By Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The Olive Hill City Council discussed the purchase of a new vehicle for Emergency Director Jeremy Rodgers during their scheduled meeting on Tuesday, January 21. Rodgers was involved in an accident with the vehicle on December 21, 2024, which resulted in the vehicle being ‘totaled’. He was responding to another accident at the time. The vehicle was insured for $20,000, Rodgers told the council, and there were no loans or leases held against the 2011 year vehicle at the time of the accident.
The individual who struck Rodgers’ vehicle was insured, but Rodgers said the insurance the city held on the vehicle would kick in to pay anything that individual’s insurance did not pay up to the $20,000 coverage.
“I would like to upgrade,” Rodgers told the council.
Upgrading would help him continue to do the work he was doing with the old truck, and would give the city and fire department access to a vehicle that was better suited to moving equipment and pulling trailers.
“I have found a 2500 series truck which is one step bigger at Mark Porter Chevrolet in Ashland,” he told council.
Rodgers said the dealership reduced the price on the gasoline engine vehicle to $51,115. After the $20,000 the city was guaranteed through insurance, the cost would be roughly $31,000.
If the city chooses to simply purchase the vehicle without applying the insurance payout, then the monthly payments would be around $900 per month. This of course would be reduced based upon what amount the city chose to apply towards a downpayment, with the payment being reduced to approximately $760 per month if the city decided on a $10,000 downpayment. Rodgers told the council he would recommend making a downpayment of the $10,000 and holding the balance in reserve which would result in approximately 20 months of payments. The Council voted unanimously to approve the purchase.
The Council also had the first reading of an ordinance that would allow city council members to attend meetings remotely. The language of the ordinance stated that those council members attending remotely must be listed on the agenda prior to the meeting, and that it is permissible if the meeting itself is held in a public location where the public can attend as regulated by Kentucky Statutes. Other stipulations included requiring any council members making use of remote attendance to use technology that allows them to be heard clearly by both the other council members and the public, with accompanying video preferred.
Those council members attending remotely under these conditions will be able to fulfill their responsibilities by participating fully, including being counted as a necessary member to give the city a quorum to hold the meeting and being able to cast votes as if they were physically present. The ordinance notes that remote attendance by council members is intended for specific situations and not to be used as simply an alternative to in person attendance.
The city also had the first reading of an ordinance adopting an agreement approving the execution and delivery of a lease agreement with the Commercial Bank of Grayson for a maximum principal amount of $240,000 to finance the acquisition and equipment of five police cruisers. The cruisers are to be used by the Olive Hill Police Department and includes one canine police cruiser. The lease will be payable over a period of five years.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
