HOW A LAME DUCK FISCAL COURT CONFRONTS ISSUES

The November 16, 2010 meeting of the Oldham County fiscal court proved to be interesting. The court had several people in attendance from the Briar Hill and Spring Hill subdivisions.

Recently the Oldham Circuit Court ruled that there was not a valid approved subdivision plan for the Brentwood subdivision. This was the result of a lawsuit filed by residents of the Briar Hill and Spring Hill subdivisions. However, in spite of the decision of the Circuit Court there has been a road approved by the Oldham County Panning and Development Commission. According to residents who appeared at the fiscal court meeting, work on the subdivision continues even though there is no approved subdivision plan. Residents voiced concern for the safety of residents, especially children, due to excessive speed of drivers who use the new road as a means of bypassing Crestwood.

The residents had previously asked the court to close the road and have all work on the subdivision stopped. Judge Murner said that fiscal court has no jurisdiction in the matter since the court was not a defendant in the lawsuit. I doubt that this issue will go away.

In an unrelated matter Magistrate Bob Deibel made a motion that the court approve a new fifteen year contract with Insight cable company. Insight provides cable service for the majority of the citizens of Oldham County. However, Magistrate David Voegele, the Judge-Elect made a motion to table the issue. Voegele stated that he would like to consult with legal counsel in order that the county might gain further concessions from the cable company. Magistrate Scott Davis seconded the motion and the motion passed by a 7-2 vote. Magistrate Deibel and Judge Murner voted against Voegele’s motion. The current contract with Insight does not expire until August of 2011. Therefore, there should be no danger of the county being without cable service. What struck me as being odd about the vote was that the majority of the magistrates voted opposite of Judge Murner. I do not believe that would have happened a year ago. Perhaps Judge Murner has lost the rigid control that he appeared to have over the court until now. It is possible that some of the magistrates who were defeated now realize that their blind loyalty to Judge Murner contributed to their demise as magistrates.

Finally, Magistrate Steve Church stated that the finance committee had met to discuss the matter of retiring part of the county debt-specifically the part that relates to the community center. He stated that the finance committee decided to not recommend that the debt be retired but rather to allow the incoming court to make that decision. It is believed that Magistrate Rick Rash was the driving force behind retiring part of the county debt. Had the debt been retired it would have amounted to a savings of approximately one thousand dollars per week in interest payments. Magistrates David Voegele, Steve Greenwell and Steve Church make up the finance committee.