By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
County roads and bridges were some of the key items discussed during the April 15 Barren County Fiscal Court meeting.
In February, Barren County Judge-Executive Jamie Bewley Byrd declared a local state of emergency with the primary purpose of receiving assistance with road repairs and maintenance and in March the county qualified for public assistance, which allowed the Federal Emergency Management Agency to “provide supplemental grants to…local governments…so communities can quickly respond to and recover from major disasters.”
At the fiscal court meeting, the seven county magistrates approved three invoices from Scotty’s Contracting and Stone for repairs to Oil Well Road, Happy Hollow Road and Payne Loop. Emergency Management Director Garland Gilliam said these invoices were for work completed before the April severe weather that re-damaged Oil Well and Happy Hollow roads.
Oil Well Road’s invoice was for $16,620, Happy Hollow Road was for $89,300 and Payne Loop’s invoice was $87,150. Byrd said these invoices would be reimbursed by FEMA.
The magistrates also unanimously approved a bid from Intech Contracting for the bridge maintenance on Siddens Road for $762,342.98. The bridge work will require the bridge be closed no more than 60 days and Magistrate Tim Coomer said the company could start as soon as August.
At the April 14 transportation committee, Coomer opened the two bridge maintenance bids, which were both from Intech Contracting — for the previously mentioned $762,342.98 and for $813,143.48. The committee members opted to go with the lesser bid because the higher amount would not close the bridge down completely, but would require about 100 days to complete.
The money comes from the three-quarters of a million dollars the court was approved for by the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet.
The 2024-25 county budget and the solar ordinance are set to be discussed at a April 29 special-called meeting.
