Drainage combo prohibited (12/22/2008)

The Jay County Drainage board set a precedent by deciding properties in two separate watersheds can't be combined into one.

Jay County Surveyor Brad Daniels presented the commissioners with a request from Arnold Beumer, 8919 East Ind. 26 in Noble Township, who wanted to combine his properties so they all fell under one drainage assessment. Currently, his land mostly sits within the Bailey-Zimmerman watershed, with a small piece of about 5 acres in the Darst watershed.

"He's just trying to combine to save a few bucks," Daniels said.

But since water does run through both sides of the property, the land is divided by a road, and the property falls in two watersheds, the commissioners decided to deny the request, setting a precedent for future reference.

"I imagine there are quite a few around who want to do the same thing," said commissioner Milo Miller Jr. "I'm going to deny it."

One such person in a similar situation is commissioner Gary Theurer, who has about two acres of wooded land that falls in a separate watershed in Madison Township, for which he's paying an additional fee.

"If it was all in one watershed, we would combine it," Theurer said and joked he was effectively costing himself an additional plot-assessment by voting with his fellow commissioners.

In other business Monday, the commissioners:

•Made Jay County Sheriff Ray Newton purchasing agent to buy a 2009 Ford Explorer from Fincannon Ford, Hartford City, at a price of $23,861.75. Newton selected the dealership from among several quotes opened last week.

•Stood behind their decision to appoint Jim Bruner to the Community and Family Services executive board of directors. After some protest regarding the appointment last week, Miller said he talked with other officials from CFS and found no reason to rescind the commissioners' appointment. The commissioners informed Bruner this morning that he will serve in the position effective Jan. 1. He replaces outgoing board member Bill Kelly.[[In-content Ad]]