Warren County Fiscal Court took another step Friday toward implementing a plan to bring high-speed broadband to the entire county.  

The court approved Friday a measure to advertise a request for information for fiber installation in Warren County.

Warren County Judge-Executive Mike Buchanon said numerous companies, including local providers, are interested in expanding the county’s broadband connectivity. 

“That is a big deal,” he said. “We are asking people who are participating in one way or the other to submit their proposals – information on their companies and what they would like to do in order to get us universal high-speed broadband throughout Warren County.” 

According to Buchanon, the cost of bringing high-speed broadband to the parts of Warren County that lie outside Bowling Green is expected to be around $27 million.   

“We”ll provide a level playing field for a competitive environment in broadband and all high-speed broadband services,” he said. 

He expects to hear responses from all interested companies in three weeks, though at that point he doesn’t expect all the details of their plans to be finalized. 

“We’ll have a good idea of what they’re prepared to provide,” he said. 

Buchanon said he anticipates this expanded broadband network will connect to an open-access broadband network that is supposed to provide high-speed broadband to every county in the state that is currently under construction. 

In another matter, fiscal court approved an amended budget for the Warren County Sheriff’s Office that was increased from $7,120,375 to $7,204,375 and added two new deputies. One will be stationed at Lighthouse Academy as a school resource officer and the other at the Bowling Green-Warren County Regional Airport. 

According to sheriff’s office spokesman Stephen Harmon, neither of these positions has been filled because the department must get approval from fiscal court before it is allowed to advertise the openings.

“For both of these positions, it’s considered a special position, so we’ll probably hire from within,” he said.

Federal Aviation Administration regulations require a law enforcement officer to be on site at any airport with airliner traffic, which the airport will start offering in August, Harmon said. 

“Every time a commercial airliner comes in, there has to be a law enforcement officer in the terminal area,” he said.   

The court also approved a second reading of the budget for the fiscal year starting July 1 that included a correction of an error that resulted in the budget being roughly $30,000 lower than it was supposed to be.

The final budget totals roughly $39,653,542, an increase of about $3.1 million over the current fiscal year’s budget.

The court also approved a payment of $9,000 to the Barren River Area Development District.

“That is a contribution toward the aging services where they provide social services for our aging population in Warren County,” Buchanon said, adding that the court has been donating $9,000 annually for about 20 years.

The donation is used primarily to fund a program that delivers meals to the homes of senior citizens, he said. 

In another matter, the court approved a 2 percent cost-of-living salary increase for all Warren County employees. The fiscal court revisits the question of whether to increase government salaries each year, Buchanon said.  

“We try to keep up with inflation every year, or at least as close as we can to it, and try to make sure that … we remain competitive as employers and provide at least an adjustment so they can maintain a lifestyle,” he said.

The fiscal court usually approves a cost-of-living adjustment, Buchanon said, adding that an increase of 1.5 or 2 percent is normal. 

The court also approved a measure to accept a $20,000 Federal Emergency Management Agency public assistance disaster funding grant for emergency management.  

In another matter, the court approved a $6,426 payment to the Agency for Substance Abuse to distribute Keep A Clear Mind Curriculum, a parent-child, take-home drug education program at area schools. 

This payment is at no cost to the county and is funded by an Agency for Substance Abuse Policy grant.

— Follow Daily News reporter Jackson French on Twitter @Jackson_French or visit bgdailynews.com.