Ronica Shannon
Madison County remains competitive in the number of building permits being issued throughout the year, and a third-quarter report given Tuesday to the Madison Fiscal Court reflected a slight increase in permit fees when compared to third quarter 2008.
Duane Curry, Madison County planning and development administrator, presented the magistrates a report Tuesday that also included numbers from 2007 and 2008.
Building permits totaling $8.35 million were issued in the county during the third quarter, Curry said.
“We’re clearly staying busy,” he said.
He compared this year’s third quarter to third quarters in 2007 and 2008, when about $11.2 million and $8.3 million in building permits were issued, respectively.
Curry compared the county’s building permit numbers to those from the city of Richmond.
“The city of Richmond issued 24 building permits last month, where we issued 37,” Curry said. “Their estimated construction value for last month was $1.6 million, and ours was $2.4 million. We’re staying right in line with the construction trends for what’s going on in this area. We’ve been fortunate in this region compared to a lot of other parts of the country.”
Curry said the only significant difference between building permits issued in the county and those issued in the city is that the city has more business permits.
“Most of ours is residential,” he said. “We still have a lot of people calling about commercial development on the north end around the Boonesborough (Exit 90) and the Clay’s Ferry (Exit 95) Interstate 75 interchanges. Once the Boonesborough interchange gets reworked, I think that will work up some more commercial activity.”
In other business:
• Madison County Sheriff Nelson O’Donnell addressed the fiscal court Tuesday about why there are sheriff’s deputies helping direct traffic at the entrance/exit to the Blue Grass Army Depot demilitarization site on KY 52 East.
“I want the people to know that there are no tax dollars going for that service,” O’Donnell said.
The Sheriff’s Depart-ment entered into a contract earlier this year with Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass, which is serving as the contractor for the depot’s demilitarization pilot plant.
“They pay the deputies $40 an hour to direct traffic, and none of that money comes through the sheriff’s office,” O’Donnell said. “They (Bechtel Parsons Blue Grass) pay them directly. (Deputies) are responsible for their own taxes, and I’ve worked it out to where they can do it on their own time.”
Under the current contract, the sheriff’s office receives $10 per cruiser used to direct traffic, but a renewed contract to be signed by year’s end will give the sheriff’s department $20 for each cruiser used, O’Donnell
“It would bring in an additional $21,000 each year for the sheriff’s office,” he said.
Depot officials had been seeking out a local agency that could handle the traffic in the congested area, because there are no traffic lights.
“Federal law prohibits their (Blue Grass Army Depot) police officers from being on a state highway directing traffic, because they’re not police officers once they go off the federal installation,” O’Donnell said. “Therefore, they had to have somebody to do it. It’s an opportunity for my people to make some extra money, and at the same time, it benefits my office. Plus, it’s a good presence out there because there’s a lot of accidents on that roadway.”
Madison Judge/ Executive Kent Clark said the fiscal court had been trying for a long time to get a traffic light put in the area where depot traffic enters and exits KY 52, “... but it seems like you could get a bridge built before getting a traffic light,” Clark said.
• County employees will have one less day off, according to the fiscal court’s 2010 holiday schedule adopted Tuesday.
Employees will not be off on Columbus Day, Monday, Oct. 11, 2010. All other annual holidays, including New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, President’s Day, Spring holiday (one-half day scheduled for April 2, 2010), Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Veterans’ Day, Thanksgiving (Thursday, Nov. 24 and Friday, Nov. 25), Christmas (Thursday, Dec. 23 and Friday Dec. 24) and New Year’s Break (Thursday, Dec. 30 and Friday, Dec. 31).
Columbus Day was eliminated after the court agreed with Magistrate Bill Tudor, who said the original 2010 holiday schedule may have included too many days off for employees.
“We need to take care of our own people, and be available,” Tudor said, referring to the county offices that are closed during scheduled holidays.
• The court voted to award The Allen Company Inc., based in Lexington, to perform work needed to complete the Old Wilderness Road-Richmond Bypass turning lane project that will allow for easier entrance and exit traffic flow for B. Caudill Middle School and Glenn Marshall Elementary School.
The Allen Company bid amount was $544,202.93. A second bid, submitted by Richmond-based Grant Excavating Inc. in the amount of $737,560.97, was rejected.
Work can begin after a contract is signed, Clark said.
• Clark signed a proclamation declaring Saturday, Nov. 14, as World Diabetes Day in Madison County. Madison County Certified Diabetes Educator Paula Hollan informed of court about activities that would be conducted throughout the community in celebration of the worldwide day of observance.
At the Eastern Kentucky University Colonels’ football game that day, 100 blue flags will be displayed. Each will represent 50 Madison County residents who live with diabetes.
Also that evening, Irvinton, the historic home in Irvine-McDowell Park will be bathed in blue light.
• The court voted to make the following county board appointments for another term: Jimmy Marcum, county road commission; Roger Barger, Valley View Ferry board, and Paula Maionchi, county nuisance/grievance board.
The next meeting of the fiscal court is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, Nov. 24, at the county courthouse in Richmond.
Ronica Shannon can be reached at rshannon@richmondregister.com or 624-6608.
