Fiscal court gets update on progress of county’s bulky item pickup schedule

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Tuesday, March 16, 2021 — The county’s annual bulky item pickup started Phase 2 on Monday, which includes the southern part of the county, including all parts of the county west of KY 49 (Loretto Road) and south of the Bluegrass Parkway west of Bardstown.

Phase II includes the communities of Boston, Culvertown, Icetown, New Haven and Howardstown.

According to Lee Mattingly, the county’s assistant road supervisor, the pickup crews are working in the Nat Rogers / Icetown Road area as of Tuesday.

Mattingly said the only hiccup in fiscal court’s decision to change the order in which the areas of the county are picked up has been the fact that residents in Phase 1 are still putting items out for pickup after the pickup crews have already been down a road and collected items.

The goal is not to have to go back and pickup additional items that are set out after the crews have completed a road, he told the court. If the court wants the crews to go back and get items put out late, it may delay county work crews’ ability to get other county work orders completed in a timely manner, he said.

So far, the bulky item pickup has gathered 625 cubic yards of materials weighing 110 tons.

AMERICAN RESCUE ACT FUNDS. Judge Executive Dean Watts told the magistrates that county government will be eligible to receive close to $9 million from the recently passed American Rescue Act. The funds can be used for a variety of needs, including help for small businesses.

The City of Bardstown is eligible to receive about $Watts said he will have a draft budget for the magistrates once the county knows how it can allocate the funds.

Watts said county government will be eligible to receive close to $9 million from the recently passed American Rescue Act. The funds can be used for a variety of needs. Watts said he will have a draft budget for the magistrates once the county knows how it can allocate the funds.

GRADALL PURCHASE. The court approved the purchase of a Model 4100 Gradall excavator on state contract pricing.

The county’s existing Gradall had its hydraulic pump damaged, which sent metal shavings all throughout its hydraulic system. Despite the service company’s best efforts to remove the shavings and filter them out, the shavings have created a series of frequent break downs of the excavator.

County Engineer Brad Spalding told the court that his mechanics have fought the shavings problem in the excavator’s hydraulics for months, only to have one breakdown after another. The factory service team has offered to attempt to flush the hydraulic system, but offer no guarantee that it will cure the problems.

The Gradall is the most used piece of excavating equipment the county owns, and it is used for a wide range of tasks, including removing trees from roadways after storms.

After discussion, the magistrates voted unanimously to move forward with plans to purchase a Model 4100 Gradall excavator at the state contract price of $371,260 and declare the existing one surplus property that the county will eventually sell.

DAMAGED AMBULANCE. The report from the county’s EMS ambulance service included notice that the 2015 Chevrolet ambulance that overturned during this year’s earlier ice storm has more problems than originally believed.

According to Eva Prewiit, a closer examination discovered engine damage that will require repairs totaling an estimated $18,890. This estimate is likely to mean the ambulance is a total loss, though EMS may be able to salvage the ambulance box mounted on the chassis.

No action was taken until additional it is determined if the ambulance will be considered a total loss.

In other business, fiscal court:

— approved a resolution naming the bridge on US31E at the county line the Raymond Bridge. The southern two bridges on the new section of Louisville Road already have been named. The southernmost bridge nearest Cox’s Creek is the Wolf Bridge, and the next bridge north of the Wolf Bridge was named the Cheek Bridge. Both names honor families with long histories in the area.

The county line bridge is named for the Raymond family, which has a long history in the High Grove area of Nelson County.

The resolution will be forward to state transportation officials, who must approve the renaming request.

— Judge Executive Dean Watts introduced Derrick Hagan, the county’s new recreation director. Hagan updated the magistrates on the work he’s done so far preparing the county’s parks for spring sports, including soccer and baseball.

— the county’s Feeding America program will take place on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at the Nelson County Fairgrounds.

NEXT UP. Nelson Fiscal Court next meets on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

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