Franklin County Fiscal Court approves routine business, applies for VOCA grant and approves staff promotions

Frankfort, Ky. — The Franklin County Fiscal Court on April 24 unanimously approved a series of routine administrative motions, authorized an application for federal victim-services funding and confirmed multiple personnel moves.

County Judge/Executive Michael Mueller called the meeting to order at 12:25 p.m., and the court recorded attendance by Squire Sherry Sebastian, Squire J.W. Blackburn, Squire Kelly Dycus, Squire Scotty Tracy, Squire Richard Tanner and Squire Eric Whisman. County Attorney Max Comley was present.

The court approved minutes from its April 10 meeting and received quarterly reports from the County Clerk and the Treasurer, all by unanimous votes. Squire Sherry Sebastian moved to approve the minutes; Squire Kelly Dycus seconded the motion. Several administrative actions followed: the court authorized declaring county and jail vehicles surplus for trade-in or sale (including listing on GovDeals), and approved declaring certain firearms surplus for trade-in toward replacement purchases. Those motions were moved and seconded by Squire Eric Whisman and Squires Richard Tanner and Kelly Dycus as noted in the minutes.

The court approved Resolution #15-2024 authorizing an application to the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet for the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Victim Assistance Formula Grant Program through the U.S. Department of Justice. The resolution was moved by Squire Eric Whisman and seconded by Squire Richard Tanner; the motion passed unanimously. According to the minutes, the action authorizes staff to file the application; the minutes do not specify requested dollar amounts or program details.

The court also approved Resolution #16-2024 to allow expenditure of donated funds and to designate the County Judge/Executive to execute documents for an employee training event and the county’s 229th celebration. (The meeting minutes spell the county name as “Frankin County”; records and local usage use the standardized spelling “Franklin County.”)

Infrastructure and procurement items included approval of Resolution #17-2024 permitting use of county rights-of-way for the AC Waterline Replacement Project, authorization to advertise a Request for Qualifications for engineering services, and approval of amendment #2 with Stantec for engineering services related to Phase II MS4 stormwater permit implementation through June 30, 2025. Squire J.W. Blackburn moved the Stantec amendment; Squire Sherry Sebastian seconded.

The court received the proposed fiscal year 2024-2025 budget and the Treasurer’s quarterly report ending March 31, 2024, and approved budget transfers for FY 2023-24. Receipt of the proposed budget was recorded; there was no adoption vote recorded in the minutes at this meeting.

By motion of Squire Eric Whisman, seconded by Squire Sherry Sebastian, the court moved into closed session citing KRS 61.810 (1),(b) and (f) to discuss matters that might lead to appointment, discipline or dismissal of an individual employee and to discuss possible acquisition or sale of real property. The motion passed unanimously; minutes record the court subsequently returning to open session by motion of Squire Sherry Sebastian, seconded by Squire Eric Whisman.

After returning to open session, the court approved promotions of Kelsey Torres, Faith Dutton and Pauletta Burns from Deputy Jailer to CPL and approved hiring Ashley Case as human resources director. All personnel actions were recorded as passing unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 2:17 p.m. The minutes note that the meeting was streamed live via the Frankfort Plant Board cable channel 10 and the Fiscal Court’s Facebook and YouTube channels. The meeting agenda listed a 9:00 a.m. start time, but the minutes record the session as called to order at 12:25 p.m.