A community meeting at Woodburn with county officials offered the public an opportunity to ask about several issues.

Hosted by Sixth District Magisrate Ron Cummings and Warren County Sheriff Brett Hightower, the meeting Thursday at Woodburn Volunteer Fire Department Station No. 2 was the third town hall-style meeting this month in the district, following two others in Plano and Alvaton.

Questions about topics such as traffic, policing and internet access were raised at the 90-minute meeting.

A question from an audience member about speeding motorists on Dillard Road prompted Cummings to remark that the most common type of call he gets from constituents has to do with speeding.

Reducing speeding traffic is an effort that involves educating motorists through speed trailers and signs to let drivers know the roads are being monitored, and ultimately through enforcement, Hightower said.

“Speeding is everywhere in Warren County, but that doesn’t mean we need to let it go,” the sheriff said. “I don’t mind writing somebody a ticket, but tickets aren’t always the answer. It’s about educating people and getting them to better understand why you need to reduce speed.”

He mentioned earlier in the meeting plans to have a deputy concentrate on traffic enforcement, which in addition to patrolling roads will also encompass visiting schools and neighborhoods to educate people on the dangers posed by speeding and distracted or impaired driving.

“There’s no magic wand that can fix it, but I think putting the trailers out and writing some tickets will help for a short time,” Cummings said.

Answering a question about the prevalence of crime in the county, Hightower said the sheriff’s office is working on its annual crime report for 2021, which will eventually be posted on the department’s website.

Hightower said the crime rate has remained fairly stable as population has increased, though the department has seen an increase in certain offenses, particularly catalytic converter thefts.

The sheriff’s office has investigated 12 thefts of catalytic converters this year compared to 18 in all of 2021, Hightower said.

“We’ve seen lumber thefts increase because you’ve got a lot of building going on out here, and we’ve seen some trailer thefts out here,” Hightower said.

First District Magistrate Doug Gorman fielded some questions after Cummings left the meeting to attend another obligation.

Answering a question about rising costs of internet access, Gorman encouraged the audience to visit the Fiber for Warren website to see which areas of the county are in line to receive high-speed internet.

“We’d never build a subdivision and say everything’s taken care of except electricity,” Gorman said. “We should never build it as well without internet and there are still some spotty places out in the county, but we’re working on it.”

Joe Plunk, chief district engineer for Kentucky Department of Highways District 3, took a question from an audience member about putting a traffic signal at U.S. 31-W and Ky. 240.

Plunk said a number of factors, such as traffic counts and incidences of collisions, help determine whether an intersection receives a traffic signal.

“It’s something we get calls about frequently,” Plunk said. “I’ve had folks out there doing those traffic counts and we’re not there yet. I think there will be a day though when (a signal) will happen.”

– Follow courts reporter Justin Story on Twitter @jstorydailynews or visit bgdailynews.com.