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By Palmer McNeal

Staff Intern 

 

The Jessamine County Fiscal Court was called to order on Tuesday, July 16, at 4:00 p.m. in the Circuit Courtroom. The meeting began with a prayer over the community, and then Jessamine County Judge-Executive David West announced the new Director of Parks and Recreation. Magistrate Ray announced the retirement of the longtime Director, Duane McCuddy. His replacement, Anessa Snowden, will begin on Thursday, August 1. 

Old business

Next, the minutes of the meeting on Tuesday, July 2, were approved unanimously. The Court then approved several bills that were read at the meeting on July 2. Budget and cash transfers were approved, all of which were approved unanimously.  

The next old business item approved was the bid to approve elevators at the Fiscal Court. The contract will continue through the next two years. After this, the Court heard the first reading of a fee amendment to an electrical inspector. There has been a $5 fee increase for these services. There will be a second reading of this amendment on Tuesday, July 30. There was also a discussion of an electrical inspector services agreement. The motion was approved unanimously. 

New business

Following the reading and approval of old business matters, the Fiscal Court moved on to new business matters. The first new business item was the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Community Projects Funding Resolution. This resolution, adopted unanimously, will allow for 4 billion dollars to make improvements to the industrial park between October and January of this year. 

Next, the Court moved on to the 4th Amendment of the Republic Services Contract. Judge West stated that the terms and conditions of this contract have stayed the same, and there was a motion to approve the contract. The contract will make Republic Services the primary waste collection system in the city of Nicholasville. The contract will begin on August 1, 2024, and will be used for the next two years. Part of the contract adds a local office and number for Nicholasville residents. This system will be the same one that the City of Wilmore just began using, and the Republic Marketing team is working on a similar brochure to be given to Nicholasville residents with frequently asked questions. 

The Court then approved a $500 monthly fee to rent the lot beside the Courthouse for the Court’s convenience and the community’s convenience. They also approved a motion to allot $1,000 monthly for the office. 

Personnel

The Court approved several personnel items, including requests to recognize city government retirements, recent hires, resignations, and certifications of telecommunication. All of these requests were approved unanimously. 

Contribution to Wilmore Parks and Recreation

After Personnel, the Court discussed a contribution to Wilmore Parks and Recreation. The county will partner with the City of Wilmore to provide $150,000 from the Arbor Funds to construct a splash pad in Wilmore. The City of Wilmore will carry out the construction and maintenance of the splash pad, but the Fiscal Court will provide these funds. 

Budget amendments 

The Court approved several budget amendments. The first was to provide $6,000 to the City of Wilmore Concert Series. These funds will come from the community support line item. 

Second, Judge West announced that the county was approved for a grant and received $71,000 for road work on Dix Drive. These funds will be used to repair the road and prevent it from sliding into the river. The resolution was approved to begin work on the project. The Court also approved the agreement between Jessamine County and the Bluegrass Board of Transportation. 

The Court then approved and granted $200,000 for repairs to the Jessamine Youth Baseball and Softball facilities. This will include new stadium lights and the repair of the blacktop. 

Magistrate comments

Finally, each magistrate had the opportunity to make their own announcements. Magistrate Ray gave an update on the power outages in his district. He announced that the city will be cutting down trees that are in the way of power lines over the next few days. This will help lower the number of power outages in this area, which is a frequent occurrence in these neighborhoods. 

The July 16 meeting of the Jessamine County Fiscal Court was then adjourned.