Court OKs ordinance to prevent homeless staying overnight on county property

By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023 — Nelson Fiscal Court held the first reading on an ordinance that would prevent the homeless from camping overnight on county-owned public property.

The ordinance is essentially the same as an ordinance recently approved by the City of Bardstown that prohibits camping overnight on public property owned by the city inside the city limits.

Magistrate Adam Wheatley asked if this ordinance was addressing the problem or just kicking the can down the road.

County Attorney Chip McKay told the court that the city police could not enforce the city’s ordinance on violations involving county-owned property — even if that property lies in the city limits.

In order for the county to be able to keep the homeless from camping overnight on its property — inside the city limits or outside — the county had to pass its own ordinance.

The court voted unanimously to approve the first reading. The measure will get final approval at the court’s next meeting in November.

ROAD CLEANUP VOLUNTEERS NEEDED. The county is looking for non-profit groups who wish to earn money by cleaning up roadside trash in Nelson County.

If interested, contact County Engineer Brad Spalding, (502) 348-1876 for more information.

In other business, Nelson Fiscal Court:

— heard from Sheriff Ramon Pineiroa that his office has collected 18 percent of the property tax bills his office is expected to receive. Individuals may still pay by personal or business check until April 15, 2023.

— approved a five-year tax moratorium request for a home owned by Amelia Bradley at 109 West Muir. The request was dated August 2022, but apparently fiscal court never approved the request.

— heard that the EMA office purchased two surplus sirens from Madison County at a considerable discount. The sirens were in the current budget.

— heard from County Engineer Brad Spalding that residents should not be surprised to see county equipment equipped with snow removal gear on days when it rains. Spalding noted that he has five new employees who will need training for their routes.

— met in executive session to review the termination of an employee of Nelson County Dispatch. Following the closed meeting, the court voted to uphold the termination.

NEXT UP. Nelson Fiscal Court will next meet at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 7, 2023, in the fiscal court meeting room on the second floor of the Old Courthouse.

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