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The Harlan County Fiscal Court approved a lease agreement for storing voting equipment and discussed a grant agreement for the Cumberland Hope Community during the panel’s recent November meeting.
Harlan County Judge-Executive Dan Mosley addressed the topics about midway through the meeting.
“The next item is the approval to renew the lease contract for voting equipment storage,” Mosley said.
Mosley mentioned a few details regarding the Harlan County Clerk’s Office’s handling of the recent election.
“They did an outstanding job administering this election,” Mosley said.
He noted presidential elections have the highest percentage of voters participating.
“It’s always the highest turnout of the election cycle,” Mosley said. “Harlan County saw almost 55 percent voter turnout. The Clerk’s Office and poll workers out there at the voting centers did an amazing job handling almost 10,500 voters that took part in this presidential election.”
Mosley noted this election had additional challenges for Harlan County election workers.
“It was complicated by the write-in process with the vacancy in the Senate District 29 race,” Mosley said. “Obviously, a lot of voters had questions on how to do that, so the poll workers had to be more engaged in that process by giving people instructions on how to properly cast their vote in that race. So, I just want to say thank you to the Harlan County Clerk and her staff, the precinct workers, and the election officers that did a remarkable job making sure we had a free and fair election here in Harlan County.”
Mosley reminded the magistrates that the lease contract is renewed annually.
“This is a renewal for the same amount it has been in previous years,” Mosley said. “It’s a one-year term. We’ve done this every year in case something happens, and the equipment has to be moved.”
Magistrate Jim Roddy made a motion approving the lease contract, seconded by Magistrate Paul Browning. The motion passed unanimously.
The court then took action on a grant agreement.
“The next item is the grant agreement for the Cumberland Hope Community,” Mosley said. “Recovery Kentucky CBG grant number 24-009, the amount is $200,000.”
According to Mosley, the grant is awarded annually through the Department of Local Government.
“I’ll make that motion,” said Magistrate Paul Caldwell.
The motion was seconded by Magistrate James Howard and passed with no opposition.
In other Fiscal Court activity:
• An agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for road salt was approved;
• The report of the audit of the Harlan County Clerk’s Office for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023, was accepted;
• Linda Mefford was appointed to the Harlan County Public Library Board of Trustees to serve a four-year term expiring Jan. 1, 2028;
• Lynn Cox was appointed to the Harlan County Public Library Board of Trustees to serve a four-year term expiring Jan. 1, 2028;
• Permission to advertise for bids for the Wallins Phase IV Sanitary Sewer Extension was approved.