Nelson Fiscal Court gets first look at county’s FY 2017-18 annual budget
The members of Nelson Fiscal Court review the county’s bills and transfers at the start of Tuesday’s meeting.
By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Tuesday, April 18, 2017, 11 a.m. — Judge Executive Dean Watts presented Nelson Fiscal Court with the county’s fiscal year 2018 budget at its meeting Tuesday morning.
The proposed $24 million budget includes several capital projects, including the replacement of bridges on Hugh Ice Loop and Higdon Loop; work to create a recreation park in Chaplin, as well as new equipment for the county road and solid waste departments.
The budget will fund two new police cruisers for the Nelson County Sheriff’s Office; funds to hire an additional deputy sheriff; two new vehicles for the code enforcement office, and a new weather siren to replace the existing on in Bloomfield.
The budget also includes funding to create bike path connectors between segments of the portions of the Old Louisville Road. The idea is to allow bicycle riders to ride the old sections of the highway once the new segment os US31E — from Whitney Stables to the Salt River — is completed later this year.
Magistrate Keith Metcalfe, right, asks a question during Tuesday’s meeting of Nelson Fiscal Court.
The budget includes a 3 percent cost of living raise for all county employees.
The budget also includes carryover funds of about $4.4 million from the current fiscal year. The county spent less than budgeted this year on fuel and salt, Watts explained.
The county will make its final debt payment in May, and will enter the next fiscal year without debt.
The budget will be on the agenda for first reading and approval by the magistrates at the court’s May 2, 2017 meeting.
BULKY ITEM PICKUP. The annual bulky item pickup is about three weeks behind schedule according to John Greenwell, the county’s solid waste coordinator. The plan — weather permitting — is to try to finish the pickup by the end of next week, he said.
The use of the annual debris removal continues to be heavy; after seven weeks of operation, the pickup has collected 1,185 tons, which is nearly 300 tons more than the same point in last year’s collection.
The court approved a bid of $100 per ton by Liberty Tire to haul away the tires collected during the pickup.
In other business, the court
— approved a new court security ordinance that governs fees charged for certain court filings. The fees help pay the cost of providing security for the justice center.
— approved a request to advertise for bids to paint the interior of the Old Courthouse. Watts said the NCEDA agencies that occupy the first floor will pay for the work on the first floor, while fiscal court will cover the cost for the second floor.
— took no action on a lease between fiscal court and the Elizabethtown Community and Technical College. The county plans to lease about 3,200 sq ft to the college to house its adult education program. The program — originally operated by the Bardstown Independent Schools — was taken over last year by the college.
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