Daviess County Fiscal Court has pledged support for a proposed expansion at the Kimberly-Clark manufacturing site.
David Smith, Director of Legislative Services, said it’s a $110 million project, with $50 million spent on the building expansion and $60 million on equipment. The expansion would result in 42 new jobs at a rate of $48 per hour, including benefits.
Kimberly-Clark currently employs approximately 337 workers at the facility in Newman.
“The Daviess County site is in competition with other Kimberly-Clark facilities,” Smith said. “The Corporation plans on making a decision sometime in the first half of this year. They requested Fiscal Court pass this resolution to confirm our willingness to issue Industrial Revenue Bonds to facilitate this expansion.”
The State Economic Development Board gave preliminary approval for the project in December.
Hydraulic Study of Water System
Strand Associates will perform a complete hydraulic model of the Daviess County Water District and the area served by the City of Whitesville’s Water Department. The model will be a planning tool as the County looks for ways to upgrade water lines and increase fire protection.
“With the increased amount of funding that we are getting for infrastructure projects, we received $3.7 million last year from the state, and the state budget includes another $3.7 million plus whatever comes down from the infrastructure act,” Smith said.
“We wanted to have a plan going forward with the best way for us to spend money,” he added.
If the County can extend six-inch water lines further out into the community, it would allow for additional fire hydrants. Smith said the Fire Department recently responded to a blaze in Knottsville and it took them 15 minutes to reach the nearest hydrant.
Strand Associates will look at areas of the County that are under-served regarding fire hydrants. The study will also include recommendations on how to extend better fire protection into the East County Water Association and the Ohio County Water Service Area.
“This plan is something that is not just for the next five years but this will give us a path forward for the next 20 (years), so this is planning for the future of this County,” Smith concluded.
Solid Waste Transfer Station Master Plan
Daviess County Fiscal Court has approved a contract with HDR for a master plan on the Grimes Avenue Transfer Station.
“When the Transfer Station opened nearly 30 years ago, it was designed and operated originally for trash trucks only, there were no individuals coming in or CD&D (Construction, Demolition, & Debris),” Smith explained.
The Transfer Station accepted 8,000 tons of trash in October 1998, compared with more than 13,000 tons in October 2021.
“While the tonnage is up 5 percent, the actual number of trips across the scale has increased 10 percent,” Smith added. “And there’s only been one change in the last 30 years…the scale house move.”
Fiscal Court is seeking to improve the flow of truck traffic and improve safety at the facility. Also, the Convenience Center that accepts small loads of solid waste and recycling items is too small.
“Before we try to solve those issues ourselves, we wanted to make sure that we weren’t going to create other problems,” Smith said. “This is a plan that looks 10-15 years in the future.”
Update on P25 Trunked Radio System
Fiscal Court has approved the construction of a new 250-ft. tower at the West Daviess County Landfill.
The tower will be utilized for the P25 Digital Radio System for county first responders. Assistant Treasurer Jordan Johnson said the County anticipates the system going live in the spring or summer of this year.
At present, county first responders communicate on a legacy VHF radio system that is 20 to 30 years old. The new system is digital instead of analog, which means it’s digitally encrypted and IP-based. It will be more efficient and provide better coverage for emergency personnel.
Budget Amendment
Fiscal Court had the second reading on a budget amendment, recognizing the transfer of $500,000 from the General Fund to the Road Fund for asphalt resurfacing projects, as well as accounting for a grant from the Kentucky Association of Counties (KACo).
Recognition of Dr. Donald Douglas
Daviess County Fiscal Court has proclaimed January 26, 2022 as Dr. Donald Douglas Day.
Dr. Douglas is a Daviess County native and serves as the lead medical doctor at the Tony Delk IMAC Regeneration Center in Lexington. He also represents District 22 in the Kentucky State Senate.
His brother, Charles, accepted the proclamation from members of the Fiscal Court.
Personnel
Jill Ransom is the new Staff Accountant in the Treasurer’s Department.
Danielle Fulkerson will be promoted to Administrative Assistant in the Solid Waste Department.
