Court votes for KACo liability insurance; partners with city for COVID relief program

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, June 16, 2020 — Nelson Fiscal Court voted — against Judge Executive Dean Watts’ recommendation — to switch the county’s liability insurance, worker’s compensation, and other insurance lines to KACo, the Kentucky Association of Counties.

The magistrates discussed the insurance packages and their premiums at length, with Watts supporting a package presented by HCC/KEMI that was $36,269 more than the cost of insurance coverage from KACo.

Watts noted that KACo only has $40 million in assets, which he felt was low for a company that provides insurance for more than 100 Kentucky counties. Watts warned the magistrates that the lower cost this year doesn’t guarantee that future years will also cost less than competing insurers.

After several minutes of discussion about the pros and cons of KACo as an insurer, Magistrate Keith Metcalfe made the motion to go with KACo’s lower cost insurance package, adding that the county could afford to purchase another Ford Explorer police cruiser for the sheriff’s office with the cost savings from KACo.

COVID-19 RELIEF PROGRAM. Nelson Fiscal Court voted unanimously to pool a portion of its federal CARES Act money with the City of Bardstown to create a $300,000 relief fund aimed at helping Nelson County businesses that have been impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Bardstown City Council approved allocating its share of the money at its last meeting. The program will be open to all businesses in the county. The City of Bardstown will manage the program, which will be based largely on the COVID-19 relief program the city administered earlier this summer.

Priority will be given to businesses who did not receive a grant from the earlier relief program. Applications for grants will be available on the City of Bardtown’s website. Businesses what meet the guidelines will be eligible for grants up to $2,000.

In other business, the court:

— heard that open enrollment for county employees’ health insurance is June 29 through July 10th.

— approved a five-year property tax moratorium request by Finn-Davis for a home on South Third Street adjacent to the former Mann & Greenwell Funeral Home.

— heard that a new weather siren has been installed at Samuels Field to replace the inoperative one.

— EMS Director Joe Prewitt said that Beam Suntory continues to provide substantial amounts of hand sanitizer. Prewitt said the school systems are asking for supplies of the sanitizer.

— accepted the 2021 budget from Northeast Nelson Fire Department Chief Ted Shields. He told the court that a location for a Fairfield fire department substation had been located. The lot is across from the pay lake on the edge of Fairfield.

— discussed having a retreat-type meeting for the court to discuss the county’s long-range plans for infrastructure improvements and meet anticipated financial needs. Watts will announce the date after receiving input from the magistrates.

— heard Sheriff Raymond Pineiroa recognize Deputies Levi Preston and Reece Riley for their role in delivering a baby on the side of the road, and for the recovery of a stolen trailer and equipment.

— approved second and final reading of an amendment to the 2019-2020 budget.

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