The Marshall County Council has decided to step back and gather more information before moving forward with a Local Option Highway User Tax (LOHUT).
The LOHUT contains a surtax of the vehicle excise tax as well as a wheel tax.. That money can be used to reconstruct, construct, repair or maintain streets under county, city or town jurisdiction.
In order to generate funding for county and local roads, the Marshall County Commissioners are recommending the county council enact a Local Option Highway User Tax (LOHUT). A LOHUT contains a vehicle excise tax and a wheel tax.
Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters said the county now operates with $850,000 for road projects. With the addition of state relinquishment funds of $350,000, the county will have $1.2 million to chip and seal 13.5 miles of road and to pave five miles of road this year. The $1.2 million figure also includes dust control and the acquisition of materials.
Marshall County Highway Department crews are trying their best to make the roads as smooth as possible with the resources they have.
Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters told the county commissioners this week they’re out now working on blemishes on the roadways.
The Marshall County Highway Department will be looking for ways to get more funding to improve roads in the county.
Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters commented to the commissioners this week that the county has limited funds to repair county roads. He said there will be some roads that will need to wait to be repaired until next year because the funding isn’t there to provide a workable solution.
The Marshall County Commissioners commended the highway department on their efforts during the weekend to keep roads clear for travelers.
Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters said the crews went out Sunday morning as opposed to Saturday night as visibility was low and cars were stranded in the roadways.
The Marshall County Council discussed the purchase of a pug mill when the members met Monday morning.
Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters gave the council paperwork on a used pug mill he found in Missouri. He said the machine was purchased by an individual who wanted to try something different with the machine, but it didn’t work out. The machine is now for sale.
Peters said the machine would cost $375,000 brand new, but this machine is selling for $285,000. It would only have a one-year warranty. The purchase of the pug mill would save the county money, according to Peters. When asked by Councilman Rex Gilliland about the savings, Peters said it could be realized almost immediately. Up to $250,000 could be saved in having the machine on-site and making road materials for paving and patching.
The Marshall County Highway Department discussed pug mill quotes with the commissioners this week.
The highway department would need to commit 10 percent for a down payment for a pug mill. The down payment would be $28,500. Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters will be going to look and test the equipment soon.
The Marshall County Highway Department will be working toward getting a pug mill to save money on paving costs.
Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters told the commissioners this week that they have been using Starke County’s pug mill and have patched roads with the stone, oil and sand mixture. Compared to a hot asphalt mix, having a pug mill will save the county thousands and thousands of dollars. He said the materials for other paving options are getting more expensive.
The Marshall County Commissioners will not meet today as the county employees will observe Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.
When they meet tomorrow, the highway department heads will have updates on the wetland mitigation issue and the mill pond dam. Highway Administrator Laurie Baker and Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters will also have pug mill estimates and bid specifications for a loader.
Bart Trester from USI Consultants will present a fiber-optic conduit certification of completion for Glen Overmyer Drive in connection with the Metronet project. Curt Fey from Legal Shield will have a presentation, and the commissioners will discuss the 2015 covered bridge certification.
The Marshall County Commissioners signed grant paperwork so EMA Director Clyde Avery can order equipment. The commissioners previously approved the 2014 Department of Homeland Security grant worth $20,000 to order newer 800 MHz radios to have on hand.
Highway Administrator Laurie Baker informed the commissioners that bridge inspections are ongoing. The department has gotten a bill for $78,967 for work already completed on the first phase. The inspections are about 60 percent complete. INDOT will reimburse the county for 80 percent of the cost.
The Marshall County Commissioners will receive updates on three major construction projects when they meet this morning.
Bart Trester from USI will have status updates on the 7th Road construction project, the Metronet project and the Jefferson Street Bridge rehabilitation project.
The commissioners approved paperwork at their last meeting to call sections of the Metronet project substantially complete. Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters told WKVI News last week that Beer and Slabaugh is working on the east end of the Jefferson Street bridge and that road should be open at the end of next week.
The Marshall County Highway Department was busy this summer with the road program.
Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters told the commissioners Monday morning that crews were able to chip and seal 38 to 40 miles of roads this year.
“We pugged right around five-and-a-half miles, we paved a little over two-and-a-half miles. We used about 2,000 tons of milling for paving. We used about 1,500 ton of that for miscellaneous patching here and there. Roughly 1,000 to 1,500 ton we used for patching which offsets a tremendous amount of money in years to come as far as buying cold mix,” said Peters.
The repairs to the Jefferson Street Bridge in Plymouth are on schedule.
Supervisor of County Highways Jason Peters told the Marshall County Commissioners on Monday morning that work is nearly done on the west side of the bridge.
“They’re actually hoping to have that end of the bridge done by Friday. Of course it will be closed for probably a week before that end will all be said and done. Then, they’ll start on the east end. On the east end, they do have the sidewalk off. I think, in previous years, they must have actually cut a hole in the cement and filled it with cement and it actually ran down on the gas line,” Peters said.
The Marshall County Highway Department is ready to handle winter weather, according to Jason Peters, Supervisor of County Highways.
He commented on the status of the department in a Marshall County Safety Committee meeting this week. Peters said the highway department has a good system of when to send out workers to clear the roads of snow and ice.
The Marshall County Commissioners approved a contract for gas and diesel with one company – provided some language can be ironed out between the company and the county attorney.
Representatives from North-Central Co-op went before the commissioners Monday morning to discuss the agreement which allows for gasoline and diesel fuel at the highway department with a card reader system and tank monitoring. The company would install the hardware and software and equipment at the highway department at no up-front charge, but a four-and-a-half cent additional cost over the rack price will be assessed on fueling to pay for the cost of the equipment over a five-year period.
