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Break-ins at Recycling Center prompt security push; court rejects $7,438 gate purchase
Summary
After staff reported multiple break‑ins and stolen equipment at the county Recycling Center, magistrates split 3–3 on a $7,438 bid to install a gate; the motion failed and the court directed staff to pursue alternative site security and logistics for concrete block delivery.
Spencer County Fiscal Court discussed a string of thefts at the county Recycling Center and narrowly rejected a $7,438 bid to install a security gate.
Karen Spencer (Recycling Center staff) told the court she reviewed camera footage showing repeated thefts beginning Dec. 23 that included trailer taillights, computers and a weed eater; thieves had cut camera wiring to disable monitoring. Magistrate Esquire Travis said he witnessed damage to trailer wiring and recommended moving forward with a vendor quote ($7,438) to secure the recycling site; he and two other magistrates voted in favor.
The motion to purchase a gate from Metro was seconded and put to a roll-call vote. The motion failed 3–3: ayes from Esqs. Beaverson, Travis and Brewer; nays from Judge Riley and Esqs. J. Moody and M. Moody. Magistrates opposing the expenditure questioned whether the proposed gate would prevent thefts occurring by jumping the site's boundary wall and urged alternatives such as securing trailer locks and office windows.
Travis also asked the Road Department to collect 91 concrete blocks previously purchased from IMI and deliver them to the recycling site so staff could set a second layer of blocks and install a gate in spring; that logistics task was left for staff and the Road Department to pursue.
What happens next: the court did not authorize the gate purchase; staff and magistrates said they will pursue additional security measures and attempt to move blocks from IMI into county custody so they can be installed.
