Candidate calls on fiscal court give Woodlawn Springs residents a hearing

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Monday, Feb. 26, 2018 — Don Thrasher, the Republican candidate for judge executive, is demanding that Nelson Fiscal Court hold a hearing at its next meeting to allow those concerned with the Woodlawn Springs Golf Course zoning amendment to air their concerns.

DON THRASHER

In an email to Judge Executive Dean Watts, County Attorney Matthew Hite, and Nelson Fiscal Court on Wednesday, Feb. 21st, Thrasher said that his research has determined there was no reason why the members of fiscal court can’t allow the public to speak about the Woodlawn Springs rezoning issue prior to their vote at the last meeting.

Thrasher said an attorney for the Louisville Metro Council confirmed that its members discuss planning and zoning issues with constituents that come before the council, leading Thrasher to demand Nelson Fiscal Court hold what Thrasher called an “argument hearing.”

“I am not going to sit here and twiddle my thumbs on this waiting for you guys to do the right thing here, the position on discussing this with your constituents needs to change immediately. There needs to be an “argument hearing” at the next Fiscal Court meeting on the Woodlawn issue, PERIOD. For any of you to say you can’t by law do this you are doing the citizens of Nelson County a great and irreparable injustice.”

Thrasher cited a 2005 Kentucky Supreme Court decision that he said upheld the right of fiscal court members to discuss a zoning matter prior to the decision. Click the link to read the case.

However, if fiscal court conducted such a hearing, none of the input the court received from the public could be used when the magistrates made their decision. The fiscal court must base its decision solely on the evidence presented during the planning commission’s public hearing on the zoning request, which was held Dec. 12, 2017. Click the link to view video of the hearing.

JUDGE EXECUTIVE DEAN WATTS

Watts said the magistrates are free to discuss their thoughts on any issue, and were free to discuss their thoughts on the Woodlawn Springs zoning amendment as well at the last meeting or the next meeting.

Watts said Monday he has no plans to hold any kind of hearing regarding the Woodlawn Springs rezoning issue. The court is scheduled to give its final approval of the zoning amendment at its next meeting, 9 a.m. Tuesday, March 6, 2018.

OPEN RECORDS REQUEST. Thrasher also filed an expansive Open Records Request last Thursday requesting the telephone records, emails, text messages, scheduling calendars and call logs of Watts and the members of Nelson Fiscal Court that involve or discuss county business from the past 120 days.

Thrasher said his request is an effort “to ascertain the scope and breadth of the Fiscal Court communications outside the public ear.”

County Attorney Matthew Hite has advised Thrasher complying with his records request may take the magistrates more time that the usual three-day response period given the wide scope of the request.

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