The Boyle County Fiscal Court approved a motion at its meeting on Tuesday to host a flag retirement ceremony at Veteran’s Park on Flag Day, which is June 14.

The court watched a presentation video by KET about a flag retirement ceremony in Jefferson County. Magistrate Tom Ellis is friends with the man who owns the property where the ceremony was held, and he has attended one of the ceremonies.

The video stated that many people do not know what to do with their American flags when they are worn out. Some consider burning flags to be disrespectful, but flag retirement ceremonies allow the burning of old flags in respect to honor veterans.

“That is the most heart-grabbing event,” Ellis said. He got in touch with former magistrate Jack Hendricks, who has taken part in flag retirements at the Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Hendricks made a presentation about what the ceremony could look like. He has provided around 200 flags for the ceremony. The court will invite veterans in the county and veterans organizations like the American Legion.

The fiscal court has never attended or participated in one of these ceremonies. This event will be the first of its kind hosted by the county. They will invite anyone with torn, worn out or otherwise damaged flags to bring them to the ceremony.

In June 2021, the Kentucky General Assembly passed House bill 312 to amend the Kentucky Open Records Act. The amended act requires public agencies to accept emailed open records requests, and extends their time for handling requests from three days to five days.

The act now restricts requests to only residents of the Commonwealth. It also requires that public agencies post rules and regulations related to open records requests on their website. They need to include the email address to which emailed requests may be directed.

County Attorney Christopher Herron said Boyle County is working to adopt these policies. County Administrator Julie Wagner is putting together a guide for their website on how to submit open records requests. It will include the email address for every person who can accept open records requests.

In other business, the court:
• Transferred $325,000 from the general fund to EMS to cover a new ambulance

• Authorized EMS to advertise bids for two new ambulances that they will get in 2024. A nation-wide shortage of supplies led to delays in ambulance production.

• Due to the fact that the county now has a full-time human resources director, they disbanded the personnel committee of the magistrates on the court.

• Discussed a possible change to court code where the court doesn’t have to announce employees’ salaries in public meetings. Citizens would still have access to that information by request.

• Approved a maintenance request to get the clocktower bell fixed.

• Approved a new hire for Public Works, Mathew Kinman, by Public Works Director Duane Campbell.