BROOKSVILLE — Bracken County magistrates discussed the possibility of accepting Tanyard Hill Road into the county road system only after the city of Germantown brings the road up to the correct standards.

According to estimates by Brown County Construction, it would cost $7,100 to fix a ditch area and $11,000 to pave two tenths of the roadway. However, there are other issues that also need to be corrected on the roadway.

Germantown City Council had previously asked the county to take over maintenance on the road, but was told it would have to be fixed first.

Germantown City Council Member Dan Adams was present at the Sept. 13 meeting of the fiscal court and said Tanyard Hill was maintained by the Bracken County Road Department for about 30 years, but it stopped in 2016.

“It’s always been maintained by the Mason/Bracken road departments. In 2016, it was discovered the road was a city road and Bracken County stopped maintaining the road,” Adams said.

According to Bracken County Judge-Executive Earl Bush, Mason County continues to maintain a portion of the roadway, because it is a part of the county road system. That is not the case in Bracken County, however.

Bush said, in order for the county to accept the road into the county road system, it would need to be brought up to county standards.

During Wednesday’s meeting, Bush told magistrates the county has the equipment to ditch the road and charge the city later, but the other work would have to be completed by the city.

Magistrate Clark Hennessey said he was concerned that by asking the city to make the repairs first, it would be draining their road fund budget.

Magistrate David Kelsch said it would be unfair to accept the road in such condition and gave an example to the court regarding the last road that was accepted into the county road system.

“When we accepted Hargett Lane, Mr. Hargett spent $20,000 of his own money to bring the road up to our guidelines,” he said.

Magistrate David Hughes said he believes the city should be required to bring the road up to county standards before they accept it.

“They bring it up to our specifications and then we accept or they can keep it,” he said.

Bush also told the magistrates that the gate is being removed from North Shady Lane and the road will not be taken out of the county road system.

Magistrate Dennis Jefferson said he was going to take the information back to the Germantown City Council before a final decision would be made.

Other items discussed at the meeting included:

— Updates on road projects throughout the county.

— Approving claims.

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Christy Howell-Hoots

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