Campbell County fiscal court advances multi-part plan to restore AJ Jolly Park lake

Campbell County Fiscal Court voted to advance a multi‑part plan to restore AJ Jolly Park’s 200‑acre lake, approving five related actions that start engineering on the dam spillway, authorize bids for a long‑reach excavator and culvert replacement, seek phase‑2 engineering proposals, and permit staff to advertise to hire two road maintenance specialists.

County staff presented results of a 2023 water and sediment depth study that identified three priority coves for work: Racetrack West (average depth about 11 inches), Racetrack East (about 1.25 inches) and Flatwoods Road Cove (about 1.7 feet). Staff said these shallow areas have filled over decades with sediment from development, agricultural runoff and forest litter, limiting recreation and accelerating future infill.

Staff outlined two approaches. Contracting full dredging and related work was estimated at roughly $14.4 million (staff said final bids and road‑repair unknowns could push the total to about $15 million). The alternative — an in‑house program — would buy a long‑reach excavator (estimated about $350,000) and hire two road maintenance specialists (estimated roughly $2,000,000 combined over a projected 10‑year effort). Phase‑2 engineering, permitting support and construction drawings remain to be scoped; staff estimated the in‑house plan at about $3.1 million for the lake restoration portion, plus roughly $400,000 to replace a failing 8‑foot culvert near Flatwoods Cove and a separate spillway engineering proposal of $192,620.

Presenters told the court the Kentucky Division of Water has required a remediation plan for the spillway because ground‑penetrating radar has shown voids and water behind the spillway concrete; an eventual full spillway replacement was provisionally estimated at about $2 million. Staff argued the in‑house approach would (a) reduce estimated cost compared with full contracting, (b) give the county more control over timing and scope, and (c) allow ongoing annual maintenance after major phases are completed.

After discussion, the court voted, by voice, to take the five actions recommended by staff: (1) grant permission to bid a long‑reach excavator, (2) authorize staff to advertise, interview and make hiring recommendations for two road maintenance specialists (targeted to start after July 1, 2025), (3) seek proposals for phase‑2 engineering services for lake restoration (permitting and construction drawings), (4) bid replacement of an 8‑foot culvert near Flatwoods Cove with a bridge, and (5) accept a proposal from the engineering firm Verdantes (formerly CT Consultants) for AJ Jolly Dam improvements (the $192,620 engineering proposal). All five motions carried on voice votes.

Court members spoke in favor of proceeding. One commissioner said the lake is a unique county asset and compared the work to maintaining a roof on a house: "We want to keep the lake wet," he said, framing the work as maintenance of a capital asset. Staff also described non‑structural options for Racetrack West and Racetrack East (creating managed wetlands with invasive species removal and educational signage in partnership with the Environmental Education Center) while reserving more intensive work for Flatwoods Cove.

The court did not set a final, single funding source for the overall program during the meeting; staff said funds are available in this year’s budget to begin engineering and that further construction would be included in fiscal‑year budgeting. Staff said the bridge/crossing at Flatwoods would be bid this year for construction in fiscal 2026 and that phase‑2 engineering and permitting will take about one year.

The court’s approvals start procurement and design work; staff said they will return with detailed bid documents, engineering scopes and schedule updates as those pieces are developed.