Court OKs lease to provide building for volunteer firefighters’ fire station
BY JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
MAGISTRATE KEITH METCALFE
Tuesday, June 9, 2015, 12:45 p.m. — Nelson Fiscal Court Tuesday approved leasing the former Pic & Pay shoe store building at the Nelson County Justice Center for $1 a year to the Bardstown-Nelson County Volunteer Fire Department as its main fire station.
The building is located next to the Bardstown Police Department in the building that has served as storage space for equipment owned by the county and Nelson County Emergency Management.
The non-profit incorporated fire department loses its current home at the Bardstown Fire Department Station 1 at the end of June, and it has applied for a 90-day extension to facilitate moving the station to its new headquarters. The building will need bathrooms and HVAC added, as well as other additions in order for it to meet the fire department needs.
In comments after the meeting, Watts said that the county was happy to help the volunteer department maintain its high level of fire protection for residents of the county following what he said was “the mayor basically kicked them out of the city fire station.”
MAGISTRATE SAM HUTCHINS
TOURIST COMMISSION BUDGET. The court approved the 2015-16 budget of the Bardstown-Nelson County Tourism and Convention Commission with reported revenues of $743,250, down slightly from the 2014-15 budget.
According to the tourist commission, tourism in Nelson County increased 9.4 percent in 2014, adding $56.97 million in direct expenditures and $89.55 million in total economic impact.
BLOODBORNE PATHOGEN EDUCATION. The court approved first reading of an ordinance requiring employees of businesses that offer body piercing, ear piercing or tattooing to have complete a bloodborne pathogen training provided by the Lincoln Trail Health Department.
Watts said the district health department will conduct the training for workers and also enforcement of the law.
MAGISTRATE JERRY HAHN
EASEMENT DISCUSSION. The court discussed an easement request by the City of Bardstown to run underground utilities along the edges of the Nelson County Justice Center. The city wants to provide utilities to Town & Country Bank and to the traffic signal in front of the Justice Center complex.
The city asked for a 10-foot permanent easement along one property line. After discussion about the easement’s possible impact on the value of the property, Watts asked Jeff Mills, city electrical engineer if the court could delay taking action. Watts said he wanted to research the easement’s future impact on the property.
In other business, the court:
— approved final reading of the Fiscal Year 2015-16 budget
— re-apppointed Don Mudd to the North Nelson Water District board.
— awarded the workers’ compensation bid of $185,954 to USI whose local representative is Pat Conway. Watts reported that USI found a discount of more than $14,000 by signing up Nelson Fiscal Court in membership with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce.
— awarded contracts to Billy Gilkey Ditch Witch Service and McMichael Construction Co. for work involved to repair the failed wingwall on the Woodlawn Road bridge. County Road Engineer Jim Lemeiux said that the work had to be done in short order to protect the integrity of the roadway.
— approved an interlocal agreement between Nelson Fiscal Court and the counties in the Lincoln Trail Workforce Development Area. The agreement deals with employment and training within the district.
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