County discusses road issues

County road 300 South came up multiple times during the Jay County Commissioners’ meeting Monday.
First bringing attention to it was Pat Miller, who lives on its western half near Blaine Pike. Later, commissioner Doug Inman announced that Green Valley Ranch, a confined feeding operation on the road near county road 300 East, had made another $10,000 donation.
Miller’s first concern was that the intersection of 300 South and Blaine Pike requires more than the single stop sign for traffic going east on 300 South.
“If somebody comes across this road, and somebody’s coming down this road, there’s nothing there that tells either one of them to stop,” he said, referring to westbound traffic on 300 South and southbound traffic on Blaine Pike.
As traffic has gotten heavier over the years, the intersection has gotten more dangerous, he said, adding that he has witnessed near-accidents recently and has helped get cars out of ditches.
“All I’m saying is let’s revisit that before we have a T-bone there,” Miller told the commissioners.
County engineer Dan Watson said later in the meeting that he would bring a recommendation to the commissioners next week about where stop signs should be placed.
Miller also told the commissioners that in 1995, residents of the road, which is stone west of Blaine Pike, petitioned to have it chipped and sealed, offering to pay about half of the cost themselves. The county turned down the offer.
“For some reason, your attorney at the time advised you not to do it,” Miller said.
Miller and his neighbors again approached the county around 2005, but the road is still stone.
He asked the commissioners to revisit converting the stone road, noting his belief that it’s necessary for the county’s economic future.
Professionals moving to the area “want to have that quality of life of the rural setting, but not on a gravel road,” he said, adding that it causes some of them to live in neighboring counties. “That’s our tax base for the future. It’s going to continue to decline if we don’t do something.”
The commissioners agreed paved roads are important to economic development, but, as Watson explained, it all comes down to money.
“The cost of materials has just skyrocketed in the last 15 years,” he said.
A few miles to Miller’s east, the road is paved but taking damage from construction-related traffic to Green Valley Ranch.
Inman told fellow commissioners Faron Parr and Jim Zimmerman that the CFO of the company had made another $10,000 donation to the highway department. The first donation was made Aug. 10.
“What would be really nice is if the other people that damage the roads with these kinds of projects would follow suit,” Inman said.
He mentioned county road 700 East has been damaged by construction at Arrowhead Poultry Farms.
The bulk of damage from Green Valley traffic is likely done, Watson said. The concrete pads for its five barns are complete, and concrete mixers take the biggest toll on the road.
Green Valley Ranch remains the only CFO that has donated to the highway department.
In other business, the commissioners:
•Heard from Sheriff Dwane Ford that the Ford Explorer he was going to purchase for his department was sold to someone else. Uncertain that he could find another option matching that vehicle’s price of $25,998, he asked the commissioners to raise his previously approved purchasing limit from $26,000 to $28,000. They granted the increase.
•Learned from Watson about progress on culvert inspections. All culverts between 3 and 20 feet in diameter have been inspected in Penn, Jackson, Bearcreek, Wabash, Knox, Greene, Wayne and Noble townships.
The inspection found 52 culverts (out of 367) that need to be replaced within five years. Six of those have been replaced already.
Culverts in Richland, Jefferson, Pike and Madison townships should be inspected this fall.
•Approved John Hart replacing Rick Hambrock on the cemetery commission.