Beech Tree News Network

The Butler County Fiscal Court met in special session on Thursday night. All the magistrates were present, but County Judge-Executive David Fields was absent. First District Magistrate Stevie Givens presided over the meeting. Several visitors were also present for the meeting that was held in the auxiliary meeting room behind the Judge’s Office.

The first agenda item was passage of several BRADD mandated resolutions pertaining to the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for the new senior citizen center. The resolutions were; Cost Overrun Resolution, Fair Housing Resolution, Procurement Standards Resolution, Program Income Resolution, Residential Anti-displacement Letter, Residential Anti-displacement Resolution, Section 3 Plan, Signatory Resolution, Title VI Resolution, and Written Assurances.

A motion was made by Fourth District Magistrate David Whittinghill at Monday night's meeting to pass the resolutions, and seconded, but was tabled at the request of Third District Magistrate Chad Tyree.

After the motion was taken off the table Thursday night, Magistrate Tyree questioned some of the language in the resolutions, and asked if there could be changes. Specifically, Tyree was concerned about the Procurement Standards Resolution.

County Attorney Dick Deye told Tyree that the CDBG is governed by the governmental 'golden rule.' Deye told the Court, "He that controls the gold, makes the rules." Deye then urged the Court to pass the resolutions.

Magistrate Givens then called for a vote on the motion from Monday's meeting, and it passed by a 4-0 vote.

Next, the squires turned their attention to the second reading of an ordinance setting criteria and procedures for adding roads to the county road system. Without discussion Magistrate Whittinghill moved to pass the ordinance, with Fifth District Magistrate Bobby Moore providing the second. The motion passed 4-0.

A lengthy discussion then opened dealing with a proposed mandatory fire dues ordinance.

County Attorney Deye reported that he had made changes to the ordinance on Thursday to clarify the fees collected by the Sheriff's and PVA's offices for collecting the dues, which would be added to property tax bills. Deye said the up to a 4.25% fee can be collected by the sheriff. The collected fees would then be split with 80% going to the sheriff and 20% going to the PVA.

Deye told the Court that the State Auditor says that the sheriff's prohibited from making payments to the PVA. He said that Edmonson County--whose fire dues ordinance provided the basis for the Butler County ordinance--has individual fire departments make the payment to the PVA. Deye included language in the new ordinance that would give 3.25% of collected dues to the sheriff, with 1% going to the PVA office.

Deye also voiced concerns over district boundaries, especially those that include the out of county Bear Creek and Beaver Dam Fire Departments. He told the Court that there is nothing illegal about making payments from the dues to departments outside the county. Magistrate Whittinghill and Emergency Management Director Richard Henderson stated that it was important to keep existing fire district boundaries in place in order to prevent changes in fire ratings, which could cause increases in some fire insurance rates. Henderson explained that fire districts statewide are drawn to provide the best coverage and are not bound by county lines.

Ronald Givens, from the Morgantown Fire Department, spoke to the Court with concerns about residents being able to opt out of the dues, and the fact that the proposed ordinance could cause the MFD to have a reduction in funding. Givens said that Morgantown residents would be exempt from the dues because they pay a fire insurance tax. He said that his research had revealed that Woodbury residents would be exempt as well because of an insurance premium tax which contains a fire tax. That, combined with reduction of the fire tax enacted by the Morgantown City Council, would adversely affect the MFD's funding.

Magistrate Whittinghill said that Edmonson County reports around 90% participation for their mandatory fire dues. Richard Henderson said that Butler County could expect close to the same participation rate after five years. He cited growing pains and said residents would eventually accept the mandatory $25 fire dues as the cost of growing and improving local fire departments. The fee would only apply to two deeds per district, with a maximum of ten deeds per property owner in the county.

More discussion was then had about fire district boundaries. The fire districts in Butler County were drawn by the Barren River Area Development District (BRADD). Magistrate Whittinghill pointed out that the districts are roughly equal in terms of numbers of residents per district. He stated that adjusting district lines could cause some departments to be underfunded by the new plan.

Magistrate Givens suggested that no action be taken until discussions with PVA Susanne Brosnan, Sheriff Scottie Ward, and Fire Chiefs from each of the county fire departments. At the urging of County Attorney Dick Deye the sheriff, PVA, and chiefs and assistant chiefs from county fire departments will be asked to attend the next regular meeting of the Fiscal Court to discuss the fire dues ordinance.

No action was taken on the ordinance.

The magistrates next voted 4-0 to pay $23.50 to file the deed for property for the new Leonard Oak boat ramp.

The final agenda item for the Court's open session was discussion of the proposed budget for fiscal year 2016-17.

Magistrate David Whittinghill again voiced his displeasure at a line in the budget allotting $3,000.00 for economic development through the Bowling Green Area Chamber of Commerce. Whittinghill questioned the funding at Monday's regular session, and stated that he couldn't see that the funding did any good for the county. Magistrate Bobby Moore agreed with Whittinghill on Thursday night, and also wondered if any benefit was drawn from the funding.

Magistrate Chad Tyree brought up that $40,871.00 is allotted in the proposed budget to offset the server equipment payment for 9-1-1 dispatch. Tyree reminded the Court that the allotment does not counter funding lost by 9-1-1 dispatch due to the drop in land line phone surcharges, and still leaves them with a substantial budget shortfall.

Don Sullivan, from the Butler County Ambulance Board, told the Court that funding has been down $39,000 in each of the last two years because of the continued loss of land line phone revenue. He also stated that although efforts are ongoing to generate more money for statewide 9-1-1 systems from wireless phones, that the new regulations will likely not go into place before January of 2017, and that any monies received are probably a year away.

Magistrate Whittinghill said that he had been reviewing expenses for 9-1-1 dispatch, but said he couldn't find out the salaries of Director Brian McKinney and some employees. Sullivan told Whittinghill that the salaries are a matter of public record, and that they were on the reports received by Whittinghill.

Fifth District Magistrate Bobby Moore told the Court that he thought the $12,500.00 allotment to the Boys and Girls Club of Butler County needed to be examined. Magistrate Whittinghill agreed with Moore, and stated that when the Boys and Girls Club made their original request for a funding increase it was to pay half of the salary of then Executive Director Stan England. Whittinghill continued that current Executive Director Bruce White makes $38,000.00 per year.

Contacted by BeechTree News, Bruce White refuted Whittinghill's statements. White said that the funding has never been to pay half of the Executive Director's salary, and instead goes toward funding programs and staff at the Club. White also said that England's salary was $35,000.00 with benefits, and that his salary is the same as England's, but carries no benefits.

According to White, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America has a scale setting what Executive Directors are to be paid. The scale is based on the size of the Club. The Boys and Girls Club of Butler County falls into the same pay bracket as the Boys and Girls Club of Harlan County. White said the Harlan County Executive Director makes approximately $48,000.00 per year with a full benefits package.

White said that the proposal submitted by the Club each year when they request funding states that the allotment goes toward program funding at the Club.

In further discussion it was stated that the Court doesn't fund any other non-profit organizations in the county--such as Butler County Cancer Assistance--and because of that needs to possibly rethink funding for the Boys and Girls Club.

Magistrate Chad Tyree reminded magistrates that although much talk in the last year has mentioned a leaner budget for 2016-17 that the proposed budget has actually increased by approximately $300,000.00. Magistrate Givens told the Court to look over the budget and find any areas that they questioned or thought could be reduced.

No formal action was taken on the 2016-17 budget.

The Court then went into closed session to discuss personnel matters.

When the open session resumed the Court voted 4-0 to hire Jeremy Buchanan as a new full-time Rochester Ferry operator.
With no other items on the agenda the meeting was then adjourned.

Story and photo by Joe K. Morris, Beech Tree News