By HOLLY GASKILL
A 10-year projection shows a tenuous future for county bridge projects.
County Engineer Nate Rumschlag said Wells County will soon start exceeding the available Community Crossing Matching Grant funding, which the county projects have relied on. Additionally, inflation has increased the typical project cost, making it harder to maximize grants.
“We’re applying for every call for CCMG funds, and we’ve been very successful, but without those grant funds, we’re really in an odd spot,” Rumschlag said.
Subsequently, Rumschlag discussed increasing deposits in the cumulative bridge fund.
“We’re been very, very successful with these projects and the right funds that we have,” Rumschlag said. “We should be very grateful for what we’ve been successful with. The risk is and the problem is that with inflation, the grant funds, and the local sources, we just got to be smarter with trying to stretch those dollars.”
Other updates included:
• All county meetings — commissioners, Solid Waste District and drainage board — will be canceled on Sept. 18 due to the Bluffton Street Fair.
• The Highway Department has completed its chip seal schedule with 72 miles; 20 miles were removed from the plan because of a lack of funding.
• Work will begin Wednesday on Bridge 147, closing 400W between 1100N and 1200N.
• Closures will follow on Meridian Road between Ind. 124 and 100S and 1000S between 100E and Meridian to replace pipes.
• The commissioners approved an interlocal agreement for the spec building in Ossian. The agreement was tentatively approved in July but the terms had not yet been approved by Ossian Town Council. Construction is expected to break ground the first week of September, said Executive Director of Economic Development Chad Kline.
• Auditor Lisa McCormick was appointed to report on opioid settlements and Commissioner Mike Vanover was appointed to the Park Center Board.
• The commissioners gave Commissioner Blake Gerber permission to draft a letter of support to the Upper
• Sheriff Scott Holliday was not present for the meeting, but provided jail population numbers. As of Monday, there were 72 inmates, 26 of which were pre-trial holds for the Wells County Superior Court, 21 pre-trial holds for the Circuit Court, 17 from the Department of Correction and five Level 6 felons.
holly@news-banner.com
