SALYERSVILLE – The Magoffin County Fiscal Court met in regular session on Tuesday, April 18, discussing generators for the water supply, the veterans’ memorial, and other park projects.
The court approved the following fund transfer: $15,000 from the general fund to the jail fund.
Under departmental reports, Magoffin County Deputy Judge Kevin Howard updated the fiscal court on current projects, explaining they have had significant changes at Ramey Memorial Park, with the ballfield lights installed and operational, and the electrical wiring for the scoreboards is in place and the concrete has been poured to support the scoreboards.
Howard said the restrooms at Bloomington, Battlefield and Ramey Memorial are now open to the public.
At the horse park, he said they are preparing the park for the first horse show of the season, slated for May 20.
Howard said the facilities upgrade for the energy savings project for the courthouse is complete, as are the freeze damage repairs at the justice center.
He also said resurfacing projects are to begin this week.
Judge/Executive Matt Wireman said the parks are coming along really well, with more things to come. He said they are working with the city, providing coal severance funding to make much-needed upgrades to Ramey Memorial Park. He said the new ballfield lights are state-of-the-art, LED and cellphone app-controlled, making the lights cost effective while also providing much better lighting than before.
The fiscal court accepted the Magoffin County Extension District Board’s budget for the upcoming fiscal year, and the annual financial budget for the Magoffin County Conservation District.
They also approved the participation agreement and resolution for the County Road Aid Cooperative Program and the Kentucky Department of Transportation District 10’s rural secondary recommendations, which they do every year for state funding for the county road improvements. Judge Wireman explained that this year’s program includes a total of $1,067,000 for Magoffin County, as well as making the county eligible for funds from an emergency fund.
Judge Wireman explained that the rural secondary recommendations from the state include the resurfacing of portions of Ky routes 378, 1081, 1090, and 3334.
The court approved the authorization of Judge Wireman to execute documentation the Magoffin County Generators Project, which is a mitigation project through FEMA. Judge Wireman explained that during the ice storm the water supply was depleted because there was no water being pumped into the tanks during the widespread power outage. He said they will put one permanent generator on Rt. 30, and docking stations throughout the county that will cover at least 90% of Magoffin, and the county will cover the other 10% by installing additional docking stations. The match for the fiscal court is 5%, with the project totaling $121,000.
The fiscal court also approved the Veteran’s Memorial Enhancement Project and resolution, which will be a coal severance project, with the county matching with grants. Judge Wireman said the state is giving them $35,000, and with the county’s matching funds, they will be able to put up fencing and flags with lights around the veterans memorial a the park. Concrete will be poured to connect the memorial with the shelter nearby.
“We’ll have a showplace for our veterans’ memorial,” Wireman explained.
Additionally, the court approved resolutions to ceremoniously name portions of two Magoffin County roads after Private Raymond Craft, who was killed in action during Korean War, and Private Orville Conley, who was killed in action during World War II. Both of those resolutions can be found on A4 of this week’s paper.
In similar news, on May 6, 2023, at 2 p.m. the Magoffin County Fiscal Court and Salyersville DAV will conduct a ceremony dedicating West Puncheon Creek Road off of Route 378 in Magoffin County, KY to be forever known as PFC Burl Montgomery Memorial Road. Mr. Montgomery was killed in action during WWII in France in November 1944. A resolution was approved previously.
Ceremonies for Craft’s and Conley’s road dedications will be announced when that information is made available.
The next regularly scheduled Magoffin County Fiscal Court meeting is tentatively slated for May 16 at the Magoffin County Court House Albert Patrick Building.
