During a meeting on Tuesday, the Bell County Fiscal Court discussed a resolution to file for a project grant with the Kentucky Local Government Economic Development Fund to streamline the process for the county’s coal severance funds.

Bell County Judge-Executive Albey Brock called the meeting to order, then addressed the LGEDF resolution.

“This is our coal severance,” Brock explained. “The Department of Local Government has advised us to do it this way, that way when we get quarterly deposits – they’ll range from $175,000 to $225,000 – then we can apply for those funds with less documentation on our end and on their end.”

Brock explained the purpose of the resolution.

“It’s basically a blanket agreement with DLG for us to receive our coal severance money,” Brock said.

Before the court acted on the resolution, Brock responded to an inquiry about how coal severance money must be used.

“They don’t necessarily tell us how we can (spend coal severance), they tell us more how we can’t,” Brock said.

Brock then asked for a motion to approve the resolution authorizing the filing of a Kentucky Local Government Economic Development Fund project grant application for up to $1 million in Local Government Economic Single County Funds with the Department For Local Government, authorizing and directing the Bell County Judge-Executive to execute any documents which are deemed necessary to DLG to carry out this project, and authorizing the Judge-Executive to act as the authorized corresponded for this process.

The court approved the motion without objection.

In other court activity:
• The court approved a motion to pay bills and make necessary transfers.

• The court accepted the Bell County Treasurer’s financial statement for the previous month.

• The Bell County Sheriff’s claim sheet for fee account for the previous month was accepted.

• The court approved accepting Miracle Road into the Bell County Road System in District 1.

• The court accepted a check in the amount of $64,184.08 from Bell County Sheriff Mitch Williams.

• The court accepted checks in the amount of $39,325 from Bell County Clerk Debbie Gambrel.