Clark County Detention Center officials now have to submit monthly reports to the Clark County Fiscal Court, following Wednesday’s meeting.

Magistrate Daniel Konstantopoulos proposed the change, partly because of a comment in the last audit which mentioned the jail needed to maintain records for the commissary fund. Konstantopoulos said the fiscal court has no access to those account records, aside from the annual audit. State statute requires the jail submit quarterly reports to the fiscal court including the inmate population and finances.

“There’s a lot of money that flows through that account and it’s on our audit,” Konstantopoulos said. “We’re responsible for the audit and the fiscal court has no access to those records.”

CCDC Chief Deputy Justin Crockett said the commissary fund generates profits through selling a variety of items to prisoners. The profits can be used for anything that benefits the inmates from the inmate work program to improved mattresses and, at the jailer’s discretion, offsetting some of the medical expenses from prisoners.

Magistrate Greg Elkins, who recently recommended making cuts to the jail budget for the new fiscal year, said the jail was not able to recently pay $40,000 for inmate medical expenses, which have been paid from the commissary funds in the past.

“If the fiscal court has to pay that bill because the jail can not, every magistrate should want to see that report,” Greg Elkins said.

Following the meeting, Crockett said the jail had pledged to make four payments of $20,000 to the county from the commissary funds to offset jail medical expenses. When the last payment was requested, there was not enough in the account to make the payment because the profits had not been deposited yet.

Konstantopoulos said the issue was one of transparency and accountability.

“We want to see everything that’s paid out of the account every month,” he said.

Magistrate Robert Blanton opposed the move, saying it wasn’t fair to single out the jail and not include other county departments such as the road department or fire department.

Ultimately the measure passed on a 5-2 vote, with Blanton and Magistrate Travis Thompson voting no.

“It seems like we’re getting a lot of this (information) already,” Thompson said. “I don’t see the need in making them copy it and send it over.”

In other action, the court:

— approved the Kentucky Association of Counties’ proposal for general and workers compensation insurance for fiscal year 2020. Sue Porter of KACo said the premiums are basically flat for the new year.

— approved a proposal to participate in an interlocal agreement with Madison County for signs for U.S. Bike Route 21 through Clark County. The county would contribute $730 as its share of a march for an $80,000 grant application.

— approved a standing order for recurring expenses for FY20.

— voted 6-1 to approve the first reading of a joint ordinance to create the Winchester-Clark County Active Transportation Committee. Magistrate Chris Davis voted no.

— approved a resolution to sign agreements for a $481,000 grant from the Kentucky Department of Highways for a project in Verna Hills.

— approved a bid of $26,599 from Hinkle Environmental Services to repair a slip on Jackson Ferry Road. Hinkle was the only bidder.

— approved an order to sell a barn on the Clark County Fairgrounds property to Barn Guy’s Barn Repair and Removal. Clark County Judge-Executive Chris Pace said the offer was $300, and they will dismantle the barn.

— approved an order to establish a temporary full-time administrative assistant position for the Clark County Road Department. The matter was approved 5-2, with Blanton and Thompson voting no.

— appointed Blanton, Konstantopoulos and Magistrate Joe Graham to the Fiscal Court Fund committee.