Solid Waste District considers commercial permits
The Solid Waste District board continued their discussion regarding commercial permits for the use of the Recycling Center. Commissioner Jeff Stringer said he had called multiple neighboring counties, who all advised they required a permit fee. The city of Bluffton has also recently approved a similar model for their compost site.
Superintendent Kevin Poling noted, however, that businesses are still taxpayers, and their taxes ultimately permit them to use the county resources. Commissioner Blake Gerber said they would discuss a potential model for permit fees at the next SWD board meeting on Dec. 18.
Also during the meeting, the board decided not to enroll in IMPACT, a volunteer program through the state. As it was discussed, Poling advised there is no need for volunteers, and subsequently, Mayor John Whicker said the program may not be worth the paperwork. Several other board members also reached this conclusion, and the board did not vote on the matter.
Construction moving quickly on Highway building
Power and gas are expected soon at the new highway building, reported Supervisor Shawn Bonar.
“There’s a lot of moving parts in there that just continuously drop in,” Bonar said. “To be able to tell you every single one of them, we might have a long meeting here — but it’s moving along good.”
Additionally, the main entry doors are nearly complete, the fence is installed, and interior items continue to come along.
Outside of construction, Bonar said the department re-established the road to a Uniondale cemetery, which had been discussed at the commissioner’s Oct. 3 meeting. Crews will continue to work on road conversion of County Road 450 South between Ind. 1 and CR 200E as time allows, Bonar said.
November to bring the end of jail renovation
Sheriff Scott Holliday stated the final small projects associated with the jail renovation should be done by the end of the month. The overall bulk of the renovation — which increased the jail’s capacity — was finished roughly six months ago, but some finishing items remained.
As of Monday, Holliday reported 61 inmates in the Wells County Jail. Of this total, 21 were pre-trial holds for the Circuit Court, 20 for the Superior Court, 14 from the Department of Correction, and five Level 6 felons.
County considers health insurance increases
With another year of high use, Jessica Clayton of Platinum Benefit Consultants said the county may soon have to consider a new health insurance plan for its employees. That said, Clayton advised the county compares well in cost-increase over the last 10 years compared to the national average.
The commissioners approved a proposed plan that was near the same employee out-of-pocket last year but noted that there may be an increased cost to employees next year.
Stringer also asked Clayton how Wells compares in its costs and benefits, noting that some employees have cited insurance as a reason for leaving. However, Clayton stated it was “apples and oranges” to compare counties and cities with different circumstances.
Drainage board approves easement
The drainage board approved an encroachment request on the Russel Somers Prong 6 Tile Drain. Surveyor Jarrod Hahn advised that the pole barn the petitioners hoped to build would not cause any issues.
Given his resignation as engineer, Nate Rumschlag also advised that he would be unavailable to consult on board matters moving forward.
Karen Bell’s preschool students practiced table manners for Thanksgiving this week, learning where to place their napkins and how to pass a plate around the table. They also made feather hats and tried cornmeal pancakes, also called “johnny cakes,” which were said to have been at the first Thanksgiving meal. Above, the long table of students sing a song before beginning their meal.
— Compiled by Holly Gaskill
