Fiscal court authorizes engineering bids for Sportsplex repairs and approves surplus auction of flood‑damaged property

Knott County Fiscal Court voted April 15 to advertise for engineering and contractor services to assess and repair damage to the county Sportsplex after discussing the matter in closed session.

Following a closed session in which the court discussed a county employee issue and Sportsplex damages, the judge said the court agreed to “advertise for engineering services and contract service to complete repairs on that project.” The motion to solicit structural/engineering bids and separate contractor bids passed by voice vote.

The court also voted to meet with the United Youth Foundation to discuss the facility, including partial ownership and next steps about repairs and shared responsibilities. Judge Jeff Dobson described the plan: the county would advertise for a structural engineer and for contractors in separate solicitations, then evaluate responses for repairs tied to ongoing litigation and recovery planning.

In related business the court approved declaring several flood‑damaged properties and equipment surplus and scheduled a surplus auction at the Noccan Sportsplex on May 23. The court's approval followed a presentation and a motion to proceed with the May auction.

Why it matters: the Sportsplex repairs are connected to litigation and to county decisions about ownership and capital repairs; bringing engineering estimates will produce a hard dollar figure the court can use to pursue repairs and insurance or litigation remedies. Declaring flood‑damaged parcels surplus and scheduling an auction is a step toward disposing property the county no longer needs and may affect local residents and prospective buyers.

Next steps: county staff will advertise solicitations for engineering and contractor services, hold the United Youth Foundation meeting to clarify ownership and responsibilities, and prepare the surplus property list for the May 23 auction.