The Russell County Fiscal Court approved a $4.4 million dollar budget for the coming year, including a $1.1 million jail budget.

As the meeting began the matter was a $16,000 bill from the hospital for treatment of jail inmates. The magistrates were told that this was the total of several bills that had already been negotiated to the lowest possible bill.

Magistrate Gary Robertson asked about a door in the jail construction that was presented as a county bill instead of a construction bill.

County Judge Executive Mickey Garner told the court that it was a door that had been added by the Department of Criminal Justice, and was not in the original plans.

David Milam of Branscum Construction Company corrected that, explaining that this was one of the items that the court had opted to hold out of the bidding process and purchase directly, thereby saving the cost of taxes on these materials.

He reminded the court that other items, like funrishings and kitchen equipment was also handled in this manner but all of those costs would be paid for out of bond-funds.

He reported to the Court that construction on the new of the new jail has been slightly delayed after missing 15 days of work since February due to bad weather.  

Milam said they were making up that time and still expected to have the facility open in December.

He said the new jail’s interior floors are complete, nearly all of the outer area floors have been poured and crews have completed about 40% of the block walls.  

He added that there were color choices that needed to be made so that the contractors can order materials, Garner said that would be addressed at the next meeting of the court.

Doug Gouch of the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet asked the court's approval of the low bid for an industrial turning lane planned for the Stephens Pipe and Steel yard. The work is planned just north of the US-127 Ky-619 intersection.

The work is to allow better access to the operations at the former vegetable co-op building on Maple Street. Gouch said the work would begin within a week.

The bid was awarded to Gaddie-Shmrock, the only bidder, at a cost of $184,997 which will be paid for by the transportation cabinet and the company.

The magistrates unanimously approved a budget for 2010-2011 fiscal year which begins July 1st.  

The new budget total is $4,390,136 with the general, with the general fund's portion being $1,492,301, the road fund portion to be $1,056,213 and the jail’s budget has been set at $1,160,827.

The court also approved—

• American Fidelity Insurance replaces AFLAC as the supplementary insurance, with the new company managing tax issues and accounting for the existing policies, which can continue, and offering their products to workers going forward. Flexible spending accounts were added to the county's insurance offerings under the new deal as well.

• David Construction was awarded the bid to renovate the hotel purchased in Russell Springs into emergency shelter apartments. The cost of the grant funded work would be $597,700. Seven two-bedroom apartments and three one-bedroom apartments would be created and the building will be completely remodled, according to Garner. The court approved auctioning the surplus items removed from the old motel on US-80.

• With Magistrates Greg Popplewell and Steve Bledsoe voting in opposition the court donated $500 to the Catch-a-Rainbow fishing derby. Popplewell said he was not in favor of the court spending the people's taxes on donation requests and Bledsoe adding that he personally donated to the event.

Requests from the Pulaski County Alzheimer's program and a U of L Alumni Association were not acted on.

• Solid Waste Coordinator H.M. Bottom brought it to the court's attention that the “Free Tire Disposal Days” will be May 20-22 at the state highway garage on US-127.