Daviess County Fiscal Court has signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Owensboro Community & Technical College (OCTC), American Medical Response (AMR), and the City of Owensboro.
“Effective January 2022, OCTC will provide an accelerated program for paramedics in our community,” said Judge-Executive Al Mattingly.
“Once they pass this program, they will be able to sit for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians, which is the paramedic exam,” he added.
Mattingly said the program will have a cohort of 12 students, including prospective members of Daviess County Fire, Owensboro Fire, and AMR. The agreement will be reviewed for the possibility of renewal on a yearly basis.
“Part of being a first responder with our paid Daviess County Fire Department…we have paramedics on every response, whether it be a car accident or fire,” Mattingly added. “We provide advanced life support.”
The Judge-Executive said it’s been an issue for some time to attract and retain paramedics, due to the training requirements and the competitive job landscape.
“In the end, it will provide for a better kind of public service in our community,” he concluded.
To highlight the new collaborative partnership, representatives of OCTC, AMR, Daviess County Fire, Owensboro Fire, and Fiscal Court will participate in a roundtable discussion on Monday, September 20th at 8:30 a.m.
The live stream will be accessible from the Facebook page for Daviess County Fiscal Court.
Fire Tower Declared Surplus
Daviess County Fiscal Court received a comprehensive structural analysis of the fire tower at Panther Creek Park from Gardner Engineering and Consulting, PLLC of Owensboro.
Judge-Executive Al Mattingly said the review identified a number of issues, and the engineer recommended the tower remain closed to the public.
“When originally built, the structure was used as a fire observation tower,” Mattingly said.
“It was not intended for public access or public use. In order for a structure of any type to be occupied by the public, it must meet applicable life safety and building codes. In this particular case, the required design loads for public structures are much larger than limited access fire towers.”
The engineering report estimated the repair cost at approximately $120,000, not including any engineering plans or required permitting work.
“We budgeted $250,000 to make repairs to our three parks in this past budget,” Mattingly said. “So $150,000 is 60 percent of that cost.”
“As I look at that, I can’t in good conscience make a recommendation that we move forward and repair the tower,” he concluded. “I think my recommendation would be that we declare it surplus and then instruct the engineer to proceed with taking the tower down.”
Detention Center Update
Jailer Art Maglinger presented the updated policy and procedure manuals for the Daviess County Detention Center. The most significant change over the past year has been video visitation.
Maglinger said the pandemic necessitated the move and it’s had more pros than cons. The Detention Center also added an evidence-based parenting class for male and female inmates.
Update on Digital Radio System
Work continues on the infrastructure for a new P25 digital radio system for county first responders.
Previously, Fiscal Court secured leases for tower equipment in the east and southern portions of the county. A third tower will be constructed at the West Daviess County Landfill.
Commissioners approved a change order with Motorola to perform engineering site work.
Other News
Fiscal Court had the second reading and adoption of an ordinance that will authorize a rebate of 0.50% of occupational license fees for new employees of Gryphon Environmental. The company had applied for incentives under the Kentucky Business Investment (KBI) program, as part of its expansion plans.
Daviess County Government will conduct a Surplus Auction on October 19th at 9 a.m. at the Operations Center on Highway 81 in Owensboro.
Fiscal Court approved approximately $24,000 for the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (JAG), which rotates between the city and county governments each year. The funds will be utilized to purchase mobile data terminals (MBTs) that are used in police cruisers.
The tennis court at Stanley Park will be converted into four pickleball courts for public use. Fiscal Court awarded a bid for the project, expected to be complete in the spring of 2022.
Commissioners approved additional bids for an HVAC Rooftop Unit at the Detention Center, Snow Plow Equipment for the Road Department, a Track Link Assembly at the Landfill, a Siren Controller System, and two new weather sirens for Roy Clark Rd. and Brook St.
Proclamations
Daviess County Fiscal Court issued the following proclamations:
- National Senior Center Month – September 2021
- Saving Our Rivers Day – September 27, 2021
- TEN-4 Awareness Day – October 4, 2021
- KY Women in Agriculture Day – October 19, 2021
Judge-Executive Al Mattingly also recognized Catherine Elizabeth Wright, a senior at Apollo High School, who has been named a semifinalist for the National Merit Scholarship program.
Next Meeting
Daviess County Fiscal Court will meet on Thursday, October 14th at 5 p.m.
