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Last updated on Tuesday, May 3, 2016
(BEDFORD) - Lawrence County Highway Superintendent David Holmes reported to the commissioners Tuesday morning that crews will begin paving Wednesday.
Crews will be working on Moore Lane and Harrodsburg Road from Seiboldt Quarry Road to Monroe County Line. On Thursday crews will pave Popcorn Road from Springville to Popcorn Church Road and on Friday crews will pave Armstrong Station Road from Boone Hollow Road to Fayettevile/Owensburg Road.
Holmes also updated the commissioners on the plan to spend Local Option Income Tax on four critical road projects if the county council approves the projects.
Holmes suggested investing the extra $940,000 the county receives this year to mill, resurface and strip Old State Road 37 from the Marathon station in Judah to Washboard Road; mill, resurface and strip Old State Road 37 from Bedford to Oolitic and pave and strip Stars Boulevard from U.S. 50 East to State Road 58; and replacing Bridge 25 on Leatherwood Road near the Otis Park Soccer Complex.
Holmes said applications for the state money must be filed in June. Seventy-five percent of the $940,000 must be used for transportation. The remaining 25 percent can be utilized for other projects. Sheriff Mike Branham has suggested using that portion of funding to repair two ramps at the jail.
"These are very expensive projects," Holmes told the commissioners. " Using these fund would only cost us half of the cost. We would struggle to pay for these improvements without these funds. Another plus is the projects meet the standards to qualify for the funding."
In other business:
Sheriff Mike Branham reported that there were 131 inmates housed at the Lawrence County Jail, of those 24 were female, 8 Level 6 felonies and one Department of Correction hold.
"Those numbers are holding pretty steady for the last month or so," Sheriff Branham added.
To help with housing inmates the recreation room, which is being converted to house inmates is almost complete.
Crews have been working on the plumbing and shower area and that should be complete this week. Furniture will be ordered and then the state jail inspector will be alerted to do a final inspection of the new area.
"Once the area is completed we will be able to house 180 inmates," Sheriff Branham added. "This is a huge improvement increasing the life of the jail by at least 10 years. It was well worth the $20,000 investment.
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Emergency Management Director Valerie Luchauer reported that she has been working on the maps and mutual aid agreements between volunteer fire departments.
"These agreements allow the dispatch to automatically tone out a bordering department or more as needed," Luchauer says. "It is especially important during daytime hours when many of the volunteers are working and not available to take a run. For example if there was an emergency run in East Oolitic, Shawswick would be alerted because there station is on Dive Road, but dispatch would also tone out Oolitic for backup."
Luchauer also presented the commissioner a draft of an evacuation plan for the Lawrence County Fairgrounds.
"We had to evacuate the fairgrounds last Tuesday when the circus was there," Commissioner Bill Spreen added. "A storm blew up fast and we had a tent full of people out there."
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The commissioners approved Fish Window Cleaning to clean the inside and outside of the courthouse windows twice a year for $3,040, pending council approval to spend the money.
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The commissioners signed a quick claim deed for several property that were not transferred properly during the sale of Dunn Hospital to St. Vincent Hospital. The properties are 1609, 1611, 1613 and 1615 25th Street.
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