Beech Tree News Network

Courthouse renovations, road aid funds, and an issue from 2010 that has resurfaced recently dominated the discussions at the Monday night meeting of the Butler County Fiscal Court. The meeting was the regular meeting for April and all members were in attendance, as well as some visitors, including former Butler County Sheriff Joe Gaddie.

To open the meeting 5th District Magistrate Keith Daugherty asked that the minutes from the regular March meeting be amended to withdraw a motion to add Overlook Drive into county road maintenance.

Magistrates then entered into a lengthy debate concerning bids for replacement of doors, woodwork repair, and painting at the Butler County Courthouse. Judge Fields reported that no bids were received to do the entire job, with several persons bidding parts of the work. 4th District Magistrate David Whittinghill told the Court that he had talked to Bowling Green Glass and they were willing to submit an estimate on the work.

2nd District Magistrate Johnny Tuck moved to award the bid to Butler County resident Norman Burden who had given an estimate for the entire job, and the motion received a second from 3rd District Magistrate Chad Tyree. Whittinghill asked Judge Fields if the job could be rebid. Fields explained that in order for the Administrative Office of the Courts to pay their portion of the repair costs, $21,959.80, that the repairs must be completed by May 31st.

Whittinghill then expressed that he thought bids should be taken again on the job. Judge’s Secretary Kim West explained that rebidding the job would take several weeks because the bid would need to be advertised, then bids received and opened. Fields told Whittinghill if the work was to be completed and the reimbursement received from the AOC, that there was no time to waste.

Burden’s complete bid of $62,987.00 requires that the court pay half the cost of the front and end doors be paid up front, a total of $12,493.50. Judge Fields told the Court that Burden’s bid didn’t cover the rollup door at the jail or the jail guardrails. He said that work could be bid at a later date. Fields also said an automated handicapped opener wouldn’t be installed on the end door because of security concerns, and could be added later for around $2,500 if it became needed.

A vote was called on the motion with David Whittinghill voting against the measure, and the rest of the magistrates voting in favor. The motion to award the job to Burden passed 4-1, and a subsequent motion to pay half the cost of the doors to Burden passed 5-0.

Next Judge Fields asked the court to reappoint Brenda Longhofffer, Terrell House, and Doug Odle to the Tourism Commission for another one-year term. The motion passed 5-0.

Road Flex Funds were the next item of discussion. Stevie Givens reported that he had learned at a recent meeting that Flex Funds had been cut for Butler County by half for this fiscal year, to approximately $140,000. The cut represents half of the ten-percent of total state road aid that is allotted the county for flexible road projects. Some discussion opened about how the Flex Funds should be split between districts, but no action was taken. Judge Fields instructed the squires to consider how they would like to handle the Flex Funds and it would be discussed at the next meeting. However a resolution was passed by a 5-0 vote to accept the Flex Funds.

Tim West, County Road Supervisor, reported that needed changes and improvements to Eric Young Road had been made and it was not suitable to be included on the county maintenance roster. 1st District Magistrate Stevie Givens said he would feel better about the project if magistrates could inspect the road again before deciding to add it to county maintenance. It was agreed that the road could be inspected again, and the first reading of a motion to add the road to county maintenance passed by a 5-0 vote.

Sheriff Scottie Ward presented his first quarter report to the Court next. Ward said that his financial numbers were roughly comparable to last year, with the only major difference coming from income related to issuing Carry Concealed Weapon permits. Ward said that in the first quarter of 2013 he had processed more CCW permits than in all of 2012, a total of 140.

Next, 3rd District Magistrate Chad Tyree addressed the Court concerning actions taken in the Court’s meeting on March 10, 2010. At that time the Court instructed County Attorney Dick Deye to ask the Attorney General to open an investigation in to then sheriff Joe Gaddie. Gaddie had allegedly used his sheriff’s cruiser while actively campaigning for the primary election.

Tyree read a letter given him by Gaddie from John Estill of the Kentucky Sheriff’s Association in response to a letter sent him by Dick Deye in 2010. The letter asks that the court withdraw the request for the investigation of Gaddie.

Judge Fields questioned County Attorney Deye about the matter. Deye said that he had asked for the investigation, and had corresponded with Ryan Halloran at the Attorney Generals office about the investigation, but never heard further about any actions taken by the Attorney General’s Office. Deye said to his knowledge a special investigation of Gaddie’s alleged actions was never undertaken. The court took no action on the matter.

Keith Daugherty moved again to add Overlook Drive into county maintenance. Daugherty reported that the road served six households, and it was in the public interest to add the road. Having viewed the road previously and a hearing had been held Monday at 5:30 about adding the road, the squires moved 5-0 to pass the motion.

Daugherty then addressed the Court concerning litter on county roadsides. Daugherty thinks an effort in conjunction with county schools could help change mindsets of young people concerning littering.

Judge Fields joked that if the Court could come up with a fix for Butler County’s litter problem it could be sold to every municipality in the world. Fields agreed that something needs to be done to help curtail the problem. He thinks the addition of a Jail Work Crew to help clean state roads could help the problem.

This led to discussion of upcoming county cleanup days coming on Thursday-Saturday, April 18-20. Judge Fields said that the city and county would work in conjunction this year with the County Road Barn used as a holding area for trash. Woodbury City Commissioner Joe K. Morris told the Court that Woodbury would be providing dumpsters for residents to use on the same weekend. Morris also told the Court he had discussed littering and illegal dumps in the Butler County Park at Woodbury, and along the road to the boat ramp at the old Woodbury Ferry. The Woodbury Commissioner said the campground at Woodbury has gotten much use lately, and by informing campers that their license plate numbers had been recorded some of the littering in the campground had been alleviated.

Judge Fields told the Court that the county has applied for a solid waste grant to place 9 recycling trailers throughout the county. Fields thinks the opening of Tracy Hack’s Star-Tek Recycling facility would help greatly with the litter problem.

Magistrate David Whittinghill asked to schedule a work session this month to discuss the county’s proposed nuisance ordinance. The meeting was set for April 19th.

Judge Fields reminded the Court that the May meeting will be held at the Provo Rural Development on May 13th.

The Court then entered into closed session to discuss a personnel matter. When the court returned to open session the meeting was adjourned.