PINEVILLE -- Captain Josh Sherman of the Bell County Rescue Squad came before the Bell County Fiscal Court to thank the magistrates for their assistance, through Kentucky Association of Counties, to purchase some new equipment.
“We have accepted a bid for some rescue tools. The tools, and we would have had to borrow the money to do it, are 18-years-old, being replaced,” Sherman told the court. Tools to replace the old ones cost $64,036.
“By going through the Kentucky Association of Counties it allowed us to get a lower interest rate,” he stated.
The court had to agree to the purchase the equipment, since the request is coming from the rescue squad and goes through the insurance premium taxes collected by the fiscal court. The court had set aside five percent of the insurance funds collected for the rescue squad and that is the funds being expended for tools for the rescue squad.
Judge Executive Albey Brock said under current proposals the funds received by the rescue squads will be cut from the state budget. At the present time, other entities that receive a portion of that tax have not been eliminated, but Brock did not discount that possibility.
Steve Greene, Assistant Professor in Heavy Equipment at Southeast Kentucky Technical Community College thanked the magistrates for the donation of a dump truck they no longer could use.
“It is going to be a great addition to our program and we appreciate it and thank you for it,” Greene said.
A resolution authorizing Brock to enter into an agreement with the Governor’s Office for Local Development (GOLD) for the City of Pineville Police Department for $24,000 and the City of Pineville Fire Department for $30,000 was approved. Brock stated that since the fire department had changed the amount it wanted a new resolution had to be passed by the fiscal court and the former eliminated.
A resolution adopting and approving the execution of a County Road Aid Co-op Program and contract between the fiscal court and the Commonwealth of Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Department of Governmental Relations for the fiscal year was approved. The agreement allows all the current streets and roads to remain property of the county road system as well as any other streets or roads that will be adopted, this fiscal year.
A payment of $1,250 to the Kentucky Infrastructure Authority for the Beans Fork Waterline Project was approved was well as payment of $158, 679.25 to Ash Mountain, Inc., for work on the Binghamtown sewer project.
The Middlesboro Dispatching System will soon have a county-wide radio communication with all E-911 in case of a major equipment failure at the center in Pineville. The fiscal court approved payment of $100,000 to AT&T for the equipment to be placed in the new center. Judge Brock said the second system is a back-up for the whole county.
Work is soon to begin on the U.S. Hwy. 119 turning lanes and site improvement project for the Bell County Industrial Park. The court approved payment of $85,060.97 to Vaughn & Melton Consulting Engineers for work done on the turn lanes.
Payment of $30,400 was approved to Sanders Excavating for work on the old Ward Chapel demolition project.
Libby Baker was hired as part-time animal shelter worker at $6.50 per hour. Eric Nagle of Middlesboro High School was hired as part-time temporary Animal Shelter Co-op Student Worker at $5.85 an hour.
Marie Browning was changed from full-time to part-time Security Officer.
The Bell County Sheriff’s office turned in $37,566.18 in February fees and turned in $38,914.71 for property tax, franchise; gas; oil; and fire acres fees, for the month of February.
C.J. Harte is a Correspondent for the Daily News. He can be reached via e-mail at charte@middlesborodailynews.com.
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