KENTON COUNTY FISCAL COURT
M I N U T E S
SEPTEMBER 26, 2006, 7:00 P.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, Barbara Black and Adam Koenig; Deputy Judge Executive Scott Kimmich; County Attorney Garry Edmondson; County Treasurer Ivan Frye; Human Resources Director Joe Shriver; Public Safety Director Bill Dorsey; Police Chief Ed Butler; Solid Waste Management and Fleet Management Director Roger Wells; Public Works Director Joe Murphy; Jailer Terry Carl; Jail Chief Deputy Rodney Ballard; Sheriff Charles Korzenborn; Sheriff's Office Comptroller/Manager Dick Searles; Court Reporter Cathy Johnston; and Guests.
Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance
The invocation was given and pledge of allegiance led by Commissioner Dan Humpert.
Approval of Minutes
Judge Drees asked the court for approval of the minutes dated September 12, 2006. Commissioner Humpert made the motion for approval; seconded by Commissioner Black. The motion was unanimously approved with the vote of aye.
Delegations
New format for tax bills, Sheriff Charles Korzenborn reporting: The sheriff introduced to the court the new format for tax bills that was in the form of a postcard. The bills will be mailed out on September 29. Sheriff Korzenborn said the part of the card that is trimmed is the part sent back with the tax remittance. The large part is kept by the payee for a receipt. This will be a savings of at least $6,000 for the county this year because of handling and postage.
Deputy Judge Kimmich said the important thing for people to understand is that when this arrives in the mail it is their official tax bill that is needed to pay their taxes.
Commissioner Black asked when the part of the card that is mailed back is torn off if it would fit into a business sized envelope and the sheriff answered yes.
General Business
No general business items were brought to the court's attention.
Resolutions
Resolution No. 06-22
Acknowledge and approve the request of Judge Executive Ralph Drees that he be granted authority to execute on behalf of the county a grant agreement by and between Kenton County and the Commonwealth of Kentucky in the amount of $1.5 million for renovation and reconstruction of facilities located at Behringer-Crawford Museum: Commissioner Humpert made the motion for approval; seconded by Commissioner Koenig and the motion unanimously passed with the vote of aye.
Ordinances
There were not any ordinances brought before the court.
Consent Agenda
Claims List-County Treasurer Ivan Frye: Since there were no questions regarding the claims list, Judge Drees said warrants will be issued and bills paid.
Administrative Actions
Handout No. 06-54
Request to scrap computer equipment in the sheriff's office that has been replaced with new equipment: Sheriff Korzenborn said his office had tried to give these computers away but they were so obsolete that no one wanted them. Commissioner Black asked how the computers were disposed of and Mr. Searles said they are sent to information technology and they either erase or dispose of the hard drive.
Commissioner Koenig made the motion for approval followed with a second from Commissioner Black and the motion passed unanimously on an aye vote.
Executive Orders
Executive Order No. 06-75
Retirement of Sergeant Phil Harney from the Kenton County Police Department, effective September 30, 2006. Commissioner Black made the motion for approval; seconded by Commissioner Humpert and the motion unanimously passed with the vote of aye.
Executive Order No. 06-76
Promotion of Larry Shelton to the rank of Sergeant in the Kenton County Police Department, effective September 30, 2006: Commissioner Koenig moved for approval with a second from Commissioner Humpert. The motion unanimously passed with the aye vote.
Citizens Address
There were not any citizens present who wished to address the court.
Administrative Reporting
DEPUTY JUDGE EXECUTIVE-Scott Kimmich: Reported on a program that Roger Wells is working on. The county has been going through the dump cleanup program for the better part of five years and is now winding down. We now have the last 11 dumps to go and the state has awarded the county $134,546 as their portion of the cleanup cost based on 75 percent of the estimated cost of the work. The largest one is on Banklick Creek and the second is on Electric Avenue. The cost for cleaning up the largest one is $114,000. Roger is working with public works, parks department and the inmates to get these sites cleaned up, and the largest one will require some overtime to get the cleanup finished. A schedule is being put together to get the two largest dumps cleaned this year, so we will be back down to nine smaller ones and Roger and the inmates will be working on those throughout the year.
Mr. Wells said this was a huge grant that was received from the state to help the county get these final dumps off the rolls so the county can move toward being a certified clean county. Commissioner Humpert asked if there was any other county in the state that was a certified clean county and Mr. Kimmich said that Grant County was certified. He also said that the difference in Grant County is that they have a landfill and a tipping fee and use this fee from every ton of garbage that is dumped for their solid waste cleanup program, so they have an aggressive revenue source that continues to grow every year.
Commissioner Humpert said this has been quite an effort and he wanted to commend the deputy judge and Roger on their work.
Mr. Wells said there were two big programs coming up again with the fall cleanup on October 6, 7 and 8. We will again have four locations from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at the Department of Public Works at 420 Independence Station Road; the Piner Fire Department on Bracht Piner Road; DRT Construction on Bracht Piner Road across from the new public library and at the new Ryland City Building.
On November 18, from 9:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m., the county will have the third annual computer recycling event held at Sanitation District #1 along with Campbell and Boone Counties. Also, along with the computer recycling it will be the first ever mercury recycling event. There is no idea as to how much mercury is out there but we need to get it and contain it and send it for recycling. Everyone that brings in an old mercury thermometer will receive a free digital medical thermometer. This is a huge program that is also sponsored by the state. Last year 94,000 pounds of computer monitors and equipment was collected.
Commissioner Humpert asked if there is pickup for a real large item that cannot be brought to the site. Mr. Wells said a person can call 392-1920, the public works department for a pickup.
Mr. Kimmich said the mercury pickup is a $7,500 grant from the state and the court is being asked for a motion to authorize the Judge to enter into an acceptance of this grant. Commissioner Humpert made the motion; seconded by Commissioner Koenig and the motion unanimously passed with the vote of aye.
Mr. Kimmich said the reimbursement for the recycling program has been received for the month of August. Public works recycle 32.9 tons of white goods that generated $988.00.
COUNTY TREASURER-Ivan Frye: Nothing to report.
HUMAN RESOURCES DIRECTOR-Joe Shriver: Nothing to report.
COUNTY ATTORNEY'S REPORT-Garry Edmondson: Nothing to report. Judge Drees said the telephone contract had been approved subject to Mr. Edmondson's and his approval and asked if this could be gotten out. Mr. Edmondson said he had e-mailed and was waiting for a response and they are down to one final point.
Commissioners' Reports
COMMISSIONER BARBARA BLACK-Did not have anything to report.
COMMISSIONER DAN HUMPERT-Nothing else to report.
COMMISSIONER ADAM KOENIG-Nothing further to report.
Judge-Executive's Report
Judge Drees read the following two executive orders into the record that he had previously made for appointments to the Kenton County Airport Advisory Board.
Executive Order No. 06-73
Recognition of appointment of Dorothy Air to the Kenton County Airport Advisory Board, effective September 18, 2006, for the period of October 1, 2006 through October 1, 2008.
Executive Order No. 06-74
Recognition of appointment of Frank Kling to the Kenton County Airport Advisory Board, effective September 18, 2006, for the period of October 1, 2006 through October 1, 2008.
Executive Session
Deputy Judge Kimmich asked that the court be allowed to go into executive session pursuant to KRS 61.810, Section 1, Subsection B, acquisition of property, and Subsection C, proposed or pending litigation against the county or on behalf of the county.
Commissioner Black made the motion for executive session followed by a second from Commissioner Humpert with a unanimous vote of aye.
The motion was made by Commissioner Black to reconvene in open session; motion seconded by Commissioner Humpert.
Open Session
Attorney Edmondson reported on the ongoing litigation of overcrowding against the county and advised that Federal Judge William O. Bertlesman has ordered the county to bring the state corrections cabinet into the lawsuit. Judge Bertlesman further stayed all actions for 90 days to allow an opportunity for the county to explore land acquisition issues.
Deputy Judge Kimmich presented a recommended motion for consideration of the court in the form of Resolution No. 06-23, copy attached hereto as an exhibit, and referenced hereinafter as "the resolution."
Commissioner Humpert moved the motion as set forth in the resolution and Commissioner Black seconded the motion.
Commissioner Humpert confirmed that option of the property does not actually form a commitment to purchase the property, but it gives the county the opportunity to examine the property without the seller selling the property to another buyer during the evaluation phase.
Judge Drees advised the court that he has carefully examined nine parcels of property since becoming Judge and that in one instance, the property has sold while the county was examining the site.
Upon a roll call vote, the court unanimously vote aye for the resolution.
Judge Drees recognized Mr. Patrick Sage, 3784 Harvest Way, Elsmere, who said that he and others from Elsmere were present because they want to carefully watch the process as they do not feel they were treated fairly in the site process five years ago. Judge Drees thanked Mr. Sage for his interest.
Adjournment
Since there was not any more business to come before the court, Commissioner Humpert made the motion to adjourn; seconded by Commissioner Black. The court was adjourned with the unanimous vote of aye.
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