01/18/12 It was a busy morning for the Marshall County Drainage Board. The first order of business was the reorganization of the board. The motion was made and approved to keep the same officer, President – Jack Roose, Vice President – Kevin Overmyer, Secretary – Lori Lowry and attorney – Jim Clevenger.
Bids were opened on the 6,000 foot Moore Ditch maintenance project in Tippecanoe Township. Three companies bid on the project; L & P Excavating in Bristol $7,880.00, Good Excavating from Warsaw for $11,950 and low bidder Koontz and King Excavating from Bourbon for $6,200. The board unanimously approved the low bid of Koontz and King.
County Surveyor Larry Fisher told board members that the Morgan Ward Drain and the Clell Fouts Ditch are in the red quite a bit. The Fouts Ditch in Polk Township is on both sides of US 6. It is still at its initial assessment of $1.25 an acre which was placed in 1990. Fisher said, “The assessment is just not keeping up, and there’s a lot of work to do.” He explained that there has been lots of development with lot splits in the area of US 6 and Union Road. A public hearing will be held next month to consider raising the assessment.
Fisher said the Morgan Ward Drain is a large tile in Tippecanoe Township “that hasn’t been touched since I’ve been here.” He explained that the watershed needs an adjustment before consideration of increasing the assessment. He asked the drainage Board to wait till the March meeting for a public hearing.
Brian Sheets from County Road 50 in Nappanee and some of his neighbors attended the meeting concerned about the maintenance on the Dausman Ditch that empties into the Yellow River in German Township. Fisher said they have been cleaning the ditch of sand bars and beaver dams with plans to continue later this year. Sheets asked about log jams and debris in the Yellow River. Fisher said, “We don’t float it annually so you are our eyes out there.” He urged citizens to notify the surveyor’s office when they see trees in the river.
