Franklin County Fiscal Court approves hires, new code-enforcement post and multiple grant applications

The Franklin County Fiscal Court on July 6 approved a string of routine and administrative actions, including hiring a grant writer, creating a Planning & Zoning code enforcement officer position and supporting two grant applications.

Judge Michael Mueller presided over the meeting, which the minutes record as called to order at 7:04 p.m.; the agenda and video notice list a 5:00 p.m. work session and a 7:04 p.m. regular meeting start. The court recorded the presence of Squires Sherry Sebastian, J.W. Blackburn, Kelly Dycus, Scotty Tracy, Richard Tanner and Eric Whisman and County Attorney Max Comley.

The court first approved minutes from the June 22 regular meeting and the June 28 special meeting. It then authorized advertising for sealed bids for a Mowtrim/boom mower and for a dump bed and snow-equipment package for a 2023 Ford F-450 chassis cab.

The court approved Resolution #18-2023 to file a grant application with the Kentucky Department of Agriculture Animal Control Advisory Board for the Spay/Neuter Kentucky Program on behalf of the Franklin County Humane Society. It also approved Resolution #17-2023 supporting submission of an application for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) grant.

The court authorized an engineering services agreement with Haworth-Meyer-Boleyr Professional Engineer's Inc. (referred to as HMB in the minutes) and received the Treasurer’s Report, ordering bills to be paid. The minutes include a citation to KRS 61.810(1)(f) when the court voted to enter a closed session to discuss matters that might lead to appointment, discipline, or dismissal of an individual employee; the court subsequently returned to open session.

Following the closed session, the court authorized hiring Tammy West as a Grant Writer and approved creation of a new Planning & Zoning Code Enforcement Officer position. The court approved the appointment of Birch Bragg to the Frankfort/Franklin County Tourist and Convention Commission (Restaurant Association seat), term to expire June 30, 2027, while a separate appointment of Keyur Patel to that commission was tabled.

Squire Sherry Sebastian was reappointed as the Fiscal Court representative to the Resource Office for Social Ministries (ROSM) Board, term to June 30, 2025; the record shows Sebastian abstained from that vote and the motion otherwise carried. The meeting adjourned at 7:07 p.m.

Actions taken were procedural or administrative in nature and recorded as motions with named movers and seconders in the minutes; no policy debates or public-comment confrontations are recorded in the meeting minutes.