By Charles Romans
Carter County Times
The weather outside has been the focus for most of us over the last two weeks. So, Carter County Judge Executive Brandon Burton began Monday night’s fiscal court meeting by commending county road crews for their response to the recent snowstorm that blanketed the area with deep snow.
“I know it has been a tough seven days for people in Carter County,” Burton said. “It was a pretty rough storm we had, back-to-back, and I want to stress my gratitude and thanks to all of our Emergency Management teams.”
Burton also thanked the fire departments, and everyone else involved in efforts to combat the storm, including the magistrates.
“Everyone assisted in efforts to battle the storm,” Burton said. “We’ve helped people with getting food, getting them wood, and anything else we could do. Our road crew has worked seven days straight and I’m very proud of their hard work.”
Burton said that the county knew they “had a fight on their hands” as the storm approached but added that it was not only county personnel that worked to keep roads clear and people safe. Private individuals also turned out to help with the effort, using their own trucks and tractors. There were also people who volunteered in the effort by fixing food for those fighting the storm. Burton said those individuals worked hard as well and said that he couldn’t say thank you enough to the people of Carter County.
On another storm related issue, the court discussed the possibility of creating a space for 911 emergency personnel that have become stranded while working their shifts to keep others safe. Some 911 employees were not able to return to their homes because of the foul weather, and one employee attempted to sleep in their car. The court discussed creating temporary sleeping quarters for these employees so that they would not have to face hazardous conditions attempting to return home only to face the same or perhaps worse conditions returning for their next shift.
“We are looking into maybe making a space downstairs in the courthouse,” Burton said. “And tomorrow we are going to purchase a couple of cots in case we get more of the same type of weather.”
Burton said the plan was to establish a temporary response for this winter season and then to prepare better for future countywide emergencies that would inhibit travel so that the safety of those providing such necessary service could be maintained.
The court also discussed one of the road graders being down in the wake of storm snow removal. The grader in question has had numerous problems in the past, including transmission problems and a seized-up emergency brake. These two issues, combined with wiring problems, necessitated the council discussion as to whether it would be more economically feasible to continue repairing the grader or to replace it with a new piece of equipment with a warranty that would cover such repairs. The currently disabled grader’s warranty has expired, and the court plans to discuss the repair versus replacement issue after a mechanic inspects the grader on Tuesday, January 14, and provides an estimate of what those repairs would cost.
In other action, the court discussed the County Clerk’s Budget for 2025, the Treasurer’s Financial Report, approved claims and transfers, and accepted department reports. The court also went into Executive Session to discuss litigation and personnel, but no action was taken at that time.
Contact the writer at charles@cartercountytimes.com
