By SUSAN WHEELDON CJ Staff Writer
Mike Strunk, 5th District magistrate, said yesterday Pulaski Fiscal Court should help in extending boat ramps in the wake of the Wolf Creek Dam crisis.
In the end, the governing body approved helping to extend Waitsboro Crossing ramp and researching the rest of the ramps to see what can be done to help people continue to be able to come to Lake Cumberland.
Many ramps on Lake Cumberland are going to need to be extended because the ramps no longer reach the water and boats can’t get into the water.
The ramps are out of the water because the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decided about a month ago that the lake would need to be lowered to 680 feet above sea level for the remainder of this year because of problems at Wolf Creek Dam. Water is seeping through and beneath the dam and the structure has been classified as at a “high risk” of failure.
Strunk went as far as making a motion to extend boat ramps and said that he thought Arlene Young, who is the county treasurer, should borrow the money or whatever needs to be done to take care of the situation.
The motion, however, didn’t go any further.
County Judge-executive Barty Bullock told Strunk and the other magistrates that the county is currently working with the state trying to get some grant money.
“I don’t think we can wait until May ...,” said Strunk. “The lake brings in a lot of money and we can’t afford to lose it.”
First District Magistrate Kenny Isaacs added that he thought Tommy Turner was working on getting some funding, but he didn’t know when that would be available.
“I don’t think we can wait that long,” said Strunk. “I think its a must (to get the ramps extended).”
Meanwhile, 3rd District Magistrate Tommy Barnett said it was his understanding that some ramps would not be usable. Isaacs agreed, saying that places such as Fishing Creek would not be usable even if the ramps were extended.
Strunk then asked if they could help extend the dock at Waitsboro Crossing/Old Waitsboro ramp. Volunteers are ready to start the work on the ramp if they have concrete.
However, 4th District Magistrate Glenn Maxey questioned what problems they could get into if they fix one ramp and not others.
County Clerk Ralph Troxtell, who was a magistrate on the fiscal court for 16 years, said that in his opinion, he would look at whether there were people who were volunteering or ready to perform the labor involved.
The court then approved unanimously giving the Waitsboro Crossing ramp, located behind Picasso’s Restaurant, 40 yards of concrete, so the dock can be extended and usable.
Waitsboro Crossing is one of 13 ramps the county currently owns, along with the Burton Subdivision ramp, Doodletown ramp, Hails Haven Access ramp, Keno ramp, Piney Woods access ramp, Rocky Point Subdivision ramp, Spring Water Subdivision ramp, Three Springs Subdivision ramp, Hemlock Landing ramp, Cave Creek ramp, Echo Point ramp and Omega Park ramp.
While the county will be seeing what they can do for the county ramps, officials also said that that will not be all that they will do, as they will try and help out all the ramps that they possibly can.
Bullock also added that by the next court meeting, they would try and research the rest of the ramps and see what they would be able to do.
