The Marshall County Commissioners signed a contract with INDOT this week for the King Road bridge project.
The county will act as the Local Public Agency. The state will pay 80 percent of the projected cost of the project as part of a federal aid funding mechanism. The total cost is $215,840.
Marshall County Highway Administrator Laurie Baker informed the county commissioners this week about the county auction.
Baker said the auction will be Friday, Oct. 27 at 12:30 p.m. and will be handled by Ball Auction Service.
“We will need a commissioner representative there because we do have reserves on some of our equipment,” explained Baker. “We’ll need someone to yay or nay that day.” Continue reading
The Marshall County Commissioners and highway department personnel did a final walk through of the Apple Road bridge project Tuesday afternoon. Highway Administrator Laurie Baker told the commissioners Monday that this will close out the project.
“Once all of the bills are in on that I can do my closeout on last year’s Community Crossings,” said Baker. “A rough estimate – I think we’re going to be over about $212,000. I don’t have my final bills so don’t hold me to that. It looks like we’ll be returning a little bit over $100,000 back to INDOT. We’ll still have $100,000 to work with for next year’s match.”
Marshall County Attorney Jim Clevenger is waiting for more information to complete two speed limit ordinance amendments.
The Hickory Road bridge project is requiring a speed limit change to 45 mph to compensate for the design of the new bridge set for construction in 2018. He is unsure of the exact distance to include in the ordinance amendment.
An unsafe home in Bourbon will be demolished next week.
County Attorney James Clevenger told the Marshall County Commissioners on Monday that the mortgage company filed a second conditional stay request which was immediately followed by an objection by the county. Clevenger said that matter was decided.
The Marshall County Commissioners will meet today with a light agenda.
Warsaw Cardinal Services CEO Randy Hall will have a presentation for the commissioners while Marshall County Highway Administrator Laurie Baker and Highway Supervisor Jason Peters will have updates on projects.
The Marshall County Commissioners set a date for county employees to receive active shooter training.
The county building and courthouse will be closed on Friday, Dec. 1 from 1 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. so all employees can be a part of the training. Emergency Management Agency Director Clyde Avery will be coordinating the effort with law enforcement and department heads.
The Marshall County Commissioners agreed to reduce speed on a county road by Ancilla College.
Marshall County Highway Administrator Laurie Baker brought up the topic during Monday’s meeting. The speed limit by The Lake House is believed to be too fast for the students walking along the road and crossing the road at that location.
The demolition of a property in Bourbon unfit for human habitation may come down Oct. 1.
Marshall County Attorney James Clevenger told the county commissioners Monday morning that the bank placed a stay of demolition on the property that expired on Sept. 15. A motion to extend the stay another 45 days was filed in the court system, but the county quickly filed an objection stating that enough time has elapsed for work to be done. A judgment has not been filed in the case as of Wednesday, Sept. 20.
A public hearing was held on Monday concerning the rezoning of a property in LaPaz for the opportunity of economic development on a property located just north of U.S. 6 in LaPaz by the new interchange. The zoning classification would go from A-1 Agriculture to a C-2 Highway Commercial District zone.
Plan Director Ralph Booker explained to the Marshall County Commissioners that the rezoning would extend the highway business district in that area for economic development. No commitments were made as part of the zoning request, but six acres is available to improve economic development in the town. The state owns several other parcels in that area.
Marshall County Maintenance Director Doug Masterson approached the commissioners Monday morning with an emergency situation with the fire monitoring system at the Marshall County Museum.
Masterson explained that the system failed on Thursday and needs to be replaced. He added that Marshall County Historical Society Museum Director Linda Rippy contacted the NoBi Corporation out of Elkhart to get a quote to replace the fire monitoring system. The company representative gave her an estimate of $5,935.
Over 100 people attended a public hearing hosted by officials from the Indiana Department of Transportation Tuesday night at the Argos Junior/Senior High School to address the proposal of a J-turn intersection at U.S. 31 and State Road 10 in Argos.
Troyer Group Project Manager Chris Maidner presented statistics on why a J-turn would be a quicker, cheaper safety alternative at that intersection and provided an example of a J-turn intersection at State Road 114 and 41 in the Morocco area. Their statistics show a reduction in personal injury crashes anywhere from 50 to 100 percent, along with a reduction in the number of victims help after truck accident. Studies by INDOT and the Troyer Group found that the J-turn intersections can be utilized by large semi-trucks, school buses, farm equipment, horse and buggies, and large trailers without issue. Continue reading
The Marshall County Commissioners adopted an amendment to the zoning ordinance concerning solar energy systems. According to the amendment, a solar energy system is a device that captures daylight for “interior lighting or provide for the collection, storage, or distribution of solar energy for space heating, space cooling, electricity generation, or water heating.”
Plan Director Ralph Booker explained that he and Building Commissioner Chuck DeWitt have gotten permit requests for solar energy systems in Bremen. There wasn’t much to the permitting process or the zoning requirement for the systems, but a public hearing was held Monday morning to set regulations.
The Marshall County Commissioners will hold two public hearings during their meeting this morning.
Two zoning ordinances are up for public comment at 10 a.m. The zoning map and the zoning ordinance have been amended and those documents will be up for consideration.
The Bourbon Town Council is working to clean up blighted properties.
According to Clerk-Treasurer Kimberly Berger, she received load hauling tickets showing debris removal on Sept. 7 and Sept. 8 and the old Shell station.
The town has been working with Karen Holm in cleaning up her properties. The council has an agreement in place with Holm in that she has until Nov. 15 to show progress.
The Shady Rest Committee will meet today to review soft proposals for organizations wishing to occupy the Shady Rest Home on Lincoln Highway in Plymouth.
The proposals indicate use, ownership, structure, ability to sustain operations and maintenance, and an approximate number of individuals who would benefit from services.
Marshall County Building Commissioner Chuck DeWitt and his staff is keeping busy this construction season with several hundred permits issued this year. That’s what he reported to the Marshall County Commissioners this week.
“We have over $25 million in permit values and we have 405 building permits and over 110 electric permits. That gives us about 600 permits that we’ve issued so far this year. We’re on track to have the busiest year we’ve ever had,” said DeWitt.
The Marshall County Building Inspector asked the commissioners for permission this week to attend a workshop next month on renewable energy including solar power and generators.
Chuck DeWitt mentioned that an ordinance regarding solar panels will be coming soon to Culver and to Marshall County that will permit small, medium and large solar energy systems. He said the ordinance will include safety for the public and first responders when installing solar energy systems and education on when a power outage occurs. Continue reading
Officials with the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) have ruled that the Marshall County Commissioners can move forward with reestablishing the Cumulative Capital Development Fund at its maximum rate.
In a decision handed down on Aug. 31, DLGF officials approved the levying of a tax in the amount of $.0333 per $100 of assessed valuation in 2018. The rate must be advertised and the amount must be properly appropriated in the 2018 budget.
A potential funding source for those suffering losses not eligible for FEMA funds after a natural disaster has been tabled due to lack of support.
Marshall County Emergency Management Agency Director Clyde Avery told the commissioners on Tuesday morning that five people responded to eight notices sent out to create a board of directors for this endeavor, but only three members attended the first meeting. The goal of the proposed 501(C)(3) organization was to generate donations by a variety of fundraisers to sustain the fund. The money would then be distributed after applications were reviewed in the event of a catastrophic event.
