July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.

Sitting high and dry (06/06/06)

Jay County Commissioners

By By MARY ANN LEWIS-

Raising Jay County road 750 East near New Corydon has apparently helped alleviate standing water across the roadway when the area floods.

County highway superintendent Ken Wellman told Jay County Commissioners Monday afternoon that following the heavy rain last week, the roadway remained clear of standing water — allowing residents of that Wabash Township a way to leave or enter the community.

“Maybe it was the first time ever that there was no (standing) water across the road (following the heavy rain and flooding conditions),” Wellman said.

In past years, when the Wabash River would overflow and flood following a heavy rain, the community has been surrounded by water, leaving those residents stranded until the water levels receded.

The work was done in May following a recommendation in November by Butler Fairman and Seufert Civil Engineers. It called for elevating the south side of the road by raising the grade leading to the bridge for up to 900 feet to a maximum of 1.75 feet above the current grade level.

“There was still about a foot to go,” Wellman said of how close the water was to flowing over the road. “I was out there Saturday and I was surprised.”

Additionally Monday afternoon, commissioners Milo Miller Jr., Gary Theurer, and Faron Parr learned from John L Speidel Jr., client services representative for Butler Fairman, Seufert, that bid letting for moving an old iron truss bridge to the Hudson Family Park in Portland is set to begin sometime this month.

Bridge number 129, on West Division Road in Knox Township, was closed to traffic earlier this year. It will be removed, refurbished, and reconstructed as a pedestrian/bike bridge across the Salamonie River, connecting the new park with Weiler-Wilson Park.

Commissioners approved Speidel’s request to ask the Indiana Department of Transportation to apply $54,239.68 as credit toward the county’s share of a federal grant for the project. Those fees included survey and design services as well as environmental services toward the project the county has already paid.

Commissioners Monday also appointed Wellman as purchasing agent for a new dump truck, provided it meets specifications.

Wellman had urged commissioners to approve the purchase now before a federally imposed emissions control regulation goes into effect, thereby saving the county about $10,000.

The new regulations are set to go into effect nationwide in 2007.

Quotes were received from Selking International, Muncie, for a 2007 International with a Cummins engine for $73,898.94, or with an International engine for $64,529.80; Kinstle Sterling/Western Star, Wapakoneta, Ohio, $73,600 with a Sterling engine; and from Truck City of Gary, for a 2007 Sterling with a Sterling engine for $73,243.

“We’ll go with his recommendation and make him the purchasing agent,” Theurer said, “provided the lowest bid meets the specifications.”

Additionally Monday afternoon, Mark Klosterkemper, project liaison with AECON, Inc., Bloomington, presented a bridge inspection report to be forwarded to county engineer Dan Watson.

Earlier in the day, commissioner approved a request from Bob Quadrozzi, executive director of Jay County Development Corporation, to loan $39,250 of the county’s Economic Development Income Tax funds to help Omnicity Inc., a wireless high-speed Internet provider, complete the last of a three-part project. The last phase that will allow residents in nearly all the county to receive the service.

The final phase will provide residents in Bryant, Dunkirk, Salamonia and south Portland the opportunity to receive the broadband signals.

Quadrozzi explained each of those communities will be asked to also contribute $15,050 of their EDIT funds toward the $114,500 project and that county EDIT money will be used to pick up the balance.

Commissioners also approved Quadrozzi’s request to provide $5,000 in scholarship funds for an Entrepreneurship Career Awareness Program boot camp, provided grants he has applied for are not awarded.

Offered through Ball State University, in cooperation with John Jay Center for Learning, cost of the camp is $1,200, but Quadrozzi explained he has applied for grants through the American Electric Power Foundation and the Ball Foundation that would provide a $1,000 grant to the first 10 people to enroll.

He sought the commissioners’ help as a back-up in the event the grants are not received.[[In-content Ad]]
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