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County to solicit bids for food service at jail

5/29/2020

By Tom Marshall
Senior Advocate writer

The Montgomery County Fiscal Court plans to solicit bids for food service at the Montgomery County Regional Jail.

At its most recent meeting May 19, the Fiscal Court was asked to consider renewing the contract with Kellwell Food Management for the jail’s food service.

County Commissioner Melody Townsend, however, suggested the contract be rebid because of an ongoing ethics investigation involving Jailer Eric Jones and his reported relationship to Kellwell.

Jones is a partner in Kellwell Commissary. Jones’ business partners operate the food management company. Kellwell Commissary does not provide service at the jail.

County officials said the food service contract has not been bid for several years.

In response, the Fiscal Court voted to solicit bids and agreed on a month-to-month deal with Kellwell Food Management for the time being.
In other business, the Fiscal Court:

• Approved second reading of the 2020-2021 fiscal year budget.
• Approved a resolution entering into a road aid agreement with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet for $689,797.62 in funds.

This replaces a Februrary agreement in which the cabinet projected that the county would receive $786,302.99 in road aid.

The COVID-19 pandemic and a reduction in fuel tax revenue both contributed to the reduction, Judge-Executive Wally Johnson said.
• Approved a bid from Mike Hall to provide dead animal pickup service for the county at a cost of $32,000.

Local residents with dead livestock can call Hall at 606-359-4407 to have their animals removed at no cost.

The county receives part of its funding for the service from the state and the Soil Conservation Office.

Townsend said local farmers are fortunate to have the free service when you consider that many counties have no such program.

• Approved an interlocal agreement with Menifee County on a new sewer system improvement project that will serve Menifee County and the southern portion of Montgomery County.

• Approved second reading of four budget amendements involving the general, road, jail and L.G.E.A. funds.

• Approved the jail policy and procedural manual.
• Approved the jail inmate handbook.

• Approved a resolution transferring Old Maysville Road to the county from the transportation cabinet.

As a condition of the transfer, the cabinet must resurface a small segment of the roadway for the county.

• Reached an Adult Detention Agreement with Rowan County to house Montgomery County inmates in an emergency if needed at a cost $35 per inmate per day.

• Reappointed Ralph Charles to a three-year term on the 911 Board.
• Reappointed John Crouch to a three-year term on the Tourism Commission.

• Reappointed James Davis and Greg Waters to four-year terms on the Parks and Recreation Commission.
Waters is a joint appointment with the city.

• Appointed Ed Burden to a three-year term on the Board of Assessments. He replaces Sharon Stapleton.

The next regular meeting of the Fiscal Court will be 2 p.m. Tuesday, June 15. Workshops are also held the first and third Tuesdays of the month at 10 a.m. Meetings are currently being conducted via the Zoom app.