on their phone to talk to operators about their concerns. The service would also be available to assist callers with information during an emergency or natural disaster.

Harbaugh said the United Way hopes to have the service taking calls in July, and be fully operational by December 2017. 2-1-1 will be available 8am until 5pm Monday through Friday, with expanded hours in the future. She said they expect to answer between 6,000 and 7,200 calls the first year, with those numbers increasing to up to 24,000 calls by the end of the third year.

The budget for the service will be approximately $150,000.00 for the first year, and will likely increase to $250,000.00 by year 3. 2-1-1 is currently available in the Louisville, Lexington, and Northern Kentucky areas, and is 61% funded by local governments. The rest of the funding comes from grants, endowments, and donations.

Harbaugh asked the Court to consider budgeting $7,500.00 to help fund the service. She pointed out that many of the calls that would go to 2-1-1 are currently handled by 9-1-1 dispatch. She said funding requests are based on the population of a given area, and told the Court that the United Way asked Bowling Green for $50,000.00.

No action was taken by the Court.

County Attorney Dick Deye presented the Court with a final draft of the new ordinance dealing with adding roads to the county road system. The packet presented by Deye contained the ordinance, forms, and petitions to be submitted when a request is made to add a road to the system.

Deye told the Court he had added language to the ordinance that allows the county to waive certain requirements for roads if there are extenuating circumstances, such as, but not limited to the inability to meet right of way requirements. Deye also said that nothing in the ordinance precludes the county's right of claiming imminent domain when adding roads.

After some minor language changes suggested by Third-District Magistrate Chad Tyree the first reading of the ordinance was passed by a 4-0 vote.

Magistrate Chad Tyree told the Court that he would like $400 in funding to purchase equipment necessary to record and archive Fiscal Court meetings on video. Tyree said the Court will need a video camera, tripod, and a hard drive to store the video. The Court approved his request by a 4-0 vote.

Tyree also asked County Judge-Executive David Fields if there was any progress toward making up the budget shortfall of the 911 Dispatch service. Fields told Tyree that the budget is in the process of being written, but no progress has been made.

In other business the Court transferred a reimbursement in the amount of $23,820.14 from the General Fund into the Road Fund. The money was received from FEMA for Road Department expenses during the snowstorm of March 18, 2015. Also approved was the allocation of $133,427.00 of road aid monies received from the state. The magistrates also approved a 2-year renewal with KACO for all county insurance lines.

The Court approved a bid from Flener Fence to install fencing and gates at the Butler County Animal Shelter. The cost of making two runs to exercise animals will be $2,800.00 for fencing and $1,800.00 for gates. The money spent on the project has been either raised or donated to the Animal Shelter and can only be used for Animal Shelter projects.

Butler County Solid Waste Enforcement Officer Corey Raymer reported to the Court that everything is ready for County Cleanup Days on April 14th-16th. Raymer said that dumpsters have been delivered and that residents can drop off their items between the hours of 7am and 6pm at the County Barn on Boat Factory Road. Fourth-District Magistrate David Whittinghill told the Court he will be volunteering all three days to help out with Cleanup Days. Whittinghill said it is a good opportunity to meet with citizens and hear their concerns.

After a half-hour closed session the Court approved advertising for a full-time ferry operator at the Rochester Ferry. The deadline to apply for the position will be April 27th at 3pm.

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