The court is concerned about being fair to other non-profit institutions that might also want to claim exemption from that tax.

In rapid fire succession the court approved the annual budgets for several local entities. Actually, the court merely has to record that they have received the annual budgets as required.

The court approved the annual budgets for the following: the Western Lewis-Rectorville Water and Gas District; the Garrison-Quincy Water District; the Black Oak Volunteer Fire Department (VFD) Taxing District; the Camp Dix VFD Taxing District; the Buffalo Trace Area Development District; the Buffalo Trace Rural Housing Authority; and the Garrison VFD Taxing District.

The court also approved the relocation of Fuller Branch Road.

Solid Waster Coordinator John Teager was re-appointed from a part time to a full time position as the Lewis County Solid Waste Coordinator. Teager had worked part time for six months since he had planned to retire but now can continue as a full time employee of the county.

The court approved the annual order setting the maximum amount for the salaries for the deputies and assistants in both the County Clerk’s and Sheriff’s Offices.

Lewis County Treasurer Kathy Dillow reported that from July 1 to December 31 the county’s General Fund had received revenue of $965,538.37 with disbursements of $723,509.82 leaving a balance of $242,928.65. Revenue for the Road Fund totaled $1,436,112.71 with disbursements of $1,274,714.17 leaving a balance of $161,348.54. The Jail Fund received $405,672.45 with disbursements of $397,939.39 with a balance of $7,733.06. The court approved the treasurer’s report.

The court approved all the claims and transfers for the month for the General, Road and Bridge and Jail Fund accounts except a claim made by the J.P. Morgan Company. Dillow told the court that she thinks that a bill for $3929 should have been sent to the Administrative Office of the Courts.

First District Magistrate Milt Stanfield announced that the Board of the Canaan Holiness Church had voted not to permit the use of its fellowship hall as a voting precinct in Burtonville. Stanfield said that the board wanted to avoid getting politics too closely associated with the church.

Judge Applegate told the court that updating the precincts in the Help America Vote Program to accommodate voting for the handicapped would cost the county $19,176.95.

He also announced that Kevin Cornette of the BTADD had notified him that the E-911 addressing is progressing well, and that the program should be up and running by this August.

By Al Owens

Meeting in regular session last week the Electric Plant Board of the City of Vanceburg followed the action taken last Monday by the Vanceburg City Council and approved the settlement with Grayson Electric and East Kentucky Power about who has the right to serve new customers in the St. Paul area in Eastern Lewis County. The city owns the Utility Company. The dispute has been ongoing for five years.

Superintendent Phil Kennedy explained the bottom line of the agreement. He said that Grayson will relinquish the right to serve new customers in the area, and Vanceburg will continue to serve those people. The Plant Board will pay Grayson a small portion of the monthly revenue from those new customers. For residential customers the Board will pay 2.25 percent of the monthly revenue. For small commercial the stipend will be 2.25 percent; for commercial customers 1.25 percent; for industrial customers 1.0 percent; and for outside lighting 1.0 percent.

The board approved the new electric rates under the contract with Kentucky Power at a 25 percent increase. Kennedy said the Utility Company wouldn’t know how they’re doing for about five months so in July the rates may be adjusted down or up depending on the cost of power to the company.

However, the board moved to lower the natural gas rates by ten percent for the February billing because their cost has been reduced in the past month.

Kennedy pointed out that although the electric rates under the new contract have increase by 25 percent the local company’s rates are still lower than those in surrounding counties. He said that he checked the use of electricity of one employee who is served by another company, and if that employee had been paying Vanceburg rates her electric bill would have been $11 less than she had to pay with the other company.

The board approved C.W. Wright Construction Company’s notice to proceed with the relocation of electric lines on the AA Highway between the Lewis County Memorial Gardens and Sand Branch. KY Rt. 8 is going to be widened in that area. 

Kennedy told the board that the lines would be moved behind the homes and would no longer be in front of the residences. The proposal from C.W. Wright comes at a cost of $300,792. That cost will be reimbursed by the state.

He announced that Elmo Greer got the contract from the state to construct the connector road between the Vanceburg-Lewis County Industrial Park at Black Oak and the AA Highway.

In his superintendent’s report Kennedy informed the board that he has hired Mark Hall as a new part time worker to help with the combined sewers and overflows on the weekends. He said that Hall has a degree in environmental science and has almost every license there is.

He said the company has also received new permits for the package treatment plants. Kennedy said that the state now requires chlorinators for the plants. The chlorination has to be put in and then taken out.

With the increase in utility costs a question was raised about the late charges.

Kennedy explained that late charges are not a finance charge. The late fee is ten percent of the current bill only. It is not added to additional unpaid balances for the next month. For example, he said that if a person’s bill was $200 and was paid late then the customer would pay $220. If the customer were able to pay $100 of that then the ten percent charge would be applied one time only to the remaining $100 balance and the cost to the customer would be $110. If the next month’s bill were paid late then the ten percent would be applied only to that month’s current billing charge, not to the current bill and the past bill together. In the example he gave the $110 would remain unchanged and the new bill would have the ten percent charge applied only to the new monthly charge.

Gail Massie asked about a guard post near the gas line in Oakland Park. She said that it was close to the road, and the children waiting for the school bus at the bus stop were seen climbing on it. Kennedy told her that the post was there because that’s where the gas line is, but he would see that something is done to make it safer.

By Al Owens

Meeting in regular session last week the Vanceburg City Council immediately entered closed session with Electric Plant Board Superintendent Phil Kennedy. When returning to open session the council moved to accept the agreement with Grayson RECC and East Kentucky Power regarding the dispute over who provides service to customers in the previously disputed area in the eastern part of Lewis County.

Although no one elaborated on the details of the agreement Kennedy said that the agreement was fair and just.

The council authorized Mayor William T. “Bill Tom” Cooper to submit an application for a grant according to the Transportation Enhancement Act to repair the old bridge going across Salt Creek to the playground at the Vanceburg boat dock. Cooper said that the estimated cost of the bridge repair comes to $350,000. He pointed out that the bridge is the last one of its kind in Kentucky. The bridge would give the youth of the city easy access to the playground, a convenience they do not currently enjoy.

Cooper said the bridge would be for foot and bicycle traffic only and not for cars or other vehicles.

The council gave Cooper the authority to purchase several new Dumpsters for the city as needed. Cooper said that some of the old ones are rusting out on the bottom and would soon be unfit for service. He told the council that new ones cost anywhere from $400 to $600 depending on the size, whether 12, 10 or eight yard Dumpsters.

Cooper added that as time permitted some of the old Dumpsters would be welded and repaired and used as backups after the new ones are purchased. The total cost will not exceed $7,500.

After approval of the minutes of last month’s session Cooper briefly addressed the council.

Cooper said that this is the last year of his term and noted that together he and the council had accomplished a great deal although a lot of remains to be finished in 2006.

Among the current projects he listed the following: 1) $23,000 in black top to put down on the streets of the city 2) completing the renovation of the Commercial Hotel, hopefully by July 4th 3) building the new maintenance building for the maintenance of the city’s vehicles and equipment 4) completion of the underground electric wiring in the Renaissance Street Scape Program 5) delivery of two new police cruisers 6) completing the connector road between the Industrial Park at Black Oak and the AA Highway, and 7) continuing support for the power plant at the Carrs location in Lewis County.

Cooper said that he is proud to have served the city as Mayor for the past 16 years and hopes that he has pleased the citizens who put him in office. He added that although this is his last year in office he plans to work hard until the last day of his term.