Beech Tree News Network

The second Monday of March came this week and with it the first regular meeting of the Butler County Fiscal Court. All memhers of the court - Stevie Givens, Johnny Tuck, Chad Tyree, David Whittinghill, and Bobby Morre - were in attendance, along with Judge-Executive David Fields and a group of interested onlookers.

After approving minutes from previous meetings, the court debated the first agenda item--procedures and criteria for adding roads into the county road list. Addressing the criteria for adding roads came about because of two contested roads:  Hidden Valley Road, and Eric Young Road. Both roads have had the addition process started multiple times and each time adding the roads has been voted down by the court. Both roads have also had improvements made at the expense of landowners to bring the roads up to code, but even with that were not accepted by the county.

County Attorney Dick Deye and Third District Magistrate Chad Tyree agreed at the last fiscal court meeting to begin updating and reworking the criteria for adding roads. Deye is handling the legal aspects of the criteria, with Tyree--a professional engineer by trade--looking at the physical requirements.

Deye reported that he had reviewed requirements from other counties and has examined state laws to come up with guidelines and a petition form for road addition. Tyree said he has a "very rough" set of guidelines for addition, but expressed that it was not yet ready to be read as a potential ordinance.

Fourth District Magistrate David Whittinghill suggested that the new criteria be brought back up at the court's March 28th meeting, with a work session next week to address the criteria.

No action was taken.

After discussing road addition criteria, the discussion of adding Hidden Valley Road and Eric Young Road was again brought up for discussion.

Much of the talk centered on whether or not the two roads would be evaluated using the old criteria or the revised standards.

Gary Robbins, owner of Hidden Valley Country Club, spoke briefly about his road request. Robbins said he has tried for over a year to get .20-miles of road added to the county road list. Robbins pointed out that he has been in business for 30 years and has done all the work of bringing his road up to code himself. He feels that even though the .20-mile addition would serve only one house, it would serve the public interest because it would make it easier to construct new houses along that stretch of road.

Kenneth Young--one of two landowners on Eric Young Road, asked for clarification about serving the public interest. Speaking of the criteria for adding roads Young said, "It has to be equal and fair to everybody."

Another speaker, Steve Arnold,  told the court to be sure and include provisions in their new criteria for different types of roads and situations.

Doran Wayne Shepherd expressed his displeasure at how a drainage problem has been handled on the county road that runs through his property.  Shepherd said that when there is heavy rain the tiles won't carry all the runoff, and it runs across the road and through his fields.

No action was taken on the addition of the two roads.

Sheriff Scottie Ward presented his excess fees from 2015 tax collection to the court. Ward gave magistrates a check for $36,554.65. The sheriff told the court that he owes one more payment on the department's Dodge pick-up cruiser, and that it could be paid off and another cruiser purchased for around $34,000. The court accepted the check without further discussion.

In other business the court approved a payment of $1,700.00 to the Barren River Area Development District for community aging services. They also voted 5-0 to hire Jerry Mellor as a temporary operator at Reed's Ferry while another employee is on medical leave.

Judge Fields announced that county clean-up days will be April 14-16. He also told the court that sign-ups for $100-mile litter abatement are underway.

After a brief closed session to discuss the possible purchase of property, the meeting was adjourned.

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Story by Joe K. Morris
Beech Tree News