Grant County Fiscal Court approves claims and appointments, OKs county road aid agreement

The Grant County Fiscal Court on April 15 approved claims against the general, road and jail funds and associated interfund transfers dated April 15, 2025, confirmed three personnel appointments and reappointments, and authorized a County Road Aid Cooperative Program agreement that the judge executive may sign.

The actions matter because the claims and transfers provide legal authority to spend county funds, the board appointments fill seats on local health and parks bodies that shape public-health and recreation services, and the county road aid agreement allows state road-aid funds to be accepted and used for local road and bridge work.

Judge Executive Chuck Dills presided. The court voted to approve the bills and transfers after a motion by Magistrate Riley and a second by Magistrate Codar. The tally recorded during the meeting showed four votes in favor and one opposed; later in public comment Magistrate Roger said he opposed because he does not approve of the interfund transfer to the jail.

The court also appointed Jennifer Humphrey, RN, to the Grant County Local Board of Health effective April 15, 2025, with a term expiring Dec. 31, 2026, appointed Andrew Powers as a seasonal parks employee effective April 6, 2025, and reappointed Dr. Jonathan Rich to the Northern Kentucky District Board of Health with the term beginning July 1, 2025 and expiring June 30, 2027. All three personnel items were approved by motion on the floor; one appointment vote recorded an abstention.

On a separate motion, the court approved a County Road Aid Cooperative Program agreement and authorized Judge Executive Chuck Dills to sign the agreement. During magistrates' reports and public comment the court discussed ongoing and planned road and bridge work, including meetings with the state engineer about replacement of two bridges (Fords Mill Road and Drive Ridge/Mount Zion) and plans to raise the Fords Mill Road bridge by about five feet to reduce flood damage. Court members described work that has been done on turnarounds, culverts and low-water crossings, and discussed using grated/steel bridge decking in locations where that design reduces debris buildup.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of regular meeting minutes (April 1, 2025): Approved. Motion by Magistrate Codar; second by Magistrate Riley. Outcome: approved.

- Approval of claims (general fund, road fund, jail fund) and transfers dated 04/15/2025: Approved. Motion by Magistrate Riley; second by Magistrate Codar. Tally: yes 4, no 1. Recorded opposition: Magistrate Roger (said he opposed the interfund transfer to the jail).

- Appointment — Jennifer Humphrey, RN, to Grant County Local Board of Health (effective 04/15/2025 to 12/31/2026): Approved. Motion by Magistrate Codar; second by Magistrate Riley. Outcome: approved with one abstention (name not specified on the record).

- Appointment — Andrew Powers, seasonal parks employee (effective 04/06/2025): Approved. Motion by Magistrate Humphreys; second by Magistrate Riley. Outcome: approved.

- Reappointment — Dr. Jonathan Rich to Northern Kentucky District Board of Health (07/01/2025–06/30/2027): Approved. Motion by Magistrate Riley; second by Magistrate Humphrey. Outcome: approved.

- Approval — County Road Aid Cooperative Program agreement: Approved. Motion by Magistrate Humphreys; second by Magistrate Codar. Outcome: approved. The resolution number was referred to inconsistently in the meeting transcript (identified as both "2025-02" and "2025-03"); the court approved the annual county road aid cooperative program agreement and authorized the judge executive to sign.

Discussion and context

Magistrates used the reports section to describe routine road maintenance and ongoing bridge projects. Magistrate Roger reported work on turnarounds and a large culvert and said crews began paving at the end of Osborne Road. Road department staff met with State Engineer Ben Spratt and county staff (Ron English and Joe Gordon) about two bridges slated for replacement. The court discussed elevating the Ford's Mill Road bridge by approximately five feet to reduce tree/debris damage during high water, and noted that some locations remain low-water crossings that are not eligible for the grated-bridge conversion.

During citizen address, Debbie Angel of the Grant County News asked whether the bridges under discussion were low-water crossings or structures that carry the roadway over the water; magistrates clarified the projects included full bridges, not low-water crossings, and described past work converting some low-water crossings to grated, galvanized cross-drain/bridal designs intended to let water and debris pass through the structure rather than push against it.

The court announced its next meeting for Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at 6 p.m. in the Grant County courtroom and adjourned.