Beech Tree News Network

The Butler County Fiscal Court met in regular session Monday night. All members were present.

Steven Haynes, representing the Big Reedy Watershed District, was on hand to present the Court with districts budget for fiscal year 2015-16. The watershed lies in portions of three counties--Butler, Edmonson, and Waren--and is required by the Commonwealth to present its budget to each of those county governments. The Court accepted the budget by a 5-0 vote.

The magistrates approved the only bid for Courthouse lawn work for 2015-16. Thomas's Lawn and Landscaping will groom the Courthouse grounds for $535.00 per month, for a total of $6,420.00 annually. The bid was accepted by a 5-0 vote.

Much of the agenda dealt with routine motions pertaining to a Community Development Block Grant for a new senior citizen center in Morgantown. The Court approved opening a non-interest bearing checking account for the CDBG. Judge's Secretary Kim West, County Treasurer Susan Johnson, and Judge-Executive David Fields were approved as signatories on the account, which requires 2 signatures on every check. A deposit of $100.00 was approved to be made from the General Fund to the CDBG account. Approval was then given to write a $100.00 check from the General Fund to the CDBG account. All motions passed by 5-0 votes.

Magistrates approved advertising for bids on the labor to build an addition onto the Road Department barn on Boat Factory Road. The Road Department gave up the majority of their storage space when it was decided to put the new recycling center in a building located near the County Barn.

Road Supervisor Timmy West said that a 60' x 60' shed-type addition will allow him to keep important equipment out of the weather. West said the Road Department had been pressed for storage space before it lost the other building. West fears that some equipment could become damaged if it is left in the open. Magistrate Chad Tyree will write bid specs for the project, and the Court approved taking bids by a 5-0 vote.

Greg Fields asked the Court to change the name of Sportsmans Club Road to Brutton Spring Hollow Road. The Butler County Conservation Club no longer has its facility on the road. Fields said that older residents had traditionally called the road Brutton Spring Hollow Road, and he wants the name changed to reflect that. Magistrates approved the change by a 5-0 vote.

Fields then asked the Court to remove 294 feet of the road from county maintenance. Fields said that would allow a gate to be installed to help stop vandalism and littering on the lake property. Judge Fields said the gate would be placed at an existing turnaround, so the closure wouldn't impede road maintenance. The change has to be made in the form of an ordinance. Magistrates approved the first reading of the ordinance by a 5-0 vote. The second reading of the ordinance will be at the next Fiscal Court meeting.

Discussion was had concerning doors for the new county recycling center. Because the doors will cost less than $20,000.00 a formal bidding process is not required. However it was decided to gather quotes from different installers in order to get the best prices. The recycling center will need 14' x 12' doors in each end, along with a side loading dock door which measures 8' x 8'. Auto-openers for the doors will also be required. No formal action was needed or taken.

Judge Fields told the Court that the cost of the doors could be used as part of the 'in-kind' contribution the County will make in the matching grant to purchase recycling trailers.

Road Supervisor/Solid Waste Enforcement Officer Timmy West gave a brief report on city/county cleanup days, and the recent tire amnesty period. West said that 26 dumpsters of trash were collected during cleanup days, totaling approximately 125-tons. That is up from the 2014 total of 16 dumpsters totaling 73-tons. The 2015 tire amnesty period netted 8-10 semi truck loads of tires.

Magistrates briefly discussed problems with getting the county's recycling trailers emptied. Judge Fields told the magistrates that the problem won't be easy to correct until the new recycling center is opened. In other business the Court accepted the 2015 Fire Acreage Allotment, and passed a motion to correct the rate of pay for a recently rehired seasonal road department employee.

A copy of the proposed county budget for fiscal year 2015-16 was given to the magistrates. No action was taken on the budget, but the magistrates were told to examine the budget, and to be ready to discuss it at the next Fiscal Court meeting. The new budget must be passed by June 30th, 2015.

The meeting was then adjourned.

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