Due to out-of-state travel of White, the Sun’s Wednesday print deadline, and the Fiscal Court’s meeting on Tuesday last week’s meeting story is being reported this week. The Sun apologizes for this delay.
By Scott White
Woodford Sun Staff
Report for America corps member
Woodford County Fiscal Court, unanimously, followed up on the quick action it took a few months ago by requesting the Versailles-Midway-Woodford County Planning Commission to draft a text amendment that would enact a complete ban on data centers in the unincorporated areas of the county, the geographic area it governs. With the second reading of the ordinance banning data centers at the Fiscal Court’s regular meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 8, this process was concluded and is now law,
Versailles and Midway each followed the Fiscal Court’s lead, making data centers illegal throughout Woodford County.
The Fiscal Court was the first municipal body in Kentucky to enact a total ban, as opposed to enacting a restrictive ordinance, which is the course other Kentucky communities have taken.
“By taking this decisive step of banning data centers, we lead Kentucky in protecting our boundaries, honoring our farm families and safeguarding the quiet character of our countryside,” Kay said. “This is not about ‘closing the door on technology.’ It’s about holding the line on a heritage we treasure, for Woodford County’s future is rooted in our land and farming. We, all of us, proudly stood together to protect it.”
The ban goes into effect with the publication of the ordinance in The Woodford Sun.
Bourbon Chase permit
During the Fiscal Court’s meeting of the Committee of the Whole, which occurred immediately prior to the regular meeting, the court took up the permit request of Ragnar Racing Group (Ragnar) to use county roads for several legs of its annual two-day Bourbon Chase team run event.
Several residents and equine breeding operations near Midway opposed the permit on health and safety grounds.
Since the last Fiscal Court meeting where this issue arose, discussions were held between Ragnar, Michelle Lyons, who represented the farmer group, Kay and Magistrate Liles Taylor, which resolved the issue.
Ragnar agreed to make changes to its race rules for the leg of the race that runs along Spring Station and Woodlake roads near Midway. If a participant defecates, urinates, litters, trespasses or photographs or videos on private property, including of livestock, then the participant is automatically disqualified instead of being subjected to a “three strikes, and you are out” rule which, otherwise applies.
Ragnar will also have professional safety officers or police patrolling this leg, not volunteers, to enforce the rules.
In addition, the County Road Department will obtain and post signage along this route with these warnings. Kay confirmed with Magistrate Mary Ann Gill that before signs are purchased and the cost is known, the Fiscal Court will need to approve the expenditure.
Lyons advised the court that her group was agreeable to the granting of the permit based on the agreement of Ragnar to make these changes. She also said, “I want to thank Judge Kay and (Taylor) for really helping; we worked really hard, and I hope we can have it solved this evening.”
During the regular meeting, the court approved the Ragnar permit request on the condition that it perform as agreed and the county receive the traffic safety study from the Transportation Cabinet that Ragnar is required to also obtain.
Opioid settlement fund program
County Treasurer Melody Traugott reported on the progress of the Kentucky Association of Counties (KaCO) pilot program designed to help counties invest their opioid settlement funds into effective programming. As Traugott reminded the court, Woodford County was one of 20 counties selected for the cohort, which will be meeting regularly throughout the year with an end product that will be presented at KaCO’s annual convention.
“We are meeting in smaller groups, sharing our strategies, learning from peers, receiving technical advice and training,” Traugott said. “We are working to develop actionable strategies at the local level.”
Traugott said she will be accompanied at the next meeting by Nancy Blackford, coordinator of the Woodford County Agency for Substance Abuse Policy and Woodford County Jailer Michelle Rankin to involve their agencies in the process.
Traugott also updated the court on two opioid fund initiatives it had previously approved. The county has now partnered in purchasing five Net Devices, which are used to reduce the effects of withdrawal from opioid use for people with substance use disorders seeking recovery. She also advised that the Woodford County Health Department had filled the position of Opioid Abatement Resource Specialist, which is being funded with opioid settlement funds, and the person was to start in the next week.
Treasurer’s report
Traugott reported the current balance of the county’s money market account was $11,005,109.20.