Council questions costs of splitting fire departments at Tuesday’s meeting

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Bardstown Fire Department Chief Marlin Howard answers questions about the budget amendment to fund the purchase of additional firefighting equipment as the department prepares for its pending split with the Bardstown-Nelson County Volunteer Fire Department. The department has requested $158,000 to help buy additional firefighting equipment.

Tuesday, May 26, 2015, 11 p.m. — The discussion about the city fire department’s needs in anticipation of the split with the dues-funded Bardstown-Nelson County Volunteer Fire Department led to some heated discussion at Tuesday night’s Bardstown City Council meeting.

Councilman Roland Williams asked about the current status of the city fire department and the requested amount of money the city fire department needs before the departments separate.

Bardstown Fire Chief Marlin Howard explained that the $158,000 cited in the proposed budget amendment was funded needed to prepare the city fire department for its pending separating from the incorporated volunteer department.

Councilman Francis Lydian complained that he felt left out of the negotiations and meetings between the city and the incorporated volunteer fire department. Lydian asked Mayor Pro-Tem Bobby Simpson about how he learned of the fire department meetings where negotiations and discussions took place.

Councilman Francis Lydian again expressed frustration at not being informed of meetings between representatives of the city and the incorporated fire department.

“I didn’t know anything about these meetings. How did you guys find out about these meetings?” Lydian asked.

Simpson and Buckman each said they were invited to attended the meetings with then-Councilman John Royalty, adding that the discussions took place after the November election but before Royalty was sworn-in as mayor.

“I am very disappointed in the mayor and others who had all these meetings. I’m on the Safety Committee and I don’t know what’s going on,” he said. “I’ll tell you like it is, I’m very upset about it. If we’re going to play by the book, we need to play by the book.”

Simpson noted that many of the council’s questions could only be answered by Mayor John Royalty. However Royalty was absent from Tuesday’s meeting, and the council voted Simpson mayor pro tem to preside over the meeting.

Councilman Roland Williams poses a question about the proposed budget amendment at Tuesday night’s council meeting.

When it was suggested to wait to take action on the budget amendment, Howard told the committee that time was of the essence because each fire department is making preparations for the separation.

The city department has three fire trucks, and the proposed $158,000 budget amendment would pay to purchase a used tanker to haul water, a combined brush truck/rescue truck that will also include a variety of vehicle rescue tools, ropes, and portable extinguishers. The tanker is necessary to fight fires when a fire hydrant is not available.

“We are where we are now, and we’ll need some action on (the budget amendment),” Howard said.

The amendment also adds $37,534 to the garbage department budget to purchase a needed chipper. The funds for both budget items will be transferred from the city’s unrestricted reserve funds.

The first reading of the budget amendment did not require a vote by the council. The second and final reading will take place at the next regular council meeting.

Staff engineer Eric Richter explained the extra costs involved in the project placing overhead utilities underground in the Demaree and Guthrie Drive neighborhoods.

UTILITY PROJECT CHANGE ORDER. The council approved a $21,011 change order for the project to move utilities underground in the Guthrie Drive and Demaree Drive neighborhoods. Staff Engineer Eric Richter told the council the cost overruns were due to efforts to avoid damaging trees, sheds and other obstacles.

Only a small amount of work is left to bring the project to completion, which will include restoring the disturbed areas.

RECYCLING GRANT. The council approved accepting a state PRIDE recycling grant of $30,000 that it plans to purchase additional collection bins for cardboard. Larry Green, the city’s assistant administrator, told the council that the city has provided the blue collection bins for businesses to use. The collected cardboard is taken to the city recycling center at the Guthrie Opportunity Center.

Councilman Bill Buckman makes a point during the budget amendment discussion at Tuesday’s council meeting.

FIREWORKS PERMITS. The council approved fireworks booth permits for the Bardstown Church of God at the empty lot located at 726 North Third St.; and Kentucky Jail Ministries at the Burger King parking lot, the Busy Bee market on North Third, and the Wal-Mart parking lot.

In other actions, the council:

— approved a bid for road salt from Cargill Deicing Technology for 200 tons of road salt at $76.50 per ton.

— approved amending the city’s nuisance ordinance to make it easier to take violators to court.

— approved a change in the city cemetery regulations to require temporary the removal of funeral home’s temporary grave markers.

SPECIAL MEETING. The Bardstown City Council will meet in special session at 5 p.m. Wednesday, May 27, 2015, to consider first reading of the city’s 2015-16 budget.

-30-