Businessman defends cost of training sessions to councilors

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March 2, 2010

By TRICIA NEAL, Staff Writer The Commonwealth Journal Tue Mar 02, 2010, 09:38 PM EST

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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Pulaski carries Girdler to win

In the weeks leading up to Tuesday’s primary election, it was impossible to miss the colorful signs dotting nearly every Pulaski roadway. The names in the race for the 15th State Senatorial District seat popped out: A.C. Donahue. Chris Girdler. Mark Polston.

Once citizens hit the ballots, however, the results mirrored the dimensions of the signs themselves: Chris Girdler stood the tallest.

Girdler, deputy district director for Congressman Harold “Hal” Rogers, ran away with the votes inside Pulaski County’s borders, earning 3,926 votes for 62.05 percent of the total number cast.

That number more than doubled the next highest vote-getter, businessman Mark Polston, who raked in 1,624 votes for 25.67 percent.

However, Polston — who owns Classic Carpet, a home-flooring business located just off the southern 914 bypass — can claim a moral victory ... three of them, in fact. In all three counties in the district other than Pulaski — those being Adair, Casey, and Russell Counties — Polston actually edged out Girdler.

In Adair, Polston beat Girdler 629 to 394. In Casey County, it was 538 to 417, and in Russell, it was 1,862 to 1,038.

Polston said he just “couldn’t pull it out with the numbers” and that “the machine worked for” Girdler in Pulaski County.

“I think that was their strategy — I think they had a Pulaski County strategy all along,” said Polston. “They played the political game well.”

Polston said the difference between his and Girdler’s campaigns was that “mine was a very, very grass roots campaign,” he said. “I did not have a political machine behind me. I understand how this process works, and in this instance, he prevailed.”

As for why Girdler didn’t take three of four counties, the winning candidate — since there are no Democrats in the race, winning the Republican primary was effectively a final victory for Girdler — said he didn’t have an answer for that.

However, “I believe things happen for a reason and I hope the long and strenuous campaign will only heighten my desire to move beyond the bitterness and partisanship of the recent past,” said Girdler.

“Regionalism is a goal of mine, and I look forward to helping all four counties,” he added, noting that he campaigned heavily in each of them.

Sen. Vernie McGaha, the long-time state senator whose seat the candidates were vying for, actually supported Polston after Liberty’s Todd Hoskins dropped out of the race earlier this month.

Donahue, a local attorney, got 556 votes in Pulaski County, 8.79 percent of the vote. He only received 145 votes in Russell County, 74 in Adair County, and 75 in Casey County, where hometown candidate Hoskins almost matched him with 71 votes despite no longer being officially in the race.

Polston said he’s “still digesting” what happened, and though “the process has been a very good experience for me,” he wouldn’t commit to running again in the future. “I wouldn’t shut the door to anything, but I’m not opening any doors either.”

Still, “I think I got a lot of people involved in the process that had not been involved before and would not have been otherwise,” he said. “A lot of people got out and worked really hard, got motivated to talk to friends and neighbors. I think a lot of people became involved through this campaign that are going to be involved for a long time.”

Girdler stressed his “positive message” and said that Rogers is a “mentor and good friend” that he would turn to for advice in dealing with a frequently combative legislative body in Frankfort, one for which Girdler hopes to help change the culture.

Girdler said that he was “confident and optimistic” during the day Tuesday because he’d “worked extremely hard.” Nevertheless, the realization that he’d won gave him “chill bumps,” he said.

“I’m absolutely honored,” said Girdler. “The position of state senator is more than an honor, more than an office. It’s a charge to keep, and I will give it my all.

“I pledge to be the people’s state senator,” he added. “I look forward to working with everyone to move this region forward.”

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