The Marshall County Commissioners are looking to improve communication connections at the highway department.
Highway Administrator Laurie Baker mentioned Monday morning that she was unable to access her email for the past few days to report on several bridge projects due to networking being down at the highway department.
The Marshall County Health Department’s new offices should be completed next week. The department is moving to the Community Resource Center to make room for the expansion of the County Prosecutor’s Office in the Marshall County Building. Continue reading
Plymouth residents will have the chance to give their input on the future development of Marshall County during a town hall meeting tomorrow. The Marshall County Economic Development Corporation is hosting the meeting to discuss the Marshall County Vision. Continue reading
The Marshall County Council discussed an additional appropriation request by the county commissioners for the Metronet project in the amount of $119,750.19.
Commission President Kevin Overmyer explained that the money was leftover in their line item in 2014 and was reverted to the Rainy Day Fund. Overmyer asked that the money be appropriated to finish paying bills for the Metronet project. He said the entire amount will not be spent and whatever is left can be put back into the Rainy Day Fund.
This week, the Marshall County Commissioners approved and signed paperwork to complete the acceptance of the Metronet project along Glen Overmyer Drive. The work ended on Nov. 12 with all punch list items checked off the list. The installation of conduit for the three phases of the Metronet project is now complete.
The conduit will house dark fiber capable of distributing high-speed internet to business and industry in Plymouth. The conduit was installed in the city limits and along old U.S. 31 through LaPaz, LaVille, Lakeville and into South Bend. LaVille School Corporation and Hoosier Racing Tire have already lit dark fiber to begin using the product.
The Marshall County Commissioners will not meet today as the county employees will observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
When they meet tomorrow, the highway department heads will have updates on the wetland mitigation issue and the mill pond dam. Highway Administrator Laurie Baker and Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters will also have pug mill estimates and bid specifications for a loader.
Bart Trester from USI Consultants will present a fiber-optic conduit certification of completion for Glen Overmyer Drive in connection with the Metronet project. Curt Fey from Legal Shield will have a presentation and the commissioners will discuss the 2015 covered bridge certification.
The Marshall County Metronet project is drawing to a close.
The commissioners last week approved a payment agreement between the county and the City of Plymouth for shared conduit installation. The county is to pay half of the cost of the installation and handholds on Lincolnway to State Road 17 on Pioneer Drive, Pioneer Drive to Overmyer Drive and three lateral connections to the three county buildings for a total cost of $37,513.76. The city will pay the same cost for those installation costs.
The commissioners unanimously approved the agreement and now it will go to the Plymouth Redevelopment Commission for their review.
The Marshall County Council members discussed an additional appropriation for the Metronet project Monday morning.
The amount was for $250,000 out of the Rainy Day Fund which is the amount St. Joseph County is expected to pay for the project.
Auditor Penny Lukenbill explained that Trinity Health sent in $125,000 for their portion of the cost in August which was appropriated last month. The county is anticipating St. Joseph County’s portion of $250,000 this week. Lukenbill stated that she wants to be prepared for when that happens.
The council unanimously approved the appropriation.
The Marshall County Council members will consider several additional appropriations in their monthly meeting today.
Marshall County Superior Court No. 2 Judge Dean Colvin will request $30,000 in an additional appropriation for pauper council while Sheriff Tom Chamberlin will discuss a $3,000 request for overtime.
A request for $250,000 from the Rainy Day Fund to cover the cost of the Metronet project is on the agenda. St. Joseph Regional Medical Center recently paid that for their cost of the project which was placed into the Rainy Day Fund. The council members will now take out that money to complete payment on the project.
The Marshall County commissioners received an update on the 7th Road project and the Metronet project Monday morning.
USI Consultant’s Bart Trester is the project manager and said the 7th Road project is moving along.
“The contractor has begun the soil stabilization of the sub-grade and should finish from Linden Trail to Seltenright Ditch by the end of the week. This will actually allow them to put in under drains and hopefully begin paving toward the end of the week. They won’t put surface down this year. Traffic has been running on a temporary lane allowing the contractor to construct phase two of the roundabout on Michigan Road. Traffic will be switched to phase three at the end of this week or early next week. They will be running through the center of the roundabout at this time allowing them to construct phase three which is the east side up to Zimmer Ditch,” said Trester.
The Marshall County commissioners will meet today with a host of items to discuss.
Bart Trester of USI will provide the commissioners with an update on the 7th Road project and the Metronet project. The Metronet project is ahead of schedule while the 7th Road project continues. An update on the Jefferson Street bridge will also be provided by a USI representative.
Ward Byers from Court Services will be before the board for approval of an employment contract and Stacy Richer will have a request to vacate a street on county-owned property.
