Nola Sizemore

Staff Writer

A special called meeting of the Harlan County Fiscal Court on Wednesday focused on the resurfacing of various roads across the county. A resolution adopting and approving the execution of a Rural Secondary Roads Program Agreement between fiscal court and the Commonwealth of Kentucky, Transportation Cabinet, Department of Rural Municipal Aid was approved.

At a cost of $283,862 from the rural secondary fund, roads approved for bituminous resurfacing were listed as follows: Cresent Drive, Ridge Road, Indian Hills Road and Jo Ann Drive all from KY 1084; Coldiron Cemetery Road, Ashley Lane and Myrtle Turner Lane from KY 221; Cawood Lane from KY 1601; Ball Cemetery-Dartmont Road and Hedges Creek Road from KY 38; Bottom Road from Black Bottom-Closplint Road; Crider Lane from KY 215; Cane Mill Branch Road from KY 2429; Golf Course Road from KY 160; Hall Boulevard from end of bridge to Golf Course Road; Shepherd-Sergent Loop Road from KY 522; Arvin Road from KY 72; Grays Branch Road, County Lane, Methodist Church Lane all from old U.S. 421; Back Lane from County Lane to Mildred Street; Slack Hollow Road from Slack Hollow Cemetery Road; Webb Road from KY 840; Walter Street from KY 219, Tom Street from Walter Street to Fellowship Loop; Fellowship Loop from Tom Street and Circle J Drive from KY 2007.

Magistrate Jonathan Pope asked County Engineer Leo Miller when resurfacing is scheduled to begin.

Explaining he doesn’t see the memorandum of agreement for this resurfacing being received quickly, Miller said roads approved for re-surfacing may have to wait until spring before work is started. He said maintenance on some roads will begin on Monday, probably lasting a week.

“They’ll then do Ages, Sand Hill, Grays Knob and then they’ll do Green Hills for our water project,” said Miller. “That runs us into mid October when it starts raining every day.”

Magistrate David Kennedy said as long as the paving crews get into Cumberland and repair parking lots which “were destroyed with water lines, I’ll be a happy camper.”

“I mean they butchered me up,” said Kennedy. “What about all these roads we have approved through the flex funds? Are you telling me we’re not going to get any blacktop until spring?”

Miller said he is going to send in a request for discretionary funds. He said he isn’t sure that money will be available, reiterating flex funds are available.

“But if you don’t ask, you don’t get,” said Miller. “I repeat, if you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

Kennedy said he is beginning to wonder if “all this is not a waste of time.” He said it’s the “same old sad song all the way to the governor’s office.”

“We won’t turn down any money they want to give us,” said Kennedy. “I just get frustrated with the process. The process stinks. When we get the memorandum of agreement in the spring, then Mountain Enterprises will put us off until the end of the season. This is the issue. We just keep getting pushed on down the road. Mountain Enterprises does poor work. They’re too high and their scheduling is terrible.”

Reach Nola Sizemore at 606-573-4510 or at nsizemore@heartlandpublications.com