Nelson Fiscal Court takes first steps toward expansion of county landfill

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2014, 11:45 a.m. — Nelson Fiscal Court today approved the hiring of Shelbyville-based Vector Engineers to provide geotechnical services needed as the county works to expand its existing landfill.

Magistrates Sam Hutchins, left, and Keith Metcalfe review the proposed budget submitted by Nelson County Sheriff-elect Ed Mattingly.

The geotechnical work requires is a specialized field that Landfill Manager Brad Spalding said neither he nor County Engineer Jim Lemieux have the training to do. The work is the first step in the process, and is important to meeting state permit requirements, with a cost estimate of $15,800.

The expansion will allow for planned 20 years of use at the landfill. Based on the existing landfill’s service beyond its anticipated 20-year design, Judge Executive Dean Watts said the landfill expansion will allow for up to 30 years of additional use.

The existing landfill has space left for 7 to 10 years of use.

There will be additional geotechnical evaluation work needed as the landfill goes forward, Spalding told the court. “It’s a long process and this is the start.”

POLL WORKER PAY. The court unanimously approved raising the amount of money poll workers receive for their service on Election Day. The increase from $123.41 to $156 will take effect with the next election. The pay poll workers earn from attending the mandatory meeting will increase from $10 to $25.

County Engineer Jim Lemieux discusses the geotechnical engineering work needed as part of the proposed landfill expansion.

E-911 DISPATCH BOARD. The court approved a budget amendment necessary for the dispatch board to accept a $180,500 grant from the state’s Commercial Mobile Radio Services board. The grant will help pay for new dispatching equipment.

The amendment did not include provision to pay for fiber-optic telecommunications lines the board has used to connect the dispatch center to its radio towers. Earlier this year, the City of Bardstown advised the board it would need to pay the city for the fiber lines it had been using previously at no charge.

When the Bardstown City Council considered the same budget amendment at its meeting last week, the council postponed approval because the amendment lacked provision to pay for the fiber lines.

Board member Joe Prewitt told the court as as result of the decision to charge for the use of the fiber lines, the dispatch board decided to find alternative means to link the dispatch center with its towers. Prewitt said he felt it was unnecessary to put the fiber charge in the budget amendment because the board planned to pay the charges from carryover revenues from the prior fiscal year.

In other action, fiscal court:

— approved a proposed budget submitted by Nelson County Sheriff-elect Ed Mattingly;

— reappointed Teddy Crume to the Development Review Board;

— reappointed Charles Howard and Allen Parker to the Nelson County Board of Adjustment.

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