Officials question sewer service to new Brownsboro school

There’s a new stink about the proposed Brownsboro school as officials debate who should provide sewer service to the property.

Members of Oldham County Fiscal Court will now decide whether to extend its interlocal agreement to provide sewer service to the Brownsboro school campus.

If the court decides not to provide sewer lines to the school, Crestwood Mayor Dennis Deibel said he’s prepared to annex the area into city limits and provide sewer service. 

Either way, school district officials said the district will pay for the addition.

A meeting of the Utilities and Environmental committee was set to discuss the topic Tuesday, and by the time of the meeting, two of the committee’s three members were recused.

Chairman Magistrate Kevin Eldridge reported to the audience that Steve Greenwell and Michael Logsdon had recused themselves due to potential conflicts of interest.

Eldridge said it would be an informal meeting, and primarily led a question-and-answer session with those in attendance, including Louise Allen of Oldham Ahead, District 7 Magistrate Bob Dye, Deputy Judge-Executive John Black and a handful of Brownsboro residents.

The issue, Eldridge said, is what would happen to the Brownsboro community if Crestwood annexes the area. 

“There will be no more fiscal court involvement in any of the Brownsboro school planning if its annexed,” Eldridge said. 

The Brownsboro residents in attendance complained about the location of the school and what Don Hall called the school board’s “dictatorial and autocratic rule.”

“I know you guys are aggravated by the
[Brownsboro school],” Eldridge said. “And believe me, there are fiscal court members who are aggravated, too.”

He said refusing the interlocal agreement would feel like a step toward stopping the school’s construction. 

But, once the land was annexed by Crestwood, the county would lose tax revenues and Brownsboro would lose some autonomy.

“We’d win the battle only to lose the war,” he said.

Brownsboro resident Gary Keibler said if the county denies the agreement, he and others could attempt to delay the annex through the court system.

The annex must be for a contiguous area, and if all property owners agree to the annexation, it is approved.

However, if there is not unanimous consent, there must be a vote with at least 45 percent approval. 

Keibler said he has talked to a number of residents and believes there are enough people and resources available to delay annexation.

Ultimately, Keibler hopes to delay the process past the school board election in 2012.

Four of the five seats are up for election – District 1 and Board Chair Joyce Fletcher; Kevin Woosley, District 4; and Larry Dodson, District 3, in addition to the vacant District 5 seat.

County law mandates any developed property line within 100 feet of a new sewer line must hook in to the system. 

However, officials have agreed this situation would be an exemption — because the line is being brought in by the school district, not by the county.

While the Brownsboro residents in attendance opposed the interlocal agreement expansion, Allen, director of Oldham Ahead, said her organization supports it, even though it disagrees with the school’s location. 

Eldridge pointed out that he asked for the input of residents at an Oct. 18 fiscal court meeting, when the issue was referred to committee. He received of eight emails in response to the issue, and most writers “talked about the travesty of the school coming to Brownsboro,” he said.

“I don’t want to put you all in a position to be annexed and lose the city of Brownsboro,” Eldridge said.

Eldridge told those present he would ask to amend Tuesday’s fiscal court agenda to recommend the court pass the interlocal agreement extension. 

The extension will be on the agenda for a first reading on Nov. 15. There will be a public hearing and second reading Dec. 6 at 5 p.m.