The Logan County Fiscal Court voted unanimously not to enter into a clean-up contract with the state of Kentucky but instead to hire its own contractor to clean up the county’s debris that accumulated during the ice storm.

According to LCEM director Rodney Harkleroad, who spoke at Tuesday’s Fiscal Court meeting, the state is going to pay 87 percent of the costs incurred from the cleaning up of Kentucky with each county having to pick up the additional 13 percent.

Harkleroad said by entering into a contract with the state fewer roads will get cleaned up. He said the state plans on coming in and assessing each county’s roads by dividing the county up into four sections. Harkleroad said then they will select the worst section and clean it up.

“This leaves most of the county still a mess,” said Harkleroad.

Sixth District Magistrate Thomas Bouldin said he would rather the county make its own assessment and not pay 13 percent to the state for something they had no say over. The other six magistrates agreed with Bouldin saying they wanted to have more control and wanted to clean a larger area of the county.

Harkleroad told the court that the road department along with emergency management could complete an assessment of the county. He said then a contractor would have to be hired to complete the clean-up.

Questions arose about when the state would reimburse the county. Harkleroad said he was not sure. Magistrates were a little concerned about the state’s reimbursement time. Second District Magistrate Harold Prince said the county could always tell the contractor that they will get paid as soon as the county does.

According Harkleroad, citizens can pile up their debris from the storm on the right-of-way and it will be eventually picked up. The county cannot go onto someone’s private property to clean up debris.

LCEM Deputy Cole said the county needed to work together to help each other out. He said those who are elderly or handicap and cannot move the debris someone should help them move it to the right-of-way so it can be picked up.

Road Supervisor Paul Lyne said it may take the county a while but it would eventually be cleaned up. A lot of the trees and branches that fell are still jagged and a danger to those on the road. He said the worst roads in the county are in the Deerlick/Dunmor area and scattered areas throughout the county.

The county will have to find a collection site where the debris can be taken and chipped. Magistrate Harold Price thought it would be a good idea to use inmate labor to help clean up. Judge Chick thought that was a good idea but something the court would have to get with jailer Bill Jenkins about. Jenkins was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.

Harkleroad said with the county choosing to complete the assessment and clean-up it on its own they would have to have it completed within six months of the incident. Magistrate Jo Orange said the sooner the county gets it cleaned up, the better.