February 14, 2017 at 6:30 p.m.
Stone usage up for winter
Stone usage up for winter
“We’ve used a lot more stone,” Jay County highway superintendent Ken Wellman told county commissioners Monday.
How much more? Wellman said the county spent $90,000 on stone in January, a month when it usually would spend $5,000 to $6,000.
Unseasonably warm weather has seen the county’s rural stone roads deteriorate rapidly and repeatedly.
“We’ve got a lot of soft spots,” he said.
Heavy truck traffic has also been a factor, particularly when it comes to damaged shoulders as semis attempt to turn corners that weren’t designed for big rigs.
“It’s an ongoing issue,” said Wellman.
“It’s the feed trucks hauling stuff in,” said county engineer Dan Watson. “And they do that every day. … That’s just what we’ve created with all these confined feeding operations.”
Watson noted that he has no load limits for county roads and there’s a limit to how much the county can restrict traffic.
“They’re going to get on half our roads no matter what,” said Wellman.
Watson told commissioners some drainage issues have surfaced on the newly rebuilt Indiana 26 west of Portland but he believes those will be resolved.
“The project’s not completed,” he said. “It will be completed this spring, so any issues will be addressed at that time.”
How much more? Wellman said the county spent $90,000 on stone in January, a month when it usually would spend $5,000 to $6,000.
Unseasonably warm weather has seen the county’s rural stone roads deteriorate rapidly and repeatedly.
“We’ve got a lot of soft spots,” he said.
Heavy truck traffic has also been a factor, particularly when it comes to damaged shoulders as semis attempt to turn corners that weren’t designed for big rigs.
“It’s an ongoing issue,” said Wellman.
“It’s the feed trucks hauling stuff in,” said county engineer Dan Watson. “And they do that every day. … That’s just what we’ve created with all these confined feeding operations.”
Watson noted that he has no load limits for county roads and there’s a limit to how much the county can restrict traffic.
“They’re going to get on half our roads no matter what,” said Wellman.
Watson told commissioners some drainage issues have surfaced on the newly rebuilt Indiana 26 west of Portland but he believes those will be resolved.
“The project’s not completed,” he said. “It will be completed this spring, so any issues will be addressed at that time.”
Watson, Wellman and commissioners Doug Inman, Mike Leonhard and Chuck Huffman will meet at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 22 with representatives of Blattner Energy, the construction company that will be building Bluff Point Wind Energy Center for NextEra Energy Resources later this year. Roads, paving and permitting will be among the topics on the agenda for that session.
In other business, commissioners:
•Heard county auditor Anna Culy report that the county had received its 2016 budget order from Indiana Department of Local Government Finance. Because of an increase in the county’s total assessed valuation, she said, “every tax rate went down, every single unit.”
•Heard Wellman say he would like the county to look into vacating or abandoning dead end roads in order to use maintenance dollars more efficiently.
“Some of these roads are just regular lanes for people,” he said.
•Appointed Steve Ford to the Jay County Board of Zoning Appeals.
•Approved spending $100,658 for a tandem dump truck chassis from Truck Country, New Haven. The chassis will go to W.A. Jones for outfitting.
•Authorized spending up to $12,076 with Safety Systems, Richmond, to outfit two new vehicles for Jay County Sheriff’s Office. “Any lights we can re-use (from the old vehicles) we will re-use,” said Sheriff Dwane Ford.
•Learned from Cliff Moser that he will be hiring Angela (Hines) Isenburg, an Army veteran, as his new administrative assistant in the Veterans’ Service Office.
•Authorized use of the courthouse during the annual Arch Bridge Kroozers “Cruisin’ the Courthouse” event on May 30.
•Discussed space needs and possible solutions with JEMS director Eric Moore. “Look at all the options,” said Huffman.
•Noted that because of Presidents’ Day, the next commissioners meeting will be at 9 a.m. Feb. 21.
•Were told by Watson that “trucks entering highway” signs have been installed at county road 300 South and Boundary Pike, the site of a recent traffic fatality. “We will keep our attention on this location to see if further improvements are warranted,” said Watson.
In other business, commissioners:
•Heard county auditor Anna Culy report that the county had received its 2016 budget order from Indiana Department of Local Government Finance. Because of an increase in the county’s total assessed valuation, she said, “every tax rate went down, every single unit.”
•Heard Wellman say he would like the county to look into vacating or abandoning dead end roads in order to use maintenance dollars more efficiently.
“Some of these roads are just regular lanes for people,” he said.
•Appointed Steve Ford to the Jay County Board of Zoning Appeals.
•Approved spending $100,658 for a tandem dump truck chassis from Truck Country, New Haven. The chassis will go to W.A. Jones for outfitting.
•Authorized spending up to $12,076 with Safety Systems, Richmond, to outfit two new vehicles for Jay County Sheriff’s Office. “Any lights we can re-use (from the old vehicles) we will re-use,” said Sheriff Dwane Ford.
•Learned from Cliff Moser that he will be hiring Angela (Hines) Isenburg, an Army veteran, as his new administrative assistant in the Veterans’ Service Office.
•Authorized use of the courthouse during the annual Arch Bridge Kroozers “Cruisin’ the Courthouse” event on May 30.
•Discussed space needs and possible solutions with JEMS director Eric Moore. “Look at all the options,” said Huffman.
•Noted that because of Presidents’ Day, the next commissioners meeting will be at 9 a.m. Feb. 21.
•Were told by Watson that “trucks entering highway” signs have been installed at county road 300 South and Boundary Pike, the site of a recent traffic fatality. “We will keep our attention on this location to see if further improvements are warranted,” said Watson.
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