Clinton County Fiscal Court met for the first time this year last Thursday, January 19 for its regular session with all court members present. A major portion of the meeting pertained to employee health insurance and the county’s financial condition in general. (A separate article on those issues can be found beginning on page 1.)

The court also took action on several other items of business, including using leftover grant funds to make repairs and additions on two projects–the Community Center and Twin Lakes Family Wellness Center.

The court first voted to pay claims and bills, including a back log of commodity shipping bills of around $3,000 which had not been submitted to the court through the years of 2003-06. They also approved the monthly and quarterly treasurer’s reports and fund transfers.

Judge/Executive Lyle Huff then presented the court members and County Clerk Jim Elmore with a list of all county employees to be “read into record” as recommended by state auditors.

The court then took action which may lead to finalization of a major tourism project for the county. They voted to accept the Rockhouse Trace Road at Wells Bottom into the county road system.

The deed to the road had been prepared and granted the county by the Winfrey Company and will allow for the construction of a county road at Wells Bottom to an island on Lake Cumberland that will be utilized by the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife to complete a tourism project they began in that area almost a year ago.

The project will allow another tourism access from the Wells Bottom area in Clinton County to Lake Cumberland and will likely be a combined tourism and economic boost.

Magistrate Ricky Craig, who serves that area of the county, made the motion to accept the road, which passed by unanimous vote. (A separate article on the Department of Fish and Wildlife project for that portion of the lake will be published in next week’s Clinton County News.)

The court then discussed making some additional repair work to the Clinton County Community Center from some leftover grant funds that have not been done since the completion of the heating system, new doors, rest rooms, furniture and other repairs.

Magistrate Willard Johnson said the employees had requested new cabinets in the kitchen area for quite some time and recommended that would be a good way to use some of the funds. Also, Magistrate Charlotte Bernard suggested possible signs for the outside of the facility.

Judge Huff requested court members present recommendations for additions and said he would talk with officials from the Lake Cumberland Area Development District, which is overseeing how the funding is to be used, and advertise for the repairs.

Judge Huff also noted there was a little over $294,000 in grant money left to be used for additions to the Twin Lakes Family Wellness Center and recommended the court take action on using the money prior to the grant expiring on July 1.

Magistrate Bernard recommended that the Wellness Center Board be involved and asked for their input for how the remaining funds should be used. Magistrate Mickey Riddle, however, said the board has had time to decide on how to use the money and should have made their recommendations to the court.

Magistrate Willard Johnson also noted there were gas wells in the area and the possibility of using a gas well on the property to offset heating costs to the facility may be the best way to use the money since heating the facility was it’s biggest liability.

The court decided to have County Attorney Michael Rains draft a letter to the Wellness Center Board, advising them on how they need to proceed in using the remaining grant funds.

Kenneth Brown then briefly addressed the court pertaining recent break-ins in his neighborhood and the sheriff’s office. He told the court he had called the department a few times and got no answer. However, he commended Sheriff Rick Riddle and his deputies, saying they do a great job, but at times there was no answer in the office when he would call.

Brown suggested that the sheriff’s department may need more staffing and also said the amount of break-ins and thefts was a major problem.

The court also entered into an approximate half-hour closed session on personnel and upon returning to open session, voted to hire Gary Lee Duvall full-time at $8.50 per hour on the road department.

Prior to adjourning, Magistrate Ricky Craig asked Judge Huff to have someone from Foothills Academy present at the next meeting to address some concerns voiced by constituents. He said the issue of some of the residents at the facility getting away had some residents in the area concerned.

The next regular meeting of Clinton Fiscal Court is scheduled for February 16 at 5 p.m. and is open to the general public.