Beech Tree News Network

The Butler County Fiscal Court met in its regular session for August on Monday night, August 11. All members were present.

First on the agenda were county tax rates. At the recommendation of the Department of Local Government the Court set the real estate rate at the compensating rate of 8.4 cents per $100 assessed value. The compensating rate helps the county keep tax bills at approximately the same amount as the last tax cycle. The remaining rates set as cents per $100 assessed value are; personal property 8.4, motor vehicles and water craft 10.8, bank franchise 0.25, and fire acres .03. Magistrate Stevie Givens moved to accept the rate recommendations with Magistrate Chad Tyree seconding. The motion passed 5-0.

Litter abatement payments were approved for the following; Boy Scout #208-$650, BCHS Golf Boosters-$698.00, and Caney Fork Church Youth-$671. The motion passed by a 5-0 vote.

Magistrates approved a refund of $9,224.49 back to the Division of Solid Waste for the unused portion of the 2013-14 Pride Recycling Grant. Judge Executive David Fields explained that the refund stemmed from the County not entirely matching the grant with in-kind contributions, when it purchased recycling trailers. After approving the refund magistrates were presented with bid specifications for more recycling trailers. The county has bid specs from three state approved vendors, and magistrates will decide how to proceed with the purchase at the next meeting.

Some discussion was had concerning what is needed to be included in the trailer design. Magistrate David Whittinghill told the Court that the bulk of recyclable materials being left at the trailers are plastic. Whittinghill and others put forth the idea of having the plastics bins bigger, and possibly having different bins for clear, colored, and other forms of plastic. Whittinghill also mentioned buying a compactor so that recycled goods could be bailed and then sold at a higher price to recycling companies. It was also proposed that 4 trailers should go to local schools, 4 to the county RD clubs, and 1 to Andrea’s Mission. No action was taken on the issue.

Next the Court approved certifying Larry Blacklock and Michael Barks, of Green River Electrical Inspection Services, LLC, as the County Electrical Inspectors. GREIS has handled electrical inspections in the county for a number of years, but changes in state guidelines now require the authorized inspectors to be named individually. The motion passed 5-0.

In other business the magistrates authorized Road Supervisor Timmy West to spend up to $2,000 to buy snow plows at the state surplus auction. They also approved a refund of $1,520.07 to the Butler County Sheriff’s Office for an overpayment of excess fees that should have went into the Sheriff’s payroll fund. The Sheriff’s Quarterly report was approved unanimously, as was the second reading of an ordinance to add Marie Vance Road to the County Road List.

The asphalt bid was awarded to the only bidder, Scotty’s Contracting and Stone, LLC. Asphalt for resurfacing base will be bought for $75.60 per ton, with the surface asphalt costing $81.55. Patching asphalt will cost $93.30 per ton, and asphalt picked up at the plant by the Road Department will cost $60.70 for base and $66.85 for surface.  Surface asphalt is the top layer of paving, and the base is a denser mix used for the subsurface layer.

County Attorney Dick Deye reported to the Court that a motion will be heard in Butler District Court concerning a motion for a temporary injunction blocking the City of Bowling Green from selling an unused portion of the landfill it owns in Butler County to Owl’s Head Alloys. Deye said the injunction asks that the sale be stopped until all litigation is complete in the case.

Magistrate Stevie Givens told June Howard of the Butler County Rescue Squad that the Morgantown Fire Department is looking into ways to fix one of the old Ambulance Service bays for Rescue Squad use. He said a wall would have to be partially removed, and that the project would be labor intensive. He also told Howard that it will likely be wintertime project.

With no further agenda items the meeting was adjourned.

The Fiscal Court meets in regular session on the second Monday of each month at 6 p.m. in the upstairs courtroom of the Butler County Courthouse. Meetings are open to the public.