Fiscal Court adopts resolution opposing sale or renegotiation of Pearl Hollow Landfill property, 6-3

Hardin County Fiscal Court voted 6-3 on March 25 to adopt a resolution stating the county does not desire to breach or renegotiate the county’s existing landfill lease with Republic Services of Kentucky, and that it does not wish to transfer or sell county-owned landfill real estate for purposes other than landfill operations consistent with the lease agreement.

The resolution was introduced during the public meeting after a magistrate asked the county attorney for procedural advice on bringing a written resolution to the floor. The motion to adopt was made and seconded; after extended discussion the court took a roll-call vote with six votes in favor and three opposed. The clerk recorded: Klim—Yes; Hicks—No; Muse—No; Pennington—Yes; Saltzman—Yes; Thompson—Yes; Whitehead—Yes; Yates—Yes; Judge Hall—No.

The resolution text recited the property’s history: Hardin County purchased about 742 acres beginning in 1993 to meet long-term waste-disposal needs and later leased operation of the Pearl Hollow Landfill (the county’s landfill property) to Santac Environmental, now Republic Services of Kentucky, under a long-term lease executed following a 2019 bid process. The resolution concludes, in part: “Be it resolved that Hardin County does not desire to breach or renegotiate the terms of the current landfill lease with Republic Services of Kentucky. Be it further resolved that Hardin County does not desire to transfer, sell, or repurpose dedicated landfill real estate for any purpose other than landfill operations consistent with the lease agreement.”

Court debate was lengthy. Supporters of the resolution argued the county should preserve landfill airspace and long-term revenue and avoid a renegotiation that could reduce present income. Several magistrates said the landfill is a scarce county asset that could be needed by future generations, and they expressed concern that selling or otherwise repurposing county-owned landfill acreage would be fiscally imprudent and irretrievable.

Opponents said the contested acreage is about 380 acres outside the landfill’s currently permitted disposal footprint and raised a counterproposal to transfer that unused portion to the Hardin County Soil Conservation District so the district could pursue a grant from the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund to create a park with mountain-bike and walking trails. One magistrate said the district’s application could secure roughly $500,000 toward the project and noted stakeholders including Quail Forever and local mountain-bike groups had been part of earlier negotiations. Opponents argued the transfer could create green space without burdening county parks funding.

The record shows court members also debated liability and public-safety questions tied to trail use near active landfill operations, the potential need to renegotiate the county’s existing operating lease with Republic Services if any land transfer proceeded, and the adequacy of information presented prior to the vote. One magistrate said they had not seen the resolution until the meeting and urged more time to negotiate; others said the court had already directed staff and committees to explore options and that continued work on the issue used county staff time without changing the court’s majority preference.

Earlier in the same discussion a motion to table the resolution was moved and seconded; that motion failed (three yes, six no) on a roll call. After further discussion the final adoption motion passed 6–3. The approval was recorded as a formal resolution of the court; the clerk will include the adopted resolution in the county record.

Ending: Court members said the decision resolves the current application process with the Soil Conservation District and the pending grant application, and they directed court staff to proceed consistent with the adopted resolution. The court did not adopt alternative park proposals or a different transfer at this session.