Greenup County fiscal court approves budget amendment for ambulance and several routine measures

Greenup County Fiscal Court on Feb. 11 approved a second reading of a budget amendment moving $500,000 in state funds to support the county ambulance service, advanced an ordinance on the purchase/financing of a cell tower to a second reading, and approved several routine personnel, financial and appointment measures.

The court voted to approve the second reading of the budget amendment to transfer $500,000 in state funds to the ambulance service. Commissioner discussion tied that funding to the county’s recent expansion of countywide ambulance operations; the county’s ambulance director, Kevin Callahan, told the court enhanced Medicaid reimbursements are in process. “Payments are expected to start any day,” Callahan said.

The court also advanced an ordinance described in the meeting as authorizing a lease and related financing for the WLGC cell tower; that ordinance received a first reading and a majority vote to move it to a second reading. County Attorney Matthew Warnock told the court the approval was the final step to permit closing and related deed paperwork once the ordinance is adopted.

Other actions approved by the court included:

- Suspending a child‑support lease requirement for 2025 at the request of County Attorney Matthew Warnock; the court approved a one‑year hiatus and agreed to reassess next year. (Transcript language recorded the request on the record.)

- Approving the county clerk’s 2025 bond and accepting a check of $68,877.03 the clerk turned over to the county general fund.

- Allocating $20,000 in opioid funds to pay for opioid treatment for inmates and transferring $20,000 from the general fund to the jail fund to support that allocation; the court approved both motions.

- Appointing three members to the Grant County Motor Vehicle Impairment Hearing Board (names recorded on the minutes) and issuing a proclamation recognizing Vicki Adkins for 42 years of service to the Lloyd Volunteer Fire Department.

- Approving hires and personnel changes: hiring Terry McCoy as a full‑time custodian/general maintenance position at $16 per hour with six months’ probation; hiring Zach Salisbury and Caleb Poplin as 9‑1‑1 telecommunicators with probation until they complete state academy requirements; and approving a promotion and line‑item salary change for Paul Wright from $18.00 to $19.50 per hour in the Emergency Operations Center budget line.

Several motions were moved and seconded from the dais; most were adopted on voice vote. Where individual vote tallies were not given in the record, the minutes record the motions as approved by voice vote with the clerk’s notation “Ayes have it.” The meeting record did not show any defeated motions on the items discussed.

County Attorney Warnock also asked the court to waive a child‑support deduction from a lease for one year because of tight federal program budgets that fund the service. The court approved the one‑year suspension and said it would revisit the request next year.

The WLGC tower ordinance was marked as a first reading at the Feb. 11 meeting and will return for a second reading before final adoption; the county attorney said he would complete the deed and closing paperwork once the ordinance is fully adopted.