By HOLLY GASKILL
Wells County will receive over $416K in a new Community Crossings Matching Grant from the Indiana Department of Transportation.
This grant will support the rehabilitation of County Road 450E between 1000N and 1100N, continuing the recent rehabilitation project from 1200N to 1100N. Later in the meeting, Highway Department Supervisor Shawn Bonar advised crews were finishing up work on this portion.
The exact grant amount came in at $416,624.35, effectively maxing out the possible funds the county could receive from CCMG this year, said County Engineer Nate Rumschlag. The county received $647,417.25 in April for two bridge projects within the county.
Rumschlag advised he was working on preparing the project for bid and hoped work would begin next summer.
Also during Monday’s commissioner meeting, Rumschlag said the work on Bridge 85 over Rock Creek on the Hoosier Highway was going well and was on track to re-open Nov. 13.
Other updates were:
• A public hearing regarding a request from Mark and Karen Shaffer to vacate an alley in Petroleum preceded the commissioner meeting. No one from the public contested the request, and the commissioners approved the matter 2-0; all three commissioners were present, but Commissioner Blake Gerber could not vote via Zoom.
• The commissioners scheduled a hearing regarding a request to vacate a portion of CR 500W for their next meeting, 5 p.m. Nov. 20. Gerber requested they hold an executive session before the meeting, and they agreed to meet at 4:15 p.m. Nov. 20.
• Rumschlag said he’s implemented a practice to report sewage found by the Highway Department to the Wells County Health Department for investigation. He further advised the public to report any issues to the Health Department. Rumschlag stated his crews are “not equipped for working in sewage when we are supposed to be repairing drainage or ditches within the county road right-of-way.”
• County Attorney Ted Storer said concrete aggregate dumped near a county drain has not been taken care of since the property owner received notice six months ago. No action was requested. The drainage board also approved a request from Jacob Alford to build near a tile in an unincorporated area outside of Tocsin.
• The commissioners tabled a decision for Highway Department equipment bids, which came in above the budgeted $50,000.
• John Stauffer and Matt Yergler, the commissioner-appointed members of the Wells County Public Library board, provided a quarterly update on library activities. Stauffer stated the summer reading program saw a 12 percent increase, which he attributed to the efforts made by the library staff. Specifically, Stauffer mentioned participants were allowed to donate their prizes, allowing 126 books to be donated to “Kate’s Kart,” a children’s book program at Bluffton Regional Medical Center.
• As of Monday evening, Sheriff Scott Holliday reported 60 inmates in the Wells County Jail. Of this total, 23 were pre-trial holds for the Circuit Court, 21 pre-trial Superior, 10 from the Department of Correction and three Level 6 felons.
holly@news-banner.com
