Fiscal Court discusses possible opportunity for Bath County

The Bath County Fiscal Court met in regular session last Thursday, Oct. 13, at the Bath County Courthouse Annex.

Roll call followed the devotion and Pledge of Allegiance before the meeting was called to order.

The minutes from a special called meeting Sept. 8, 2016, were approved as the first order of business in a 4 and 0 vote as were the approval of the treasurers report, bills and transfers.

Also during the meeting members approved the first Reading of an Ordinance for Domestic Septic Disposal Sites looking to possibly locate in Bath County and approved the first reading of an Ordinance for the Establishment of a Transient Room Tax.

Tax rates for the county passed on a 4 and 0 vote to stay the same as last years rates.

Members also approved to accept the current year’s tax rates for Ambulance, Fire, Soil Conversation and Health districts.

Judge Executive Rogers shares information he learned

during a GADD meeting about using sustainable sources to make fuel.

Discussed and approved the grant toward the new boat ramp at Stoney Cove.

Approved Bobby Carpenter as an additional electrical inspector for the county.

Approved to rehire Mitchell Thompson as seasonal jailer.

Virginia McKenzie was reappointed to the library board as her term expires and Jon Hammons and Leigh-Ann French to the Bath County Extension District Board.

Approved the Bath County Treasurer to assume the bookkeeping, payroll and assist in overseeing financial reports of the Bath Co. Sanitation Board (Preston)

An hourly pay rate of $10.50 for entry level and $11 after 90 days was approved for the county road department workers; CDL holders at $11 with an increase to $11.50 after 90 days; upon completion of the FEMA work being completed by Nov. 1, 2016.

In a separate motion members passed a vote to stop the county’s contract with Cintas and approved an allowance of $350 towards clothing and jackets for the county road crew.

An increase of $100 per month in pay and health insurance, effective staring Jan. 1, 2017 was approved for county employee Phil Copher.

Judge Executive Bobby C. Rogers discussed the opportunity for Bath County to be considered for a new plant that will allow the county to process fuel from sustainable sources such as sawdust or wood waste.

“It appears that there is a good chance that a fuel processing plant could come to this area, based on information obtained during a Gateway Area Development meeting. We will have to compete with Rowan, Morgan, Menifee and Montgomery counties in order to be selected, but I feel like we have a really good chance for this great opportunity,” Rogers said.

Judge Rogers also brought up the idea to start charging out-of-state vendors a business license fee to set up during Preston Court Days as something the county should look into.

Michael Richter, Bath County Memorial Library director, addressed the court during the meeting to discuss the library’s future needs and to dispel rumors that the library has recently purchased property.

“I would like to address the court to answer some concerns commissioner Petitt raised during last months meeting about the library buying up property,” Richter began. “I know the rumor mills like to spin all the time, but like I explained in my letter, gossip is not gospel, it sounds good, but it’s not really the truth. We have not purchased any property. We have only inquired about property that may be for sale and that’s as far as we have gone. Parking is one of our main issues.

I anticipate in the spring for the library to have a strategic plan.

In that plan we want to look at what the county wants to do, where we’re looking to be in five years from now. We have major changes with several Amish families moving into the county who use our bookmobile services, so that is changing our service outlook. We have a lot of kids using the Wi-Fi access point and we want to make sure we are moving forward in order to provide the best services possible.

Another reason we have started asking about property that may be for sale is the timing. Grants for the library are passed during the long session which will be coming up in January and in order to be considered for those grants we will have to already own property. So, that’s why we have been asking about property that may be for sale,” Richter explained.

Before members went into executive session, Charlie Borders, Field Representative for Rand Paul, addressed the court.

Borders said he was impressed with the professionalism shown during the meeting and how the Fiscal Court members have built a solid foundation in which to base their decisions to help move their county forward.