Fiscal court seeks paving grant

Corbin Economic Development Director Bruce Carpenter addressed the fiscal court during Monday’s special meeting.

The Whitley County Fiscal Court is hoping to become a guinea pig of sorts for a new state project that will use recycled tires in chip seal paving projects.

During a special called meeting Monday, the fiscal court approved a resolution supporting a grant application to take part in the Rubberized Chip Seal Grant program, which is being administered through the Kentucky Division of Waste Management in Frankfort.

Whitley County Projects Director Amber Owens said that the state used to provide grant money through the waste tire program for rubberized mulch on playgrounds, but ceased doing that a couple of years ago over concerns it could be dangerous to kids.

Owens said the division of waste management then tried to come up with another way to spend those funds and one of the ideas they came up with was to use the recycled rubber in chip seal paving projects.