The county's 911-Emergency Dispatch center was again in the spotlight as County Judge-Executive Mickey Garner and all of the members of the court stressed that the cities either need to step up and pay their share of the program or the county would have to move the service into the state police post.

"We have to go with the option that would be the lowest cost," Garner said. He indicated that if the cities and the ambulance service aren't willing to share the costs, then the $88,000 to $120,000 a year it would cost to move dispatch services to the Kentucky State Police would be less than the over $300,000 budget cost of the local system.

"We can't afford to pay it all," said Magistrate Jimmy McQueary. "It is not going to help us to have to do that (move dispatch to Columbia)."

Magistrate Ron Johnston said that four entities sharing a $50,000 expense seems a reasonable expense to keep the dispatch center and its jobs in the county.

The court approved a two-year contract with the present contractor supplying phones in the county jail. Garner said The reason for the contract was the contractor would pay for the $6,500 cost of running the telecommunication lines to the new jail.

No prices were discussed, as the court awarded the contract to provide four recycling trailers under a grant recently procured. Local businessman Gene Vance Smith said he has worked with ex-magistrate "Blackie" Meadows, who is the director of the recycling center, on improvements to the design.

He said the trailers would be made locally and would keep the county from sending thousands of dollars out of the county.

The court approved entering into another dead animal removal program. The same program was entered into two years ago, and has been working for those two years, but is exhausted now.

The program assists farmers with the cost of disposal of up to five dead animal per year.

Over $2,000 was approved as half of the cost of a privacy fence at the old Shiloh Motel, which is being remodeled as a transient and emergency shelter.

After extended discussion the court approved the expenditure of $500 in support of the Guinness Book of World Records attempt at the largest raft-up on Lake Cumberland.

The court had been asked for $5,000 but balked at that citing the feedback they'd gotten after contributing that amount to the boat races earlier this year.