Woodford County budget committee recommends $10,000 for flood housing, approves burn-box concrete pad and multiple budget items

The Woodford County Fiscal Court Budget and Finance Committee recommended that the full fiscal court allocate $10,000 to the Woodford Foundation for emergency temporary housing related to recent flooding and approved multiple budget items and vendor recommendations, including a $21,900 concrete pad at the county burn box to speed debris processing.

Committee members said the actions are intended to support ongoing flood response and to keep department operations running while staff finalize budget figures ahead of the formal fiscal court meetings. Judge Executive Kenny opened the meeting by calling it to order and noting that “we are duly constituted to do business under the budget and finance committee.”

Why it matters: Committee members described immediate needs for shelter and debris removal after this week’s storms. The committee’s recommended $10,000 allocation to the Woodford Foundation is meant as a stopgap for temporary housing, and the concrete pad is intended to prevent repeated loss of gravel when clearing ash from the burn box, reducing recurring costs and improving turnaround for debris disposal.

Recycling and solid waste budget and burn box concrete Director McDaniel presented the preliminary recycling and solid waste budget and described increased overtime, equipment maintenance and a plan for large-scale debris and appliance disposal. The committee heard that the county’s landfill vendor, Rumpke, will not accept appliances containing refrigerants, and the solid waste team is coordinating with metal haulers to segregate and recycle metal appliances.

Assistant director Joe explained the operational issue that prompted the concrete pad request: “The only way we can do it is to have solid concrete that we can scrape the ash off and blow the ash off into a pile.” He told the committee the current gravel surface is displaced each time staff rake ash from the burn box; the recommended 4-inch concrete pad would allow crews to scrape and collect ash without losing gravel repeatedly. The committee voted to recommend the $21,900 quote for a 4-inch concrete pad to the full fiscal court.

EMS and other departmental budgets Director Bailey reviewed the preliminary EMS budget. He said several line items remain unchanged but noted a $5,000 increase in medical supplies driven by higher costs and by state rules that require replacing expired items even if unused: “the state requires expiration dates on pretty much everything we have, and we cannot have anything on the truck that has an that is expired.” Bailey also described training investments, including sending an EMT to paramedic school and a plan to transfer funds from this year’s building budget to cover that training so next year’s budget can be tighter.

Other budgets discussed included the detention center and coroner budgets; the county attorney reminded the committee that deputy salaries for positions such as assistant county attorney and deputy coroner must be set by the statutory deadline and said the court will take up a cost-of-living adjustment at the next fiscal court meeting.

Road materials and fluids The county’s road operations supervisor presented recommended bids for road materials. The committee voted to accept the recommended road material bids excluding the fluids category, because one vendor’s fluids submission was incomplete. The committee separately approved a motion to rebid and advertise the road fluids package.

Indigent burial and court petition process The committee reviewed quotes for cremation using indigent burial funds. The county attorney explained the required procedure: the fiscal court decides an appropriation and the vendor awarded funds then must petition district court to authorize cremation when no next of kin is present. The committee approved a motion to award the indigent burial expenditure to Blackburn & Ward Funeral Home (quote as presented) and recommended that to the full fiscal court. As the county attorney described, “So you all decide, who should receive that, $750 and that entity will then file a petition across the street in district court to get the judge to approve them cremating the body at that cost.”

Parks lease request for batting/hitting complex Parks and recreation director Rich Pichter briefed the committee on a proposal from a local pitching organization seeking a long-term lease for a batting and hitting complex at Chandler Field in Woodford County Park. The committee voted to recommend that the county attorney draft a preliminary lease agreement and discuss terms with the organization; the county attorney noted the need for consistency with existing park leases.

Young & New Farmer grants and other community grants The committee conditionally approved three Young & New Farmer grant applicants (applicants #3, #11 and #23) pending final agreements, and it approved the initial disbursement for applicant #10 after that applicant completed the required agreement. The county clerk and staff will manage the grant agreements and the scheduled disbursements.

Other routine items The committee recommended acceptance of a $7,629.63 quote from Furniture Solutions for filing and storage at the government center, reviewed an election-equipment maintenance estimate from Harp Enterprises ($9,640.10), and discussed placing a solicitation for Verity printers and related election printers and equipment (estimated $55,530) out to bid. Committee members said these are routine, budgeted items necessary for administration and election security.

Votes at a glance - Motion to recommend Blackburn & Ward Funeral Home for indigent burial expenditure (cremation quote) — mover: Scribe Breiner; second: not specified; outcome: motion carries (recommended to full fiscal court). - Motion to accept road material bids as recommended (excluding fluids) — mover: Squire Carl; second: Squire Varner; outcome: approved (recommended to full fiscal court). - Motion to authorize rebid/advertisement for road fluids — mover: Squire Carl; second: Squire Taylor; outcome: approved. - Motion to recommend acceptance of the Solid Waste and Recycling Center concrete pad quote for $21,900 — mover: Squire Taylor; second: Squire Carl; outcome: approved (recommended to full fiscal court). - Motion to authorize the county attorney to draft a preliminary lease agreement with the pitching organization for Chandler Field — mover: Squire Taylor; second: Squire Carl; outcome: approved (recommended to full fiscal court). - Motion to conditionally approve Young & New Farmer applicants #3, #11 and #23 — mover: not specified; second: Squire Carl; outcome: approved (recommended to full fiscal court). - Motion to approve initial disbursement to applicant #10 for the Young & New Farmer grant — mover: Squire Varner; second: Squire Taylor; outcome: approved (recommended to full fiscal court). - Motion to recommend acceptance of Furniture Solutions quote ($7,629.63) for government center filing and storage — mover: Squire Carl; second: Squire Taylor; outcome: approved (recommended to full fiscal court). - Motion to recommend allocation of $10,000 to the Woodford Foundation for emergency temporary housing for flood relief — mover: Squire Carl; second: Squire Taylor; outcome: approved (recommended to full fiscal court).

What’s next: The committee chair said these recommendations will be forwarded to the full fiscal court for final action at the fiscal court meeting. Committee members also indicated that departmental budgets will continue to be refined in follow-up discussions with the treasurer and staff prior to formal adoption.