Somerset — Local businessman Ed Massey came under fire recently when members of Somerset’s city council complained that he had billed the city $9,000 for training for the city’s sewer department employees.
During the most recent city council meeting, Massey app-eared before council members to defend his company — the Lake Cumberland Area Construction Consult-ing Group (a branch of the Clifty Heights Community Develop-ment Organization) — and to let the council know he won’t be slandered in public.
Massey said the negative attention his organization received as a result of the council’s comments had interfered with his ability to do his job.
The training session in question, Massey said, came at a cost of $375 per student, $200 of which was passed along to the institution which held the class.
“The quality of work we do stands on its own,” Massey told councilors. He claimed to be in possession of more than 800 photographs which show unsafe situations in areas throughout Somerset.
Councilor Jim Mitchell, a former water manager for the city, maintained that the cost of the training was “outrageous,” and added that the cost of training with the Kentucky Rural Water Association when he was a supervisor was as low as $60 to $120 per student.
Massey insisted that training in most places today would cost more than $500 per student.
“This was done to accommodate the city, not us,” Massey said.
Mitchell later produced a copy of a training schedule for the 2010 Kentucky Operator Certification Program which listed a two-day certification training, which includes an exam, for $160 per student. Lodging for the training was available for $59.95 per night.
Massey requested that councilors contact him if they have any questions about his business in the future.
A few council members attempted to ask Massey questions about his billing methods during the meeting, but Mayor Eddie Girdler discouraged them from speaking up.
“I’m ready for questions,” Massey told the council.
“We can’t (ask) questions, or we would,” councilor Tim Rutherford said in reference to Mayor Girdler’s instructions. “We’re not allowed.”
Massey said he had contacted the city’s ethics board about the comments that had been made about his business during the previous meeting.
In other council business:
• The Somerset city council observed its first meeting-opening moment of silence, which lasted about 10 seconds, after the council unanimously approved doing so in a previous meeting.
• The city recognized Leslie Hammer of the American Cancer Society for receiving the Beacon Award for the mid-south division of the ACS. Hammer is the first individual from Kentucky to receive the award.
“Somerset is fortunate to be represented by such top-notch professionals,” Mayor Girdler said.
• Councilor Jim Rutherford presented some proposed amendments to the city’s current ordinance concerning rates for reconnects and transfers of service for utilities.
• Jim Rutherford also mentioned that there are “still issues” with department heads receiving overtime pay.
“Three department heads are on the list,” he said, adding that “it’s not a grand amount of money.”
Councilor Tim Rutherford added that department heads shouldn’t be getting more overtime hours than their employees.
• Council members reappointed James “Onion” Eastham to a four-year term on the Housing Authority Board.
• Councilor Mike New asked the council to join him in congratulating the Somerset High School cheerleaders, who recently placed fourth in a national competition in Florida.
• Mayor Girdler recognized two local students who had recently received the Prudential Spirit of Community award. Hannah Garland of Somerset Christian School and Kaitlynn Flynn of Southwestern High School were recipients of the award.
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The water controversy that Pulaski County has been boiling over — so to speak — for the last week is finally over.
At 10 minutes after noon Wednesday, the “boil water” advisory for the Western Pulaski Water District was lifted — almost a full week after the problems began around 1 p.m. last Thursday.
Prior to that, the Somerset Water Service — along with the other water providers in its system, including Science Hill Water, Southeastern Water, and Eubank Water — lifted their advisories, with Somerset on Saturday afternoon and the last, Southeastern, by Monday morning. Western Pulaski was the last in the system to complete sample testing for potential contaminants, due to not being able to access its Pikeville-based testing lab until Monday.
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“The boil water advisory went about as well as would be expected,” said Girdler.
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