Honoring first responders

By Jeremy D. Wells

Carter County Times

Grayson City Council started their meeting last week with a solemn ceremony, to mark a bittersweet trio of accomplishments from their firefighters.

While the January 15 apartment structure fire on Robert & Mary tragically resulted in the loss of city employee Timothy Herron, the day could have been even more tragic without the selfless and decisive action of three Grayson firefighters.

On that terrible morning firefighters Kyle Morgan, Justin Stone, and Chase Felty found and pulled three children, two little girls and a little boy, from the burning building, fire chief Greg Felty explained.

Without them on the scene, city clerk and assistant fire chief Duane Suttles said, those children wouldn’t be alive. It emphasized the importance of the paid weekly day staff, he said, and the impact they could have in those critical moments before the other volunteers could arrive. Had it happened when the small paid staff weren’t on duty, he said, things might have turned out differently.

“It could have been worse,” Suttles said, his voice cracking with emotion. “It could have been much worse.”

Mayor George Steele, presenting the Lifesaving Awards, commended the firefighters as well.
“These men showed extreme courage and concern,” Steele said during his statements before presenting the firefighters with their commendations.

After the presentation of the Lifesaving Award – an honor that Stone now shares with his wife, Whitney – Suttles issued recognitions for the folks on the other end of the line, connecting people in need with the people who can help.

The city honored two of the county’s 911 dispatchers with Outstanding Service Recognitions, while also issuing a proclamation declaring April 13 at Telecommunicators Day in the city.

“In the shadows, there is always someone important in our lives,” Suttles said, noting the importance of those folks who don’t seek the spotlight while calling on two of them to step into it for a moment.

Suttles presented dispatchers Dylan Barker and Cassie Coronado with their Outstanding Service Recognition award before Mayor Steele issued his proclamation, reading in part:
“Whereas emergencies can occur at any time… and, whereas, when an emergency occurs… prompt response… is critical… and… the safety of our emergency service responders is dependent upon the quality and accuracy of information obtained… therefore be it proclaimed, in recognition of National Telecommunicators Week, that it be known that April 10-16, 2022 will be honored as Public Safety Telecommunicators Week in Grayson, Kentucky.”  

In other action council heard from Tim Williamson with an update on the Kinetic/Windstream project. Williamson said they were looking at the end of July when they would be complete with the installation of fiber. But he also said that not all citizens of Grayson will be served by that fiber. Some folks living in apartment buildings may not have access to the broadband service, he said. He noted “difficulties” with servicing apartment buildings, such as the high turnover and owner preferences, and said they were “probably not” going to service some apartment buildings.

Otherwise, though, Williamson said they were, “making great progress,” and that those who could access the service, “will start seeing sales folks knocking on doors (soon).”

Council also held discussion on a resolution presented by emergency ambulance director Rick Loperfido. The resolution, similar to the one adopted by fiscal court supporting the ambulance service in their opposition to King’s Daughter’s certificate of need filing, was accepted by council, but mayor Steele said he would like to consider it further before adopting it.

In other action council heard from library director Matt Parsons on roof repairs at the Grayson location, and the need for funding assistance, accepted code enforcement reports – including updates on the Little Sandy Lane properties, accepted emergency management reports, fire department reports, street department reports, and police department reports.

In the administrative report the city made note of an executive order that will require all city employees, and those on city boards – including city council – to take harassment training.

In old business, councilpersons Pearl Crum and Troy Combs opened discussion on Crum’s requested amendment to the city’s nuisance ordinance; particularly areas related to fines. Crum stated that, as a realtor, she was concerned high fines incurred by a property owner could impact resale value. Crum noted that a person might not be able to afford to sell to someone who could rehab a property if they owed $60,000 in fines and their property was only worth $50,000. She also expressed concern that it would inordinately impact older property owners. If a parent got sick, she said, and a child was trying to take care of them and their property, “$100 a day (the current fine) is a lot!” she said.

Crum made a motion to cut the current charge by roughly a third, imposing a $1,000 a month fine rather than the $100 a day fine currently levied. She also moved to set a cap on the fines that can be levied, cutting them off at a $15,000 maximum fine. She said that seemed more fair to her.

“As a realtor… I don’t think we’re doing the public right,” she said.

Other members of council disagree with Crum, however, noting that no one acts on these issues until the property owner has been given multiple notices, and that the ordinance lacks teeth if tethered and capped.

Code enforcement officer Joe Hammer, during discussion of the motion, said that all property owners are given at least two weeks of notice before citations are issued and fines levied. Hammer said they have also closed many cases without levying any fines when property owners made a good faith effort and cleaned up their lots.

“If we’re talking property value… if they don’t clean it up, they won’t be able to sell anyway,” council Bradley Cotten noted, negating one of Crum’s criticisms of the high fines.

Council did not approve Crum’s motion, voting three to two against, with Terry Stamper, Jerry Yates and Bradley Cotten voting against the measure, and Crum and Combs voting in favor of the measure. Councilperson Sudy Walker was not present for the vote.

In related news Grayson entrepreneur Shadow Skaggs spoke to council concerning a blighted and abandoned properties ordinance. Skaggs said that one of the things the city needed to grow was an economic development director. The other, he said, was a blighted properties ordinance that would allow derelict and abandoned properties to be taxed at a higher rate. This would encourage their sale and refurbishment, he said. It’s a strategy that has been used to good effect in other cities throughout the region, he said.

Council accepted a sample ordinance and approved a motion to have city solicitor Jason Greer look at ways a similar ordinance could benefit Grayson.

In other new business council moved to adopt a resolution in support of a National Heritage Area in the Appalachian Region, and to enter into the first reading of three ordinances that would clean up existing ordinance language related to left turns on Main, the city’s automobile sticker law, and a traffic citation ordinance.  

Contact the writer at editor@cartercountytimes.com