December 19, 2011
12/20/11 The Marshall County Drainage Board awarded two maintenance contracts during their meeting Monday morning. Four bids were received for the Deep Creek Outlet Arm east of Argos. The project begins at State Road 10 and goes northward for 9,500 feet. The project calls for all brush along the ditch banks burn and bury in the cultivated area or pile in non cultivated areas. High bid on the project was from Al Alsop at $31,200 while the low bid was from Koontz & King for $13,900. Koontz & King were awarded the contract. Work is to be completed by April 1, 2012.
The second maintenance project was for the Stock Heston Ditch. Specifications call for the cleaning of approximately 3000 feet for the Stock Heston Ditch from Tyler Road upstream to where the ditch from the north enters. The contractor is to remove of all brush along the ditch banks and dispose of the debris by either burning or burying it. This project is also to be completed by April 1, 2012. Three bids were received with the high bidder being Jerry Read Excavating at $4,500 and low bid of Al Alsop at $3,300. Al Alsop was awarded the project.
The Drainage Board members approved the 2012 meeting dates and times. Next year there will be several changes. First off the May and October meetings have been cancelled. They have also moved the April and September meetings to the first Monday of the month.
Commissioner Kevin Overmyer explained that finding a citizen member to fill the vacancy left by Dave Miller has been challenging. He commented, “The meeting dates sometimes clash with farming practices.” The board also sent a favorable recommendation to the County Commissioners to appoint Dan Vores as the new citizen member effective January 1, 2012.
In other business the County Drainage Board motioned the move four ditches; Blad-Rodgers, Johnson-Blad, Kompare and Pontius from individual status and move them into the Robbins Watershed. This watershed is spread into the 4 County Drainage Board and Larry Fisher asked the Drainage Board to send a letter to the 4 County Board encouraging them to spend some of the funds they have been acquiring on maintenance projects. The motion included keeping the rate at $1.50 an acre.