GLASGOW – Barren Fiscal Court has approved an ordinance on first reading calling for the issue of general obligation bonds in a principal amount not to exceed $5 million.

The bond issue will allow the Barren County Economic Authority to finance the development of South Cooper Industrial Park along New Bowling Green Road.

“Basically, what it comes down to is we didn’t buy land just so it could sit there. We bought it so we could start developing it, so we have inventory for potential industry,” Judge-Executive Micheal Hale said.

The first reading of the ordinance was approved Feb. 24. In that meeting, there was discussion about the cities of Glasgow and Cave City taking part.

Magistrate Carl Dickerson asked about the status of those talks.

Hale told Dickerson he had spoken with Glasgow Mayor Harold Armstrong, who said the city is not ready yet to participate.

“I think they have some obligations they have to take care of, but they are willing. I don’t know what the timeline is,” Hale said.

Later in the week, Armstrong said he needs more information about the bond issue before taking part.

“We’re not going to participate in something that we don’t have any information on,” he said. “Once the information is laid out in front of us and we can see what it is, we will try to participate. But as of today, we cannot.”

He said he didn’t even know the amount of the bond issue.

“I just had basically a casual conversation for about three minutes with one of the magistrates about two weeks ago. I know basically what our industrial development director had said, but that didn’t give us the exact numbers and everything and how it was going to be spent,” he said.

Armstrong said it is something Glasgow is interested in doing and that he thinks it will be beneficial to the city, but he needs to see an outline of what is being planned before making a commitment.

Cave City’s participation would mean available financing for improvements to Chapatcha Industrial Park along Mammoth Cave Street, such as grading and other site improvements.

The ordinance calls for Cave City to enter into an interlocal cooperation agreement with the county to finance improvements at the industrial park.

Cave City Mayor Dwayne Hatcher declined to comment because he said it is a matter that has not yet been brought before the Cave City Council.

“I am aware of it, but I have no details because we’ve done nothing yet,” he said.

Hale told magistrates during the fiscal court meeting that they will work on the partnerships with Glasgow and Cave City.

“The only way we’re going to move forward with this is to have those partnerships. I just want to say I am proud of the court for taking the lead on this because I think it’s been said it is long overdue,” he said. “The cities have the most to gain here, but again it’s time we take the lead and move on with it.”

Fiscal court also discussed preparation of the jail’s proposed budget.

Hale challenged fiscal court to have a work session before April 1 to try to resolve some issues with the jail’s budget.

“I need you guys to bring your ideas. I need you to bring to the court how we can fix this,” Hale said.

The jail is $500,000 over budget.

County officials and Jailer Aaron Bennett did meet to discuss the budget.

Dickerson said he thought fiscal court also needed to meet with other county departments as well.

“If we are going to put a magnifying glass on the jail, let’s put a magnifying glass on everybody who reports to the fiscal court and let’s look at their income to where we might divert some of that income to support some areas that may be lacking a bit,” he said. “If we are going to do the jail, let’s do them all.”

Hale pointed out the jail is the only department over budget.

“We are taking money to fund that operation, currently. And that’s not fair. It’s not. We don’t have this problem with other departments,” he said.

In other business, fiscal court authorized Bennett to enter into contract with Xerox for a copy machine at the jail; agreed to invest $1,000 in a pilot program that involves supplying dumpsters to property owners when cleaning property with property owners paying to empty them; agreed to appoint Marcus Thurman as part-time search and rescue coordinator; agreed to accept all bids submitted for the replacement of a chiller for the Barren County Government Center and for fiscal court’s property committee to go through the bids; approved appointment of Albert Dilley to the Barren County Ambulance Taxing Board, term ending 2023; approved county clerk, sheriff and county attorney official settlements subject to audit; approved hiring of Samuel Morgan as a deputy sheriff at a rate of $15 per hour; approved pay rate adjustment for Jamie DeGroft from $15 per hour to $15.50 per hour; approved the appointment of Adrian Gossett to the Green River Valley Water District Board, term ending 2024; and adopted a resolution to apply for up to $200,000 Community Development Block Grant funds for a utility assistance program.