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With all magistrates and Clark County Judge-Executive Les Yates present for Wednesday morning’s Clark County Fiscal Court meeting, the body took financial action to benefit several local organizations.

Monies given to the Clark County Fiscal Court Fund for the 2023-24 Fiscal Court year through the Blue Grass Community Foundation, sometimes called the Community Fund, will be dispersed to benefit local organizations.

Magistrate Robert Blanton mentioned – in detail – different organizations and what they would be earning.

Kentucky River Foothills has been awarded $34,500 for transportation services, Winchester-Clark County Parks and Recreation has been awarded $32,000 for its Natatorium or indoor swimming pool, Holly Rood has been awarded $10,000, Bluegrass Community and Technical College has been awarded $6,000, Bluegrass Heritage Museum and the Winchester Community Work Group have each been awarded $5,000, Rapha Ministries has been awarded $4,000, the Winchester Labor Day Committee and Friends of the Clark County Animal Shelter, Inc., have each been awarded $2,000, the Clark County Unity Committee has been awarded $1,500, the Clark County Winchester-Heritage Commission has been awarded $1,200, and the Futbol Club of Kentucky has been awarded $1,000.

In addition, $5,000 has been given for fireworks.

Altogether, this equals $109,200.

With $110,605 received from the Blue Grass Community Foundation, $1,405 of the remaining funds that need to be awarded are still viable for the current fiscal year ranging from July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024.

On another matter, the court expressed further interest in working with representatives from Compass Municipal Advisors out of Lexington, providing financial advisory services to various state and local governments, authorities and agencies.

Blanton brought forth the initial motion.

“I would like to move forward with contracting with them…for advice and counsel and guidance on our ARPA spending”, Yates seconded the motion.

While slightly amended following discussion with several Magistrates, including Dan Konstantopoulos, the motion passed unanimously.

Specifically, the motion calls for the preparation of a contract for procurement with Compass Municipal Advisors.

This contract is to be reviewed by Clark County attorney William Elkins while initially drafted by Yates.

Blanton also brought up points, such as revisiting the idea of a feasibility study regarding the unification of the Clark County Fire Department and City of Winchester Fire/EMS.

Presented by the Greater Clark Foundation at a joint meeting in August, the City Commission had agreed upon the study yet disagreed on by the court in a narrow 4-3 decision – though Blanton served as a “yes” vote in favor of the study.

He also proposed moving the time of Clark County Fiscal Court meetings to 9:30 a.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month, beginning Jan. 1, 2024.

Magistrate Chris Davis mentioned that some constituents had expressed concern, in such a case, not being able to make 9:30 a.m. meetings due to work or other matters.

However, he did express openness to move meetings up from 6:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

The court did not take action Wednesday regarding this point.