Nelson Fiscal Court approves bid for Greens Chapel / Murphy Lane repairs
Nelson County Judge Executive Dean Watts, right, speaks with magistrates Sam Hutchins and Keith Metcalfe prior to the start of Tuesday’s fiscal court meeting.
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette/ WBRT RAdio
Tuesday, Oct. 18, 2016, 11:45 a.m. — Nelson Fiscal Court approved the only bid it received to complete emergency repairs on the failed road sufaces on Greens Chapel Road and Murphy Lane near Bloomfield.
Hinkle Environmental Services of Richmond submitted a bid of $255,900 to complete repairs of both roadways. Brad Spalding, the county’s solid waste coordinator, told the court three other firms were invited to bid, but chose not to do so.
Earlier this year, the county received $197,500 in emergency road funding from the Kentucky County Road Emergency Fund to help the county pay for the repairs of both roadways.
Each roadway will be closed while repairs are being made, Spalding said.
MAINTENANCE POSITION. Nelson Fiscal Court unanimously approved adding a third maintenance position to the county government following a recommendation by the court’s personnel committee.
The new maintenance position is aimed to help provide coverage for maintenance needs outside the usual workday and on weekends. Right now, the county’s two maintenance workers must cover after hours and weekend calls.
The county must maintain more than 220,000 square feet of building space, which includes lighting, plumbing and all other routine maintenance. The exact working hours are yet to be determined, Watts said. The pay scale will be in the $20 to $22 an hour range.
EMS EMPLOYEE RETENTION. EMS Director Joe Prewitt told the court that he is currently studying ways to improve employee retention in the EMS ranks. The move is driven partly by the loss of paramedics and EMTs who are now allowed to work in hospitals.
Hospital pay can be substantially higher than EMS pay, he said, and hospital work can be less physically demanding than being on the road with EMS.
He said he was considering raising the starting pay for both EMTs and paramedics — EMT starting pay would go from $10.75 to $12 an hour, and paramedic starting pay would go from $14.50 to $16 an hour.
Paramedics now must be go to an approved college-based program, which raises the cost of training. EMS organizations across the state are struggling to keep staffed with sufficient numbers of EMTs and paramedics, he said.
Prewitt said he would move forward with coming up with a proposal and bring it back to a future fiscal court meeting.
In other news, the court:
— Nelson County Clerk Elaine Filiatreau reported that absentee voting is underway, and turnout has been heavier than usual.
She said that voters who plan to vote in the Nov. 8 general election should be prepared to wait in line. Voters should also be sure to bring a valid form of ID — driver’s license, social security card, credit card, etc.
— Brad Spalding reported the road department has purchased 430 tons of road salt. The additional salt will fill the county’s new salt barn and provide a stockpile large enough to last all year, he said.
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