Tippecanoe Township officials in Marshall County will move forward with a planning grant to make improvements to the structure that houses the fire department and upgrade equipment.
The Marshall County Commissioners Monday morning approved a letter of intent as part of the process in obtaining a $40,000 planning grant through the Office of Community and Rural Affairs (OCRA). A planning grant would help the officials work with a planner and architect to put together a comprehensive study.
A Marshall County church can now expand thanks to the approval of a rezoning ordinance request.
Marshall County Plan Director Ralph Booker presented the information to the county commissioners this week on behalf of Grace Outreach Fellowship Church. The church congregation has outgrown the current facility and officials there are interested in the rezoning of purchased property to accommodate the change. Church officials are seeking the rezoning of 2900 Center Street in Tippecanoe to better serve their patrons. The two parcels on the affected property are zoned heavy industrial. The property needs to be rezoned to town residential for the church to occupy the building.
Marshall County will act as a funding pass-through point to deliver transportation funding from the Indiana Department of Transportation to the Marshall County Council on Aging.
Executive Director Jackie Wright explained to the Marshall County Commissioners Monday morning that she is submitting grant paperwork to INDOT for the annual request for transportation funding. She requested that the County be the pass-through point for the funds. She anticipates the reception of $277,000 this year.
The county approved a resolution to sign the contracts as presented for the necessary action. All signed paperwork needs to be submitted to INDOT by June 1.
The Marshall County Commissioners will consider a change order request from USI Consultants’ Bart Trester when they meet today. Trester oversees the 7th Road project and the roundabout project on North Michigan Road in Plymouth. Trester indicated earlier this month that crews are waiting for word from the state to move ahead, barring any more issues with the HMX mix design. The mix of aggregate and asphalt binder is causing buckling pavement in other locations across the state. Crews are awaiting final approval of the combination to install the mix.
At least one elected official in Marshall County believes the controversial topic of vehicle excise and wheel taxes to pay for road repairs will return. Plymouth Common Councilman Mike Delp says taxpayers need to keep the proposed user fees in perspective. He told his fellow council members last night people are concerned about paying $25 per vehicle but are willing to pay an average of $71 per month for cell phone service or $86 per month for cable TV and Internet service. Continue reading
Marshall County Attorney James Clevenger has drafted an agreement between the County and the City of Plymouth concerning the maintenance of the roundabout. Further discussion by the Commissioners has prompted its return to a meeting for approval.
The agreement calls for all expenses and improvement of the roundabout be the sole obligation of the City of Plymouth. The city has plans for signs as well as landscaping. Whatever improvements are planned would be approved by the Commissioners before any action is taken. Any planned landscaping would also need to comply with the proper navigation of vehicles around the roundabout. The city must also comply with all federal, state and local regulations.
The funding for the construction of a proposed firearms training facility in Marshall County may have hit a snag.
Marshall County Sheriff’s Deputy Ryan Hollopeter along with fellow deputy and president of the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge #130 Travis O’Neal presented plans to the commissioners in April for a firing range and classroom facility on the FOP’s property on Hawthorne Road and State Road 10. The plan was to pay for the facility out of the firearms training line item in the sheriff’s department budget. However, Marshall County Commissioner Kevin Overmyer said during a meeting this week that the funding may need to come from another line item. Overmyer mentioned that Auditor Julie Fox contacted the State Board of Accounts. It was determined that the firearms training fund is limited to training and firearms training or training for other law enforcement duties. She found that the particular fund was not appropriate for this construction project. Fox told MAX 98.3 FM News yesterday that this issue has not been resolved. Phone calls to Sheriff Tom Chamberlin were not returned.
A contract addendum to help streamline costs for alcohol monitoring through Marshall County Community Corrections was reviewed by the commissioners this week.
Director of Court Services Ward Byers approached the governing body on Monday with an agreement from 3M Electronic Monitoring to include alcohol monitoring for those on home detention.
The 7th Road project in Plymouth should be complete by the end of June.
Project Supervisor Bart Trester from USI Consultants told the Marshall County Commissioners on Monday that the center of the roundabout is open to traffic in order for construction to occur on the east and west third of the circular intersection. Crews will return the traffic pattern to travel around the roundabout when that phase is complete. The project is anticipated to be done by the end of June.
In order to generate funding for county and local roads, the Marshall County Commissioners approved a recommendation to the county council to enact a Local Option Highway User Tax (LOHUT). A LOHUT contains a vehicle excise tax and wheel tax.
Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters said the county now operates with $850,000 for road projects. With the addition of relinquishment funds of $350,000, the county will have $1.2 million to chip and seal 13.5 miles of road and to pave five miles of road this year. The $1.2 million figure also includes dust control and the acquisition of materials.
A local resident will be giving her opinion about a wheel tax to the Marshall County Commissioners when they meet this morning.
The Culver Town Council and the Plymouth Common Council have approved letters of support to the Marshall County Commissioners and the council for a proposed Local Option Highway User Tax (LOHUT). A LOHUT includes a vehicle excise tax and wheel tax that is payable at the Bureau of Motor Vehicles when vehicle registration is due. Those fees will be distributed to the county for use to construct, reconstruct, repair or maintain streets under county, city or town jurisdiction.
Government leaders from Marshall County and Pulaski County, along with the City of Plymouth and town council representatives attended a joint meeting of the Marshall County Commissioners and Marshall County Council Wednesday night to learn how to generate funding for local roads and streets.
Pat Conner, Research Manager at the Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program through Purdue University, explained how counties can use the Local Option Highway User Tax (LOHUT) to generate funds for road projects. The combined bodies of government are concerned that the state will not be giving counties any more funding for roads in the proposed biennial state budget.
The Marshall County Council on Aging continues to cater to more and more patrons with transportation needs.
Executive Director Jackie Wright gave the Marshall County Commissioners an annual report this week and said they have been turning down requests for transportation as they aren’t able to accommodate all of the requests. About 60 denials were given in each quarter in 2014. She explained driver and vehicle availability and hours in the operation day were the main reasons why those requests were denied. The agency has nine vehicles with 15 drivers.
A representative from the Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) will be meeting with the Marshall County Council and the Marshall County Commissioners this week to discuss funding options for the highway department.
Commission President Kevin Overmyer said in a previous meeting that the state will soon cut funding for local roads and highways, and it will be left to local governments to provide funding for projects.
Marshall County Highway Department crews are trying their best to make the roads as smooth as possible with the resources they have.
Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters told the county commissioners this week they’re out now working on blemishes on the roadways.
The Marshall County Commissioners will have an update on roads when they discuss items with Highway Administrator Laurie Baker and Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters.
The highway department crews are doing what they can to rehabilitate areas that were damaged due to the frost line. Potholes have surfaced, and edges of roads have deteriorated as winter turned to spring. It has been noted that some summer road projects will suffer due to lack of funding. The highway crews will do what they can with the funding they have to make the road as passable as possible.
It is the hope of the Marshall County Council and the Marshall County Commissioners to come together soon to address funding for county roads.
Commission President Kevin Overmyer told the county council Monday morning that the state appropriated money for INDOT but nothing for local roads for the next two years. He said representatives from the Build Indiana Council, Association of County Commissioners, and Indiana Association of Cities asked for those funds, but the request was not approved.
Overmyer said he’s been in contact with an Indiana Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) representative who has gathered numbers for a Local Option Highway User Income Tax.
“The fee is set by state statute of $25 for cars and vehicles and then on top of that there’s a wheel tax that is for trailers, semis, and other vehicles,” said Overmyer. “Pat Conner from LTAP has some information. They use information from the BMV to calculate what the revenue would entail. Hopefully, I will know soon when he can come up and make a joint presentation between the council and the commissioners.”
Overmyer believes that additional funding for local roads and streets will not come from the state government. He believes that counties will need to raise the funds themselves.
“I think we’re going to have to address it here locally whether we like it or not. We have about $800,000 to spend on roads this year, and we all know the condition of the roads. It’s just been two bad winters.”
The county highway department has a plan to repair what they can with the resources they have.
“We are out grinding roads right now. We’re going to start berming these roads to get the water off the roads. We’re starting to put a plan together. Some of these roads may not be going back to chip and seal for a year. Some of the roads that go out to the new U.S. 31 or cul de sac will get ground up, and we’ll maintain the gravel roads there. We’re going to have to do something.”
A few of the council members have ridden the county roads with the crews and know of the damage to the roads.
Commissioner Deb Griewank says the county remains under an Advisory Level travel advisory due to the condition of some of the roads.
“We had lowered it, but with this coming on we decided to move it back up to the advisory level just for the safety factor. Our roads are bad,” commented Griewank.
The crews will be working on the newly purchased pug mill this summer and the crews will do what they can to repair what they can.
The Marshall County Highway Department will be looking for ways to get more funding to improve roads in the county.
Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters commented to the commissioners this week that the county has limited funds to repair county roads. He said there will be some roads that will need to wait to be repaired until next year because the funding isn’t there to provide a workable solution.
Marshall County Treasurer Penny Lukenbill requested the extension of business hours to accommodate the payment of property taxes this spring and fall.
Lukenbill told the commissioners that the auditor delivered the tax duplicate to the treasurer’s office last week. The tax bills are now being created to be mailed out to taxpayers.
Lukenbill requested that the treasurer’s office be open on Saturday, May 9 from 9 a.m. to noon. She also asked that hours be extended on Friday, May 8 and Monday, May 11 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET.
Tippecanoe Township officials are looking to upgrade equipment and other needs and the Marshall County Commissioners agreed to help with the process.
Tippecanoe Township Trustee Matt Pitney expressed concern to the commissioners Monday morning about the township’s aging fire trucks and dilapidated building.
“The fire truck and the fire tanker are over 30-plus years old – all of our trucks are failing. Our fire station is part of the old school that has been kind of retrofitted. We’re parking fire trucks on top of a basement of the old school. We’ve spent endless hours repairing things ourselves trying to save the township some money,” said Pitney.
