Clinton County Fiscal Court met in regular session last Thursday evening, May 19 with all members present, dealing with issues ranging from outdoor warning sirens, to a split measure on county employee pay increases.

The court first approved the monthly treasurer’s report, financial report and fund transfer, including a $100,000 payment toward repaying the road fund. They also, on motions by Magistrate Patty Guinn, voted to pay claims and bills and acknowledged accepting the Soil Conservation District budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year as presented.

Judge/Executive Richard Armstrong then recommended hiring Danny Guffey on the road department, noting he was experienced and already held a CDL license and suggested a starting pay of $9 per hour. However, county policy calls for starting pay at $8.50, according to County Attorney Michael Rains. Magistrate Terry Buster made a motion to hire Guffey at $8.50 an hour with the an increase after the initial 60-day probationary period. The motion passed by unanimous vote.

The court then discussed the need for new tornado sirens for the county, as well as replacing some, including on Hwy. 90 near the former industrial park.

Emergency Services Director Lonnie Scott informed the court that grant funds were available from the state Department of Homeland Security, with the application process opening a week ago Friday and said the window closes on July 8. He recommended the court adopt a resolution to proceed with applying for a grant through Homeland Security that would help purchase and install four new, updated outdoor warning sirens.

A motion to proceed with the process was made by Magistrate Johnny Russell and passed by unanimous vote.

It was also noted during the discussion that another grant would be sought for even more sirens later on and that the grant application, if approved, wouldn’t be announced until this fall, with the sirens actually installed next spring.

Scott also noted a siren would be placed in the Ryan’s Campground area in northern Clinton County and the court thanked South Kentucky RECC for its recent donation of two 50-foot poles to place sirens on, saving the county about $1,000.

Judge Armstrong then brought up the issue of county employee cost-of-living increases, and recommended an across the board .25 cent per hour increase for all county employees, with the exception of five road department employees–Road Foreman Michael Craig, Bruce Stearns, George Ferrill, Willie Ferrill and Adam Jones-which he recommended a $1 per hour raise.

Armstrong, in asking for the extra salary for the road department employees, noted the hard work they had done, including already finishing the first round of mowing of county roads and said the Occupational Tax revenue was going well and had helped the county. He said he wanted the county to be efficient to reward employees.

Magistrate Mickey Riddle said road department employees had received a raise less than a year ago and said the road foreman’s salary had been raised by $9,000 in less than two years. He questioned the feasibility of the added raise for the five road department employees, as well as concerns about being able to afford it.

Judge Armstrong said, however, that even with the raises, compared to other counties, employees still weren’t where they needed to be as far as wages.

Magistrate Ricky Craig also voiced opposition to the added raise for some employees, and echoed Riddle’s concerns about the amount of pay raise the road foreman had received in less than two years.

All of the magistrates were in favor of the quarter raise across the board but were split on whether five employees should receive a higher raise.

Following discussion on the issue, magistrate Russell made the motion to grant county employees a quarter per hour raise, and the five county employees a $1 per hour raise. The motion resulted in a 3-3 tie, with Magistrates Buster and Hershell Key voting yes and magistrates Riddle, Craig and Patty Guinn voting no. Judge Armstrong broke the tie with a yes vote.

The court then tabled first reading of the county’s 2016-17 fiscal year budget to allow magistrates time to review the budget and set a special call meeting to consider first reading for Wednesday morning, May 25 (too late for press deadline). Details on that meeting will be published next week.

Judge Armstrong also told magistrates they had been invited to the Air Evac facility ribbon cutting ceremony that was held last Friday, May 20.

Prior to adjourning, magistrate Craig also requested a detailed listing of all county employee overtime paid over the past three month period, which County Treasurer Tuesday Davis said she would supply.

The next regular meeting of Clinton Fiscal Court is scheduled for Thursday, June 16 at 5 p.m. in the upstairs courtroom of the courthouse. The meeting is open to the public.