BY JORDAN BROOKS

jordan.brooks@middlesboronews.com

At the Fiscal Court hearing on May 9, the court heard and approved the first reading of an ordinance requiring mandatory participation in the Solid Waste Collection System, as part of compliance with government requirements.

“For the most part it’s just incorporating KRS locally,” said Bell County attorney Chris Douglas.

According to Kirby Smith, the original ordinance passed in 1974 and has not been changed since then, and the state called for a more updated version of the ordinance. According to Smith, the Chairman of the Bell County Solid Waste District, no major alterations have been made to the ordinance, but the board instead made changes in wording in order to comply with the state standards.

Smith explained to the court a few of the key elements of the ordinance, such as how the ordinance prevents private dumping. Smith also explains that the ordinance states that anyone caught illegally dumping will be subject to a fine. Bell County Solid Waste Districts board rewrote the ordinance, working with Chris Douglas and Following state guidelines.

Magistrate Eddie Saylor brought a few grievances to the court’s attention regarding the ordinance regarding the fiscal courts involvement as well as the revision of ordinances.

“How many times have I heard, or has this court heard, that we have nothing to do with garbage?” asked Saylor.

Judge Albey Brock replied that rather than a responsibility in day-to-day operations, the court has a responsibility to carry out governmental functions necessary for the operation of the county, citing KRS 67.083.

“We have a responsibility to pass these ordinances just like with the library and the health department, if the state library folks came down and said ‘hey, you gotta change your library stuff,” said Brock. “When I’m saying we don’t have anything to do with garbage I’m referring to day-to-day operations.

“If there were enough issues … then we have the ability to come back and do this again, we don’t have to do it. We can revise our ordinances whenever we want to.”

The first reading of the ordinance was passed with four ayes and one nay.

Also addressed at the meeting, Brock stated the construction for the FlashSteel manufacturing plant is on schedule, and in just two weeks construction will begin on the plant. It is estimated that 12 months from the start of the construction the plant will be completed, according to Brock then the plant can open their doors.

Tim Mills with the Bell County Volunteer Fire Department made some announcements on behalf of the fire department. Mills announced that in July the Kentucky Brotherhood, a group of roughly 50 cyclists who are known for riding bicycles all across Kentucky. According to Mills, the Kentucky Brotherhood honors the families of fallen first responders.

“We lost one in the Middlesboro Fire Department and we lost one in the Bell County Emergency Management System,” said Mills. “And so the Kentucky Brotherhood is coming on July 18 and they will be here to rally in the Middlesboro Civic Center.”

The cyclists will make a stop at the Middlesboro fire department and ride all the way to Pineville, and make a stop at Bell County EMS. The cyclists will continue to ride through Barbourville and Corbin, on their way to Prestonsburg.

Mills shared with the court that the Bell County Volunteer Fire Department has taken 112 calls this year. However, the BCVFD has four trucks that are not in operation. The last new truck the BCVFD purchased was in 1994, and on a call the pumping motor seized.

In other business, the court also:

Paid bills and made necessary transfers.

• Accepted treasurer’s financial statement for last month.

• Accepted sheriff’s claim sheet for fee account for last month.

• Opened bids for concrete, stone, tires, culverts, diesel, and asphalt

• Approved payment to DelMae, LLC for the amount of $83,850.68 for Construction Pay Request No. 4 for Flash Steel Works.

• Approved payment to Vaughn & Melton Consulting Engineers for the amount of $7,564.50 for Construction Services Invoice No. 6 for Flash Steel Works.

• Hired Cody Akers, Holly Bolton, Cody Lawless, and Joseph Thomas as part-time Deputy Jailers at $9.00 per hour effective 5/11/2023.

• Accepted checks in the amount of $94,973.09 from Mitch Williams, Bell County Sheriff.

• Accepted checks in the amount of $20,143.74 from Debbie Gambrel, Bell County Clerk.

• Gave judge permission to execute necessary documents associated with New Market Tax Credits investments for Flash SteelWorks.

• Appointed Geneva Blake and Patricia Howard to the Bell County Public Library Board of Trustees.

• Hired Trevor Nants as part-time EMT at $11.50 per hour effective May 11.