Knott County court approves surplus-property auction, pays cleanup invoices and notes arrival of new tractors

Knott County Fiscal Court on May 10 approved a slate of routine fiscal items including the sale of surplus county vehicles and equipment, payment of invoices for nonprofit cleanup work and an announcement that two previously awarded tractors had arrived.

The court opened at 9 a.m. and, after a prayer and the Pledge of Allegiance, approved the minutes from the May 10, 2024 special-call meeting. The presiding speaker recorded that Brent Smith made the motion to approve the minutes and Rick Thomas seconded; the presiding speaker then said, "Ayes have it." The transcript does not record a numeric roll-call tally.

The court then moved to a surplus-property auction resolution. The presiding speaker read a list of assets to be offered at public auction, including multiple county vehicles (two Chevrolet Tahoes, several Dodge Caravans, Ford F-350s, a Ford Edge, a Chevy Envoy, a GMC TopKick), a seed/spreader, graders and a John Deere tractor with side mower, a Ford fire truck and a 1990 Ford bucket truck. The presiding speaker said the equipment list was included in the meeting packet. The court recorded a motion to approve the auction; the record identifies the mover as Waddell and records Brent Smith as having seconded the motion. The presiding speaker again said, "Ayes have it." The meeting record does not include an itemized vote count.

Next the court approved invoice payments for trash-pickup and county cleanup work performed by local nonprofits and community groups. Organizations named in the packet included Vicco Masonic Lodge, Clear Creek Free Wheel Church, New Beginnings Pentecostal Church, Knott County Central class of 2024, Sassafras Fire Department, Lotts Creek Fire Department, Portia High School and several other local church and volunteer groups. A county representative clarified that the drug court reimbursements would go through the drug court account. The record attributes the motion to Brent Smith and the second to Rick Thomas; the presiding speaker announced the motion passed.

As an update, the presiding speaker said the two tractors awarded to Mead Tractor under a prior bid have arrived and that county checks for that purchase were in hand; staff would pick up the tractors "probably in the morning." This was presented as an informational update reflecting a previously approved procurement rather than a new action.

The court adjourned after a brief closing sequence; a motion to adjourn was made and seconded and carried. The transcript records the presiding speaker saying "Ayes have it" but does not list specific vote totals for the motions recorded during the session.

Minutes and motions in this account are taken from the public meeting record. Several names (for example, Waddell/Waddles) appear with variant spellings in the transcript; where a spelling difference exists in the record it is noted in the clarifying details.