CORBIN —  

By Jeff Noble / Staff Writer

A resolution, pertaining to the project implementation and program management contract for a housing project south of Williamsburg was approved Tuesday by the Whitley County Fiscal Court.

The contract is with FAHE, the Federation of Appalachian Housing, which will build the housing for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program for the county’s House Boat to Energy Efficent Resdiences, or “HBEER” project. The housing will be built on adjoining property in the Emlyn community where HBEER previously has homes.

Officials said the resolution is the award process to the project, and will involve $1 million in CDBG money. Of that, $75,000 goes to FAHE for administrative purposes.

CDBG funds come from the U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and are used by state and local governments for community development programs such as affordable housing.

Based in Berea, FAHE is a coalition of 29 community-based non-profit groups that work together to make housing available and affordable to low-income families.

HBEER is a joint project of the University of Kentucky’s College of Design and the Center for Applied Energy Research. It involves large numbers of architectural graduate students who work on low-cost housing and energy efficiency.

Approval was also given to accept this year’s Rural Secondary (RS) Roads allotment for Whitley County, and the work the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet has suggested be done on the roads.

This year’s program involves six roads designated for RS resurfacing, asphalt and patching, with the state allocating approximately $1.9 million in total. Of that, county maintenance will get around $570,000, wile the county gets approximately $267,000. The remainder of the money will be used for resurfacing.

The six roads involved in the work are resurfacing 1.975 miles of KY 779; asphalt strip patching of 4.181 miles of KY 1064 from Highway 92 to Route 779, along with resurfacing 1.474 miles of KY 1064 from Route 779 to the Meadow Creek Culvert; resurfacing 1.137 miles of KY 204; and resurfacing 2.137 miles of KY 904, along with an asphalt base for 0.780 miles of KY 904.

David Fusion of the state Transportation Cabinet told court members and Judge/Executive Pat White that Whitley County has approximately 92 miles of RS roads.

Earlier in the session, the court approved the second reading of an ordinance relating to a budget amendment which adds $164,000 to the current fiscal year’s budget. Also approved was the disbursement to the Whitley County Sheriff’s Department of $19,657. The excess fees were received in three payments in February and will be used for the department to make its payroll. And approval was given for White to sign a PRIDE grant award of $3,750, with the money being used for extra cleanup work during the county’s annual spring cleanup in April.

When asked if the county will have a tire amnesty program this year, the county government’s Amber Owens said the program is now done by the state according to the Division of Waste Management, which works with area development districts. She added the closest one this year to Whitley County would be a tire amnesty program held in neighboring McCreary County.

In other actions taken at Tuesday’s session at the Whitley County Courthouse in Williamsburg, court members approved a resolution of an amended and interlocal agreement with UNITE. The Whitley County UNITE group had earlier recommended the court to continue the agreement. Approval was also given to the annual renewal of the contract for Dr. Charles Marcum, the the long-time Medical Director for Whitley County EMS at $8,000 a year. They approved naming Betty Sue Watson to the Whitley County Public Library’s Board of Trustees. Watson will replace Randle Bargo, whose term expires April 30. And they approved the petition to adopt Garrett Lane into the county road system.

Court members tabled a resolution relating to expanding the use of the narcotic antidote naloxone by emergency physicians and paramedics in opioid (narcotic) overdose death prevention. White said a group of northern Kentucky officials sent a letter asking the fiscal court to support passage of a house bill in Frankfort that would allow expanding the antidotes use. County Attorney Bob Hammons suggested referring the information from the northern Kentucky group to both UNITE and the County Coroner’s Office for further study.