Published: November 18, 2008 01:03 pm            

Fiscal Court may seek advice before making decision regarding fire stations

Monticello — Wayne County Fiscal Court may seek the advice of a consulting firm

before making any more decisions regarding rural fire protection. During a

meeting held on Thursday, November 13, magistrates decided to gather more

information before acting on a request to move ahead with the ordinance

establishing the Parnell Fire Department.

Mike Crain, who has headed up the effort to locate a rural fire station

at Parnell, addressed the court during the meeting. Crain said the board of

directors for the Parnell Fire Department had discussed at length the

proposal of becoming a substation of the Monticello Fire Department, which

was being considered by the court.

Crain said that after speaking with numerous officials, the board of

directors decided to revert back to the original proposal to make the

department an independent one and adopt its original boundaries, with the

exception of extending it to the intersection of KY 92 and Highway 1720.

County Judge-Executive Greg Rankin stated that after the last meeting he

had received information from a consulting firm that comes into a community

and looks at its fire protection needs now and for the future.

"They do an overall assessment of fire needs," said Rankin.

Rankin said he had called the company and is expecting to receive more

information. Magistrates agreed they would like to see if this type of

consulting service is an option before taking any other action.

Also during Thursday's meeting, magistrates heard a presentation from

local students and the Wayne County Health Council. The students provided

statistics about alcohol use among youth and then requested that the court

consider a social host ordinance, which would provide enforcement for adults

who allow underage drinking in their home.

Eight Kentucky counties have adopted social host ordinances, including

neighboring Clinton County. The group provided magistrates with three sample

ordinances to consider. Rankin said that magistrates should take some time

and look over the ordinances to see what direction they would like to take

on the issue.

In other action, the court:

€ Approved several road name changes, including: CR 1267 from the Robert

Peercy Road to the Everett Bertram Road; CR 1272 which is .3 of a mile of

Old Zula Road to Old Susie Road; and CR 1332T Lakeridge Drive to Scenic

Drive.

€ Approved a resolution authorizing the county to apply for grant funds

to clean up 11 illegal dump sites.

€ Approved a lease-purchase agreement for the Bobcat being used by the

county road department.

€ Approved the Rural Secondary Emergency Agreement, which will provide

the county with approximately $43,000 more in state funding for road

maintenance and repair.

€ Approved the UNITE resolution, which allows them to continue to

operate in Wayne County.

€ Heard a report from Solid Waste Coordinator Tim Bell who noted that

white goods and large items were collected at 91 households over the past

month bringing the total for the year to 800. Litter Abatement crews picked

up trash along 41.4 miles of county roads last month, bringing the total

this year to 645.8 miles. Bell commended Litter Abatement officer Troy Jones

for his efforts this years. He said Jones and the crew had covered more

miles and picked up more bags of garbage than had ever been collected

through the program. He also commended Tim Massengale and his crew and the

extra duties they have taken on with the recycling effort.

€ Heard a monthly report from Jailer Ray Upchurch who noted that the

current population at the Detention Center is 151, which includes 60 county

inmates and 91 state inmates. For the month of October, the Detention Center

has billed a total of $95,814.06 for housing inmates.

€ Heard a monthly report from EMS Director Bubby Corder who noted that

so far the ambulance service has answered 2,956 calls this year. Wayne

County EMS hosted an open house at their new building on October 29, and the

public had an opportunity to tour the new facility. EMS also participated in

Wayne County Schools Farm Safety Day, where they demonstrated first aid and

CPR for students.

€ Heard a monthly report from E911 Coordinator George Penick, who noted

that the transition to a central 911 dispatching center has been a smooth

one.

        

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