By Al Owens

Meeting in regular session last week the Lewis County Fiscal Court viewed a power point presentation given on behalf of the Eastern Kentucky ATV Association.

Morgan County Judge Executive Tim Conley and Tony Patrick, President of the ATV Association attended the meeting. Patrick gave the presentation.

Patrick told the court that currently the Skyward Trails in Kentucky has 130 members from 16 counties. He explained that before Lewis County could join the association and participate in the move toward agri-tourism a neighboring county must already belong to the organization.

Patrick said that 20 to 30 Lewis County residents are already members of Skyward Trails.

He informed the court that the Hatfield-McCoy ATV project in West Virginia last year brought in $15 million of additional revenue to a financially depressed area.

Patrick said that joining the association has several potential rewards for the county. He listed increased revenue for local residents and businesses, the removal of liability by the property owners, the creation of new jobs, protection of the environment and increased safety for the riders as desired benefits.

Patrick used the phrase "thar's gold in them thar hills" to point out the richest of the Commonwealth. He said in the past gold in Kentucky was found in the form of lumber, coal and tobacco. He emphasized that today the gold is "the natural beauty of our mountains".

Patrick told the court that people from Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio and some other states want to come to our state to ride their ATVs and their horses.

He explained that the Kentucky Mountain Trails Development Coalition now involves 12 counties.

He listed the coalition's goals as follows: 1) To develop a multi-use trail system throughout Eastern Kentucky to promote tourism 2) To tie the Skyward Trails System into the Hatfield-McCoy System in West Virginia 3) And to link the Kentucky and West Virginia systems to the Virginia system.

Patrick said as far as potential jobs Lewis County can provide food, parking for large trailers, shuttle services and transportation services for folk who would enter the trail in Lewis County and ride their ATVs through three states to the end of the trail system and have their trailers and vehicles waiting at the end of the line. In addition to that the vehicles and trailers need to be serviced and maintained and that would mean employment for some.

Patrick continued by saying that Lewis County would have certain goals to meet and listed those goals: 1) To identify ATV and horse trails in the county 2) To identify possible ways to connect the trails together and begin mapping those trails 3) To establish 80 to 100 miles of interconnected trails within the county 4) To identify possible trail head locations, and 5) To encourage our state legislators to help. The prime objective he said was to provide connectivity from the Carter County line through Lewis County to the ATV Super Highway and to provide connection from individual trails to that Super Highway.

Patrick also warned of potential problems in making all these connections. 1) crossing rivers and streams 2) crossing main highways 3) running on blacktop 4) avoiding moderate or extreme areas 5) identifying water shed problems 6) convincing property owners that the trail system is good for them 7) locating trail heads where they are easily accessible and that provide adequate parking, and 8) avoiding Corps of Engineer land and national forests.

He concluded his presentation by asserting that the ATV project would be an economic boon to all of Eastern Kentucky.

Conley addressed the court and voiced enthusiasm for his county's participation in the project and said he hopes that Lewis County will get involved. He told the court that he expected no action on the matter at the meeting but asked that the court consider taking part in the effort in the near future.

In other business the court approved the recommendation of Road Supervisor Dane Howard to relocate Fuller Branch Road and then moved to advertise that relocation.

The court approved the appointment of Greta May as the Lewis County Financial Officer. County Treasurer Kathy Dillow said that May, who is the secretary in the County Judge’s office, is already doing the work and doing it well and that obtaining the new title really would not change anything. That state recommends that each county have a Financial Officer.

Kevin Cornette from the Buffalo Trace Area Development District gave the court an update on the work of re-addressing the county in order to move to Enhanced 911. He said that every appropriate structure in the county has a new address but the workers are having some difficulty in matching the new addresses with the old addresses, and the job is taking a little longer than estimated.

Cornette asked the court for a physical contract extension to complete the work. The extension would run through August, 2006.

He informed the court that Homeland Security Funds totaling $287,000 for the equipment for Enhanced 911 has been awarded to Lewis County and requested that the court approve an interlocal agreement so those funds can be transferred from the BTADD to Lewis County with the county receiving ownership of the new equipment.

The court complied and approved both the contract extension and the interlocal agreement with Buffalo Trace.

The court received one speculative bid of $36,970 from E&E Construction for the reconstruction of the Bear Branch Bridge. That means the bridge work will only be done if the state grants the county the funds for the project.

No bids were received on the purchase of a used lowboy trailer.

The court tabled approval of the annual budgets for the Garrison-Quincy Water District, the Western Lewis-Rectorville Water and Gas District and the Black Oak VFD Taxing District. The budgets did not balance, and the court had some questions about its responsibilities regarding the approval of unbalanced budgets. County Attorney Clayton "Buddy" Lykins Jr. will research the matter before next month’s session. Judge Steve Applegate said that a special session of the court could be called if necessary to approve those budgets before any deadline.

The court adopted a resolution to accept title, ownership, maintenance and operations of reconstructed County Road 1349 (Manley Road-Old KY 10) from mile marker 2.75 extending easterly to the bridge over Little Salt Lick, a distance of 1690 feet. The small portion of property was donated to the county by the state.

The court approved the appointment of Luke Bentley Jr. to the Garrison Water Board Commission. The term is for two years and expires December 31, 2007.

The court approved the Lewis County Clerk's 2006 annual budget. The budget is practically the same as last year's.

The court also approved the Lewis County Sheriff’s 2006 annual budget. It totals an estimated $369,281. Sheriff Bill Lewis explained that the only difference from last year’s budget was the salary for one new deputy. That deputy was added to the department last September and the court had approved his salary for the remainder of the current fiscal year. It now becomes part of next year's budget.

The court also approved a $200 annual donation to the Christmas Cops program as requested by Vanceburg Police Chief Joe Billman.

Before adjourning the court approved the treasurer's report and all the claims and transfers for the General, Road and Bridge and Jail Fund accounts.

County Judge Executive Steve Applegate announced that the next regular session of the fiscal court will be held on Monday, January 9, 2006 at 9:30 a.m., in the third floor courtroom of the Lewis County Courthouse.

Meeting in regular session last Tuesday, December 13, the Electric Plant Board of the City of Vanceburg approved a new 20-year electric power contract with Kentucky Power, an affiliate of AEP.

Timothy Mosher, President of Kentucky Power, with some help from Brian Whitlatch, Energy Marketing for AEP and Errol Wagner, Regulatory Services Director for Kentucky Power explained the contract to the board. They said that the formula based rates in the contract are much lower than the rates in a market based contract.

Mosher told the board that rates would increase by about 22 to 25 percent under the new contract compared to the 85 percent increase other power providers offered with market based rates.

Board superintendent Phil Kennedy said that the contract was better than any thing the utility company could ask for.

Board attorney Clayton “Buddy” Lykins Jr. chimed in by saying it is a good contract. He read a prepared statement to the Plant Board explaining the recommendation of W.M. Lewis and Associates Inc, consulting engineers, Portsmouth, Ohio. That recommendation was joined by Kennedy and Vanceburg Mayor William T. “Bill Tom” Cooper.

Whitlatch further explained that the formula based approach in the contract is not offered to every community but only to those entities with a long term relationship with Kentucky Power.

Mosher gave a brief history of Kentucky Power’s relationship with Vanceburg. He said that Kentucky Power has provided electric power for the city since 1928 and that he is thrilled that the relationship will continue for 20 more years.

He also pointed out that the formula based contract avoids the fluctuations of the volatile energy market. The cost is based on Kentucky Power’s cost for providing electricity.

At the conclusion of the session Gail Massey, the board’s chairperson and Mosher signed the contract.

In other business the plant board approved an agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet to be reimbursed for $249,000 for the relocation of the gas and water lines at the Lewis County/Vanceburg Industrial Park at Black Oak.

After adjourning the meeting the plant board went to the city building for a recessed session of the Vanceburg City Council. Since the city owns the utility company the City Council also had to approve the contract.

At the city council meeting Lykins, Mosher, Whitlatch and Wagner repeated their explanations of the contract. The city council moved to approve the contract, and the contract signing was repeated, this time with Mosher and Mayor Cooper with members of the plant board and city council standing in the background.

The plant board, the city council and the Kentucky Power and AEP officials along with interested community leaders then went to Kenny’s Restaurant on Second Street for a reception.

Mosher spoke at the reception and again he and Whitlatch and Wagner explained the contract to those that did not attend the plant board and city council sessions.

As a footnote Mosher told the crowd that the Carrs location in Lewis County is still in the running for the site of a new AEP Power Plant. Two other locations remain under consideration, one in Ohio and another in West Virginia.

By Paula Franke

It was standing room only Thursday evening in the meeting room at Tollesboro Fire Station when members of the public met with state and area officials to discuss the future renovations of the Cabin Creek Covered Bridge restoration.

A number of concerns were aired, including questions as to how much of the structure would be saved.

Restoration Project Manager Patrick Kennedy, with the Kentucky Heritage Council, said it appears that about 80 percent of the bridge could be saved.

Other concerns involved how to discourage future vandalism, debris buildup under the bridge during flooding, landscaping and surrounding land uses, and the potential for the bridge and surrounding area to be developed as an attraction for visitors.

Several people attending reminisced about growing up with the bridge, sharing a number of stories with state officials and each other.

Kennedy specifically asked that people go through their old photos and family papers for images and documents about the bridge that could be used in restoring bridge as close as possible as it once was.

He can be contacted at 502-564-7005, extension 138; or write to him at State Historic Preservation Office, 300 Washington Street, Frankfort, KY 40601.

Anyone who could not attend the meeting may still submit comments to Katrina Bradley, Chief District Engineer, Transportation Cabinet, P.O. Box 347, Flemingsburg, KY 41041. Comments may also be faxed to her at 606-849-2286.