Fiscal Court Report: With snow in forecast, county road crews are ready

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, March 3, 2015, 11 a.m. — With plenty of rain, sleet and snow in the week’s forecast, Nelson Fiscal Court was assured that the county road department’s equipment would be well-prepared.

Magistrate Keith Metcalfe discusses the impact that changes to the county road standards could have on development.

Jim Lemieux, the county’s road engineer, told the court Tuesday morning that the county’s snow removal equipment would be ready and that salt and sand supplies are sufficient to deal with the amount of snow in the forecast.

Lemieux said the county road department trucks currently working bulky item pickup will be pulled back to the road department barn and refitted for snow removal. The process takes four to six hours, he said.

The magistrates asked Lemieux to pass along their appreciation to the county road department crews in dealing with the recent snow. The crews worked 12-hour days clearing the county roads, and the winds that followed the initial snowfall created drifts that required even more snow plowing, the magistrates said.

COUNTY ROAD STANDARDS. Lemieux asked fiscal court to consider reviewing and possibly updating the county road standards. These standards are guidelines for developers who build roads that county government later takes over and maintains.

Magistrate Jerry Hahn.

Due to the soil types found in most of the county, roads built to the existing standard sometimes fail prematurely, Lemieux explained. He cited several examples of failed roadways that the county had to repair, including areas in Corman Crossing and other developments.

Improving the road standards came up because there are housing developments that are starting to build new sections, Lemieux said.

Magistrate Keith Metcalfe questioned changing the standards because it will raise the costs of road building for developers, and those costs are passed on to homebuyers. “I just don’t want to see us price ourselves out of the market,” he said.

The existing standards fall short of the standards the state requires, Lemieux told the court. Requiring developers to build better roads can help avoid spending taxpayer money on expensive repairs when the county must foot the bill, Judge Executive Dean Watts said.

Magistrate Jeff Lear, left speaks with Magistrate Keith Metcalfe prior to the start of Tuesday’s Nelson Fiscal Court meeting.

Lemieux told the court he would review other county’s road standards and bring that information back to fiscal court for their review.

COUNTY CLERK EXCESS FEES. Nelson County Clerk Elaine Filiatreau presented the court with a check for $411,362.25, which represents the excess fees collected by her office and not need for its operation.

Filiatreau told the court she expected the amount returned next year to be less due to a change in state law that gives car buyers credit for the value of their trade-in when calculating usage tax. An individual who trades in a car with significant value will have the taxes on the new car offset by the value of their trade-in, she explained.

TAX MORATORIUM. The court approved a request for a five-year property tax assessment moratorium for property at 302 S. Third St. in Bardstown. The property, owned by Beth and Darrell Hawkins, includes the old Sunbeam Laundry building and the adjacent home. The applicants anticipate spending up to $50,000 on repair and rehabilitation of the properties.

NEW FIRE STATION. Watts was presented with a letter from the Insurance Service Office (ISO) that gave official recognition for the fire station recently completed in the Botland area. Magistrate Sam Hutchins said he will work to get a fire hydrant installed in the vicinity of the station.

Homeowners near the new fire station can see a drop in their homeowners insurance premiums.

In other business, the court:

— approved appointing Doug Cornett to the Joint City-County Planning Commission;

— heard that the state tornado drill was moved to 10:07 a.m. Tuesday, March 10, 2015;

— heard an update on CodeRED by E-911 Dispatch Director Debbie Carter.

— heard a report that some of the state’s HVAC inspection and installation permit fees have increased. The county has no control over these fees, Watts explained.

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