County auctions farm leases; approves extension of dispatch agreement

NC GAZETTE / WBRT RADIO
STAFF REPORT

Neal Cook, an auctioneer with Goldmark Realtors, calls for bids Tuesday morning at the start of Nelson Fiscal Court’s regular meeting. Cook auctioned leases to farm three pieces of county-owned property.

Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015, 3 p.m. — Nelson Fiscal Court began this morning with auctioneer Neal Cook’s calls for bids as the court held a live auction at its regular meeting this morning for crop leases for county-owned land.

Three-year leases for three separate tracts were sold at auction to the highest bidder. Two of the tracts are located at or adjacent to the Nelson County Landfill and the third was the unsold farm land in the county-owned industrial park.

A 220-acre tract at the landfill with about 117 tillable acres brought $305 per acre. A 69-acre tract adjacent to the landfill with about 20 tillable brought $40 per acre.

The lease for the undeveloped acreage at the county-owned industrial park, with 92 of 275 acres tillable, also sold for a $305 per acre winning bid.

Hurst Farms was the winning bidder on all three leases.

DISPATCH AGREEMENT. The court approved a memorandum of agreement regarding the joint city-county dispatch board. The agreement approved today extends for one year the interlocal agreement that terminated on Sept 30.

Magistrate Bernard Ice, center, talks with Magistrates Jerry Hahn, left, and Jeff Lear, right, prior to the start of Tuesday’s Nelson Fiscal Court meeting.

The agreement also reduces the City of Bardstown’s 2015-16 contribution to the dispatch board by $24,000, which is the additional cost the city incurred when Nelson County Dispatch stopped handling the city’s after-hours utility calls.

ZONING AMENDMENTS. The magistrates approved two zoning regulation updates related to accessory homes and microbreweries and craft distilleries.

Homeowners with two or more acres of property will no longer be required to get a conditional use permit to add an accessory home on the property. The accessory home must be 1,000 sq. ft. or smaller, but is allowed a garage or basement of no more than 500 square feet.

Zoning administrator Jan Johnston-Crowe told the court that the board of adjustments routinely approves requests for accessory homes as long as the accessory home is smaller than the primary home on the property.

The second amended regulation makes microbreweries and craft distilleries a conditional use in business zoning classifications and permitted uses in industrial zoning classifications.

The move is aimed at accommodating interest in bringing those small businesses to the area.

TAX MORATORIUM. The court approved a tax moratorium request from Billie and Marilyn Hurst for a three-building, 12-unit apartment complex in the 300 block of North Fifth Street across the street from Bardstown High School.

Judge-Executive Dean Watts introduced Tyler Wimpsett, the county’s new recreation director, at Tuesday’s Nelson Fiscal Court meeting.

According to the application, the owners plan to spend $50,000 to replace windows and gutters and the roof on one of the buildings.

SURPLUS VEHICLES. The court approved a request by EMA Director Joe Prewitt to surplus two vehicles formerly used by EMA.

At Judge Executive Dean Watts’ request, the court approved offering one of the surplus vehicles — a 1987 International fire and rescue truck — to Washington County Fiscal Court for use by their county EMA dive team.

The truck was purchased years ago for use by Nelson County EMA’s dive team. The dive team dissolved and the truck isn’t need. Watts said the Washington County group could put it to use, and would provide mutual aid if a dive team is needed in Nelson County.

The second vehicle, a 1994 Ford, was formerly an ambulance that was outfitted with communications equipment and has served since 2000 as Nelson County’s mobile command post.

In other business, the court —

— approved a bid of $6,550 by NWK Construction Inc. for a guard rail installation at the recently replaced bridge on Woodlawn Road;

— approved final reading on a rezoning request for 13 acres on the south side of Bloomfield Road

— approved replacing the Botland weather siren with a new unit using a $17,900 grant recently awarded by the Kentucky Office of Homeland Security. The new siren will be placed at the new Botland fire station.

— approved a $12,650 bid by MAGO Construction to pave the parking lot and entrances to the the Nelson County Road Department complex and the Nelson County Jail.

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