By JIM BROOKS
Nelson County Gazette / WBRT Radio
Thursday, May 12, 2016, 1 p.m. — The Bardstown Police Department has asked the Joint Ethics Board for advisory opinions about possible nepotism in regard to applicants who have expressed an interest in one of the four sergeant positions the department is creating.
At the ethics board’s meeting Wednesday, the board members voted to seek an independent outside counsel to review the matter and provide the board with an advisory on the questions. Once the board receives the attorney’s advisory, it will meet and issue its opinion on the matter.
The board chose not to go into closed session to discuss the request, but it did not discuss the request in detail.
Because the matter involves part of city government, the board agreed not to seek an opinion from City Attorney Tim Butler.
The requests revolve around the recently announced Bardstown Police Department restructuring that includes the creation of four sergeant positions. The new sergeants will serve as the senior officers on the street during each shift.
Currently the most senior officers on a given shift is deemed to be the “officer in charge” (OIC). The sergeant positions will replace the use of OICs.
The board gave its chair, Christina Bradford, the authority to choose the attorney to fulfill the request.
Bardstown Police Assistant Chief McKenzie Mattingly spoke briefly to the board and expressed his appreciation for their willingness to expedite the requests.
AIR BOARD ADVISORY. The board also received a request for an opinion from the Bardstown-Nelson County Air Board in regard to an unspecified matter.
The request was forward to County Attorney Matthew Hite, who had not had time to research the request prior to Wednesday’s meeting.
In other business, the board:
— discussed 2015 candidate statement of financial interest filings and an extension requested by one individual;
— agreed to meet the week of May 23 once a time and date is selected that will allow board members to attend.
-30-