Clinton Fiscal Court met last Wednesday, February 19, for a special call meeting with five of six members present. The meeting replaced the regular monthly meeting which is usually the third Thursday of each month.

Although the special meeting lasted only about 20 minutes, several issues were discussed and/or voted on by the magistrates.

After receiving a copy of the monthly treasurer’s report, the court voted to pay claims and bills and approved fund transfers including from the Occupational Fund to the General Fund and a transfer from the OTC to the Ambulance Fund. They also acknowledged receiving the second quarter budget report.

Bradley New, with the Department of Transportation, then presented the court with the Rural Secondary Road program recommendations and amounts the county will receive for the year.

The total allocation for the county is $776,313, with actual maintenance work allotment minus routine maintenance and other costs being $388,200, leaving a balance for routine maintenance of roads throughout the year at $380,903.

The state has recommended the following road improvement from the funds, that being the Wago Road from mile point 4.985 at the intersection of Ky. 1590 and 639 to mile point 8.072, intersection of Ky. 90 to 639 of asphalt resurfacing of 3.087 miles at a cost of $227,872.

The remainder of the county allotment will come in the form of $156,444 in FLEX funding the county will receive.

New requested magistrates prioritize roads in each of their districts for work, but also noted the Transportation Cabinet would have final work on which roads would actually receive work, based on funding available.

Judge/Executive Ricky Craig then questioned New about the feasibility of installing guardrails in some areas of the county that are hazardous driving areas.

New again told the court that the Transportation Cabinet had a “rating” system they use to install guardrails on county roads.

The county has previously applied and requested several times in the past to have guardrails installed in some areas of the county, but as of yet, to no avail.

Magistrates also received a copy of the county’s proposed Administrative Code listing Policies and Procedures for review. The magistrates will study the document, recommend any changes and possibly vote on the policy and procedures at its meeting next month.

The court then briefly discussed the jail inmate monitoring system service used to monitor jail inmates who are on home incarceration. The current provider of the system for the county is GMPS Services.

Judge Craig informed the court that the county’s auditor had informed him that the service had to be bid out. Magistrate Ray Marcum made a motion to advertise the monitoring service, which passed by unanimous vote.

On a motion by Magistrate Terry Buster, the court voted to participate in the Municipal Road Aid program and on a motion by Magistrate Mickey Riddle, voted to approve second and final reading of a 2019-20 year budget amendment.

The court then voted to renew its contract with the Russell County Detention Center to house local inmates in that facility at a cost of $34 per day, per inmate. This compares a $32 rate this past year.

Jailer Tracy Thurman noted Clinton County also has a contract with Casey County to house local inmates, but rarely transport local inmates to that facility due to the longer distance of travel and only transportS them there when necessary.

Jailer Thurman also discussed with the court the inmate telephone/communications proposal agreement.

The jailer said two bids had been received on providing inmate phone service, which is provided inmates at the local detention center, including one from the current provider and one from Combine Communications.

Thurman told the court the new company, Combine, had offered a better rate and also new equipment and recommended the county approve an agreement with that company.

When questioned about the cost, Thurman noted the expense to use the phone is paid up front by family members, or from the inmates commissary money and is at no cost to the county for any phone bills. “Usually, the family puts the bills on a phone card,” the jailer noted.

Following a brief discussion, a motion was made by Magistrate Jerry Lowhorn to approve an agreement with Combine Communications to provide the inmate phone/communications service and passed on a 5-0 vote.

At the end of the business portion of the agenda, a road department employee fielded a question about pay raises, noting in one situation where an employee had recently received a raise and questioned why others didn’t.

Magistrate Marcum said it may be something that could be looked into when the county reviews its policies and procedures.

However, at that point, Judge Craig stopped the discussion, as the issue was not on the agenda, noting the meeting was a special call meeting and only items on the agenda could be discussed.

Craig then asked for a motion to adjourn, which was made and passed by unanimous vote.

The next regular meeting of Clinton Fiscal Court is scheduled for March 19.