Why were trees cut along State Road 46 West?
A resident near State Road 46 West and Hickory Knob (the west edge of Nashville) contacted the newspaper last week to ask why trees were being cut, “some smoothly and some looking like they’ve been torn off,” along the highway in that area.
The work was done to improve visibility for drivers and to remove trees and branches that could fall onto the road, said Natalie Garrett, a spokesman for the Indiana Department of Transportation.
“Crews are currently completing mechanical brush cutting along SR 46 between Nashville and Bloomington (starting on Nashville end),” she wrote. “This work will continue over the next two to three weeks as weather permits. Brush cutting is done along state routes between the roadway and right-of-way limits to remove vegetation that is causing line-of-sight issues, blocking road signs, or could fall onto the road.”
This work, generally done in the fall and winter to avoid disturbing nesting birds and bats, is generally followed by herbicide application in spring, she added.
She directed anyone wanting more information to the website greenercrossroads.com.
A few spots remain open on county boards
The Brown County Commissioners have three spots open on county boards which they hope to fill soon.
At the Jan. 6 meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved re-appointing many current members to boards that have openings this year, with the exception of the Brown County Parks and Recreation Board, the Helmsburg Regional Sewer District Board and a spot on the Property Tax Assessment Board of Appeals.
The commissioners temporarily appointed Kyle Myers to serve in Denise Broussard’s spot until at least Feb. 17, 2021, after she announced her resignation at the Jan. 6 HRSD board meeting. Between now and that date, the county commissioners will accept other applications for that board position. The county commissioners also appointed Brian Webb to serve a four-year term, replacing Harrietta Weddle.
The commissioners also had two appointments to make to to PTABOA this year, but had only received a letter of interest from one current member Robyn Rosenberg Bowman and not from the other member, Linda Bauer. An applicant with a Level II assessor appraisal certification is preferred for that board.
Anyone interested in serving on any of the three above boards can send their letters of interest to [email protected].
Commissioners will continue to meet virtually
Due to restrictions related to COVID-19, the Brown County Commissioners will meet virtually on Zoom this year until its deemed safe to meet in person again. Meetings will be on the first and third Wednesday of each month at 2 p.m.
“To be honest, we have more people joining us now for our meetings via Zoom at 2 p.m. than we ever had show up at our normal meetings,” commissioner Diana Biddle said.
President Jerry Pittman noted 44 people were attending that meeting.
“Even when we get back to in-person meetings I would consider continuing the Zoom broadcast so people can participate as they have through this time,” he said.
Biddle said that if the commissioners intend to discuss a “sensitive or controversial issue,” like proposed changes to the county’s septic ordinance, then the commissioners will make accommodations to the 2 p.m. meeting time.
She added that the Indiana General Assembly will be hearing bills this legislative session related to the Open Door Law and how meetings are conducted via Zoom, “how we conduct meetings and how public officials are allowed to attend meetings if we can attend via Zoom. There will be some significant changes to those state statutes this year. I would say Zoom will continue,” she said.
At that meeting, the commissioners also unanimously approved Pittman as president of the board and Biddle as vice president for 2021.
Amended ambulance contract extension approved
The Brown County Commissioners formally approved an extension to the county’s ambulance contract with Columbus Regional Hospital to ensure EMS coverage in the county until March 31.
The extension includes CRH providing two ambulances to service the county while the county tries to find another provider.
The county has a net-zero contract with CRH, which means CRH bills the county for any ambulance costs not covered by health insurance. For 2019, the county paid more than $600,000. The commissioners budgeted $515,000 for 2020 to pay the contract for 2019, then received a second bill for $180,000.
Over the last couple years, the county has had to find more money to make up the difference.
Originally, the extension had CRH only providing one ambulance, but the decision was made to provide an additional ambulance at the Dec. 16 meeting after negotiations with Ben Caughey, the director of emergency services for CRH.
At the Jan. 6 meeting, Biddle said that the county was in discussions with another provider, but that they did not want to be publicly named yet. “I believe that we will have a continuation of coverage at a much better rate beginning April 1,” she said.
Because the extended contract had to be signed by the end of the year, Biddle said she signed it, but that the commissioners need to affirm the agreement. That motion was approved unanimously.
County apply again for Community Crossings grant
Brown County plans to again apply for $1 million worth of highway projects through the state’s Community Crossings matching grant program.
Applications for the next round of available funding are due by Jan. 29. Counties with a population of 50,000 or less will receive a 75/25 match grant. Those who receive grants will be notified in late this winter or early spring.
“We’ve been successful for $3 million already and we’ll ask for another $1 million,” Magner said, about how much the county has received since the program started.
A list of roads for which Magner was applying for funding was not available by press deadline.
Magner said he was also going to work with the commissioners on identifying roads to pave with local paving money this year.
“We’ll plan on doing a big local paving project also this year probably about a $1.5 million on the local funds since we’ve accumulated some MVH (motor vehicle highway) money with the non-restricted fund,” he said.
Last year, the county received $1 million from Community Crossings. The plan was to use the funding to pave all of Becks Grove Road from State Road 135 to the county line; Mt. Liberty Road from Bellsville Pike to Rinnie Seitz Road; and the southern end of Lick Creek Road south of Cottonwood Road to State Road 45.
The county has a year and a half to use the grant money.
Workers were able to wedge a section of Becks Grove Road, but that road was not completely paved in 2020 due to weather.
“I’ve heard some comments on what a terrible job they did, but that project is only half-done,” commissioner President Jerry Pittman said.
Magner said he’d heard favorable comments after part of the road was wedged, “that it was so much better than it was before. They were just thrilled to death. They will definitely be back to put the final surface on that come late spring (or) early summer, as well as finish the rest of Becks Grove Road and the other two projects as part of our 2020 contract with our Community Crossings money,” he said.
“That will be finished up and we’ll be looking at new projects also.”
In his report to the commissioners, Magner also said his department is in “desperate need” for CDL drivers again.
“Experienced CDL dump truck drivers, there’s jobs available if you want to work. Call me or email me,” he said.
Bids for highway department materials approved
Bids for materials like tires, culvert pipe, crushed stone, asphalt paving materials and other necessities for the Brown County Highway Department were approved at the Jan. 6 Brown County Commissioners meeting.
Highway Superintendent Mike Magner said his department had received 19 bid packages for the variety of materials. The department also will receive its salt supply through a statewide salt purchase program after participating mid-year last year.
“They bid it as one big project to help bring the cost down, hold the cost down as much as we can. They were successful again this year,” Magner said of the salt bid program.
The county uses a treated salt that is mixed with sand.
“That price was already set, which came down just a little under 50 cents a ton. It’s still high, but at least it started a downward trend, which is good instead of the steady increases for the last four years,” Magner said.
Magner recommended that the commissioners accept the 19 bids for the other department materials. “Then as we get ready to use the materials, we will review price, quantity, quality, availability and location of where we’re doing the work,” he said.
“If we’re on the west side of the county it makes sense to go to Bloomington. If we’re on the east side it makes sense to go to Columbus. It saves time and transport costs.”
Magner also told the commissioners that his crew had been out hauling stone to unpaved roads in the county. He said that crews have only had to go out twice to treat icy road conditions as of Jan. 6 with the last time being on New Year’s Eve.
