Truck issue to take more time

Figuring out where to restrict truck traffic in Jay County is going to take a little more time.

“This is a big issue,” said commissioner Chuck Huffman on Monday. “It needs to be done correctly.”

Confusion over truck restrictions bubbled up in late January, but it will be at least another month before the issue is going to be resolved.

Currently, a county ordinance, first passed in 1995 and amended several times since, restricts all truck traffic on a list of rural roads, primarily in the southwest corner of the county.

The no-truck ordinance provides exceptions for pick-ups, school buses, delivery vehicles and trucks owned and operated by people owning property along the listed routes.

But farmers have complained that the restrictions are burdensome, and commissioners have been sympathetic.

“I know we’re not going to make everybody happy,” said commissioner Mike Leonhard. “But farmers need to be able to get their product to market the most economical way.”

One point of confusion has been whether the ordinance is merely intended to restrict through truck traffic — traffic that would travel from the start of a restricted route all the way to the end. But county engineer Dan Watson said that interpretation would be virtually unenforceable. And county attorney Bill Hinkle has made clear the ban is on all truck traffic except those that meet the specific exceptions in the ordinance.

Hinkle also said state law allows for counties to regulate traffic on rural roads in consideration of public safety, not just because of heavy truck impact on road surfaces. 

Further complicating the situation is the fact that a number of roads are marked with “no truck” signs but are not covered by the ordinance.

Those have all now been identified, Watson said, though the signs remain up for now.

At the commissioners’ request, Watson will continue to evaluate each of the roads listed in the ordinance as well as those which are posted “no truck” but are not listed in the ordinance.

He is expected to report back to commissioners on March 25.

Watson will also evaluate the situation on county road 800 East, which was the target of complaints Monday from more than a dozen residents.

“It’s not a good road,” Cindy Bracy told commissioners. 

Bracy said out-of-state trucks, many of them going to and from local egg production facilities, are creating damage and pose a safety hazard, citing three incidents just last week. In some cases, she said, faulty information from truck drivers’ GPS systems has been a factor. 

Some of the traffic is apparently related to the large Minnich poultry operation, but Huffman and commissioner Chad Aker said they had talked with the Minnichs and noted that the egg producer is providing maps for truck drivers to direct them to the correct routes.

“They’re good citizens,” Huffman said of the Minnichs.

“I love my farmer friends,” said Bracy. “It’s just not a road for out of state through trucks.”

She pressed for action, but commissioners asked for patience.

“This is part of a much bigger discussion,” said Huffman. “It’s not an easy thing to resolve.”

“I live on an unsafe road,” said Bracy, who also drives a school bus. “I would like something done before someone’s killed.”

In the meantime, while Watson studies road conditions, commissioners directed Sheriff Dwane Ford to return to enforcing the restrictions in the current ordinance as they stand.

In other business, commissioners:

•Noted that the annual State of the County address will be delivered at the noon luncheon of the Jay County Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday, March 19, at IU Health Jay.

•Proclaimed the week of March 11 to 15 as Ag Week in the county. The annual Ag Day Breakfast is set for 5:30 to 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 12, and Farmers Night Out is set for 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, March 14. Both events will be held at the 4-H building at the Jay County Fairgrounds.

•Approved use of the county’s parking lot across from the courthouse for a Shred Day event on Friday, Sept. 13, sponsored by Jay County Solid Waste Management District.

•Agreed to set aside $10,000 to support Fourth of July celebrations at Jay County Fairgrounds and in Dunkirk and Redkey from economic development income tax revenues and budget for the same level of support in 2020.

•Accepted the January report from the Jay County Retirement Center after review.

•Agreed to allow any county employee to take part in a wellness event on Dec. 3. Those who are not covered by the county’s health insurance will be charged a modest fee to be included.

•Approved payment of $183,132 for the county’s new ambulance, which is expected to go into service later this week.

•Accepted a state grant of $140,700 for Community Corrections and a state grant of $61,729 in support of the emergency management office.

•Approved a grant application for $10,050 for vaccines to continue local immunization efforts by the health department.

•Noted the Jay County Soil and Water Conservation District’s annual dinner is Wednesday evening at the 4-H building at the fairgrounds.