The Hopkins County Fiscal Court renewed a tower lease for emergency communications and received an update on tornado shelters in the county during Tuesday’s meeting.
Emergency Management Director Nick Bailey said the renewed Kentucky Education Television tower lease covers an essential site used for police, fire, and mass public safety communications.
click to download audioBailey noted the KET tower sits off US 62 near St. Charles, with the new five-year lease costing under $6,000 annually—a rate tied to the previous year’s consumer price index. Judge-Executive Jack Whitfield added that renting the tower is more practical than the county maintaining it.
click to download audioMagistrates unanimously approved the lease renewal.
District 6 Magistrate Charlie Beshears requested an update on tornado shelters due to concerns and questions he receives from constituents. Bailey said the project is still in the early stages.
click to download audioWhitfield noted there were issues between FEMA at the national level and the state level in the early stages of the engineering design.
click to download audioBailey was also asked whether the tornado shelters at the schools are properly equipped and ready for use.
click to download audioJudge Whitfield added that the decision on how to handle that will be up to the school board.
click to download audioIn other business, magistrates unanimously approved pay application #17 to Downey Construction for about $353,287 for the newly built Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office.
Before the meeting was adjourned, Judge Whitfield proclaimed March 15-21 as National Surveyors’ Week in the county, and along with a joint proclamation with the City of Madisonville, he declared April as Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
