Solid waste issue not on Fiscal Court agenda, but… By JOE REDMON Judge Executive William Haynes convened the regular monthly meeting of the Meade County Fiscal Court Nov. 14 and moved quickly into a public session. All magistrates and dozens of concerned citizens were in attendance as Gene McGehee requested court consideration of bringing an asphalt road into the county system. Road superintendent Mark Popham pointed out the road shoulders weren’t completely up to county standards. McGehee agreed to work with the road superintendent on this issue and Fiscal Court agreed to act upon his request in the future. Randy Kelly, Ekron, thanked emergency medical dispatch for their efforts to improve emergency services in the county. Judge Haynes then closed the public session and methodically addressed specific issues on the court’s agenda. While clarifying that A-2 property, when subdivided, must become R-1, the court approved the planning and zoning report and rezoning requests. Dispatch supervisor Mark Bennett requested assistance from the planning and zoning administrator and road department on the creation of the Master Street Address Guide (MSAG) which is related to the E-911 upgrades currently underway. Magistrate Don Callecod commented that changes should reflect the road department’s version, as it is utilized in Frankfort to provide specific funding for county roads with state money. Along with some road name changes, this all passed unanimously. The judge executive then requested permission for the road superintendent to place road signs on private roads, reflecting safety concerns. Objections were heard regarding the spending of state money on private roads. Magistrate Davidson insisted it was legal, so long as funds came from the county’s general fund and not the state. The road superintendent would need to track those expenses and submit for reimbursement from the court through the claims and transfers process. With this amendment and clarification, the motion passed quickly, as the court agreed these roads need to be clearly marked. Discussion then turned to a resolution by the court regarding Emergency Medical Service (EMS) operations. Judge Haynes had prepared a resolution, which essentially required EMS personnel to be “somewhere” within each of their three districts unless dispatch was notified. Callecod objected immediately. He asked why personnel couldn’t man their stations and be expected to report upon leaving the hospital in E-Town, updating their operational status and availability to the dispatch. EMS director Pam Weber felt none of this should be addressed in this particular resolution, but should wait for a future rewriting of the EMS Standard Operating Procedures (SOP). Callecod pressed the issue, though, suggesting this wasn’t between “me and Ms. Weber,” but an issue of simple accountability of EMS assets for which the county pays dearly. The EMS director insisted, “We’ve never done it that way before,” and seemed open to including such changes in a future SOP; however, she insisted the resolution should pass as written and not be used to actually change EMS operations. Discussion then turned to radio procedures and the use of cellular phones to communicate with dispatch. Weber suggested the EMS were wary of utilizing radios because the public would be listening. Callecod responded that it was the public which pays for the service and the EMS shouldn’t be “hiding” from the public. The question was then called and the resolution passed 5-2, with Callecod and Padgett dissenting. Currently, EMS personnel are not required to report their movements to the dispatch and are not required to “become operational” until they’ve crossed into the county. The resolution as passed did not address any of this. The EMS director was then called forward to support an ambulance to be given to Wolf Creek Fire Protection District. Padgett pointed out the county doesn’t possess any policy or procedure for the orderly disposal of obsolete county equipment. Magistrate Staples commented that “we should take care of nontaxing districts first,” and the ambulance was unanimously given to Wolf Creek. Fiscal Court then addressed the purchase of a new dump truck for the road department. Previously, they had decided not to purchase one; however, the recommendation currently was to purchase the “last 2006 model truck available.” This would save the county some thousands of dollars of a price increase. Padgett commented again how “if this issue had been addressed in a timely fashion, we could have saved tens of thousands on a reverse auction.” Her fellow members didn’t seem willing to discuss reverse auctions at that time and quickly passed the request for $70,000 dollars for a new dump truck. It will replace a 1991 dump truck. As Fiscal Court prepared to approve claims and transfers and to adjourn, Magistrate Chism suddenly proposed a new member for the 109 Board. As reported last week, the Meade County Solid Waste & Recycle (MCSW&R) is in dire financial circumstances and soon won’t be able to meet its payroll. The court was originally scheduled to begin addressing this issue at this meeting. However, this topic wasn’t on the agenda. Chism claimed Chairman Bim Wardrip had resigned and needed to be replaced. Callecod immediately reminded Chism that he wasn’t elected judge executive and it was up to the judge executive to accept resignations and nominate replacements to boards and commissions. Pressing his case, Chism claimed he had brought a suitable replacement for Wardrip. Callecod immediately pointed out that KRS dictates board replacements must cover each district within the county and there were no 109 Board members from 1st or 6th District. Haynes then claimed not to have received a resignation letter from Wardrip. Chism then suggested that a verbal “I quit” though given in obvious emotional frustration, when a description of which is published in the newspaper, served as “written notice” of the resignation. His contention appeared to be supported by Assistant County Attorney Sheila Murphy. When asked by court members if such a verbal resignation is “legally binding,” she said plainly it was. Judge Haynes then gaveled the meeting still, stating he would find out if Wardrip had resigned and report back. He announced a “working” meeting with the entire 109 Board on 21 Nov. No agenda has been released for this work session. Haynes pointed out “we have to deal with the 109 Board’s problems” and then adjourned. Immediately following the meeting, I asked Judge Haynes for some comments regarding the financial difficulties of the MCSW&R. He stated, “We’ll learn more next Tuesday” (during the now-scheduled work session with the 109 Board). When pressed for more details, he stated the 109 Board’s rate hasn’t been adequate to the task. I followed up with Murphy on the matter of verbal resignations, and she reiterated the resignation was valid, even if only verbal, so long as the appropriate authority recognized it as such. Because Judge Executive Haynes had not recognized it as a valid expression of resignation, it wasn’t. The legal issues involved turn upon proof of intent of resignation and whether this was communicated properly. She commented it would be easier to prove intent when the resignation was in writing; however, with witnesses available, a written resignation wasn’t always necessary. Following up the next day, I called 109 Board Chairman Bim Wardrip and he stated plainly he had not resigned. He added that Judge Haynes had talked with him earlier (Wednesday) and told him of the working meeting scheduled for Nov. 21 and what he (Haynes) expected from the 109 Board. According to Wardrip, there is a deep division within the 109 Board. The next 109 Board meeting was the regularly scheduled meeting for Nov. 20 at the courthouse at 7 p.m.
|
