July 24, 2018 at 4:55 p.m.
County looks at possible purchase
County looks at possible purchase
What you don’t know can hurt you.
County commissioners weighed acquiring equipment to help locate buried pipelines, phone cables and electrical lines Monday morning.
“We’ve had issues with 811 (the call-before-you-dig service),” county employee Chad Hirschy told commissioners. “It’s not a perfect system.”
Both Hirschy and county surveyor Brad Daniels stressed that no county employees were involved in a reported incident in which an excavator came close to a buried electrical line related to Bluff Point Wind Energy Center.
“That wasn’t us,” said Daniels. “We didn’t dig up power lines. … It was a private contractor that did that.”
Commissioner Barry Hudson noted, “It was alluded that it was county. … But all kinds of things were alluded.”
Daniels said the cost of equipment that would locate items underground would range between $2,200 and $2,700. The 811 service would still be used, but the equipment would serve as a back-up.
Hirschy cited a case where 811 gave a green light to go ahead and dig, but a second check found the 811 system was wrong about the location of a pipeline.
“There’s a lot of variables,” he said. “This can be a life and death situation.”
Commissioners said they’d like to discuss the issue and the piece of equipment with county engineer Dan Watson before making a final decision.
“We want to buy the right piece of equipment,” said Hudson.
Hirschy also expressed concern that power lines related the Bluff Point wind farm are buried 4 feet deep, a level that’s often involved when doing work on county drainage systems.
County commissioners weighed acquiring equipment to help locate buried pipelines, phone cables and electrical lines Monday morning.
“We’ve had issues with 811 (the call-before-you-dig service),” county employee Chad Hirschy told commissioners. “It’s not a perfect system.”
Both Hirschy and county surveyor Brad Daniels stressed that no county employees were involved in a reported incident in which an excavator came close to a buried electrical line related to Bluff Point Wind Energy Center.
“That wasn’t us,” said Daniels. “We didn’t dig up power lines. … It was a private contractor that did that.”
Commissioner Barry Hudson noted, “It was alluded that it was county. … But all kinds of things were alluded.”
Daniels said the cost of equipment that would locate items underground would range between $2,200 and $2,700. The 811 service would still be used, but the equipment would serve as a back-up.
Hirschy cited a case where 811 gave a green light to go ahead and dig, but a second check found the 811 system was wrong about the location of a pipeline.
“There’s a lot of variables,” he said. “This can be a life and death situation.”
Commissioners said they’d like to discuss the issue and the piece of equipment with county engineer Dan Watson before making a final decision.
“We want to buy the right piece of equipment,” said Hudson.
Hirschy also expressed concern that power lines related the Bluff Point wind farm are buried 4 feet deep, a level that’s often involved when doing work on county drainage systems.
“I’d feel a lot more confident if it was buried 6 feet deep instead of 4 feet,” he said.
In other business, commissioners:
•Approved payment of $4,100 for work performed so far by TJ’s Concrete on one of the “pillars” at the sidewalk entries to the courthouse. They also approved making similar repairs at another courthouse entry point.
•Approved purchase of paper supplies from 4U of Celina, Ohio, for $2,353.75, which was the lowest price of three quotes provided by auditor Anna Culy.
•Agreed to have mulch around courthouse landscaping removed and replaced with decorative stone. The change is a result of a fire this spring started by a lit cigarette that was tossed into the mulch.
•Asked for a list of employees who have not taken part in the KnowB4 internet training aimed at preventing accidental computer viruses. “To me, it’s a requirement of the job,” said commissioner Chuck Huffman. “It’s too critical.”
•Received an update report on grant activity from Jay County community developer Ami Huffman and expressed concern that actions by the City of Portland may have undermined the chances of receiving a Stellar Communities grant in the future. Portland was approved for funding by Indiana Department of Transportation for a High Street sidewalk project, then canceled the project and returned the funds to INDOT. The city also returned grant funds from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Administration that would have been used to pay for razing abandoned houses.
“We have a city in our county that’s giving back funds,” said Hudson.
“That’s a concern,” said Huffman.
•Heard Jay/Portland building inspector John Hemmelgarn say construction of confined animal feeding facilities in the county has slowed this year, in part because of the impact of new and proposed tariffs. “It does seem to have slowed down quite a bit,” Hemmelgarn said.
•Noted that Jay County Development Corporation is still in the process of revising the job description for its executive director and will advertise for the position once the job description has been approved.
In other business, commissioners:
•Approved payment of $4,100 for work performed so far by TJ’s Concrete on one of the “pillars” at the sidewalk entries to the courthouse. They also approved making similar repairs at another courthouse entry point.
•Approved purchase of paper supplies from 4U of Celina, Ohio, for $2,353.75, which was the lowest price of three quotes provided by auditor Anna Culy.
•Agreed to have mulch around courthouse landscaping removed and replaced with decorative stone. The change is a result of a fire this spring started by a lit cigarette that was tossed into the mulch.
•Asked for a list of employees who have not taken part in the KnowB4 internet training aimed at preventing accidental computer viruses. “To me, it’s a requirement of the job,” said commissioner Chuck Huffman. “It’s too critical.”
•Received an update report on grant activity from Jay County community developer Ami Huffman and expressed concern that actions by the City of Portland may have undermined the chances of receiving a Stellar Communities grant in the future. Portland was approved for funding by Indiana Department of Transportation for a High Street sidewalk project, then canceled the project and returned the funds to INDOT. The city also returned grant funds from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Administration that would have been used to pay for razing abandoned houses.
“We have a city in our county that’s giving back funds,” said Hudson.
“That’s a concern,” said Huffman.
•Heard Jay/Portland building inspector John Hemmelgarn say construction of confined animal feeding facilities in the county has slowed this year, in part because of the impact of new and proposed tariffs. “It does seem to have slowed down quite a bit,” Hemmelgarn said.
•Noted that Jay County Development Corporation is still in the process of revising the job description for its executive director and will advertise for the position once the job description has been approved.
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