Ohio County Fiscal Court: Minutes, grants, road and ARPA reallocations approved; closed session authorized

The Ohio County Fiscal Court met in February 2025 and approved routine business, accepted multiple state grant awards and amended prior ARPA allocations, the court chair said.

Court members voted to approve minutes of the Feb. 11 meeting and pay the bills. The court approved a one-year extension of a lease on 40 acres in front of the park entrance currently farmed by Westerfield. The court adopted Resolution 2025-11 acknowledging a Department for Local Government (DLG) land-and-water grant that will fund football field lights and goals; court members said the county’s share is expected to be small — the meeting record references an estimated local share of about $792 and a contingency figure discussed at $37,000 if the grant did not fully cover costs.

Members also approved state bridge funding from a new bridge program established by the Kentucky General Assembly to replace the county’s last wooden bridge on Sherry Road.

Separately, the court moved and approved an amendment to an earlier ARPA resolution to reallocate funds: $20,000 designated for Father’s House and $106,165 for the regional business park, with remaining obligated ARPA funds as of 04/23/24 directed to the county ARCH program. The transcript records that $106,165 had already been paid and that the $20,000 had been obligated but not yet paid.

The court authorized a short closed session under KRS 61.810(1)(c) and (f) to discuss litigation and personnel, saying business would be conducted in closed session. The court also authorized the county attorney to prepare an ordinance regulating biodigester/anaerobic-digester activities (see separate article). A motion moved Stanley Road up the prioritized repair list and authorized a purchase order to proceed.

Roll-call details were recorded for the ARPA amendment and for the ordinance-preparation vote; where the transcript records individual yes/no responses those names are reflected in the official minutes. Several other routine motions (minutes approval, bills, lease extension, the two grant acknowledgments and the bridge appropriation) passed with the court chair calling for “ayes,” which were recorded as carrying.

Votes at a glance - Minutes (Feb. 11) — Motion carried (aye recorded). No roll-call tally specified in the transcript. - Bills, claims, payments and transfers — Motion carried (aye recorded). No roll-call tally specified. - Lease extension: 40 acres at park entrance (Westerfield) — Motion to extend for one year; mover: O'Bannon; second: Jason; outcome: approved (ayes recorded). - Resolution 2025-11 (DLG land-and-water grant; football field lights/goals) — Motion by Michael; second by Beau; outcome: acknowledged/approved (ayes recorded). - Bridge program appropriation (replace wooden bridge on Sherry Road) — Motion by Dale; second by Larry; outcome: approved (ayes recorded). - ARPA amendment (amend prior ARPA resolution to allocate $20,000 to Father’s House, $106,165 to the regional business park, remainder to ARCH program) — Motion made from the bench; second recorded; roll-call recorded; outcome: approved. Transcript notes $106,165 already paid; $20,000 obligated but not yet paid. - Authorization to prepare ordinance regulating biodigester activities — Motion made; second by Adele Bennett; roll-call recorded; outcome: approved (court directed county attorney to draft ordinance and return for readings). - Stanley Road priority/PO authorization — Motion made to move Stanley Road to top of list and issue PO; second recorded; outcome: approved. - Closed session under KRS 61.810(1)(c) and (f) — Motion by court chair; second recorded; outcome: approved (court entered closed session to discuss litigation and personnel).

Notes: The court referenced DLG (Department for Local Government) for the land-and-water grant and cited KRS 61.810(1)(c) and (f) as the authority for the closed session. Where the transcript records only “ayes” and no named roll call the article indicates the vote carried; for items with explicit roll-call exchanges the court’s spoken names appear in the minutes. No motion failed in the transcript provided.