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County hires rec director; judge reviews occupational tax ‘bang for the buck’

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

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Nelson County Judge-Executive Dean Watts reviews the county’s occupational tax, detailing who pays the tax and the benefits to city and county residents.

Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2015, 2 p.m. — Nelson County Judge-Executive Dean Watts announced today that he has hired Tyler Wimpsett as the county’s new recreation director.

Wimpsett, 28, has been very active in local youth sports and brings both experience and enthusiasm to the job, Watts told the court. The ad posting attracted more than 30 applicants.

OCCUPATIONAL TAX REVIEW. Watts provided the members of fiscal court with an analysis of the county’s occupational tax, which pays for road repairs and services.

City residents contribute approximately $275,384 of the total $1.19 million in revenue the tax generates. Out-of-county residents — about 20 percent of those employed in the county — live outside the county, and pay about $237,000 annual.

About $753,000 of the county’s occupational tax benefits all city and county residents, he said, which includes support for the EMS service, economic development, recreation and support for the sheriff’s office. About $450,000 of the tax revenue go to road repairs.

DEAN WATTS PARK PARKING ISSUE. Magistrate Sam Hutchins asked for the public’s cooperation in solving a safety issue at Dean Watts Park.

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Magistrate Sam Hutchins, left, talks with Magistrate Keith Metcalfe Tuesday prior to the start of Nelson Fiscal Court.

Hutchins said people are parking along the park’s rear entrance roadway in areas posted “No Parking.” The problem with cars parked in that area is that it prohibits first-responders’ vehicles — EMS ambulances and fire trucks — from access the park from that entrance, he said.

Hutchins asked park patrons who can’t find a space in the park to park in the field on the left side of the rear entrance in front of the stone wall. This will give ensure that emergency vehicles can still enter and exit safely.

Vehicles that continue to park in no parking areas may be ticketed or towed, Hutchins told the court.

TRUCK PURCHASES. The court approved the purchase of three new trucks — two for handling the large roll-off dumpsters provided to business and industry, and a new garbage truck.

The county’s existing roll-off trucks are aging and have been expensive to maintain, Brad Spalding, landfill manager told the court. After discussion, the court approved the purchase of two 2016 Freightliner 108 SD trucks at a cost of $137,713 each. One of the existing trucks will be sold as surplus.

The court also approved Kentucky Truck Sales’ bid of $157,374 for a 2016 Freightliner garbage truck. The truck will replace one the county has been leasing at a cost of about $7,000 per month, Watts said.

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County Engineer Jim Lemieux gives the magistrates an update on road maintenance work and mowing.

CONSERVATION DISTRICT TAX INCREASE. Watts told fiscal court the Nelson County Conservation District planned to raise its tax rate slightly to generate a 4 percent revenue increase. The rate will increase from .005 to .0052 per $100 value.

In a letter dated August 27, conservation district Chairman Tommy Hart told the court that reductions in state funding and increased demand for services prompted the district board to raise the tax rate for the first time since 1989.

The tax rate change will generate an additional $4,911.45, which Hart said will allow the district to reinstate programs it had been forced to curtail.

The conservation district will conduct a public hearing at a future date.

In other business, the court:

— gave final approval of zoning requests from Frankie Cambron to rezone 16.36 acres on Lenore Road, R-1A residential to A-1 agricultural, and a request from Donald B. Mudd to rezone 2.8 acres on Stonehouse Road, A-1 agricultural to R-1A residential.

— gave final approve of the 2015 property tax rate, which leaves the current property tax rate unchanged at 14.3 cents per $100 value of assessed property value.

— gave final approval of the latest zoning text amendments.

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