Clinton County Fiscal Court held another special meeting last Thursday morning, November 15. The meeting date was the same as its regular monthly meeting, however, those are at 5 p.m. and since the time was changed it became a call meeting instead, with a set agenda.

Judge/Executive Lyle Huff said he had changed the meeting time due to a conflict with another meeting he had to attend that evening, that being the County Extension Council.

That meeting was held at 4 p.m. and notice was given to members on November 5.

Five of six magistrates were on hand for last week’s session, which lasted approximately 50 minutes with a brief closed session on personnel included on the agenda.

The court approved the treasurer’s report and two fund transfers, including a cash transfer and an expenditure transfer.

While paying claims and bills, included was the purchase of an ambulance from Adair County at a cost of $12,851.00. Director of Emergency Services Lonnie Scott said the 2008 model vehicle, which has a little over 100,000 miles, will replace an older ambulance that has well over 200,000 miles on it. He also said he would be working to get help in purchasing a rebuilt ambulance to add to the fleet by sometime next spring to help keep the local fleet updated.

The motion to pay claims and bills, and included the purchase of the ambulance, was made by Magistrate Patty Guinn and passed by unanimous vote.

County Attorney Michael Rains then addressed the court about a Kentucky Revised Statute change, or amendment, relating to local governments regulation of firearms on county property.

The 2012 Kentucky General Assembly amended KRS (Kentucky Revised Statute) 65.870 to prohibit local governments from regulating firearms, according to a letter from Richard J. Ornstein, an attorney with the Kentucky Association of Counties. This includes ordinances that may already be on the books prohibiting firearms from portions of county grounds. The amendment to the KRS made those ordinances null and void.

The new state law was passed on July 12 and gave counties six months, or until the middle of January, to repeal any ordinance they may have on the books pertaining to regulating firearms on county property. Further, should counties not rescind those actions, (fiscal) courts could face criminal charges of a Class A of B misdemeanor.

Rains said he had researched the matter and had found no specific instance in which the county had actually enacted local legislation to prohibit firearms on county property, other than a drafted version about 10 years ago, in 2002, which has not been signed.

The county attorney, however, advised the court it would be more diligent to go ahead and vote to rescind any possible action taken in regards to the firearms regulation to stay within the General Assembly mandate.

Magistrate Mickey Riddle made the motion to rescind any action the county may have on record regarding firearms regulation on county property and the motion passed by a 5-0 vote.

Judge Huff then presented court members with several pages of information from the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office pertaining to Kentucky Open Meetings and Kentucky Open Records laws, with no action being necessary.

The court then voted to accept the low bids for some repair work to be done on the Clinton County Community Center.

The continuity of government issue was then addressed. DES director Scott told magistrates that the measure is required by the state Emergency Management and sets in place an order of who would be in charge in each county should the judge/executive and deputy judge would be unavailable during an emergency or natural disaster.

The order by which magistrates would be in control of county government in such a situation is, one through six: Mickey Riddle, Ricky Craig, Patty Guinn, Terry Buster, Hershell Key and Phillip Parrigin.

After approving a resolution pertaining to the $216,000 grant to replace the Ewing Branch bridge, Albany Mayor Nicky Smith invited the fiscal court to the city’s annual employee Christmas dinner that will be held on December 6.

The court then entered into a 20-minute closed session on personnel and upon returning to open session, voted to hire two part-time replacement 911 dispatchers, including Marvin Adkins and Brandy Jones at $8.50 per hours each.