By HOLLY GASKILL
As discussed in their Tuesday meeting, the county drainage board plans to proceed with plans to take over replacement of the Goodspeed tile from the Indiana Department of Transportation.
The board agreed to begin taking bids on the project with the hope of it being completed by the end of September. County Surveyor Jared Hahn said the state highway project will bid in March.
“We’re getting pretty tight on timeline to make everything happen,” Hahn said.
INDOT had scheduled to replace the tile with their work on the Hoosier Highway. Hahn had previously discussed the tile project with the board, citing that INDOT’s proposed plans seemed more expensive, projected at $1.2 million.
By taking on the project, Hahn hopes the county can save money and ensure the tile is most beneficial to the area. During their last meeting, Hahn said he estimated they could finish the project with a local contractor for $100,000-$150,000.
Since then, Hahn said he and County Engineer Nate Rumschlag have been able to nail down the specifics. However, at the time of the meeting, Hahn said he had not yet heard whether or not there would be an issue with INDOT in taking on the project locally.
“There’s no stops or breaks on that project as far as us doing it — I’m not aware of any,” Rumshlag said.
Hahn said he had communicated this information with the area landowners who had questions about the tile replacement.
The board also approved permit applications for the Town of Ossian to replace a pipe on Woodcreek Drive.
Additionally, Hahn said they had met with Bluffton Mayor John Wicker about a month ago to begin discussing stormwater issues with county tiles that fall within the city’s limits. He said he foresaw there being some housekeeping, and he would continue communicating about the issue.
holly@news-banner.com
