Miller seeks larger tile (11/24/03)

The owner of a persistently-flooded field just north of Portland will have to initiate the process and likely will have to pay for a large portion of the solution.

Norman Miller, who owns property on the east side of U.S. 27 about one-half mile north of county road 100 North, asked Jay County Commissioners this morning if a larger tile could be installed to drain his land.

The answer from Commissioners Milo Miller, Mike Leonhard and Gary Theurer, meeting as the county drainage board, was that any such project would be new construction. Under the county’s drainage ordinance, the construction would be paid for only by affected landowners on a percentage basis.

Miller would be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the project, which would enlarge the Lon Wehrly Tile. That tile goes west from U.S. 27 for about 1,800 feet to the Alexander Ditch. That ditch flows south and west and empties into the Sipe-Wehrly Ditch just west of the Portland Municipal Airport.

County surveyor Brad Daniels estimated the project could cost $16,000 to $20,000.

Miller pointed out that the Indiana Department of Transportation recently installed a tile along the east side of U.S. 27 running south from his property to a spot near the Budget Inn (formerly the Terrace Lodge).

That project, Miller says, will bring water to his property faster.

Also this morning, the drainage board and Daniels heard a compliment from a rural Pennville man regarding work done on an open ditch on his farm recently.

Dick Eglan praised Daniels’ crew — especially backhoe operator Randy Miller.

County crews reconstructed ditch banks on Eglan’s property, which is located in the Two-Mile Watershed in section 32 of Penn Township.

“Everybody hollers about their drainage assessment ... I don’t think you guys charge too much,” Eglan said.[[In-content Ad]]