Owsley Fiscal Court tackles speeding concern, reviews road fund balance

A Jerushia Fork Road resident’s complaint about speeding on Lower Buffalo put a local safety problem in front of magistrates just as they reviewed more than $1.23 million in the county road fund and a rebid on a Wolf Creek repair job.

Kirk Shoemaker told the Owsley County Fiscal Court that traffic near his home was moving so fast his camera could not always capture it. Magistrates agreed to begin work on speed bumps and to post Children at Play signs, but they also said the bump process would take time because it requires legal notice, newspaper publication and readings over a period of months before installation can move ahead.

Treasurer Linda Thomas reported that the Road Fund held $1,238,018.29 on April 13. She also listed a General Fund balance of $253,331.32, a Jail Fund balance of $701.65, an LGEA Fund balance of $20,597.47, a Solid Waste Fund balance of $34,021.59, an Opioid Fund balance of $133,150.59 and an EKYSAFE Fund balance of $408,628.89. The numbers showed a county with some room in its road account, but still juggling separate pots of money tied to emergency response, addiction-related spending and household trash service.

The court also approved paying Owsley County’s share of the Air Med Evac contract and agreed to replace old furniture at the Owsley County Senior Citizen Center. Those votes pointed to the other daily pressure on county government: keeping emergency transport available and maintaining a center that serves older residents.

Road work remained a major issue. Only one sealed bid came in for the Upper Lower Wolf Creek drill-and-crib job, from Gary King, at $42,420. Magistrates said the bid was about $10,000 above the amount previously awarded, so they chose to rebid the project. A special session was set for May 1 at 3 p.m. to open new bids and take up the budget.

The Wolf Creek repair is part of a broader response to road damage. On March 26, the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet announced $31,800 in County Road Aid emergency funds for slide repairs on Upper-Lower Wolf Creek Connector, CR 1133, at a site listed 0.24 miles southwest of Lower Wolf Creek Road. The cabinet said the money was meant to help Owsley County repair and maintain safe connections in the community.

With 4,051 residents counted in the 2020 census, Owsley County has little margin for delay when a road, a contract or a safety complaint surfaces. Monday’s court session showed magistrates trying to keep that balance: respond to the speeding on Lower Buffalo, protect access on Wolf Creek, and keep county services moving one account at a time.