Plans for road discussed (9/6/05)

A Pike Township resident who lives at the end of a dead end county road may initiate an attempt to vacate and eventually purchase the road right-of-way.

Jason Huntsman, 3667 South 325 East, who plans to open an automobile detailing shop at his home, told Jay County Commissioners this morning he would like the road, which is currently a stone surface, to be paved.

But Huntsman said he didn’t want to leave the road in control of the county because he then could not control access.

Huntsman was told by the commissioners and their attorney, Brad Burkett, that he would have to talk to other owners of property adjacent to the approximately 1,700-foot road about petitioning to have the road vacated and then eventually purchasing the right-of-way.

Those adjacent property owners are Rick Dues, Tom Osterholt and Mike Osterholt.

“If you want to pave our county road, go to it,” Commissioner Milo Miller Jr. told Huntsman with a smile.

Also this morning, Commissioners Gary Theurer, Faron Parr and Miller said that public sentiment is running strong in favor of recommending to federal officials that Jay County remain in the Eastern time zone.

Of approximately 25 communications received, 22 favor the Eastern time zone. Indiana, which currently observes Eastern Standard Time year-round, will begin observing Daylight Saving Time next spring.

Remaining in the Eastern time zone would mean Jay County would be the same time as Ohio year-round. Fewer than 15 Indiana counties are currently in the Central time zone.

In other business this morning, the commissioners:

•Heard a request to knock down a railroad overpass that runs over a southern Jay County road. Don Loy, who lives in Noble Township, asked the commissioners if they would consider demolishing an overpass located over county road 475 West, just north of the Jay-Randolph county line.

The overpass is located near the home of Loy’s late aunt.

Jay County engineer Dan Watson, who came to see the commissioners about an unrelated matter after Loy left this morning’s meeting, said he could obtain an estimate on demolition.

Loy also asked the commissioners if they planned to take action on recommendations made by a committee concerning confined feeding operations. The commissioners said they were still considering the recommendations, which were submitted in March.

•Gave Jay Circuit Court Judge Brian Hutchison permission to purchase a computer for approximately $800. The computer will be used by one of his court reporters. Probation officer Ron May will receive the computer currently used by the reporter.[[In-content Ad]]