Louisa council vacancy filled, another member resigns

By TONY FYFFE

BSN Editor

LOUISA — The Louisa City Council gained one member but lost another during its regular meeting last Tuesday, March 14.

Mayor Harold Slone had to break a tie vote to appoint a replacement for former council member Tom Parsons, who resigned during the February meeting.

During last Tuesday’s meeting, City Attorney Bud Adams said that Parson’s resignation, under state statutes, was not effective until last Tuesday’s session and that council members had 30 days to name a replacement.

Council members opted to fill the position at last Tuesday’s meeting, nominating Coty Roe and former member Lisa Schaeffer for the vacancy. But they deadlocked 2-2 when it came time to vote, with Caleb Farley and Rose Lester voting for Roe, and Gary Robertson and Ashley Caudill going with Schaeffer.

The deadlock left Slone to break the tie vote, with the mayor joking that he would have to flip a coin to make the decision.

“I’ll vote for Coty since he’s new,” Slone said. “That’ll make it three to two.”

Roe did not attend the meeting and will be sworn in at the council’s next meeting.

Slone then told the council that he had received a resignation letter from Caudill, who is moving out of the city limits.

“It’s not a happy decision,” Caudill said, with Slone adding that “life’s circumstances have put her in this position.”

Slone gave council members the option of appointing a replacement for Caudill at that meeting or tabling the issue until the next session. Robertson made a motion to nominate Schaeffer, but it died for the lack of a second, and the issue will be addressed at the next meeting.

Prior to addressing the council vacancies, members approved a resolution to adopt the Lawrence County Solid Waste Management Plan for the city, which is required by the state to have such a plan.

“Basically, it says that A, we have mandatory garbage; that we require all citizens in Lawrence County and the city to have garbage (pickup),” Slone said, “and that we agree to the county plan.”

Council members also approved its contract with Republic Services to dump the city’s garbage in the Green Valley Landfill. The mayor said that trash disposal rates have increased from $18.25 per ton to $20.63, while fuel costs remain at $1.75 per ton.

The council also approved a rate increase for the Big Sandy Water District. Slone said the city sells about 26 percent of the 1.5 million gallons of water it produces per day to Big Sandy, which then sells it its customers.

Slone said the city has charged Big Sandy $3.06 per thousand gallons of water since he became mayor eight years ago.

“You can imagine in eight years how much the cost has gone up to produce water,” he said. “The agreement with them eight years ago was that we wouldn’t entertain a rate increase for four years, so it’s been eight going on nine (years). The utility board feels like it’s prudent that we make this rate increase to Big Sandy.”

The utility board recommended the rate be increased to $3.90, which was approved by council members. The rate hike must be approved by the Kentucky Public Service Commission since Big Sandy is regulated by the agency, Slone said.

Terry Collier of Wallace Street and Michael and Rebecca Spradlin of Conley Street addressed the council about an alley at the end of Conley Street that both families use.

Slone said Collier uses the dead-end alley for access to his property while the Spradlins park in the alley due to no street parking and limited space in their driveway.

The Spradlins recommended that either the alley be closed and the property be divided, or the city survey the area.

Council members decided to table the issue and address it at a future meeting.