A lot can happen in 15 minutes. As such, Christian County Fiscal Court moved quickly Tuesday morning to accept three key measures of support for the community.
The first: a resolution to put all two miles of Fentress Lane under a rubber modified asphalt grant.
The second: approval of a 75/25 $20,000 hazardous waste grant through the Pennyrile Area Development District.
And third: an acceptance of earmarked funding through the recently passed House Bill 556, known as the “County Jail” bill.
Located between Palmyra Lane and Lafayette Road, both Magistrate Josh Turner and Judge-Executive Jerry Gilliam confirmed that previous rubber modified grants have been successful on Witty Lane and Miller’s Mill.
Meanwhile, PeADD’s Lexie Pendleton confirmed that Christian County hadn’t had a hazardous waste grant acceptance in “awhile,” and as such, $20,000 was being requested so that disposal of paint cans, electronics and other unique trash could be discarded. After the county antes in $5,000, the grant will get the other $15,000.
Furthermore, Gilliam said the City of Hopkinsville has applied for the last few years, but isn’t this year.
Finally, Gilliam also said that House Bill 556 news came down late Monday, and that it will allow for refunds and subsidies of in-house jail programs for things like anger management, parenting, substance abuse and other approved classes.
In other court news:
+ Sandra Price, a two-decade resident of Hopkinsville, brought to magistrates a concern about the Christian County Jail, in which she noted recent reports of potential overcrowding from the Kentucky New Era — especially with the addition of ICE detainees from federal authorities.
Gilliam and County Attorney Lincoln Foster noted those current housing numbers weren’t readily available in this meeting, but did advise that Price could meet with Jailer Adam Smith to discuss entry in the facility, as well as file an open records request through the Freedom of Information Act.
Multiple reports have indicated that the jail can house, and maintain the health of, 100 such inmates, and that new deputies were hired for additional transportation from flights and other facilities.
Price then asked how one goes about filing a FOIA request.
The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) emerged from post-World War II concerns about government secrecy, championed by John Moss, and was signed into law in 1966 by Lyndon B. Johnson to guarantee public access to federal records with limited exemptions.
Since then, FOIA has been expanded through amendments to improve transparency, adapt to technology and strengthen the public’s ability to hold federal agencies accountable.
Before making a request, individuals can look to see if the information of interest is already publicly available, particularly online, and agencies that have already posted data to their websites can be found at FOIA.gov.
If said information isn’t readily available, FOIA requests can be sent to an agency’s FOIA Office by e-mail, fax or traditional postage. If they don’t have such an office, start with a public information officer or a key leader.
The request simply must be in writing and reasonably describe the records being sought, and can be submitted by journalists, citizens and other key interested parties. This is typically completed in a letter format, and agencies must meet certain deadlines on the ask.
+ No action was taken, but magistrates closed by convening in special session for deliberations on the future acquisition or sale of real property by a public agency, but only when publicity would be likely to affect the value of a specific piece of property to be acquired for public use or sold by a public agency.
Tony Prim, of the South Western Kentucky Economic Development Council, was present for the discussion.
+ Magistrates also approved the appointment of Erin Westerfield to fill the unexpired term of Troy Body on the Christian County Library Board.
Hopkinsville’s long-time City Administrator, Body has informed Mayor J.R. Knight and department heads that this will be his last year serving in the community.
In a statement penned on LinkedIn more than two months ago, Body said the city had been “great” to him, and that he hoped he had “returned the favor.” Body also said he and his staff have provided the most important things a government can provide to its residents: “stability, efficacy and innovation.”
