Creek bridge repair, unkempt properties top court agenda

Carroll County Fiscal Court is exploring options to deal with erosion at the base of a private bridge off Locust Road, which has cropped up after bank stabilization work was completed there.

Judge-Executive Harold “Shorty” Tomlinson told fiscal court at its meeting Tuesday morning that the problems were found at the base of one of the piers supporting a bridge owned by Danny Kinman. Photos displayed at fiscal court show how the water in Locust Creek had caused deterioration at the base of the pier, which stands in the creek.

Tomlinson said the problems arose after the county had worked with the federal National Resources Conservation Service,  through a grant received during a disaster declaration. The funds allowed the county to hire contractors to repair problems in the streams caused by flooding that hit certain parts of the county.

Tomlinson had requested additional NRCS funds to address this problem, but the request was denied.

However, because the county was involved in the work, Tomlinson said he believes there may be the option that allows fiscal court to help Kinman address the deterioration.

“If this is something that we did, we need to help him,” District 2 Magistrate Dean Miller said.

Tomlinson and other magistrates agreed that there is no way to determine if the deterioration was caused by the work performed there. Additionally, all property owners had to sign a release when the work was performed, which stated the county would not be liable for problems that arise later.

That said, Tomlinson said he believes that the county could do part of the work to make this repair, because it involved a disaster declaration.

Tomlinson noted that Kinman had obtained a bid for the repair that was more than $12,000, which, he said he believes is “a bit high.”

Tomlinson asked County Attorney Nick Marsh to study what options the county has. “We want to do the right thing,” he said.

Marsh said he would review the matter to ensure the county does not create a precedent that would bring other such projects their way in the future.

Tomlinson agreed, adding that fiscal court could not perform such work for all the people in Carroll County with creeks on their property.

In the meantime, the judge-executive said he will get a price on making the bridge repair and report back to fiscal court at a future meeting.

Nuisance violations

Carroll County recently dispatched county road personnel to address nuisance ordinance violations at four properties currently in foreclosure.

Tomlinson said he has been working with Marsh to address nuisance complaints raised by those who live next to these properties.

He said Marsh cleared the way for the county to clean up the four sites, and a charge for the time and work will be placed against the properties as a lien.

The four locations that were addressed are:

• 10 Thomas St. (listed on some documents at 5 Thomas St.), Carrollton.

• 19 Sam St., Carrollton.

• 227 Sycamore Trace, Carrollton.

• 216 Sycamore Circle, Carrollton.

Before taking this action, Tomlinson said county Solid Waste Manager inspects the property when a complaint is made and sends a letter to the property owner. That may be followed by a letter from the county attorney, if no action to address the nuisance. If nothing still is done, Tomlinson said the county can clean up the property and place a lien on the property to cover costs.

On the first four locations, a memo from Perkins said that debris, limbs, volunteer saplings were cleared on the properties, which were “bush-hogged several times and then weed-eated and raked in order to being property into compliance,” he stated in the memo.

Tomlinson said he is certain the county will be asked to address more of these nuisance complaints in the future.

Road closing set

U.S. 42 at the Kentucky Utilities Ghent power plant will be closed for 12 hours later this month to allow for installation of a pipe bridge over the road.

Tomlinson said the road will be closed from 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 26, until 7 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 27. He said KU has agreed to work with the contractor to allow school buses through the area if the road is still closed at that time.

Work under way
on courthouse

Work is under way on electrical, mechanical and heating and cooling systems at the old county courthouse in downtown Carrollton.

Tomlinson said the projects have caused some noise and disruptions of electrical service due to the work. However, he said everyone in the courthouse has been good to work with as the work progresses. He said the county has now received its $125,000 grant that goes toward the heating and cooling system improvements.