Julia Roberts Goad

Staff Writer

PIKEVILLE, Ky. — The Pike County Fiscal Court received a report on funds the county has recieved from the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for the county’s roads, among other business taken up by the court at its regular meeting.

Joe Stanley with the Transportation Cabinet explained to the Court that there is more than $3.3 million dollars marked for Pike County’s roads. There are 1,200 miles of roads in the county, Judge Executive Wayne T. Rutherford said, and the county is responsible for the maintenance of 800 miles of those roads.

Of that, $1.2 million will be used for general maintenance, which averages out to $7,671 per mile of county roads. More than $2 million is earmarked for improvements, $448,000 of that is flex funds, which can be used at the county’s discretion.

The money will be used for what are called rural secondary roads. Some of the projects slated for the next year include work on Upper Pond Creek, Long Fork of John’s Creek and Aflex Road at Burnwell.

The Court passed a resolution declaring April Pike County Spring Clean Up month. The effort is headed by the Fiscal Court, with local organizations and schools participating in cleaning up garbage around the county.

“Joined forces and have clean up with PRIDE and the court sponsoring the clean up,” Judge Rutherford said. “We need to get ready and get organized.”

Rutherford explained that the sheriff’s department furnishes chaperones for those who participate in the clean up, students, teachers and citizen volunteers.

“This has been successful in past years, it will be successful this year as long as peopel do their due diligence with planning.”

He said there is also an aspect of “fix up” to the clean up, with local hardware and home improvement stores taking part.

Pike County Jailer Rodney Scott presented a budget for the Pike County Detention Center, which he said is basically the same budget the jail is operating under now. There will be the addition of one full time and one part time cook, as the jail will be preparing meals in the jail.

Scott and the Court also authorized Judge Rutherford to renew a contract with Southern Health Partners to provide healthcare services to the jail.

Scott said that while he was not sure the county saved a substantial amount of money with the company, he felt more comfortable with the liability the county stood as to the health and welfare of the inmates.