KENTON COUNTY FISCAL COURT

M I N U T E S

MARCH 13, 2007, 9:00 A.M.

The regular meeting of the Kenton County Fiscal Court was called to order at the Independence Courthouse.  Present at the meeting were Judge Executive Ralph A. Drees; Commissioners Dan Humpert, Kris Knochelmann and Sara Voelker; Deputy Judge Executive Scott Kimmich; County Attorney Garry Edmondson; Human Resources Director Joe Shriver; Public Safety Director Bill Dorsey; Assistant Public Safety Director Kirk Rinehart; Fleet Management Director Roger Wells; Corporal/Chief Deputy Pat Morgan; Police Chief Ed Butler; County Treasurer Ivan Frye; Public Works Director Joe Murphy; County Engineer Charles Meyers; Special Projects Manager Ralph Bailey; Court Reporter Cathy Johnston; and Guests.

Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance

The invocation was given and pledge of allegiance led by Commissioner ­­­­­­­Humpert.

Approval of Minutes

Judge Drees asked the court for approval of the minutes dated February 27, 2007.  Commissioner Knochelmann made the motion for approval; seconded by Commissioner Voelker.  Commissioner Humpert said this approval was with the changes from the county attorney.  The motion was unanimously approved with all members voting aye.

Delegations

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet's recommendations for the 2007-08 rural secondary program, Thomas Schomaker reporting:  Mr. Schomaker said the Transportation Cabinet's recommendations had previously been given to the members of the court and he read the list aloud with the amounts.  The Kenton County allotment for the year is $413,339.  From this amount for 75.6 miles of rural secondary roads, $180,400 is set aside for maintenance and traffic.  There is also an undistributed and free balance amount of $52,989 that is added into the allotment and the county administrative expenses of $3,862 is subtracted leaving a balance to the program of $282,066.

Maintenance engineers have reviewed the needs of the county and have come up with the following recommendations for consideration-Parkers Grove Road, resurfacing length is 1.108 miles at an estimated cost of $54,200; Green Road, resurfacing length is 2.528 miles at an estimated cost of $103,100; Staffordsburg Road, resurfacing length is 1.294 at an estimated cost of $57,500; Fowler Creek, guardrail installation at three locations of 356 feet, 320 feet and 725 feet at an estimated cost of $29,500; and Rich Road, resurfacing length is 1.972 miles at an estimated cost of $78,880.  It is not sure that Rich Road will be done because this over programs the amount that is available by $41,000.

The Transportation Cabinet is asking for the court's concurrence or to receive any recommendations the court may have for the cabinet to consider.

Judge Drees asked about Johnson Street in Covington and Mr. Schomaker said that project has already been let to contract and it was found that the water company is going to redo the water lines in this area so it may be delayed for sometime.  Judge Drees said the court needs to talk with the water district so this can be put on the fast track because the water line will be on Johnson Street.

Commissioner Humpert asked what the ninth item was on the list and Mr. Schomaker said that if funding becomes available over and above what is programmed, this is the next one that will be pursued.  If there is extra money, the Transportation Cabinet will come back to the court and ask for this recommendation.  Commissioner Humpert made the motion for approval; seconded by Commissioner Knochelmann.  The motion was unanimously approved by all members on roll call:  Commissioners Humpert, Volker and Knochelmann and Judge Drees voted yes.

Deputy Judge Kimmich said that in the maintenance budget there is $180,400 and asked if part of this was for money the county was contracted for or if this is additional.  Mr. Schoemaker said all of this money goes to the county for the contract amount.

General Business

No general business items were brought to the court's attention.

Resolutions

There were not any resolutions brought to the court's attention.

Ordinances

Ordinance No. 532.00

An ordinance amending the Kenton County Code of Ordinances, Chapter 71, regarding speed limits, Scott Kimmich reporting:  With the county being responsible for providing public safety services in the city of Latonia Lakes as the primary provider, it is necessary to set speed limits on those roads consistent with the existing county ordinances.  The county police have reviewed the speed limits in the area and the street conditions and recommend the speed limits outlined in the body of the ordinance.

Commissioner Humpert asked when speed limits are done if streets can be made one way and Mr. Kimmich said that the fiscal court has authority to do this by ordinance.  The county police will have to go in and do an analyses working with the county engineer and make recommendations under a separate title and ordinance.

Commissioner Knochelmann made the motion to accept the ordinance with a second from Commissioner Voelker.  The motion was unanimously passed by all upon roll call vote:  Commissioners Humpert, Voelker and Knochelmann and Judge Drees voted yes.

Consent Agenda

Claims List-County Treasurer Ivan Frye:  Commissioner Knochelmann asked Mr. Frye if he could explain to him the listing on page nine under Meridian Management Corporation the amount of $11,000 for justice center renovations.  Mr. Frye said this was for changes made necessary when the new judgeships were added and AOC reimburses the county for this amount.

Commissioner Knochelmann also asked if the cost listed for the "What's Happening" publication is the yearly total and Mr. Frye said this is for one issue.

Judge Drees said since there were no other questions, the claims list would be received and the bills paid.

Administrative Actions

Handout No. 07-18

Requesting permission to declare mobile unit 21-03 that was involved in a single vehicle accident in which it sustained damages in excess of $6,739, determining the vehicle to be a total loss:  Commissioner Humpert made the motion followed by a second from Commissioner Knochelmann.  Judge Drees asked the year of the vehicle and Mr. Wells said it was a 2001 police vehicle that had already been taken out of frontline service and it was being used as a spare.  During the ice storm, the driver hit a patch of ice, went into a ditch and it was a noninjury single vehicle accident.

The motion was unanimously approved with all members voting aye.

Handout No. 07-19

Requesting permission to award various companies the bid for golf course supplies for the golf courses:  Commissioner Humpert asked if this bidding process was done by product and Mr. Frye said the primary bidder is one company for each item.  There is a secondary bid because these items are very expensive in small quantities and they do not always have what is needed in stock.

Commissioner Knochelmann made the motion to accept the bid as recommended per the attachment which has a recommendation for each item; seconded by Commissioner Voelker.  The motion was unanimously passed by all members with a roll call vote:  Commissioners Humpert, Voelker and Knochelmann voted yes and Judge Drees voted yes.

Handout No. 07-20

Requesting permission for the Judge Executive to sign a letter accepting the conditions listed in the letter that is for Transitions Recovery CDBG funds of $600.00:  Mr. Kimmich said when Transitions applied for the Kentucky Recovery funds, the fiscal court had to serve as the applicant on the request for funds.  The grant has been awarded to the county and the motion needed from the court is one to authorize the Judge Executive to execute the grant agreement and a letter of intent for the project.  It is important to note that the project is currently in litigation and no funds will be expended until such time as they have been given clearance by the court system to move forward, but the money would be set aside in the name of the fiscal court for Transitions at the time the money is available.

Commissioner Humpert made the motion for approval; seconded by Commissioner Knochelmann and the motion was unanimously passed by all members upon a roll call vote:  Commissioners Humpert, Voelker and Knochelmann votes yes and Judge Drees voted yes.

Handout No. 07-21

Requesting permission for the Judge Executive to sign an agreement with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture accepting the conditions of the spay/neuter grant agreement for $3,000.00:  Commissioner Voelker made the motion for approval with a second from Commissioner Humpert and the motion was unanimously approved with a roll call vote:  Commissioners Humpert, Voelker and Knochelmann voted yes and Judge Drees also voted yes.

Executive Orders

Executive Order No. 07-38

Resignation of Dave Sogar as part-time employee from fleet management, effective March 13, 2007:  Commissioner Knochelmann made a motion for approval; seconded by Commissioner Voelker.  The motion was unanimously approved with an all aye vote.

Executive Order No. 07-39

Resignations of Craig Twehues, effective March 7, 2007, and Amber Malarkey, effective March 5, 2007, as park trustees from parks and recreation:  Commissioner Humpert made the motion for approval followed by a second from Commissioner Voelker.  The motion unanimously passed with an all aye vote.

Executive Order No.07-40

Approval of hiring of Chris Pittaluga as police officer for the Kenton County Police Department, effective March 27, 2007:  Commissioner Knochelmann moved for approval with a second from

Commissioner Humpert and the motion unanimously passed with an all aye vote.

Commissioner Knochelmann asked if the police department was now fully staffed and Chief Butler said this was to replace Officer Honaker who had resigned.

Executive Order No. 07-41

Approval of hiring of various part-time employees for the golf courses:  Commissioner Voelker made the motion for approval; seconded by Commissioner Humpert and the motion unanimously passed with all members voting aye.

Citizens Address

Mr. Harold Bullock came forward to address the court regarding Latonia Lakes roads and all of the trouble the city had this past winter because of the conditions.  Judge Drees said members of the fiscal court were going out following the meeting and take a tour of Latonia Lakes to review the streets and rights-of-way.  Judge Drees said an answer would be forthcoming in the near future.

Catherine Wilson and Melissa Wilkerson came forward to reiterate the jail issue.  Judge Drees said the court would contact them sometime in April to consider the alternate sites for the jail.

Administrative Reporting

DEPUTY JUDGE EXECUTIVE-Scott Kimmich:  Nothing further to report.

COUNTY TREASURER-Ivan Frye:  Nothing more to report.

HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR-Joe Shriver:  The contract that was previously handed out to court members concerns stop-loss insurance that is a substantial increase and needs to be acted upon today.  During the last couple of weeks, a brokerage did negotiate down this increase and was successful in bringing it down five percent.  The reason it is so high is that we are looking at an end of the plan year having essentially four people exceeding the stop-loss. 

Commissioner Humpert asked if this was a fiscal year renewal and Mr. Shriver said no that it was a plan year renewal and this gives the fiscal court time to look at it from a budgeting standpoint.  Unfortunately, this year we have had four people have ongoing or catastrophic claims that have pushed them above the $125,000 specific deductible.  Our county is self insured and we pay the first dollar for the first $125,000 on every life and that is $789 as of today.  After that the stop-loss kicks in and they take it from $125,000 all the way up to $2,000,000.  For them to do it for $80,000 is a good price considering that before we went to our current provider, it was $114,000 so we are still actually operating below the renewal we had in 2004.

Commissioner Knochelmann asked if the county usually gets the renewal numbers in March and Mr. Shriver answered no, that because it was so large, the broker wanted to go back to try to knock it down.  The competitive bid process was gone through.

Commissioner Humpert made the motion for approval; seconded by Commissioner Voelker and the motion was unanimously approved upon roll call with Commissioners Humpert, Voelker and Knochelmann and Judge drees voting yes.

COUNTY ATTORNEY'S REPORT-Garry Edmondson:  Nothing to report.

Commissioners' Reports

COMMISSIONER DAN HUMPERT-Nothing to report.

COMMISSIONER SARA VOELKER-Nothing to report.

COMMISSIONER KRIS KNOCHELMANN-Nothing to report.

Judge-Executive's Report

Nothing further to report.

Executive Session

There was no executive session called.

Adjournment

There being no further business to come before the court, Judge Drees asked for a motion for adjournment.  Commissioner Humpert made the motion to adjourn; seconded by Commissioner Voelker and the court was adjourned with a unanimous vote of aye by all members.