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Joe P. Asher

Staff Writer

The budget for the current fiscal year was brought to the table during a meeting of the Lynch City Council on Tuesday.

Mayor Johnny Adams explained the new budget does contain some cuts.

“If you look up there on employees, you’ll look that I’ve got three maintenance men, not four,” said Adams. “That’s how we’re affording to give these raises.”

Council member Carl Collins questioned if three men could perform all necessary work.

“What are we going to do if they come hollering here in about two or three months that they’re worked to death and they need another employee?” inquired Collins.

Adams suggested a part-time worker could be an option.

“If you’ll remember, we had a conversation about whether we needed four maintenance men for the winter months because we really didn’t have enough work for them to do. No grass cutting, weed cutting or anything else,” explained Adams. “A lot of times it’s hard to provide eight hours worth of work for them Monday through Friday. Now in the summertime, it’s different. So it may be that next summer I’ll just hire somebody to help out on the grass and the weeds part-time.”

In an interview conducted later, Collins explained that no current maintenance positions are being eliminated by the new budget. The council had been considering placing funds in the budget for hiring another maintenance employee, but decided against it in order to give raises to current employees.

A motion was made and passed to accept the budget for the current fiscal year.

The council discussed some problems with the Long Alley area.

Council member Stanley Sturgill clarified the issue for the council.

“That alley’s going to fall over,” said Sturgill. “That’s one of the things I wanted to mention. And also, when they installed that sewer line up there, from where they started with the insulation to however far they went, they took up every property marker in that alley and that needs to be resurveyed.”

Adams explained outside funds will be needed to fix the problem.

“The only way we can fix that is try to determine what we need and file for a grant. We probably could get it from the Corps of Engineers,” said Adams.

“I don’t think the city should have to fix it,” replied Sturgill. “I think whoever went in there and did that should be the ones to fix it.”

The council decided to look into the matter further before making a decision on how to proceed.

In other council activity, the council went into executive session pursuant to KRS 61.810(1)(c). Council returned from session with no action taken.

Reach Joe P. Asher at 606-573-4510 or jasher@heartlandpublications.com