Fleming County Fiscal Court approves grants, reappointments and budget measures; Pacific Avenue adoption petition remains under review

Fleming County Fiscal Court met Tuesday, Feb. 11, 2025, at the Fleming County Courthouse in Flemingsburg. County Judge/Executive Sims called the meeting to order at 9:00 a.m., and the court conducted a series of routine approvals, grant authorizations and administrative actions before moving into an executive session to discuss real property.

The court approved the minutes of the Jan. 14, 2025 meeting after a motion by Magistrate Taylor Hunt and a second from Richie Kielman. It also approved the County Judge/Executive’s recommendations to reappoint Vernon Barton (2/14/2025–2/14/2029), Larry Ingram (5/11/2025–5/11/2029) and Jeff Donovan (5/17/2025–5/17/2029) to the Western Fleming County Water District.

Officials approved several service contracts: renewal of the HMC service contract for the judicial center pit pump at $880 annually for 2025 and 2026 and renewal of Johnson Controls’ annual inspection contract for judicial center fire extinguishers at $144 annually. The court also approved the auto-renewal of Lewis County Fiscal Court’s contract for dog housing for FY2025–2026 at the same amount as the current agreement.

On grants and interlocal agreements, the court approved Resolution 25-1414 authorizing the County Judge/Executive to sign documents for a KY911 grant application and Resolution 25-1415 approving the TENCO interlocal agreement and related signature authority. The court voted unanimously to submit a full FEMA Flood Mitigation Assistance (FMA)/BRIC grant application for one emergency generator to be installed at the backup emergency operations center, authorized the Judge/Executive to sign any documents related to the application and committed a 25% match from the Capital Improvement Fund. The court also approved the KYEM Emergency Management Performance Grant (2024 cycle) in the amount of $13,387.45 and authorized signature for related documents.

County Treasurer Miranda Utterback presented financial reports for the period ending Jan. 31, 2025, showing total funds of $2,501,670.00, including a General Fund balance of $1,303,834.29 and an Opioid Fund balance of $249,199.35. The court approved the treasurer’s report, budget transfers and cash transfers as presented and approved claims reports and payment of conference and training registration fees for February and March 2025.

The court approved the second reading of Ordinance 25-1413 (budget amendment) and adopted the 2025 Salary Order for elected officials, effective Jan. 1, 2025. It also approved closing two inactive bank accounts (ending in 0843 and 5353) at the recommendation of the State Auditor, and accepted routine departmental reports including road maintenance (Nov. 2024), the county clerk’s month-end report, the sheriff’s month-end report, the dispatch report and the jailer’s report.

The court received a petition from Pacific Avenue residents seeking adoption of their road into the county road maintenance system. Viewers assigned to the petition visited the road on Feb. 7, 2025; the viewers’ statement still needs to be completed and filed before the county can proceed under Kentucky Revised Statute requirements for road adoption.

A motion to adjourn at 9:33 a.m. was briefly passed and then rescinded. By unanimous vote the court entered executive session under KRS 61.810(b) at 9:35 a.m. to discuss real property; the court returned to open session at 9:46 a.m. and adjourned at 9:47 a.m. No actions taken in executive session were disclosed in the public record.

The court’s next procedural steps include completion and filing of the Pacific Avenue viewers’ statement for the road-adoption process and any grant-application follow-ups led by the County Judge/Executive’s office.