Judge Executive Gary Robertson addressed the magistrates and the citizens of Russell County directly with a "State of the County Address," Tuesday during this month's session of the Russell County Fiscal Court.

You will find the full transcript of the address in this issue of the News-Register, the synopsis of which is that the county is facing serious financial difficulties and that decisions will have to be made as to how to address these difficulties.

A lot of discussion ensued following Robertson's address, including the idea to borrow short term from KACO.

The county will have an approximate $191,000.00 shortfall at the end of the fiscal year, Robertson said. A meeting with a representative of the Department of Local Governments has scheduled to appear in a special called meeting to discuss options.

In other business:

• Jailer Bobby Dunbar then gave the jail report for the month of January: total inmates 141 having been incarcerated 1,705 at the Casey County Detention Center; total bills $1705.00; jail fees $285.90; medical co-pay $413.15; total income $699.05; no overtime hours.

Dunbar talked about a company, "Pay My Jailer" that specializes in collection of fees owed by former inmates. It was decided to look further into the company to get specifics on rates charged. There is currently $113,758.54 in delinquent bills owed to the county from past inmates.

Dunbar told the court that the Detention Center Policy and Procedures manual would need to be approved prior to the jail opening. The motion passed unanimously.

• County Clerk Lisha Popplewell presented a check for excess fees in the amount of $82,000. Her office is holding $831.83 for the purposes of paying any unpaid bills that may continue to come into the office. This is the last quarterly report. The last payment in December was for $100,000. This will leave the office approximately $4,200 short of budget for the year, a fluctuation that depends on what is received from citizens. This is money that is already budgeted into the county's budget and is not an extra.

o Jeff Dick with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet presented the recommendations for road resurfacing as a part of the Rural Secondary Roads Program for 2011-2012. Russell County is allocated $953,085 of that $504,062  is for routine maintenance and administration expenses and flex funds of $176,274, leaving a balance of $272,749.

This balance is to be used to resurface Fairview-Irvins Store Road for 1.377 miles, Warriner Ridge Rd. for .921 miles and Old Columbia Rd for 1.152 miles for a total of 3.450 miles.

o Magistrate Ronald Johnson motioned that Old Cedar Lane and Johnny Cooper Rd. be added into the county road system in District 3, which passed unanimously.

o A transfer of $100,000 from general funds to Jail funds to keep up with normal operating expenses passed.

o An emergency ordinance for an airport budget pass thru was accepted. This ordinance was needed after the Airport Board Treasurer Rita Johnson resigned at the end of December; the county began keeping the accounts as was suggested by auditors. In order to do this an ordinance allowing for the money to pass thru the Airport Board into the county accounting system must be passed.

o The court passed a resolution that an application be submitted to acquire grant monies to be applied to building restrooms at the newly created Lake Cumberland Recreation Center, formerly Alligator 1 Boat Dock.