At Tuesday’s meeting, the Daviess County Commissioners approved the closure of a major cross-county road, raised buggy fees, and heard a request to expand the taxing area of the Odon Winklepleck Libraries. REO asked for a temporary closure of County Road 200 North so they can mine coal deposits on the south side of the road. Ed Hartzberg, the REO representative, told the commissioners that the company has a $5.5 million surety bond with the state to guarantee the road replacement. All three commissioners said they didn’t like closing a major county traffic route, but that economics and jobs outweighed the inconvenience. The Commissioners approved the closure pending a contract with a change limiting the closure to 30 months and a certified notice mailed to adjoining property owners. The discussion also led the commissioner to place a discussion of other county roads that have been cut but not replaced on the agenda for the December 27th meeting.
In other action, the Commissioners approved raising the fees for horse-drawn vehicle permits. Each buggy permit will now cost $125. Commissioner Nathan Gabhart said that there was ample justification for even a higher rate, but the raise would be too much at one time. The commissioners also added a $75 “school pony cart” permit. The limitation is that the cart is used by children going to and from school and is pulled by an unshod pony. The Commissioners noted the extreme wear on roads caused by horseshoes and noted that the $125 buggy fee is still less than half of the plate fees for a normal automobile. The new buggy permits will be stickers that cannot be transferred from one vehicle to another. Each buggy must have its own permit.
The Commissioners also heard a request from the Odon Winkleplec Library to include all the townships in the North Daviess School District in the library’s taxing unit. Currently, the library is supported only by Madison Township. The Commissioner requested more input from the Bogard, Steele, and Elmore trustees, along with the area’s town boards and the North Daviess Schools, before taking any final action. The request will be considered at the next commissioners meeting on December 27.
