Fiscal Court supports efforts to build community college

 SHEPHERDSVILLE - By the time Bullitt Fiscal Court met on Dec. 3, the paperwork was in place that would get an organization - formed to have a community college facility built - in operation.

Thomas Barr

All nine members of the Bullitt County Education Foundation met last week

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The paperwork needed to begin the Bullitt County Education Development Corporation was ready and Bullitt Fiscal Court unanimously approved of its creation.

John Snider, executive director of the Bullitt County Economic Development Authority and organizer of the efforts to build a college facility, said a single resolution would need approval.

Contained in that resolution would be a deed for the property, the organizational structure of the board and a five-year condition that if nothing is done, the land at the intersection of Highway 245 and Interstate 65 would be returned to the county.

Membership on the board would contain various individuals, three of which would be selected by the county judge out of a list provided by the EDA.

EDA member Mark Stout said a list of eight individuals would be turned over the county judge Melanie Roberts. She does not need fiscal court approval for the appointments.

Roberts recommended Keith Griffee, Bill Dawson and Bill Duffy. All three have knowledge of the banking business.

The nine-member corporation would be made up of the county judge, a member of fiscal court (John Bradshaw), Snider, the three citizens appointed by the county judge from the EDA list and three EDA members, who would be Jerry Summers, Scott Wantland and Mark Stout.

The corporation would sell bonds for a facility which would be used for a community college. Jefferson Community and Technical College has expressed interest in being the tenant.

Currently, JCTC is providing classes to hundreds of students in its leased space off Buffalo Run Road.

To make the $24 million project feasible, there would need to be a tenant signed who would guarantee the debt service payments are made. Bullitt Fiscal Court is to have no financial liability in the project.

The county would be providing the property for the project.

County attorney Monica Robinson said her only concern dealt with the language of the deed. The deeding of the property to the corporation was not completed on Dec. 3.

But Robinson said there is nothing major that would halt the project. She was also looking for a survey of the entire tract owned by the county.

Court members voted to hire county surveyor John St. Clair for a maximum cost of $20,000 to do a survey.

“It’s a really great day,” said Donna Miller, director of the Bullitt County campus of JCTC.

“This is a grand step,” said Roberts. “I’m proud of this fiscal court.”