By Jeremy D. Wells
Carter County Times
Carter County Fiscal Court heard from the only property owner along Sallee Road at their regular January meeting, who was there to request the road be formally removed from the county road system. He said traffic along the road continues to be a problem, but as long as it remains on state maps there is little he can do to police traffic along the road, which has not been maintained by the county for some time.
Road department head Jason Carroll said the road was not listed among roads the county maintains, and he wasn’t sure why it was still appearing on state maps – but the county has dealt with other roads in the past that were removed from the system by previous courts, but the proper paperwork was never filed with the state to remove it from state maps. County attorney Brian Bayes advised the court that, since it still appears on state maps, the process should be repeated and documented so that the proper steps can be taken to have it removed from those maps.
Magistrate Chris Huddle made a motion to begin the process of removing the road, with the court voting unanimously in favor and appointing magistrates Millard Cordle and Derek McKinney to inspect the road and report back to the court.
In other road vacation news, the court accepted the report on Davey Hill Road and, finding no reason not to proceed with removing the road from the county system, voted to set a public hearing on the issue for the next regular meeting of fiscal court on February 12. Magistrates who inspected the road noted that there was one resident along the road, and that removing it from the county system would not hinder any transportation or any access to cemeteries or other public areas.
In other action the court discussed the plans to solicit a free-standing emergency room and Kentucky Christian University’s assistance in bringing the idea to fruition. Bayes and Judge executive Brandon Burton noted the benefits for emergency ambulance staff as well as for law enforcement, with jailer R.W. Boggs noting the benefit for emergency or accident care needs at the county jail as well.
In department reports county clerk Mike Johnston presented a contract for Burton to sign that would allow the county to accept reimbursement for e-poll books, in the amount of $56,000. The court moved to approve Burton as signatory on those documents.
Carter County sheriff Jeff May discussed his department’s vehicle lease program with the court, and Boggs gave an update on the benefits his department has reaped from an increased rate paid on housing and transporting federal inmates.
Finally, in road department reports, Carroll noted that his department had placed more than 36 tons of rock and gravel on roads, in addition to the more than 100 tons used in tile replacement projects. They also placed 157 tons of pothole mix, and replaced 38 old, missing, or damaged signs, among other roadway maintenance.
Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com
