City bound to land deal for planned fire station
The controversial location for a new city fire department has become an even hotter issue due to a potential mix-up in the negotiations to purchase an option on one of the desired lots at the corner of Main and Bellville streets.
According to City Attorney Bart Frazer and City Administrator Mark Bryant, the City of Marion has secured a purchase contract with owner Martha Kurtz-Williams for one of the two lots the council wants for a new firehouse. The other tract, on which a building currently stands, belongs to Franklin Hazzard. The price of the vacant lot is $90,000, which was negotiated by an agent of Belt Auction Realty in Marion. The city paid $5,000 earnest money toward the purchase price for the contract, which is subject to an environmental study.
City council members voted 3-2 on the site in November, approving a measure to pursue acquiring the Kurtz-Williams property with different language, according to the minutes from that meeting and the councilman who initiated the vote.
“I’m the one who made the motion,” said Councilman Darrin Tabor. “I specifically said in my motion that it was to be an option. At no time did I say that it was to be a purchase contract.”
Councilman Dwight Sherer seconded the motion to option the property, joining both Tabor and outgoing Councilman Jason Hatfield in the vote.
The difference between an option and a sales contract means that the city is contractually obligated to buy the lot unless an environmental study finds issues with the property, which is not expected. An option on the property would have given the city a way to get out of buying the property, if it chose to do so. The city could have walked away from the deal by forfeiting its $5,000.
Bryant said the environmental study will take the better part of January to complete, looking at a variety of issues required in such a municipal purchase.
Tabor, who is a real estate broker himself, said he still favors buying the lot and putting the fire station there, but he's concerned about how the purchase plan got mixed up.
"This has turned into an argument, and the only losers are going to be the firemen," Tabor said. "It's going to blow up and not get done, and they're going to be the losers."
Councilman Don Arflack is one of those firefighters, as is incoming Councilman Mike Byford. Each, however, is on a different side of the disagreement over where the new fire station should be located.
There has been a great deal of dissent from Arflack and Councilman Jim Brown, as well as several individuals from the community over putting the station on the corner of the busiest intersection in town. An unscientific survey at The Press Online also found that 77 percent of 184 respondents didn't like the location council members favored for the new fire station.
Both Arflack and Brown argue the corner is too busy and that the cost to prepare the land for construction could far eclipse that of another location considered, the corner of East Bellville and North College streets. Byford, as well as Fire Chief Ronald "Red" Howton and Assistant Chief Jim Johnson are fine with the selection made in November, and caution that control of the stoplight gives the fire department all it needs to make the site safe for firemen and traffic during fire runs.
Arflack, tried to to get separate appraisals on both properties in question but that idea was nixed Monday by Mayor Mickey Alexander in a 4-3 vote. Arflack is concerned the asking price of the Main and Bellville properties may be inflated to that of the tract at College and Bellville. Initial reports had the cost of acquiring the lots off Main Street at $132,500, as opposed to $139,000 for the gravel parking lot down Bellville Street from the fire department's current home.
Arflack asked for both pre- and post-demolition appraisals on the favored lot. He also asked that they be conducted by an out-of-town firm.
Arflack gained the support of both Brown and Janet Crider-Pierce on the appraisal vote, putting the tally at 3-3 until Alexander broke the tie.
Sherer, one of those casting a vote against the motion, did not oppose the idea per se, but wanted to wait until after the environmental study is completed to tackle such issues.
Alexander also shut down Arflack on any further discussion related to the fire station. The mayor was noticeably irritated, raising his voice and telling Arflack to move on.
"This is not California," Alexander said of the effort to overturn the vote to study the feasibility of the Main and Bellville lots. "We're not going to have a redo until this process is complete."
Five city firefighters in the council chambers remained quiet during discussion.
After the meeting, Brown and Arflack were upset with the lack of conversation allowed by the mayor, who is the presiding officer. Arflack said he is not finished with his efforts to end a move toward building off Main and Bellville, which doubles as U.S. 60 and Ky. 91 North, respectively.
Three questions still remain unanswered about the corner lot and the proposed firehouse. Access from the proposed site has not yet been granted by the Transportation Cabinet to allow ingress or egress from Bellville Street. The state has not granted written permission for the fire department to control the stop light at the intersection. And, the city administrator says there have been no formal agreements between the city and Hazzard on the purchase of his property.

County cuts jobs, freezes salaries for 2009
Tough economic times are rolling into Crittenden County and it doesn't appear that any public offices will be insulated from budget cuts and salary freezes.
In some cases, county workers have been laid off or their jobs eliminated by the budgetary knife.
Crittenden Fiscal Court met in regular session Tuesday and discussed a variety of issues, many dealing with local and state budget cuts.
County officials pointed out that due to the commonwealth's $456 million projected budget shortfall, Gov. Steve Beshear is asking all government agencies to immediately trim four percent from their spending plans. Other cuts are also being implemented, including a request for state workers to take some time off this year without pay.
In Crittenden County, the belts are tightening, too. Magistrates approved a measure Tuesday that will eliminate any merit or cost-of-living raises for all 98 county employees. The fiscal court went one step farther at the road department, cutting 13 employees back to a 32-hour work week from the customary 40 hours. They also cut the county animal control officer back by eight hours. The road department will work four eight-hour shifts, weekdays except Wednesday.
Judge-Executive Fred Brown made the recommendations and magistrates unanimously approved the payroll freeze and cutbacks.
Sheriff Wayne Agent presented his budget to the court, which included some cuts, but raises for his deputies. The court's mandate overruled the sheriff's proposed raises for his department and all other county offices.
"It's something I hate to do," said Magistrate Greg West as other elected officials chimed in with similar replies.
"I hate to even have to bring it up, but we need to be proactive on this," Brown said, noting that indicators are pointing to tougher cuts when the county starts preparing its 2009-10 budget in the spring. "We need to keep our books in order the best we can and try to weather the storm.
"Our county's share of employee retirement is going up three percent and that's on nearly $1.9 million in payroll, so it's a whole lot of money," Brown said. "And we already know we're getting $60,000 less in the road department budget next year (because of state cuts in truck license fees)."
Two workers were laid off from the road department, Brown said. He said there will be no immediate personnel cutbacks in other county offices or at the jail, which employees 58 full- and part-time workers.
County Attorney Rebecca Johnson said her office has lost 13.1 percent of its state funding this year. She plans to maintain her current staff and try to make up the difference with private funding from her own legal practice.
Sheriff Agent said his office cut the bailiff from its budget. He and his deputies are making up the work themselves in the courtroom, which takes them off patrol and away from other duties.
The sheriff asked magistrates to consider larger raises in 2010 if the economy picks up, in order to make up for what they will be losing in the coming year.
"If things are going good July 1, I think we could put the raises back in," Brown said. "We will just have to wait and see."

Auto industry woes lead to Par 4 layoffs
The automotive industry's troubles are trickling down to Marion.
Par 4 Plastics, which derives 70 percent of its sales from automakers, is laying off 12 workers Friday. It’s the first time for mandatory layoffs in the company's 18-year history, said president Joe McDaniel.
McDaniel confirmed early this week that the layoffs would affect both hourly and salaried positions. The company employees 140 workers.
As a custom injection molder, Par 4 serves a wide variety of industries including electronics, sporting goods, packaging and construction. Most of its sales in the automotive sector are to Toyota, which McDaniel said is also affected by the slowing economy.
“It’s not just Ford, GM and Chrysler,” he said. “Others are having trouble operating, too.”
Sales projections indicate that 10 million new cars will be sold in the coming year in the North American market, McDaniel said. That’s down seven million units, he explained.
McDaniel said Par 4 is closely monitoring the negotiations in Washington where a relief package is being discussed for General Motors, Chrysler and Ford. A collapse of the American automaking industry could have an even greater impact on Par 4, which is largely a second tier supplier, providing parts and pieces for others which make larger sections of automobiles. Par 4 is also a first tier supplier, selling directly to the automaker.
If one or more of the automakers fail, McDaniel said the ramifications will be devastating for the entire industry, including all of the first and second tier suppliers.
There is positive news for the local company, however. McDaniel said Par 4 has orders for some new Toyota parts, but those lines will not begin production until the late summer of 2009. Additionally, he said sales in other sectors are steady. Par 4 makes snuff cans and firearms stocks among other things.
McDaniel said Par 4 remains a very strong company that is well positioned in the injection molding industry. McDaniel has been very impressed but not at all surprised by how compassionate the company's team members have been to help each other and Par 4 through this difficult time. Par 4 refers to all of its employees as team members.
"I am very proud of our team and we will work diligently to grow our business and provide jobs for our outstanding employees and community," McDaniel said.

Man shot by policeman in May sentenced
The robbery suspect shot during a confrontation with police on May 15 at the Royal Inn and Suites has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison.
Wesley Neal Dockrey, 26, of Clay was sentenced by Judge Rene Williams in Crittenden Circuit Court last Thursday to five years each on counts of first-degree wanton endangerment and tampering with physical evidence. Those sentences are to run consecutively with another 10-year term in Union County for armed robbery.
Dockrey robbed the WalMart Pharmacy in Morganfield before hiding out in the motel on Sturgis Road in Marion last spring. Police found him there and when they tried to arrest him, Dockrey allegedly aimed a loaded handgun out of the motel window at Marion Policeman Marty Hodge. State Trooper Billy Braden fired his service weapon twice through the window, hitting the suspect.
Dockrey recovered from his gunshot wounds. He was originally charged with attempted murder of a police officer, but that charge was reduced to wanton endangerment by a Crittenden County grand jury.
Dockrey had had multiple run ins with the law over the past 19 years. His criminal record included charges in Webster, Union and Hopkins counties dating back to 1999. Some were for minor traffic violations and others were for such offenses as criminal mischief and drugs.
In an unrelated case, Judge Williams imposed a five-year prison sentence on Charles Jack Bradford, 29, of Marion for charges dating back to 2005. He was sentenced to three years on each count of first-degree possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. The sentences are to run concurrently. Bradford's sentence was imposed after he violated terms of his probation on those drug charges by failing to report to his parole officer.

NRCS is not be leaving Marion office
Marion’s Natural Resources Conservation Service won’t be leaving town for Salem, says Larry Starr, a local district conservationist with NRCS.
Last week, The Crittenden Press erroneously reported that the NRCS center on East Bellville Street would be relocating to Salem in a USDA consolidation of Farm Service Agency offices.
“NRCS, however, is not planning to abandon the office in Marion – only FSA is leaving,” Starr said.
With the Crittenden County Conservation District purchase of the current office building, NRCS farm records for Crittenden County will continue to be maintained in the Marion office and landowners can continue to meet employees in the Marion office and review their records, Starr explains.
“NRCS plans to stop paying rent in Crittenden County, but as long as the conservation district provides office space, NRCS plans to continue employee presence in the office and basic needs such as desks, computers, Internet access, etc.,” Starr concludes
The Press regrets any confusion created by the error.