The Bourbon County Commission reviewed a reduced $116,500 proposal for a comprehensive plan at its regular meeting Monday night but delayed action until it identifies a funding source.
Planning and Zoning Committee Chairman Brian Ashworth presented a revised "best and final offer" from the consulting firm Confluence, down from an initial estimate of $152,000.
Ashworth said the firm cut the cost by combining the end of the planning phase with the start of the zoning phase into the project's final phase. The firm also removed one public input session from each phase — leaving two in each — and dropped attorney fees.
Commission Chairman Samuel Tran advocated for signing the agreement immediately to initiate the process. He said the contract allows the county to terminate at any time while paying only for services rendered up to that date.
"I say, let me sign it just so we can get the wheel moving, because in the end we can cancel if we haven't done anything, right?" Tran said.
Commissioner Gregg Motley requested delaying the signing until the commission had decided on how to fund the agreement.
"[I] would prefer to know how we're going to pay for it first," Motley said.
Later in the meeting, the commission spoke with Ben Hart and Matt Lawn from the financial consulting firm Baker Tilly to discuss potential ways to fund the project. Commissioner Mika Milburn-Kee said the project was not included in the previous budget cycle, leaving the county without a dedicated way to fund it.
Milburn-Kee initially believed the county had carried over roughly $150,000 in inmate reimbursement fees for the sheriff that could be used to fund the plan. Hart corrected her, clarifying that the actual carryover was only $50,000.
"I didn't know it got down to $50,000," Milburn-Kee said. "I thought we said $150,000, which I was already shocked about."
Hart advised against using the funds from the sheriff's budget to pay for the comprehensive plan.
"My recommendation wouldn't be to touch that because it goes to reimburse for the inmate cost itself. Last year it was around $320,000. It got reimbursed in that fund," Hart said. "That's how the sheriff stays under his budget. As you guys heard Emily [Franks, from auditor Jarred, Gilmore & Phillips] talk about with the audit in 2025, is that reimbursement then goes to drive his costs down."
Commissioner David Beerbower said he didn't believe inmate fees could fund the comprehensive plan, and that he had asked outside counsel Jacob Bielenberg for an update on potential funds from the county's solar agreement with Tennyson Creek and Hinton Creek. He added that the county had $600,000 in FEMA funds available but would prefer they go to Public Works.
Beerbower noted the cost would be spread over 12 monthly payments and recommended the commission "get creative" in finding the money, citing a department that was budgeted for a full-time employee in 2026 but opted to hire part time instead.
Commissioner Joe Allen agreed with Beerbower's recommendation.
"I would agree. I mean, I don't want to touch the sheriff's funds. I really think that FEMA money should go back public works also," Allen said. "I'd be curious when you said we could get creative on where this money would come from."
Hart told Beerbower the county could cover the one-time expense by pooling budget savings from across departments as the year winds down, an approach he said isn't unusual. While he didn't have specific figures on hand, Hart said a countywide look at year-end savings could turn up enough to fund the plan.
Motley said he was not in favor of using funds from the sheriff's budget or the FEMA money, and said the situation was an example of why the county should keep adequate cash reserves.
"And let me just add, this is why you have cash reserves in a county, because these things come up and they're necessary," Motley said.
Motley said the commission should wait until it received the report on the solar money and a recommendation from Baker Tilly before moving forward.
In closing the discussion, Tran said that he too was hesitant to use funds from the sheriff's department or the FEMA funds, and asked that Baker Tilly look over the budget to find the needed money.
"Please find us the money somewhere, okay?" Tran said. "Because there are positions out there that were funded, but never filled. There were commodities that were funded but never purchased. So yeah, please find me the money."
