SALYERSVILLE – Magoffin County Fiscal Court met in regular session on Tuesday, setting the county cleanup dates and discussing the industrial park.
The court approved the following fund transfer from the general fund: $55,000 to the jail fund.
They also approved the second reading of the first budget amendment for fiscal year 2025, with no changes from the first reading.
They approved the county court clerk’s fourth quarter financial statement for 2024, with County Clerk Renee Shepherd clarifying a small error she found and fixed, but otherwise, no major issues.
They heard a report on the CMTA Energy Savings Project, which they hired in December 2021, to renovate the HVAC and lighting at the county-owned facilities.
They guaranteed they would save the fiscal court $58,632, which is required to make the debt payment on the upgrades, but this past year, the second year since they began, they were able to save $77,363, or about 32%.
“You upgraded these buildings with money you were already spending, and then you’re creating excess savings, so you essentially have more money than you would have had if you still had old equipment in these buildings,” the CMTA representative explained to the fiscal court. “But you have new equipment and you have more money.”
Magoffin County Judge/Executive Matthew Wireman explained that other districts had already used energy savings projects before Magoffin decided to try it, so it was already proven, and as utility rates increase, they anticipate more savings for the county.
A Big Sandy Area Development District representative reported to the court on county projects, explaining the biggest project their doing in the county is with the Gifford Industrial Park Development Project, which he said is a $1 million investment from the AML Revitalization Program to create the park. He said they’re designing and completing the substructure of the infrastructure, and will be extending the sewer to the park, making it ready to market.
He also explained that already having three companies already signed up to locate to the industrial park when it’s completed, in industrial development that is not typical.
“Actually, it’s pretty much unheard of,” the BSADD representative told the court, stating industrial parks generally sit for a time after infrastructure is completed while it is marketed, but there will be no waiting time for marketing since it’s already set to be full. “That means you’re going to have to look for another place for a park, but that’s a good problem to have.”
He explained they are waiting for federal authorization of the designs, and they can’t complete the substructures until they get the approval.
Judge Wireman explained that the technical center is planning on 200 students initially, and expanding to 400 students, which will bring a lot of people to this community, spending money locally, and helping the economy.
He also said the tech center and Frontier Housing (building modular home pods) will be able to work together, benefitting both and bringing more people to the area, as well.
The BSADD representative also noted that the KY Routes 542, 1502 and 378 water project is in the environmental phase, but once completed it will be sent to the Department of Local Government for review and approval to continue.
Judge Wireman said they will also have some issues just finding a place for a pump station in that area, which they are looking into now, to be able to push that water into those locations.
Judge Wireman also confirmed with BSADD that the Royalton Trail Town project grant does not belong to the county. The BSADD representative confirmed that is not a Magoffin County Fiscal Court project, and that the Royalton Trail Town was an early AML project, and written for the Royalton Trail Town Committee and administered by the BSADD. He said the project is on hold right now, with the fencing done, but need to put in utility lines and start constructing the cabins out there. They had approximately six attempts to get the contractor to come out there, but never been successful setting up that meeting. He said they’ve sent all the plans to the state, and they’re checking with the feds to see if there’s anything else they can do to get that project moving, again, but right now it’s on hold.
Deputy Judge Kevin Howard updated the court on the new playground for Ramey Memorial Park, explaining they have the new equipment in now and the site is prepped, so they are starting to install it this week. They have scheduled to pour the surface material on April 1, but that is weather-dependent because it has to be over 50 degrees at night before they can do that. It will be an inclusive playground and is above the floodplain. Judge Wireman noted that the playground cost is approximately $500,000, and they just invested roughly $800,000 in the lights at the park, $130,000 on the batting cages and $100,000 on the veterans’ memorial, totaling at close to $2 million the county alone has put toward the park recently. He said the county doesn’t get any tourism funding, but cities can levee a tax on restaurant sales for tourism, so he said they are working with the city to encourage some of the tourism funding to go toward the park.
The court approved the fiscal year 2026 proposed jail budget, with Wireman explaining the jail doesn’t generate any funding for the county, but they spend more than $600,000 each year, noting this is a statewide problem. He said they’re looking to get the state to pay for people already indicted on felonies to help with the counties’ costs.
Just to alleviate a scheduling conflict, the court agreed for the regular May meeting to be moved to Monday, May 19 at 5 p.m.
Judge Wireman also announced the countywide cleanup dates, which can be found on the front page of this issue of the SI.
