Farmers argue against ordinance

Local farmers voiced their frustrations about no-truck rules again.

Jay County Farm Bureau representatives took another stab at altering the truck restriction ordinance parameters at Monday’s Jay County Commissioners meeting.

The ordinance has met with fierce opposition since taking effect in July 2019. The no-truck rules restrict travel for trucks (e.g. motor vehicles exceeding 20,000 pounds, truck-tractors and semitrailers) on a number of county roads. First violations carry a $50 minimum fine and a $2,500 maximum fine. A subsequent violation carries a minimum fine of $500 and a maximum fine of $2,500.

“We felt this ordinance is infringing on free trade,” Farm Bureau president Barry Miller said, explaining that it costs farmers more in mileage each harvest season.

As a representative of about 1,300 bureau members in Jay County, he said, Miller offered three potential solutions supported by the majority of the group:

•Eliminate the no-truck ordinance

•Create a county sticker for farm trucks to provide proof they are owned by county landowners and are exempt from road restrictions

•Design a long-range plan for county roads to allow for heavier traffic and continual upgrades implemented in stages

“Semis are not going to go away,” Miller said. He estimated that at least 50 or 60 semis drive down his road (county road 300 North) each day. “I know it costs a lot of money. I pay taxes — I pay a lot of taxes toward a lot of that stuff, but we need to develop a plan as we repair roads to build them to handle the increase in traffic and traffic weight.”

Farm Bureau member Greg Miller of Pennville added that local farming has expanded over the years, with farmers tending to thousands of acres.

“Farming has gotten so big anymore that you can fill a semi in 8 minutes, and if a person has to go through town — and I’m just gonna use 200 South as an example — you’re probably looking at a minimum of 10 minute(s) increase in time,” he said.

“In planning time, same thing happens, we lose 10 minutes here and 10 minutes there … so, you know, I understand the intent, but farmers aren’t on the roads every day of the week.”

A sticker, Barry Miller continued, would make it easier for law enforcement to fine commercial trucks and identify trucks exempt from the rule. (Farmers tending to the land on each specified portion of road, such as county road 200 South between U.S. 27 and Indiana 67, are authorized to drive on it.)

Commissioner Rex Journay asked if a county exemption sticker had been used in any other counties. The group diverged from the question for a few minutes before county attorney Bill Hinkle jumped into the conversation.

“Well, that’s my question that Rex just asked: Are you aware that any other county is doing this?” Hinkle asked. “Because the first thing that comes to my mind is you’re discriminating between Jay County truckers and anybody else’s regular truck. I don’t know if you can do that.”

Farm Bureau regional manager Drew Cleveland said Jay County is the only county with these restrictions, so others do not need stickers.

“We’re the only county that has no-truck signs? That’s not true,” interjected highway superintendent Donnie Corn.

Hinkle also shook his head.

Cleveland then clarified, “No, you’re the only county that put restrictions on a 1-mile section of the road.”

“If you’re making that restriction, you’re going to tell a semi to turn, turn, turn,” he continued. “That’s going to put a lot more stress on the road instead of just driving.”

Currently, the specified roads in the ordinance are not designed for heavy truck traffic.

Commissioner Chad Aker asked Corn what it would take to convert a county road to support truck traffic. Corn said it would be an extensive process, noting when the roads were built years ago, the county didn’t have nearly as much truck traffic.

“There’s some roads out there that’s probably only got 2 inches thick of asphalt, versus your typical road should have a 3.5-inch binder base of asphalt with 1.5-inch to 2 inches of surface coat on top of it,” Corn said.

He estimated it would cost around $500,000 to repave a mile of road with asphalt versus chipping and sealing it.

County auditor Anna Culy noted state funding for roads has decreased the last few years. (Projects like the reconstruction of Como Road are funded primarily through Community Crossings grants through Indiana Department of Transportation.)

“The commissioners didn’t create this to hamper you farmers,” Corn said, addressing the group. “Our infrastructure is so much better, in good shape right now, versus all our surrounding counties.”

Cleveland, Barry Miller and Greg Miller asked commissioners to consider revisiting the ordinance and making changes for the local farming community.

Commissioners have to look at all aspects of the problem, Aker said, emphasizing they are not trying to hinder farmers — “we love our farmers” — but they need to find a good balance to keep others in the community satisfied with road conditions. Journay said he would review the ordinance, and Aker agreed he would look into the sticker proposition if possible (although he, too, voiced concerns about it amounting to discrimination).

Commissioners also learned Monday that Jay County Retirement Center may be taking in some of the Mercer County Home residents when it closes in June, according to retirement center director Hope Confer. Jay County’s facility can house up to 48 residents, Confer explained. It currently houses 18.

In addition, the retirement center will be installing a new water filter in the basement to follow state requirements for safe drinking water.

Also Monday, commissioners heard from Jay Emergency Medical Service directors John McFarland and Gary Barnett. McFarland mentioned he is hoping to have several advanced emergency medical technicians graduating from his class this spring.

Three of those students who already work for the county have expressed an interest to continue to paramedic school. Such education must be provided by a postsecondary institution, he explained, and it requires some 800 hours of training. If possible, McFarland would like to see John Jay Center for Learning join with one of its partnering qualified institutions — such as Ivy Tech Community College or Vincennes University — to provide a satellite paramedic program in Jay County.

Commissioners also signed a claim for the expansion of the Pennville library. Renderings are close to being completed, Culy said. The approximately $350,000 project is mostly funded from the $333,000 Jay Region! received for being a finalist for the 2019 Stellar Communities designation.

In other business, commissioners:

•Agreed to draft a new ordinance for installing stop signs at the intersections of county roads 300 East, 600 East and 700 East with county road 200 South to make each intersection a four-way stop. Corn said in a previous meeting there have been at least four deaths resulting from accidents in those areas.

•Selected three quotes: $77,093 for six new courthouse boilers from Allied Mechanical of New Haven, $47,230 for five new snow plows from MacAllister Machinery of Fort Wayne and $4,699.80 for a new copier at Jay County Sheriff’s Office from Perry ProTech of Fort Wayne.

•Approved the following requests: one from Arch Bridge Kroozers to use the courthouse restrooms May 22 during its annual car show, and another from Gerald Burkholder of Bryant-based B & B Farms to close county road 550 North between county roads 150 West and 250 West on July 30 and 31 for chuckwagon races.

•OK’d Corn purchasing a new salt bed for $23,285 with his department’s budget.

•Signed the emergency declaration issued last week (and later rescinded) during hazardous weather conditions.

•OK’d a five-year mitigation plan proposed by emergency management director Amy Blakely. It is required to keep in compliance with federal and state law.