Fiscal Court Recap: County Approves Raise For Road Employees, Law To Obtain Multi-County Jurisdiction, More

Darren Doyle, story and photo
Edmonson County Fiscal Court met today, October 11, 2016 in the upstairs courtroom of the county courthouse. As we reported earlier, the court approved a local company to build a new website for the county to serve as a hub of all local government and organization information.

​In other fiscal court news, the court approved a minimum of $1 per hour pay raise for all county road employees. Starting pay will be increased from $9/hr with CDL requirements, to $10.50/hr without CDL. However, a new hire without a CDL must obtain it within six months. New hires that already have a  CDL will begin pay at $11.50 per hour.

Judge Executive Wil Cannon said the road department has had much difficulty with hiring new employees because of the low wage offered with a CDL requirement. He said the pay increase was needed in order to keep from being shorthanded on employees right now.

The court also heard from Sheriff Shane Doyle, who updated the court on the previous drug bust on 31W a couple weeks ago. He also reported that he had two deputies that were undergoing training this week and that his office had found a police cruiser for sale in surplus from Frankfort. His office is purchasing the car with 78K miles for only $1900. It will still need to be outfitted for law enforcement use.

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Judge Executive Wil Cannon looks over the fiscal court agenda on Tuesday, October 11, 2016.

Todd Vincent, deputy jailer, reported that the county was currently responsible for 14 inmates, two of which were on home incarceration. He also said one of their cars that had previously been repaired at Greenwood Ford had been returned to the dealership for the same existing issue.

The court also approved a signed resolution agreement for a state run program called BACKUPPS, which gives county sheriff's offices statewide jurisdiction from county to county. "We need to be able to go to other counties and have law enforcement powers," he said. "Let's say we have a deputy that goes to interview a subject in Warren County that has to do with a case here. Without jurisdiction, our deputy could see drugs in plain site but won't have the law enforcement power to make an arrest. They'd have to contact the local agency and have them do it, which by the time they got there, it would be too late."  

He said there would be stipulations on the statewide jurisdiction. "We'll be required to contact the other county agency and inform them of our intentions," he said. "We can't just slip into another county and be law enforcement there without letting the proper authorities know. We don't want other agencies doing that here, either."

Chamber and Tourism Director Rhonda Clemmons announced that Tourism will meet on October 20th, 4:30pm. She also said the annual chamber dinner has been set for November 17, 2016 at 6pm at Mammoth Cave Hotel. She also said the recent Chamber Golf Scramble was a huge success and everyone had a great time.

Finally, Clerk Kevin Alexander reported that the voting machines are set, and today is last day to register to vote in Kentucky for the upcoming election. ​The next fiscal court meeting is scheduled for Monday, October 24, 2016 at 9am.