Woodford County approves interlocal sewer agreement with Frankfort; USDA buyout grant for flood buyouts totals $12.2 million

WOODFORD COUNTY, Ky. — The Woodford County Fiscal Court on Sept. 23 approved an interlocal cooperation agreement with the city of Frankfort to advance an $8.5 million sanitary sewer project to serve the Millville area and accepted a grant award notice from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for the Emergency Watershed Protection program intended for flood buyouts.

In a report from the Committee of the Whole, county officials said the interlocal governmental agreement and a companion resolution (Resolution No. 25‑8) were approved and the judge executive was authorized to sign documents related to the Millville sewer project. The interlocal agreement covers county cooperation with the city of Frankfort on the sanitary sewer work.

Separately, the court approved acceptance of a USDA NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection (EWP) grant agreement and award that the committee described as federal funds of $9,300,000 and non‑federal funds of $2,800,000 — a combined total of $12,200,000 — potentially eligible to support buyouts related to recent flooding.

Why it matters: Officials described the EWP award as a major federal funding opportunity to support buyouts in flood-affected areas; the sewer project interlocal agreement is intended to enable sanitary sewer expansion to Millville.

Action taken: - Approval of the interlocal governmental agreement between the city of Frankfort and Woodford County for an $8,500,000 Millville sanitary sewer project; judge executive authorized to sign related documents (motion approved in Committee of the Whole and presented to court). - Adoption of Resolution 25‑8 authorizing the judge executive to execute the interlocal cooperation agreement (approved). - Acceptance of USDA NRCS Emergency Watershed Protection grant award: $9,300,000 federal; $2,800,000 non‑federal; total $12,200,000 (approved unanimously in the Committee of the Whole report to the court).

Officials said these steps are the “first big step” toward moving the Millville sewer project forward and implementing buyouts where NRCS criteria are met. The court did not enact final engineering contracts on the sewer project at the Sept. 23 session; staff will proceed with required administrative and contractual actions under the interlocal agreement and resolution.

Attribution: Committee-of-the-Whole remarks presenting the interlocal agreement and USDA award were delivered in the meeting by the judge executive and county staff; the text of Resolution 25‑8 and the USDA award were referenced during the committee report.